Jesus asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” They answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets” (Matt. 16:13-14). There apparently was much confusion and speculation among the masses concerning his identity. He then asked, “But who do you say […]

There are 8.2 billion people in the world. According to the 2025 International Bulletin of Missionary Research, 2.65 billion claim to be Christians — only 32.3%. That number incorporates four main groups who identify as Catholic (1.27B), Orthodox (0.29B), Evangelical (0.42B), and Pentecostal/Charismatic (0.67B). It is hard to be sure but based on these numbers […]

After so often exhorting Timothy verbally and in written form over fifteen years or so, it’s as if Paul summarized it all when he wrote this to his son in the faith: “As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry” (2 Timothy 4:5). Timothy could wake […]

Jesus knew that his time had come to leave this world. So, like a wise and loving father who assembles his young children around his deathbed to prepare them for life without him, Jesus gathered his disciples to equip them to be his effective witnesses in the world following his departure. In this affectionate discourse, we […]

At the end of his life, Paul wrote these warm words to Timothy: “As I remember your tears, I long to see you, that I may be filled with joy” (2 Timothy 1:4). When Timothy first joined Paul’s team (cf. Acts 16:1f), Paul was about 50 and Timothy was perhaps 20. When Paul wrote these […]

Have you read, listened to, or watched the news recently? It is full of bad reports concerning war, diseases, natural disasters, crime, political corruption and turmoil, economic inflation, unemployment and poverty. Such is life under the sun in a fallen world where sin and its consequences are known and felt. As followers of Jesus we […]

Over many years I have seen that a person who has a rupture in relationship with his or her mother and does not know how to find acceptance and peace with God through Jesus Christ, may be susceptible to many difficulties in this life.  Broken child/parent relationships of any kind very often present in ongoing […]

I assume that as a Christian, you pray regularly. We are taught to “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Col. 4:2), to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). These exhortations include all types of prayer: for ourselves (Matt. 6:11-13; Mark 14:38), for missionaries (Eph. 6:19-20; Col. 4:3-4; 1 Thess. 5:25; 2 Thess. 3:1), for the advance of […]

The son and daughter-in-law of missionary J. Hudson Taylor (1832-1905) were privileged to spend much time with Taylor in China. They not only saw Taylor’s ministry in public, but the kind of man he was in private. Well do the writers remember traveling with him month after month in northern China, by cart and wheelbarrow, […]