“And we two-kingdom types are all the more resolved about the virtues of secularizing (read de-Christianizing) politics when we read pastors like Thabiti Anyabwile dissect the results of Tuesday’s election.”   Some of us two-kingdom Protestants have been arguing for a while that an approach to U.S. political life based more on duties of citizenship... Continue Reading

“It may be we’ve reached the point that the only thing that would move evangelicals in more constructive directions would be outright persecution from the GOP itself. Short of that, it’s difficult to imagine evangelicals going elsewhere.”   Donald Trump’s race to the White House defied every prediction and expectation. From his controversial speech announcing... Continue Reading

“What should dictators in Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea expect? Will Trump feud with Republicans, make deals with Democrats, treat abortion as a bargaining chip, and halfheartedly defend religious freedom? Will he increase the national debt as much as Democrats have been doing?”   When the New York Mets won the 1986 World Series,... Continue Reading

“Having friends outside of your ministry and your church also has the byproduct of helping you see your church and work for what it really is. It may help you to see and identify dysfunction that you’re otherwise too close to recognize.”   It was a Saturday evening in November and the temperatures were starting... Continue Reading

In one sense, the Bible begins and ends in beauty. In Genesis, Moses repeatedly emphasizes that God’s verdict on His creation is that “it was good,” even “it was very good.” But this statement has a deeper meaning than our English word “good.” Instead the Hebrew also carries the connotation “beautiful.”   Sometimes persistent questions... Continue Reading

“In 1 Thessalonians 2, Paul speaks of his being gentle among the Thessalonians, like a nursing mother caring for her children. Have you ever watched a godly woman caring for her young children? Such gentleness! Such patience! Such careful instruction!”   My wife and I recently sat at our dining room table over “It’ll Kill... Continue Reading

“I would suggest that the biblical discussion of divine election or unconditional election cannot bypass Romans 9 or other Scriptural passages that indicate that God chooses those whom he will save based upon his own reasons which do not include anything special about the one chosen at the time God saves a sinner.”   The... Continue Reading

“When we approach marriage expecting our needs to be met, we fail to understand the real nature of love, and we sow seeds of marital destruction. God hasn’t designed marriage as a means to meet our personal needs.”   One of my favorite cartoons shows a group of cavemen standing on top of a cliff, watching... Continue Reading

“In the years leading to the Civil War in the United States, Spurgeon’s stance against slavery ruined his reputation in the Southern states. His sermons, books, and tracts were censored and burned. Character assassinations were published. Many wished his demise.”   David once said, “There is only a step between me and death” (1 Samuel... Continue Reading

It is ironic that it is within the publishing industry—an industry of words and meaning—that the word “best-seller” is most often used with an imprecise meaning. So, let’s move beyond folklore and talk about what it actually connotes when the status is attributed.   If you are going to invest the time, transparency, and discipline... Continue Reading