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Desperation, or True Worship
Read more: Desperation, or True WorshipOccasionally, I seem to think that I’ve got stuff pretty much worked out. I go through my life thinking that if I just make everybody at work happy, keep my family satisfied, advance myself somehow either in my career or educationally, if I just work hard enough or think long enough or talk with enough…
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God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)
Read more: God’s Presence & Absence (Or, Practical Eschatology)This summer I am working on my upcoming book on Esther for Wipf and Stock. This has taken me miles away from Galatia (where my doctoral research has largely resided) to the capital of the Persian Empire, Susa. Additionally, I am no longer in the first century, but am thinking about the reign of King…
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How Majestic is Your Name
Read more: How Majestic is Your Name“O LORD our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth. You have set your glory above the heavens. From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise because of your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.” (8:1-2) Recently I’ve been participating in a Hebrew reading group and we…
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Discipleship Principles
Read more: Discipleship Principles1. Discipleship is about a Relationship Michael Wilkins has defined a disciple of Jesus as one who “has come to Jesus for eternal life, has claimed Jesus as Savior and God, and has embarked upon the life of following Jesus.”[1] His very presence in my life and his promise to never leave nor…
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Straight Idolatry
Read more: Straight IdolatryI admit it. I’ve tried to “pray the gay away.” I’ve spent nights on my knees, asking God to take away my homosexual desires. Any Christian who struggles with same-sex attraction has probably done the same, and rightly so. Casting our cares on God should be the first thing we do (1 Peter 5:7). So…
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If “Better is one Day”… how sweet it is that “One Day” is “Every Day…”
Read more: If “Better is one Day”… how sweet it is that “One Day” is “Every Day…”“How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD of hosts! My soul longs, yes, faints for the courts of the LORD; my heart and flesh sing for joy to the living God. “ The rhythmic scrape of your leather sandal griping the rocky soil beneath them continues as you head up another hill. Also keeping…
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Orthodox at Heart: A Personal Reflection on the Church in Russia (Guest Post)
Read more: Orthodox at Heart: A Personal Reflection on the Church in Russia (Guest Post)Almost two years ago, I married a citizen of the Russian Federation; a daughter of Lenin’s dream for the Russian people—the Soviet Union. Upon learning that I would be living in Russia for an extended period, my knee-jerk reaction was to find an English speaking, Reformed congregation that resembled mine in the states. To be…
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Birthday Resolutions
Read more: Birthday ResolutionsToday is my birthday. I’ve always considered it my own personal New Year. Billions of people celebrate new beginnings on January 1st, but on June 20th that number drops to mere millions. (Two worth noting: fellow blogger Caleb Johnson and my dad.) So, in honor of another year, here are some of my birthday resolutions:…
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The Empty Ecstasy of Entertainment Escapism
Read more: The Empty Ecstasy of Entertainment EscapismLast weekend, numerous people throughout the country collectively invested $200.3 M into 2 hours and 23 minutes of their time. This investment was the purchase of a movie ticket to escape the world of reality to play in the super-hero fantasy world of The Avengers. I’ll confess: I tossed a few bucks into the pot…
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Hip Hop: It’s not good or bad, it’s how you use it (Guest Post)
Read more: Hip Hop: It’s not good or bad, it’s how you use it (Guest Post)What if I told you that you could saturate your mind with profound truths about the glory of God and the sufficiency and infallibility of the Bible through music? What if I told you that it was hip hop music? Would your embers of interest be further kindled if I told you that words and…