“And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Genesis 1:3). Here, at the beginning,...
Apologetics
The Puritanical Genius of Mike Pence
A recent Washington Post article revealed some fascinating tidbits about Vice President Mike Pence...
Truth Unhinged in Edinburgh Square
My wife and I recently spent five days in Edinburgh, Scotland. While there is much to commend in...
Take Care How Far You Go Down the Rabbit Hole
I love to research. In fact, what I am often drawn towards when it comes to matters of theology are what some would label as more fringe topics such as the Nephilim for example. The command given to us in Scripture to “Test all things; hold fast what is good” (1...
If My People Who Bear My Name: Exposition of 2 Chronicles 7:14
“then, if my people, who bear my name, will humble themselves, pray, seek my face and turn from their evil ways, I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:14) A new leader has assumed the office of the Presidency of the United...
Is the Reformation Over?
In the past year, this is a familiar question I’ve heard repeatedly asked by many different theologians, pastors, seminary students, and even a handful of laymen and women. Is the Reformation over? Well, some would answer this emphatically “Yes!” while others would be...
World Religions and Cults: Moralistic, Mythical and Mysticism Religions
It is readily accepted that Walter Martin’s classic Kingdom of the Cults is the standard work on the plethora of cult religions across the globe. While I certainly recommend Martin’s contribution to this topic, the recent multi-volume release from Master Books on...
Gossip: An Insidious Cancer
"The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to the inmost parts"(Proverbs 18:8 - NIV). "You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks" (Matthew 12:34 – ESV). "Let no corrupt...
Addressing Cultural Issues in the Pulpit
How do pastors preach on contemporary cultural issues? Or should they? This is a question every pastor faces as he contemplates both the spiritual needs of his congregation, the questions swirling in society, and the weighty commission to preach the Word of God. When...
Wise Financial Living: Removing the Heavy Burden of Debt
A focus in my home for 2016 is that of getting out of debt. Now we are not drowning in the throes of piles of unpayable debts; however, things such as car payments, credit card payments, and other bills of that nature are becoming continuous “ankle-biters” we have...
Why Apologetics is Applicable to all of Life and a Calling for all Believers
1 Peter 3:15 – “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect” Apologetics is a term that unfortunately seems to be...
Pride Goes Before a Fall
“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.” (Prov. 16:18) The word “pride” has been bantered around quite a bit of late, specifically in relation to the recent SCOTUS decision on gay marriage. Social media has been awash with “support pride”...
Scripture is Not a Choose Your Own Adventure Book
I remember as a child reading numerous books in the Choose Your Own Adventure Series. This collection of books has a variety of options for the reader. At certain points, there is a choice to be made – choose option one and you get to go to page twenty-three. If you...
Is It Wrong to Have an Opinion?
“I have my own opinions about things in the Bible.” This was a statement my daughter noted to me in a recent chat. At first, this took me a bit by surprise. What did she mean by having her own opinion? Doesn’t she believe what the Bible says is true? Or is she perhaps...
Christ or Chaos
Fundamentally, all worldviews are based on a set of assumptions. When it comes to atheism and its backbone theory of evolution as compared to Christianity and its backbone of a belief in the truth of Scripture, those aforementioned assumptions are vital in assessing...
Trust but Verify: Prove All Things, Hold Fast to What is Good
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." (1 Thess. 5:21) We live in an age that has a lot of ideas about a great many things even when it comes to matters of theology. Peruse many of the latest titles in your Christian bookstore and you will find series of...
Lessons From the Garden: Existence, Relationships, and Processes – The Tragedy of Sin
Something happened in Genesis 3 that shifted the course of history and impacted the entire universe. It seemed like such an innocent or unimportant action as after all, what is the big deal with eating something? We all need to eat right? Shouldn’t we as humans be...
What Is Pro-Life? Not Just a Label but a Lifestyle and a Life-view
Recently we have seen a gross misunderstanding in the popular culture on what it means to be pro-life. From political candidates caricaturing the position to political liberals crying foul against conservatives, we have all seen this movie play on loop over and over...
Lessons From the Garden: Existence, Relationships, and Processes – State of Perfection in the Original Creation
In the book of Genesis, we find God as Creator. The first two chapters of Genesis outline God’s creative activity, most notably His description of that activity as being good with the conclusion by God that everything He had created was very good. It is vital to...
Lessons From the Garden: Existence, Relationships, and Processes
We spent some time last year engaging various issues I labeled as “Lesson from the Garden”. Why start at the beginning and focus so much on the book of Genesis? I firmly believe that until a proper and well-rooted foundation is built from those formative pages of...
Calling Evil Good: A Lesson From the 2016 Super Bowl Halftime Performance
Another Super Bowl has come and gone. All the hype over the actual game and all the excitement over what company produced the most entertaining commercial will soon be a distant memory. What might remain somewhat vivid in our memories is the halftime show which again...
Resisting the Vitriolic Urge
A trend I have noticed over the past several years since social media has taken hold of society is the tendency for vitriol and biting comments. The unfortunate reality is some of the worst offenders are Christians or those at least professing faith in Christ. Usually...
Lessons From the Garden: The Sabbath
Genesis 2:1-3, "Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, along with everything in them. On the seventh day God was finished with his work which he had made, so he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. God blessed the seventh day and...
Anyone Seen My Dictionary?
There exists today a rampant problem of biblical illiteracy. Dr. Albert Mohler, in addressing this grave issue, recently noted, “The larger scandal is biblical ignorance among Christians. Choose whichever statistic or survey you like, the general pattern is the same....
Lessons From the Garden: Why Did Cain and Abel Offer a Sacrifice to God?
While not an event that took place in the Garden of Eden, the offering of a sacrifice to God by Cain and Abel has nevertheless been a topic of interest to me for some time. Given its potential connection to the Garden of Eden, exploring the possible reason why Cain...
Lessons from the Garden: God’s Covering of our Nakedness
Over the past couple of weeks at a Bible Study I have been attending, we have been exploring some fundamental aspects of Scripture and theology in general. As a starting point, a necessary one I might add, the discussion has centered on Genesis 1-4 for it is in these...
Lessons from the Garden: The Faults of the “Blame Game”
The book of Genesis is the book of beginnings. It is stated to be that of course because it outlines the creation of the universe. Another reason it is labeled in that manner is because it is a book of foundations – skip this book and you truly will have a difficult...
Lessons from the Garden: Talking Snake or Anointed Covering Cherub?
There is one specific element of Genesis 3 that has recently fascinated me and that is the question as to why Eve is not portrayed as being surprised when the “Serpent” spoke to her. One of the traditional views can be found in the artwork that is often used to depict...
Lessons from the Garden: The Theological Importance of No Animal Death Before Sin
Other than the discussion over the issue of how long the days of Genesis 1 are, arguably one of the most heated debates among evangelicals on the issue of origins is whether there was any death and more specifically, whether the is a biblical case for animal death...
Thoughts from The Theocratic Kingdom: Proposition 3
In Proposition 3, George Peters states: "The meanings usually given to this kingdom indicate that the most vague, indefinite notions exist concerning it." I find this true regarding a number of theological terms, perhaps most notably the recent focus on naming...
A Relook at the “Lessons from the Garden”
Late in 2015 I began a series titled “Lessons from the Garden”. It is my firm belief that in order to understand Scripture, one must begin with the beginning pages of Genesis. If we are to understand sin, we have to look at how Genesis presents life before and after...
The Absurdity of Abortion and the Importance of Life
While sitting in a moral philosophy class at a community college in Washington State, the professor stated that he could disprove any view by using an extreme example. To prove his point, he stated that there must be exceptions to the pro-life position, therefore, the...
Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel
As the culture changes all around us, it is no longer possible for Christians in North America to think they are the Moral Majority. This may be bad news to America, but it is good news for the Church. Christians need a church that speaks to social and political...
Exploring the Connection Between the Gospel, Discipleship, Missions, and Apologetics
Few issues today are as important as understanding the connection between the gospel, discipleship, missions, and apologetics. I’ve learned these truths through ministering on the streets of Seattle, being in college campus ministry, and at local coffee shops around...
Mapping Apologetics: Comparing Contemporary Approaches
Use the word apologetics and quite likely a great number of things will come to mind ranging from two people dressed in suits on a stage arguing about a variety of complicated approaches to engaging scripture in a manner that seems far removed from something the...
Roman Catholic Theology & Practice: An Evangelical Assessment
I live in an area with a large number of people who attend the Roman Catholic Church. In fact, many of my friends and co-workers are of the Catholic persuasion. Most of the time, conversations do not center on matters of doctrinal differences between the Catholic...
What To Do About Planned Parenthood and Abortion
The news of late has been filled with the disturbing news of Planned Parenthood trafficking in the body parts of aborted babies. Anyone who has watched the horrific videos that have been circling around social media can’t help but notice the sickening glee by which...
The Future of Marriage in America and the Response of Christians
Over the past several years, I’ve written quite a lot on marriage. I’ve done so because I believe that marriage is a divine institution established by God between one man and one woman for life. Today the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of gay marriage. The gay...
The Supreme Court, Perverted Sexual Logic, and the Judgement of God
Today, marks the first day of deliberation between the Supreme Court on the issue of gay marriage. This issue is not a new one. I’ve written on this issue so much because I believe it’s an issue that Christians must stand clearly and loudly on. Following Genesis 1-2,...
Who Is Jesus? by Greg Gilbert
The question, “Who is Jesus?” is of perennial importance to biblical Christianity. It is a question that has often been discussed, debated and fought over in the history of the Church. Even today the question, “Who is Jesus? continues to cause great consternation. The...
Three Ways Pastors Should Address Cultural Issues from the Pulpit
How do pastors preach on contemporary cultural issues? Or should they? This is a question every pastor faces as he contemplates both the spiritual needs of his congregation, the questions swirling in society, and the weighty commission to preach the Word of God. When...
Authentic Living in Christ
Authenticity is a buzz word. Do a search for authentic living and you’ll find thousands of articles explaining how to do it—from secular, eastern, western, traditional, progressive, and missional perspectives. Each of these groups offers a different liturgy (religious...
Book Review– Jesus Or Nothing
Today many Christians of all ages are questioning their Christian faith. Since 9/11 a new movement of bold atheists has arisen to question and even ridicule the Christian faith. While some are even saying that the Christian faith is outdated and Christians are...
Book Review – Truth Matters: Confident Faith in a Confusing World
High school and college students are inundated everyday with challenges in their classrooms, from their peers and from a culture that opposes a biblical worldview. This often leads to students questioning their faith in a negative way, namely with an attitude of...
Satan in the Public Square: Keeping Things in Perspective
If you haven’t already heard… Members of the Satanic Temple have unveiled their design for a 7-foot-tall statue of the devil they want to locate at the Capitol building in Oklahoma, right next to a monument of the Ten Commandments that has stood since 2012. “The...
The Challenge of Relativism: How Christians Should Respond
One of the greatest challenge for the 21st century Christian is that of relativism. To illustrate this point consider the following scenario: You are at Bible study. You hear someone “share” their thoughts on a passage. They don’t focus on what the author of the text...
The Importance of Apologetics
1 Peter 3:15 declares “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…” As I’ve been meditating and reflecting on this...
4 Reasons the Trinity Should Be Part of Your Preaching
When we speak of God in the pulpit, we should speak of the Trinity. When we speak of the Father, Son or Holy Spirit, we should speak of God. We have a responsibility to teach the whole counsel of God, and to leave out the Trinity from our pulpit ministries is to leave...
The Intolerance of Tolerance
Mention the word “tolerance” and you are likely to get some interesting responses. Most of those responses will focus on how people have the “rights” to think, believe or act however they choose. In this view, tolerance is all about my rights and thinking on a given...
Book Review – The Morality of God in the Old Testament (Christian Answers to Hard Questions)
Beale's purpose in writing this book is to succinctly discuss "the problem of how God can be considered to be morally good, while at the same time he does things and commands people in the Old Testament to do things that do not appear to be good." Beale's question is...
Book Review – Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? (Christian Answers to Hard Questions)(Apologia)
Is the virgin birth of Christ important, and a necessary component, to the Christian message today, or was it a doctrine that the early "pre-scientific" believers held to but should not longer be supported because it is untenable for believers today? I think this is a...
How the Ploy of Tolerance Does Violence to Virtue
As theologians, apologists, cultural analysts or what have you, we quickly identify the frailty of charges of intolerance when they occur. The outcry to abstain from any semblance of judgmentalism has turned into a collective whine. Discrediting their arguments has...
Review of Apostate: The Men who Destroyed the Christian West by Kevin Swanson
Brimming with cultural analysis, historical perspective, and bold clarity, Kevin Swanson offers a refreshingly God-centered critique of the fall of Western civilization in his new book, Apostate. The book touches on a number of themes, but centers around sixteen...
Book Review – Unveiling Grace: The Story of How We Found Our Way out of the Mormon Church
Mormonism has a long history in my life. I have relatives who are Mormon and live in an area that is heavily populated by Mormons. In addition, my junior high and high school classes were full of Mormons. I have a lot of experience talking with and being friends with...
Book Review – What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur’an
Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world with a membership of over one billion worldwide and over five million in the United States. The growth of Islam within the United States is challenging the way many evangelicals witness to people. The growing...
The Apologetic Value of a Theology of Work
Continuing my studies in the thought of Dorothy Sayers, she never ceases to amaze me at her very common-sense approach to defending the faith. Though described as a reluctant prophet by her biographer, she was fearless in what she had to say about the state of the...
A Gracious Defense: How Do You Do It?
Campus debates, academic conferences, scholarly journals—these are some of the places where apologetics is engaged by the Church’s well-equipped defenders. These contexts lend to the structured, sophisticated arguments that have the power to persuade the most...
Why We Should Care about Doctrine
When Dorothy Sayers wrote that the doctrines of the Church are relevant to all of life, she wasn't stating what was obvious to everyone else. She was pointing out something more terrifying—that Christianity as a system of beliefs is viewed as irrelevant and that this...
The Exaltation of Jesus: More than Just a Philosopher or Prophet
The Son of God as the focal subject in Hebrews 1:1-4 is that Son who was preexistent, became incarnate, and was then exalted to the right hand of God. We might say that the contemporary Jesus has come a long way since Hebrews was written- a long way down to earth....
The challenge of naturalism and relativism
The book of Hebrews speaks to our contemporary context concerning philosophies that have made great inroads to the church itself. A fundamental aspect of modernity, and an aspect that still holds profound influence even as our culture is shifting to a postmodern...
Book Review: The Intolerance of Tolerance
The Intolerance of Tolerance by D.A. Carson is a masterful exploration into one of the greatest cultural issues of our day--- tolerance by one of the greatest Christian minds of our day. In post-modernism, tolerance—the affirming and celebrating of virtually any...
Contending for the Faith
With few words Jude in Jude 1:3-4 reveals the reason for the composition of his letter: first, he wants to encourage the readers to affirm their faith; next, he alerts them to the danger of immoral people who have slipped in among them; and last, he opens the eyes of...
Speaking the Truth in Love and Apologetics
The past decade or so has seen perhaps the greatest increase in information the world has ever known. The internet is loaded with good information and also information that isn’t helpful. Christians are thrust into this environment as we have been called by Jesus to...
Apologetics Series: Liberating Black Theology by Anthony Bradley
Introduction “Apologetics” is a mouth full. It sounds more like a disease than a theological discipline. Although its popularity seems to be gaining both in print and on the web, it’s a relatively neglected field in pastoral ministry compared to Christ-centered...