The Time Jesus Shared Depressing News
“Jesus, might there be a way to serve you that doesn’t include pain and suffering?”
When we comfort loved ones going through suffering, we tend to focus on the here and now. We encourage the sick with the hope of restored health. We encourage the unemployed with the hope of finding a job. We encourage the imprisoned with the hope of release. While helpful and encouraging, these things stop short of our... Continue Reading
Precept Upon Precept A Common (and Serious) Problem in Bible Study
This kind of Bible study is a catechism that specializes in missing the point.
Isaiah 28 pronounces judgment on God’s people. They are drunk and proud. And although there is much for them to learn from God, they are like foolish, immature children, learning in such a way that they never really learn. When they hear the teaching, it’s like a foreign language. This “precept upon precept” learning, this “here... Continue Reading
Five Clichés You Won’t Find in the Bible
We should replace each of these with biblical wisdom.
Instead of offering people more bad advice via Cliché-anity, let’s turn to offer them the whole truth, being fully honest so that we can always lead them toward the good news of Christianity. Let’s refrain from using clichés in our conversations with others. Let’s put “Christ” back into Christ-ianity. This is news that you’ll always find everywhere in the... Continue Reading
He Won’t Be Silent Forever
He is giving men and women, boys and girls time to repent of the evil of their ways.
No veneer of moral rectitude will stay the hand of the infinitely holy Judge of all the earth. While God seems to have remained silent in exercising judgment, He has not remained silent in Scripture. Whatever judgment He withholds and whatever judgement He will send, Scripture teaches us that we are meant to turn from... Continue Reading
Reprise: Be a Berean
Studying the text is not just a “me” thing.
Paul didn’t have a bound Bible like ours today with all 66 books of the Bible. But he did have what we call the Old Testament. He preached Christ from the Old Testament. Being in their synagogue, he probably used their copy of the text. Although we do not know what text he used, the... Continue Reading
Know When to Hold’em
The image of that final poker moment came to mind in a discussion I once had with some church members about the role and value of ecclesial creeds for the Christian life.
I remembered a friend who resides in a church tradition that rejects any notion of creeds. He saw creeds as man’s conscious or unconscious attempts to bend Scripture to suit his own desires. Indulging another metaphor, I assured my friend that, although the historic creeds of the church are not infallible, they provide a deep... Continue Reading
A Tale of Two Journeys, Part Two: Elijah’s Faithful Journey
God brings out his brightest light in the hardest place at the darkest time.
Try to imagine the scene. Elijah wakes up one day saying, “Today is the day I’m going to tell the truth to the king?” Somehow Elijah arrives in Samaria, gets into the presence of the king and says, “As the Lord the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew... Continue Reading
“I Don’t Care what People Think of Me!” Well, You Should
In order of priority of opinion, here are the people I very much care what they think.
Now, I don’t care what a lot of people think about me. Clearly not all opinions of me are going to equally affect or trouble me. But there are most certainly some people I do care very much what they think. And, if you’re a Christian – particularly if you are an elder in your... Continue Reading
Context Matters: By Grace You Have Been Saved
Perhaps our generation might find greater help with race relations and reconciliation within the church by looking harder into the doctrine of grace.
As presented by Paul, the glorious doctrine of grace serves a rather practical purpose. We are not saved by grace so we can feel great about ourselves or maintain an insider club. We are saved by grace so we can be built up together as a new temple, where members of all races are involved... Continue Reading
7 Things We Can Learn from the Puritans
The more heavenly you are, the more earthly good you’ll do because the more you’re like Jesus.
The whole idea “he’s so heavenly, he’s for no earthly good” would have made the Puritans turn in their grave. The more heavenly you are, the more earthly good you’ll do because the more you’re like Jesus, the more you’ll love people, the more you’ll be an evangelist, the more you’ll spread the gospel, the... Continue Reading