Unveiling the True Nature of Grumbling
What Is Grumbling?
Grumbling’s evil twin is discontentment. Refusing to recognize the providence of God—that He is sovereignly in control of my life such that the circumstances I face are not random fate—will lead to discontentment. Discontentment inevitably leads to grumbling and vice versa. They go hand in hand, and they are also contagious. I’ve recently tried... Continue Reading
Feasting on the Pastoral Prayer
Ways We Benefit Spiritually from this Part of the Worship Service
The more we rest and grasp the work of the cross and the empty tomb seen in the sacrifice of Christ the more our souls are fed by this knowledge and as we bring our hearts to bear in praise the depth available will be with us in the week ahead. Concerts are fun and... Continue Reading
Stay Strange
The Church as a Home for Exiles
Faithful Christians cannot help but look strange to unbelievers of all sorts—progressive and conservative, urban and rural, young and old. But that doesn’t mean we fundamentally are strange, not from the standpoint of eternity. No, from the perspective of “forever and ever,” the strangest thing of all is this present world of sin, this God-ignoring age. ... Continue Reading
Grasping the Hand of God
Prayer in Nehemiah (7)
Nehemiah’s prayer is not only a dimension of his political leadership; it is integral to his personal piety and practice. We look at leaders in Christ’s church and we see the urgency and necessity of prayer for them. Whatever sphere is in view, whether church, home, government, world, prayer is featured as the conduit for believers... Continue Reading
Rebecca Protten
Rebecca Protten’s life was one lived radically for Jesus, with remarkable fruit. In the eighteenth century, no one expected a black woman, especially one who had been enslaved, to do anything important.
After some years of widowhood in Germany, during which her daughter also died, she was married to a mixed-race Moravian, Christian Protten. Together they resolved to take the gospel to the heart of slave trading communities in West Africa. Though the route into this ministry was complex and arduous, and their marriage put under great... Continue Reading
The Power of Devoted Prayer
Beyond Moments of Need: A Lifestyle of Prayer
The concept of being “devoted to prayer” might seem daunting at first. After all, in our busy lives, how can we possibly maintain a constant state of prayer? The key lies in understanding that prayer isn’t just about bowed heads and folded hands. It’s about an ongoing conversation with God, a constant awareness of His presence... Continue Reading
The Church Militant: Equipping the Saints for War
The Characteristics of God’s Army
God’s people are part of His army. The tribes—including all of their men, women, and children—were called armies and camped as such. Second, this army is inherently expeditionary—they were meant to move and conquer rather than defend. Third, this army subdues the enemy without compromise: enemies who would not submit and become slaves of righteousness... Continue Reading
Let Him Who Boasts Boast in This
What is it about knowing God that causes him to tell us that knowing him is of greater worth than wisdom, might, and riches?
Those who know God have confidence in his character. Life is full of trials; in a fallen world there is no escape from pain. Scripture does not cover up that pain. Rather, it says, My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary when reproved by him. For the Lord disciplines the one... Continue Reading
Listen to Instruction
Solomon’s proverbs was to help us know wisdom and instruction.
The “instruction” that he refers to is not his own personal advice, but rather the instruction of God, revealed through his Word, of which Solomon is now a representative. Solomon is not asking his audience to hear and obey every personal whim of his simply because he’s the older, more experienced one among them. He is pointing... Continue Reading
Have You Misread Romans 8?
Clarifying Three Beloved Verses
As we experience these hardships, Paul promises that God is for us and that we will be victorious. Because of Christ’s all-sufficient death, resurrection, and continuing intercession on our behalf, God is our kind-hearted Father (Romans 8:32) and righteous Justifier (verses 33–34), which our experiences of hardship do not minimize or erase. Hence, our victory... Continue Reading
Comfort and Joy: How God Used the Loss of a Loved One to Save the Life of Another
In All Things, God Works
Though the Bible doesn’t tell us specifically who will or won’t be saved, we serve a God who is both sovereign and trustworthy. If your knees are sore from praying and waiting for a lost one to be found, remember: He makes all things beautiful in His time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). He waits with us on... Continue Reading
God Covers Our Sins with His Perfect Paint
God covered the sins of his people so that he no longer saw them. Only God has the authority to do that.
Our attempts will always fail. There are no works we can do to add to what he has already done on the cross to pay for our sins. His covering is perfect since he is the Master Painter. “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). A few... Continue Reading
Salt in the Bible
Salt stands for the feast of the heavenly kingdom as opposed to the famine of the earthly domain; it points to the fullness and abundance of life in Christ.
In the tabernacle worship, God stipulated that salt be added to the grain offering (Lev. 2:13). Salt here is an emblem of the fellowship that is enjoyed between the Lord and His priestly people. In fact, with regard to the Levitical priests, God establishes what is called a “covenant of salt” (Num. 18:19), since communion with God... Continue Reading
¡Viva La Reformacion!
The Reformation was a revival, a divine gift to the Church, which needed course correction after centuries of stagnancy from heresies that had crept in.
The lessons of the Reformation remain as urgent as ever. We must remember that semper reformanda—always reforming—is not just a slogan of history; it is our ongoing duty and rallying cry. The Church cannot afford to become calcified, satisfied with past triumphs, or lulled into complacency by modern distractions. We must return to the Word,... Continue Reading
Three Ways We Might Find Our Biases Driving Our Biblical Interpretation
A good test as to whether our biases are driving our scriptural interpretation is whether scripture challenges our thinking and we allow it to actually change what we think.
If, however, we are consistently shocked by the majority position of believers across the world when it is different, when we can only see our application and never their application, when we are quick to say ‘that’s wrong’ before we ask ‘why do you do that?’, it is likely our cultural biases may be impacting our understanding of scripture.... Continue Reading
In Remembrance of Him
A few benefits of weekly communion.
Don’t let communion be commonplace. Don’t let yourself become bored with it. The Lord’s Supper is not an invention of man. It is Jesus’ idea. Let this glorious meal be a reminder of your sin and of what God has done to save you from that sin. Let it drive you to long for the... Continue Reading
From Practice to Perfection
God’s people are like an orchestra that is rehearsing.
The more we practice, the more we find ourselves playing our instruments with joy and skill and the more we find ourselves playing well as part of an orchestra. The more we practice together, the more it becomes second nature to carry out the role that has been assigned to us. The more we rehearse,... Continue Reading
Don’t Become a Cynic
Combatting Cynicism
To truly hope in Christ is to confidently reject all forms of cynicism and to, instead, see the glory of Christ at work in all things. Such hope leads us to live out Christ-like lives rather than cynical lives—lives of kindness, tenderheartedness, forgiveness, and love. The one who has been forgiven by Christ has absolutely... Continue Reading
Is the Fruit of the Spirit More Like a Pie or a Tree?
The fruit of the Spirit reflects the very heart of God—for it is his Spirit who produces all his graces within us.
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus (Gal. 1:1–5). That is all! However, this does not mean we do nothing (Gal. 5:16). As with a tree’s active photosynthesis, we are called to “keep in step with the Spirit” (Gal. 5:25), which proves that our faith in Jesus is genuine (John 15:8). But we must... Continue Reading
Getting (Infant) Baptism Right
Understanding the PCA’s Baptismal Doctrine
Calvin, just like the Westminster Confession, insists that salvation is pictured, even offered, in baptism, but only received by those who embrace the promise of baptism in faith. God can implant the seed of faith in that infant at the moment of baptism if he so chooses, but there is no inseparable connection between baptism and even... Continue Reading
How to Turn from Sexual Sin? Practice Considering Christ
When our thoughts are set on Jesus, guess where they’re not? They’re not occupied by self, lust, pride, greed, coveting.
While our salvation is by grace alone, we daily choose to press into deeper communion with our Savior or pull away from him. Believers are empowered by the mighty Spirit of God. By his grace, we can choose to turn our minds and thoughts toward Christ. This is what it means to practice considering him. Your next... Continue Reading
Principles of a Christian Mindset
Christianity asserts something that relativism refuses to accept: The Christian worldview is true.
Christians are those who have a conscious trust and dependence on Christ’s saving work on their behalf (as opposed to all other worldviews). I am called to love. Christians are called to love God, to love their neighbors as themselves, and to love their enemies. This is carried out in the course of their ordinary... Continue Reading
Katharina von Bora: A Perfectly Free Christian Single
What can we learn from Katie? She clearly believed that Christian freedom applied to her too.
By marrying Luther, Katie chose a position that enabled her to use her home as a hospital during the Black Plague, take in orphans, host dignitaries and scholars from around the world, and be the deepest encouragement to her husband. Her life was a life of service, in true freedom. If you were a... Continue Reading
The Past Is More Than A List of Problems
We should not assume that just because we are the latest generation on earth, we are the greatest.
We must also seek out the good and right, the ageless wisdom and courage and faith that have always stood against evil, the virtues that have cultivated our world, the convictions that have built up and beautified it. Our ancestors have shown us many ways to fall and fail, certainly, but they have also at times... Continue Reading
Preparing for God’s Presence
If you are experiencing His presence—personally, deeply—you have everything that matters and lasts.
We desire the presence of God in our lives. He is always present in the true believer, but we are often not aware of and relying upon His presence. It is possible to have His presence, but not acknowledge or experience His presence, which is the cause of all spiritual failure in believers’ lives. And... Continue Reading
Whatever Happened to Total Depravity?
Vain is the salvation of man.
The problems we are facing go much deeper than culture and politics and thus cannot be resolved with a mere changing of the guard. Our sinful hearts are the issue. They are the root. They are the source of all the rot and decay, misery and injustice, corruption and oppression we see in our world at present.... Continue Reading
The Tragedy of IVF
Do you think that children born by IVF are human beings?
IVF and surrogacy witness to the most natural and most glorious of human desires, that of a man and a woman wanting together to create the life of another person. Yet the very procedures require society to treat that person as a thing, a commodity. It is the quintessential tragedy of our modern, technological age.... Continue Reading
Five Myths about Christianity and Politics in America
Christians are called to live out their faith in every area of life—including politics.
Christianity and politics are not mutually exclusive. While the church should never become a political machine, it has a responsibility to engage the political sphere with moral clarity and courage. Our laws are, and always will be, reflections of our moral values, and Christians have an important role to play in shaping those values. ... Continue Reading
Why Spurgeon Refused to Name Names in the Downgrade Controversy
He never provided the names of these teachers for at least three reasons.
Spurgeon would not name names was because he did not want to make this fight about himself. The encroaching downgrade and modernist theologies were not an offense against Spurgeon personally. Rather, they were an offense against God. Spurgeon was “extremely anxious to avoid personalities,” because he had no desire to make the controversy about himself,... Continue Reading
The Lack of a Christian Mindset
Our lack comes from (1) enculturation, (2) prayerlessness, and (3) pride. These three rings take us to the heart, and the heart is often the problem with the mind.
The Christian mindset means letting Christ be the King, losing ourselves to His mission and glory, and thus finding our purpose again. We must exchange the small ambitions that our pride generates for the huge ambitions that Christ offers. The cross calls us to go down in order to go up. We must lose our... Continue Reading