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 →

Bullet Blocker is an American company specializing in products intended for self-protection. They offer bulletproof clothing, backpacks, briefcases, and other items. Unsurprisingly, their sales of backpacks have soared after the shooting in Parkland, Florida.

In other news, Switzerland has made it illegal to boil a live lobster. The Swiss say this method of killing lobsters is cruel since the crustaceans can sense pain. Authorities recommend electrocution or sedating the lobster by dipping it into saltwater and then thrusting a knife into its brain.

The new law also gives domestic pets further protections. For instance, dogs can no longer be punished for barking.

Consider that abortion is legal in Switzerland and is covered by the country’s mandatory health insurance. While their abortion rate is less than half that of the US, one in five women in Switzerland will have an abortion at some point in their lives.

Any pregnancy in Switzerland can be aborted before twelve weeks. After this time, a woman can have an abortion if her doctor believes her “physical integrity” is threatened or she will face “profound distress” should the pregnancy be allowed to continue to term.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Sales of bulletproof backpacks soar →

By now you’ve probably heard about the controversy: Participants on The View were discussing reports that Vice President Mike Pence converses with Jesus, and Joy Behar said, “It’s one thing to talk to Jesus. It’s another thing when Jesus talks to you. That’s called mental illness, if I’m not correct, hearing voices.”

Mr. Pence responded that her insult is “evidence of how out of touch some in the mainstream media are with the faith and values of the American people.”

As an example of such “faith and values,” consider David Wise. He is a Team USA skier who won a gold medal in the freeski halfpipe event at the 2014 Winter Olympics and the 2018 X Games. He skied last night in the Men’s Qualifying, falling on his first run but still qualifying for tomorrow’s final.

But no matter what he does in South Korea, he knows what matters most in life.

Wise has sustained two injuries and three concussions. In recent years, his sister lost a leg in a boating accident; his father-in-law died; his wife suffered serious postpartum depression; and his son had a health crisis he almost didn’t survive. His skiing suffered, and some of his sponsors abandoned him.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Senate chaplain explains why “The View” insulted Mike Pence’s faith →

I saw Black Panther yesterday, which makes me anything but unusual. The movie took in an estimated $192 million over the weekend domestically, making it the highest February film debut in history. It has already grossed $169 million overseas as well.

It is the highest rated superhero movie of all time. After viewing the film, I can see why.

Ryan Coogler, already famous for Creed, directed an astounding cast in one of the most gripping films I’ve seen in years. Part of the movie’s appeal is clearly its amazing action sequences and outstanding performances. But its deeper message is one I believe to be especially significant for Christians in America.

Why superhero movies are so popular

Black Panther is the eighteenth movie connected to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, beginning with Iron Man in 2008. DC Comics has made dozens of movies over the years as well.

Superhero movies are extremely popular these days, in part because the news reminds us daily how much we need protection.

Continue reading Denison Forum – Why “Black Panther” is such a popular and profound film →

“The kids in this community loved him. They adored him. He was one of the most phenomenal people I knew. He was a phenomenal man.” That’s how Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel described Aaron Feis, an assistant football coach and security guard who was fatally shot trying to protect students during Wednesday’s mass shooting.

The school issued its own statement, noting that Feis “died a hero and he will forever be in our hearts and memories.” Coach Feis leaves behind his wife and a daughter.

In addition, geography teacher Scott Beigel reportedly shielded his students and paid with his life. Another victim, athletic director Chris Hixon, was also killed while protecting students.

As a father and grandfather, I cannot begin to imagine the gratitude I would feel for someone who died defending my family. But their sacrifice leads me to ask what you and I can do to protect our children and their schools.

Let’s assess the challenge before us, then consider a way every Christian in America can respond today.

How can we protect 140,000 schools? Continue reading Denison Forum – Football coach “died a hero” protecting students at Florida shooting →

The image is one I’ll never forget: a woman with an Ash Wednesday cross on her forehead holding another woman as they grieve together. The picture was taken on one of the holiest days of the year for many Christians. It shows that, no matter how sincere our faith, none of us is immune from tragedy in this broken world.

Here’s what we know this morning: a shooter opened fire yesterday afternoon at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, fifty miles north of Miami. At least seventeen people have died; fourteen others were wounded, five of whom suffered life-threatening injuries.

The suspected gunman, nineteen-year-old Nikolas Cruz, began shooting outside the school, then barged inside. According to Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, he “set off the fire alarm so the kids would come pouring out of the classrooms into the hall. And there the carnage began.”

Cruz was taken into custody nearly two hours after the shooting was reported. He is a former student who had been expelled from the school for disciplinary reasons.

Continue reading Denison Forum – School shooting in Florida: “It’s supposed to be a safe place” →

For $3,000, you can order a hamburger that comes with an engagement ring on the side.

Pauli’s, in Boston’s North End, will sell you a Big Boy burger with a 7/8 carat Neil Lane ring nestled in the bun. The ring is framed with round diamonds and a fourteen-carat gold band.

You’ve missed Valentine’s Day, however-the restaurant requires forty-eight hours’ notice.

Today’s holiday didn’t start with St. Valentine. Many historians think the tradition began more than two thousand years ago with an ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia. This holiday in turn inherited some of its traditions from an earlier festival called Februa, from which we get the name of “February.”

Lupercalia began each year when a pagan priest sacrificed goats and dogs to the goddess Juno. The hides of the animals were cut into strips by the priests. Women were then struck by these hides as they ran counterclockwise around Palatine Hill in Rome. This was supposed to make them more likely to have children.

Continue reading Denison Forum – You can order a hamburger with an engagement ring →