Dave Miller

Here are the non-debatable, inarguable realities of Christmas. You may not agree. This is America. You have the right to be wrong! George C. Scott was Scrooge and other versions are vying for second place in "which is the best 'Christmas Carol'" discussions. He is the gold standard. Die Hard was an entertaining action movie set at a Christmas party. It is NOT a Christmas movie and only heretics, Gnostics, and liberals say it is. The Christmas classic "A Christmas Story" should have ended with the narrator, the adult Ralphie, appearing with an eye patch, after shooting his eye out … [Read more...] about Non-Debatable Realities of Christmas

With all the foofaraw and hullaballoo of the Christmas season, do you ever wonder if people really understand what it’s all about? They celebrate frenetically but have little clue about the reality of Christmas. This is nothing new. Most people were oblivious to the birth of the Savior when it happened. The residents of Bethlehem, even those where Mary and Joseph sought refuge, could have had a front-row seat to the birth of the Messiah but were clueless. The intelligentsia of Israel was ignorant and blind. They didn’t even walk six miles to find out if the one they’d awaited for centuries was … [Read more...] about He Understood Christmas

Rumor has it that woke liberal leftist pastors are considering doing the unthinkable on Sunday, December 25. When they should be gathered with the people of God celebrating the birth of Christ they will be nestled in their beds demonstrating their worldliness. Heathens and heretics! I will be honest, I could not cancel church on Christmas Sunday. That comes from conviction, but also from my tradition and training.  My dad (also my pastor through my formative years) wavered slightly in his view of eternal security when people dared to cancel church for Christmas or Super Bowls or anything … [Read more...] about Anathematize the Heretics Who Cancel Christmas Church?

… [Read more...] about Evidence of Evangelical Dysfunction?

Does it sometimes feel like Heaven has gone silent and God isn’t listening anymore, your prayers are ignored and your name is forgotten? We all go through this at some point. The Psalms are filled with Laments asking why God is far off, not hearing or responding. We get discouraged, even depressed, and live that dark night of the soul. Sometimes, none of the Bible’s promises feel real. In 400 BC, Malachi prophesied, calling Israel to repent, and then God went silent - no prophetic word for nearly 400 years. Empires rose and fell, and most oppressed or enslaved Israel. Rebellions arose among … [Read more...] about In the Fullness of Time

I was taught a simple hermeneutical principle long ago, one that makes sense if we actually believe the Bible is inerrant and sufficient for faith and practice. When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense. I realize that sometimes there are addenda to that concept. We need to understand the plain sense of Scripture as it would have been understood by the audience that received it – Ancient Israel, the First Century Greek culture, etc. Archeology and historical studies, as well as language studies can inform our “plain sense of Scripture.” Having said all … [Read more...] about Litigious Believers: We All Lose

I love my microwave oven. I can reheat my coffee or have a bag of popcorn in a couple of minutes. No muss, no fuss. There are things you cannot microwave. Biblical restoration from sin is one of those things. That is a process that must be slow-cooked or it will be ruined. Yesterday, a group of Johnny Hunt’s close friends announced that 7 months after reports surfaced that he had abused a woman in his church around the time he was the president of the SBC (details are sketchy on the timing of all of this) he was now fully restored and ready to return to ministry. Hunt has left Woodstock and … [Read more...] about Microwaved Restoration

I am sitting in JFK airport putting the final touches on this, after an overnight flight that ended my two week stay in Senegal. While there, I’m pretty much cut off from most things I do that distract me, but when the sun is in the east, the breeze out of the west, and phase of the moon is right, I can get a bit of bandwidth and browse Facebook, even Twitter at times. I’m sure you haven’t noticed that there’s a bit of hysteria out there about the elections on Tuesday. My first encounter with electio-mania was with a high school friend who basically anathematized anyone who would … [Read more...] about Finding Our Political Sweet Spot

I am not an expert in the history of War, but I’ve read articles that said that Hitler had every chance to win World War II, if not for his own bizarre choices. Most criminals who get caught do so because of their hubris, foolishness, and self-destructive choices. Self-immolation is inherent in the nature of sin. The arrogance of turning against the will and ways of Almighty God brings with it a natural outcome. Sin is spiritual suicide and will always bring both God’s active judgment and natural consequences. “Be sure your sin will find you out.” That principle applies to the interactions … [Read more...] about The Consequences of Evil…and Social Media