Jesus and the demoniac

Jesus demonstrated His supreme power over nature in the stilling of the storm (Mk. 4:35-41), and immediately after crossing the lake to the other side, he is confronted by a powerful demoniac (Mk. 5:1ff). We know he is powerful because the man has lost complete control over his senses, as evidenced by his lack of […]

Sunday Leftovers: the Gospel and Evangelism

Few topics produce guilt in the mind of the believer like evangelism. We know we should be more attentive to evangelism, but too often we see it as a dutiful obligation and task instead of a joyous privilege and honor. Over the past three weeks, we have spent time considering principles relating to evangelism in […]

Two helpful definitions of evangelism

The Lausanne Conference on Evangelism (1974) defined evangelism this way: “To evangelize is to spread the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins and was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures, and that as the reigning Lord he now offers the forgiveness of sins and the liberating gift of the Spirit […]

A psalm of the cross

Psalm 22 is familiar to many readers not so much for the psalm itself, but for how Christ and the New Testament writers used this psalm. Spurgeon calls it “The Psalm of the Cross,” writing, “It is the photograph of our Lord’s saddest hours, the record of his dying words, the lachrymatory of his last […]

A motive for evangelism

In Acts 17:16, Luke notes that while Paul was in Athens, “his spirit was being provoked within him as he was observing the city full of idols.” Contemplating this verse, John Stott offers a motive for missions that is not often considered. He’s right. “…the pain or ‘paroxysm’ which Paul felt in Athens was due […]

Something unexpected on my iPod

Those who know my musical tastes (think Beethoven, Mozart, and Handel for “secular” music and Michael Card, Fernando Ortega, and the Gettys for Christian music), might be as surprised as my daughter was the other day to find Shai Linne on my iPod. Christian rap is not something I listen to with regularity, but I […]

Understanding Christ’s Parables

In Mark 4 (the parallel passage of Mt. 13 and Luke 8) Jesus begins teaching in parables, starting with perhaps the most well-known parable, the parable of the soils. Yet as He taught, the disciples were confused (v. 10; cf. also Mt. 13:10; Lk. 8:9) — why was He changing His method of teaching, and […]

A brief lesson about demons

In Luke 8, Jesus confronts the demoniac known as Legion. And in a spectacular demonstration of His power, and with something of a sense of irony, Jesus sends the demons into a herd of pigs, who then rush over a cliff to a watery grave. Yet in this story, some basic realities about demons are […]

Listen up!

Two weeks after she was born, we discovered our daughter had a hearing loss. Within three months, she was wearing two hearing aids. And since that time, we have always been grateful for every word she has heard and every sound she has been able to make (she’s now in high school and has played […]

Journal of Biblical Counseling back in print

Four years after it ceased publication, CCEF is again publishing The Journal of Biblical Counseling. And now each issue is available for free reading online. And it can also be downloaded as a PDF for free. Or you may order printed copies for a nominal subscription fee. Here is David Powlison’s explanation of the new […]

The compassion of Christ

A student once asked anthropologist Margaret Mead the indications of civilization in a culture. He thought that she might reply with something like a clay pot or a fish hook or a grinding stone. Instead, he was surprised by her answer, “a healed femur.” Mead explained to the young student that no healed femurs are […]

A few more reasons to read a book

I have a Kindle. I use my Kindle. I like my Kindle. But it’s hard to disagree with this reasoning about why we should read books with real paper. DOGHOUSE | Reading Technology.

Sunday Leftovers: gospel basics

One of the reasons we are reticent to communicate the gospel to unbelievers is that we are uncertain of what we should say. What is the essence of the gospel? What is its most basic elements? Many years ago, I learned a half-dozen words and some Scriptures that align with each truth that comprise the […]

Hope for the weary

A few years ago a motorcycle police officer noticed a vehicle that appeared to be dragging something behind it. As he drew closer and then began to pass the car, he saw that the something was a basset hound at the end of a leash that was caught in the car door. He said of […]

The benefits of Scripture

Most decisions we make are run through the benefits grid, as in, “what’s in it for me?” Or, “how will this help me?” If you are offered a new job, an early question is, “what’s the benefits package?” When you consider a change in diet or exercise, you want to know, “how will this help […]