“I always thought of Dumbledore as gay,” said author J. K. Rowling about Albus Dumbledore, one of the good guys in all seven of her harry potter novels. Unlike the way he is portrayed in the movies, Dumbledore is neither bumbling nor weak. He is commanding, authoritative, strong, sure, and only defeated by superior forces, never inferior ones. Dumbledore didn’t die because he made mistakes or because he absentmindedly mismanaged some magic. He died because he laid down his life, playing his appointed part in the outworking of a grand providential plan into which he had remarkable insight. How do we deal with the information that Rowling has given us? How do we respond to her declaration that she thought of him as gay? This calls for wisdom. We should ask, I think, at least two questions: (...

  Excerpted from suburbianity (Harvest House Publishers, 2013) Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did (1 Corinthians 1:6).  We do the weirdest things to the Bible in the absence of the cohesive theme of redemption. No other book is treated so recklessly by people who honor that same book so greatly. Among our favorite rewrites are character sketches. Character studies are a staple of popular Christianity. We use the above exhortation of Paul to the Corinthians to justify such a translation. Almost universally we believe that Paul’s point is to encourage our pursuit of the moral character of fallen human beings. We seem to forget the fact that the example he offers was one to be avoided. Despite this we like to examine the lives o...

[A fictional conversation from the first century A.D.] Stefanus: I wish you would change your mind, Gratian. You are going to be made fun of and marginalized. Gratian: Any suffering or ostracism I may face will not compare with the glory that awaits me. Stefanus: Glory? I fear you are losing your mental grasp of things. Have you not seen the splendor and glory of the Empire? Don’t you see how Roman principles are extending throughout all the earth? Gratian: The Empire looks powerful, yes. But God’s kingdom will outlast it. Stefanus: Surely, you jest! Gratian: Jesus said so. Stefanus: You continue to speak about this backwoods Jew who taught all sorts of strange things. I fear for what may happen to you when you refuse to pinch incense at the altar and rev...

The Bible is honest about life in this fallen world. This honesty is a sign of God’s love. He’s the wise and gentle father preparing his child for that walk through a tough neighborhood on the first day of school. He’s the faithful friend praying with you before you face an unusual challenge. He’s the caring physician informing you of what to expect from the disease he’s just diagnosed. A primary goal of all this diagnosis, description, warning, comfort, and counsel is to call us to certain ways of living. Why would you need to be “completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love,” (Ephesians 4:2) if you were not living in a community of flawed people where this kind of character is essential? Relationships in a fallen wor...

The announced sermon for yesterday’s services at Saddleback Church was titled “Surviving Tough Times.” It was a theme Pastor Rick Warren planned earlier in the week. He had no way to know how appropriate his subject would be. Rick and Kay Warren’s youngest child took his own life last Friday morning. Matthew Warren was “an incredibly kind, gentle and compassionate young man whose sweet spirit was an encouragement and comfort to many,” a statement from the church said. “Unfortunately, he also suffered from mental illness resulting in deep depression and suicidal thoughts. Despite the best health care available, this was an illness that was never fully controlled, and the emotional pain resulted in his decision to take his life.”...

  One day several years ago, I was wasting too much time on Facebook and took one of those silly psychological profile tests called “Which Cartoon Character Are You?” Cartoon characters are evidently great stereotypes for the different kinds of temperaments and personalities. So, I took the test. I wish I hadn’t. Because guess which cartoon character I am? Not the lovable Mickey Mouse. Not the wisecracking Bugs Bunny. Not the vociferous rooster, Foghorn Leghorn. Not the smart and speedy Roadrunner who always outwits Wile E. Coyote. No, my profile showed me to be Scrat, the ambitious but constantly frustrated acorn-obsessed saber-tooth squirrel from the Ice Age movies. Scrat? Seriously? What does that say about me? I think it says that my reach exceeds my grasp. That my best laid schem...

Writing a generation ago, sociologist Christopher Lasch pointed to the weakening of the family as the most significant and dangerous development of our times. In his book, Haven in a Heartless World, Lasch described the breakdown of the natural family as a calamity for the society at large, as well as for the individuals whose lives are so directly affected. Tellingly, he also wrote this: “The first thing to understand about the present crisis of the family is that it did not materialize overnight.” Indeed, it did not. The current crisis of the family must be traced to economic, political, social, and ideological causes. But there is another cause as well. The family crisis is a theological crisis, and this must be the church’s first concern. The first theological fact about the family is ...

  One of the most wonderful experiences believers can share is being part of a strong, growing church. What a joy it is to share in a congregation that has unity, love, holiness, a sense of the Spirit in worship, Christ-centered preaching, God-fearing leaders, members of all age groups and ministries towards all members, and a passion for reaching the lost. In contrast, it is burdensome to be part of a dying congregation: Worship is mundane, large age group segments are absent, there is strife among members and coldness toward visitors, and there is no purposeful preaching of the gospel to the lost or the baptized. Having been part of both thriving and dying churches, I have witnessed believers make choices that have either blessed or harmed the recovery of their congregations. Here a...

Editor’s Note: The following is a report on the practical applications of Matthew Jacoby’s upcoming book, Deeper Places: Experiencing God in the Psalms, (Baker Books, 2013). When you want to deepen your relationship with God, you need to move beyond simply knowing about Him and seek personal encounters with Him. The Bible’s Psalms can help you do that. The Psalms are full of honest expressions of what it means to relate to God. They describe faith in action while dealing with the tension between this fallen world’s realities and the hope God offers you. Here’s how you can deepen your relationship with God by reading and responding to the Psalms: Express all the complexities inherent in a relationship with God. The Psalms show that sharing life with God involves communicating wi...

 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 I am deeply grieved by the early reports of two blasts occurring at the finish line of the boston marathon. There is a growing number of fatalities and dozens severely injured. Sadly, in a split second, people and families have been shattered and forever changed by this terrible tragedy. Pray in Hope The most powerful weapon at our disposal against evil is the hope-filled prayer of God’s people. Join me in praying for those in attendance as well as the families of those affected by this heinous act. Also, please pray for the policemen, firemen, and medical personnel treating and protecting the victims of this evil act—may God give these men and women helpful words for hurting people. Evil Is Rebellion M...

Criticizing the media for bias when it comes to coverage of religious and cultural issues is, sadly, all too easy. There are so many examples to choose from. Just this past weekend, after weeks of blogs, tweets, and other online commentaries charging media bias, the mainstream media has been forced to talk — however reluctantly — about Kermit Gosnell’s murder trial. Last month, Gosnell, a Pennsylvania abortion doctor, went on trial for seven counts of first-degree murder. The seven alleged victims were babies, survivors of late-term abortions accidentally born alive. Gosnell killed the infants in a manner that simply defies human decency, much less description. In addition, he is also being tried in connection with the death of a woman who died after a “botched late-term abortion.” I’ll sp...