“You have two overwhelming emotions,” Jesus was saying, “but as you’ve come into My presence, one can be shed like a heavy coat on a warm day. You no longer need fear … just joy.” Their fear was gone, as it always is when we encounter His near presence. When we are in the presence... Continue Reading

The goal of Babel’s people was to build a tower that would reach up to heaven, yet God has to bend down, as it were, to look at their little tinker-toy project! So in verses 7-9, God disperses the people of Babel over the face of the earth. In a total turnaround, the rebellion of... Continue Reading

You don’t taste the sweet wine of the Gospel’s salvation without having tasted the bitter cup of the Law’s condemnation. “Be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy” echoes in our ears, even as we see the dingy gray of our own pathetic efforts at holiness, and the soiled garments of our sin.... Continue Reading

One very tangible way to prioritize the means of grace is through adding evening worship services in addition to morning worship services.  This may not be practical for every congregation, especially with limited pastoral staff or in places where most of the congregation lives at a great distance.  But, if possible for a congregation,  it... Continue Reading

Sometimes we use God’s law in a superficial way. We act as mere “hearers of the Word” who hardly pause to consider before hurrying away. We don’t stop to think about how this or that text might apply to us. We give ourselves an obligatory check in the mirror, but don’t act on what we’ve... Continue Reading

Many people are genuinely uncomfortable with Holy Spirit language, but that is what Peter, Hebrews, Paul, and Jude affirm. The distinctive messages that come from God are by the Spirit through the prophets in the previous days, and through the Son by the Spirit in these last days.   The question raises a few questions... Continue Reading

And first, remembrance of Jesus will tend to give you hope when you are under the burden of your sins. Notice a few characters here tonight. There comes in a poor creature. Look at him! He has neglected himself this last month; he looks as if he had hardly eaten his daily bread. What is... Continue Reading

For God will grant a man’s requests but in his own good time. Therefore, for quick results, one turns to the right jurisdiction, namely the ancestors who are authorised to direct the affairs of the clan in the here and now.” In short, most Africans view the ancestors and spirits as more dependable than God.... Continue Reading

Rest in God isn’t passive; it is active and brings with it a sense of hope. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we are given a picture of a tree planted by a stream. It says, But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by... Continue Reading

Thankfully, Jesus did not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. Instead, He delighted in, and meditated upon, the law of the Lord. He lived a life of perfect obedience and died a cursed death in our place.    You and... Continue Reading

For the scope of our present essay, we’ll examine Machen’s libertarianism in terms of voluntarism, the principle of relying on voluntary action and freedom of choice, particularly when associating with ecclesiastical structures. This voluntarism was worked out in many of Machen’s letters about church and civil politics, and ultimately was forced in Machen’s deposition from... Continue Reading

Jeremiah wept for the people, wept for their sin, wept for the judgment they were undergoing. Everything was going badly. But even when everything was going wrong, something was still going right – The Lord was still compassionate. His presence was still with them.   It seems like bad things come in bunches, doesn’t it?... Continue Reading

How do we start? How do we keep prayer from becoming boring? How do I learn how to lead a prayer meeting that isn’t boring? It’s just being like a little child when you’re faced with this huge, impossible task. It’s okay just to launch into it, but even before you announce it, I actually... Continue Reading

The salvation of the children we disciple does not rest on our shoulders. We are called to be faithful sowers, but the work of transformation belongs to God alone. Consider the hope this gives us: the child who tests your patience, the one who seems disengaged, and even the one whose story breaks your heart... Continue Reading

We often feel we need to provide all of the answers in a discussion about faith. If that is the case, then we will never be ready. However, some of the most important moments are when we can lovingly reveal that the questioner has gaps in their understanding.   Approximately 30 million people watched and... Continue Reading

We are responsible for how we minister to others, but not how they respond. People will sin, even when you warn them not to. Some will fall away despite your pleading. Some might betray you, despite of your love for them.   Pitfalls to Avoid As you get going in discipleship and doing spiritual good... Continue Reading

Almost every week, I am deeply aware of how little I have to offer unless the Spirit helps me. I’m amazed that he so often uses what I have to offer. It’s a reminder that our confidence is not in our own abilities, but in the Spirit working through the word.   I think I... Continue Reading

You and I are obviously more intelligent than elephants and whales. At least, I cannot imagine them writing this article on my laptop, dexterity aside. But they are obviously superior to us in size and better adapted to their habitats than we are to ours…By what measure are we to claim that we are superior... Continue Reading

Far from being a buzzkill that directs us away from “freedom and fun,” the Law of God causes us to actively live out our lives in such a way that we both pursue and grasp joy from the Lord within our lives.   Before I had come to truly embrace the doctrines of grace, I... Continue Reading

Will our children turn out okay? I don’t know. Will they love God and others with all they are? Again, I’m not sure. Will God be with us and move toward our kids in love? Yes, and amen!   Parenting has always been difficult. Even with the vast array of Christian resources available today—resources to... Continue Reading

We need to remember the constancy of human nature across time. Human beings are fallen, and we’ve always been fallen. When we look back in history, we need to avoid both idealizing the past and idealizing the present against the past. We are prone to the same kinds of temptations as our historical subjects. They... Continue Reading

God meets parents with his rescuing and transforming grace. He works to change your heart so that you can become a tool of change in the heart of your child. You can have confidence that God is in you, with you, and for you as you help your child to understand that his or her... Continue Reading

All of our small moments with neighbors and coworkers can add up to a life that impacts those around us for good. When you take the time to stop, listen, look, and engage with others, you will have opportunities to love and to share God’s love.   Paul knows something that many of us forget—people... Continue Reading

Critical theory hides what little hope it has behind a revolutionary eschaton. Christians, in contrast, can point to the continuing instantiation of Christ’s kingdom through the church. And despite our frequent failures, this work continues, providing the answers to human sorrow and sinfulness that critical theory cannot. Trueman is right that “all of the central... Continue Reading

It is strong evidence of a person’s regeneration by the Spirit that you will not only trust in Jesus and live a Christ-like life, but that your response to the world’s despising of that life will be increased devotion to the Lord and love for your neighbors.   “Jesus, Mighty King of Zion” Fearless of... Continue Reading

We are human beings with the privilege and responsibility of personal agency, a necessary prerequisite to see our sinfulness and believe the gospel. God will surely judge us all in keeping with our exercise of agency, as Romans 2:6–8 attests, “He will render to each one according to his works:to those who by patience in well-doing... Continue Reading

What once seemed wise, now seems foolish. What once seemed strong, now seems weak. What we might once have been impressed by we now see is no cause for boasting at all. What the world derides as foolish or offensive, we’ve found to be the very power of God at work in us.   In... Continue Reading

 God’s not unpredictable. He is simple, and He loves His blood-bought children. Therefore, we can trust the Lord even more!   Once in a while I will write a “thinking about theology” post where I take a doctrine of the faith and explain it in three parts: (1) with an academic quote from a trusted... Continue Reading

Orthodoxy calls you into the reality of eternal things, and the benefits are eternal too. To leave Christ is to forfeit your soul, but in Christ even death is gain. May God open blind eyes to the blandness of rebellion, and give men and women a taste for the wildness of orthodoxy.   Everywhere we... Continue Reading

The crown of thorns, flagellum, wrought iron nails, and heaven’s silence remind us that every injustice in our life, no matter how malicious or painful, could never parallel what Christ undertook. We sent Him to the cross. Our sin held Him there. However, He so kindly embraced it.   When I was a boy, a... Continue Reading