In a time of suffering, David engaged in righteous self-talk about how he should respond in light of God’s goodness: “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” (Psalm 27:14). The call to wait on God is an invitation to trust and hope. It entails believing that one day—even if today is not that day—He will make all things right. In times of waiting, as we seek God in prayer, we must learn... Read more
I recently received this question: Our ministry is setting up a retreat center for Christian leaders, and has the opportunity to long-term lease some beautiful facilities on government property. However, their requirement is that the general public also be able to use the facilities, which are currently used for weddings. We may not be able to eliminate weddings, and are concerned because we do not want to host gay weddings, which would violate our convictions. What are your thoughts? Here... Read more
On Sunday, June 2, President Trump showed up unannounced to McLean Bible Church in Vienna, Virginia, which is pastored by David Platt. A White House spokesperson said the president was there to “visit with the pastor and pray for the victims and community of Virginia Beach.” Joe Carter sets up what happened next: “The president arrived at 2:25 pm during a musical performance and wore khakis and a jacket over a polo shirt. He held a golf hat. During the 15-minute visit to... Read more
In a sermon on “The Heavenly Singers and Their Song,” Charles Spurgeon wrote this: “They sang a new song, saying, ‘Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth’” (Revelation 5:9-10). I must take away the poetry... Read more
A while back I was asked to share some thoughts on 1 Peter 5:5 for a study series for my church. Here’s the video, and below is an edited transcript. I’ve made some substantial edits and additions, so the words below have a fair amount not in the video. First Peter 5:5 (ESV) says: Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the... Read more
We know that God isn’t against technology. After all, He gave us the creativity to make it, and technology helps us govern the earth as He commanded. I have always loved science (and science fiction) and artificial intelligence doesn’t scare me, it fascinates me. Still, because of sin, technology can be used for bad as well as for good. With great potential for good comes great potential for evil. That’s why I encourage you to read this statement from the... Read more
I’ve been asked by readers over the years, “Why don’t you capitalize the pronouns referring to God in your books?” The old practice of capitalizing pronouns of deity has been done in very few Bible translations historically, and was abandoned by most Christian publishers years ago. I continued to do it for years but it created inconsistencies since I would capitalize pronouns of deity, then quote Scripture that didn’t. The inconsistency stood out. The only alternative would be to quote... Read more
I heard a pastor say, “There will be no more learning in Heaven.” One writer says that in Heaven, “Activities such as investigation, comprehending and probing will never be necessary. Our understanding will be complete.” [1] In a Gallup poll of people’s perspectives about Heaven, only 18 percent thought people would grow intellectually in Heaven. [2] Does Scripture indicate that we will learn in Heaven? Yes. Consider Ephesians 2:6-7: “God raised us up with Christ and seated us with... Read more
Last month on April 20, was the 20th anniversary of the shooting at Columbine High School. Like many of us, I vividly remember the shock as the events unfolded. As part of my research for my book If God Is Good, I interviewed and exchanged correspondence with many people who shared their stories and perspectives. One of those people was Darrell Scott, whose daughter Rachel Joy Scott was the first person killed at Columbine. When Darrell looked back at his daughter’s... Read more
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My Concerns about the Responses to David Platt and Sunday’s Visit by President Trump; and a Call to Repentance
In my previous blog post, I shared a letter from Pastor David Platt, who publicly prayed for President Trump when he came unannounced to McLean Bible Church on Sunday, June 2. When we posted a link to the article on my Facebook page, there were a lot of comments, many of which were bewildering and saddening to me. I’m not talking about mere disagreement, which is normal and which I welcome; this was something far deeper than differing opinions. This will... Read more