by Pastor Jack Hush A Twitter user recently posed the question, “If you could only have three books of the Bible, which three would you choose?” Among the many responses, one semi-famous evangelical thought leader replied, “Genesis, Revelation, and Hebrews. I want to know where the Story began, where the Story ends, and whom the … Continue reading Guest Post: I Have Moses’ Fear, Not His Faith
Category: Theology
Reading Ecclesiastes in the Time of the Coronavirus
by John Ellis Buying the post-Enlightenment secularist package includes owning the non-refundable subscription of nihilistic despair. A dirge-filled affair where doomed actors strut on the world stage’s perpetually revived production of the Theatre of Cruelty. No matter how honest we believe ourselves to be, though, like Andre Breton we have zero desire to listen to … Continue reading Reading Ecclesiastes in the Time of the Coronavirus
The Purity Culture’s Sins: Men Versus Women
by John Ellis Without any trace of shame, my friend turned on his barstool, looked me in the eyes, and complained, “I regret not having had sex before I got married. I only know what it’s like to have sex with one woman, and I feel like I’m missing out.” In the aftermath of his … Continue reading The Purity Culture’s Sins: Men Versus Women
Why Sex Outside of Marriage Is a Sin
by John Ellis Below in italics is my attempted re-creation of a story I haven’t read in at least three decades. No doubt, my blatant plagiarism contains some errors. My apologies to the author, whomever that might be. I’ve also attempted to remain true to the original story’s thematic tone and objective – a tone … Continue reading Why Sex Outside of Marriage Is a Sin
The Gospel and Poverty
“Blessed is the one who considers the poor.” Psalm 41:1 by John Ellis In 2011, successful Wall Street bond trader Chris Arnade walked into one of the Bronx’s worst neighborhoods. Prior to his foray into America’s world of poverty, Arnade was warned that “it was too dangerous, too poor.”[1] He didn’t care and went anyway. … Continue reading The Gospel and Poverty
The Gospel’s Relation to Social Justice and Mercy Ministries
by John Ellis I wrote and posted this article on my previous blog a few months ago (October 2019). It’s a topic that continues to concern me. And it’s a topic that exists within a larger cultural framework that prioritizes this earthly kingdom’s concerns over that of the Eternal Kingdom’s concerns. During a long phone … Continue reading The Gospel’s Relation to Social Justice and Mercy Ministries
The Necessity of Christ’s Active Obedience in Salvation
by John Ellis During membership interviews at my previous church, the elders ask the prospective member to briefly share the gospel. It’s not asked as a membership test; if you forget to include Jesus’ Resurrection, you don’t fail and aren’t prevented from joining the church. The question is asked because the gospel is central to … Continue reading The Necessity of Christ’s Active Obedience in Salvation
Death’s Unnatural Intrusion Into Childhood
(I wrote this in early 2016, and it remains one of my favorite articles that I've written.) by John Ellis Assuming normal physiology, humans don’t begin to taste deeply of physical death until sometime in their twenties. The day to day existence of children is punctuated by life. The brain is awakening – new sounds, … Continue reading Death’s Unnatural Intrusion Into Childhood
‘The Walking Dead’ and Christianity: Morality Did Not Evolve
“If we humans are simply biological bundles of phenomenally experienced pain and pleasure that constitute happiness and unhappiness, why be obliged to maximize general happiness?”[1] Christian Smith by John Ellis Herbert Spencer’s famed Darwinian maxim “survival of the fittest” has proven quite problematic for material positivists, not to mention problematic for the general well-being of … Continue reading ‘The Walking Dead’ and Christianity: Morality Did Not Evolve
How to Convince an Atheist that God Exists
by John Ellis According to the most recent data I could find, self-described atheists make up 4% of America’s population. Pew reports, “this is up from 2% in 2011.” Add in the 5% of Americans who describe themselves as agnostic, and nearly 1 out of every 10 Americans are sceptics of the highest order. In … Continue reading How to Convince an Atheist that God Exists
Practically Known Theology 