“Of course, in order to rightly understand the nature of Jesus’ victory over the world, we have to come to a right understanding of His use of the word “world” in these two places in John’s gospel.”   In his excellent little book The Emotions of Jesus, Robert Law offers a passing contemplation about how... Continue Reading

“Those churches that have included a covenant renewal service in their church calendar often include, not only appropriate prayers of devotion in response to God’s covenant commitment to his people; but also renewal of vows on the part of the congregation.”   The language of ‘covenant’ has a much wider history in the church than... Continue Reading

There’s another version of lust that can be just as deadening to the senses and just as damaging to the soul, and it’s one that we often overlook, something we often justify for being “realistic.” I’m talking about gratuitous depictions of violence.   In Christian circles today, we talk frequently about the dangers of lust... Continue Reading

“Looking over the landscape of evangelical Christianity I wonder if maybe we’ve swung the pendulum a bit too far in the direction of admonishing people not to be Job’s counselors whilst neglecting to admonish folks to also not be Micah’s prophets. Both are damaging.”   When I’m training pastors or counselors I always try to... Continue Reading

The battle cry of the Reformation was ad fontes—“back to the sources!”—which meant going behind Jerome’s Latin Vulgate and reading the original Greek New Testament. This was coined by Erasmus, the man responsible for publishing the first Greek New Testament in 1516.   One of the great ironies and unnecessary casualties of the Protestant Reformation... Continue Reading

“Whether we will, through the ministry of the gospel, lead people to find their root identity in Christ alone or whether we will confirm their worldly identity as primarily political animals is the question.”   In a new case of the tail wagging the dog, recent research indicates that Americans, whose political views were previously... Continue Reading

“Speaking the truth is love” is contrasted to spiritual immaturity. In other words, both being loving without being truthful and being truthful without being loving are evidence of spiritual childishness.   “Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.” Those words from Warren Wiersbe are profound & perpetually relevant. Think about it... Continue Reading

“When accumulated fatigue takes hold of us, a night of rest, a weekend get-a-way, or a six-week sabbatical likely won’t help. We are like Elijah among the ravens, wrestling with our doubts in the caves with God (1 Kings 19). We are among David’s crew who must sit this one out.”   Mentally, they’re tangled... Continue Reading

Responding differently—becoming a rejoicer rather than a complainer—means first recognizing the truth of Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you.” “Philippians,” Paul says in essence, “God is at work. God is in charge. God is willing and empowering you to live and serve in a way that pleases Him.”   When God’s... Continue Reading

Our work is part of our calling from God–along with our families, our church life, and our citizenship–where He places us to love and serve our neighbors, as He works through us in our everyday lives. As such, all vocations are equally valuable in the eyes of God.   Geoffrey Owens is a Shakespearean actor, but... Continue Reading