Today there is an unusual emphasis on sports. We see an undue idolatry when it comes to sports. Among the great idols are the stars and superstars of sports. That idolatry is not at all limited to the unbelieving world. Christians are, to quite an extent, captivated by this same idolatry. Perhaps one could say […]

One of the questions I am most frequently asked relates to theological identity. We Christians have our identity in a culture that is increasingly unsympathetic. As evangelicals, we reject both the radical separatism and the anti-intellectualism of an earlier time. Further, as Protestants we have an identity which is different, though this has been virtually […]

Lest there be any lingering doubt about the central issue in the 2000 presidential race, a preview of coming attractions was seen recently in Washington. The political stars aligned to bring us gun control from the left and the Ten Commandments from the right as each party proposed a solution to cultural decline. Most Democrats […]

The match between hard questions in life and rules of the Bible can be disappointing. There are times when the Bible gives a perfectly clear rule, but we don’t seem to need it. For example, if I ever have an ox with a habit of goring, I can turn to Exodus 21 and know exactly […]

I suppose the one question many people asked when the Columbine High massacre hit the airwaves was, “Where in the world was God?” That’s a fair question, and it deserves to be answered. The simple response is that He was where He’s always been — everywhere! It’s called the omnipresence of the Creator. So, was […]

Let’s begin with the background of this fascinating book. Without some knowledge of this it will be little more than an impersonal piece of literature penned centuries ago. But when remembering the author, the circumstances and also the type of writing, we will be better able to see our way through what otherwise might seem […]

When attending a play, we expect to be involved, intrigued and exhilarated. That, of course, demands preparation on our part. The usher hands us a program. It announces title, author, main characters and, perhaps, a synopsis. All this we read carefully before the drama begins.               Much like Luke […]

Revelation 1:9–20 Believers in every age and life situation can become discouraged at times. The cause is usually not hard to detect. Remember Peter walking on the waves? As long as he was doing what seemed impossible, looking to the Lord Jesus, he was safe. But when he saw the surging waters he began to […]

A hymn calls us to “Count your blessings.” Counting our blessings to see what God has done is undoubtedly a good idea, but it is not the theme of this article. I do not want to consider blessings from God in general, but rather to consider the character of blessings spoken as part of our […]

In my previous article introducing the doctrine of eternal punishment, I acknowledged that no teaching of Scripture is more apt to be rejected than this one. The nature of the doctrine itself makes it unpalatable to many. But especially in the cultural and intellectual environment of post-Christian and post-modern North American society, the notion that […]