Forgiving doesn’t magically evaporate what is owed. If I loan you ten dollars and you refuse to pay, the money doesn’t mysteriously appear back in my wallet when I forgive you. Think about it. For Christ to forgive us, he had to absorb the emotional pain — the shame and humiliation of bearing our sins.... Continue Reading

Good grief recognizes the reality of the loss and understands that you’re not the same person before the cause of grief happened. But it also recognizes, slowly but surely, that life does indeed go on, and needs to, and it can even keep getting better as progress is made. It also realizes the reality of... Continue Reading

We are called as Christian parents to pass down our faith to our children. It is not transferable but it certainly is trainable. I believe in the sovereign electing purpose of God, and I know that he has placed each one of my children in my household for a reason. I believe that reason is... Continue Reading

Elon Musk is a poster child of the transhumanist dream with his investments in Neuralink. Neuralink has already developed human brain implant technology to eventually fuse the brain with computers. An early application has a brain implant that allows severely paralyzed patients to communicate with a computer by their thoughts.   Evolutionary biologist Julius Huxley... Continue Reading

At its heart, flattery mocks the God of truth (John 14:6; Numbers 23:19). It aligns us with the devil, “a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44), whose tactics always involve deception and manipulation. Flattery may appear polite and caring, but beneath the surface lies a black heart, motivated by self-interest and deceit.  ... Continue Reading

“You have two overwhelming emotions,” Jesus was saying, “but as you’ve come into My presence, one can be shed like a heavy coat on a warm day. You no longer need fear … just joy.” Their fear was gone, as it always is when we encounter His near presence. When we are in the presence... Continue Reading

The goal of Babel’s people was to build a tower that would reach up to heaven, yet God has to bend down, as it were, to look at their little tinker-toy project! So in verses 7-9, God disperses the people of Babel over the face of the earth. In a total turnaround, the rebellion of... Continue Reading

You don’t taste the sweet wine of the Gospel’s salvation without having tasted the bitter cup of the Law’s condemnation. “Be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy” echoes in our ears, even as we see the dingy gray of our own pathetic efforts at holiness, and the soiled garments of our sin.... Continue Reading

One very tangible way to prioritize the means of grace is through adding evening worship services in addition to morning worship services.  This may not be practical for every congregation, especially with limited pastoral staff or in places where most of the congregation lives at a great distance.  But, if possible for a congregation,  it... Continue Reading

Sometimes we use God’s law in a superficial way. We act as mere “hearers of the Word” who hardly pause to consider before hurrying away. We don’t stop to think about how this or that text might apply to us. We give ourselves an obligatory check in the mirror, but don’t act on what we’ve... Continue Reading