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Jesus Stands with the Accused

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In Biblical times there was a law that said a man could send his wife away with a certificate of divorce if she no longer found favor in his eyes. “She grew old and wrinkled, so I traded her in for a younger model.” This was not a good law, and Jesus didn’t like it. When asked about it he basically said, “Moses gave you this law because you have rocks for hearts.” It was a bad law for bad husbands. Worse, some of these heartless husbands were only obeying the first part of the law. They were sending out their wives without giving them a certificate of divorce. It was a rotten deal for women. Sent out into the cold with no means of support, they couldn’t remarry without committing adultery. They were in an impossible situation. Someone had to say something. Jesus did. “Whosoever sends away his wife and marries another, commits adultery.” Jesus hammered these hard-hearted husbands with the very law they were exploiting. “You men think you’re clever, but you’re hurting women and breaking the law.” In a religious culture obsessed with rules, divorced people are sometimes judged as second-class citizens, even adulterers. “As long as [...]

When is the Second Coming?

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Every so often some omen or portent sets Facebook alight with the prospect of Christ’s imminent return. “Blood moons! Aligning planets! Israel sneezed! Jesus is coming – see the signs!” I have been hearing claims like these for decades and, I have to tell you, they sound increasingly ridiculous. I appreciate that making predictions – even bad ones – is a great way to sell books or generate traffic. But bad prophecies and end times hysteria give the church a bad name and fill people with fear. How much better if we stick to what the Bible says, and the Bible says four things about the timing of the Lord’s return. 1. No one knows the hour or day The disciples wanted to know when Jesus would come and he replied, “I don’t know” (see Matthew 24:36). Evidently the disciples had a hard time accepting this, because after he rose from the dead they asked him again. “Lord, is it at this time you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by his own authority.” (Acts 1:6-7) In other words, “I still [...]

An Apology to the People of New Zealand

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As a New Zealander, I was deeply saddened to hear about the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that hit north Canterbury in the early hours of Monday morning. As a Cantabrian, I groaned with the thought of “Not again.” In times of disaster it is natural to ask why. Why do bad things keep happening? And why […]

The 5 Comings of Jesus

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Imagine you lived 2,000 years ago and were waiting for the coming of Jesus. You expected him to come soon but you weren’t sure where he would appear. So you studied the scriptures and listened to different teachers, but that only increased your confusion. One group, quoting the prophet Micah, said the Messiah would come […]

Coming to the Temple

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Here’s an obscure prophecy about Jesus that probably affects you more than you know: “Behold, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, he is […]

Relief in Your Troubles

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The first check I ever got from coaching basketball, I didn’t cash. I kept it as a souvenir. But the second, third, and every other check went straight into my bank account. That’s a nice story, but imagine if I told you that first check was for a million dollars. If you came to my […]

The Sinless Life (1 John 3:6)

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When the Holy Spirit came into your life the change in you was like night and day. It’s like you were given a heart transplant. Your old heart, which was captive to desires of the flesh and enslaved to sin, was replaced with a new heart with new desires and appetites. Your new heart beats […]

Did God Kill the Jews in AD70?

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For 2,000 years prominent Christian theologians such as John Chrysostom, John Calvin, Matthew Henry, John Gill, Adam Clarke, Albert Barnes, and others have taught that the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 was God’s doing. One unfortunate fruit of this bad teaching has been a long history of Jewish massacres initiated by people who believed they […]

How Do I Know I’m Saved?

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“Are you saved? Are you sure?” These questions are sometimes used to scare people into signing up for works-based insurance, which is bad. But the questions themselves are legitimate. In scripture we are exhorted to examine ourselves to see whether we are in the faith (2 Cor 13:5). As I have explained elsewhere, this does not mean […]

Love Keeps No Record of Wrongs

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Have you heard the one about how God is recording everything you say and do, and on Judgment Day he’ll show all your dark, dirty secrets on a big TV screen? It’s a frightening thought—but it’s a fiction. God is not like that. God is love, and love keeps no record of wrongs. Not a … … Continue reading →

The “Patience” of Job

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The Bible is full of humor and wisdom and if you don’t believe me, read this: As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. (James 5:11) This verse makes me […]

Who are the Hypergrace Preachers?

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Hypergrace, according to some, is a dangerous and unbiblical teaching that is leading people down a licentious path to hell. Apparently the “rock-star preachers” promoting this hypergrace heresy will be “held accountable for the spiritual death of millions.” By proclaiming God’s unconditional love and forgiveness, hypergrace preachers have taken grace too far, say the critics. […]

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