Satan’s Strategy #1: Bait and Hook
The bait looks attractive because we believe that sin leads to happiness.
Sin’s hook is painful. It injures, damages, enslaves, and sometimes disables. Sin leaves long-term (and occasionally life long) scars. Although God forgives sin, He frequently allows us to live with the consequences of our sins. This is Satan’s most common scheme: He presents the bait and hides the hook. Satan presents sin as fun,... Continue Reading
The Great Gasp
The greatest threat to souls is not bad teaching, it is ignorance.
It is certainly important to call error, error. But I think more important is praying for a revival of theological teaching in evangelical churches. It is deadly serious business. One of the, if not strange, then unique things about ministry as the preaching pastor of a church is the perspective I get on the... Continue Reading
Journey with Jesus on His Journey to The Cross
Setting out on an internal journey of the spirit.
The key issues for all of those who encounter Jesus in Luke’s Gospel are these: Do they know why he is on the road in the first place? And, will they follow him as his disciple? This Lent, Jesus asks those same questions of us. We read a lot of poetry at school, but... Continue Reading
Why The Mission Needs The Marks
The marks of Christ’s church have always been evident: Gospel, sacraments, and discipline.
We must recognize that the Reformed theology, piety, and practice presents a clear alternative to the EM definition of “missional” because, unlike the EM, Reformed theology has a doctrine of the church, which confesses that it is in and through the church that the Triune God is accomplishing his mission. For us to say “the... Continue Reading
Spurgeon’s Suffering is an Example for All Pastors
Though his suffering was great, Spurgeon’s faith was strong.
Disaster, poor health, and theological controversy were all contributors to Spurgeon’s death. However, in the midst of his multiplied challenges, Charles Haddon Spurgeon faithfully preached the gospel. What are some of the reasons why Charles Haddon Spurgeon died on January 31, 1892, at age 57? Spurgeon believed that all things, birth, health, and circumstances... Continue Reading
To Those Who Send ‘Good Thoughts’
No matter what you intended to communicate by your words, they might actually be what I need most to hear.
I want you to know that whenever I read that you are sending me or someone else “good thoughts,” I’m not going to roll my eyes. Instead, I’m going to close my eyes and meditate for a moment on all of the goodness that has flowed into my life from my heavenly Father, all of... Continue Reading
The Woke Hermeneutics of Modern Day Evangelicals
Anytime we approach the Bible looking for a means to reconcile Christianity to political movements, it will inevitably result in a misreading and misinterpretation of the Scriptures.
Remember the old interpretative method that asked each reader what the passage of Scripture means to them personally? We all know how dangerous this method of interpretation is—right? Every so often, during political debates, you will hear people talk about the importance of a proper reading of The Constitution of the United States. The... Continue Reading
Universalism: False and Unscriptural
Why teach a doctrine which cannot be safely trusted in the last hour?
Until lately there never existed a sect calling themselves Christians, however heretical, who made universal salvation an article of their creed. On this point even Jews and [Muslims] are of one mind with Christians. And will you, then, O reader, venture your eternal interests on a doctrine so circumstanced? The following is the entirety... Continue Reading
The Glory of Man and the Glory of God
Nothing built for the glory of man will survive His scrutiny. But what is done for God’s glory will endure forever.
We’ve been called to have dominion over the earth to the glory of God, but we want dominion for the glory of man. That’s what was going on at Babel—a distortion, an evil twisting of the legitimate task that God had given mankind. When I return to the first few chapters of Genesis, I’m... Continue Reading
The FAQS: What You Should Know About Polygamy in America
It’s not surprising that the increase in acceptance of homosexual behavior has led to broader acceptance of polyamorous practices among heterosexuals.
Because the rate of marriage in America is at the lowest point in 150 years, it’s not likely that we will see a significant demand for plural marriages. But the increasing acceptance and normalization of polygamy leads to the increasing acceptance and normalization of polyamory. What just happened? Earlier this week the Utah Senate... Continue Reading