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Why Gay Marriage Failed in Maine

From First Thoughts

Here is a very interesting overview of how, and why, the people in Maine voted down their legislature’s effort to legalize “gay marriage.” I put the words “gay marriage” in quotes because there is nothing “gay” or “marriage” about so-called gay . . . . Continue Reading »

What Makes the Bible Special?

From First Thoughts

Many people make a resolution in the New Year to be more intentional, more diligent, more zealous for daily Bible reading. And God bless them in their desire and effort to be deeply in God’s Word! What is their point? Why immerse ourselves deeply in God’s Word? Here is the great news . . . . Continue Reading »

His Name is Our Name

From First Thoughts

“In the same way that a wife shares together in the wealth of her husband, so that what is the husband’s is also the wife’s and, on the other hand, what is the wife’s is the husbands, so also all believers are partakers of all the wealth of God. They have all that He has . . . . Continue Reading »

Circumcision and Name of Jesus

From First Thoughts

[caption id=”attachment_4473” align=”aligncenter” width=”528” caption=”El Greco, Adoration of the Name of Jesus, 1578-79, Oil on canvas, 190 x 140 cm; Chapter House, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial”][/caption]“The name ‘Jesus’ . . . . Continue Reading »

Year-End Spirituality Survey

From First Thoughts

A colleague shared this Barna Survey with me. If you have not seen it, you may find it interesting and helpful. I would say there is nothing terribly earth-shatteringly new in it, but it is always helpful to have this kind of “take” on the situation in which we find ourselves. Here is . . . . Continue Reading »

The Myth of Islamic Tolerance

From First Thoughts

Muslims and non-Muslims who live in nations where Islam is not the law of the land talk a lot about how Islam is a religion of peace and tolerance. Christians who live in Islamic nations tell a different story. I picked this up from Ron Dreher’s blog, who writes: “If you want to know . . . . Continue Reading »

What is Evangelicalism?

From First Thoughts

In a recent post, Nathan Martin shared some interesting observations by Os Guinness about the state of Evangelicalism. It is a thought-provoking post. It made me realize that for all the years I’ve been reading about, and studying, Evangelicalism, self-understanding and self-definition remain, . . . . Continue Reading »

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

From First Thoughts

Today we commemorate and remember those first martyrs of the New Testament era, the Holy Innocents slaughtered by wicked King Herod in Bethlehem. We may wonder why, in this “season of joy and happiness” we have in the Church Year the commemoration of the murder of St. Stephen, and then, a couple . . . . Continue Reading »

Sermon for St. John’s Day

From First Thoughts

Here is a great sermon from my colleague, Rev. Christopher Esget, pastor of Immanuel Lutheran Church, Alexandria, Virginia.Readings for St. John’s Day: Rev. 1:1-6; 1 Jn 1:1—2:2; Jn. 21:20-25Beloved, today is St. John’s Day, the beloved disciple of Jesus and the man inspired by the . . . . Continue Reading »