“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with … Continue reading The Government of What?
The Great Commission Isn’t a Farewell Address
Can you identify the sources of these famous last words? “Money can’t buy life.” “I’m so thankful for the active obedience of Christ. No hope without it.” “Last words are for fools who haven’t said enough.” The answers are Bob Marley, J. Gresham Machen, and Karl Marx, in that order. A person’s deathbed words are … Continue reading The Great Commission Isn’t a Farewell Address
The Fruit of Faithful Presence: Reflecting on Pastor Wang Yi
In recent weeks, over 100 members of Early Rain Covenant Church in Chengdu, China, have been imprisoned. Among them is Pastor Wang Yi, one of China’s foremost Protestant pastors and Christian leaders. Foreseeing this possibility, Pastor Yi drafted a letter, “My Declaration of Faithful Disobedience,” leaving it in the keeping of his church to be … Continue reading The Fruit of Faithful Presence: Reflecting on Pastor Wang Yi
3 Identities of the Christian Man
Author’s note: this article is cross-posted on Founders.org. What is a Christian? In spite of the New Testament’s clarity, if you were to ask a dozen self-identified evangelicals about their Christian identity, you’d get a dozen, mystifying, disparate answers. Some would reject the label “Christian” in favor of a deconstructed term like “Jesus-follower” with presumably … Continue reading 3 Identities of the Christian Man
John Chau: Missions, Methodology, and Marytrdom
In the wake of the death of John Chau on the Indian island of North Sentinel, lots of questions have been raised about colonialism, conversionary missions, and a theology of sacrifice and martyrdom. Scott Dunford and I addressed these critical topics today in a special episode of The Missions Podcast. We humbly submit this interview … Continue reading John Chau: Missions, Methodology, and Marytrdom
The Time Mothering Saved the World
Conventional wisdom says that everybody loves their mother. It’s a man’s one thing—apart from one’s beard—that his fellow man isn’t to insult. Even Mussolini, nature dictates, had a soft spot for his mammina. But somehow, even though everyone has a mother, a segment of society has managed to declare war on motherhood. This war has … Continue reading The Time Mothering Saved the World
The Cost of ‘Kingdom’ Talk
Author’s note: this article is cross-posted on Founders.org. Everybody wants the rights to the term “kingdom.” The word, as an adjective in Christian parlance, roughly translates, “Any vaguely spiritual activity or notion.” Clocking a few hours at a soup kitchen isn’t just volunteerism, it’s “kingdom work.” My menial life can be transcended and replaced with … Continue reading The Cost of ‘Kingdom’ Talk
The Right Kind of Reductionism
“Evangelical” is a dirty word these days. Not just because of the politicization of the term; that’s a given. Rather, it’s becoming taboo even within theologically conservative, Bible-believing Christian circles (heretofore known as evangelicalism). W. Robert Godfrey, in lecture 72 of his church history series, notes that “evangelical” is not strictly synonymous with conservative Protestantism … Continue reading The Right Kind of Reductionism
Transition, Trust, and Tablescapes
Life in ministry is teeming with transitions. Whether it’s moving your family to answer a pastoral calling, sending off a missionary from your church, bringing onboard a new pastor, or passing through parted waters of seminary on dry ground—a life lived in service of the kingdom is always in flux, never fixed in one easy, … Continue reading Transition, Trust, and Tablescapes
Don’t Be a Fruit Lobbyist
You want a trim figure but don’t want to count calories. You want the six-figure income but don’t take initiative at the office. You want to regain marital intimacy but won’t budget for a date. These scenarios expose a truth about our nature: we all covet the product but cringe at the process. Either we … Continue reading Don’t Be a Fruit Lobbyist
