5 Warning Signs That a Pastor has Not Been Truly Called by God
Being assured that your pastor is called by God is crucial to the well-being of your soul.
The greatest evidence of whether your pastor is called by God will be witnessed in his convictions about the doctrine of the church. Does he care enough to discipline wayward members? Is he more concerned about what the church looks like than its holiness and catholicity (the church universal)? Is he more concerned about being... Continue Reading
Favor by Fire: Burnt Offerings and the Bible
The Lord only bestowed his favor upon the worshipper who offered the Lord a costly sacrifice.
The purpose of the sacrificial system, however, continues to apply to the New Testament saint. The author of Hebrews teaches, “But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Heb 13:16). Offering a burnt offering was a sacrificial act; it cost the worshipper something. In the... Continue Reading
Misreading Scripture Cross-Culturally
The Bible, even though it’s for us, was not written to us, but to audiences greatly removed from us in time, culture, and language.
Despite knowing more today than many Christians in the past, we still need to be careful and humble when interpreting and applying Scripture. If we do not respect historical and cultural differences, we can inadvertently misread Scripture through our own modern cultural lenses. I vividly remember the time in my youth that I was... Continue Reading
Strict Merit vs. Pactum Merit and Union with Christ
Is Imputation Eclipsing Adoption in Christ?
It is not merely according to covenantal promise, forgiveness and imputed righteousness that we receive our inheritance in Christ but as justified sinners who by grace have been adopted in union with the Son. Believers are fitted for heaven because of all the entailments of union with the last and faithful Adam who as Son is very God... Continue Reading
Andy Stanley’s Version of Christianity
His message is crafted to lead Christians to believe that as long as they give lip-service to the Bible’s definition of marriage, they can affirm unrepentant homosexual sinners as Christians.
Stanley brushes aside what the Bible says about homosexuality as “clobber” verses, as if those texts somehow harm gay sinners. He even suggests that a change of theology is in order if churches can’t welcome gay people into their midst. I just finished listening to Pastor Andy Stanley’s Sunday morning sermon to North Point... Continue Reading
Streams in the Desert: Burning Man, 2023
There, in the barren Nevada desert, God smiled down on this vile party, these men and women gathered expressly to mock Him. First He gave them a sprinkling (baptism?), then He made a better rainbow than they could ever make.
As usual, the newspapers reported on the Burning Man storm as an art festival that got rained out, which shows you why no one should read them to find out what’s actually going on in the world. But that’s another story. God cannot be silenced, and His glory and love are too powerful to be... Continue Reading
The Fake Utopia of a Workless World
Work has been God’s idea from the beginning.
Solomon presents us with the sum total of human existence—to eat, drink, work hard, and enjoy God. Pretty basic stuff. And don’t miss the last part: “For apart from him who can eat or who can have enjoyment?” Ultimately the good life won’t be realized without an encounter with our Creator. Deprived of meaningful... Continue Reading
Forgiving God?
If God deals wrongly with me, God has sinned, and He is no God at all.
I must learn the humility of a creature, that there are many—if not most or all—things beyond my grasp, and that God’s ways and wisdom are not my own. Scripture assures me this King is for me, not against me (Romans 8:31ff), calling me to entrust myself to him amidst the hardest providences. Plans... Continue Reading
Sovereignty and Evangelism
God can give us peace in our hearts as we present the Gospel and trust in the Holy Spirit to do His work.
What a joy it is to believe in a sovereign God. He has not sent us on a fool’s errand. He is faithful. He saves sinners. He uses foolish means to bring people to faith. What a joy it is to serve that type of sovereign King. I recently sat across the table from... Continue Reading
Hey Leaders: Let’s Do Hard (Christian) Things
Real toughness is not about callous bravado, but instead about the ability to navigate difficulty with grace and an unwavering focus on what matters.
The evangelical church over the next thirty years is going to pay the price for paying too much attention to the wrong kind of leadership toughness. It already is. Just read the books that are dealing with the outflow of poor leadership. And it seems to me that at a sophisticated level, there are often... Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- …
- 1393
- Next Page »