Four Steps to Appreciating the Psalms
The Psalms have not always been my favorite book of the Bible. There was once a time when, like many others, I could recite Psalm 23 (‘The Lord is my shepherd…’), and I knew that Psalm 119 was the longest…
The Earth is Full of Thy Mercy
When I think of the modern world, it is easy to be pessimistic. Outside the western world – and even within it – there is trouble, poverty, and chaos. Trouble in the World The third world, and much of the…
They Desire A Better Country
Jesus described the last times as a scene of “people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.”[1] Recent events seem to confirm this: terrorism in France, unrest in Turkey, and murder in America are…
The Christian’s Compass
Whether determining what to do with your day, or what to do with your life, you need direction. Sailors know this, and that is why, for centuries, compasses were an essential part of maritime navigation. John Flavel, an English puritan…
Understanding Covenants
This Sunday I had the opportunity to preach from Hebrews 8, on Christ as the mediator of a better covenant. Since I’ve been thinking about this topic of covenants recently, I wanted to share some of my research from the…
A Summary of Paul’s Life
Before Conversion Paul, the “Apostle of the Gentiles,” was born in Tarsus, capital city of the Roman province of Cilicia, in southeast Asia Minor. A strict Pharisee who was educated at the feet of Gamaliel, we first find him in…
Rethinking Revelation (Part Two)
Eight Challenges for Traditional Perspectives (Part Two) Welcome back to ‘Rethinking Revelation.’ If you missed part one, be sure to click here to access the first half of this paper. #5 – Revelation is meant to be understood in a…
Rethinking Revelation (Part One)
Eight Challenges for Traditional Perspectives (Part One) When I came to the book of Revelation, I didn’t even try to study it. In place of the careful, word-by-word or phrase-by-phrase exegesis that I enjoy, I simply read through the book…
John’s Message and the Professor
Using God’s Light to Reveal our Spiritual Condition In 2 Corinthians 13:5 Paul wrote, “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves.” Paul was concerned that Christians should not be apathetic about their spiritual condition; they…
Striking Syria
The story of Joash, Elisha, and the arrow of the LORD’s deliverance is confusing. Why would God withhold blessing from someone who obeys? This obscure story may not make sense at first, but it reveals the character of true obedience…
