Are You Okay?
“Are you okay?” Reportedly, those were the last words of Alex Pretti as he sought to protect two women who were being assaulted by government agents. I am not okay. No one should be okay …
Christianity
My Deliverance from a Cult: From Primal Scream to Christ
In 1974, before my senior year at Cornell University, five dormmates and I decided to live off campus. An acquaintance had a rented house and needed five roommates. He seemed like a great guy, but …
A Triumph of Love
My last essay, A Birthday (and Holiday) Lamentation, was a very personal exploration of some serious challenges in my life currently. It is a hard and sad post. Yet, there is hope. My wife, Pamela, …
God Had a Different Plan: From Threat to Gospel
I am a Jewish believer in Jesus, and in 1982 I was working with Jews for Jesus at their Toronto branch. Toronto has a large and strong Jewish population. Many of them were not happy …
10 Christmas Quotes
For Christmas this year, I decided to gather ten Christmas quotes from some of my favorite ministers and theologians. As I was putting them together, I realized that they were all from different denominations and …
Why everyone’s gifts matter
The Christmas classic The Little Drummer Boy, while a catchy tune, doesn’t have its origins in the biblical narrative, but in the mind of composer Katherine Kennicott Davis, who penned the song in 1941. And …
Stories about Trump’s Son Being Close to Salvation are Gross
Over the last few days, I have seen story after story about how a pastor and TikToker has claimed that Barron Trump is close to salvation. I hope it is true that Barron is close …
Why do we sing? Hymns and contemporary Christian music in the church
There are a number of articles that have been written on hymns and contemporary Christian music in the church. I have read several of them over the years, and it is a topic I have …
When the Holy Spirit Convicts Believers of Sin: A Journey Back to Hackensack
Early Success and Hidden Struggles I grew up in Hackensack, New Jersey, a suburb of New York City. I graduated from Hackensack High in 1971, got my B.A. from Cornell University in 1975, a master’s …
What not to say when someone has God beaten out of them
“If being hurt by church causes you to lose faith in God,” so the saying on a popular image macro goes, “then your faith was in people, not in God.” I’ve been seeing this sentiment …