The sixth beatitude is, “blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (5:8). To be “pure in heart” is to be holistically devoted to God in thought, word, and deed. In the Bible, the heart refers to seat of the will, which drives our decisions and commitments. For this reason, it is …
Ed and I had been meeting weekly for six weeks. Increasing anxiety had made work all but impossible and had driven him to seek help. Over the weeks I’d got to know Ed well, we’d explored something of his experience and story of anxiety, and we’d thought about his faith and how it related to …
But you have this in your favor: You hate the practices of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. Revelation 2:6 (NIV) Christians are taught to love, but there are also things they must hate. This biblical hatred is not petty dislike or a retaliatory impulse; it is passionate antipathy toward an idea and its outworking. It …
Mouw, Richard J. All that God Cares About: Common Grace and Divine Delight. Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2020. The doctrine of common grace forms a pillar of Dutch Neo-Calvinist theology of culture. Tracing its mature articulation to Abraham Kuyper (1837–1920), the doctrine as Richard Mouw understands it affirms that God restrains the full effects of sin …
BOOK REVIEW: All That God Cares About: Common Grace and Divine Delight Read More »
During World War II, General Dwight D. Eisenhower was Supreme Commander of American-British Forces in Europe. When asked for a submission to the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Prayer Book, he turned to one he “once heard a company commander repeating to his men, on a wet, cold night, just before starting a march to the front line.” Eisenhower said, “[It] …
Defending Principles Expounded by Jesus—Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890 – 1969) Read More »
The third beatitude is, “blessed are the meek, for they shall inherent the earth” (Matt. 5:5). The Greek word for meek (praus) may refer to someone who is afflicted, which is not merely from difficult circumstances but primarily because they choose to restrain their strength for a greater good or purpose. The meek are those …