Does anyone really try to mock, ridicule, or sneer at God? It must be a real temptation for some to mock God, for Paul warned us against it in Galatians 6:7: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.” Enemies of God have sometimes mocked God […]
Hypocrites!
June 23, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Hypocrites are a particular breed of liars. They are by definition, insincere play-actors. The Greek word translated “hypocrite” refers to those who are on the stage playing a role. We use the word “hypocrite” as Jesus did, to refer to those who don’t practice what they preach. Sometimes, tragically, people will leave the church and […]
Why American Medical Schools are Reluctant to Train Abortionists
June 11, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
It is tempting for Christians to think that the cultural battle over elective abortion has been lost—that we should not teach and preach as often and as urgently about an issue on which so many have already sided with the devil. There are a number of reasons we must keep teaching and preaching about the […]
The Apostle John on “Him Who is From the Beginning”
April 30, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
Twice in 1 John 2, the apostle tells his readers that they know “him who is from the beginning” (2:13, 14). What does this phrase mean? Whom did John say that his readers knew? If we looks through John’s writings, including both the Gospel of John, the epistles, and the Revelation, then it is possible […]
Four Generations
March 30, 2015 by · 1 Comment
From time to time we see a photograph that pictures four generations of family members. These photographs are very special, because they show that there are shared values and memories among those who span the decades and yet represent the same family. There is a Bible verse that mentions four generations. It’s 2 Timothy 2:1-2: “Thou […]
Five Great Lessons from the Book of Ezra
March 16, 2015 by · 2 Comments
The late gospel preacher Frank Dunn, in his book Know Your Bible, noticed five great lessons from the book of Ezra, each of which is relevant to the present-day Christian. ((Temple: Frank and Yvonne Dunn (1997), 163-165.)) I have adapted these five lessons here: There are disastrous results from failing to study God’s word. The people’s ignorance […]
Naaman and Us
March 11, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
The biblical account of Naaman, the commander of the army of Syria (2 Kings 5:1-14) is a beautiful living picture of how God saves man. Naaman was afflicted with leprosy, a terrible disease. His wife had a servant girl who had been captured from Israel. The Hebrew servant girl urged that the family consult with […]
What If Apollos Had Said…
March 5, 2015 by · 1 Comment
The Alexandrian saint named Apollos is a great friend to every Christian. In Acts 18:24-28 we read about his powerful, Bible-based preaching, by which he refuted Jews who were claiming that Jesus was not the Christ. We should emulate his development of skills in apologetics. Before Apollos could preach both eloquently and rightly, however, he […]
Running From Repentance
February 19, 2015 by · 1 Comment
In a society that is increasingly secular, there is pressure on Christendom to take the focus away from sin (the most pressing human problem) and salvation from sin (the most pressing human need), and instead focus on merely helping people feel better about themselves and about worldly gain. Secular people want either to be entertained […]
MTD: The “Whatever” Religion
February 11, 2015 by · Leave a Comment
You may be asking, “What is MTD?” MTD stands for “moralistic therapeutic deism.” Sociologist Christian Smith of the University of North Carolina coined the phrase in 2005 to describe the basic religion of many teenagers in America in our day. ((“On ‘Moralistic Therapeutic Deism’ as U.S. Teenagers’ Actual, Tacit, De Facto Religious Faith,” Princeton Theological […]