Making the Poor Part of Our Lives – Part 2

by | Jun 3, 2015 | Opinion

The “least of these my brothers” (“adelphoi” in Greek) historically has been a controversial phrase in Matthew 25:40. Some have argued (the particularist interpretation) that because Jesus often referred to his disciples as...

Grieving Over the Loss of Phil Lineberger

by | Jun 3, 2015 | Opinion

I found out early Monday morning that Phil Lineberger, pastor of Sugar Land Baptist Church in Sugar Land, Texas, had passed away. Such news caused me to reflect on his life and my own aging process. One of the things that I would want said at my funeral is that I was...

Finding a Better Path to Respond to Migrant Crisis

by | Jun 2, 2015 | Opinion

Migrants desperate to escape violence and persecution and who want to seek a better life are being exploited by smugglers and traffickers. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime makes a distinction between human trafficking and migrant smuggling. In reality,...

Making the Poor Part of Our Lives – Part 1

by | Jun 2, 2015 | Opinion

In the parable of “the rich man and Lazarus” (Luke 16:19-31), Jesus describes a scene where the poor man, Lazarus, now in heaven by Abraham’s side, looks over the chasm at the rich man who now stands in the flames of Hades. The rich man begs Abraham...

Unburied treasure

by | Jun 1, 2015 | Opinion

I recently had a chance to visit the North Carolina Baptist Assembly at Caswell and write a story about it for Baptists Today’s June issue. Space is always limited in the print edition, so some of the material had to be cut, and only a few pictures could be...