Esau had his mind firmly fixed upon the things of the world rather than the things of God, and that is the road to apostasy for both individuals and congregations. In a way, Esau embodies all three of the dangers listed in verses 15-16. He failed to obtain God’s grace because of his apathy to... Continue Reading

If some people will never believe, no matter how much evidence and reason we put in front of them, we have to work out when we have said all we can and then leave people to their determined rejection. This seems to be what Jesus is talking about when he speaks about casting our pearls... Continue Reading

The Sabbath day reminds image bearers of their obligation to worship and serve the Lord, and to trust God for the redemption that He freely provides in Christ alone. Where Adam failed in the covenant of works, Christ succeeded. As the last Adam (Rom. 5:12–21), Jesus came to secure the eschatological Sabbath rest for His people.... Continue Reading

Capitol Commission exists not only to convert the ruler but also to warn the ruler that they are accountable to God. We need leaders who are declared righteous. In seeing a righteous God, we come face-to-face with our own unrighteousness. We see ourselves as sinners. Paul says, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one... Continue Reading

Drifting is not something one actively does; it is something that passively happens because of what one is not doing. As one pastor observed, drifting results through “a failure to keep a firm grip on the truth, through carelessness and a lack of concern.” We are called to “pay the most careful attention to what... Continue Reading

We hear that hate and inhumanity in the throngs of people chanting “Gas the Jews!” outside the Sydney Opera House. We watch it as privileged 20-somethings aggressively tear down Israeli hostage posters. We witness it as U.S. members of Congress refuse to condemn the ruthless murders of 1,300 Jewish civilians. The war resulting from the Hamas attack is a reminder of a... Continue Reading

Sowell makes it clear that the state should reject the social justice vision and its agenda. The natural end point, he states, is “having government empower surrogate decision-makers to rescue victims of various forms of mistreatment by taking many decisions out of other people’s hands” (82). Our ever-growing administrative state is full of people convinced... Continue Reading

There’s Yuppie Jesus who encourages us to reach our full potential, reach for the stars, and buy a boat. There’s Platitude Jesus, good for Christmas specials, greeting cards, and bad sermons; he inspires people to believe in themselves, and lifts us up so we can walk on mountains. There’s Good Example Jesus who shows you... Continue Reading

We who are Gentiles ought to learn the lesson, that if God did not spare the natural branches, there is no reason why He should spare the wild branches. This means that we are required to stand by faith (v.20) – to humbly trust the grace of God and to fear Him. Some have said that... Continue Reading

There has definitely been an acceleration in the trend towards individualised discipleship.  Some people simply feel like they don’t need others, they are flock-less sheep, and there is a danger that as churches and church leaders we’ve fed this as we have taught God’s word unawares through the lens of individualism, through individualistic application of... Continue Reading