Jesus cares for and oversees everything happening in his domain. He not only creates, but he sustains what he creates. “[Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Heb. 1:3). He completes what he begins. He is faithful to finish anything he starts.   There are days and seasons where it appears like... Continue Reading

A conscience is a gift from God and George Abbot had a strong one. Often suffering from depression, one of his major misdeeds seemed to haunt him right to the grave. Yet do all believers not have major misdeeds? For who has not had a hand in killing the Vinekeeper’s Son? And who can plead... Continue Reading

Theophanies are particularly intense and spectacular expressions of a broader theological theme, namely that God undertakes to be present with his people. He is present in blessing because the barrier of sin and guilt is destroyed through the sacrifice of Christ.   Definition A theophany is an appearance of God, an intense manifestation of the... Continue Reading

God doesn’t instruct us to repay evil for evil or racism for racism. God doesn’t instruct black people to assume the worst of white people because some white people assume the worst of black people.   My white girlfriend recently said to me: “Sam, thank you for never making me feel bad about being white.”... Continue Reading

Man’s will does not move the Spirit of God. The Spirit of God moves (frees) the will of men (John 3:8). Because of our sinful unwillingness and hostility to Jesus and all things righteous, being born again is necessary for any person to savingly believe on Christ.   Regeneration is Necessary to Believe In the... Continue Reading

If you merely attend church, I encourage you to join a church so that you can experience the vital joys of oversight, of guarding and being guarded, of discipling others, and of displaying Christ.   How pleasant it is when a church family lives together in harmony (Psalm 133:1). For those of us who have... Continue Reading

My counsel to Pastor MacArthur is similar to my counsel to the pastor who thinks his church has to go to multiple service or sites: “why does that new congregation have to be called your church? You can plant, no?” Likewise, is there any biblical reason why your church or mine cannot split into several... Continue Reading

Many students whose love of God dims as they study theology are confusing knowing about God with knowing God. Students who do this can easily start to treat theology like any other academic field of study and God becomes an object to be dissected, a list to be memorized.   One of the questions I... Continue Reading

The devil and his demons are real. There is a war on. We have our part to play, especially by prayer. Even so, God’s people need to keep a sense of proportion. Christ is victor and the demonic is on borrowed time. Christ must always be in the foreground of thinking and living and not... Continue Reading

Some people object to the idea that God knows all events in advance of their happening. Such a view, some insist, deprives mankind of its essential freedom. Open theists or free-will theists, for example, insist that the future (at least in its specific details) is in some fashion “open.” Even God does not know all... Continue Reading