The Bombadil Option
Tom Bombadil is a strange character in The Fellowship of the Ring, often left out of adaptations due to his seeming departure from the serious nature of the story. He speaks in rhyming song.
We could do with being a lot more like him: not naïve, not living on the clouds, or ignorant of the deep scarring pains of existence on the face of the earth; rather embracing joy such that temptation does not touch us. It will be harder for us to be led astray by the strange... Continue Reading
Of the Danger of Too Many On-Line Sermons
When we listen to sermon after sermon from pastor after pastor and scholar after scholar, we develop in our minds this idyllic picture of what our local pastor should be.
On-line preaching can be tremendously helpful. But it brings with it a few dangers. Watch out for false and novel teaching. Watch out for the temptation to find a teacher, any teacher, any teacher at all, who agrees with you and goes against what others are telling you. Use your resources wisely. But do not... Continue Reading
One Thing My Parents Did Right: Family Devotions
Because my parents made the Bible a central aspect of our lives, I could see it was more than just a good book.
They not only told me but showed me what the Bible is worth and how to study it. Through Bible time I learned the value of persevering, both in seeking God and in putting sin to death. Because of my parents’ influence, I value the Bible, and because of their teaching, I continue to seek after... Continue Reading
My Take on the Hamas Attack on Israel
When Israel was attacked the default setting is “the end must be near.” Jesus must be coming back soon. Not necessarily.
UN Resolution 181 (1947) divided Palestine into a Jewish State (Israel) and an Arab state (Jordan). Then began a series of wars: Israel’s War for Independence (1948–49), the Suez Crisis (1956), the Six-Day War (1967), the Yom Kippur War of 1973 (the Hamas attack on Israel was carried out 50 years plus one day of... Continue Reading
Critical Grace Theory
As debates over critical race theory rage on, one important point seems to have been missed: Many of the most important biblical writers were among the sharpest critical theorists of their day.
Biblical critical theory takes a very different approach. Read Isaiah and Paul and you immediately see that the purpose of their critiques is the restoration of God’s creation and its fulfillment in God’s covenant. Natural law and similar concepts can give us a substantive picture of the moral structure of creation. The Book of Proverbs... Continue Reading
In Contemplation of the Roman Empire
Lloyd-Jones was forcibly struck by the tragic similarities of the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and the collapse of Christian influence in the West.
“All human systems fail because the trouble is within the people themselves, and external rules and laws and regulations cannot change them. It is not that we need better laws, but that we need better natures; not better instruction, but better spirits and better desires. And so all this human history comes to nothing. And... Continue Reading
John Newton: Parent with Intention, Grace, and Confidence in God
Six intentional principles Newton taught Christian parents preparing to launch their children.
Some good people have wearied their children by expecting conduct from them as if they were experienced Christians, and have thereby given them a disgust and distaste for religion, and made them look upon it as a burden.” Parents should instead use a light touch: “A little advice now and then, always in the spirit... Continue Reading
Why Doesn’t My Neighbor Go to Church?
Participating in your local church is choosing to encounter your holy and loving God in the presence of his people.
Every gathering of God’s people is a place where God brings his transformative power, where God spills his love out over his people, and where he calls unbelievers to himself. Don’t stop believing in God’s church. And don’t miss out on your opportunity to invite the many who are disconnected from God’s family to come... Continue Reading
Little Candles in a Darkening World
When societies have God-honouring people within them, they literally become more humane.
Regardless of how dark it seems around us, our calling is to live differently. It does not have to be out loud, trying to drown out the cacophony of sound in the political space – but we thank God for those who are there! But if we all pay attention to the ‘millions of small... Continue Reading
Take Heed Whom You Celebrate: Thoughts on John Brown and Evangelical Attitudes About Him
Should John Brown be celebrated as a heroic figure?
None of this is to defend the cruelties associated with slavery. It is simply to say that Brown’s response was the wrong one, and that we should neither approve it nor celebrate him. Brown was celebrated for his militancy, and he seems to have regarded such militancy as the proper fruit of the Christian faith.... Continue Reading
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