Tag: Bible
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Those Blasted Presbyterians
“I fix all the blame of these extraordinary proceedings upon the Presbyterians.” Around the same time, Horace Walpole spoke from the English House of Commons to report on these “extraordinary proceedings” in the colonies of the new world. “There is no good crying about the matter,” he said. “Cousin America has run off with the…
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A Prayer for the Fourth of July
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” ~ Galatians 5.1 Lord Jesus, it’s the Fourth of July – a holiday set aside to remember and revel in the freedom we enjoy as citizens of America. As…
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The Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards Categorized
The resolutions of Jonathan Edwards is a treasure trove of thoughtful godliness. The earliest of these Resolutions were penned when Edwards was still a teenager – age 19. The list was completed as Edwards was finishing his formal education and beginning his ministerial life. For the rest of Edwards’ remarkable life, part of his regular…
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Thoughts of God
I appreciate Justin Taylor for causing me to consider two seeming conflicting perspectives from two 20th Century giants of the Christian faith: A.W. Tozer and C.S. Lewis: A. W. Tozer, from The Knowledge of the Holy: What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us. The history of mankind…
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Insights Into Ecclesiastes
As I read through and study Solomon’s Book of Ecclesiastes, for personal enlightenment rather than for preparation to teach, I appreciate the insights offered by Douglas Wilson, through his book Joy At the End of the Tether: The Inscrutable Wisdom of Ecclesiastes. First, I appreciate the “scaffolding” Wilson identifies – the two great refrains that…
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10 Minutes After Church
What do you usually do immediately after your Sunday morning church service ends? If you’re like most of church-going humanity, you probably have a routine. Upon the final “Amen”, you arise from your regular spot and your body follows a subconscious script. You may go to the nursery to pick up a child, maybe you…
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Finding My Place in the Story
The Bible comes to us in various forms of literature: history, poetry, and letters, just to name a few. But essentially, the Bible tells one epic story from beginning to end, using all the various genres. Eugene Peterson, writing the introduction to Matthew in The Message, said: “Every day we wake up in the middle…
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Outline of Biblical History
I have learned that I am one who learns best from outlines. Perhaps not in all subjects, but I think certainly when it comes to learning history. I can often recall many of the stories, but I am sometimes slow to remember how things played out and how things connect. Outlines helps to remind me…
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No Other Gospel
After learning I would be beginning a new sermon series this week, a study of the book of Galatians, a friend and colleague who is an Army Chaplain asked me if I had read the relatively new book, No Other Gospel. Though I had seen it, I admitted I was not really familiar with it. …
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About Bible “Admissions”
When first reading an article featured in Relevant Magazine by John Pavlovitz, 5 Things I Wish Christians Would Admit About the Bible, I found myself feeling a mixture of mild reactions: chagrined by the banality, and indifferent because of the banality. While the magazine does occasionally publish some thoughtful pieces, the majority seem to be either…
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A Word From a VBS Valedictorian
Trekking incognito along the Emmaus Road, shortly after his resurrection, unrecognized even by the few of his own disciples who walked with him, Jesus challenged the groans of perplexity and faithlessness: He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the…
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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall
In the Preface to Joe Thorn‘s book, Note to Self, Sam Storms penned a paragraph that strikes at the heart of the difference between those with a vital Chrisian faith, and those who show little if any hint of actually being a follower of Jesus Christ. Here is what Storms says about the functional place…
