When I pulled into the church parking lot this morning, I had trouble finding an empty spot. I had to park way out in the far lot – and it was not because I was running late. I don’t remember the last time I couldn’t find a spot in the first couple of rows next to the front doors. And once inside, the sanctuary felt fuller too. It got me wondering – does church attendance spike during January, like gym attendance does? By some estimates gym crowds increase by 30 to 50% in January … before returning to normal by…

Early in 2 Timothy, Paul gives his son in the faith 3 metaphors without explanation: He leaves it to Timothy to figure out what he is saying to him: “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all of this.” (2 Tim. 2:7) There is a way to read Scripture without reflecting – as nothing more than an item to be checked off our to-do list. It’s an approach that empties an otherwise good habit of its potential power. (This is a major drawback for all the “Read through the Bible in a Year”…

says:

Living in a culture which obsesses over comfort and happiness, I don’t know that we could ever be reminded of this enough: C. S. Lewis once wrote, “I didn’t go to religion to make me happy. I always knew a bottle of Port would do that. If you want a religion to make you feel really comfortable, I certainly don’t recommend Christianity.” Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:11: “And of this Gospel I was appointed A Herald An Apostle and A Teacher. And THAT is why I am suffering as I am.” The Lord does not promise a life of…

Yesterday I wrote that Calvinists always seem to read any teaching in Scripture about God’s “sovereignty” as “utter determinism”.  “Sovereignty”, though, is not their only misunderstanding. I believe they also miss what Paul means by predestination. Sometimes I hear Calvinists say, “You can’t avoid talk of predestination – it’s right there in the Bible.” And it is. So it is very important to understand what Paul means when he speaks of it.  It’s a word Paul uses only 5 times. In Romans 8:29 & 30 Ephesians 1:5 & 11 And 1 Corinthians 2:7 People get tripped up over their assumptions…

I have often heard Calvinists say they have a high view of the sovereignty of God.  Charles Spurgeon is often quoted: “I believe that every particle of dust that dances in the sunbeam does not move an atom more or less than God wishes.” The minutest details of every single thing that was ever thought or said or done throughout the history of time has been – and always will be – just as God ordained it.  To me, this is not a “high view” of sovereignty – it is a complete misunderstanding of what that word means. Consider this:…

Here’s a cynical thought from renowned psychiatrist Thomas Szasz:  “If you talk to God, you are praying; If God talks to you, you have schizophrenia.”  It’s sad, really. What the world mocks as mental illness, we as Christians experience with submission and joy. One truly distinctive aspect of Christianity as a religion is that we serve a God who reveals Himself – and His will – to us.  If we make time and space to listen. John 10:27 –  My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. 

In my daily private Bible study, I am finishing up my time in Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  My approach over this past year has been to move very slowly through a particular book of the Bible, writing out the text as I go, looking closely at how parts, words, and ideas fit together. Also – and this is important – I look for practical applications … how the teaching applies to my inner life, for ministry, or for the church as a whole.  This takes several weeks, even for a short book. And when I hit the last verse,…

[Forgot to hit “Publish” on this last night while we were on the road back to Indiana.] Even as I have been enjoying great fellowship and learning with my classmates and professors in my classes this week, one eye has been looking backward.  I have been feeling a bit discouraged this week regarding my ability to raise sufficient funds to stay in ministry with Mission Resource.  This morning I opened my Bible and read the first verse of 2nd Corinthians, chapter 4: “Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.” I LOVE being “in…

Can I be honest with you about something? (I don’t know why I am asking you – seems like “being honest” is more up to me than you, right?)  After 13 years or so of being a missionary, I continue to struggle with raising financial support. When Melissa and I first felt God’s call to Haiti and started to raise support, my Mom asked me pointedly, “So you’re going to spend the rest of your life with your hand out?” (She came around to where she fully supported our efforts in Haiti, but it took a few years!) She meant…