Blog: February 2018

Paul’s third missionary journey was unlike his first two because he didn’t set out to plant churches. Instead, his mission was to encourage and strengthen existing churches. Paul wrote letters to the churches, but he knew some guidance was best given in person. Paul’s journey began when he traveled to the city of Corinth. To make a living, Paul was a tentmaker. Paul became friends with two other tentmakers in Corinth: a man named Aquila and his wife, Priscilla. In his business dealings, Paul was able to share the gospel with many people. ...

On February 21, Billy Graham died at the age of 99.  He commented in advance on his own passing:  “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead.  Don’t you believe a word of it.  I shall be more alive than I am now.  I will just have changed my address.  I will have gone into the presence of God.” The secular take on Graham’s life goes like this:  “He filled stadiums and counseled presidents.  The man had charisma.”  The focus is on him.  The NY Times said, “Mr. Graham spread his influ­ence across the country and around the world ...

A couple weeks ago Jen Hatmaker went on the Peter Enns podcast to promote her revisionist reading of the Bible.  She and Enns and other “progressive” voices urge us to agree that any­thing the Bible says against homosexual activity was “culture bound” and does not apply to our lives here and now.  Hatmaker would have us believe, therefore, that Christian, Bible-based marriage must not be limited to male-female pairs; same-sex marriages are blessed as well. Michael Kruger, President of Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, North ...

Paul was back at the church of Antioch in Syria. The church had sent out Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel to Jews and Gentiles in places like Lystra and Derbe. Then they returned to the church of Antioch. Some time passed, and Paul wanted to return to some of the cities he visited on his first journey to see how the new believers were doing. Silas accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey. The pair traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging believers and strengthening churches. The number of believers in the churches ...

This is an extraordinary moment:  The last time Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday coincided was in 1945.  What’s more, it also feels like a strange convergence.  We just don’t tend to think about romantic love and the trek of self-denial leading to the cross at the same time.  But maybe we should. Remember of the vision of marital love in Ephesians 5:21-33, with both husband and wife following the lead of Jesus and “dying to self” and living to love and bless each other.  Among other things, the Bible teaches that true love seeks joy in the ...

Last Sunday I said that believing in Jesus is not just for groups or families or congregations.  It’s about individual hearts:  every man, woman and child.  Each one of us must respond to Jesus indiv­idually; we can’t just hang onto our parents’ religious coattails or “go with the flow” of our social networks.  Christianity involves personal faith. John 3:16 underscores this point:  “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” That word, “whoever”—it’s ...

The church in Antioch praised God for His grace to Paul on his first missionary journey. Though Paul and Barnabas were strongly opposed in some places, many people heard the gospel and believed. Paul and Barnabas took the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. But a problem arose when some Christians began saying that the new followers of Jesus—the Gentile believers—needed to obey the Law of Moses in order to be right with God. Paul and Barnabas debated this issue with other church leaders in Jerusalem. They met together to answer a tough ...

Just two days until Super Bowl Sunday in America—that most sacred of high holy days.  Last year 111 million people in the US paid homage to the great ones by watching the game on TV.  And this year, of course, we Eagles fans have a special interest the grand athletic contest. And let me add:  I’m a big sports fan.  I get all caught up in the com­petition, whether it’s football, hockey, tennis, golf (etc.).  Like last Sunday at about 6:30 a.m. when Roger Federer defeated Marin Cilic in five sets to win the Australian Open (I watched while I ...