What Is The Unpardonable Sin?
“Assuredly, I say to you, all sins will be forgiven the sons of men, and whatever blasphemies they may utter; but he who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is subject to eternal condemnation” (Mark 3:28–29). I cannot tell you how many times in my teaching career very distraught Christians have come... Continue Reading
Revelation-Driven Life
If Jesus shed His blood for individuals from every people group in the world, how can we who have been rescued by Him remain indifferent in the face of more than six thousand ethnolinguistic groups that have yet to be reached with the gospel God wins. If I had to summarize the message of Revelation... Continue Reading
Old Princeton for New Calvinists
In the 19th century, Princeton was a leader among conservative evangelicals in America. It was the “grand central station” for the “young, restless, and Reformed.” Controversies swirl around celebrity pastors and their best-selling books. Evangelicals unite across denominational lines to share resources and strategize together for the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. New thought emerging from... Continue Reading
President Obama and Same-Sex Marriage — The Dance Continues
“President Obama Won’t Say if He’ll Stop Pretending to Oppose Same-Sex Marriage Before the Election.” – New York Magazine Some predictions are rather safe to make. 2012 is almost certain to be a determinative year on the issue of same-sex marriage. Multiple courts appear poised to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act [DOMA] and,... Continue Reading
Some Random Thoughts about Doing Good while Doing Minimal Harm
It’s not wrong to feel good about doing good. Kant told us that if a virtuous act made us feel good, it wasn’t virtuous (or something like that). Nonsense. It’s okay to feel satisfaction when you help somebody There has been a lot of healthy talk in Christian circles lately about how best to go... Continue Reading
The Ten Commandments Before the Fall
The Westminster Confession claims here that the law of the Ten Commandments is the same in substance as the law given to Adam before the fall. Of course, the form is different, but the substance is the same. The Westminster Confession asserts that “God gave Adam a law. . .” and that “[t]his law, after... Continue Reading
We Can, But Should We?
It would seem that to accommodate the multisite model, some are trifurcating the duties of a pastor into categories of prophet (preacher, exhorter), priest (counselor, encourager), and king (visionary, overseer, administrator). Never mind that those are roles, only fulfilled by Christ, not biblical categories for different kinds of leaders. Technology continues to advance at a... Continue Reading
Dispatch from Cyprus
The one thing you’ve probably learned from these little vignettes is that life is never dull in Cyprus. It’s a country filled with both passion and pathos, and it often plays itself out in ordinary life…such as having your neighbor’s swimming pool blown up by a bomb. “Bomb!!??” you’re probably saying to yourself. Yeah…a bomb.... Continue Reading
The folly of God-denial – Even Einstein Wasn’t an Atheist!
I’ve never quite understood this. Scripture admonishes: “The fool has said in his heart ‘there is no God.’” Secularists need to relax. They already have their own holiday: April First. As the political season heats up it occurs to me that, as important as elections are, unless the hearts of men are changed, the heart... Continue Reading
More on Vacationaries: A Response to the Response
We don’t need more mission trips that do casual labor. We’ve got that covered. But there are certain types of medical personnel who are desperately needed; it goes without saying that the longer they can stay, the more of a contribution they will make. I will happily pick them up at the airport, and give... Continue Reading