Call it another Twilight Zone moment, another ignominious contribution to the “you-can’t-make-this-up” category. First, Mao Zedong was honored by oblivious New Yorkers last October, with their Empire State Building aglow in red and yellow to commemorate the birth of People’s Republic of China. Mao’s nearest rival for the trophy for top mass murderer in history was Joseph Stalin. Perhaps other clueless Americans could find a way to honor Stalin, too – maybe closer to Washington, the nation’s capital.Hey, don’t laugh. The National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Va., has done just that, erecting a statue of Stalin. No, I’m not kidding.Predictably, […]

What comes to mind when you hear the term “slavery”? Do you recall history lessons in school of transatlantic slave trading? Perhaps you think of images of slavery right here in the United States consisting of plantation systems, where tobacco and cotton were grown. Those days are long behind us, right? Wrong. Slavery is more prevalent today than any other time in history and encompasses many different forms, including sex slavery, labor slavery, child soldiers and child slavery. Not only is slavery and human trafficking running rampant, both here in the United States and across the globe, but the amount […]

Chin jutted out and eyes slightly closed, Nduri Isandap bobs to the low, resonating music. The shrill a cappella chorus quickly gains momentum and volume. Layer upon layer of beaded necklaces clank in perfect rhythm with each bouncing dance step the women take. In the center of the tight circle, Isandap feels the excitement of the music. She lets out a “yelp” and jumps straight up, stiff as a board yet beautiful and regal. A smile slowly spreads across her weathered face, though her eyes remain sad. It’s been a long time since Isandap had anything to smile about, let […]

A recent article in The New York Times Magazine, titled “How Christian Were the Founders?,” has evoked extensive discussion. So has the decision of the Texas State Board of Education to include more religious content in social studies books. That decision is what inspired the magazine article in the first place. Because of our country’s complex history and its current religious and ideological pluralism, this question has provoked great controversy. Confusion about – and misunderstanding of – the founders’ religious beliefs abound. Some assert that almost all the founders were evangelical Christians, while others insist that virtually all of them […]

Not many of us will be able to say in our lifetime that we have survived a plane crash, but Andrew Palau, the 43-year-old son of renowned evangelist Luis Palau, can now add plane crash survival to the list of things that God has brought him through. Andrew, his wife Wendy, and their three children went through this harrowing experience just a few weeks ago while traveling to visit Wendy’s family for Christmas vacation. After catching a red-eye from Portland, Ore. to Chicago, then hopping on a second flight to Miami, the Palau family was on their third and final […]

Yad Vashem, the world’s center for Holocaust remembrance and education, is one of the most visited sites in Israel. Perched on Jerusalem’s Mount of Remembrance, the 45-acre complex includes museums, monuments, memorials, gardens, sculptures and world-renowned research centers. Yad Vashem is the largest museum of its kind in the world, and boldly shares the story of the Holocaust from the Jewish perspective, including personal testimonies, riveting displays and rare artifacts. In 1933, the Jewish population of Europe was approximately 9 million. By 1945, the Germans and their collaborators had killed nearly two out of every three European Jews. In stunning […]

When the dust settled on the city of Port Au Prince, Haiti, after the massive 7.0 earthquake that devastated much of the impoverished country, there was overwhelming need and an immediate response of worldwide support. The NFL teamed up with the Red Cross to ask for donations during playoff games viewed by millions, and George Clooney rallied his celebrity friends for a telethon called Hope For Haiti Now, which raised about $60 million for relief efforts. But when the frenzied media coverage of the disaster in Haiti has subsided, the need will still be there, pressing as ever. Local effortsTwo […]

Volunteering for short-term missions is one of the most effective ways believers can mobilize with far-reaching results. It also can be a life-changing experience, altering the way you view the world and your purpose in it. Volunteers with a heart that is open to the spiritual need across North America can turn to the North American Mission Board to find opportunities to make a difference. Right now is a great time to plan your next, or first, trip to the mission field. Missionaries and pastors are ready to welcome short-term volunteers to the task of reaching the three-out-of-four people in […]

O Star of wonder, star of night Star with royal beauty bright Westward leading, still proceeding Guide us to thy Perfect Light … and so goes the lyrics of We Three Kings as penned by John Henry Hopkins at a New York seminary in 1857. Over the years scholars have debated if this star of wonder, the Bethlehem Star, was actually a real astronomical event or something told in stories. According to Rick Larson, host of the documentary, The Star of Bethlehem, the star was indeed an actual event and part of a dramatic poem God was writing in the […]

Congregations across the Nation to Team Up with Worldwide Charity Soles4Souls, a Nashville based not-for-profit charity, is teaming up with congregations across the United States this holiday season, with the hopes of collecting 250,000 shoes to distribute to those in need. This year’s event, “Thanks4Giving”, is a unique project that allows people across the nation to share their new or “gently used” shoes with those less fortunate.  One local church that is participating in the event is Calvary Chapel in Coral Springs. Calvary Chapel, a non-denominational Christian church that is committed to teaching the message of Jesus Christ, is holding […]