So I came across this video on YouTube earlier today where someone was attempting to refute Sam Shamoun’s claim that the Virgin Mary was instrumental in our salvation. I never comment on YouTube videos but I decided to leave a comment on this because judging from the attempted refutation, the maker of the video doesn’t seem to understand the claim. He goes so far as to call it heresy as you can see from the video’s thumbnail. My initial comment said: Do you believe that the Incarnation was necessary for our salvation? If yes, then I can’t see why you’d object to Shamoun saying that Mary was ..read more

At the end of his January 29, 2024 Dividing Line podcast, James White says a few words about the Reformers not being able to think through every possible issue that would or could arise, which resulted in the need for an ongoing multi-generational Reformation. After mentioning Marian issues that Luther didn’t want to touch, he says, “so there was a meaningful application of semper reformanda that needed to be continued in that context. It is appropriate and right that those beliefs were to be examined but it doesn’t all necessarily happen in the first generation, and so the question for all of ..read more

Last time I posted a tour of my office was during the COVID lockdown of 2020. There have been some changes ..read more

I think it’s a fair assessment to say that many Christians play defense when it comes to their spiritual life. They wait for problems to arise and then pray or fast in order to combat them. I believe that Lent is a season that puts us on offense. The spiritual disciplines practiced during this season enable us to wage war on the enemy, namely Satan, but also our own flesh. In one of his sermons on Lent, Leo the Great said, “For what is more accepted than this time, what more suitable to salvation than these days, in which war is proclaimed against vices and progress is made in all virtues?” &n ..read more

1 Samuel 11:6–7 – Fear can sometimes be a great motivator. 1 Samuel 11:8 – It’s always interesting to see Israel and Judah distinguished before the kingdoms split (11:8). The note in the The New Oxford Annotated Bible says, “The distinction between Israel and Judah either is an anachronism or reflects a differentiation that was always felt if not institutionalized until after Solomon’s reign.” I’ve never spent any real time in looking into the dating of the books of the Hebrew Bible. If Samuel was written after the kingdoms split then I can see anachronism as a viable option, but if it was wri ..read more

The Christian life is about discipline. Not only, but largely. I’ve often heard it said that a disciple is a disciplined one. Lent is a season of increased discipline in anticipation of celebrating the event that made our discipline possible in the first place, namely the resurrection. Apart from the resurrection of the Lord Jesus we’d be without salvation. Jesus saves us from our sin and for God’s glory, conforming us into his image by the power of the Holy Spirit, the very power we need to live disciplined lives! One might argue that discipline is possible apart from the resurrection. There ..read more

10 years ago I attempted to blog my way through the entire Bible in a year. I made it to right before Easter. I’d like to resurrect those devotions and pick up where I left off. Since I’ll be starting before Easter, which is later in the month this year, there will be some overlap. It’ll be interesting to compare my insights from a decade ago as compared to today. I’m looking forward to it. B”H ..read more

It really bothers me how certain people are trying to promote the racial divide in this country. It seems like everything is racialized and never for the better. When George Floyd was killed the world was sure that it was racially motivated. Officer Derek Chauvin was instantly branded a racist cop who was part of a larger system of white supremacy. Now everyone is in agreement that Floyd’s death was tragic and that Chauvin was in the wrong for kneeling on Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes. But nothing in the original 8 minute clip that circulated over social media showed racism. People simply saw a b ..read more

I don’t think Biden’s VP pick is going to have the desired effect. Kamala Harris is intelligent, accomplished, and capable, I’m sure, but she’s relatively inexperienced in this sector of the political arena and some of her policies have not been received with enthusiasm by the base of voters that Biden was hoping to reach, namely black voters, female voters, and progressive voters. I was at work when we received the news of Biden’s pick. At the time there were 3 black men in the barbershop (2 barbers and 1 client) and 2 non-blacks. The client (a lawyer who lives in Washington, D.C. but comes i ..read more

I’m a book guy. I love books. But my love for books combined with an addictive personality have caused me to run out of room to shelf my books many times over the years. I always find a way to make room and get more books but I’m at the point where I just don’t want to anymore. There’s a reason for this. The reason is that I got an 12.9″ iPad Pro and reading on it isn’t a chore. Not only is it not a chore, it’s a pleasure. Taking notes on the iPad pro is also amazing. Whether I’m using GoodNotes 5 or PDF Expert, I love the freedom to annotate the text and the various options I have in annotati ..read more