An Amazing New Children’s Book
Ok, I’ve never reviewed a children’s book before on Canon Fodder. But, this one is special. And it’s not just because it was written by my wife, Melissa (though, I admit I’m biased!), but because it brings such a profound and mysterious joy to my heart as I read it.
As parents, we all have great hopes for our children. We dream of what they might learn and what they might become. And typically, for most parents, those dreams take the form of vocational aspirations. My child could be an airline pilot, a professional singer, a rocket scientist, a fashion designer, etc. And all those dreams are wonderful.
But, what … Continue reading...
What are the Differences Between Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies?
To this day, I can still remember watching those “rapture” movies in my middle school youth group. In particular, I remember A Thief in the Night (1972), which scared the pants off of me. It was a bit of a mix between a horror movie and cheesy spy thriller. For the next week I had trouble sleeping, worried that I would wake up and find myself left behind.
As a result, I grew up assuming that the dispensational framework was the only proper way to read the Bible. But when I got to college, some upperclassmen introduced me to Reformed Theology and a covenantal framework for reading Scripture. It was … Continue reading...
Why Do (Modern) Christians Rarely Talk about Rewards in Heaven?
When is the last time you heard a sermon that suggested that a motive for our obedience should be the rewards we receive in heaven? I imagine for most of us it has been a long time, maybe even never. Whenever a sermon (or book) provides a motive for obedience, it is almost always thankfulness for what Christ has done. And certainly that is a wonderful and foundational motivation. But is it the only motivation?
Recently I’ve been working on a commentary on the book of Hebrews and was struck by the role rewards have played in the lives of God’s people. We are reminded that Moses was motivated by … Continue reading...
Is Everything Sad Going to Come Untrue? Why We Need Eschatology Now More than Ever
In my opinion, some of the most overlooked portions of the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy are the chapters right after the final battle in The Return of the King. In these chapters, Tolkien expresses a vision for cosmic renewal that closely mimics the one laid down in the biblical accounts themselves.
In Rev 21:5 Continue reading... 
we read, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, I am making all things new.’” God has declared that one day he will set all things right. Likewise, at the end of The Return of the King, Tolkien describes how evil has been vanquished and all things set …
Want to Understand How Suffering Fits with the Sovereignty of God? Here’s a Great Place to Start
One of the perennial questions for all theologians (and all human beings) is “Why do we suffer?” And, “If God is good and sovereign, why does he allow suffering?”
While most of us have these questions, we don’t really have to deal with them until we experience suffering ourselves. This is when we discover whether we really have a “theology of suffering” that can deal with the hard parts of life.
And that’s the thing about the coronavirus. It forces all of us to answer the tough questions about suffering. We can no longer duck the issue.
To be clear, I am not talking about answers to the intellectual questions … Continue reading...