Jesus Cannot Be Serious

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you (1 Pt 5.6-7). I do a fair bit of worrying.  I worry about long-term, epitaph-related matters like vocation, character and legacy. I worry about our kids’ futures and my wife’s health. I worry about what might happen and what most likely won’t.  I […]

Salvation > “Getting Saved”

A popular Christian radio show recently debuted a new book.  It sounded like a beneficial book to help young girls mature in faith and love.  The author was most proud of her last chapter that presented “the plan of salvation” and “the sinner’s prayer.”  Her highest desire was that young girls would “read and repeat” (her words) and be saved. As sincere and humble as the author was surely God’s […]

Why Do Good Things Happen to Bad People?

For every act of evil replayed ad nauseam on cable news there are a million unreported, anonymous acts of kindness. “It comes as an enormous relief to recognize that, however odious and sweeping sin is, whether in personal idolatry or in its outworking in the barbarities of a Pol Pot or an Auschwitz, God intervenes to restrain evil, to display his ‘common grace’ to and through all, so that glimpses […]

Baptist Catholicism (What the Altar Call, Sinner’s Prayer & Pope Have in Common)

The typical Baptist suffers from Catholiphobia: the fear of all things Catholic. We Baptists often know more about Catholics than Catholicism, which is probably true of any religious tradition.  We tend to define religious traditions by the few people we know who practice them rather that what that tradition has historically confessed. Nevertheless, it doesn’t take long for a Baptist to realize he strongly opposes Catholic baptism. The Council of Trent‘s […]

25 Years a Widower

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his godly ones” (Ps 116.15). Mom died 25 years ago today. It was a remarkably Christian death. She died well. Painfully, but well. We buried her across the street from the Itta Bena cotton field in which she was born. Under the magnolia next to her dad, her sister and her infant son. It was brutally hot that day […]

Jesus Is No Cartoonist

2015 is shaping up as the year of referendum on cartoons. Cartoons of Mohammad, to be exact.  It all started in January in France. Two Muslim gunmen stormed the headquarters of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. They killed twelve, including several cartoonists who for years had disgraced the Prophet Mohammad with their drawings. In May, the American Freedom Defense Initiative hosted a “Draw the Prophet” rally in Garland, Texas.  In a […]

Keep The Hell Away from Your Tongue

“If anyone thinks he is religious, but instead of bridling his tongue deceives his heart, this one’s religion is worthless” (Jas 1.26).   You know that guy who always has an answer for every question, explanation for every situation, provocation for every dispute, and/or recollection for every story?  Whatever the setting, this guy always has something to say and assumes it’s everyone’s privilege to hear it.  His answer always better.  His […]

The Banality of Horoscopes

“For those nations, which you shall dispossess, listen to those who practice witchcraft and to diviners, but as for you, the LORD your God has not allowed you to do so.  The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him. . . . I will raise up a prophet from among their countrymen like you, […]

I Saw Jesus at Dad’s “Place” and He Wept

Jesus wept (Jn 11.35). Dad has recently settled into an assisted living facility.  None of us is particularly glad about it but we’re seeing some benefits.  In three years he’s gone from 2,500 square feet to 700 to 120.  It’s metaphorical, really.  As we get older our world gets smaller and more temporary, more lonely.  Dad has yet to call it “home” and I’m not sure he should.  At best he […]

Angels & Interns

…and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household (Acts 11.14). While in Joppa (the same port city Jonah put on the map), Peter raised Tabitha-Dorcas from the dead like he’d seen Jesus do for Talitha (Acts 9.36-43; cf. 5.40-41).  Expectedly, Joppa became fertile ground for the gospel so Peter bunked at Simon the Tanner’s house while the iron was hot. […]