A great deal of New Testament imagery assumes a knowledge of Old Testament narrative. In a sense, the New Testament is like a painting painted in colours lifted directly from Old Testament canvases and therefore you have to read the Old Testament –…

It would be difficult to think of a word that is more central to our identity as Christians than the word “repentance”. According to Matthew it was the theme of the first sermon every preached by Jesus. Jesus was travelling around Galilee and saying:…

When we are meditating upon the agonies of Christ upon the cross it may be helpful to revisit the narratives of judgment upon Israel that are found in the Old Testament. One of the things we say (quite rightly) is that Jesus suffered the punishment…

I’m not sure if the term Young Restless and Reformed ever really applied to me. I am 45 years old, so that really doesn’t qualify as young. I’ve never self-identified as restless and I’m not entirely comfortable referring to myself as “reformed”. L…

This is the better way. Better than incredible spiritual giftedness. Better than profound theological insight. Better than flamboyant personal sacrifice. This is the better way: “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not…

Many of the visions in the Book of Revelation are like paintings created with colours and symbols that have been lifted off of Old Testament canvases. Thus understanding the original context in which the symbol appeared is often the key to correctly…

All Christian discourse, is in some sense a dealing in mystery. To speak of “mystery” in the theological sense is simply to acknowledge that the reality of things far exceeds our insight and understanding as human beings. This is true with respect…

Is anger a fruit of the Spirit? In rare cases, it may well be. The Bible describes what happened to Saul when he heard about the plans of Nahash the Ammonite: “So they told him the news of the men of Jabesh. 6 And the Spirit of God rushed upon…

It is interesting to notice how often the Bible makes mention of physical beauty. If God judges the heart then why are there so many passages that specifically allude to a person’s physical appearance? 1 Samuel 9:2 is a perfect example: And he had a…

We sometimes assume that a great disaster will surely bring about revival – but that is not always the case. People don’t always connect the dots from great apostasy to great calamity. In Jeremiah’s day he had a fascinating argument with the exiles…

The doctrine of pacifism is generally, though not exclusively, associated with the Anabaptists. The Anabaptists came out of the Radical Reformation and stressed adult or believer’s baptism (the prefix ana means “again”), communalism and a belief in…

After every mass shooting we are immediately reminded by media personalities, politicians and even pastors that NOW is not the time to talk about guns. We need to pray, listen, empathize, and eulogize the victims and the first responders. Yes. Abso…