What feels heavy to us passes quickly under His gaze. This is not meant to belittle our sorrow. It is meant to remind us that history does not spiral out of control when a life ends. God remains at the center, unhurried, aware, ruling.   A New Year’s Devotion The first sound is dirt. It... Continue Reading

New Agers speak of “Christ consciousness,” “divine energy,” or “the source,” while denying the exclusivity of Christ and the authority of Scripture. These systems refuse to bow to God as He has revealed Himself. Syncretism borrows and redefines biblical terms. This makes deception easier to accept, because it sounds spiritual while subtly replacing God’s truth... Continue Reading

God will receive glory either through our soft hearts or our hard hearts. Again and again in the Exodus narrative, God reminds Israel and Egypt that he is sovereign over the events and even Pharaoh’s heart, and it is all for his glory. Before the climactic events where God leads Israel through the Red Sea... Continue Reading

At Christ’s birth, a glorious reversal of the Fall began to take place. Before God became man in the historical person of Jesus Christ, the material world of flesh was stained by sin and corruption. In the Incarnation, the material world was elevated once again to its rightful place as that which “was very good”... Continue Reading

As one who looks to Christ as your only way of acceptance with God, He is always with you (Matthew 28:18,20b).   I don’t know how things are with you today, but as I write this, I have a special need to remember this truth. If you are familiar with the Bible, you may know... Continue Reading

What is it about children that Jesus wants us to have? I’ve often heard this passage taught as if Jesus wants us to imitate the humility and trust of children. In this interpretation, children are presented as inherently virtuous, and we need to cultivate the same kind of virtue. However, in context, I don’t think... Continue Reading

When Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, he wants believers to know that praying to God is an activity that should pervade the Christian life (1 Thess. 5:16–18). God won’t ask us to do things that he doesn’t give us the time to do. While the Bible doesn’t tell Christians how long they should... Continue Reading

Baptism is the putting on of Christ. It is to be covered in His works, His faithfulness. Baptism is the electing work of God. Paul reminds us that it is when the Father Himself adopts you into His family. To put on Christ is to put on his righteousness, His perfection, His faithful obedience to... Continue Reading

Many debates about God and science orbit around “design.” People discuss whether a biological structure is too complex to arise by evolutionary processes. Those conversations can be detailed and technical. But there is another layer that often gets overlooked, a layer that is more basic than questions about biological machinery. It is the layer of... Continue Reading

When Joshua assumed leadership of Israel, God promised that he would be with Joshua as he was with Moses (Josh 3:7). God provided reassurance by sending the captain of his army (the Lord himself?) to greet Joshua before the first battle in Canaan. Now Joshua was standing on holy ground (Josh 5:15)! Israel eventually clamored... Continue Reading