Current news reports (September 23/24, 2015) are pointing an accusing finger at a pharmaceutical company’s CEO for suddenly increasing the price of a medicine it manufactures and sells–from about $15 per pill to about $700 per pill. (The details vary, of course, because what price is charged can depend on the retailer.) Apparently, from reports I have seen on network news and read, this medicine has no competition; there is no generic or less expensive version or viable alternative. So,... Read more

Discussion of Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church Part Two A few days ago here I invited you to read Kingdom Conspiracy (Brazos Press, 2014) along with me and participate in a discussion of it here. Hopefully you have obtained the book by now and are prepared to participate as you wish. I will be offering my thoughts about the book in several response posts over the next couple weeks. This Part Two... Read more

Should A Christian Be President of the United States? According to news reports, a candidate for the Republican nomination for president of the United States was asked whether a Muslim should be president of the United States and he responded that he did not think so. Later, according to other news reports, he “clarified” that he meant that the American people are not ready for that. I immediately thought of Martin Luther’s comment that he would rather have a competent... Read more

Embarrassed by the Parousia? Evangelicals and the Return of Christ A while back I blogged here about evangelical embarrassment about the supernatural, miracles. I admitted then that most American evangelical Christians pay lip service to the reality of miracles but seem reluctant actually to believe in contemporary miracles—except “on the mission fields” (viz., Africa and Asia). This is a major change from when I was growing up in the “thick” of American evangelicalism. I suspect two things changed American evangelicalism’s... Read more

Discussion of Scot McKnight’s Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church Part One A few days ago here I invited you to read Kingdom Conspiracy (Brazos Press, 2014) along with me and participate in a discussion of it here. Hopefully you have obtained the book by now and are prepared to participate as you wish. I will be offering my thoughts about the book in several response posts over the next couple weeks. First, let me... Read more

I rarely post pictures here–especially of myself. But this one is a treasure (for me). After preaching my sermon “Certainty Not” in Truett Seminary chapel (Tuesday, September 15, 2015) we, the seminary community, enjoyed a casual lunch together with special guest Bill Gaither. Then he spoke for about thirty minutes. Afterwards, before we dismissed, I prayed over him (something we always do for our special guests). At the end of my prayer he launched into singing “Farther along, we’ll know... Read more

This morning (Tuesday, September 15, 2015) I preached in chapel at Baylor’s Truett Seminary. Bill Gaither was the special guest. I had the wonderful experience of singing a duet with him. It wasn’t planned; it just happened. Here is the sermon I preached:   “Certainty Not” (Truett Seminary Chapel, September 15, 2015) “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him and he will direct your path.” (Proverbs... Read more

I’m a life long card-carrying evangelical Christian. And yet I find it more difficult every year, especially every four years, to call myself “evangelical.” I blogged here recently about the news media labeling advocates of the “prosperity gospel,” the “gospel” of Word-Faith, “name it and claim it,” as “evangelical.” Now I see the news media labeling Falwell-founded Liberty University “evangelical.” (This is in news articles and broadcast stories about “democratic socialist” (his own label) Bernie Sanders’ campaign appearance there. I... Read more

A New Book Discussion Series: Scot McKnight, Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church In a few days I will begin a series of blog posts about theologian and New Testament scholar Scot McKnight’s very important recently published book Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church (Brazos Press, 2014). Those who have followed this blog very long know of my intense interest in discovering the meaning of “Kingdom of God.” There is... Read more

Is the “Prosperity Gospel” a Variety of Evangelicalism? I recently read a news article about “evangelicals” supporting Donald Trump for president of the United States. The focus of the article, its case study, was Florida mega-church pastor and sometime religious television personality Paula White. Her church in suburban Orlando attracts about twenty thousand attenders and thousands more watch her on television and read her writings. She is emerging as a leading spokesperson for “American evangelicals.” According to most sources I... Read more