The law is good, used lawfully, after all. Through it, we learn the precepts of right and wrong. And by meditation upon it, we learn its deeper truths—there, we find a well of wisdom both knowable and yet never fully comprehended, for God is its author and source.   We tend to think of law... Continue Reading

Jesus is the image of the invisible God. Stop and think about that today, so that you take it to heart and are duly affected—so that you learn from Jesus and worship Him.   The United States Secret Service is most commonly known for its protection of our nation’s president. However, it was originally founded... Continue Reading

You could read Romans 16:1 as saying that Phoebe was an office-bearer. It’s possible. But for a number of reasons, it is far from certain.   I imagine that I was not the only person bemused on Thursday afternoon at this year’s General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in America. I heard on the floor... Continue Reading

Younger men derive deep strength and confidence from Godly older men. They feel seen, known, and encouraged. In today’s culture, it’s a rare thing to have someone take a genuine interest in you—in your life, in your future, and in your God-given purpose.   Movie director Joseph Kosinski’s last two films have crushed it at the... Continue Reading

When you look at the fruit of the work of your feeble, insignificant hands, you must come to the conclusion that our God is in the heavens, and He does all that He pleases. He alone deserves glory when the mustard seed and leaven begin to show its work in the hearts and minds of... Continue Reading

Personal separation does not mean cutting people off or refusing all contact with them. It means something more specific: refusing to share their lifestyle or their way of life. Believers are meant to reach into the world to pull people out of destructive patterns, not to be pulled back in themselves.   Your face can... Continue Reading

Despite there only being one official change of governing documents in the history of the United States, the way the Constitution has been understood over the years has been radically altered.…The good news is that by maintaining the appearance of continuity, the United States has lasted 250 years. The bad news is that most people... Continue Reading

“Thus saith the Lord the maker thereof, the Lord that formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name” (Jeremiah 33.2).…”Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” (Jeremiah 33.3). We can call on the Creator and depend on His promises.   Read the series. Jeremiah’s... Continue Reading

I still reflect on the biblical wisdom of those Ruling Elders. In fact, it is not too much to say that they played an essential role in my spiritual development as a pastor. We had a relationship that molded and formed me into the type of pastor I needed to be. I remain greatly indebted... Continue Reading

Any potential value to be found in this new base-editing technology will be outweighed by the consequences of not recognizing what is true of the human condition, both our value and our potential for evil. In this case as well, the potential consequences far outweigh the potential benefits.   Recently, the New York Times reported... Continue Reading

As beings of the “logos,” it would be good for us to read and speak words. So then it would be good to read books and talk about them with friends and family, to move away from sitting and scrolling, watching videos on sundry lit devices, flickering figures endlessly moving on the walls of the... Continue Reading

By establishing broader assemblies of elders with real, but fallible and strictly spiritual authority, the Confession provides a system designed to protect the flock, maintain the truth, and preserve the peace of Christ’s kingdom.   In the previous chapter, we saw that Christ has appointed a government for His Church, placed in the hands of... Continue Reading

Perhaps the greatest sign of drift is that the cross becomes familiar instead of glorious. You know the facts, but they no longer move your heart. Paul resolved to know “nothing…except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2)…Spiritual drift is dangerous, but it is not hopeless. Christ welcomes repentant sinners.     Spiritual drift is... Continue Reading

Believing in God the Maker means living for what lasts. It means refusing to center our lives around a world that’s passing away. This is not all there is. We were made for more—for a world where sin and death are no more, where love and righteousness dwell forever.   Every year on her birthday,... Continue Reading

We are called to place ourselves under the legitimate authority God has set over us, to submit out of love for God and a desire to honor him, even when the official in front of us seems far from honorable.   Every ruler, good or corrupt, holds power because God delegated it. Romans 13:1-2 makes... Continue Reading

The machine will make your child seen by millions and known by no one. Only a home can teach a child to be known, and to stay long enough to know someone else. Take back the hours, and give them the one thing the feed can never sell.   I was working in a coffee... Continue Reading

When you hear God say, “I am a jealous God,” do not imagine a petty deity pacing heaven with wounded pride. Imagine the God who heard Israel groaning beneath Pharaoh’s whip and came down to rescue her.   “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above... Continue Reading

The term did not come from any church council.  It is not a biblical phrase or a theological expression in historical theology. In its later version as delineated by the Aspen Institute, it was secularized, and now without any debate as to its origin or meaning, it is considered a sacred core belief in the... Continue Reading

Jesus said that unless we become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Children often believe what adults complicate. They trust where we hesitate. They speak with a simple confidence that reminds us of truths we’ve allowed grief, fear, or busyness to cloud.   Birthdays are supposed to be filled with... Continue Reading

Consider the Lord’s response to the man as He and His disciples make their way back into the boat: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). Bold of the Lord to assume the poor man had... Continue Reading

Since Christian life is a response to the love of God, and Jesus is the One who leads that response, from first to last we encounter love and grace in him. As those united to our Messiah, we’re also recipients of his life and activity. We can be so familiar with the central doctrines of... Continue Reading

We must stay alert and sober to this demonic invasion through solid Biblical teaching and living according to the grace of God and the power of His Spirit. Be careful. A demonic spirit with their demonic doctrines will come in many forms—teaching, literature, movies, art, social media, etc., seeking to capture our minds and hearts,... Continue Reading

Jesus came offering rest to weary sinners. And the book of Hebrews tells us that a greater Sabbath rest still awaits the people of God. Every sleepless night reminds us that we still live in a fallen world. We are not yet home. Fear remains. Sorrow remains. Death remains. Anxiety remains. But these things are... Continue Reading

We must teach and preach, but our primary influence is through our lives and the example they set. Leadership is influence, and there is no greater influence than our lives. It doesn’t matter how dynamic a preacher may be, example is more powerful than precept. Precept riding on the back of example is more powerful... Continue Reading

 “If by doing some work which the undiscerning consider ‘not spiritual work’ I can best help others, and I inwardly rebel, thinking it is the spiritual for which I crave, when in truth it is the interesting and exciting, then I know nothing of Calvary love.”   Amy Carmichael (1867-1951) is well known as the... Continue Reading

A shield is only as strong as what it’s made of, and faith gets its strength from knowing God’s word. You can’t hold up a promise you don’t know. The woman who’s spent time in Scripture has a shield ready when the fire comes, because she knows what God said and she can raise it... Continue Reading

It is not uncommon for a young man to suddenly get interested in postmillennialism and start pontificating about Christianity and politics while his own life is riddled with sin and falling apart. It’s easier to have convictions about politicians should do in Washington, DC than to fight and kill sin in your own heart. A... Continue Reading

Dr. Hurley joined the faculty of RTS Jackson in 1985 and became the longest-serving residential faculty member in the seminary’s history. Throughout nearly four decades of teaching, he faithfully prepared students for ministry by helping them think deeply about the integration of theology, Scripture, and counseling.   JACKSON, Miss. — Reformed Theological Seminary mourns the passing... Continue Reading

In 1972, he came back to Covenant Seminary to serve as Director of Admissions, Assistant Dean of Students, and Instructor of Hebrew. He was appointed to the Seminary’s full-time faculty in 1975. In 1976, he received a Master of Arts degree from St. Louis University and, in 1977, a Doctor of Theology (ThD) degree from... Continue Reading

Leviticus 16 is the center of the Pentateuch, and so the foundation of the whole Bible. It began recalling the sober scene of the death of the disobedient sons of Aaron. The whole Bible has to do with this Day, because the center of the Bible is Jesus Christ. The death of Christ wasn’t out... Continue Reading