What Kind of Leader Are You?
In ancient times the famous politician and philosopher Niccolo Machiavelli wrote about the authoritative or coercive leader. This style can be summarized thus: “Do what I tell you or die.” Fear of retribution was the motivating force, and Machiavelli argued for its merits with precision. Today, such leadership – even when scaled down to the […]
Speaking the Truth in Love
If you are like most humans, speaking the truth is done only one way – with vigor, sometimes frustration, maybe even anger. We don’t know how to speak the truth any other way. Why is that? Because truth is combative. It is pushing back on lies. It is casting light on darkness. Truth challenges falsehood… […]
My New Year’s Resolution: Think Small
In thinking about the new year, and the intrinsic partying and resolutions of every American year change, I am struck with this observation: American culture is obsessed with loud, boisterous, and BIG. This is especially true every new year, when we say goodbye to past failures and make big new year’s resolutions. “THIS YEAR,” we […]
What Would Jesus Do?
Christmas in Paintsville, Kentucky took an odd turn this year when a local school district censored the play, “A Charlie Brown Christmas.” In the play, the witty, security-blanket-toting character named Linus quoted from Luke’s Gospel about the birth of Jesus Christ. Apparently this offended one member of the community. Outraged parents took to the streets, […]
Aliens but not Alienated
My wife and I were recently in New York City and spent an afternoon touring the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. While meandering through an expansive array of grand halls and elaborate displays featuring Mammals, Reptiles, Dinosaur fossils, and Human Life I was inspired by the staggering complexity of life on our planet. […]
Restitution: The Flip-Side of Forgiveness
On a recent flight from Colombo, Sri Lanka to Bangkok, Thailand I watched the movie “The Woman in Gold.” The film is a true story about a painting – Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I – created by Austrian artist Gustav Klimt in 1907 for a prominent Viennese Jewish family. During Hitler’s occupation of Austria in […]
Great Commission Cowards
“Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted.” (Matthew 28:16-17). At the launch of the Great Commission, twelve men (minus one) who had traveled with Jesus for three years and had witnessed His miracles, His […]
Saying Yes. Saying No.
A popular thought circulating in Christian culture says, “For a long time Christians have been known for what we are AGAINST. We should rather be known for what we are FOR.” Jesus modeled this positive approach to faith, but He was also outspokenly against many things. Hypocrisy comes to mind. Being for something alone is […]
Wondering how to get started in missions? Meet Josh & Diana!
Wondering how to get started as a missionary? Meet Josh & Diana Britnell, missionaries serving in Nicaragua, and hear some of their story! Josh & Diana are serving with Globe International in Nicaragua at a children’s home. They live on-site in Los Cedros, and provide a family atmosphere for the children. Josh & Diana went […]
So, you say you want to quit?
It’s 1977. My wife and I are newly married and we are considering a missionary career in Asia. Friends of ours, WD and his wife, decide to serve in Central America. On the return address of his letters, WD wrote these letters: GMOFAPOAICR. One had to open the envelope to decipher the cryptic acronym: “God’s […]