Posts
-
Just Call Me Old-Fashioned
“I am one of those old-fashioned ministers who believe the whole Bible and everything that it contains.” (JC Ryle) You can replace the word ministers in the above quote with Christians and it’ll have the same effect. Oh, you’re one of those Christians, some may say. You actually believe the entire Bible is true? Why…
-
Gospel Smugness Deal
Hello everybody! I would like to bring to your attention a deal on my book Gospel Smugness. If you choose to sign up as a patron below (minimum $5/month) to support my ongoing work at my blog, Theology & Life, then I will throw in a FREE copy of Gospel Smugness — and you don’t…
-
The Christian Distinction
Many people claim, whether ignorantly or not, that all religions are the same. They profess that Christianity, Islam, Judaism, et al teach the basic general tenets: love your neighbor, do good, don’t do anything you wouldn’t want done to you etc. This erroneous claim fails to understand the true teachings of each religion (which I…
-
When You are Falsely Accused
As Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate, being heckled by the crowds, He was focused on His mission. Pilate asked Him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” and Jesus answered, “You have said so” (Matthew 27:12). Then the text says this: “But when he was accused by the chief priests and elders, he gave no…
-
The Priority of Prayer
“It is not a matter of time so much as a matter of heart; if you have the heart to pray, you will find the time.” (Charles Spurgeon) As I got home from work one evening I realized I had not prayed much that day. I simply hadn’t made it a priority to “pray without…
-
Blood-Bought Happiness
“We will never find happiness by looking at our prayers, our deeds, or our feelings; it is what Jesus is, not what we are, that gives rest to our soul.” (Charles Spurgeon) Every which way we turn, we are inundated with the constant pursuit of finding happiness. It’s human nature. All people want to be…
-
Is That the Worst You can Do?
“The assured Christian may smile with contempt upon all his enemies, and say, ‘Is this the worst that you can do?’” (John Flavel) Christians are not the popular kids at school anymore. Each day we wake up living in a society that, for the most part, wants nothing more than to see us crumble. This…
-
Reflecting on God’s Grace
What began as a mere blog post morphed into this—my first book. Sometimes I simply look at the book and marvel at the grace and mercy of God. In the small amount time it’s been released, I’ve been discouraged and yet, at the very same time, I’ve been dumbfounded at the work He’s already doing…
-
The Difference Between Harsh and Foul Language
In one scenario (and in many others), we see Jesus again confronting the Pharisees. However, in these confrontations Jesus wasn’t flipping any tables but was also not mincing words when it came to how He felt about the Pharisees. Ponder these piercing words Jesus speaks to the Pharisees: “You brood of vipers! How can you…
-
Using the H-Word
I think Christians need a “come to Jesus” moment over their flippant use of the “H-word.” No, I’m not referring to using the biblical term Hell as a cuss word (which is an issue). I’m talking about our casual use of the term heresy. Heresy, classically defined, is “used to describe those theological errors so…
Blake Long 