How Paul Explains Christ’s Presence at The Lord’s Supper
The cup of blessing which we bless—does not the cup commune with the blood of the Messiah?
If we return to the Biblical text, we can, I believe, gain a clearer grasp of the meaning of Christ’s presence at the Supper. In so doing, we will ground our theology in the Bible. One key place to look is Paul’s explanation of the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 10. Christians from across... Continue Reading
The Dragon Hiding in Your Desires
Why Temptation Feels So Harmless
Over and over, God comes alongside us in moments of temptation and invites us to imagine what we are really facing. What is really happening when you walk past a woman and are tempted to look back? Or when you stand in front of a mirror and feel insecurity rising? Or when fantasies of a better life... Continue Reading
The Mountain that Faith Moves
"If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you."
The traditional understanding of this statement is that a little true faith can see God do great things. The situation this father and his son were in was mountainous in size, and if the disciples would just exercise “mountain-moving faith” it could be dealt with. Even Paul in I Corinthians 13:2 speaks of faith removing... Continue Reading
Machen’s God-Centered Vision
The structure of the modernism of Machen’s day is not too different from the postmodernisms of our day.
In some churches the triumph of modernism is complete. But it is still a menace at the door of all our churches and schools and agencies. One of our great protections will be the awareness of stories like Machen’s — the enemy he faced, the battle he fought, the weapons he used (and failed to... Continue Reading
The Serious Problems with Being a Red-Letter Christian
Focussing on the ‘red letter’ words of Jesus is the wrong way to address the world's problems.
What is actually needed here is not to read less of the Bible, Jesus’ words alone, but to read more of it. If Campolo and others are concerned that abortion and homosexuality are taking up too much of evangelicals’ attention, then the answer to that is to locate these issues in the whole of the Scriptural... Continue Reading
How Cancer Healed my Dad
We were all shell-shocked and totally devastated. But Dad was not.
When he first heard the diagnosis, he instantly felt God put the words from Hebrews 13:14 in to his mouth, and he heard himself say to the consultant: “Here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.” He described feeling a peace that transcended all understanding, literally guarding his heart and... Continue Reading
An Eternal Perspective of Justice
How should believers respond to the injustice and the abuse they suffer in this life?
Scripture reveals that injustice has plagued every culture in every age. The Old Testament is replete with examples of God confronting injustice (Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Proverbs 6:17; 17:15; Jeremiah 5–8). Because God rules the world justly (Psalm 89:14), he expects those to whom he delegates authority to demonstrate justice in his world. A painful reality... Continue Reading
Context Matters: He Who Began a Good Work in You
The popular usage of this verse—to refer to an individual’s sanctification between now and the day of judgment—can certainly be supported from the context.
Paul follows up the promise in verse 6 with a defense of how he feels toward the Philippians (Phil 1:7). He then prays for their love to abound, with knowledge and all discernment (Phil 1:9). He wants them to approve what is excellent (Phil 1:10a). And he wants them to be pure and blameless for... Continue Reading
The Night That Took My Wife
How Grief Imprisoned Us to Grace
By no means, however, does faith in Christ guarantee a life free of hardship and suffering. It is, in fact, the opposite. Suffering is not an exception for the believer, but the norm. The apostle Paul warns his disciple that all who desire to live a godly life in Christ will experience suffering (2 Timothy... Continue Reading
Who Was Jesus? a Modern Summary of an Ancient Story
The truth about Jesus is that He is the eternal, holy, and magnificent God.
After Jesus’ death on the cross, He was moved to a tomb. On the 3rd day, He rose from the dead. The resurrection is the single greatest moment in the history of the universe. More than that, it is the lynchpin of Christianity. Without it, the hope of the Christian is all but empty. The... Continue Reading