Gospel.com Blog

If you needed an excuse to get out of the house early this morning, it doesn’t get much better than this: the Leonid Meteor Shower is on vivid display today. The shower’s visibility peaked for North American skywatchers earlier today, but is still visible elsewhere around the world:

“A remarkable feature of this year’s shower is that Leonids will appear to be shooting almost directly out of the planet Mars,” notes Cooke.

It’s just a coincidence. This year, Mars happens to be passing by the Leonid radiant at the time of the shower. The Red Planet is almost twice as bright as a first magnitude star, so it makes an eye-catching companion for the Leonids.

The next stream crossing straddles the hour 2100-2200 UT, shortly before dawn in Indonesia and China. At that time, Earth will pass through a pair of streams laid down by Comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1466 and 1533 AD. The double crossing could yield as many as 300 Leonids per hour.

Photos from the meteor shower are already finding their way online: take a few minutes to browse photos of the meteor shower on Flickr. There’s more info at Astronomy.com, which also has a video about how to watch meteor showers.

I can’t think of anything more appropriate than these words from Psalm 8:

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
above the heavens.

From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise
because of your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.

When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him? [...]

O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Did you camp out this morning watching the heavens for glimpses of the meteor shower? If so, feel free to share your experience in the comments below (and even better, link to any photos you took)!

Not a season goes by that we don’t hear of some public figure’s fall from grace. A famous pastor is exposed as a hypocrite. A politician’s career is engulfed by scandal. We watch, and we wonder at the many ways in which sin brings down the high and mighty.

The temptations that periodically topple the rich and famous might have little hold on us; most of us aren’t faced with the temptation (or ability) to commit large-scale financial fraud or to live secret lives of decadence and debauchery. But if we think we’re immune to sin and its consequences, we are greatly mistaken, as Charles Spurgeon reminds us in this devotional message from his classic Morning and Evening:

Your occupation may be as humble as log splitting, and yet the devil can tempt you in it. You may be a domestic servant, a farm labourer, or a mechanic, and you may be greatly screened from temptations to the grosser vices, and yet some secret sin may do you damage. Those who dwell at home, and mingle not with the rough world, may yet be endangered by their very seclusion. Nowhere is he safe who thinks himself so.

Pride may enter a poor man’s heart; avarice may reign in a cottager’s bosom; uncleanness may venture into the quietest home; and anger, and envy, and malice may insinuate themselves into the most rural abode. Even in speaking a few words to a servant we may sin; a little purchase at a shop may be the first link in a chain of temptations; the mere looking out of a window may be the beginning of evil. O Lord, how exposed we are! How shall we be secured! To keep ourselves is work too hard for us: only Thou Thyself art able to preserve us in such a world of evils. Spread Thy wings over us, and we, like little chickens, will cower down beneath Thee, and feel ourselves safe!

Read the complete devotional at Back to the Bible.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor, famous or obscure. We’re all equally in need of Jesus Christ, and we are all threatened by sin and temptation if we don’t rely on his grace.

There’s been a lot of online chatter lately about bumper stickers connecting Psalm 109:8 to President Barrack Obama. Psalm 109:8 reads:

Let his days be few; and let another take his office. (Psalm 109:8, KJV)

As a post over on examiner.com points out, what’s more alarming than calling for President Obama’s swift removal from office is what follows in Psalm 109:9:

Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. (Psalm 109:9, KJV)

Perhaps the makers of these bumper stickers are attempting to coyly express dislike of the President’s policies and leadership by taking a verse from the Bible out of its original context. Presumably they’re just looking forward to the psychological relief they imagine will accompany President Obama’s eventual replacement. However, if those that slap this on their bumpers include not only verse 8, but 9-20 as well, this starts to fall into imprecatory prayer territory.

An imprecatory prayer is a plea for God to come and take care of an enemy. They’re rare in the Bible and almost always defer to God’s wisdom and judgment in the matter. The destruction of an enemy is a very serious thing for which to pray. Outright hatred in the name of Christ should give us pause—after all, Jesus rather famously told us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

While Psalm 108 happens to be an excellent example of an imprecatory prayer, it’s also a vivid picture of a man at the end of his rope with no other options before him. As bad as you might think the United States has become, it’s nowhere near the situation that David speaks of in Psalm 109.

Thankfully, from what I’ve seen googling around, it seems that few people are vociferously defending the bumper sticker’s statement; and let’s be honest—the bumper sticker by itself isn’t going to change anyone’s mind. At best it might spark a thoughtful exchange between two people (although I have my doubts).

Whenever topics like this come up, we have an excellent opportunity to evaluate why and for whom we pray. When we pray for those who persecute us, we pray that they might also find the grace and mercy we’ve received through Christ. The hope that God gives us is not that all who oppose us would be laid to waste, but that all who oppose us would also find forgiveness and life.

Some good news on the missionary front from Nepal: after serving 9 years in a Nepali prison, Manja Tamang, a Gospel for Asia native missionary, has been released! Manja was sent to prison in 2000 after being falsely accused of murder.

Here’s some of his story, from the Gospel for Asia website:

Manja’s saga began one day as he was out sharing the Gospel. As he walked along a river path, he saw a dead body and immediately contacted the police.

An anti-Christian extremist group who had opposed Manja’s ministry seized the opportunity to stop his work. They arranged for several false witnesses to testify against him, “framing” him for the murder. Manja was arrested, charged with the crime that he did not commit and beaten to near death.

Even though the widow of the deceased man testified to Manja’s innocence, the missionary was sentenced to 20 years in prison. His case was appealed all the way to the Nepali Supreme Court, where, citing the “evidence,” it was upheld.

According to the article, persecution of this sort was not uncommon under the Hindu government of the time. The political situation in Nepal is more open now and Christians have more freedom to worship openly, although challenges and dangers still remain.

It’s a cause for thanksgiving and rejoicing, and certainly the answer to many long years of prayer from around the world. Gospel for Asia has been tracking Manja’s case for years; to see the full story as it unfolded over the last decade, scroll to the bottom of the Gospel for Asia article and look through the list of archived stories, videos, and other information about Manja.

Ten years ago today, America reeled at the news of a massacre at Columbine High School. Much has been written since then about the issue of school violence and the best ways to prevent it. Here are a few articles on the topic that I think make for worthwhile reading a decade later:

• Why Teenagers Turn to Violence is a good overview of the many different responses to the oft-repeated question of “How could this happen?”
• Michael Spencer has an insightful post about the “Christian myths” that sprang up in the wake of Columbine, and challenging us to be more honest and careful before co-opting tragedies to fit a “culture war” narrative.
• Ron Hutchcraft has written a moving devotional encouraging us all to be aware of and reach out to the “outsiders” all around us—people who, for whatever reason, don’t fit in and are in desperate need of real human relationships.

Last Friday, a gunman opened fire at a civic center in Binghamton, New York, killing 13 people before taking his own life. It’s a terrible and senseless tragedy, and it prompts all-too-familiar questions about God, evil, and grief.

Over at Back to the Bible, Woodrow Kroll has written a reflection on Friday’s massacre. While mourning the terrible loss of life, Kroll points out tiny flickerings of God’s grace in the tragedy’s aftermath:

I am deeply saddened by the loss of 13 people, 13 men and women just trying either to become a U.S. citizen or to help others become a U.S. citizen. Now we are left with trying to piece together the questions, the motives, the senselessness of it all. Thirteen families are asking why? Why my family member? Why here? Why now? Why? And once again there are no easy answers. Rarely does God answer our “why” questions anyway.

But in the midst of this extreme sadness and tragedy, there are tiny droplets of God’s grace that we must not miss. We must appreciate that, in the midst of chaos, there is grace.

God’s grace was evident in the fact that there were 41 people in the American Civic Association building that day and a crazed maniac armed to the teeth with enough ammunition to kill all of them many times over managed only to take 13 people with him to eternity. A tragedy for those 13; a miracle for 28 others.

God’s grace was evident in the fact that, even though one of the first shots fired as the gunman walked through the front door hit the receptionist, she had presence of mind enough to play dead and ultimately make the 911 call that brought emergency help quickly.

Read the full article for the rest.

It’s a major accomplishment to have been doing anything on the internet for five years, and even more impressive if it involves blogging. And doubly so if it invovles religion as well.

A big congrats goes to GetReligion for crossing that five year mark this week!

GetReligion is a blog devoted to the tireless scrutiny of religion in the mainstream press. They expertly point it out when religion is written about and more importantly when it’s not. They’re spending this week highlighting favorite posts from the past year. You can check out Doulas LeBlanc’s picks today, but remember to check in and congratulate them throughout the week.

Last week, US Airways Flight 1549 lost both engines just minutes after takeoff. With just a few moments in which to act, the pilot managed to bring the plane down in the Hudson River with no loss of life.

The pilot’s skill saved the passengers on that plane—but it’s natural to wonder if God was watching out for the people on what has been termed the “miracle flight.” One passenger was shared her thoughts on her unlikely survival: “I was praising God. While I’m giving the captain his due justice, it was only by the grace of god that kept us alive.”

In that spirit, here are two short essays that reflect on the near-tragedy and draw spiritual conclusions and parallels from it:

• Miracle on the Hudson: at Out of Ur, Gordon MacDonald considers the teamwork, training, and discipline that saved the lives of the people on that plane. Does your church community exhibit those same traits?
• A Ron Hutchcraft devotional essay sees a compelling real-life illustration of the Gospel message in the crash and subsequent rescue efforts. Hutchcraft has a knack for seeing reflections of the Christian message in traumatic events.

Let’s give thanks that the passengers and crew of Flight 1549 survived, and find inspiration in their story.

Image by Twitter user Janis Krums

What are Christians to make of the latest round of violence in the Middle East? Since Israel launched its offensive against Gaza, the world is once again watching as the all-too-familiar images of violence flash across TV screens. And the well-worn debates are once again dominating editorial pages and websites: who’s the villain in this situation? To what extent is it even possible to identify “good” and “bad” guys? And most importantly, is there any way to break the cycle of violence for good?

Those are big questions that will no doubt occupy the attention of world leaders and diplomats for many years to come. But for Christians trying to sort out the situation, here are two resources that might be helpful:

• Mart De Haan has posted an interesting essay about Israel, Gaza, and good or bad faith. He wonders what effect this latest conflict has on the faiths of both Christians and Muslims, and he offers some thoughts about “good” and “bad” faith, based on Hebrews 11. It’s a refreshing essay in that it avoids the trap of knee-jerk politics and tries to explore the way that we spiritually process events like this.
• Mission Network News is, as always, on the story. They’ve posted moving stories about the plight of Christians in the Gaza Strip and the effect of the violence on efforts to preach the Gospel message

Keep an eye on both of those sites for more news and reflections as the conflict burns on. And pray—for those affected by the violence, but also for world leaders trying to bring about a just and peaceful resolution to the ongoing cycle of violence in Israel and Palestine.

Mission Network News reports on the recent turmoil in Mumbai. It seems that despite the uncertainty, Christian organizations are committed to preaching the gospel as a message of peace:

Gypsy Meadows with Worldwide Christian Schools says their team in the region is safe, but they are rattled. “There’s a palpable and real fear factor in the hearts and minds of the common man in Mumbai, so that rumors and stray and small incidents, practically anything, seems to unsettle the average Mumbai resident.”

Their schools continue to operate, but the tension in the region is likely to push change on the government levels. “They ask for prayer for the city, particularly that the Christians of the city will be able to reach out with the Gospel, which is the message of peace and hope.”

In the face of investigations and terror warnings, Meadows says, “We could pray that Christians can be influential in reforming and reshaping a stronger and healthier government in India. That would do so much for creating a better environment for India as a whole, as a place that we can continue to reach out to.”

Read the whole article, or head over to their main page to listen to their daily audio coverage of the latest headlines and news.