The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has released its annual report, detailing the 16 countries which are of particular concern because of their stringent opposition to freedom in matters of religion. The countries of particular concern this year are Burma, North Korea, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, China, Saudi Arabia, Sudan (North),... Continue Reading →
What! A doctor attempts to pray for his colleagues? Be ready, Christians. Shining your light might cost you.
Imagine bragging that you have a light in your home, but you never turn it on. What would be the good of having a light but never letting it shine? Light is meant to shine. Light, by nature, shines into darkness. Jesus calls Christians “the light of the world” (Matthew 5:14). Just as it is impossible for the sun to remain the sun without shining its light, so, too, it is impossible for a Christian to remain a Christian without shining the light.
Therefore, Christians will be persecuted by those who hate the light (John 3:19-21). We understand the dynamic, even if we are saddened by it. At times it is difficult to 
understand why we enrage people merely by shining a little light into their lives. Take, for example, the case of Dr. David Drew in the UK.
As Christian Concern reports, Dr. Drew had the audacity to…
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Chen Ups and Downs
UPDATE: Poor Chen Guangchen. His case is reportedly moving along, but the answers are not coming to some serious questions about Chen's future. Will there be retribution for those who helped Chen escape? Will he actually be permitted to leave the country? How is his health? Apparently, the U.S. Embassy has abandoned Chen. It is... Continue Reading →
Blind Unbelief: China and Chen Guangcheng
“Blind unbelief is sure to err…” so penned William Cowper in his final and perhaps most poignant hymn, composed in 1774. Of course, Cowper wrote from a Christian perspective and, though he suffered terribly from depression, he understood that God’s ordering of and teleological purposes for creation would always prove wise and good in the... Continue Reading →
Thoughts on Death and Suffering
What is it with all this death and suffering in our world? Has science not yet eradicated the inimitable Grim Reaper? In the age of nuclear medicine and MRI’s, we seem to be capable of better identifying the diseases which cause our suffering, but we still can’t seem to eliminate the pains. And as for... Continue Reading →
Tom White: What Happened (and What Might We Learn)
Tom White has been the face of Voice of the Martyrs for the past two decades. With Tom White as its head, the ministry of Voice of the Martyrs increased exponentially. What will happen next to that ministry is in the Lord's hands (which is the best place for it to be). The tragic details... Continue Reading →
Adoption Yearning
Any pastor worth his salt (as the saying goes) must, at times, identify with the prophet Ezekiel. Ezekiel was more than a preacher to God’s suffering people—he was a vicarious enactment of their plight, having to lay siege against Jerusalem (Chapter 4); eat “unclean” food; pack his bags for exile (Chapter 12), and lose his... Continue Reading →
Clarity on Honor Killings
I have posted several times about the troubling rise of so-called "Honor Killings" in North America. I am happy to report that Canada has stepped up to the plate and and taken a mighty swing against the heinous Muslim practice of killing your children in order to protect your honor. One wonders how indeed it... Continue Reading →
Simple Concepts Concerning Life
In memory of the 50 million Americans lost since the dreadful Roe v. Wade decision, I wrote a poem for a competition hosted by the Manhattan Declaration (you can read it here). The point of the poem is simply this: A little girl in the womb has no guarantee of liberty or the pursuit of... Continue Reading →
Who Is Right About Tim Tebow, Me or President Obama?
The NFL season begins in just one month. So, plenty of stories will be generated from how well (or how poorly) Tim Tebow plays. Getting a jump on the competition, President Barack Obama told a radio audience yesterday that he thought the Tebow trade was a mistake (See President Obama Weighs in on Tebow, Sanchez).... Continue Reading →
Adoptions Down
The 2011 adoption statistics were just released, and they showed that adoptions are down in the U.S. Indeed, adoptions were down a significant 15% from the 2010 numbers, and down a mind-boggling 60% from the peak numbers of 2004. One must go back nearly two decades (1994) to find a year in which there were... Continue Reading →
Path to True Blessing?
How do you know when you are blessed? On first blush, you might respond that you know you are blessed when you have peace with God and peace with your wife and family. Many of us would think we are blessed when we have plenty of money. We think that NFL players who get paid... Continue Reading →
What the Blind Man Sees
Blind human rights activist Chen has reportedly died from the torture and beatings he has endured at the hands of the Communist Chinese. However, as this story notes, no one can be sure of whether Chen is alive or dead, given the fact that the Communist government has sealed off access to Chen and has... Continue Reading →
Islam Run Amok
UPDATE: Thanks to Nina Shea, we now have word that Pastor Yousef did not waiver in his faith. He stood firm and once again refused to deny Christ. From the court proceeding: The Washington Post’s blog Religion Right Now posted a piece by Jordan Sekulow that included the following excerpt from court proceedings this week:... Continue Reading →
Tebow’s Nose
Folks are upset. Fans are upset that the Denver Broncos lost their home opener for the first time in more than 10 years. Even with the abysmal Bronco record of 4-12 last season, the team was at least able to win the home opener against the Seattle Seahawks. This year, however, it was not meant... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 