rebelling against low expectations
“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). William Wilberforce is one of my personal heroes, and I wish more people knew his story. So many people have never heard of him, and if they have, it’s only the “obscure person in a history textbook” kind of heard of him. His life and work affected culture, politics, society, and Christianity in a...
All across the country, churches have closed their doors. Two weeks ago, my church canceled all services until further notice. Since then, church has looked like sitting on the couch in front of my laptop. I’m thankful for the technology that enables me to continue hearing from my pastor, but there’s no denying it’s not the same. I miss my church family. I miss worshipping together. I even miss...
The train stopped, but no one stirred. Hans stared out the window. Amidst the dirt and rocks, a few spring flowers were sparsely scattered. Not ten yards from the train, a group of prisoners were working on a new set of tracks. Sweat ran down their faces as they swung pickaxes into the rocky ground. He frowned. Women shouldn’t be doing such work! They were prisoners, yes, but the bands on their...
Editor’s note: Throughout the years, TheReb has published thousands of articles, each challenging and encouraging Rebelutionaries to do hard things and seek God. But among these posts, some have especially resonated with you, our readers. So over the next few weeks and months, we’re bringing back these classics, reposting our most popular and well-read articles. May they encourage and...
At dawn, on February 27, 1943, the Gestapo rounded up several thousand Jewish citizens in an attempt to clean out the remainder of the Jews still living in Berlin, Germany. Two thousand men were separated from the others and taken to a Jewish welfare center on Rosenstrasse, to be temporarily held before transport to concentration camps. By this time, rumors had trickled in about the fate of those...
Does God exist? To many of us, the answer seems obvious. Of course God exists! But how do we know? Thomas Aquinas was a 13th century Catholic philosopher and theologian who had the same question, leading him to an intense study which produced perhaps his most famous work: The Five Ways — five philosophical arguments for the existence of God. These arguments give us a strong starting point for...
Literature is rarely my favorite subject because many of the books have seemed boring and difficult to understand. They appear to bear little importance to my modern-day life. However, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin has been different. While the writing style is antiquated, the stories and the lessons from Franklin’s life are timeless. Franklin was an outstanding printer, statesman...
We weren’t familiar with the Pocket Testament League until a few weeks ago when someone handed us a pocket-sized Gospel of John. In the back it included the challenging question: “What’s in your pocket? Keys? Wallet? Small change? Why not use your pocket to change someone’s life by filling it with the power of God’s Word?” We discovered that the Pocket...
Alex and I have long admired William Wilberforce for his tireless dedication in pursuing his holy ambition. One year after coming to Christ, Wilberforce wrote in his diary, “God Almighty has placed before me two great Objects, the Suppression of the Slave Trade and the Reformation of Manners.” Over twenty years later, Wilberforce succeeded in abolishing the slave trade in the British...
Last night, Alex and I watched the film Amazing Grace with our family. Simply put, we were blown away by the quality of content and presentation in this powerful film about Christian abolitionist William Wilberforce. The Story: Wilberforce and the Abolition of Slavery Amazing Grace recounts the true story of William Wilberforce’s fierce, two-decade long battle as a member of the British...
rebelling against low expectations
