It's December 26, the day after Christmas, when the death of the church's first martyr, Stephen, is traditionally commemorated. Trivial, yes, but most Christians can't give me the correct answer.

In view of the continuing tensions on the world scene, it is interesting to reflect on other November dates in history:

The dark night of the soul often comes upon us suddenly and without advance warning. This night can end in one of two ways. If we understand what God's basic will is and we relinquish ourselves to Him, we can experience the glorious presence of the Lord even in the midst of our trial.

Here is one of the bravest and most tender, yet most pathetic figures in all history: a patriot as well as a prophet.

Knowing God loves us is the heartbeat of His way of Agape. Unless we know He loves us, we won't be able to lay down our lives to Him. (How can we trust or believe in someone if we don't think they love us?)

Every seventh year, Israeli farmers are faced with a sabbatical year for the land (called Shmitta in Hebrew):

A recent article in the Los Angeles Times highlighted that U.S. archaeologists have found the remains of a 7,500-year-old building more than 300 feet below the surface of the Black Sea. This is being heralded by some as the strongest evidence yet of a catastrophic flood similar to the one portrayed in the Biblical account of Noah's ark.

There have been some fascinating developments in the fight against disease that also portend some astonishing prophetic perspectives.

How do you react when your dreams, your plans and your hopes blow up in your face? What is your response when you were so sure you had heard from God and you thought He had encouraged you to move ahead, and then all of a sudden everything crumbled?

The Harry Potter novels have created a new idol for millions of children around the world.  To some of them the fictional Harry seems almost real. But concern is growing among some Christian segments that the Potter series, replete with lessons in practical witchcraft, is opening a door to an occult reality for the world's children.

With an election coming next month - and one that may prove to be a "watershed" for the future of the Republic - it is an appropriate time to review the realities we are facing.

One of the strangest episodes recorded in the Word of God is King Saul's consulting a witch (after having ostensibly cleansed the land of Israel from this occultic practice). The Halloween holiday seems like an appropriate time to review the implications of this puzzling tale.

Often I will ask an audience, "How many of you are saved?" And, of course, most of the hands will go up. (It is, in that setting, the politically correct response!)

Over the last several months we have been exploring the topic of faith - faith in the night seasons. For some this is a difficult subject, but for others it's of the utmost importance. The latter group sees the trials and tribulations that Christians are now facing becoming more intense than ever before, and they are longing for understanding.

This has been an active year for the Middle East peace process. Beginning with the Oslo Accord in the early 90s, the Middle East may not have achieved a permanent peace, but it did enjoy a stable condition of "no war." Prior to this, there had been decades of strife, riots and terrorist activities.

It has been popular to presume that the "fig tree" is a reference to Israel. That view was further popularized by Hal Lindsey's best seller, The Late Great Planet Earth, and Ed Weisenant's 88 Reasons that Jesus would return in 1988. The idea was that since Israel was restored to statehood on May 14, 1948, and that a generation can be defended as 40 years, that 1988 was the year to watch.

As this issue goes to press, the entire world is wondering what is going to happen to Jerusalem. About 2,500 years ago, the prophet Zechariah recorded God's predictions regarding this troubled city:

Prayer - powerful, effective prayer - what is it? What kind of prayer pleases God? The disciples said to Jesus, "Lord, teach us to pray...." (Luke 11:1) Most who are reading this message would love to be faithful in prayer - but don't know how. The problem is, we don't understand the purpose of prayer.

Many of us fail to really appreciate the remarkable - yet often misunderstood - epistle written by Jacob to the descendants of Israel. (Jacob means the supplanter; heel-catcher; tripper-up. It is Ya'kov in Hebrew, translated Jacobos in Greek, Jacques in French, Iago in Italian, Diego in Spanish, and James in English.)

No matter what is occurring in our lives, keeping our eyes and our focus upon Jesus Christ is essential. He is not only our Savior, our Lord, and our King, He is also our role model and our example. He showed us how to live the Christian life perfectly.