Josiah’s action was the effect that hearing the Lord’s view of idolatry has on someone whose heart is fully devoted to Yahweh. Those who love God and whose hearts are completely His cannot abide any idols in their hearts—no matter how longstanding the idols might be or who built them.   When Josiah realized that... Continue Reading

The Seventh Commandment forbids adultery (Exodus 20:14), defined as a sexual relationship outside marriage. But Jesus created a “fence” around it with his warning, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).   This Associated Press headline is intended to make us click... Continue Reading

God’s blessing being poured into us happens simultaneously to our pouring out our hearts in His presence. The weak pouring out anxiousness, confusion, and need, and the strong pouring out love, strength, and blessing in response.   “If God is real, I’m sure He’s too busy to care about the details of my life.” A... Continue Reading

God isn’t done with us when we die. Our stories will go on forever in the afterlife. He will compensate for, make up for, finish, and tie up together beautifully lives that were seemingly unfinished and not what they were meant to be. But one day they will become what they were meant to be.... Continue Reading

By suffering the punishment for sin in our place, the crucified Christ made a way for you and me to have fellowship with him through faith. Through his resurrection, the same Christ opened the door for us to share in his eternal life. Will you at least consider the possibility that all this might be... Continue Reading

[Salvation] is ultimately God’s work…But that’s not an excuse to hold back from sharing the stark yet saving truth that Jesus is Lord. We simply don’t have the luxury of allowing our unbelieving friends and family to endlessly ponder the concept of Christ without being given the opportunity to entrust themselves to Him.   Until... Continue Reading

As Christians our first and last priority is to pray for kings and those in authority. But we must also stay informed, get involved and engage respectfully and intelligently. And above all we must realise that without Christians we cannot have a Christian civilisation. Our calling is to proclaim the Gospel—not the next political saviour/devil.... Continue Reading

The problem with fixing our minds and hearts on things above is that we have a thousand earthly things that occupy our minds and hearts. Making it worse is the fact that we cannot avoid these earthly things. They simply have to be done. How do we deal with that?   Every day, you and... Continue Reading

When the author of Hebrews tells us that the Father speaks to the Son in the words of Psalm 2…we should look back to Psalm 2 and ask in what ways the Father and Son are present there. When we do, we find new depths of interpretation open to us as we allow Hebrews to... Continue Reading

Jesus is the hero of the story and we are the friends he made along the way. We’re the burdens he carries through the doors of death and into the heavens. It’s in following him and being empowered by his Spirit that we are able…to act ‘heroically’ because we know we’re not the hero.  ... Continue Reading