We are ignorant, many times, of what God did to that worker to make them fit for service. The group in Philippians 1:15 may have envied Paul’s platform, but it is doubtful they envied his prison cell. Paul’s name was on many lips in a joyous tone, but did they want the hatred of those... Continue Reading

Because corporate liturgy is a time of disciplined prayer, it is important that what we pray is refined, elegant, and elevated in structure, verbiage, and tone. Extemporaneous expression, even with the best intention, creates apertures in our liturgical architecture through which human error enters our worship.   Neither praise nor worship have a style. They... Continue Reading

The Azusa Street Revival was not first an evangelistic movement, though some people did claim to be saved through it. Neither, like the Great Awakening, was it marked by people coming to a deep awareness of their sinfulness. Rather, the reviving that took place was predominantly sanctification and the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This... Continue Reading

As I’ve followed with interest these controversies over the past few years, I’ve come to see that although there is a lot of discussion about these things, most of it has involved throwing terms and philosophies around with little clarity, and there are very few places to go that carefully explain the nature of concerns... Continue Reading

We have spent so much time as conservatives in a liberal denomination that the best we can usually muster is a letter and a few empty threats. In this, we have accepted, to some degree, that we are playing something of a political game. A free church friend pointed some of the horrors of this game out... Continue Reading

It is possible to turn a text into a springboard, as an opportunity to say what the preacher really wants to say. This is a genuine danger in all forms of topical preaching when the text of Scripture does not govern and drive the sermon. Preachers have been known to pass over the original intent... Continue Reading

Yes, there are extraordinary circumstances that keep the sheep from hearing the voice of the Shepherd on a Sunday morning through a called preacher. But ordinarily speaking, to neglect Christian fellowship and the means of grace through which God grants us communion with himself is a terrible sin. And not only is it itself a... Continue Reading

We tend to have pride that our generation is better and wiser and dismiss past generations entirely because of things that we perceive as being unforgivable beliefs and actions. But, hopefully, this sentiment doesn’t make its way into our churches, let alone our hearts.   I was thinking recently about how many times I’ve thought... Continue Reading

Today, evangelical advocates of social justice want to fight against injustice and engage in the culture. But like the earlier social gospel advocates, they too have unwittingly allowed their theology of justice to be contaminated, this time by un-Biblical postmodern and neo-Marxist ideas, leading a group of evangelicals to come together in opposition to this... Continue Reading

In the wake of the death of John Chau by the hands of the remote tribe he sought to reach with the Gospel, the internet is alight with criticism that Christian missions are more akin to colonialism, wiping out pristine, innocent societies who are living in perfect harmony with nature.   Trevor Johnson, who serves alongside his... Continue Reading