California ‘Bathroom Bill’ Approved By Assembly
Bill requires schools to allow boys in girls’ restrooms and vice versa
He explained that the bill would not only pertain to school restrooms, but would also entitle students who wished to identify with the opposite sex to be allowed to play on sports teams of that gender. Girls who identified as boys could play on male football teams, and boys who identified as girls could play... Continue Reading
Lessons from the Life of Eric Liddell #4
Truth is More Important than Popularity
Liddell’s willingness to stand for truth is a much-needed lesson in our modern day. Just as Liddell’s beliefs were mocked as narrow and dogmatic and traditionalistic, so today Christian beliefs about marriage or sexuality are mocked as narrow and dogmatic and traditionalistic. If we stand up for what God has to say about marriage, we... Continue Reading
Should being a Christian have a visible effect on our lives?
Thoughts on sanctification
I have heard at least one pastor in the PCA say that cussing (to use the Southern word) isn’t a sin. I’m not so sure he’s right. It seems to me that Arends makes a good point. I think that the Scripture gives plenty of warning to us on the need to control our tongues.... Continue Reading
Joseph in Potiphar’s House (Genesis 39) and its Egyptian Literary Parallels?!
Is an Egyptian story the source material for Genesis 39?
After finishing the text, frankly I was floored that anyone would mention it in connection with Genesis 39! My conclusion is that biblical scholars who mention “The Story of Two Brothers” when writing about Joseph in Potiphar’s house are giving into the overwhelming desire to tell someone, ANYONE! about this interesting literature they are reading,... Continue Reading
The Boston Bombers Were Outside Their House
An interview with Stephen McAlpin, pastor of Hope Fellowship Church in Cambridge
Under the table, after I told my wife that I loved her, my prayer was basically: “God, thank you for the life you’ve given us together. Thank you for your grace. Oh God, protect us. Jesus, save us! We need you, save us! You’re our only hope. God, please show us grace by giving us... Continue Reading
Planned Parenthood Knew of Kermit Gosnell’s Abortion Horrors
“We would always encourage them to report it to the Department of Health"
The advent of “safe, legal abortion” didn’t interfere with Gosnell’s back-alley career. The grand jury’s account suggests that other abortionists treated him less as an outlaw than as a niche player in the abortion market. He earned a bad reputation in Philadelphia but received referrals from across the Eastern Seaboard. Many of the women dispatched... Continue Reading
Mea Culpa: Learning From Mistakes in Ministry (Part 2)
8 painful lessons learned about pastoral ministry
So, what lessons have I learned? There is a certain amount of overlap in these. For example: my Gnostic tendencies regarding place also found a home as I considered competition and balance. Finding your voice as a preacher and being authentic in ministry are nuanced distinctions of a principle that must be worked out in... Continue Reading
Thoughts on Bible Translation Prompted by Remarks of Dr. William Mounce
Is it rude to translate "gunai" as "Woman"?
Mounce seems to think that gunai (“woman,” in the vocative case) is essentially untranslatable because in his view, “it misconveys so badly.” Now let’s stop and think about this. Someone is reading the Bible, preferably in one of the translations that Mounce dismisses for translating gunai as simply “Woman.” In his view, the problem with... Continue Reading
Obamacare and the Hubris of the Technocrats
Will the Obamacare fiasco temper their technocratic ambitions, or will it merely lead to more government control?
And the mandate problem is going to pale in comparison to the trouble that awaits the federal government when trying to implement a law that affects millions of Americans and one-sixth of the economy. The economy is too big, too unwieldy, and too complex for the technocrats to manage. Yet a cadres of mediocre politicians... Continue Reading
3 Lies Porn Tells You
One man's experience through his addiction—and what brought him through the other side
We don’t talk about the “healing” type of confession in the Church very often. In fact, we have built a religious system that tries to find healing through hiding our sins, not confessing them. The sins we do confess are “safe” sins: bitterness, jealousy, materialism, anger and selfishness. I was the master at this. I... Continue Reading