Reading Scripture in One Sitting (or Sometimes It’s Best to Swallow an Elephant Whole

About fifteen years ago, in response to several requests, I decided to lead a study on the book of Revelation for my Wednesday night Pastor’s Bible Study. It’s a formidable task, as you might imagine. There is perhaps no other book in the Bible that confounds people more than the Apocalypse of John, as it...

Individualism and the Curse of Isolation

One of the hallmarks of Western civilization and the Enlightenment worldview is individualism, the recognition that each individual is a person of value and worth and “has certain inalienable rights.” Individualism actually has its roots in Christianity; that God numbers the hairs on our heads, that he...

Impatience and Idolatry

Waiting for the Lord, as Isaiah 40:31 tells us to do, is difficult because the Lord doesn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. Consider that the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt for over 400 years before the Lord sent a deliverer (Moses), and that the conditions of the Exile lasted over 500 years before he...

Waiting for the Lord Requires a Lot of Patience

Nobody—not children, not adults, nobody—likes to be told to wait.  “Wait” means there is something you want, and you want it now, but you aren’t going to get it now.  You never have to be told to wait for something you don’t want or need.  “I’m going to question your integrity and impugn your...