The Morning Star
The planet Venus is known as the Morning Star. It circles the Sun faster than the earth and often appears in the east just over the horizon before dawn. As the earth rotates it gives the appearance that Venus is leading the sun, bringing the light, to the earth. In...
Fear and Lies
The idea of a Kingdom of Darkness attempts to describe the ongoing reality of the devil’s work on earth. This includes demonic activity and the sinful thoughts, words, and actions of humanity. We are a fallen people always being led astray by fallen angels. Yet, most...
gods: on Trial
A Toss of the Blocks“Will Miss Kuo have a boyfriend before next semester?” This seems like a silly question to ask a god. And yet, as the two red crescent-shaped blocks clattered across the floor they stopped with one round side and one flat side both facing up—a very...
Have You Committed the Unforgivable Sin?
If you type the words “the unforgivable sin” into a google search bar, you will be promptly drowned in several hundred articles on the subject. Apparently, there’s something here that weighs on the minds of many a Christian googler! If you scroll a bit through the...
One Little Word!
One of my favorite hymns is Martin Luther’s A Mighty Fortress Is Our God. The second part of the first verse paints a pretty bleak picture of our position on earth compared to the Prince of Darkness: For still our ancient foe... doth seek to work us woe His craft and...
Finding Light in the Darkness
Anyone else feeling like we are under attack? I am referring to a spiritual attack, of course. When COVID-19 hit North America earlier this year, it was a dark time for all. Many of us find peace and joy in our faith through our fellowship with others. I found that my...
Inspiration Point: God Provides
The Bible is loaded with instances of God calling people out of their surroundings and leading them to the outdoors, sometimes as discipline, but always for learning. Paul, Elijah, Moses and the Israelites, David, and even Jesus, all experienced defining moments...
What Does the Word Say?
This question has become a hallmark of Dr. Eugene Boe’s teaching. As seminary students grapple with the many issues of theology, their quest for the answers does not end in a textbook. It ends in the Book, as their teacher asks, “What does the Word say?” They are...
Drawn to the Word
I grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota a few blocks away from the house that my father grew up in. I now live with my incredible wife Holly in the same neighborhood, a few blocks away from my father and mother. We look forward to having children who will also get to...
Why Jesus?
I had the privilege of being Stacia’s pastor for a number of years. She is a woman who loves Jesus and people—what a powerful combination! As you read this article you will be encouraged to meet people where they are. It is from this starting point that God can do...
The Time for Outreach is Now
When the pandemic ends, some churches will emerge weaker, and some will emerge stronger. One of the consistent themes that I see with churches that are growing and strengthening during this season is that their leaders are optimistic, energized, and willing to try new...
Wonderful Adventure
I live in the very heart of Africa, 200 miles from the nearest paved road, in a region cut off by water in every direction for four months out of the year. Sound exotic? Exciting? It kind of is—until we run into other people. There are 5,000 of them in our village, so...
The Other Side of the Battle
We tend to think of spiritual warfare only from the perspective of the Satanic realm warring against believers, as dramatized in C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters. But God also battles, both against sin and to win lost souls from Satan’s domain. For example: Then the Lord...
Prepared for Lightning
We never saw it coming. It was a beautiful summer day near Chetek, WI, so as we entered the restaurant, we asked the server if we could sit out on the deck, close to the lake. Miles away, across Lake Chetek, and far beyond the town of Chetek, we could see the clouds....
In the Blink of an Eye
On June 20, 2007, I was working a trade show in Dallas with a good friend. We are both big baseball fans, so we decided at the last minute to buy tickets to the Rangers game. We knew before purchasing our tickets that the game could be historically significant, and we...