Why the God of the Qur’an Cannot Forgive Sins
There is a gaping difference between the love of the God of the Qur’an and the God of the Bible
Quranic Muslims quote Surah 4:157, scratch their head at times and ask, “How could God allow Jesus the prophet to go through such a terrible end as crucifixion? It is unthinkable.” Biblical Christians respond, “Love.” This is God’s love. God loved us by sending his Son to be our propitiation. Almost every system or... Continue Reading
“Uniting Methodists” Panelists: “The Bible Is Wrong”
The unorthodox beliefs shared by these “Uniting Methodists” panelists appear to speak clearly to the heart and future aspirations of this caucus and its preferred plan
Lauren Manza, who identifies as lesbian, was unabashed in criticizing the Bible itself. She too grew up in a conservative family, and felt conflict with her upbringing. When speaking on same-sex marriage and the verses that traditionalists use to argue against it she said, “I believe if I sat down with Paul today, Paul would... Continue Reading
No Earthly Good
We need to focus on the bigger picture to be both heavenly minded and earthly good
We must demonstrate love for neighbor with balance and in light of the ultimate purpose of all things, and doing so without inflicting additional burdens (e.g. 613 Jewish Commandments) on each other in order to achieve it. “For I desire mercy, not sacrifice, and acknowledgment of God rather than burnt offerings.” There is, in... Continue Reading
Learning To Rest Well
Leaders are, by nature, driven. It is that same asset that can become a potential liability.
“The reality of Sabbath, of taking a rest, is a gift from God to all people, not just leaders. The Sabbath, Swoboda contends later on in the book, is for plants, animals, land, poor, rich, Christian, atheist—literally all of creation needs Sabbath because God wrote Sabbath into the fabric of creation prior to the Fall.”... Continue Reading
What Does It Mean to Pray ‘Thy Kingdom Come’?
Here are three aspects of this cry for the kingdom to come
“When we pray for the kingdom of God to come we are pleading for the kingdom of Satan to be toppled. Like is so often the case when a tyrant is displaced, we want his statues to be defaced, toppled, and dragged in open view. We want Satan and all of his demonic scheming, tactical... Continue Reading
The Beauty of Complementarity Goes Beyond Gender
As much as contemporary Western culture tries to suggest otherwise, the difference of male and female exists and matters.
When God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone” (Gen. 2:18), he did not just just create a clone of Adam. He created a complement. God’s solution to Adam’s “not good” problem was not two of the same flesh, as if company was all Adam needed. It was a one-flesh union, two distinct... Continue Reading
Who Is the Happiest Human Being Who Ever Lived?
“You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11).
Ironically, we often think of ourselves as fun-loving, and of God as a humorless killjoy. But we’ve got it backward. We are the dull ones, not God. Did we invent wit, humor, and laughter? No. God did. We’ll never begin to exhaust God’s sense of humor and His love for pleasure-filled joy. Though the... Continue Reading
Being a Father isn’t Easy, But it is Simple
As I've reflected lately on being a father, it strikes me that I've never seen anyone who did the things on this list fail as a father.
Just as it is impossible to lift others higher than where you’re standing, so it’s virtually impossible to help your children while you remain distant from God. Not only for the sake of your own joy and spiritual health, but for your children’s sake, draw close to God by all the means He’s given. ... Continue Reading
Why Calls for Discipleship Make us Feel so Guilty
The weakness of Protestantism on the subject of personal discipleship in an affluent culture has laid groundwork where the logic of the prosperity gospel rarely bumps into anything that seems to be at cross-purposes with being a disciple of Jesus.
The Christian who feels manipulated or guilt-tripped when the simple ethics of having Jesus as Lord appear anywhere near where his definition of “normal and entitled lifestyle” has taken root. Discipleship, now relegated to discussions around a class or small group, becomes about not being legalistic, pious, or pharisaical. The actual processes and content of discipleship... Continue Reading
Godfrey on Shepherd In 1978
"Justification is an act of God by which He forgives sinners acquitting them of their guilt, accounts and accepts them as righteous, and bestows upon them the title to eternal life."
This seems to me a strangely and fundamentally defective statement of the doctrine of justification, in that three elements that are always to be found in the confessional standards’ statements about justification are not to be found there. First, there is no reference to our Lord, or a clear statement that it is His righteousness... Continue Reading