WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? As the cycle of rebellion, oppression, and deliverance continues, a new deliverer is introduced: Gideon, the farmer. The Midianites and Amalekites raids of Israelite farmlands caused Gideon to hide in a winepress to beat out his wheat, which certainly makes him look like a coward. However, when the angel of the... Continue Reading →
As a mentor to younger pastors, I've had the privilege of watching many of them accept their first pastorate. Some have spent a significant amount of time on the front end acquiring as much information and advice as possible to be successful in their first year. Others have jumped directly into the "deep end of... Continue Reading →
Were Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Legal? By: Dr. Thomas W. Francis Jr. Introduction The purpose of this article is to answer the question, “Were Enhanced Interrogation Techniques Legal?” To answer this question, this article will, first, consider the use of Enhanced Interrogation Techniques (EITs) in the larger historical context by... Continue Reading →
I grew up believing that only women and children pray. That is, real men did not pray, except for the perfunctory prayer before the Thanksgiving or Christmas meals. Although I knew very little about prayer, without any prompting, I would pray to God each night before falling asleep. One prayer, however, stands out above the... Continue Reading →
People love to argue! If you were trapped in the bubble of either legal or theological education, you would be convinced that people LOVE to debate about anything and everything. I never realized how much and how long people will quarrel over the most minute details, irrelevant laws, or obscure doctrines. Arguing over minutia may... Continue Reading →
Zephaniah’s Context: If King Josiah was the Martin Luther of the Old Testament, then Zephaniah was his John Huss. Josiah is remembered for his sweeping religious reforms that resulted in one of the most significant revivals in biblical history (cf. 2 Kings 23-24). It is plausible that Zephaniah’s denunciation of apostate practices was a contributing... Continue Reading →
On December 23, 1991, a fire destroyed the Corsicana, Texas, home Mr. Cameron Todd Willingham shared with his wife and three daughters.[i] Willingham, who was (allegedly) asleep when the fire started, survived. However, his three daughters perished. At his trial, prosecutors claimed he had intentionally set fire to his home in order to kill his... Continue Reading →
I'll spare you a trip through the pseudo-mystical phase wherein the preacher "gets alone" with God and through "divine revelation" receives his next sermon! It is frustrating to hear pastors say, "God gave me this message," or "God laid this message on my heart." Typically, that means (loosely translated), "I am just winging it" and/or... Continue Reading →
Somewhere between the “churched” and “unchurched” classifications is a neglected and overlooked group.[1] In some communities, the largest group of people that the church will engage with the gospel is made up of persons who, in the past, attended, joined, or were active in churches. Yet, for some reason, they are no longer connected to... Continue Reading →
