long term vision
It is sometimes difficult to give oneself to a long term goal that requires tedious dedication to less enjoyable but necessary intermediary steps.  One very simple example, relevant to me as a seminary student, concerns the study of biblical languages.  Almost everyone would love the ability to read the bible in Greek and Hebrew, but few have the long term vision to tread through the grammar and vocab.  It is my long term vision to rightly handle God’s word, expositing it with integrity week in and week out for the benefit of the church… but I don’t always want to learn the next rule of Greek or Hebrew syntax.  The same thing applies to building a house, learning th

the one true reformer
I am thankful to God for the movement that this day commemorates.  Four hundred and ninety-two years ago, today, Martin Luther posted his Ninety-Five Theses On The Power And Efficacy Of Indulgences, on the door of Castle Church, located in Wittenberg, Germany. The drive of the reformation movement, to which the posting of the Ninety-Five Theses represents, can be summarized well in point number sixty-two of the Luther’s Theses. 62. The true treasure of the Church is the Most Holy Gospel of the glory and the grace of God. This gospel treasure, preserved for us in the holy scriptures,

to a friend who is doubting the inerrancy of scripture
Here is a very recent comment (with minor corrections) that I made on the blog-post of a friend who is denying the inerrancy of Scripture.  He posits, that when we are faced with an apparent error or contradiction in the bible, we should trust our current judgment and assume that what we are seeing is indeed an error. The bible has proven itself a trustworthy guide in so many ways, why would we presume, when faced with an apparent disparity, that it is wrong? Couldn’t a reasoned faith, which reinforces our belief in the fallibility of our mental capabilities and the infallibility of scripture, presume that it is ourselves, not the s

why worship in spirit and truth?
Why is it so vital to worship God in both heart (spirit) and mind (truth) [reference to John 4:23-24]?  Answer: so that we can avoid the lethal dangers of idolatry and hypocrisy. The Danger of Hypocrisy: worshiping in mind, but not in heart If we think rightly about God, having all our doctrinal ducks in a row, but fail to respond to God with the appropriate passion, we are in danger of hypocrisy.  We honor God with our minds and our lips, giving the appearance of true Christianity, but in reality we love other things and feel nothing towards God. We hoot-n-holler when the Vikings win a football game, but we feel no pass

remember parents: difficulty, more than leisure, is a tool in our quest for joy
This past Thursday, Disney admitted that there is no easy way to parent your children.  They conceded the fact that setting children in front of Baby Einstein DVD’s is not the cure-all for exasperated and tired parents, who want a break without neglecting their children. So now what?  What can a mommy (or daddy) of a little one do to take a break, kick up her (or his) feet, sit down with a nice book, and just enjoy life for a little while?  Or are full time parents doomed to years of joylessness, just sweating it out until their little munchkins are old eno