The coming millennium is a strange mix of the Beginning and the End. It proffers scientific breakthroughs, communication at lightning speed, perhaps greater length of life–mixed blessings at best. We sympathize with T. S. Eliot: “Man is advancing progressively backwards.” Here are some trends to watch for in this downward spiral. Globalism/Tribalism: The internet, media […]
As the present millennium winds to a close and a new millennium looms before us, many are speculating concerning what we should expect in this new age. Newsweek magazine recently disclosed that there are 239 different web sites on the Internet exploring the uncertainty of the coming millennium. Philosophers, scientists, sociologists, and religious leaders are […]
Someone has maliciously said that it would be about as worthwhile if the weatherman theorized the stock market trends, and the financial guru tried predicting the weather. Of course we will not attempt either. What then? Many Bible students find it preposterous to suppose that the third millennium since Christ, will pass without Christ. This […]
Last month we considered Calvinism’s view of salvation, forming the acrostic T-U-L-I-P. But someone has observed that Arminians have a flower, too–the daisy: “He loves me; He loves me not….” This refers to the question in the fifth Arminian point which wondered about the possibility of true believers losing their salvation. More of that later. […]
One of the most common sports-related injuries today is dislocated joints. Though I’ve never experienced such an injury, those who have tell me it is very painful and that it renders the affected limb useless until the dislocation can be corrected. The repair is usually rather quick, though not painless. It can be made tolerable […]
The Bible does not need to reveal the fact that man is a sinner. But it discloses just how grim is the prognosis. Observe the names of sins. In Numbers 15, a distinction is given between “sins of ignorance” and “sins of presumption.” The Psalmist prays (Ps. 19) that he may be “cleansed” from the […]
Some evangelical believers regard formal learning with suspicion and doubt. Part of this may be a fear of the unknown. To the person with no education after high school, university training may seem quite foreboding. To many, a man with a PhD may be very intimidating. Consequently, some delight in demeaning education–especially theological education with […]
The following story is true. Only the name has been changed–to protect the guilty! Harold is an avid reader. Whether the Bible, a newspaper or book, you could always find him in his favorite chair in the living room reading. In the early years of their marriage, his wife would often make the mistake of […]
John Foxe (1516-1587), born in Lincolnshire, England, was an English church historian whose massive and unanswerable work, The Acts and Monuments, nerved all of England against the Church of Rome. John entered his training at Brazenose College, Oxford when just sixteen–in the same year that Henry VIII’s Church of England made its breach with Rome. […]