Alarms and Dreamers
Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.– Jude 1:8, KJV A couple of weeks back we were in Jude, looking at Cain, Balaam, and Korah. This week I felt a strong urge to return to Jude. It is such a short letter, but one rich with nuggets…
Read MoreTrinity-Math That Doesn’t Add Up
What Is a Trinity? I have seen a significant increase in Trinity traffic online of late. People get pretty worked up about it, and I understand that. It’s an important doctrine, albeit one that few, if any, can satisfactorily explain. Consider this simple closing remark from the apostle Paul to the church at Corinth. The…
Read MoreA Laser Beam at the Heart of the Church
A letter we don’t hear taught or preached on much is the letter of Jude. Jude’s letter is a laser beam aimed right at the heart of the church of his day, and it is frighteningly appropriate for the church of today. Jude begins his letter saying he really wanted to write a nice letter…
Read MoreOur God is a Humble God
If someone were to ask you to list attributes of God, you might come up with responses like majestic, all-powerful, loving, or glorious. Someone else might add, unchanging, self-existent, or eternal. These are all appropriate responses, and there are many more like them that, given time, we could list. But as I pondered the “godness”…
Read MoreHe said, “Gods don’t become humans.”
Many times I have shared the story of how, in 1984, I listened to a missionary describe a conversation he had with a gentleman cab driver from a country that views Christianity with great skepticism. The missionary hoped to learn what it is about the Christian faith that the man found so difficult to accredit.…
Read MoreThe Greatest Gift Ever
Gifts and gifts and more gifts. Many (including me) bemoan the commercialization of Christmas. Without making deliberate effort, it is possible to navigate through the entire Christmas season and never hear a word about the Christ child. Instead, we hear about grand gifts like a new automobile or stunning jewelry. We see ads for mind-blowing…
Read MoreLiving in a Post-Truth Era
I had a deeply disturbing conversation with a dear brother in Christ last Sunday. My friend is an attorney and an elder with our church family. We meet early most Sunday mornings to visit, holding conversations that go down some wildly unpredictable avenues. I cannot recall the specific question I asked him, but in his…
Read MoreDon’t Give the Devil a Foothold
Some of you may remember the game Risk, published by Hasbro. You may still play it today, as it remains available for purchase. The concept was put forth by French filmmaker, Albert Lamorisse, in 1957, and it rapidly became one of the most popular board games ever published, paving the way for newer games like Axis &…
Read MoreThe Sky Fairy
The Game-Winning Insult One of the tactics the world uses against the Christ-follower is shame and embarrassment. For example, “Oh, maybe you should go talk to your sky fairy about that.” We, then, are expected to skulk away like a whipped puppy, with our tail between our legs. They got us! Oh, boy. The “sky…
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