How to Spend this Short Life
How short is our life! It is likened to a moment, a breath!
How, then, shall I spend this short life, these few winged moments appointed to me? Surely, in nothing better than looking out and laying up for eternity! “This world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever!” 1 John 2:17 “Those who use the things of... Continue Reading
Dear Pastor, in a Celebrity Culture, Your Call Is Contentment
We want our work to be great so that people will see God’s greatness, not to show off our talents or to be greater than others.
Once we are free from the need to showcase our abilities, to climb the ecclesiastical ladder, and to gain power and influence, we are also free to enjoy Jesus and the privilege of serving him. Our fulfillment comes not from our position in our church or organization but from the high privilege of serving our... Continue Reading
Please Make a Mess of Your Bible
I wanted to take a minute here to encourage you to read (and notate) your Bible in a way that is similar to how cold-case detectives read and notate our case files.
Read large sections over a short period of time, reading sequentially through the accounts in as few sittings as possible. Read all of it before returning to the text to begin highlighting and writing notes. Try to put yourself in the crime scene. If you were the original investigator, what follow-up questions would you have... Continue Reading
The Land Promise in Hebrews
The land promise is not just a matter for theological debate, but a promise that has found an escalated fulfillment in Christ who has won an inheritance for his people that far surpasses the geographical boundaries of the biblical land of Canaan.
Jesus is God’s final word in redemptive history (Heb. 1:2). He has fulfilled all Old Testament promises and expectations. We now await the consummation of his kingdom in the new creation. There’s no going back to the shadow of Canaan. Hebrews, instead, envisions God’s one pilgrim people on the verge of entering their final heavenly... Continue Reading
Be with Me Forever
The Sweetness of Life in the Vine
Jesus is urging, even commanding, us to find life in him, in the vine. For someone who doesn’t know Jesus, this is a sweet invitation to come to him. For those already in real relationship with him, here is the voice of Jesus reminding us what salvation and life are all about. Jesus’s sheep know (and... Continue Reading
Does the World Need the West?
Westernization without Christianity doesn’t work.
What the world does not need is a westernization devoid of Christianity. Rather, the world needs a church committed to be the Church, as Chuck Colson often said, with Christians who self-consciously work to make the extraordinary truths of the Faith an integral part of everyday, ordinary living. Not just on Sunday mornings, but in our... Continue Reading
Hang on, Why Should We Read the Bible in Context?
The Theological Reason for Reading in Context
Theologically, we believe that all the words of Scripture were written by God’s Spirit for his people. They are meant to both inform us—ultimately of Jesus Christ—and change our behaviour (for e.g. 2 Tim 3:16–17; 1 Pet 1:10–11; 2 Pet 1:20–21). Yet we also know that they are human documents, not transcendent of history, but records of... Continue Reading
Life, Death, and the God We Serve
When (and why) is it time to go?
Our days are numbered, and when God wants to take us home, he will. So if we believe these passages to be true, then we need to accept that it may have been time for Comperatore (who was a strong and devout Christian) to go to be with his Lord, while it was not yet... Continue Reading
Prayer Postures in the Bible
Other prayer postures you might try that I’ve found in the Bible, since there is such a variety in the Bible itself, with the goal of helping you grow in your times of prayer.
With such a variety of prayer postures in the Bible, I think we should assume that taking one particular posture for prayer is not the main issue in prayer. The primary issue is that you actually talk to the Lord when you pray. Do be aware, though, that certain postures lend themselves more readily to certain... Continue Reading
How Can God be Both Righteous and Sovereign Over Evil?
When the whole of human history is over and we are gathered in eternity, we shall see what God achieved through his sovereignty.
Sometimes, our shortsightedness causes us to question God’s ways—especially when we pray for deliverance, and things only seem to get worse. In those moments, we are tempted to doubt God’s sovereignty and wisdom. And yet, those are precisely the moments we need to trust God’s sovereignty. Ultimately, all things will work for our good and for... Continue Reading
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