A husband promises to love and to cherish his wife, but would he keep this promise if his wife was unfaithful? Not so with Christ, who, like Hosea, kept his promise, even to an adulterous Bride: he “loved the church and gave himself up for her.”
A Psalm of Lament for Christmas
This is why we celebrate Christmas. This is why we have joy at Christmas. This is why we could say with David, “My heart shall rejoice in your salvation!†This is why the angels in heaven rejoiced at the birth of Christ, because his birth was “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.â€
Who’s Out, Who’s In
The one who had no blemish or defilement, who was perfectly obedient, and who was eternally faithful became our defilement, our rebellion, and our unfaithfulness to be offered as a sacrifice for our sake on the cross.
Rock Bands as Holy Spirit
Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, recently weighed in again, this time with a profound thought that “Beatles songs are as likely to explain Christianity as the Bible.” Essentially equating rock bands with the Holy Spirit, he says, “They [rock music] are able to open our imagination to a way of thinking about God that we’ve become deaf to in church language.”
Six More Bibles for Idiots (Updated)
Desmond Tutu writes in the foreword, “It is possible to have a new kind of world, a world where there will be more compassion, more gentleness, more caring, more laughter, more joy for all of God’s creation, because that is God’s dream. And God says, ‘Help me, help me, help me realize my dream.'”
CCM and Beatles Mantra
As I was driving home the other day from teaching, the radio played George Harrison’s “My Sweet Lord.” In my mind, I found an eerie resemblance between this Hindu mantra and many worship songs sung in churches such as…
Bill Hybels and Mother Teresa
Bill Hybels’ address at the 2008 Leadership Summit was the result of months of studying Mother Teresa. He told 50,000 attendees that no one has affected him more deeply than Mother Teresa. Why do Hybels and other pop evangelical leaders frequently praise their non-Biblical, even non-Christian, heroes?
Pastor Mike as President?
Now that former Baptist minister Mike Huckabee is doing well in the presidential primary campaign, it is well for Christians to think about the relationship between church and state. Kim Riddlebarger’s “Mike Huckabee and the Two Kingdoms” is a useful
A Tale of Two New Year Prophecies
It’s the beginning of a new year again, and with it, are a couple of contrasting prophecies. I think of Pat Robertson’s annual false prophecy bash – remember his January 2007 prediction of a huge terrorist attack on the U.
A Thanksgiving of Fasting and Oysters
“Imagine a Thanksgiving Day without Pilgrims. No turkey, no cranberries, no happy celebrations with family and friends crammed around the extended dining-room table. Picture this instead: a solemn day of fasting, meditation and introspection, followed by a light meal of roasted oysters or Virginia ham.â€
“Using God”
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger’s article, “Using God,” in the latest Modern Reformation issue has caught my attention, since it is somewhat related to my post about televangelist hucksters. In the article, Riddlebarger writes that man’s sinful pride results in a couple
“God has a terrible plan for your life, if…”
Jeremiah 29:11 then is not a promise to the man on the street that God loves him, that God has “a wonderful plan†for his life, and that “God hates his sin, but loves him the sinner.â€