A story on Fox News caught my eye. The headline said, "Taliban May Lift Ban on Education for Women." I thought to myself, "Wow! Maybe pressure from the Christian West is finally paying off in Muslim countries, which have often been much less amenable to women's rights than Christian countries." Even on Fox News, however,... Continue Reading →
What’s in a Name (a person)
Loughner, the Tucson murderer, is clearly crazy. In an earlier blog post, I said Loughner represented an “anti-gospel.” After reading some of the findings of the Secret Service study on would-be assassins, I think I can say that Loughner is anti-gospel, if not anti-Christ. (I don’t mean he is the Antichrist or anything like that. ... Continue Reading →
YouTube – Tucson Shooting Hero Joe Zamudio Sets Ed Schultz Right On Owning A Pistol
YouTube - Tucson Shooting Hero Joe Zamudio Sets Ed Schultz Right On Owning A Pistol. After a long diatribe against gun ownership, Ed Schultz gets a quick refutation from reality. Joe lives in the real world with real sin and evil. So, He has a realistic view of gun ownership. Yet, leaving aside the whole... Continue Reading →
Football Players Lack Power
Like many men in America, I am interested in the outcome of this weekend’s NFL playoffs. Which teams will win the battles of strategic prowess and player power? At the end of this weekend, there will be only 4 victors remaining in the quest for the Lombardi Trophy. Eventually, there will be but 1 winner... Continue Reading →
Are You Blessed
How do we know when we are blessed? On first blush, we might respond that we know we are blessed when we have peace with God and peace with our wives and families. Many of us would think we are blessed when we have plenty of money. We think of NFL players making $6 million... Continue Reading →
Another Christian Shot
Another Christian was shot and killed in Egypt according to this news report. It is not yet clear whether this was an act of persecution or murder. The shooter opened fire on a bus filled with passengers. It is possible that the bus was targeted because it was from a Christian village. The news report... Continue Reading →
Dorwan Stoddard’s Greater Love
Jesus taught His followers that a greater cannot be found than the love of a man who would lay down his life for his friends. Dorwan Stoddard's love is spoken of this story. He saved the life of his best friend--his wife.
Homesick Children
I’m not sure what one ought to tell his homesick child, but I do know what Jonathan Edwards said to his daughter Esther after she had moved away and then fallen ill. Edwards (as we all have come to expect) offers profound wisdom to his daughter which is, at the same time, a soft correction... Continue Reading →
Why We Use Wine (Part 4)
The real objection to using wine in the Lord’s Supper is not that the Bible fails to speak of wine as the element used; rather, the real objection is that wine is an alcoholic beverage. The Bible never authorizes grape juice for the Lord’s Supper. It never hints that grape juice is the beverage the... Continue Reading →
Why We Use Wine (Part 3)
Most commonly, evangelical churches today do not use wine; rather, they use grape juice as a representation of “the fruit of the vine.” In the gospel accounts of the Lord’s Supper, the word for “wine” is not actually used. Instead, you will find simply, “the cup,” or “the fruit of the vine” (See Matthew 26:26-30;... Continue Reading →
Why We Use Wine (Part 2)
As for the second question, why change now from grape juice to wine? The answer is a little more complex. The most succinct—if not the most forthright—answer is simply, “I don’t know.” I am not sure why now is the right time to switch—or even if now is the right time for our church to... Continue Reading →
Why We Use Wine
Why did our church change from grape juice to wine at our celebration of the Lord’s Supper? And, why did we choose to change now, after I have been here more than 9 years? These are the main two questions I have received since orchestrating a change in our Lord’s Supper observance. So, I will... Continue Reading →
My First Response to ETS
My takeaway from the 62nd annual meeting of the Evangelical Theological Society in Atlanta, GA, is that N.T. Wright is at once the most winsome, witty, and incorrigible academic I have yet seen. His extraordinary intellect and persuasive abilities cause him to be a formidable foe indeed for any who wish to counter his positions... Continue Reading →
Restraining Wrath
The Apostle Paul was once part of a shipwreck that didn’t have to happen. In Acts 27, Paul advises the Roman centurion and the crew of the ship to stay in port through the winter. The ship was bound to wreck, according to Paul, if it set sail before the winter was over. The ship’s... Continue Reading →
Unimpressed with Anger
When a honey bee gets angry, it stings. After the sting, it dies. Literally, the bee gives its life in defense of its anger seeking revenge. Our anger is often like that of the bee. It is volatile and deadly. And, like the bee, we are able to inflict only a temporary pain to the... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 