Must the Great Commission Be Completed Before the End Comes?

It’s a question discussed in seminary classes and missiological circles. Profs and students exchange views and opinions. Mission committees and sending agencies share their stances. The question? “Is Christ’s return contingent upon the completion of the Great Commission?” My short answer: Yes, it was. Let … Read More

More Than a New Year is Next

With 2021 just around the corner, many are most likely looking forward to new things. Perhaps some will be setting new goals; others may be excited about a new start; for sure many are anxious about a new vaccine. Yes, a new year is expected … Read More

Our Perfect Sympathizer and Savior

The mystery and miracle of the incarnation is a wondrous truth that is essential to our faith. Like the Trinity, however, it is hard to find ways to illustrate it well. Perhaps John Howard Griffin’s memoir Black Like Me will give us a small bit … Read More

Pray for BOB

The Apostle Paul urged his fellow believers to pray for BOB. Not, not Bob, as in a person, but for BOB, as in an acronym. With either apologies or congratulations to those reading this named Bob, consider these three ways Paul exhorted us to pray. … Read More

Where Thankfulness Begins

Tomorrow, the vast majority of people in our nation will take intentional time to be thankful. Yes, Thanksgiving is the holiday we’ll celebrate, and gratefulness is the action we’ll take. But how does one go about being thankful? In short, by being thinkful. This is … Read More

The Great Scope of the Great Commission

A grammatically close look at Matthew’s account of the Great Commission reveals there’s really one verb in play: make disciples. This is modified by something quite important, however: of all nations. Here really is the core mandate of the Great Commission: spiritual reproduction without ethnic … Read More

Is it Missions or Mission?

The primary marching order for the church, the Great Commission, was given by Jesus and is recorded in all four of the Gospels as well as in Acts. Matthew 28:19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the … Read More

Christ’s Last Words, Our First Concern

Over the next few weeks, I intend to post excerpts from a booklet I recently wrote for our church, a publication I subtitled “a little booklet about a big deal.” The big deal? Christ’s last words. Of course, we commonly know those last words as … Read More