From morning to night: a prayer by George Swinnock, taken from Tim Chester's book, Into His Presence: Praying with the Puritans. The Puritans were great pray-ers. Their prayers were full of doxology and deep theology. Swinnock's is a good example of this. For more, I recommend Chester's book. You can get it … [Read more...]
Ashamed of the Gospel
I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes; the Jew first and also to the Greek. (Rom 1:16) Paul not ashamed of the gospel Several times in Paul's two letters to Timothy he reiterated that he was not ashamed of the gospel, and admonished him to be like himself. … [Read more...]
Defending the Holy Trinity
Defending the Holy Trinity - the doctrine of the Trinity is neglected by Christians. We may defend our eschatology with a degree of confidence; the Trinity not so much. What sometimes complicates matter is that there are organizations which claim to be Christian, yet deny the doctrine of the Trinity, and the person … [Read more...]
Eschatology of the Church Fathers
What was the pervading eschatology of the church fathers? Did they have any consensus on eschatological beliefs? You might be surprised. Every once in a while I spot an online squabble about the early church fathers' beliefs. Sometimes it's an academic one regarding epistemology; Augustine, Thomas Aquinas etc. Often … [Read more...]
God’s Wisdom in Affliction
God's Wisdom in Affliction: Sometimes God allows affliction in our lives. Just ask Job. His ways are not our ways. While we cannot divine God's mind and purposes, we know that He is good. Therefore, we must have faith in Him no matter what occurs around us. I confess that this is easier said than done in my life. We … [Read more...]
Is the Pretrib Rapture Anti-Semitic?
Is the Pretrib Rapture Anti-Semitic? Is pretrib latently anti-Semitic? Does it have anti-Jewish baggage because of its eschatology? I often see strange comments on social media. One person in a group wrote that believing in pretribulationism means you believe Israel has to face persecution alone. They went on to say … [Read more...]
Why Does the World hate the Jews?
Why Does the World hate the Jews? Anti-Semitism has existed since Israel became a nation. It is insidious and ingrained in history. Over the years I've written articles pointing it out in various institutions and individuals, and even countries. One of my biggest frustrations with the church is its adoption of … [Read more...]
A Year of Looking Up
Another year is upon us; let it be a year of looking up. Let us be heavenly minded and our cares won't paralyze us. As we look out onto the world, let's remember that our citizenship is in heaven. I thought I'd put together a few scriptural reminders, mainly for myself when I (too often) get stuck in a valley. Some … [Read more...]
Charles Spurgeon’s New Year’s Benediction
Charles Spurgeon's New Year's Benediction: If ever we needed a benediction for a New Year it's now. And Spurgeon is the trusted pastor to point us truly. If you're like me, it might take a lot to draw your attention away from Twitter or Facebook, or whatever. Now there's a New Year's Resolution for you! The modern … [Read more...]
Finding Joy in the Wrong Trials
Finding joy in the wrong trials: The Apostle James writes that Christians ought to consider it all joy when they encounter various trials (James 1:2). But, what if they're the wrong trials? Stephen Sizer's trial Former Anglican Vicar Stephen Sizer was recently found guilty of "conduct unbecoming and anti-Semitic … [Read more...]