Hope for Hard Marriages
If you’re in a hard marriage, even if you chose it through your own sin or foolishness, God does not say, “You did that to yourself, so don’t talk to me about it.”
Please hear: I’m not trying to downplay the real difficulty and suffering experienced by those married to an unbeliever. But is it possible to see God’s grace even in the pain? Is it possible to see in your situation a reminder that marriage is not our ultimate purpose in life, and was never meant to... Continue Reading
The Revelation Is the Grand Finale of All Scripture, and Why That’s Important to Know
Is it likely that just a few measures prior to its end (i.e., in chapter 20), God would suddenly introduce a completely new eschatological theme (i.e., a future 1000-year earthly reign of Christ)?
It is not the purpose of a grand finale to introduce new themes; its purpose is to creatively recapitulate the old. And when we examine the Revelation, we find that this is indeed the case. Here there is nothing new, nothing other than what Christ and the apostles have already taught us in the New... Continue Reading
What’s the Impact of Asbury’s Outpouring? John the Baptist Offers 3 Lessons
How the prophet’s ministry helps us understand what may come next a year after revival broke out.
John the Baptist was always clear that his role was to point to the one coming after him: “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). He was also keenly aware that his ministry was a preparation for a movement that would follow. In the same way, Asbury kept Jesus at the forefront... Continue Reading
Empowered Witness Foreword
With admirable skill, Alan shows how the spirituality of the church has been used (and abused) throughout history. But more than that, he also makes a compelling case for employing the doctrine in the church today.
Through most of Reformed history, the spirituality of the church has not entailed a silence on all political matters but rather a commitment to the uniqueness of the church’s mission and a principled conviction that the eternal concerns of the church should not be swallowed up by the temporal concerns of the state. For all... Continue Reading
What Happened When My Church Encountered Negative World
Enemy love is the wise response in every negative world because, in the final analysis, the way we respond to the negative world will either proclaim the love and mercy of Jesus or it will not.
We do live in a negative world and we are not alone. The primary cause of this significant negative is not primarily our faith—after all, we stand aside those who deny Christ—but the ideological takeover of higher education, and coastal and urban businesses, publications, and institutions by the latest and most fashionable ideas about sex, sexuality,... Continue Reading
Thy Compassions They Fail Not
In Christ, we get to see the fullest expression of the compassion of God.
Like the Prodigal’s father, our Father felt great compassion on us, and with our True older Brother, welcomed us back into the home at His own expense (Luke 15:20). And that expense would cost our compassionate Father the ultimate expense, the life of His one and only Son in crucifixion (Romans 5:6-8) in order to... Continue Reading
This ‘He Saves Us’ Ad Redeems Everything Wrong with the ‘He Gets Us’ Super Bowl Spot
Jesus preached a gospel of radical repentance, not tolerance or acceptance of sin.
Bambrick is an associate pastor of Hope Church Craigavon in Northern Ireland. His ad draws a strong contrast to the “He Gets Us” Super Bowl ad campaign. It featured art of various people washing other people’s feet, a reference to what Jesus did for his disciples in John 13. I criticized the “He Gets Us”... Continue Reading
The Commission of Christian Leaders
Christian leadership means ministering by the power of the Spirit, by the mind of Christ, and with the wisdom of God.
To be a Christian means that we follow Christ, and to be a Christian leader means that we lead in the name of Christ. We are not free as Christian leaders to teach our own gospel. We are not free to throw away the teachings of Jesus and replace them with our wisdom. The world... Continue Reading
Your Faith Is Demonstrated in How You Respond to Problems
How can I serve Jesus now in this imperfect situation? This is the key question to ask.
It is not for us to know why we face what we face. The ‘why’ question often leads nowhere. Yes, there were times in 1 and 2 Kings when a famine or event happened directly due to God’s judgement. Most of the time we won’t know why our lives are how they are. Perhaps we have... Continue Reading
Difficult Bible Passages: Matthew 5:42
Give to one and all, no questions asked?
Loving your neighbour means doing what is best for them. That requires some understanding and discernment. And note that the text says nothing about money. It simply says if you are asked to give something. There are all sorts of ways we should NOT do this. The principle here of freely giving is a good one.... Continue Reading
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