# Light of the Cross

Let nothing move you! I always loved listening to Richard Ghusta’s travel stories. One day he told of some fellow travellers across South Asia. The buses were crowded with mothers, children, merchandise, and chickens, so riding atop with the men and the baggage was the only option. The local men were welcoming and friendly as they allotted him his roof-space. He said that as the miles went by something was happening that he didn’t notice until it was too late.…

Servant of Christ? Prove it! Downton Abby had popular appeal. An aristocratic family living in the lap of luxury with nothing better to do but to be served. Who wouldn’t enjoy having a team of workers rushing about making sure that everything was being done in your day to assure you that you are important enough to feel entitled?Jesus gave up his place of divine position in order to lift us out of our state of spiritual destitution: “For you…

Dealing with Difficult people I walked into the Pharmacy today and something was not quite right. The Japanese Pharmacist was standing motionless behind the counter looking very serious, and staring straight ahead. A lady and her two children were waiting nearby, so I assumed that I could approach the Pharmacist. I was distracted away by the nice lady at the other end of the counter who happily served me. It wasn’t until I sat down that I noticed a third…

Dealing to Anger The Commanding Officer of King David’s army was his nephew, Joab. Joab thought nothing of helping his uncle murder the husband of Bathsheba. He put Uriah in the thick of battle and withdrew from him. Joab’s battle report to David included news of men being killed when fighting too close to the enemy’s wall. David would be furious—But, no matter, Joab knew what David wanted to hear. Joab was right, David’s anger rose when hearing about Joab’s…

Dealing to Fear In my youth, on one of my many hitchhiking adventures, I was picked up by a very well-presented guy in his early twenties. I remember him well. He was well-spoken, down to earth, and a skilled conversationalist. He obviously enjoyed getting to know people. He paused amidst one of our chats, casually leaned forward, reached into the glove box, and brought out what looked like a fully extended switchblade knife.Now, I would love to say that all…

“Get Back to the Square!” We meet people where they are. We are heralds, calling all to look to Jesus—The Truth. The world is the Christian’s ‘Town Square.’Satan is there, too. He and his demons have set up their platforms. Watching, waiting, making counter claims. Rejecting Jesus is not always saying, ‘No!’ Instead, simpler offers are made, like: “You can have Jesus, and nothing needs to change.” Christians can easily be tempted to read from the same script.When Jesus is…

‘Fad’ written all over it! Just think, long hair, tattoos, and earrings on men, were once serious statements of protest; now they are passé. Daily on Facebook you see photos from long-ago youths displaying fashion that your children swear that they wouldn’t be caught dead in—until…!Remember Hoola Hoops, Pogo Sticks, Rubik’s Cube, Pokémon, and for you shoe aficionados: Crocs? Suffice it to say: Fads come, and fads go.But Jesus and his church have endured! That is not to say that…

Are we having fun, yet? I went on a Door-knocking Campaign in a foreign land in 1987. There I met some of the hardest working soul-seekers in my life. Taking a morning off, we went on a sightseeing trip to a nearby ‘historic’ mill. As we were driving away, one of the sisters broke the stillness of that absolutely pristine, tranquil countryside with: “Are we having fun, yet? You know, it sure is something when the most exciting thing I…

Perspective—It’s how you see it! In the pre-internet days, there was a boy and a girl who grew up as neighbours. Finally, he went West seeking his fortune, and she went East. Both mothers devoured the incoming letters and bragged about how well their darling child was going. One day each received mail. One beamed with glee. She said, “My daughter has found love. She has met and married the greatest man on earth. He brings her breakfast in bed…

“I’m Back!” Imagine that one moment you are in the realm of the dead, and the next thing you know you have been returned to your earthly body. The door of your Jerusalem tomb cracks in half and you find yourself among others that have also been instantly brought back to life. This was the experience of “many holy people who had died [and] were raised to life” at the moment Jesus died on the cross (Mt.27:51-53). Books, movies, plays…