Ron Arko was my spiritual father, my Paul and my Barnabas, always encouraging me, my writings, and my blog posts. He was always there for me when I needed him. The irony is that I need him here right now to help me get through his going home. You stepped onto the battlefield, while others…
Don’t get stuck in the rut of seeing the forest from (the perspective of) the trees. If you get close enough to any tree you will see blemishes, imperfections, and problems. Stand back and see the trees from (the perspective of) the forest and watch your worries decrease and your joy grow. When you see…
What to do when you feel overwhelmed about the blurred lines of morality? What to do when you feel grieved over the cross-pollination of good and evil, right and wrong, in our ever-changing culture? There’s been so much media-attention recently concerning the political views and actions of the Right and the Left. There’s a presidential…
On a recent trip with my wife to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California, we got to experience most of what makes this town so charming. Besides being known for its celebrity-influenced politics–Clint Eastwood as former mayor and Doris Day as animal welfare activist–Carmel is world famous for its European-style architecture. Below are some personal pics of our short…
Works of faith, not works and faith, is what pleases God. A sincere faith that produces good works is most beneficial for the preservation of all creation. It’s in our best interest to investigate, refine, and express our faith in order to “redeem our consciousness” (Luther), and preserve our purity for the sake of others….
If we are to be like Christ, we must know something of self-sacrifice. To think that God will not refine us through the fires of pain and suffering, and melt away our imperfections like the dross of silver is to relegate the tao of Christianity. Let us embrace sufferings that serve to embrace our longing…
I am sharing with you what is now Chapter 7 of my book Biblical Ethics. This happens to be my favorite chapter because it’s chock-full of vivid explanations of God’s emotional life and flourishing. It’s also a topic that is not talked about much from the pulpit, which I believe needs to be discussed in…
When we live the way we are supposed to, God is glorified and we are blessed (happy)! Sadly, most well-meaning dutiful Christians take issue with the notion that happiness is for the here-and-now, delaying it for the afterlife. Too often they gorge themselves on an ethical diet of doing the right thing out of a…
When I was in graduate school at Biola, I had a professor who would call us “naturalists”! At the time I thought he was saying it in jest, but now I realize he was at least partially kidding. So how can self-professed Christians be naturalists? I think what my professor meant was that as Christians…
one should read the BIBLE as a mystery novel: a story of prideful irony (sin) and ironic pride (salvation) one should peruse its pages for the character development of villain and hero one should be prepared to personally invest into the proverbial love story that takes place between author and reader