Articles written by gordan runyan
Sorted by date Results 26 - 50 of 109
Believers should fear God alone
Living in fear of what evil men may do is just as idolatrous as falling down in front of a statue. So what does it say about us when our churches are...
Humanity: God's image over all things
What do Christians mean when we say that humans are created in the image of God? Ask 10 theologians and you'll get 11 different answers. What does ...
The world promised to Jesus Christ
Hold on to your hats, Bible readers: There's a huge sense in which the physical boundaries of the biblical Promised Land are not important. Now, in...
Christians seated with Christ
The whole world waits for the certification of our presidential election. American Christians, even many I respect, are suspended in fear about who...
Lord's mercy still abundant
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.” — Psalm 51:1 Almost a...
The kingdom is in the world
The idea that when Jesus showed up on the Earth, he brought the kingdom of God with him, is oddly controversial, even among Christians who say...
There is no king in United States
The book of Judges is a thrill-ride. It's filled with the stuff of great storytelling: courageous heroes; despicable antagonists; amazing miracles;...
Self government is biblical government
“Pastor, God never instituted a particular form of government in the Bible!” Actually, he did. When God took ownership of the nation of Israel,...
Joyful singing a weapon in evil days
This might make me seem terribly unspiritual, but there’s a point. For years now I have been a fan of the sport of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA). One...
Love of neighbor has biblical context
Dad delights the family by bringing home a new board game. Excitement grows as it’s unwrapped. There’s a stack of special cards, some dice, and a...
Church services not matching Biblical picture
Have you read the New Testament enough to wonder at how the church depicted there looks so much different from your own? I have. It’s not...
In trying times, major on the majors
At the risk of ruining the illusion, I’m going to break the fourth wall and share a secret. It’s my own secret, but I’m not alone in it. That is...
Real hope needed in a hurting world
One thing preachers are good at is stating the obvious, about five weeks after everyone has already realized it. Here’s my contribution: If we are...
Forgiveness not an easy topic
If God is so kind and patient, why does he need to have some innocent man die naked on a cross to forgive our sins? If God is really as loving as you...
Secession: Biblical wisdom of moving on
Sometimes the best thing to do is walk away. Stop throwing pearls to the swine, as Jesus said. When the arguments have all been had, and...
Jesus opposed the wicked rulers
File this under, “If I had a nickel for every time…” I have stressed that the Bible does not teach the people of God to shut up and do what...
Love does no harm to anyone
You’ve probably been confronted with those hypothetical, impossible, moral quandaries that force you into having to choose between two horrific...
Big storms reveal our foundations
When the weather is nice, you can live in a house founded on sand. It’s when the rain falls, and the ground trembles, that you are forced to...
Jesus has eyes like flame of fire
In his letter to the pastor and people in the church at Thyatira, Jesus describes himself as, “the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of...
Kingdom a place for 'Nones' and 'Dones'
You’ve heard the old joke about the dog who loved to chase cars until the day he caught one. This may speak to why God has allowed Christianity to...
Kingdom includes more than our hearts
“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.” I would guess this line is repeated in prayer about a billion times a day, all...
Geneva Bible: Obey God, resist tyrants
Search online for the definition of tyranny and you’ll have pages of dictionary entries in an instant. Words like “oppressive,” “cruel,...
God really does care about the game
Today, I rise in defense of the idea that God does indeed care who wins the football game. It’s not that God has a favorite team. It’s not that...
Victory of Jesus explains everything
The New Testament quotes one Old Testament verse more than any other. It is Psalm 110:1, which says, “The Lord says to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right...
Kingdom greatness is not at the top
The 12 disciples of Jesus were men obsessed with power, at least initially. This is no insult, but merely a summary of the available data. The...