Romans 9:10–12 says that God’s choice of Jacob but not Esau is a striking case of divine election because the boys were twins and neither had a proper interest in the covenant at first.   My grandparents were legally permitted to leave communist Russia in the 1930s, in an era when borders were sealed. Almost... Continue Reading

What is most promising for an adaptation of The Magician’s Nephew is that Lewis’s use of narrative supposal ensures that discussions about Aslan, even if seriously flawed, will maintain meaningful points of connection to Jesus.   Early in the first century, a former skeptic turned devout Christian entered Athens. As he wandered the streets, the... Continue Reading

When morality is no longer undergirded by a definitive moral standard it can be redefined in all sorts of supposedly reasonable and rational ways, which leads to almost anything being accepted and justified.   During a trip to South Africa last year, I visited the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. In one section, a wall lists... Continue Reading

When someone falls in public, don’t imagine that it could “never” happen to you because you are so righteous and self-controlled. Pray for the victims and their family. Pray that the abuser is convicted and repents. And pray that you may not fall into sin in your heart.   Every so often the stories of... Continue Reading

Has someone denied your dignity? He or she is wrong. Don’t match your life with their words or actions but with God’s words and actions toward you. Take mismatched thoughts captive every time they pop up. Your dignity is not at stake.   True dignity comes from the Lord. It makes sense, because there is... Continue Reading

The peace that passes understanding, that belongs to those who belong to Christ, is neither from the world nor for the world.   My wife has a diamond ring passed down to her from her grandmother. Rather than being held in place by prongs, the gem is nestled in an old fashioned gold filigree setting.... Continue Reading

Jesus’s final words on the cross were a prayer drawn from a psalm: “Father into Your hands I commit My spirit” (Luke 23:46 drawing on Psalm 31:5). Jesus prayed the Bible in His final words.   Have you ever wondered what to pray? How about praying things you find in the Bible? The Bible doesn’t... Continue Reading

God’s presence isn’t a niche. It’s the plot. The book’s twelve chapters walk the whole route: creation and the Garden, the Flood, the patriarchs, Egypt and the exodus, the wilderness, the tabernacle, the temple, exile, and then Christ. From Christ it keeps going, into the Christian, the church, and the new creation.   Ask a... Continue Reading

We must rally constitutionally-minded Christians and Americans to the polls to take back our country and restore the vision of our Founding Fathers. And we also must persist in prayer. The Lord has moved through broken systems and people throughout the history of the world, and we can learn to trust His voice as we... Continue Reading