Forgiveness. Such a beautiful, terrible word. Beautiful to receive, but often so terribly difficult to give. ...
What is it about us human beings that we simply cannot seem to resist talking about other people? ...
We’ve all been there. Cringing as we hear someone in church sharing a testimony that just gets way too specific about one’s pre-conversion past, or even one’s so-called “backsliding.” It sounds dangerously close to glorifying the sin. At best we might be thinking TMI (to use textese, a language I do not actually speak). At worst, we are covering our children’s ears and praying our teens do not get any wild ideas about how awesome it would be to have that same testimony. ...
The “leaked” document published by Politico pertaining to the upcoming Supreme Court decision on Roe v. Wade is a stunning development. Add the highest court of our land to the ever-growing list of institutions that have proven to be infiltrated with untrustworthy snitches who care more about themselves and their personal agendas than the higher good or the overall integrity of the institution or offices themselves. Whatever we might think about this “leak,” one thing is clear to us all – it was done for personal political motives. ...
On this Good Friday, amidst the tumult of our sin-wrecked world, it would be good for us to soak up the lines of the poem penned by Isaac Watts. We know this poem as the hymn, “When I Survey.”...
OK, so it is not my intent here to argue against the way our society defines “race.” I have done that elsewhere in blogs addressing the false definitions employed by Critical Race Theorists. I do appreciate that Google’s definition added the phrase “or ethnic group.” Biblically, there is one race – human – but many people groups / cultures, ethnicities. But that’s not my point here....
Was it a publicity stunt? Intended to rescue a Hollywood awards show from years of plummeting ratings and viewership? Or was it a real, raw expression of insult, injury and angst? ...
On March 12, 2022, our Lord and Savior called one of His servants home to heaven. That servant was Joe Nichols. A devoted husband to Leola (March 17th would have been their 57th anniversary). A strong Dad, Papaw, and Great-Granddaddy. A servant in Corydon Baptist Church and the Southeast Indiana region for many decades. To say Joe had a servant’s heart is to vastly understate it. ...
For my faithful few readers out there, you know that I try to resist the urge to blog as quickly as possible about whatever is in the 24-hour news cycles. I think far too many pastors and Christian leaders and bloggers reverse James 1:19 and are quick to speak, and slow to listen. The plethora of opinions inundating Twitter and the blogosphere regarding the 6-day old war between Russia and Ukraine serves as Exhibit A. ...
Valentine’s Day is hokey. Probably the epitome of a Hallmark holiday. Nevertheless, there is certainly nothing inherently wrong with observing special days or special occasions (Rom 14:5). And genuine love is worth celebrating! Not just today, but every day....
For several months now, our newscasters have been reporting on the phenomenon of distraught parents pushing back against school boards, teachers, and the public educational system in general. Granted, the demeanor of these parents is not always kind. And yet, many conservative Christians cannot help but feel empathy, if not just outright cheer them on. Bible-treasuring believers have historically held that parents are the God-ordained authorities in the lives of children, followed by faithful pastors and other wise Christian mentors (Deut 6; Ps 78; Eph 6; Col 3; Titus 2)....
For any American Christian who imagined that the radical Marxist, anti-Christian, church-hating agenda of the LGBTQ+ movement would simply remain in Europe, Canada (see my previous blog) and California, think again....
Just a few days ago, one of the most wicked pieces of legislation in the history of humanity took effect in Canada. Bill C-4 effectively criminalized what has been labeled “conversion therapy” regarding sexuality and gender. Any Canadian citizen who promotes or attempts in any way to convince a person that heterosexuality and/or actual biological gender is to be preferred may now be imprisoned for up to 5 years! ...
I trust the World Health Organization . . . About as far as I can throw them! Or, almost as much as I trust the CDC and Dr. Fauci. But, some of my few faithful readers may recall many months ago that I wondered why seemingly nobody was saying anything about “vaccine equity.” ...
The lack of biblical discernment among several big name evangelical leaders and churches is now beyond disturbing. More and more reports of a new form of church segregation are popping up around the nation. Ironically, some of the same pastors and leaders who have been slowly but surely drinking the Kool Aid of wokeness, which claims its aim is “antiracism,” are now encouraging if not outright instituting the sin of partiality in their churches! ...
God has ordained government as the earthly authority with the power of the sword (Rom 13:1-7). Governments are all accountable to the King of kings for how they rule (Dan 4; Rev 18). Governments are beholden to God’s Word to discern good from evil. The Bible is replete, however, with examples of earthly rulers and governments who refused to stay in their lane....
At one of the most divisive political times in our nation’s history, Speaker Nancy Pelosi knows how to bring her party together. The deceptively named “Women’s Health Protection Act” seeks to wipe out all the various pro-life laws passed by the states, and permanently legalize abortion on demand, for any reasons whatsoever, right up until birth....
The song by Alan Jackson, “Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning?” says it well. It did feel like everything in the world was on pause, on that day twenty years ago. 9/11. ...
...a fitting epitaph for what we Americans have witnessed over the last few weeks. ...
I recently read this blog post by Dr. Chuck Lawless. While I certainly cannot improve upon the 10 Questions given to us by Dr. Lawless, I want to come at it from a slightly different angle. Tom Ascol of Founders Ministries has often said that Christians should find a healthy New Testament Church then build their lives around it. I heartily concur. ...
In a sermon now infamous among many of us Southern Baptists, the then President of the SBC, J.D. Greear, stated that “God whispers about sexual sin.” ... So, let’s take a sampling of God’s whispering:...
A pastor friend recently posted this citation from R. J. Rushdoony, from page 111 of his book The Politics of Guilt and Pity. I thought it worth posting again here:...
A mom in our church recently texted me a question: “I’d like to know what top 12 hymns you would recommend all children know.”...
Gideon. Fleece. The two words go together like butter and biscuits. Gideon is one of the more well known of the Judges of Israel, for two main reasons: His laying out the fleece to obtain confirmation from the Lord that he was to lead the battle against the Midianite oppressors. The famous scene of God reducing his army to a mere 300 men, telling Gideon to cull all t...
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Deborah. The only female judge of Israel. A prophetess who spoke God's words to Israel. Hero of all feminists, evangelical or otherwise! Some well-meaning brothers and sisters in Christ have tried to use the story of Deborah (Judges 4-5) to justify ordaining women as elders and preachers. My intent here is not to tackle such issues, though I do want to insist that whateve...
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Having now set the backdrop with the first three posts in this series, let's take a look at a few judges. Some well-known. Others not so much. Othniel. Not so well known. But since he is the first named judge in the Book of Judges, we should expect to perhaps see aforeshadowingof things to come. And indeed we do. But when the people of Israel cried out to the Lord, th...
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