One of the boldest things any human being can do is to stand in front of someone else and say, “This is what I believe.” We listen, whether we are inclined to believe the same thing or not. Belief in God and in the truths of God is a distinctive experience. It is to say, […]
Certainty in Uncertain Times Read More »
According to John Adams, July 2 marked the birth of a brand new nation, the United States of America. Two days later, July 4, the Declaration of Independence was signed, but on July 2 the Congress had voted to approve the independence of the thirteen colonies from Britain. Writing to his beloved wife, Abigail, John
July 2 Independence Day? Read More »
If you are looking for a set of values that will give dignity to your life, that will connect you with the life of God, and that will work at a practical level, you need not look any further than these: reverence and respect.More…
On Reverence and Respect Read More »
How would the world be different if leaders were wise enough to value this? “The wisdom that comes from above is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere” (James 3:17). • “Pure” means being relatively free of mixed motives.
Today thousands of Christians are fleeing for their lives as one of the most radical terrorist groups the world has ever seen sweeps across the country of Iraq.
It has been called “a targeted religious cleansing of Christians.” The remaining 3,000 Christians in Iraq’s second largest city, Mosul (ancient Ninevah) appear to have fled for their lives.
The Plight of Christians in Iraq Read More »
by Mel Lawrenz [Op-Ed in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Sunday, June 8, 2014] Of all the shocking details about the two 12-year-old girls who allegedly stabbed a friend 19 times — the calculation, the savagery, the lunacy — the one part of the account that struck me the most is when the girls reportedly dragged
The Bad Part of Me Read More »
(One of the truly great examples of people putting faith into action in a big way is the work of International Justice Mission and its founder, Gary Haugen. Every interaction I have had with their staff has been truly encouraging. 600 brave advocates work today around the world on behalf of people who cannot speak
We are witnessing the greatest power in the world displayed in Charleston, South Carolina these days. Journalists are dumbstruck. The family members of those slain in the church are suddenly international voices. The gospel of Jesus Christ is drowning out all other messages. Love is stronger than hate. Someone wanting to start a race war will not get his way. It could be confusing to some that the family members of the nine people killed in a Bible study would talk about forgiveness at a time like this. But forgiveness does not mean calling an evil thing good. It does not subvert justice. Forgiveness is not hiding from reality. It holds no moral ambiguity. Forgiveness in the New Testament simply means “to release.” This is what the family members are doing. They are refusing to hold the perpetrator of the evil act accountable to them personally. The killer will be subject to the judgment of the court, and the judgment of God. But for now the local victims are rising above vindictiveness. Their character is holding strong. Evil is being put in its place: its pitiful, pathetic, weak place.
How Does Forgiveness Work? Read More »
Some people have a hard time believing in any form of providence. They may acknowledge a creator or designer, but one who is now no longer directly involved in the creation. They don’t see a gigantic hand reaching down from the clouds, or they believe that most of what happens in life can be traced
God is Not a Watchmaker Read More »
Like most people, at the end of every year I find myself looking ahead and wondering what the new year will bring. One more trip around the sun: 8,760 hours. Last year most of those hours turned out as I expected. But a few thousand did not. That’s where the excitement comes in—and the worry. On many
Thoughts for a New Year Read More »
[After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up.] The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. –Luke 2:20 At the birth of Jesus, amidst the dirt and straw of a stable, millennia of promises, prophecies,
There, on that small blue circle, the entire drama of human history has unfolded: the Creation, the Fall, war, exploration, feast and famine, marriage and divorce, birth and death. And to that blue circle God came, at just the right time, to begin to make things right in the human race.
This is post #23 in the Christmas devotional “Christmas Joy.”Read more devotionals by Mel Lawrenz. That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. The life appeared; we have seen
After Christmas, new articles in The Brook Letter by Mel Lawrenz: sign up. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people, a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel. – Luke 2:30-32 The winter solstice on December 21, the darkest day
The word became flesh, and made his dwelling among us. – John 1:14 Not only did the Son of God become a baby, but also he became flesh. Divinity joined to corporeal muscle, blood and bones. In this humbling of the eternal Son of God, the Word who was with God from the beginning and