Sometimes I wonder if Christian people know what they have. Oh, I know they parrot Christ is the answer. I don’t think one in ten understands what the questions are. And still fewer understand exactly …
For the Children
At this point, we would do well to stop and ask ourselves why the state has anything to say about marriage at all. Why does the state outlaw polygamy? Why does it regulate divorce? Why …
Freedom and the Law
When the framers of our American constitution first gathered, they faced a fundamental question. The question was not merely, Can we create a free republic? The question was, Can we create a free republic that …
The Prophet’s Complaint
I’m sure you’ve heard the old axiom: Once bitten, twice shy. Or maybe you heard it another way: Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I think that old saw …
Dangerous Times
Several years ago, I was driving through an area the weekend after a tragic mass shooting had occurred there. I listened on the radio to the people who lived nearby as they responded to being …
The Age of Depression
My wife was driving home one afternoon and came up against a sheriff’s blockade and a helicopter in the road with its rotors turning. We live in a country subdivision, and this was unusual to …
Without a Cause
There is a persistent theme in the Bible, found mainly in the psalms, that turns everything we think we know about murder on its head. Let me start with the murder of Jesus who is …
The Time Traveler
The apostle John came as close to being a time traveler as any man is likely to be. When he was sitting near the coast on the isle of Patmos one day, a great voice …
The Ultimate Disaster
People love disaster movies. I’m not sure why. I suppose it is the vicarious danger, the excitement, the examination of human character. The disaster flicks always have their heroes and their villains, their wise men …
The Absence of Holiness
In spite of all we say about grace—in spite of all we know about salvation by grace through faith and not of works—we still find warnings in the Bible about things which, if not followed, …
The Problem with Sin
I used to be a teenager and, although it was a long time ago, I still remember some of the questions about the Bible that troubled me back then. Young people ask a lot of …
When Your Church Lets You Down
What do you do when your church has let you down? This is no vain question, and by now everyone should know it. And it is a frightening question when you consider how much we …
Religion or Faith?
There is a difference between religion and faith. That may be a little hard to explain, but I think it is fair to say that a lot of people have a religion who have very …
Beyond Redemption
I have heard it said that the Nazi war criminals were convicted and hanged because of the testimony of Jews against them. It’s not true, you know. The testimony of the survivors of the death …
Who’s Who in Prophecy #2
It’s too bad more people don’t read the Old Testament prophets. I know, they can be a little hard to follow at times. Most of them are poets, and they use a lot of imagery. …
Who’s Who in Prophecy #1
When you study the Old Testament prophets, it is clear that they are often speaking about the last days of Man on the earth—or perhaps, more accurately, the last days before the return of Christ …
Interpreting the Bible
I had a friend some time ago who loved to argue the Bible, and whenever we got to a certain point, he would say Well, the Bible says what it means and it means what …
In His Name
Over the years, I have been unclear in my mind about the meaning of one phrase in the Lord’s Prayer. You know how it begins: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. …
The Gospel of John #12
I can understand why Jewish leaders were concerned about Mel Gibson’s movie, The Passion of the Christ. If I were Jewish, I would probably feel the same way. I know I am profoundly disturbed by …
The Gospel of John #11
It’s fascinating that the longest discourse of Jesus in the entire New Testament is also the most private, the most intimate, the most personal. It is the night of the Last Supper and he’s going …