Lighten Up: Your Church Should Welcome This Friend

What did Jesus mean when he said he came not to bring peace, but a sword (Mt 10:34)? January 9, 2008

Given Jesus’ uniform teaching about loving enemies and abstaining from violence, and given that his followers were known for their refusal to engage in violence for the first three hundred years of church history, it’s obvious that Jesus wasn’t saying he came so that his disciples would use swords. The context of Jesus’ comment makes…

What does the Bible mean when it says God “sent an evil spirit” on certain people? December 18, 2018

Question: In Judges 9:23, I Samuel 16:15ff and 18:10 it is said that God sends evil spirits on people. Doesn’t this support the idea that everything Satan and demons do is under God’s sovereign control? Answer: I’ll make six points in response to this question. 1) If everything Satan and demons do is under “God’s…

How do you respond to 2 Samuel 17:14–15? January 17, 2008

“Absalom and all the men of Israel said, ‘The counsel of Hushai the Archite is better than the counsel of Ahithophel.’ For the Lord had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the Lord might bring ruin on Absalom.” This passage is sometimes cited to support the view that God ordains all…

Lighten Up: And So It Began December 20, 2013

Lighten Up: Experience Informs August 15, 2014

If you don’t think the world is filled with injustice, it might be because you’re at the top of the food chain.  

Lighten Up: Random Acts of Kindness December 5, 2014