As Mark Twain used to say, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” If you have a point to make, regardless of whether it is true or not, you can probably get some statistic to support it. You can probably get some “expert” to support it as well. I think we need to recognize the limitations of statistics and be careful and prudent with them, but they do have their place. According to The State of Theology survey conducted in 2020 by Ligonier Ministries...
Author - Jonathan Shirk
Think for a moment about the most powerful people in the world. You probably think of political leaders, judges, business magnates, and religious figures. And all of them probably have important places where they sit. Pope Francis has his papal throne in Rome. Jeff Bezos probably has a certain seat at a huge conference room table. I saw a bizarre picture of Vladimir Putin meeting with financial advisors at the Kremlin. He was at the head of the table. At the other end of the table, about 20...
The ascension of Jesus is one Biblical truth I struggle to understand. How was it better that he leave us? Jesus said in John 16:7, “I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away.” How is that true? I want Jesus physically with me. I don’t say this in a flippant or irreverent way – I truly mean this – I would love to eat a delicious meal with Jesus and talk long into the evening, listening, questioning, and learning. I want to see his facial expressions and hear his...
Gas prices. It’s criminal to pay $437 per gallon. You’d come into a small fortune if you struck oil on your property. Imagine there is oil beneath the surface of your backyard, you just have to dig deep enough to get it, but you don’t know it’s there. One day, you think to yourself, “I don’t want to take out loans anymore to fill my car with gas. I’m going to do something about this craziness. I wonder if there is oil in my backyard.” So, you go out and start digging. You dig...
When I was in 10th grade, I wrecked my motorcycle. I road with my friend Randy up to a motocross track just up the hill from our friend Jared’s house in the small town of East Earl, PA. I came ripping around the corner of the dirt track into the straightaway and double jump. I got air but shorted it. My back tire hit the second jump, and I went vertical above the handlebars. When I crashed, I hit my head and swooned. After my swoon faded, I stood against the tree and shook my head. My swoon...
Suffering is an inevitable part of our existence. Since the fall of man in Paradise, sin has wreaked havoc on humanity and all creation. Suffering has come about because of sin. From the pain of a papercut to a cancer diagnosis, a divorce to being socially ostracized, a stressful work environment to war, all suffering is ultimately a result of original sin in Paradise. The stone was dropped into the pool and the ripple effect is ongoing. Suffering is not only painful, it can be depressing...
I playfully tell people that I grew up in a “confused Mennonite home.” My father was a pastor in the Mennonite church and, unlike the vast majority of Mennonites, was committed to the doctrines of grace or what are often called the five points of Calvinism. My parents loved the ministry of R. C. Sproul and Ligonier and would attend Reformed conferences with joy and much agreement. Espousing, adoring, and preaching the doctrines of God’s sovereign grace in a Mennonite context came at a...
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God. He is the only beloved begotten Son of God. God has only one natural beloved Son, and this makes Jesus Christ eternally and uniquely loved. But the only Begotten is not the only beloved. The creeds and Reformed confessions are extremely helpful in understanding what the Bible teaches about only beloved begotten Son of God. The Apostles’ Creed calls Jesus Christ God’s “only begotten Son.” The Nicene Creed says more: the only...
Life is often busy. We are often on the move thinking about what we are doing or what we need to do. Our busyness sometimes diverts our attention from how Jesus serves us every day. We like to get things done. Achievement feels good. But sometimes in our daily routine, we lose sight of who God is and what He is doing for us. As Christians, we are sometimes more like Martha than we are Mary – we think more about serving Jesus than Jesus serving us. Martha opened her home to Jesus and...
Alone means “to the exclusion of all others or all else.” [1] If a billionaire revealed to you the secret location of a vault holding millions of dollars and gave you a key saying, “This key alone will unlock your fortune,” you would not want to lose that one irreplaceable key. Oops equals no fortune. At the same time, if the billionaire gave you one of 50 keys and forewarned you that the other 49 went to other people, you may want to snap to it to ensure you get at least some of the...