30 Seconds for Anxious Christians

There is not one thing that can happen to you without being ordained by your good Father. Pestilence and poverty and persecution all pass through His just and merciful fingers. This is comfort for the Christian (though it can be infuriating to the unbeliever). When we're caught in a moment like this, a moment in...

At the Source

For a sin to cease, what you want has to change. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. James 1:14-15 The requirement for victory over ongoing sin...

But Politics Is Easier…

A man's life will never get meaningfully better if he spends more time raving about politics than dealing with the sin in his own heart. I know this from experience, but more importantly I know this from God's Word. The human heart is where evil springs from. And so the primary source of strife, pain,...

The Rev. E. R. Conder On Doubt

I came across this from Reverend E.R. Conder, in the 19th century Pulpit Commentary, on Psalm 86. It's wonderful and true: A strong trust can slay the darkest fears. Doubt distracts, agitates, unsettles, weakens (Jas. 1:8). A doubting temper, fond of dwelling on difficulties and objections, is fatal to unity of mind, heart, and will....

For 3: Contemporary False “Christian” Teachings

   1) Prosperity Theology I grew up around this one.  Its sheen is appealing, right?  Come on, who doesn't want to have money?  Who doesn't want to be healthy?  Who doesn't want to avoid rigorous Bible study and prayer and instead simply think positive thoughts and smile a lot? Prosperity theology is prevalent in the...

Please Stop Gossiping, Christian

   Gossip is verbal homicide.   It slays people, relationships, and reputations.   Its destructiveness, like a nuclear disaster, can't really be measured for years.   It tears down individuals, marriages, churches, and families.  The Apostle James tells believers in James 3, "Consider how large a forest a small fire ignites. And the tongue is a...

Text Messages on Uncomfortable Things

Last week, a friend of mine was challenged by an unbelieving buddy about killing that God allows or commands in the Bible, most particularly in some verses in Isaiah 13. "And like a hunted gazelle, or like sheep with none to gather them, each will turn to his own people, and each will flee to...

When the One Who is Offended is Wrong

The words "offended" and "offensive" carry a lot of weight, a lot of cultural currency, in our day and place. For most 21st century Americans, if someone tells you what you just said was "offensive," the conversation stops, your heart speeds up, your palms get a little sweaty. You just did something terrible, and you're...

21 Quick Hit Statements on the Old Testament

1) It's the most misunderstood piece of literature in America. 2) It is a part of one story, not just a connected companion of the New Testament. 3) It was Jesus' favorite thing to quote, and He taught that it all pointed to Him. 4) God preached the Gospel of salvation by grace through faith...