“I started this when I was so young and inexperienced. I made technical errors and business errors. I hired the wrong people. I trusted the wrong people.” This was part of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s statement to CNN last night in apologizing for the data breach that has made headlines this week.

A few days ago, news broke that data firm Cambridge Analytica reportedly accessed information from about fifty million Facebook users without their knowledge. The controversy cost Facebook’s stock price to fall nearly $50 billion this week.

Earlier in the day, Zuckerberg pledged in a Facebook post to take steps to protect data and fix what he called a “breach of trust” between the social network and its users. “We have a responsibility to protect your data, and if we can’t then we don’t deserve to serve you.”

In other news, scientists say there is a small chance that an asteroid the size of the Empire State Building will collide with the Earth. Thursday, September 22, 2135 is the date when the object could strike us.

NASA says it could send up a nearly nine-ton “bulk impactor” to push the asteroid out of Earth’s orbit. Or it could use a nuclear device for the same purpose. The scheme is called the Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response. The acronym is less subtle: HAMMER.

The good news is that the odds of the asteroid hitting us are about one in twenty-seven hundred. The bad news is that, according to NASA’s experts, there are ten thousand extraterrestrial objects headed toward Earth that could be unaccounted for.

The peril of unknown asteroids may seem ominous, but technological breaches are much more dangerous to the typical American. Just because we don’t see a threat makes it no less threatening.

We cannot anticipate or prevent suffering in this fallen world. But we can prepare for it.

One reason Christians suffer

Psalm 80 begins, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock. You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth” (v. 1).

Note the present tense: “You who lead Joseph. . . . You who are enthroned.” Even though the people have become an “object of contention for our neighbors” such that “our enemies laugh among themselves” (v. 6), God is still their shepherd.

Daniel was so godly that his enemies “could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him” (Daniel 6:4). But this holy man was nonetheless subjected to the lions’ den (vv. 16–23).

Joseph went through Potiphar’s prison on his way to Pharaoh’s palace (Genesis 39–41). Jeremiah had his pit of mud (Jeremiah 38:1–13). Paul had his imprisonments and persecutions almost beyond description (2 Corinthians 11:23–33). Jesus’ “beloved disciple” had his Patmos (John 13:23; Revelation 1:9).

Scripture is clear: “All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted” (2 Timothy 3:12, my italics). As Paul told his fellow believers, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22 NIV).

Godliness invites temptations and attacks from Satan: the more we seek to please Jesus, the more we threaten the enemy. We can choose to be ungodly to escape such persecution, but the consequences of sin are far worse than its supposed benefits.

Daniel’s enemies were devoured in the pit he escaped (Daniel 6:24). It is still true for all people at all times that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The momentary rewards of sin inevitably pale in comparison to their cost.

However, “godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (1 Timothy 4:8).

How to refuse temptation

Here’s my point: the time to decide whether we will choose godliness over sin is before temptation strikes.

Solomon urged his reader to “be attentive to my wisdom; incline your ear to my understanding, that you may keep discretion, and your lips may guard knowledge” (Proverbs 5:1–2). Here’s why his advice was so urgent: “For the lips of a forbidden woman drip honey, and her speech is smoother than oil, but in the end she is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a two-edged sword” (vv. 3–4).

Solomon wanted his reader to seek wisdom and choose discretion before he faced the “forbidden woman,” knowing that the longer we consider temptation, the stronger it grows. The closer we get to sin, the harder it is to resist.

It will never be easier to refuse temptation than it is right now.

The way to prepare for tomorrow’s hardships is to draw closer to Jesus today. Make the “Shepherd of Israel” your shepherd. Listen for his voice through Scripture and prayer. Ask his Spirit to help you obey what you know his will to be. Stay faithful to the last word you heard from him and open to the next.

Not only will you be prepared for the temptations and travails of this fallen world—you will be a light for those who are perishing in the darkness (John 12:35–36). Helen Keller: “Faith is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light.”

Let it begin with us.

Denison Forum

The suspected serial bomber who terrorized Austin, Texas, died in a confrontation with police overnight.

According to the Austin American-Statesman, authorities identified a twenty-four-year-old man using security video from a FedEx store, store receipts, and cell phone technology. They traced his vehicle to a hotel and began following it.

As SWAT approached, the suspect detonated a bomb in his car.

Interim Austin Police Chief Brian Manley told reporters, “We believe this individual is responsible for all of the incidents in Austin.” However, he urged the community to remain vigilant for other possible explosives, adding that “we do not know where (the suspect) has been in the past 24 hours.”

In other news, two students were shot yesterday at Great Mills High School, sixty miles southeast of Washington, DC. A sixteen-year-old girl is in critical condition, while a fourteen-year-old boy is in stable condition.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Austin bombing suspect dies as police close in →

The Supreme Court will hear arguments today on a California law that requires pro-life pregnancy centers to display a public notice informing clients about free or low-cost abortion services. Advocates of the law argue that all women deserve to know all their options regarding pregnancy. Critics say that the law violates pro-life providers’ freedom of speech.

One attorney summarizes the issue: “Can the government impose and compel a faith-based ministry to proclaim a message that they are fundamentally opposed to with the risk of being fined or shut down?”

In other news, Time magazine asked sex therapist Dr. Ruth Westheimer, “Is Porn Healthy for Me and My Relationship?”

Dr. Ruth replied that some pornographic material “can be helpful to a sexual relationship and some harmful.” She concluded: “If it’s just the occasional use of erotica, then maybe it’s not worth examining too closely. Just chalk it up to one more way to add some variety to your sex life so that it doesn’t become boring.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Should pro-life pregnancy centers be forced to advertise abortion services? →

Another explosion in Austin, Texas, the fourth this month, injured two men last night. Vladimir Putin was elected to his fourth term as Russia’s leader with 76.67 percent of yesterday’s vote, his highest score ever. And March Madness saw so many upsets over the weekend that Fox Sports called the tournament a “once-in-a-generation kind of ride.”

However, I’d like to focus today on someone who made global news on Saturday but didn’t.

Chicago dyed its river green in his honor; Vice President Pence marched in a parade in Savannah, Georgia; the US women’s hockey team appeared at yesterday’s parade in Boston. Countries around the world celebrated his day.

All in honor of a saint whose real story few people really know. Here’s why you should.

“Come and walk still among us”

Imagine that you were credited with 120,000 conversions and the planting of three hundred churches. How would you begin your memoirs?

Continue reading Denison Forum – The popular saint hardly anyone knows →

This is the best headline I’ve seen in a while: “Call Her Jane Dough: New Hampshire Lottery Winner Can Stay Anonymous, Court Says.”

Here’s the story: A woman who won the $560 million Powerball in January signed her ticket with her name, as required. Per state lottery rules, this act made her name a matter of public record.

She learned later that if she had signed her ticket with the name of a trust, she could have kept her identity secret. But lottery officials wouldn’t let her make the change. So she went to court, asking to keep her name out of the headlines.

“Her heart is in the right place”

Jane Doe was right to be concerned.

Forbes describes numerous horror stories involving past lottery winners: Craigory Burch was killed during a home invasion in Georgia after winning $430,000 in the state lottery; Andrew “Jack” Whittaker was victimized numerous times by thieves after winning $315 million; Urooj Khan was found dead of a cyanide-induced heart attack in Chicago after the check was cashed for his $1 million scratch-off win.

Continue reading Denison Forum – $560 million lottery winner can remain anonymous →

Thousands of students, teachers, and supporters plan to walk out of schools today. Their action is intended as a memorial to those killed in the Parkland shooting and a call for stricter gun control laws.

In other news, world-famous physicist Stephen Hawking has passed away. President Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. And absentee ballots are still being counted in a much-watched special election in Pennsylvania, though NBC News has declared Democrat Conor Lamb the apparent winner.

Any of these events are worthy of a Daily Article. But my attention has been drawn to a story few reporters are still following today. I’ll explain why.

“What was most surprising to us”

It’s been three weeks since Billy Graham died. In this time, there have been hundreds if not thousands of retrospectives published on “America’s Pastor.”

The most interesting one I have seen is an interview with Nancy Gibbs, one of America’s most perceptive journalists and former editor-in-chief of Time magazine. After reading her comments on the famous evangelist, I knew I needed to discuss them with you.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why Billy Graham’s greatest fear should be ours →

Two package bombs killed a teenager and wounded two women yesterday in Austin, Texas. Investigators believe the attacks are linked to a similar bombing that killed a thirty-nine-year-old man in Austin earlier this month. Given the victims’ races, it’s possible that the bombings are hate crimes.

In other news, a mother had her legs, her right arm, and the fingers on her left hand removed after she contracted sepsis in an English hospital. Officials later admitted that medical staff did not recognize the warning signs of her infection. She is now suing the hospital.

And a match between two soccer teams in Greece was suspended when the owner of one of the teams stormed onto the field while armed with a gun. He complained to a referee about a disallowed goal, though he never drew his weapon. Once the gun was identified, however, the game was suspended.

If someone passed a law that conflicts between people could no longer be reported in the news, there would be little news to report.

Imagine a world where everyone chose to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). But there are two sides to this commandment: loving our neighbors enough to do only what is best for them and loving our neighbors when they do what is evil to us. Let’s consider the latter today.

Who has hurt you most recently or most deeply? Have that person in mind as we explore God’s word together.

Hating those who hurt us Continue reading Denison Forum – Package bombs kill two, injure two in Austin, Texas →

President Trump shocked the world last week when he accepted North Korea’s invitation for direct talks with Kim Jong-un, to be held in May. We were less shocked when China’s government voted yesterday to make Xi Jinping president for life.

Both developments carry enormous implications for Christians in these two countries and for the larger body of Christ around the world.

North Korean Christians risk their lives for Jesus

Let’s start with North Korea. Some analysts believe that talks between the two leaders are a positive step forward; others are far more skeptical.

In a previous article, I gave a brief overview of North Korea’s history and its drive for nuclear weapons. My purpose today is to focus on the state of the church under Kim, a dictator described by one commentator as “the criminal proprietor of the world’s largest open-air prison.”

Open Doors, an organization that advocates for persecuted Christians around the world, ranks North Korea as the worst nation on earth for believers. According to their analysis, followers of Jesus are viewed as direct threats to the government and its continued power.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Kim Jong-un and Xi Jinping: the threat to Christians →

Seventy-two-year-old actress Helen Mirren made headlines recently when she released pictures of herself before and after she was made up for her appearance at Sunday night’s Academy Awards. Time magazine claimed that the candid pictures “prove she’s a queen among mortals.”

Aging is a decision as well as a reality.

Scientists have confirmed that exercise in old age prevents the immune system from declining. After following 125 long-distance cyclists, some now in their 80s, they found that they had the immune systems of twenty-year-olds.

On the other hand, we can miss some of life’s greatest opportunities at any age.

A note written by Albert Einstein to an Italian woman scientist who declined to meet him sold at auction this week in Jerusalem. Einstein wrote the note to Elisabetta Piccini, a chemistry student who lived one floor above his sister. However, as the auction house explained, she was “introverted and too shy to meet with such a famous person.”

Live life in chapters

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why was Helen Mirren called a “queen among mortals”? →

Aviator Amelia Earhart and her navigator, Fred Noonan, disappeared on July 2, 1937 as they attempted to fly around the world. Their fate has remained a mystery for more than eighty years.

But an anthropology professor now says that human bones found on the remote Pacific island of Nikumaroro are likely hers. His research indicates that she was more similar to the skeletal remains than 99 percent of the individuals in a sample of 2,776 people.

Earhart was a brilliant and celebrated pilot. She was the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and the first person to fly over both the Atlantic and the Pacific. But her skills and resolve were apparently insufficient to save her from a lonely death.

Meanwhile, another nor’easter is expected to bring power outages to the northeastern US. A person with the mumps attended a national cheerleading competition in Texas last month, potentially exposing thousands of people from thirty-nine states. And a seventeen-year-old girl was killed by gunfire at an Alabama high school yesterday.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Professor may have solved the Amelia Earhart mystery →

The sky is falling, literally.

China has lost control of Tiangong-1, its 8.5-ton space station. It will collide with our planet’s atmosphere sometime between March 24 and April 19. It is likely to hit somewhere in the northern US.

However, the odds of being struck by debris are one million times smaller than the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot.

There’s plenty of other news to worry about, from the Nor’easter bearing down on the East Coast today, to Russia’s expanding role in the Middle East, to “superbugs” that are resistant to all known antibiotics. But there has always been plenty to worry about.

And every obstacle is an opportunity for people of faith.

A “teachable moment” for all time

Exodus 14 is a chapter that changed the world.

Before the cataclysmic events of this narrative, the Jews were enslaved to the mightiest empire the world had ever known. After this chapter, they were an empowered people protected by the mighty God of the universe. Their lives and destiny would never be the same.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Chinese space station will soon crash into Earth →

We live in a culture that separates everyone into two categories: winners and losers.

There were twenty-four winners in Sunday night’s Academy Awards. Conversely, there were ninety-eight losers.

But at least they received nominations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 249,607 actors and other professionals in the motion picture and video production industry; almost all were excluded from the Oscars.

And yet, each of them is a winner in a way. They have a job in the film industry, unlike the multitudes who would like to work in the movies but don’t.

Meanwhile, odds are being calculated for college basketball’s “March Madness” tournament. As baseball’s spring training continues, analysts are debating who is likely to win this year’s World Series.

The underlying message is clear: if you win, you’re a winner; if you lose, you’re a loser.

“The smell of rain is grace”

Continue reading Denison Forum – A description of grace your soul needs today →

The Shape of Water won last night’s Academy Award for Best Picture. Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwall, and Allison Janney won the acting Oscars. Their victories were predicted by many.

But who has lost the most Oscars? The answers may surprise you.

Meryl Streep was nominated for Best Actress for her role as Katharine Graham in The Post. This marked her twenty-first Oscar nomination. She has won three while losing eighteen.

She is nowhere near John Williams, however. The iconic composer of musical scores for E.T., Jaws, and the Indiana Jones and Star Wars series has been nominated an amazing fifty-one times, including last night for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. But he holds the record for the most Oscars lost, with forty-six.

Meryl Streep and John Williams have clearly enjoyed astounding artistic success. But their perseverance has been as important to their careers as their talent.

No attribute is more essential for Christians who wish to serve Jesus in a culture like ours.

Mike Huckabee a “shameful choice” for CMA Foundation

Continue reading Denison Forum – Who hold the title for most Oscars lost? →

The funeral of Dr. Billy Graham will be held today at noon. About 2,300 invited guests are expected to attend the private ceremony at the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina. You can watch a live stream of the service here.

Following the service, he will be buried beside his late wife, Ruth, at the foot of the cross-shaped brick walkway in the Library’s Prayer Garden.

According to the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, the service “will be held under a large tent that has been constructed in the main parking lot in front of the Library. The tent serves as a reminder of how Mr. Graham’s ministry launched under ‘The Canvas Cathedral’-a white canvas tent during a 1949 Crusade in downtown Los Angeles, where 350,000 people heard him share the Gospel over a period of eight weeks.”

Spokesman Mark DeMoss explained: “It was Mr. Graham’s explicit intent that his funeral service reflect and reinforce the Gospel message he preached for more than 60 years.”

Meanwhile, a more permanent memorial to Dr. Graham’s life and legacy is being planned.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Billy Graham statue being planned for US Capitol →

The body of Billy Graham lay in state yesterday in the Rotunda of the US Capitol. President Trump, senior administration officials, and many members of Congress paid tribute to the evangelist.

Dr. Graham was only the fourth private citizen, and the first religious leader, to be so honored.

Sue Brinner attended the viewing. When she was in college, a guy she liked invited her to see a movie produced by Dr. Graham’s ministry. It changed her life.

She explained: “I could have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Somehow I’d missed that, growing up in a traditional Protestant church. I always saw God as a scary, vengeful, angry person. That you could actually have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I was blown away. Other people were getting blown away by drugs. I found faith.”

I was glad to see Sue’s testimony reported in the Washington Post, a newspaper not known for its evangelical leanings. And I noted that she found a personal relationship with Jesus through a man whose life was built on such a relationship.

“The motto of every follower of Jesus Christ” Continue reading Denison Forum – Billy Graham honored in Rotunda of US Capitol →

Television is producing more shows with religious themes, as the sitcom Living Biblically illustrates. The show depicts a lapsed Catholic who is married to an atheist and decides to live by the literal commands of Scripture with the help of a Jewish rabbi and a Catholic priest. I found it mildly humorous at times, cringeworthy at others.

Other religiously themed shows include a young man preparing for his bar mitzvah, a young genius who struggles with his mother’s Christianity, and a stand-up comic who wrestles with his faith.

What they seem to have in common is this: they treat Christianity as a religion more than a relationship.

“That’s easy-it’s grace”

In What’s So Amazing About Grace?, Philip Yancey describes a conference on comparative religions in which experts were discussing whether any specific belief was unique to Christianity.

The debate went on for some time, until C. S. Lewis wandered into the room. “What’s the rumpus about?” he asked. He was told that his colleagues were discussing Christianity’s unique contribution among the world’s religions. Lewis responded: “Oh, that’s easy. It’s grace.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – What “Living Biblically” says about religion and culture today →

Oliver Davis is a six-year-old Kansas boy with an important message for driving in winter weather: “Slow down! That’s it, that’s all you need to do!” He adds this advice: “You can avoid a cranky trooper by slowing down.” His video has now gone viral.

Meanwhile, media experts are highlighting Billy Graham’s pioneering use of radio, television, satellites, and the Internet to spread the gospel. On a more secular note, Warren Buffett praised Apple in an interview yesterday and the company’s shares rose to a near-record high.

What do Oliver Davis, Billy Graham, and Warren Buffett have in common? They illustrate the fact that a single voice can touch the world. But before you and I seek to follow their example, there’s a voice we need to hear.

The seven “love languages” of God

A dear friend met with me recently for lunch. Beforehand, he asked the Lord if there was something he should do for me. The Father directed him to give me the latest book by pastor and best-selling author Mark Batterson. Ironically, its title is Whisper: How to Hear the Voice of God.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Six-year-old boy’s advice on driving in winter weather goes viral →

The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are over. After 2,922 athletes from ninety-two nations competed in 102 events, Norway won the medal count with thirty-nine, followed by Germany, Canada, the United States, and the Netherlands.

But the athletes we watched on television were not the only teams that went to the Games. Baptists, Presbyterians, and Methodists sent missionary teams to Pyeongchang as well. Twenty-six local congregations also staged outreach ministries.

One church’s members dressed in traditional costume as they offered coffee and snacks to spectators while a live orchestra played. Pin trading proved to be an effective way to begin evangelistic conversations.

What the Olympic athletes accomplished will fade from memory over time. What the Olympic missionaries accomplished will bear fruit forever (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Continue reading Denison Forum – You didn’t see the most important teams at the Olympics →

The headline shocked me: “Billy Graham’s nephew isn’t mourning his passing.” I was afraid that journalists had found a disgruntled family member who would disparage Dr. Graham’s legacy.

It turns out, the opposite is true.

Deryl Graham is the son of Billy Graham’s brother. Deryl told reporters that the man he called “Uncle Billy” was the same person in private as he was in public:

“People who saw him on TV or during one of his crusades might think there’s no way he could be that good and straightforward in real life. But he was. He was meek, and he was honest, and he was pure.”

He said his family wasn’t mourning and was actually glad to see his uncle released from a body that had begun to fail him. “He’s been ready to go for quite some time,” Graham said. “He told us not long ago that he didn’t believe the Lord wanted him to see his 100th birthday on this earth.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Billy Graham’s nephew is not grieving his death →

Kathie Lee Gifford is one of the most outspoken Christians in media today. She was also a close personal friend of Dr. Billy Graham. In fact, she and her entire family came to faith in Christ through his ministry.

Those who know her were not surprised when she was interviewed yesterday on Megyn Kelly Today and began preaching the gospel boldly and joyfully. She explained that she has “the cure for the malignancy of the soul, and he has a name, and it’s Jesus.” Dr. Graham would be so pleased that she used his home-going to lead people to his Savior.

How can we follow her example?

“My eyes stung with tears”

Billy Graham became a Christian in 1934 at a Mordecai Ham revival. That same year, his father hosted a prayer meeting at the family farm. One of the participants, a man named Vernon Patterson, prayed that “out of Charlotte the Lord would raise up someone to preach the gospel to the ends of the earth.”

Continue reading Denison Forum – Kathie Lee Gifford remembers Billy Graham, preaches Jesus on TV →