The conversation is classic. I’ve heard it many times. The Baptist claims, “I know my loved one’s in heaven. He prayed the prayer as a child to receive Christ.” The Wesleyan responds, “But how can you be so sure? The man did not live a godly life. Swearing. Avoiding church. Not even claiming to be … More Once Saved, Always Saved
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork.Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night shows knowledge.There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.” Psalm 19:1-3 Ponder this claim for a second. Day to day, night to night, you live in a noisy universe, where … More Secular Education in a Noisy Universe
Recently, I have told that riding a motorcycle into Yosemite Valley in California can be a philosophical experience. On your left is El Capitan, one of the world’s largest granite cliffs, rising off the valley floor to a height of three thousand feet—truly, a “rock” in the old Hebrew sense of the phrase. On the … More The God of Yosemite
The idea of contextualizing the gospel is not new to me. In his book Center Church, Timothy Keller cites a wonderful example of contextualization from the gospel narratives. In Matthew, the sower casts his mustard seed in a “field” (Mt 13:31); in Luke, the seed is sown in a “garden” (Lk 13:19); and in Mark, … More Contextualizing the Gospel
How should we think about Robin Hood’s ethics of robbing from the rich to give to the poor? On the surface, Robin Hood is robbing the rich. Stop the sentence right there. But what if the rich obtained their riches wrongfully, at the hands of the poor? Surely giving back to the poor what is … More Thoughts on Robin Hood
Three times the apostle Paul says that the Law was added to increase sinning. Now let that statement settle in. To increase sinning. Not stop it. And added. As if tacked-on to God’s program. Really, the Old Testament and New Testament would have matched up well simply as Promise and Gospel. In the Old Testament, … More Strength Rejoices in the Challenge…and Fails
The holy name of God is “I AM” or “I AM THAT I AM” (Exodus 3:14). As His “memorial-name,” by which He will be remembered forever (v. 15), should “I AM” be the way Christians address God today? For an interesting answer from the New Testament, read the recent article by Bob Snyder, “The Divine … More New Article
Astronomy is one of the traditional disciplines of a liberal arts education. And yet, how many of us were actually taught about the stars or have given them much thought? This is sad, because the stars have a lot to say. The Bible says that the heavens declare the glory of God, night after night … More Psalm 147 – Sand and Stars
Fast forward: Job is the greatest man of the East. God boasts. Satan accuses. God allows. Job loses. First, his riches and his children. Then, his health. Heart-stricken perhaps, his wife tells him, “Curse God and die.” But Job refuses. Already the life of Job tells us two things: First, there is pain in this … More The Story of Job: Gratuitous Evil, or “Bad Grace”
Years ago, I experimented with postures in prayer. Instead of bowing my head and closing my eyes, I lifted my eyes to heaven, as Jesus did (John 17:1). Instead of folding my hands, I lifted them, as the psalmist did (Psalm 141:2). Instead of praying silently, I spoke or cried or shouted to God. This … More Psalm 95 – The Postures of Worship
