Author Archives: Mike

Political, cultural and theological movements can bring needed change but unchecked they can do great harm.

These are tumultuous times. COVID-19, racial injustice, riots, an economic downturn, and a massive explosion in Beirut has left many feeling fearful, hopeless or numb. Similarly, Isaiah and the Israelites would have also felt fearful, hopeless and perhaps numb toward the beginning of Isaiah’s ministry. Before Isaiah’s ministry began Jerusalem was in dire straits. AssyriaContinue reading “Why Isaiah’s Vision is What We Need in Challenging Times”

A person can trivialize almost any sin by making it a joke. So observed C. S. Lewis.[1] That’s tragic because God created humor and laughter. We feel his goodness when we laugh. Yet as with every good thing God made, we have perverted it with sin. How should Christians think about humor? One of myContinue reading “Comedy to the Glory of God”

“Who am I to judge?” “If that makes them happy who am I to say it’s wrong?” “Let me live my life.” “Don’t judge.” This is our cultures attitude toward judging of any kind. Telling others they are in the wrong is simply out of the question. It limits our self-expression. Let’s look at someContinue reading “Is It Ever Okay to Judge Others?”

About a year ago I was driving through a neighborhood admiring the beautiful homes and thinking about our apartment. A longing crept up in me to have one of the homes I was seeing. One of the benefits of reading and memorizing the Bible is it gives God a vocabulary to speak into your life.Continue reading “The Ultimate Dream Home”

There are many songs that resonate with us because they speak of living forever, or casting off all restraint and living it up. YOLO has become the motto of younger generations. Here are some quotes from some recent and not so recent songs. “Tonight, we are young. So let’s set the world on fire, weContinue reading “Forever Young?”

In the Lord of the Rings book Return of the King, there is a moment when some good friends are reunited after being separated for a long time. When they finally come back together they are overjoyed, not only to see each other alive, but to hear about each other’s adventures. They sit down andContinue reading “When We See Him”

All of us desire true friendship. I talk with many people who express a frustration with the lack of friendships or lack of depth in friendships they have. Technology gives us a taste of friendship, but is only a facade compared to authentic friendship. In her book Alone Together, Sherry Turkle argues that technology hasContinue reading “Don’t You Want Somebody to Love?”

In college I got to help out at a week-long camp for kids with disabilities. These kids suffered from all sorts of severe physical and mental disabilities, yet they were such a joy to be around. There was a boy there who was in a wheelchair because he couldn’t stand or use his limbs veryContinue reading “An Unshakable Hope”