Small Prayers, Great God

I had just finished listening to a wonderful message from Paul David Tripp at G3 2018 on Parenting. I hung around, chatting with a few folks after the message, and then made my way to the bookstore to grab Tripp’s book on the subject. Sadly, they were already sold out (figured they would be), so … Read more

From Death to Life – Book Update

(Photo Credit: Stephen J. Melniszyn) I’ve had several people asking me about where I am on my current book project, so I thought I’d have a place where I could point folks to give them the latest on how things are progressing. I’m pretty new to this book writing thing. Not that I haven’t wanted to write before, but wanting … Read more

The 1st Amendment

Free speech, free expression, and the freedom of religion are excellent rights which our constitution’s 1st amendment promises cannot be taken away. These elements, though not the Gospel themselves, allow the Gospel to be proclaimed freely within our borders. Our nation’s commitment to protecting and preserving these rights has led to a lot of good. America is a world leader in the production of Christian resources. You and I can acquire virtually any supplemental resource we could imagine to help us study the Bible as a result of this protection.

Admittedly, American is also a world leader in the production of bad Christian resources. That’s the trade off, though, isn’t it? Your local Christian bookstore’s commentary section is probably a lot smaller than its section on self-help. That’s a rant for another day…

Frequently we see someone lose their high profile position or get punished by their employer over something they said. The initial reaction we might have is to ask, “what about their freedom of speech?” Are their rights trampled in this situation? The quick answer is “No,” but I want to explore the issue a bit deeper.

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Do ALL Things Without Complaining?

These guys complained and what happened next will shock you!
Remember Numbers 11? God takes complaining WAY more seriously than many of us think.

My wife posted the quote below on Facebook in regard to complaining:

If you are a sovereigntist, or one who believes in the absolute sovereignty of our God, and you gripe or complain about your circumstances, you’re being a hypocrite; for you demonstrate, with your words and by your actions, that you don’t actually trust God that He is in control. — Gabriel Hughes

One of the commenters offered a perspective I thought was worth considering:

What if I gripe and complain about my circumstances because I see my folly that led me into those circumstances? Yes, I’m a sovereigntist. And yet our God is also one who allows things to happen for his glory. It’s a fine hair because he is still ultimately in control in allowing me to make poor choices.

What follows is my response to that question.

God Really Is Sovereign

First, it is necessary to understand what it means that God is sovereign as well as believe that God is sovereign. That is, he is the supreme ruler, or ultimate power – absolutely. Possessing all power, God is thus able to create any potential circumstance. What we conclude from these facts is that, in a very real sense, we live in the best of all possible worlds. Yes, that is right. Because God is perfect and possesses absolute power and supremacy, we can be sure that there is no world of which we could conceive that would be better in an objective sense. That is to say, the reality we experience is the reality which ascribes to God the glory He deserves.

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Ryle, Reading, and Reverberation

Reading the Bible consistently and expectantly at the same time can be a bit challenging. We often find ourselves doing one or the other, depending on where we’re at. I can read the narrative of Genesis pretty consistently (which I’m doing right now, actually), because I want to know what’s up next or just enjoy the … Read more

6 Questions I’d Ask a Missionary Before I Supported Them

Unfortunately, in Papua New Guinea, especially within the people group where I worked, it’s easy to see the destruction that untrained, undisciplined missionary-efforts do to cultures and lives. Here’s a quick example: Around our village years ago, 6-8 different denominational “churches” were planted at different times with the earnest desire to “save the nationals.” Without … Read more

Due Process is a Christian Responsibility

People are innocent until they are proven guilty. The burden of proof in any case, no matter how small, is on the accuser. A carefree approach to justice only leads to greater injustice. God, in His wisdom, gave us instructions and America’s forefathers followed His lead. We find the idea of Due Process in the … Read more

Things Above Us?

Colossians 3:1-2 is, in essence, the theme of this blog.

[perfectpullquote align=”full” bordertop=”false” cite=”” link=”” color=”” class=”” size=””]If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.[/perfectpullquote]

So how can a group of guys get together, entitle a blog “Things Above Us” in clear reference to scripture, then proceed to make sports one of the four pillars of categories alongside such heavenly minded topics as theology, evangelism and missions?

Let’s briefly (for word count purposes) examine Col 3:1-2. Mouse over the verse references to read them or just keep a copy of God’s Word open next to you or in another browser tab.

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Be Like Mike?

It seems everyone in the conservative evangelical world is trying to think more creatively about what to do to get people in church. Or how to ‘be the church’, which of course you can’t ‘be the church’ if you’re not regularly gathering as a local church. In today’s post, I’d like to share an excerpt from … Read more