Tor and the Trinity
It started with a hijab during Advent, and ends with a foundational lesson in the Trinity
The Second Vatican Council declared that Muslims profess “to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God.” Later: “Muslims worship God, who is one, the Creator of heaven and earth,” and said that the “Muslim religion” is “deserving of our admiration for all that is good and true... Continue Reading
Eavesdropping On Two Non-Christian Deathbeds
In the past week, two articles have given insights into how non-Christians face death
“When I read these articles I was struck by the contrast with so many Christian deathbeds that I’ve been present at. Yes, some Christians do look back with regret on parts of their lives, but they also know that all their sins, failings, shortcomings are covered with the blood of Christ.” In the past... Continue Reading
5 Things That Are a Total Waste of Time in Leadership
How do you eliminate things that are a total waste of time as a leader?
“When you’re starting up, everything happens in a frenzy and making it to your next weekend or next milestone is itself a victory. You don’t have time to manage well because you’re so busy creating. But eventually, every organization gets out of start-up phase. Which means you have more time for managing.” You know the scenario.... Continue Reading
The Blessing of Visiting the Sick
Our Savior spent a large portion of His earthly ministry in the presence of the sick
“I am writing this post because, over the past three weeks, I have spent more time at various hospitals (visiting congregants and the family members of congregants) than I have spent in almost every other year of ministry combined.” In 1892, John D. Wells delivered three lectures at Princeton Theological Seminary that were transcribed... Continue Reading
“No Bad Children, Just Bad Choices”
Pelagius had the view that children are born as clean slates
“Augustine’s view was that we are born into sin and this is why all men sin. In other words, we are not born with a good nature, but born sinful and need correction from the beginning. Not only does Romans 5:12 declare this truth to us, we see it in reality when we have children.”... Continue Reading
The Whole Christ
Ferguson is going far beyond church history and bringing clarity to the way we are to live the Christian life.
In other words, Ferguson looks at this controversy, dissects it, and then applies it to our day. And, as it happens, we, too, are struggling with issues related to legalism and antinomianism. That makes his book perfectly timed and a valuable contribution to the discussion about the role of the law, the role of obedience,... Continue Reading
When a Christian Sins
As Christians in this world, we are sinners and saints. Redeemed, yet still needing to repent.
A repentant and confessing Christian has much to remind themselves of when they fall into sin. We need the comfort of the gospel and its strong encouragements. We need reminders to quite our souls with peace regarding the past and reminders to galvanize them for action going forward. We have a great God. Let us... Continue Reading
Can We Trust the Four Gospels to Tell Us the Truth About Jesus? (Part 1 of 3)
Why should we consult these four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke & John) and no others?
If you’re suspicious of the four Gospels because they were accepted and used by the church so early and so widely, keep in mind that this is not the established, government-supported, corrupt church of the Middle Ages. The early church, before Constantine, was known for its loving community, sacrificial concern for one another and for the needy... Continue Reading
It’s Just the Way I Am …
There seems to be a lot of praise for offensive “honesty” lately. But being offensive is not a virtue.
As believers, there will be times that we have to “speak the truth in love” (Eph. 4:15), and it may very well offend. When we confront others for their sin, we can do it gently and lovingly and with kindness towards them. They may be offended by what we say, but let it be the... Continue Reading
Sufficient in our Insufficiency
The wonder of God's grace is that we have everything we need to do what God has called us to
So being in a place where we feel insufficient, incapable, and weak is exactly where we need to be. We don’t have to fear being there. We don’t have to fear not knowing what to do because we have everything we need in Christ. He is our sufficiency both in our salvation and in our... Continue Reading