When the past shines brighter than the present, we have a choice to make.  We can long for the “glory days” in a way that denies God is still glorious today.  If we do, like the remnant who stopped rebuilding the temple, we will stop the work God has called us to do today.  ... Continue Reading

“We sometimes forget that Augustine was the Bishop of a small port town in North Africa called Hippo Regius and that he was living in a turbulent time in the waning days of the Western Roman Empire.  We forget that he had to deal day in and day out with the pastoral pressures and distractions... Continue Reading

According to Pakistan’s much-debated blasphemy laws, such accusations can be punishable by execution. But more often, blasphemy accusations end up leading to vigilante violence. Rights activists say such accusations are frequently used to settle personal vendettas or to harass religious minorities. Mere criticism of the blasphemy codes has even led to threats and violence.  ... Continue Reading

Last week I was ministered to by a Christian brother who had fallen hard but had been rescued by Christ and his church. He was a minister in the Presbyterian Church of America but was ultimately defrocked as his earthly ecclesiastical credentials were removed. Hedonistic bondage wrecked his reputation, career, and family. The consequences of... Continue Reading

It’s been said the greatest trick the devil ever pulled is convincing the world he doesn’t exist. Satan doesn’t usually show up in a bright red suit and a pitchfork. No, the devil knows we are visually and sensually driven creatures. So Satan is usually glamorous, titillating, and smiling with a bright double-decker of pearly... Continue Reading

“In September 1949 a young Billy Graham came to Los Angeles for a three-week campaign to bring the city to Christ. Cynthia attended and received Christ as Savior. She returned home, informed Louie of her new life in Christ, and made clear she would no longer pursue a divorce. Although relieved, Louie wanted no part... Continue Reading

“(Schaeffer) believed churches were acquiescing to the world, abandoning their belief that the Bible is without error in everything it said. A watered-down theology left the SBC with decreased power to battle cultural evils. To Schaeffer the convention was the last major American denomination with hope for reversing this “great evangelical disaster,” as he put... Continue Reading

“While he was a student at the University of Orléans, Calvin encountered some of the early reform ideas through Martin Luther’s writings, which were widely discussed in academic circles. Subsequently, Calvin was converted to Christ. Calvin recorded a testimony of his conversion in the preface to his Commentary on the Book of Psalms (1557).”  ... Continue Reading

The pastor needs a break too from the grind of his job because, as I wrote earlier, he cannot simply clock out and be done with work for the day.  His job often requires him to respond to emergencies, to answer questions, to ensure that things at the church are functioning properly, that counseling appointments... Continue Reading

“Coffee and caffeine have been inexorably intertwined in our thinking, but truth is coffee contains a whole lot of other stuff with biological benefits,” said Martin. And most concerns about caffeine’s negative effects on the heart have been dispelled. In June, a meta-analysis of ten years of research went so far as to find an... Continue Reading