In Luke’s Gospel, there’s this one strange expression Jesus used that must have startled his disciples when addressing Peter: “Simon, Simon, listen! Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat” (Luke 22:31, NRSV). Have you ever felt what it’s like to be sifted like wheat? It’s certainly not an expression we use much today. It means to pull apart, to fragment, and even to separate violently. You feel being sifted like wheat when life tears you apart. When some circumstance, uncertainty,...

It’s a well-known fact that, in the Muslim world, insulting Muhammad, the founding prophet of Islam, will surely get one killed. I remember immediately after the Danish newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published some cartoon caricatures of Muhammad back in 2006 (which caused violent reactions by angry mobs around the world), there were vigorous debates in the media either to support its right to free speech or to condemn its lack of discretion and sensitivity to Islam (but, without exception, all...

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 1:3). Everything we have comes from God’s bountiful hand and is a blessing to us from Him. Our response to His provision should be one of contentment and thanksgiving, realizing that God is indeed our Source. But our response should be much more than that. Because of God’s love for us, and because He has demonstrated that love in so many ways,...