The Happiness of God – Part 2
God rejoices in his creation because it is a reflection of his glory.
God finds happiness in the Son because the Son reflects the glory of the Father (Heb. 1:3). God finds happiness in people, not only because he created them but because, like his creation and like his Son, his people are a reflection of his glory! Jonathan Edwards helps us comprehend the reality of God’s... Continue Reading
7 Reasons Why Mormonism and Christianity Are Not the Same
Mormon theology teaches, in the words of Joseph Smith, that Jesus Christ is “God the Second, the Redeemer.”
Mormons believe Jesus died for sins and rose again from the dead. The atonement is the central event in history and essential to their theology. And yet, Mormons do not have a precise doctrine of the atonement. They do not emphasize Christ as a wrath-bearing substitute, but emphasize simply that Christ somehow mysteriously remits our... Continue Reading
The Spiritual Realm
Paul repeatedly reminds the believers that even if all principalities, powers, and demons gather against believers and the church, they will ultimately prove powerless because Jesus wins.
Some believers become preoccupied with spiritual dimensions, angels and demons, and powers of darkness, finding the work of demons in every event. It certainly does not help that all of us are catechized daily by social media and popular culture from astrology to zombies. Our approach should begin with and be bounded by the teachings of... Continue Reading
The Neglected Virtues of Truth and Love
The Scriptures remind us that truth — not massaged feelings — is the substance and ground of love.
The Bible says the Church matures as saints speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:15) — and we have neglected both. We have accepted a dichotomy between these virtues that doesn’t in fact exist and have reaped the impotence our disobedience deserves. “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall... Continue Reading
Two Paths to Happiness, and Why Only One Can Lead to a Happy End
The only way we can find supreme happiness is by obtaining that which is perfectly good and endures forever.
No matter how carefully we try to promote and protect our interests, we will not always succeed. Even when misfortune does not befall us, its possibility makes us anxious, and this keeps us from being perfectly happy. This is why the Scriptures tell us that it is only when our hearts are fixed upon that... Continue Reading
Keeping Kids Safe
We are not to be passive in our engagement with injustice, danger, mistreatment, and evil.
Knowing good from evil and right from wrong is primary. Safety skills flow from that foundation. Safety skills are a fruit of the way we parent our children. This is important to emphasize, because if we raise children who have been shielded from the worst perils of this world but do not walk with the... Continue Reading
The Nature of Your Constant Enemy
Christ can guide you through this world with all its snares, temptations, and pitfalls.
The key to overcoming the Evil One is to stay close to the Good One. To listen to the voice of the Shepherd so much that, when the Devil interrupts, you know it is not God, and you resist him, firm in your belief in the Good Shepherd. “The thief comes only to steal... Continue Reading
Don’t Be Taken in by the Tolerance Trick
Classic tolerance requires that every person be free to express his ideas without fear of abuse or reprisal, not that all views have equal validity, merit, or truth.
Whenever you’re charged with intolerance, always ask for a definition. If tolerance means neutrality, then no one is ever tolerant because no one is ever neutral about his own opinions. This kind of tolerance is a myth. In today’s relativistic, postmodern world, one word can stop an ambassador for Christ in his tracks: “tolerance.”... Continue Reading
To Beat the Dodgers’ Anti-Christian Hate, MLB Stars Must Refuse to Play Ball
Baseball players have a clear decision before them, one that could galvanize support for them and give courage to the rest of us.
The controversy now engulfing the MLB is part of that religious war, and every player in the league is involved in it whether they want to be or not. They, too, must choose a side. Choosing sides will mean different things for different people, but for those who choose the side of the Tao — of... Continue Reading
There Are Arrogant Arguers among Us
It is a strange world out there.
I had posted a terrific meme about prayer on the social media. Who could get upset about that? Indeed, never in a million years would I have imagined that anyone could possibly take offence at it or want to pick a fight over it. Yet sure enough, that is just what happened. Some folks just love to argue. It... Continue Reading