You can't help but love Peter. He was the most lovable of the disciples: bold, candid, human. Peter was one of the first disciples called; he always stands first in the lists of disciples; he was also one of the three who formed an inner circle around the Master. His impulsive devotion is frequently portrayed, and he acted as spokesman of the Twelve.

Nothing is more hurtful than to have Christian brothers and sisters turn against us. Matthew 24:12, however, tells us that in the "end times" this is exactly what is going to happen, "the Love (Agape) of many will grow (wax) cold."

In our series called Faith in the Night Seasons, we've been talking about intimacy with Godwhat intimacy is, how we get it and what we must do to maintain it.

The extradition in July of Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic to The Hague was a subtle shift in the march toward global "law." It was the first time a former head of state had been successfully extradited for trial as a war criminal. However, while some might consider the trial of a "war criminal" a positive event, it should be considered negative because the precedent it is setting in global law is dubious.

Time magazine recently featured, as its cover article, "How the Universe Will End," a review of some of the current conjectures of cosmology and astrophysics.

In May the United States braced itself for the inevitable carnival that would surround the execution of Timothy McVeigh for his role in the 1995 bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. Then suddenly the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) revealed that - oops! - it had failed to turn over 3,000 pages of evidence to McVeigh's attorneys during the discovery process at McVeigh's trial.

It's hard to keep doing something when you continually have to deny you're doing it. For years, Britain's ruling Labour Party under Prime Minister Tony Blair has been refuting accusations that the emerging European Union would require Britons to cede large chunks of national sovereignty - including control over their currency and economy - to the socialist bureaucrats in Brussels.

"So, where are we?" This is perhaps the most cogent question that could be asked about the Middle East after a year of peace process go-arounds, collapses, violent attacks and reprisals: all of which ended a decade of "no-war."

Luke, Volume II, commonly known as "The Book of Acts," completes the "Pentateuch of the New Testament." Regarded by many as the most exciting and relevant book for the current believer, it is, indeed, one of the most rewarding and instructive.

Over the last several months, we have been talking about faith-faith in the "night seasons." Faith, we said, is accepting a situation that we cannot fully understand, and no longer being troubled by it. This kind of "naked" faith is developed through night seasons-times where God teaches us by depriving us of the natural light we have always been used to (our seeing, feeling and understanding), so that we will learn to walk by faith.

It is very clear that pornography cannot be viewed as a passive, inconsequential behavior. This is a tragic sin against God, against you and the Body of Christ, and it has to be exposed. Light expels the darkness and this sin can no longer be swept under the carpet, especially in the Body of Christ.

The whole purpose of the "dark night of the soul and spirit" is to bring us to an intimacy with our Lord that we have never before experienced.

"Finishing Well" is the name of the game. Here was a rich, young ruler - a 1st century "yuppie" if you will - who, although getting off to a rather problematic beginning, finished well, indeed.

Satan wants you to think contrary to the character of God and to the Word of God. His tactics are to accuse God and others. He wants to persuade you to act independently of God, to walk according to the flesh rather than the Spirit.

For decades the planet has been awash in doomsday environmental propaganda proclaiming the imminent demise of earth due to environmental calamity, which only drastic action (and large amounts of government money) can avert.

The ultimate invasion of the Middle East by "Gog and Magog" is well known to most Biblically informed observers. The invading forces of Magog - recognized as referring to Russia by most authorities - are wiped out by "hailstones of fire" from the heavens, which also cause an earthquake felt around the world.

The recent controversy between the U.S. and China over the emergency landing of an American surveillance plane on the island of Hainan has highlighted the strained relations between the two giants in recent years.

U.S. Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham announced recently that the country's energy problems were having a negative effect upon the U.S. economy. "This nation's last three recessions have all been tied to rising energy prices - and there is strong evidence the latest crisis is already having a negative effect," Abraham said.

Continuing our series on the Dark Night of the Spirit, this period of confusion and darkness has often been described in a variety of emotional ways.

The interpretation of Scripture is called hermeneutics. Our approach to hermeneutics will always be influenced by our worldview, our own culture, and the presuppositions we bring to the task.