One of the greatest ministry challenges we all face is how to effectively reach people who come from a very different world than our own. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 provides important counsel for overcoming these walls and also a timely challenge for how we view people in divisive times such as we are facing today....
I will never forget Wednesday, March 11, 2020. That Wednesday, our country began aggressively shutting down. The next 11 weeks were probably the most draining season of ministry I have ever experienced. By Wednesday, May 27, when we published our plans for restarting services, I felt as worn down as I have in a long time. The world is far from being “back to normal,” but now that I’ve had some time to reflect, I’d like to give thanks to the Lord for some important lessons/reminders that he taught me during quarantine....
The world right now wants to make you decide between justice and authority, but that is a false dichotomy. God says that both are important, and both are fulfilled in the person of Christ....
Last week I wrote a blog post entitled, “Human Authorities and the Present Moment.” My thesis was, “Obedience to God-ordained authorities ranks very high in the priorities of a biblical ethic; therefore, the threshold for disobeying authorities must also be high.” In this post I want to explore what type of things meet this threshold....
Psalm 91 is arguably one of the most beautiful chapters in all of the Bible. However, there is a strain of teaching in Psalm 91 that doesn’t seem to mesh with reality. The psalm says that “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (v. 1) will escape with his life from battle, though ten thousand fall beside him (v. 7). Not only will he not die from the plague, but the plague will not come near his house (v. 10)! He will be delivered from trouble (v. 15). He will live a long life (v. 16). No evil will befall him (v. 10)–he won’t even dash his foot against a stone because God’s angels are protecting him (v. 11-12)! How, I ask, can that be true?...
In part 1 of this post, we introduced the interpretive problem of Psalm 91 and examined some less than satisfactory answers to that riddle. In part 2, we will discuss how Jesus’ own life, death, and resurrection helps us to interpret Psalm 91....
Many Christians are growing tired of government restrictions and churches are antsy to begin meeting. Some have begun to wonder if they should ignore restrictions, they deem foolish or unconstitutional. Whenever we are faced with complicated and emotionally charged questions, our selfish bias can easily distort our view of reality or even our interpretation and application of Scripture. Therefore, it is essential that we go back to Scripture and read it honestly for what it has to say. In this post, I'd like to consider what 1 Peter 2:13-3:22 have to say about our present situation....
We will all be receiving stimulus checks shortly. How will you steward yours?...
One of the tremendous benefits of a crisis is that it forces people to think. Perhaps now, more than ever before in our lifetimes, people are asking questions. "Why does sickness exists in the world?" “What should I be living for?” “What happens when I die?" Bible-believing Christians must step to the plate and answer these questions. However, there is a danger here. In seeking to shine light on current events, Christians can easily go too far and say more than Scripture allows! When that happens, we damage not only our own reputation, but also that of the church and of God! More than that, we displease our Lord. Whether He is dealing with unhealthy speculation (Job 42:7-9), those who would add to the Bible (Deut 4:2; 12:32; Rev 22:18), or all-out false prophecy (Jer 23:9-40; 2 Peter 2:12-17; Jude 1:12-19), God doesn’t have nice things to say about those who put words in His mouth. So what can and can’t we say about COVID-19?...
Throughout church history, Christians have recognized three forms of worship: personal, family, and corporate. When extremely unusual circumstances cause us to suspend church worship temporarily, the other two forms become all the more vital. So what are you doing for family worship?...
One of the greatest ministry challenges we all face is how to effectively reach people who come from a very different world than our own. 1 Corinthians 9:19-23 provides important counsel for overcoming these walls and also a timely challenge for how we view people in divisive times such as we are facing today....
Keep Reading I will never forget Wednesday, March 11, 2020. That Wednesday, our country began aggressively shutting down. The next 11 weeks were probably the most draining season of ministry I have ever experienced. By Wednesday, May 27, when we published our plans for restarting services, I felt as worn down as I have in a long time. The world is far from being “back to normal,” b...
Keep Reading The world right now wants to make you decide between justice and authority, but that is a false dichotomy. God says that both are important, and both are fulfilled in the person of Christ....
Keep Reading Last week I wrote a blog post entitled, “Human Authorities and the Present Moment.” My thesis was, “Obedience to God-ordained authorities ranks very high in the priorities of a biblical ethic; therefore, the threshold for disobeying authorities must also be high.” In this post I want to explore what type of things meet this threshold....
Keep Reading Psalm 91 is arguably one of the most beautiful chapters in all of the Bible. However, there is a strain of teaching in Psalm 91 that doesn’t seem to mesh with reality. The psalm says that “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High” (v. 1) will escape with his life from battle, though ten thousand fall beside him (v. 7). Not only will he not die from the plag...
Keep Reading In part 1 of this post, we introduced the interpretive problem of Psalm 91 and examined some less than satisfactory answers to that riddle. In part 2, we will discuss how Jesus’ own life, death, and resurrection helps us to interpret Psalm 91....
Keep Reading Many Christians are growing tired of government restrictions and churches are antsy to begin meeting. Some have begun to wonder if they should ignore restrictions, they deem foolish or unconstitutional. Whenever we are faced with complicated and emotionally charged questions, our selfish bias can easily distort our view of reality or even our interpretation and application...
Keep Reading One of the tremendous benefits of a crisis is that it forces people to think. Perhaps now, more than ever before in our lifetimes, people are asking questions. "Why does sickness exists in the world?" “What should I be living for?” “What happens when I die?" Bible-believing Christians must step to the plate and answer these questions. However, there is a danger h...
Keep Reading Throughout church history, Christians have recognized three forms of worship: personal, family, and corporate. When extremely unusual circumstances cause us to suspend church worship temporarily, the other two forms become all the more vital. So what are you doing for family worship?...
Keep Reading