Gary Shogren's Blog
The first time I listened to a music CD was in late 1986, at my friend Tim’s house. I’d been out of the country for some years, so I was probably the last of my circle of friends to actually hear one. Tim had a monster sound system, and he put on “In the Digital... Continue Reading →
On May 21, it was all over the news, that Harold Camping's prediction of the rapture had not taken place and that a worldwide earthquake had not wracked the planet. We predicted on this blog that Camping would Backpedal: for example, change the date, say that the earthquake was “symbolic” not literal Denial: Jesus really... Continue Reading →
The New Testament gives no formula for choosing a husband or wife. Yes, in 1 Corinthians 7, Paul speaks to a widow who wishes to marry ‘is free to marry anyone she wishes, only in the Lord,’ that is, only if the new husband is a Christian. Apart from that, the instruction that Paul gives... Continue Reading →
It was 9pm EDT and I was hooked up to Family Radio by internet, since I live outside the US. Harold Camping was going to speak and explain why the Rapture didn't come on May 21. Remember, Camping had been absolutely clear about what was going to happen: the Rapture of 200 million people and... Continue Reading →
May 21 has come and gone. You won’t hear an “I told you so” from this Christian. No jokes. No funny looks. No condescending pity. Only concern. When someone predicts a date for the rapture, it is not a miscalculation, but an actual sin.[1] It is a sin that has dreadful consequences for those who... Continue Reading →
Please also see my blog after May 22: http://justinofnablus.com/2011/05/22/for-campings-followers-its-may-22-lets-have-a-serious-talk/ There are thousands of followers of Family Radio who believe that the Lord will return on May 21, 2011. I have read the material of Harold Camping and am thoroughly convinced that his calculations are groundless. He is a man of boundless imagination but he uses... Continue Reading →
The first great commandment for the Christian is to love God, the second great commandment to love one's neighbor as oneself (Matt 22:34-40). The first great commandment for the Christian pastor is to love God, the second to love one's neighbor, and especially one's flock. A pastor must represent Christ to other people, principally in... Continue Reading →
It is no simple thing to preach the Word of God. Powerful dark forces are arrayed to draw us away from our task. They sometimes succeed in doing so, even without our awareness of it. I bring this up because this week I saw several FB references to “what [famous North American preacher] Rob Bell... Continue Reading →
The city of Bucharest in December, 1994 was celebrating the 5th anniversary of Ceauşescu's overthrow. I attended another celebration, the grand opening of the first Pizza Hut in Romania. It was also frigid cold. I was teaching Greek 1 at Timotheus Bible College. The building was still only a shell. It had sporadic electricity, but... Continue Reading →
This article was originally published as “Recovering God in the Age of Therapy” by Gary Steven Shogren, in Journal of Biblical Counseling 12, No. 1 (Fall 1993): 14-19. Note: I wrote this as a lecture in 1992, to comment upon Christian literature of the 80s-90s. I have not attempted to update the examples, since they... Continue Reading →
Open Our Eyes, Lord! 