I grew up with that gospel chorus (by James M. Gray, president of Moody Bible Institute) and I think I know where he was coming from. But let’s carefully unpack its repeated motif: I am [present tense] only [no more than] a sinner saved by grace. I suggest we are doing God a grave disservice... Continue Reading →
How I predicted future events of 2020! (Or did I?)
May I express two opinions: ONE: I am not a hard “cessationist”, that is, there is not a single Bible verse that says the gift of prophecy ended with the apostles. Not Hebrews 2:4. Not 1 Corinthians 13:8-12. Certainly not Revelation 22:18-19. If cessationism is not explicitly taught in Scripture, I have no right to... Continue Reading →
“Wisdom” does not yield just one solution
1 Kings 12, which I am editing today for the SUN Old Testament. New king Rehoboam faces a revolt in Israel, and we know that God has planned that the rebels be successful. He consults with the older men, his father's advisors, the "elders." They advise caution. They say, be patient; be flexible with the... Continue Reading →
Lifelong Learning for Christian Leaders
Graduation speeches are a mixed bag at best. But I did hear a fine one at my high school in 1977; one of his counsels for the graduates was: “Extend your education, both formal and informal, as far as is possible.” This phrase has stuck with me ever since. Your brain is not a muscle,... Continue Reading →
Join us for Advanced Latin Reading in 2022!
Description: Our new Facebook group is the follow-up to Biblical Latin Group, which studied Wheelock during 2021. In, which include 2022 we will read the Gospel of John, Romans, Hebrews, among other canonical books. And we will mine deeply the Latin Per Diem posts on YouTube. Half the year we will spend on the classics... Continue Reading →
God’s Kingdom: right in front of your nose! Luke 17:21
A while ago, someone commented on this passage from Luke 17:20-21 – [1] Now when He was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered them and said, “The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, ‘See here!’ or ‘See there!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within [ἐντός/entos] you.” (I quote the NKJV here, since that resembles the Spanish... Continue Reading →
Testing 4 Truth, #4 – Athens and Jerusalem
For the first time ever in our blog’s 10-year history, we feature a series co-written by me, Gary Shogren; and our long-time friend, Tod Hannigan. Tod will do the heavy lifting on the philosophical end. This chapter is by Tod, who reports that, "Personally, the most difficult article I have written." “It was the best of... Continue Reading →
The two greatest commandments – do we really believe that the Bible got it right? Luke 10:25-42
Gary Shogren, “The two greatest commandments - do we really believe that the Bible got it right?” Luke 10:25-42 Watch us share and preach this message at Calvary Church on Long Island HERE! Who Is My Neighbor? 25 And behold, a lawyer [better – an expert in the Law of Moses] stood up to put... Continue Reading →
The Public Reading of Scripture in the Early Church in the Church of Today
A presentation given at an ESEPA conference in April 2021. The original Spanish version is found on my other blog under the title “La Lectura Oral de las Escrituras en la Iglesia Primitiva y en la Actualidad.” And you may download it as a pdf file: oral-reading-of-scripture-in-the-early-church-and-todayDownload Summary: In the early church, extensive oral scripture... Continue Reading →
Answering my mail IS ministry
Every week I spend perhaps an hour, responding to spiritual or theological questions that people send me by Messenger or email or through my blogs. Some weeks there are many questions. And believe me, I am pleased that people would ask. I am guided in this by my three "Patron Saints of Answering Questions." Bruce... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 