One of the problems with preachers who are obsessed with prophecy is that virtually read every current event as a sign that Jesus is coming back. Most of us see the mistake in that view. But we could fall into the opposite extreme so that we don’t think much about Jesus’ second coming. For instance, the Abstract of Principles, the statement of faith at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary where I teach, says nothing about Jesus coming back. Surely it was assumed when the statement was written. Still, such a cardinal doctrine should be stated outright.
Psalm 87 may strike a first time reader as an odd psalm. Why would an entire psalm be dedicated to people from various forgotten nations like Rhab (a name for Egypt), Babylon, Philistia, Tyre and Cush? Furthermore, why would they be found boasting that they were “born in Zion” as declared in verses 4, 5 and 6 of the Psalm?
1. God is the greatest Reality in the universe.
And pastors swim in that sea with ever-replenished joy.
I am the Lᴏʀᴅ, and there is no other, besides me there is no God. (Isaiah 45:5)
I spend a lot of time alone. And I like it. Working on my laptop, reading a book, or just listening to the birds outside my window, I cherish any time I get to myself. As an introvert, I’m wired that way. I enjoy (some) people, but I need my time alone.
Katherine Weber of the Christian Post recently asked Dr. Daniel Wallace three questions about the authenticity of the Gospel of Judas:
1) What are your thoughts on the authenticity of the Gospel of Judas? Is ink testing and comparison, in your opinion, an adequate method of determining the validity of an ancient text?
2) What criticisms do you have of the Gospel of Judas’ authenticity?
3) If it became a fact that the Gospel of Judas were real, how would this change the study of the New Testament?
Just released from the giant publishing firm, Houghton Miflin Harcourt: A New New Testament: A Bible for the 21st Century Combining Traditional and Newly Discovered Texts, edited by Hal Taussig.
Here are some good resources to complement Dr. Breshears' Spiritual Warfare course on BT:
I am answering questions at Solid Rock Church on March 10. I have complete certainty that there will not be enough time to even begin to answer all the questions. So I am putting a few good resources up for people to look at.
When terrible things happen, most people wonder what the purpose of life is. And many ask, “Is God speaking to me?” They might wonder if God is punishing them. Even people who don’t have a strong faith in God often wonder if God is punishing them when disaster strikes. We know from the Bible, of course, that it is wrong to think that all misfortunes in life are the result of personal sin. Jesus tells us in John 9 that the blind man wasn’t blind because of his sin.
Anselm was a well known 11th century Benedictine monk who has mostly been forgotten by the contemporary church. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury and was known for his courage. His ministry was marked by many conflicts with the power brokers of his day as he insisted on the truth of the gospel. He was also known for his great theological mind.
The great poet Samuel Coleridge wrote a poem entitled The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In the poem a ship is being followed by an Albatross, one of the great birds of the sea with a wingspan of up to twelve feet. They live on remote islands in the Pacific Ocean. In the ancient world it was widely regarded as a good omen for a ship to be followed by an Albatross. However, in Coleridge’s classic poem one of the sailors shoots the Albatross with a crossbow and kills it, bringing sure doom to the voyage.