Does God get disappointed in believers when we disobey?

Does God get disappointed when we believers sin? Here is a thoughtful and helpful answer from David Powlison: The statement I found particularly helpful: “Being not under wrath but under grace does not mean God is now somehow indifferent and does not respond appropriately to our sins.…There is a fatherly displeasure that God’s revealed in […]

Grab bag

From around the internet: A brief Q&A with Billy Graham revealed some reflections on aging (both how older and younger should think about it) and his life of ministry. I statement that I found particularly interesting: I also would have steered clear of politics. I’m grateful for the opportunities God gave me to minister to […]

Sunday Leftovers (1/23/11)

Husbands, love your wives. Those are easy words to speak — “sure, I love my wife…” we might quickly say. But if the pressure in the crucible increases, what will be revealed? If repeated slights and misunderstandings are left unresolved and accumulate over years, will I still love her? If significant, trust-violating sin intrudes the […]

One more reason why right to life is right

Writing in World a few years ago, Gene Veith contemplated the ethics of abortion: Acting outside of vocation is at the root of many of our problems.…Why is abortion wrong? A mother is called to love and serve her child, not take its life. Why is euthanasia wrong? Doctors are called to love and serve […]

Thirty-eight years of getting what we want

This weekend it will be 38 years since the infamous Roe v. Wade Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion in the United States. It is true that the total number of abortions and the abortion rate in the United States have been declining from 1990 until the most recent statistics in 2008, when there was […]

Happy with what you have received?

At Christmas, many presents are unwrapped and on occasion (frequently?) the revelation of what is inside is met with disappointment. The gift did not meet expectations. Life seems to work that way for some people, too. The unfolding of days and the accumulation of years yields a product that is less than what was desired […]

A new Getty song

The Gettys are releasing a new song entitled, “Kyrie Eleison (Lord Have Mercy). Here it is performed by the Christ Church choir in Nashville, TN: Go to Gettymusic for more information.

God is Infinite

When we speak of the attributes and nature of God, we are attempting to comprehend the incomprehensible. Finite beings have no categories for infinity as it relates to time (eternity), knowledge (omniscience), strength (omnipotence), space (omnipresence), morality (holiness and purity), authority (sovereignty), or anything else. Yet, the Lord has given us some ability to move […]

There’s an Aggie in the house!

This blog is generally not for personal posts. But on occasion, I feel compelled to share some happy personal news. Today is one of those days. Late this evening, Elizabeth remembered — “It’s Wednesday!” That’s the day that Texas A & M posts acceptance letters for next fall. She logged in. She uttered a long […]

Book Review: The Suffering Letters of C. H. Spurgeon

Title: The Suffering Letters of C. H. Spurgeon Author: Charles Spurgeon Publisher: Wakeman Trust, 2007; 155 pp. $13.99 Recommendation (4-star scale): I first came across this title a few years when Phil Johnson wrote a post about it: “Broken in Two by the Hammer of Pain.” I was unable to find a copy somewhat locally, […]

The Bible – in one sentence

I came across this blog post and question last week: “What’s the message of the Bible in one sentence?” And it got me to wondering: how would I articulate the theme of the Bible so briefly? I came up with two answers, kind of like the Westminster Confession — one shorter and one longer. Here […]

Real Shame

If you weary of reality shows and wonder how you should think of them, Carl Trueman has given some careful thinking to understanding confession, restoration, and its relationship to public life. A man who betrays his wife can be forgiven; but I am not sure he can be forgiven for making it an opportunity to […]

Submission defined

I have found John Piper’s statements on what submission is and is not to be very helpful in understanding what Paul means in Eph. 5:22-24. What is submission? What then is submission? It is the disposition to follow a husband’s authority and an inclination to yield to his leadership. It is an attitude that says, […]

Sunday Leftovers (1/16/11)

In exhorting wives to submit to the leadership of their husbands (Eph. 5:22-24), Paul reminds readers that submission is not just to her husband, but to the Lord (vv. 21, 22, 24). And he also reminds wives that there is a relationship between their submission and the way the church submits to Christ. In other […]

Friesen on the will of God

I have appreciated Garry Friesen’s book, Decision Making and the Will of God for a long time (the first edition is better than the updated second edition). I recently came across his website where he has much content from his book and many reviews of books that coincide with his position and contradict his position. […]