God is to be feared because of what He can do/what He has done/and what He will (yet) do.  He is to be feared, because we simply cannot know what His sovereign will shall turn out to be–even for each one of us individually–while we are in this world.   I confess, that for a... Continue Reading

Despite the darkness around us – and the darkness still seeming to linger inside us – the greater reality is that the light of God in his Son has shone. And the darkness has not overcome it. And so we have hope.     I came across these lyrics recently: We’re all fighters, holding up... Continue Reading

You could accept this as your “truth”: “I can fly off a ten-story building. You may not think so, but that’s my truth.” Your truth would get you killed. God is truth. Jesus said He was the “way, the truth, and the life” and there is no other (John 14:6). The One who made you,... Continue Reading

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body.” And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, for this is my... Continue Reading

The Gospels consistently describe the resurrected Jesus as at first unrecognisable. Perhaps like seeing an old friend after forty years. Just not the same. The change in Jesus is significant, as we will see.   Jesus’ crucifixion was unjust, violent, shameful. Having obtained Pilate’s permission, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus took Jesus’ crucified body for... Continue Reading

Christ died and rose to give us peace with God. And that really matters. The resurrection of Jesus matters eternally, because His new life is the signpost and the means to eternal life for you and me, for all who turn from sin and trust in Him.   Imagine a person whose only exposure to... Continue Reading

Solomon depicts the end of immorality on purpose. He does it so we might change course before the end arrives. If you’re reading Solomon, it’s not too late for you. Just do nothing, and you’ll ruin all. Fear the Lord, and anything can change.   And now, O sons, listen to me, And do not... Continue Reading

Christianity’s doctrines of human sinfulness, the Imago Dei, and love for neighbor promote limited government, equality before the law, and separation of powers. In contrast, Islam’s rejection of these ideas leads to concentrated power under sharia, legal inequality between Muslims and non-Muslims, and contested loyalty to non-Muslim governments.   Here is a truth you can... Continue Reading

Revelation 4:11 presents the twenty-four elders worshiping God the Father by saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for You created all things, and by Your will they existed and were created.” The more we contemplate the vastness, majesty, and orderliness of creation, the more we should... Continue Reading

Symbolic reading is good and helpful but cannot operate without a set of guardrails. Those guardrails would include the rule of faith that should guide all hermeneutics, but we expect the other guardrails to rise from attentive reading of the text itself.   When you first touch biblical languages one of the first things you... Continue Reading