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 →
Reality in Kenya
[From Barnabas Fund] Kenyan Christians abducted, tortured and raped Six Christian missionaries have been found alive but traumatized after suffering three days of unimaginable torture in Kenya. Three men including Mr. Y, the leader of a group of Kenyan missionaries supported by Barnabas, had travelled to Nairobi on the morning of Wednesday September 15, to... Continue Reading →
A Biblical View of Election
I am known as a Calvinist, and the church where I pastor is known as a Calvinist church. This phenomenon is interesting to me because I don’t use the term Calvinist in my preaching, and the church I pastor is Cedar Grove Baptist Church, not Cedar Grove Calvinist church. I think the reason folks want... Continue Reading →
Justice and Vengeance
Folks often confuse the concepts of justice and vengeance, but God is not confused. He makes a clear distinction. Justice concerns dealing with someone according to a fixed law or standard—particularly a standard by which all are governed equally. Vengeance, on the other hand, concerns an individual or group who perceive a wrong against them... Continue Reading →
More Burning Anger
Today, the President admonished Pastor Jones, encouraging him to "listen to those better angels" who recommend not burning the Quran. There is a united consensus among leaders in America that Pastor Jones should not burn the Muslim books. Political leaders, religious leaders, media elites have uniformly condemned the act. I heard this morning that some--including... Continue Reading →
Sensible Response
Sarah Palin has a sensible response to the book burning down in Gainesville. Koran Burning Is Insensitive, Unnecessary; Pastor Jones, Please Stand Down Book burning is antithetical to American ideals. People have a constitutional right to burn a Koran if they want to, but doing so is insensitive and an unnecessary provocation – much like... Continue Reading →
Gregory C. Cochran 