This is a gracious, helpful, and clear response to some misguided comments made recently by Francis Chan. I am thankful for the wisdom of these men.
You Are a Priest Forever
Melchizedek remains a mystery to many students of the Bible. Here is my attempt to make sense of Melchizedek and the Melchizedekian priesthood in the storyline of Scripture. The article linked below appeared in the most recent issue of SBJT.
https://equip.sbts.edu/category/publications/journals/journal-of-theology/sbjt-231-spring-2019/
The Responsibilites of Church Membership
I have not blogged in a long time, but I have not given up on writing! I have been working on some other writing projects in my absence from the blogosphere. Here is one of the articles I wrote during that time for 9marks.
Dads, Who Is Discipling Our Children?
The question in the title of this post assumes that somebody will disciple our children. Our kids are being discipled every day. Discipleship is about teaching, influencing, and showing someone else how to live as a particular kind of person. As my children get older, they have an increasing number of influences on their lives. Friends, classmates, songs, books, music, media, teachers, relatives, movies, all have a platform in one form or another with my children. Some of these influencers are better than others, but none of them is as vital or persuasive as me. That may sound arrogant, but I think it’s biblical. God has designed and commissioned fathers to lead their households (Eph 5:22–23; 6:1–4). God has entrusted us with the authority to lead our families and disciple our children in the truth. Children look to dad (and mom) for answers to life’s questions, and they typically trust us more than anyone else on earth. What I say to my children as their father carries more weight than what they hear from anyone else outside of the home. God has designed it this way. The cry of “Daddy!” is the deepest instinct of our hearts. Continue reading “Dads, Who Is Discipling Our Children?”
Thanksgiving: An Antidote to Sexual Sin
One of the simplest ways to fight lust is often the most overlooked. In Ephesians 5:3–5 Paul gives us a strategy to combat sexual sin:
Ephesians 5:3–5 (ESV) — 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. 5 For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.
What is the weapon Paul gives us here in the war against lust? Thankfulness. Paul balances his two negative commands prohibiting sexual immorality and obscene speech with a positive exhortation: “Let there be thanksgiving” (Eph 5:4). Thanksgiving is not only the opposite of dirty, foolish, obscene talk; it is a weapon we can employ in the fight for purity. How does this work? Continue reading “Thanksgiving: An Antidote to Sexual Sin”
The Knowledge of God
There are two different extreme positions on the knowability of God. On the one hand is agnosticism. Agnostics argue that, if there is a God, we do not know anything certain about him. We have no sure and certain proofs of his existence and we cannot be sure that he has revealed anything about himself. On the other hand is a belief, usually among cult religions, that God can be fully comprehended by his creatures. Those holding this view have created a god in their image that fits their creaturely sensibilities. If human beings cannot fully comprehend God, they suggest, then they cannot love and worship him. Continue reading “The Knowledge of God”
The Cross by John Newton
In evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear;
‘Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopped my wild career.
I saw one hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood;
Who fixed his languid eyes on me,
As near his cross I stood. Continue reading “The Cross by John Newton”
A Tribute to Dottie Olson (1935–2018)
My wife’s grandmother, Dottie Olson, passed away a little over a week ago. Before she died, she requested that I perform her funeral service. Unfortunately, I contracted a severe illness and was unable to travel to conduct the funeral. To make up for it, I wrote a tribute in her honor. Below is a manuscript of my tribute to Dottie Olson. My wife’s cousin read it at the funeral in my stead.
Dear Family and Friends,
I, Matthew Emadi, am deeply saddened that I could not be here today in person. I would have considered it an honor and a privilege to participate in the funeral for Dottie Olson. When I finally accepted the fact that I was too sick to travel, I became haunted by one of my childhood memories. It was June 11, 1997. I was 13 years old as I watched flu-ridden Michael Jordan score 38 points in game 5 of the NBA finals leading the Bulls to victory over my beloved Utah Jazz. How come he was able to rise to the occasion and score 38 points in an NBA finals game, and I can’t even get out bed to get on a plane to travel across the country? I guess that is why he is considered so great. Continue reading “A Tribute to Dottie Olson (1935–2018)”
Thoughts on Mark 5:21–43
In Mark 5:21–43, Jesus supernaturally heals two people: Jairus’ daughter and the woman with the issue of blood. Most interpreters rightly affirm that these miracles are meant to reveal Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and Son of God. But is there more going on here? When we consider the details of Mark 5:21–43 in light of the Old Testament, Jesus’ ministry to these two women reveals something else about his identity; namely, he is a priest superior to the priests of Israel. Continue reading “Thoughts on Mark 5:21–43”
Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted
One of the good things about being sick for a week was that it gave me extra time to listen to great Christian songs. How have I missed this one my whole life? Stricken, Smitten, and Afflicted makes me shudder and rejoice at the same time. Or in the words of Psalm 2:11, I “rejoice with trembling” as I listen. Here is the song from the T4G conference. The lyrics are below. I encourage you to sing along.