The year that brought us COVID also saw the most significant changes in the Christian Church in generations. Moving online, fighting regulations, and ministering to congregations at a distance has been a challenge. However, COVID-19 is not the only issue facing the church last year. We have seen 2020 continue the repeated drumbeat of scandal [...]
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Jesus the Rabbi?
Many people assume Jesus never had any type of education except that which was common for most Jewish men in Nazareth in his day. However, some scholars disagree. A couple of hints in Scripture may point to the idea that Jesus received theological training. First, Jesus was often referred to as Rabbi (Matthew 26:25, 26:49; [...]
Paul of Tarsus
Paul was from the city of Tarsus, an economic hub in its day. Some believe there were thousands of Jews living in this city of over 100,000 people at the time of Paul. What many do not know is that Tarsus was a philosophical hub of the day. When Athens, center of philosophy in the [...]
Selective Reporting over Psalmist and II Corinthians Gaffes
When Donald Trump "mispronounced" II Corinthians, saying Two Corinthians, the moral outrage machine hit high gear. Various news stations like CSpan, MSNBC, and Social Media highlighted Trump's blunder. I am somewhat amused when Joe Biden mispronounced Psalmist at "Palmist," the moral outrage is absent in the same venues who made much of Trump's blunder, but the right-leaning [...]
Triggers: The Destruction of the American Mind
Last night before midnight, a Supreme Court ruling allowed churches to continue to meet without a New York Executive Order's severe limits. The decision was 5-4. Reading through social media, I found few had read the actual decision, much less the concurring and dissenting opinions. Almost no one read the New York Executive Order. Instead [...]
Supreme Court Rules on Religious Liberty: SCOTUS Blocks Cuomo’s Restrictions on Places of Worship.
In a 5-4 Decision, the Supreme Court ruled that Cuomo's religious worship restrictions are likely unconstitutional and blocked these restrictions until the courts can hear the full case. Chief Justice John Roberts ruled with the liberal justices, but his rationale was somewhat different. In the majority opinion, SCOTUS ruled the mandate placed potentially harsher restrictions [...]
Christians and the Biden Administration
Several weeks ago, Senator Ben Sasse, during the Amy Coney Barrett confirmation hearing, differentiated between civics and politics. His excellent 8th-grade civics/politics lesson delivered for the entire nation, distinguished civics as what we should all agree on, and politics as what we fight over and debate. Take about 2 1/2 minutes to listen to his lesson. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XzhnOBKsqhA Ben [...]
Polls: Inaccurate but may have caused Biden to win the election
When the news agencies called Florida for Al Gore in 2000 before all the polls were closed, chaos ensued. Eventually, George W. Bush prevailed, but the news agencies' impulsive act caused many people in more Republican-dominated areas to stay home. People in the more conservative western panhandle heard the state called for Gore, and some [...]
Hope in an uncertain election
The election is over with no clear winner; people are on the edge of their seats, and the political extremes are experiencing the emotional extremes of anxiety, depression, and despair. While Christians also experience the full range of emotions, we are people with hope, and our hope is not in political leaders. Instead, we have [...]
Voting: Three Different Evangelical Approaches
The last two election cycles have been difficult for Christians, with rigorous debates on what Christians should look for in a candidate. Too often, the discussions seem to get nowhere because we are operating on different perspectives and never take the time to understand the principles others consider when casting a vote. Each approach impacts [...]
Agape Love Versus Phileo Love
Sorting through my books has afforded me the opportunity to revisit some beloved books of the past. One such book, Exegetical Fallacies by D.A. Carson, is more for pastors, but is needed in today's church for everyone who listens to sermons, teaches a lesson, or leads family worship. The book cuts through common fallacies Pastors [...]
Mohler: Love Compels Churches to Close During COVID-19
During Mohler's first briefing of the new season, Dr. Mohler addressed two issues, both surrounding issues surrounding churches closing during COVID-19. In the first case, Dr. Mohler noted the recent Supreme Court cases that pitted Nevada's Governor against a Calvary Chapel Church. Calvary Chapel sued the Governor for limiting all churches to no more than [...]
A Winning Strategy for Conservatives
Conservatives never win when we attack people; we win when we advance Conservative ideas and principles. To be conservative is to advance ideas and are more than bash others. We are a thinking ideology that performs best when we appeal to the higher senses of people, and these higher ideals begin with engaging the mind [...]
Civil Disobedience and gathering to worship: Grace Community Church.
Several months ago, I wrote an article defending churches who decided to close during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Churches that closed were justified and even had an obligation to listen to our governing officials in March and April as the virus was spreading and about to wreak havoc on society. In the article, I used two [...]
Was Noah’s Flood Regional or Global?
While I believe in a global flood, Dr. Michael Heiser does provide food for thought for a local flood. Most arguments I hear from adherents of the global flood says "the Bible is clear" often have not dealt with the issues the regional flood proponents address. Once you read this quote, tell me what you [...]
What I learned at the Black Lives Matter Event
What I Learned Attending a Black Lives Matters Event A gentle breeze hit our faces as we walked, and the sun was not as scorching as the day before. It was a beautiful day. It was the perfect summertime afternoon. It was a great day for a protest. When I arrived at the Black Lives [...]
The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination
Introduction The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination is one of the most profound yet misunderstood doctrines of Scripture. The main question that is often asked by those who don't understand it is, "How can you believe that God chooses some people to be saved and not others? That doesn't seem fair." While it's true that we [...]
Answering your questions on the Religious Right and Conservative Christianity
Many know that I am conservative theologically and politically, but have been vocal against the Religious Right over the last few years. For the last few months, I have answered many of these questions repeatedly and placed them here for your enjoyment or ridicule. As a background, I invite you to read this article in [...]