The world is on fire in 2020. It was in 1969 as well. It’s easy to focus on the negative. And we should rightly call out injustice. But we should also pause to reflect on what is good.   In July 1969, three American astronauts landed on the moon. It wasn’t just a great technical... Continue Reading

The end is not greater than the means. Personal feelings are not greater than God’s standards. Pragmatism fails us as individuals, institutions, and as humanity.   Let’s be unequivocal. Doing wrong is never right. Two wrongs do not make a right. The ends do not justify the means. Grateful for the Peaceful Protests I’m glad... Continue Reading

Throughout the centuries, churches have in various seasons been unable to meet due to persecution, geography, pandemics, or other limitations. God wasn’t worried then, and he’s not worried now. His plans will not be thwarted or undone. Because God made the church to gather.   Only God could have ordained that I would be writing... Continue Reading

The glory of the gospel is this—when we as believers sin, whether it be racism, adultery, lying, or stealing, and when the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, when He enables us to have true, heartfelt contrition, then we will bring forth fruits of repentance, namely a change in behavior. God then promises to bring... Continue Reading

Why were the disciples surprised? They were surprised because they had a veil over their eyes that was suddenly and unpleasantly ripped away. Matthew 26 is not telling us that the Old Testament is inherently Christless. It is telling us that the disciples did not understand.   There is no doubt that the disciples were... Continue Reading

You feel a sense of hopelessness overtaking you and, like a tire with a slow leak, you get a little lower every day. Whatever you might call it, you sense that you’re losing hope; the world is grey, you have a hard time enjoying life, you just can’t seem to get motivated.   We’ve been... Continue Reading

We’ve told ourselves that if Jesus needed to pray then certainly we need to pray. Paul’s letters overflow with prayer. We’ve read them and are convicted to pray. When we have devoted ourselves to pray we have emerged from the time energized. But it doesn’t stick. We return to our routine of dabbling in prayer.... Continue Reading

Under the Old Covenant (Moses), God instituted the “Feast of Weeks” (Ex 34:22; Nu 28:26).2 It was one of three times when all Jewish males were to appear in Jerusalem. It is called “Pentecost” (Greek, πεντηκοστή) because it occurs 50 days after Passover. As Israelites gathered in Jerusalem, fifty days after the resurrection of Jesus, the... Continue Reading

You remember that you do not have what it takes to run this race, yet somehow, you do not despair because you know the one who can lives within you, and greater is he who is in you than he who is in the world. The Spirit reminds you that the wrath you deserve for... Continue Reading

Sin is a swindler. It covers its deceit with kindness and sweet promises. We sin because we believe the lies. We gossip because the gossip whispers to us that we’re in the know and that people will appreciate us. We envy because we believe that if we only had what others have, we’d be content.... Continue Reading