[display_podcast] The Last Great Hope of Earth Politicians often run for office on the theme that they’re going to bring hope to the country.  One candidate who began his presidential campaign last week went so far as to say, “(America is) truly now, more than ever, the last great hope of earth.”  This candidate didn’t just promise to bring hope to America, but actually said that America is “the last great hope of earth.” I wonder if it’s appropriate to think of America as “the last great hope of earth”?  [...]

[display_podcast] Maskepetoon Understood Forgiveness When the first missionaries arrived in Alberta, Canada, they were opposed by a young chief of the Cree Indians named Maskepetoon.  But he eventually responded to the gospel and accepted Christ.  At one point, a member of the Blackfoot tribe killed his father.  Maskepetoon rode into the village where the murderer lived and demanded that he be brought before him.  He confronted the guilty man, saying, "You have killed my father, so now you must be my father.  You shall ride my best horse and wear [...]

[display_podcast] What Has Mark Told Us About Jesus So Far? As we’ve moved through the first chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we’ve seen Mark tell us plainly who Jesus is and why he came.  He tells us in verse 1 that Jesus is the “Christ, the Son of God.”  He tells us that John the Baptist saw Jesus as one “who is mightier than I” and who was so great that he couldn’t even touch his sandals (v. 7).  Mark says that God the Father affirmed Jesus’ identity as his “beloved [...]

[display_podcast] The World is full of Darkness Every honest observer admits that the world is full of darkness.  It seems that evil and darkness are on the rise rather than diminishing.  Several weeks ago I mentioned that Suzy and I have been watching a documentary on the 90’s.  They did an episode on the terrorism of that decade.  The 90’s saw the first bombing of the World Trade Center, the Oklahoma City Bombing, the Branch Davidians and David Koresh, the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, [...]