In hindsight, this is probably not the best way to express myself. I’m sorry for anyone who was hurt by the whole “never enter the kingdom of heaven” bit. That’s just an figure of speech for “the best way to live!” And I apologize if the righteousness piece felt legalistic. When I talk about hungering... Continue Reading

On one hand we have completely cheapened the relationship by numbering our friends like notches on our social media belt. And on the other, our culture has become so hyper-sexualized that we cannot handle the intimacy of true friendship without suspecting scandal. The guys have it the worst. They can’t have close male friendships without... Continue Reading

It’s these moments where the rubber meets the road, where my faith is stretched and I look down to see whether I am standing on rock or sand. Do I really believe that God is in control of all the details of my life? Do I really believe that his grace is sufficient to get me... Continue Reading

Also, there is a joy that only the Christian can experience, a joy that at times contains more pleasure and delight than the other six put together, and that’s spiritual happiness. This joy often fills and even floods a believer’s heart as he/she reads the Bible, learns about God and His grace, and communes with the... Continue Reading

When theology is mentioned in a circle of women I have often found the response to be less than enthusiastic.  Mention books on homemaking, marriage or parenting, on the other hand, and everyone seems interested. Why is that? I have heard comments like, “I’m just not smart enough”, “I will leave the study of theology... Continue Reading

Listening is an underrated skill in pastoral ministry, and introverts are natural listeners. Whether in counseling sessions, staff meetings, or giving constructive criticism, we need to ask questions and listen before we can offer suggestions to work through an issue. Someone who is very successful in sales gave me a piece of advice several years... Continue Reading

The deeper problem with the Two-Readings View (TRV) lies in the character of God. If God has written the Bible, then God has changed His message from the OT times to the NT times. That means that God changes His mind and is open to the future. The TRV cannot avoid an ultimately open theistic... Continue Reading

All human organizations have faults and are liable to criticism. The Gospel Coalition is no exception. Those criticisms, however, must be thoughtful and fair, not based upon guilt-by-association or misunderstanding. Parts of Pastor Recker’s evaluation are spot on. For other evaluations, he relies upon a flawed appropriation of a 1956 article from Christian Life magazine.... Continue Reading

We must be clear that God’s solution to this predicament is not a graciously structured covenant. God’s solution to this problem is the incarnation, death, and exaltation of his Son, and the outpouring of the Spirit of the risen Christ. The covenant of grace–in any and every one of its administrations–is only a covenant of... Continue Reading

Interest in the Holy Land was high because interest in the end times rose among evangelicals in the European nations.  Also during the 19th century archaeology was emerging as an academic discipline that defended the historicity of the Scriptures.  The 19th century saw the rise of examining the Bible as any other literary or historical... Continue Reading