Why does God allow natural disasters like the Haiti earthquake? The best and worst responses to human suffering. Of the enduring success of his book Catcher in the Rye the late it was a living nightmare. That sounds strange to me, a man who doesn’t have the success of a Salinger–and wouldn’t mind it. But I think it…
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The world so often sees my anger. It so often sees my chronic frustration with contemporary Christian culture and it’s treatment of God’s holiness. It so often sees my tyrannical, self-absorbed bent to highlight the faults of heathens, punks, posers and misfits. Misfits, mind you, like me. But do they ever sense my grief? That quiet but habitual sorrow over…
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In view of this growing, hostile reaction to Christianity, you need to keep these three things in mind as you hash out your plan of attack–or retreat. Books supporting evolution are not in short supply. Stand just inside my local Barnes and Noble and you’ll see what I mean. Lining a shelf of the new and…
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Actually, the epiphanies aren’t lousy. I’m just smarting over the low-grade but ruthless abuse I took to get them. Yet I have no one to blame but myself. I chose to hike 45 miles through the Smokey Mountains in 3 days. Why? Because I love to hike. I love a ridiculous challenge. And I…
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Part of the 10 Hard Truths about Being Born Againseries. You whore, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? And don’t you know, if you are a friend with the world, then you are an enemy of God? No. I haven’t gone bonkers. Simply quoting to make a point: The person dead-set…
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When was the last time you grieved over your sin like you grieved over the death of a child? Here’s my story. Not too long ago I woke up wondering, “When was the last time I felt the tragedy of my sin like I felt the tragedy of human suffering?” I mean…I get horrified at the…
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Where the biblical meaning of mercy is shown to be exceedingly rich and complex. There is perhaps no word in our language precisely synonymous with mercy. Grace comes nearest it. Mercy implies benevolence, tenderness, mildness, pity, compassion or clemency. And it’s only exercised toward offenders. Mercy induces an injured person to forgive. Forbear punishment. Inflict less than…
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Part of the Interview with an Ex-Atheist series. Okay, thought I’d introduce today’s guest via a really bad poem I wrote. Here we go. …dog groomer extraordinaire. Once a legalist bent on pleasing man…now a huge reformed Baptist fan. Savvy in the art of cutting canine hair…he also excels in exegeting the gospel with care. His aims to…
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Part of the 10 Hard Truths about Being Born Againseries. Me. Not you. Not my wife. Not my father. Not my birth city. Nor my childhood friends. Me. That’s my main problem. Namely, my wicked heart. My wicked heart that finds great pleasure in self-indulgence. That finds great pleasure in ignoring the pain of others. That finds…
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Part of The Nature of God series. During his New York gubernatorial campaign, –the square-jawed crusader and former prosecutor who chased corruption on Wall Street so ferociously that people nicknamed him –promised to bring ethics to Albany, New York, home of the state capital. And because of his previous track record, many people believed he could. But every ounce…
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