For some years I had the privilege of ministering in a military community. Our North Carolina church was five miles from the largest Marine Corps Air Station in the world. Twice a year some of our men would disappear for a few weeks. In the summer they would go to Turkey and in the winter […]

How do we know what we know about Christmas? As far as human instrumentality goes, we know because of the faithful witness of three men. Three men who were sensitive to the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Three men who listened carefully and recorded faithfully. There were circumstances which could have kept them from writing

At the end of every year – especially if we move among faith communities -we hear protests against the secularization of Christmas. Though the warnings are not unwelcomed it’s hard to see how they blunt the irreligious manias of our age. Songs, social commentary, public policy, advertising campaigns and pretty much everything in the season

A common refrain today among American Christians, in particular those who are politically conservative, is a woeful lament about the state of our country. A relatively recent addition to this lament is the idea that we will endure the New Testament promises of suffering for our faith soon. While when we may face such hardships

My life is far more a warning than a model. I would not wish to suggest that I am commending standards of devotional achievement that I perpetually reach. But in what is turning out to be a rather long life I have learned from the champions and the stalwarts. And what I’ve most longed to

  Once in a sermon I quoted Woody Allen. I offered the quote as evidence that his world and life view was worthy of unqualified condemnation. Still, a day or two later I received a note of admonishment. My anonymous critic informed me that I had no business mentioning anyone so vile from a Christian

Thanksgiving Eve 2020   I think I just located the most amazing verse in the Bible. I am confident this conviction will last at least until I read a different verse, because there are quite a number of amazing verses in that Book.   For the time being I am settled on “And he asked

OLD TESTAMENT November 26, 2020 There are at least two ways to teach on the will of God. One is to make the familiar list—beginning with Scripture, prayer, and a consensus of godly counsel. There is another way to teach on the will of God. We can teach inductively from Scripture. That is, we can

NEW TESTAMENT  November 26, 2020 How can we know that we are in God’s will? Before, we sought help in a study of David and Goliath. It is possible to trace David’s internal consciousness of God’s will in the following manner: The process began first with curiosity. Curiosity asks the question, “What is being done?”

September 24, 2020 There are some things in the Bible which are hard to believe. Very hard to believe I freely grant. I don’t mean those things we usually associate with the objections of skeptics. I don’t mean miracles. If God exists then miracles are only the common places of God–at least the common places