Looking Out for Others (Hebrews 13:17)
The author of Hebrews exhorts his readers to obey their spiritual leaders, because “they watch out for your souls.” In other words, these leaders were looking out for, or keeping an eye on, them. This would include warning them about the dangers of the false teaching they were facing. A leader has the extra burden […]
Did the Lord Jesus Ever Teach Justification by Faith Alone? (Luke 18:9-14)
“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14). In church this past Sunday, I heard a fine sermon on Luke 18:9-14, the Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican. The preacher […]
Calling the Wrong Person (2 Kings 17:24-33)
We have all had a job that needed to be done and that we couldn’t complete without help. On some of these occasions, we’ve asked for that help from the wrong person. For example, we might have needed some help fixing our car and a friend told us they could help us because they really […]
Review of the Movie Jesus Revolution
I finally saw the movie. A few months ago, I mentioned that this was a wholesome movie that, at the time, had grossed more money than nearly all the Best Picture nominees combined. But I hadn’t seen it yet. The movie has now grossed $53.1 Million. It cost $15 Million to make. It has been […]
Is Genesis 24 Telling Us How to Find a Spouse?
Years ago, a young DTS student who was working for GES told me that a chapel speaker had used Genesis 24 to teach them how to find a spouse. The student told me that he thought the message was totally imposed upon the text. He did not think that Genesis 24 is teaching us how […]
Satan’s Plans Thwarted (2 Kings 11:1)
Athaliah was the name of the only queen to ever rule over Judah. She was an evil person. Of all the rulers in Judah, she was the strongest supporter of Baal worship. That is not surprising since she was the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, devotees of Baal in Israel, the country to the north […]
Errors in the Teachings of Major Ian Thomas
Major Ian Thomas (MIT) championed the grace of God in regeneration and in the Christian life. There is much helpful information in his writings. However, there are also some errors in his teachings that need to be recognized and rejected. Two points particularly concern me. 1. Faith in Christ is not enough to be born […]
Truth Is Important, Too
A common refrain in Christian circles today is that Christians should just love one another. They need to set differences aside. We are told we should love everybody. If that’s the case, then we should especially love fellow believers. It is seen as a disgrace that there are differences among Christians that keep them from […]
Did the Thief on the Cross Ask for Salvation?
Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.” And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:42-43). Casey sent me an actual handwritten letter. He asked a series of super questions about this exchange: Did the thief on […]
Heroes Are Not Indispensable (2 Kings 13)
Most people who have been believers for a long time have had to go through the experience of losing a hero of the faith to death. Perhaps it was a beloved parent, pastor, seminary professor, Bible teacher, or mature Christian friend. At times like that there’s a tendency to wonder what impact the death will […]