Christmas is just plain hilarious.  Not the secular kind with Tiny Tim or elves playing tricks,  but the in-your-face Christian version.  The hilarity began a lot earlier, back when the angel told Abraham that his 91-year-old wife Sarah was about to have a baby—and she laughed and laughed.

 NOTE: This item expresses the views of the individual to whom the item is ascribed and does not necessarily reflect the position of the WRF as a whole.]

Law and grace - is it about me or is it about Jesus; does my Father love me already since I trust in Jesus or do I have to prove that I do love Him?  Many trees have been killed to try to answer those hard questions.  I want my answer to be pastoral. As Jay said, exegete the people.

[NOTE: This item expresses the views of the individual to whom the item is ascribed and does not necessarily reflect the position of the WRF as a whole.]   

ABD is the saddest abbreviation there is. What if someone is sure that they have the gifts and calling to be a high-level teacher and so go after their doctorate, get through the courses and the stiff exam (in Germany the Rigorosum!), but never get their dissertation accepted?

 This is the fourth time now.  The first time was in 1999 when the numbers after prostate surgery convinced me I had about two years to get my affairs in order.  I’m still here after more than fourteen.

Do you know John Murray’s Payton lectures at Fuller Seminary, Principles of Conduct?  It’s a wise and searching look on just what it means to obey God, culminating with a chapter on the fear of God, where Murray looks closely at an arresting attribute, the Fear of Isaac. 

Some may ask, “Why did God--if he is a good God--permit the tornado to plow through Moore, Oklahoma on May 20?"  Not James Moody.   He has another view.

In the Spring of 2004 I almost bled to death on the floor of my bathroom.  That was my first clue that something serious was wrong.  Unknown to me, I had developed autoimmune hepatitis.  No real symptoms appeared until a verisee burst in my esophageal vein.  I thought I had an upset stomach.   But a stomach full of blood will do that to you.

It seems that the Lord is constantly making promises to His people.

Back in the Dark Ages, when I was a young Christian, one of our most frequently-sung hymns was “Standing in the Promises.”