Minor Prophets
The good news in the least-read book of the Bible
Whenever I have an opportunity to teach, I gravitate toward passages of lament. Maybe it’s because I spent too much time listening to fashionably sad music in the 1990s. Whatever the case, it’s the psalms of lament that capture my attention. The cries of “How long, O Lord?” sometimes speak to my heart more deeply …
Continue ReadingThe Good News of Jesus In Jonah
The name Jonah means “son of my faithfulness”; with such a name, you’d think his life would be one marked by faithfulness. Sadly, his life reflects nothing of his name. Instead, Jonah is the story of a man in self-imposed exile. With every opportunity to declare grace to others in trouble, he selfishly chooses solitude. Rebellion …
Continue ReadingTake Heart as We Wait for the Day of the Lord
Wrath is not necessarily a bad thing. Think about it. In any epic, the good guys win precisely because they have poured out wrath on the bad guys. That’s part of telling a good story. The hero is victorious and the enemy is defeated. Good wins. Evil loses. Throughout the story of the Bible and …
Continue ReadingConsidering our ways and the mission of God
I am the boldest evangelist I know. On paper. I have a great theology of evangelism. I theoretically trust that God will work through an ordinary guy like me to draw people to Himself. I know that whether someone comes to Christ ultimately doesn’t depend on me, but on Him. And yet when it comes …
Continue ReadingNahum, judgment, and Jesus
There have been several times in my life and ministry when I had to be the bearer of bad news. It’s never easy. But when it comes to serving the Lord, and bearing the burden of the gospel, these moments are inevitable. So what’s the worst news someone could possibly hear or tell? Probably news …
Continue ReadingFinding Joy in God’s Judgment
I’ll admit, I tease about coffee cup verses and inspirational posters. A lot. I like to think of it as good-natured ribbing, but it probably comes off as curmudgeonly and jaded sometimes. After all, there are some verses and passages we should be inspired and encouraged by: Isaiah 45:22—“Turn to Me and be saved, all …
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