We can look for ways God is transforming our valleys of trouble into places of unexpected goodness, especially in giving us deeper intimacy with Him. The greater blessing in trial is deeper fellowship with Jesus, knowing His peace that surpasses understanding and His love that surpasses knowledge.   Few chapters in Scripture have impacted me... Continue Reading

It is humbling that the slightest inconveniences deter many of us from following God. Most often, we live for our comfort, reputation, or gain. When any of those goals are touched, we are troubled and discontent. We must settle the issue of why we live. In so doing, we will enter the foyer of heaven and... Continue Reading

With the rise of modern technology, and the Bible’s ready availability on phones or tablets, the physical presence of a Bible book is becoming more and more rare. Yes, Christians still care about the content of the Bible, but seem less concerned with the physical presence of the Bible. But it was not so in the early... Continue Reading

Jesus came to help us with the problem of suffering. And, in the end, to help us out of suffering forever. That doesn’t mean that suffering doesn’t hurt here and now. But it does mean there is a confidence that God can work through suffering to create something beautiful and good.   This is one... Continue Reading

What is the fruit of this pedagogy of hatred? Not strength, not courage, not resilience, but bitterness, helplessness, and an endless cycle of blame. Like the grievance merchants of the left, these peddlers of right-wing resentment deny their followers the very agency they claim to champion. Their obsession with scapegoating “the Jews” serves as a... Continue Reading

The only hope any of us have of growing in our obedience, of being more like David when he lived by faith and not by sight, is not by trying to be like David in our own strength but rather, in reliance on the Holy Spirit, trusting in the Christ to whom David pointed and... Continue Reading

Rejecting a literal, historical Adam—or some of the details about him and Eve— undermines the authority of Scripture and has enormous theological and moral implications. The historical last Adam came to solve the real, historical problem caused by the historical first Adam.     In recent years, in an effort to harmonize the evolutionary story... Continue Reading

The officers of the church will take the lead in the great task given for holy service and witness bearing, for better or for worse. May the Lord grant His bride qualified men to guide her well, and may He give the members grace to identify them.   To all the saints in Christ Jesus... Continue Reading

For those who hold to the spiritual view of the Lord’s Supper, Jesus is truly present, and these benefits are truly enjoyed by means of the Holy Spirit and believer’s union with Christ.   In Matthew 26:26-28 Jesus spoke a few simple words that have been the cause of a great many differences between Christians.... Continue Reading

Have we not looked at the stars to realize our smallness? Have we not stared at the ocean, contemplating our powerlessness? Yet, a hundred times more, when we stare at the picture of Calvary, our life issues all begin to fade, the want of heaven and eternal glorification grow, and the marvelous nature of our... Continue Reading