Persecution, Lapsed Christians, and the Church’s Response: Reflections on Early Church History
Does God’s Love Mark Your Identity?
Love as our Identity 1 John 3:1 says: “Look at how great a love the Father has given us that we should be called God’s children. And we are!” Whatever background filters or lenses you bring to the idea of a father-child relationship, please know that God is the perfect, benevolent Father who loves you very well! In Matthew 7, Jesus’ teaching about prayer compares the Heavenly Father to...more
The Persuasive Power of a Loving Christian Community
In 1 John 2:7-11, the author seems to be reminding his readers of Jesus’ command to love one another and that “by this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (see John 13:34-35). In fact, the 1 John passage puts it bluntly: the one who loves his brother remains in the light, but the one who hates his brother is...more
Why You Should Consider Fasting
Because Jesus on occasion criticized the way certain people fasted (see Matt. 6:16-18), Christians sometimes wonder if fasting is still for us today. After all, many of the references are found in the Old Testament and it doesn’t seem to be as emphasized under the New Covenant. I believe that fasting is still a spiritual practice Christians should consider for the following reasons: Jesus’ Teaching: In the Matthew 6...more
The Powerful Persuasion of a Good Marriage and Family
I am one of those people who like the idea of being able to speak to secular people and engage our culture in matters of faith. I often read books or articles on this topic, perhaps my favorite being The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism by Timothy Keller. If I’m being honest, however, I am not sure how effective I have been in dialoguing with...more
The Powerful Persuasion of a Compelling Life
In this series we have talked about Christian apologetics, which is basically making a defense for why we believe what we believe. I am thankful for Christian scientists who help us understand the world God created. I am grateful for Christian philosophers and theologians who can challenge the underlying assumptions that make the skeptic not even consider the claims of Jesus and historic Christianity. My experience, however, is that...more
9 Things You May Not Know About The Holy Spirit
In some Christian traditions the Holy Spirit is strongly emphasized, while in others the Spirit may be deemphasized. A balanced, biblical view of the Holy Spirit is helpful, not harmful. Here are nine things you should know about the Holy Spirit: He is a Person. OK, maybe not a person in terms of human, but the Bible, including Jesus, refers to the Spirit as a “he” not as an...more
The Source of Truth: Getting To Know Jesus
Last time, we considered that the truth is not a philosophy or religion, but a person: Jesus Christ. So, if Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life (see John 14:6), how do we get to know Him? Fortunately, the Living Word (Jesus) has been captured in the Written Word (the Bible). For a scholarly yet reasonably accessible study of the reliability of Scripture, check out Craig Blomberg’s...more
The Truth: Who, Not What
In John 14:1-7, Jesus tells His disciples that they will know the way to where He is going. One of them says: “Lord, we don’t know where You are going. How can we know the way?” Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Ohhh. So we are not talking about a path, but a person....more
Power Lessons from the Movie Selma
I recently had the privilege of being invited to watch a pre-release of the movie Selma set to be released in theaters this month. As I watched this powerful movie about events in our nation’s history, certain thoughts came to mind and, personally, I walked away stirred by some lessons that are found in Scripture. The Power of Courage and Convictions. I was amazed at the bravery of those...more