Typical book reviews have their place. Author bio, summary, critical interaction. Cool. Got it. But I like to see how books “work”: how can the ideas, arguments, and concepts of the book be applied to real life. This is especially true for me when I consider theological works. Does it have a tangible effect on…
The Delay of God’s Justice (Psalm 73)
It often doesn’t feel like God is a just Judge, right? I mean, it often looks like the wicked triumph. It looks like evil gets its way. The prosperity of the wicked is exactly the issue that the author of Psalm 73 is grappling with. His faith is shaken: “But as for me, my feet came…
Aligning Ourselves With God’s Mission (Mark 3:7-19)
Although Mark 3:7-19 may be easy to glide over because it contains healing stories which are prevalent in Mark’s gospel as well as a list of names, it is loaded with richness and applicability for the church today. Mark 3:7-19 [7] Jesus withdrew to the sea with His disciples; and a great multitude from Galilee followed; and also from…
Were Old Covenant Believers Indwelt by the Holy Spirit?
Were old covenant believers indwelt by the Holy Spirit? No. They did not need to be. God dwelt in the temple. He was thereby with them. How did old covenant believers become and remain faithful? They became faithful by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, which in the OT is described more as ‘circumcision…
“Satisfied in You” by the Sing Team
A Hard Heart, Or a Hardened Heart?: St. Augustine’s Theology of God’s Sovereignty and Human Free Will
Augustine of Hippo was an interesting dude. He authored probably one of the most honest and transparent confessions (aptly titled, Confessions) in church history. He also is probably the most influential theologian in the history of the church. He regularly interpreted the Bible allegorically. His theological writings provided the foundation for the emergence of Calvinsim…
Like a Runaway Train
Surely we're saved, but sin is like a bully, right? We try to fight it, but it dominates us? Nope...We're not slaves to sin. It doesn't have power over us. We have been "set free" from it...It's not sin that is unstoppable--it's grace --Owen Strachan, Risky Gospel, pp. 55-56
The “We’re One Player Away from the Super Bowl” Fallacy, Or, Why Demarcus Ware Won’t Help Denver Win the Super Bowl
Being a New York Giants fan during NFL free agency stinks…Or does it? They never sign anyone high profile, and they always seem to lose fan favorites over the years: Steve Smith (the other one), Kevin Boss, Ahmad Bradshaw, now Justin Tuck (though losing Linval Joseph actually hurts more). And then you see other teams…
God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment–A Review (Kind of)
Does the Bible have a main point? Is there an overarching unity—or a center—which binds Scripture together? Those are the types of questions that Jim Hamilton seeks to answer in God’s Glory in Salvation through Judgment. In short, Hamilton argues that—you guessed it—the main point of the Bible is God’s glory in salvation through judgment.…
A to Z of the Christian Life
The gospel is not just the ABCs but the A to Z of the Christian life. It is inaccurate to think the gospel is what saves non-Christians, and then Christians mature by trying hard to live according to biblical principles. It is more accurate to say that we are saved by believing the gospel, and…
Raising Lazarus 