When it comes to the crucifixion we have the sequence frame by frame; almost, indeed, an hourly bulletin. The crucifixion narrative goes into slow motion.   “When it comes to Good Friday the Gospels go into slow motion. They have passed over in silence whole decades of Jesus’ life, and even when they pick up... Continue Reading

Up until now, we have not been wielding the two-edged sword of the Spirit, law and gospel, to contend against the powers facing us. Our action has looked the same as the secular activism around us as we seek conversations with dialogue partners rather than proclaiming the word of life. We are peddling all the... Continue Reading

Counterintuitive to our Western individualism, it is in the corporate worship of the Lord and in a meditation on His eternal perfections and His condescending mercy that the psalmist receives the divine medicine needed for his woes.   In the first post in this two-part series, I showed how the Psalms—in particular, Psalm 102—give us... Continue Reading

The purpose of this article is to resource just such a robust Christian response by revisiting the historical record of the church’s encounter with the practice of abortion and by re-presenting the culture of life for which these believers faithfully contended.   The issue of abortion is never far out of the news. This perennial... Continue Reading

What do we know? We know what God reveals to us in creation and in Scripture. When do we know it? We know it when God reveals himself to us. We are always and only the recipients of revelation. We are never the originators of revelation. Further, revelation is always accommodated to human finitude the... Continue Reading

Jesus wants us to bear fruit that is authentic, arising from union with Him, much fruit that abounds by His workmanship of grace, and lasting fruit that endures to the glory of God.    I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser (John 15:1, NKJV). We’ve seen Jesus described as the Word,... Continue Reading

Though the Bible teaches that we are justified from the moment we believe, we can often place this privilege on the final horizon of our salvation. All too easily we begin to think of God’s declaration concerning our right standing before him as something that is yet to happen—that He will make His decision concerning... Continue Reading

In Egypt the Israelites were slaves, but their needs of food, shelter, and clothing were met in a society in such a way that it did not make God’s provision apparent to them. Does that sound familiar? Don’t we have the same problem in 21st Century America?   Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold,... Continue Reading

What is important about a corporate worship service is not just what is said from the pulpit or the doctrine of the hymns, for there are aspects of Christian piety that are inarticulable…much of Christian piety is learned only through doing; as Mark Twain once quipped, “A man who carries a cat by the tail... Continue Reading

The world represents sinful humanity and is not worthy of God’s saving love. Apart from the love of God, the world stands under God’s condemnation. But in Christ, believers experience God’s surprising, redeeming, and never-ending love.   One of the most surprising twists of John 3:16 is that we are told God loves the world.... Continue Reading