This blog is Pastor Jay's weekly musings about God's Word, God's world, and God's call to our culture. We hope they encourage, challenge, and inform you. Sign up to recieve them in your email.
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, Juliet tells us in the famous Shakespearian play. But roses aren't made in the image of God. Names don't really matter when it comes to plants, and that is why there are some really fun ones. Begonia Darthvadariana was the name given to a dark-leaved begonia. But names given to eternal beings who stand as the pinnacle of God's...
Keep ReadingHave you ever wept for a demon? Of course not. Demons are the enemies of your body and soul, and are bent on your total and complete destruction. They want your destruction because they want God's destruction, and you bear the image of God. There is nothing good in them and nothing to redeem. They are sold over, seared, and all consumed by every form of evil. And this is w...
Keep ReadingThe other day I was driving down the highway when I found myself behind the most common vehicle on the road: an Amazon delivery van. On the back of this van I was presented with a surprising caution: "Warning: contents may cause happiness." This got my gears turning and they quickly clicked into a common Christian refrain , that happiness is found in happenings but joy is ...
Keep ReadingWhat we have in this book is another example of the irresistible magnetism of Jesus. There is simply no else like Jesus. While other men have changed the world by use of armies, overthrows of governments, or surprising inventions, only Jesus has changed the world by the word of truth, the power of miracle, the shock of holiness and the sacrifice of love. It is because of ...
Keep ReadingI want to attempt what feels like the near impossible with this post. We were talking about the freedom of the will in Sunday school and it became clear again that this is a sticky subject. There are multiple reasons for this, but I want to deal with the most problematic feature of it: confusing words. We know that communication is hard. It is even harder when there are t...
Keep ReadingLet me grant at the outset this this goes against conventional wisdom, so please hear me out. Today I want to tackle one of the most repeated proverbs of western language; "Actions speak louder than words". I want to demote it from a proverb to a clich. The challenge of doing this is that even a clich has something true in it somewhere. But as Christians, we aren't satisfi...
Keep ReadingI would like to offer up one more take on how to approach the New Year. This is the time to evaluate, plan and prepare for what you are going to do differently in the coming year. That is usually a good thing to do. Doing it only once a year normally doesn't help much, but once is better than nothing. So what kind of planning and preparing should you do? Well, probably all...
Keep ReadingLast week the Respect for Marriage Act was passed by the Senate. While profoundly disappointing, it is not surprising. What is somewhat surprising is the case being made to support this. It is a case we have heard before. In the 1980's, Governor Mario Cuomo of New York made the case that a person could be personally and privately against abortion, but still be publicly an...
Keep ReadingWho are we supposed to please, God or man? Our inner Sunday School rushes to the surface on a question like this: God! We should please God. But the question isn't quite as straightforward as that. The Scriptures speak about pleasing God and pleasing man. Look at these passages that speak of pleasing people. Romans 15:2 Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good...
Keep ReadingSchools have always followed wherever the gospel goes. Schools meet needs that arise from gospel compulsions. The gospel compels us to know God more and thus learning to read allows us to read his holy Word. The gospel compels us to glorify God and we can do that better when we see his world accurately, which history and science allows. The gospel compels us to love our fa...
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