Christian Living

Terrie will never let me forget our first couples retreat at Lancaster Baptist Church. Trying to save on cost, I rented a large house by a lake, rather than reserving hotel rooms. And I was such a rookie pastor that I literally had the men sleep on the first floor and the ladies on the second floor.

One day, over two million people gathered for a special meeting with their leader. The leader was old, and everyone present knew this may be his final public speech. The people listened closely as this respected statesman recounted their national history in a mere eleven sentences.

The word panacea means “a cure-all for problems or difficulties.” It has the idea of an effective remedy or solution for all problems regardless of their dimensions, difficulties, or dismay. Trials and afflictions are part of the Christian life. Without them, we can’t grow in the Lord.

Many people who reject Christianity remain convinced that Jesus did exist. E. P. Sanders has shown that the core facts of Jesus’ life are accepted by the majority of historians, regardless of their religious beliefs. In fact, some former atheists like Dr. Michael Bird cite the evidence for the historical Jesus as a key reason for their conversion to Christianity.

As we begin the fall semester here in Lancaster, I’m reminded of the irreplaceable benefits of an on-campus Bible college experience. Here are a few:

The Epistle of James could be classified as a wisdom book of the New Testament, similar to the “wisdom books” (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon) of the Old Testament. It is also a book that has an emphasis on prayer. In the blessed promise of James 1:5 we find both themes combined.

On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse crossed the continental United States, an event that had not happened for nearly a century. Tens of millions of people, crammed into a 70-mile-wide path that crosses our country from Oregon to the Carolinas, stood looking up at the sky.

In this Psalm, young David is running for his life from King Saul. God providentially preserves him, and he has a message for all who come behind him: there is a God in Heaven who hears the cries of His children! No matter why and how far we run, God is only a prayer away.

Is it just me, or do you sometimes have an “off day” too? As much as I want to wake up every day ready to take the world on and, by the end of the day, have a completed to-do list, all with actions that truly made a difference for eternity, no less; that’s just not the way it always happens.

We are bombarded with error. Newspapers, television, billboards, radio, and magazines all try to fill our minds and hearts with philosophies and ideas that are completely contrary to Scripture. Here are some thoughts to help strengthen the Lord’s people against these attacks.

It’s common to human nature—we want surface fixes. Pastors know this from counseling. You meet with someone who has major needs in his life, but all he really wants is a quick fix to the immediate crisis—not the help to deal with the root causes. Pastors are guilty of this too, however.

The early “infancy period” of the church is fascinating to read about in the book of Acts. In just a few years’ time, local churches of baptized believers were established in dozens of cities in the Mediterranean region.

None of us preach in a vacuum. We live “in this present world” and have been commissioned by God to declare His gospel in it.

Abraham was a principal figure in God’s plan to redeem mankind, and his story is central to the record in the book of Genesis. One of the most striking and important events of his story is the offering of Isaac, described in chapter 22.

The existence of God has been the subject of debate for hundreds of years. The fact that the number of non-church goers, skeptics, and atheists is on the rise is not surprising. “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

The typical American attitude about summer is that it is a great time to kick back and relax. But could there be more to it? As a parent, when our children were young, Terrie and I saw summer as a time to invest in their lives in ways that were not as possible during the school year.

The miraculous history of the United States of America is due in part to the sacred fire of the American pulpit. It has been the preachers who have unashamedly preached the whole counsel of God’s Word.

One of my favorite of the American founding fathers is Patrick Henry. I remember visiting his estate at Red Hill several years ago in Eastern Virginia. In the museum, was a copy of his last will and testament.

The picture above illustrates an important truth about priorities and relationships. It’s a multi-tiered fountain. Imagine, if you would, your life as a fountain, and each of the levels are your priorities.

Summer is almost as good as a new year for the fresh energy it gives us in setting goals and planning times of renewal. Of course, summer means different things to different people. To students, it means “freedom.” To farmers, it means “work”!