Praying in the Middle of a Storm
3 Godward Petitions for the Hurricane Flooding
Prayer: If God chooses not to remove the physical storm, He has the ability to calm the raging storm within us to provide peace, strength, guidance, comfort and inner power unlike ever known. Pray that if the storm remains, you and others will experience a spirit of endurance and a “peace that passes all understanding” (Philippians... Continue Reading
God’s Wisdom and Decision Making
Have you ever had to make an important decision and felt stuck as to what to do?
So when we have a decision to make, we need to turn to God’s Word. As we read and study, we can ask ourselves: Is this choice sinful? By choosing this, am I doing something God has told me not to do or failing to do something God has told me to do? Does it... Continue Reading
Jesus, Our Substitute
When we look at the biblical depiction of sin as a crime, we see that Jesus acts as the Substitute, taking our place at the bar of God’s justice.
The idea of being the Substitute in offering an atonement to satisfy the demands of God’s law for others was something Christ understood as His mission from the moment He entered this world and took upon Himself a human nature. He came from heaven as the gift of the Father for the express purpose of... Continue Reading
Concerns About The Rhetoric: “X Is A Gospel Issue”
The only proper “gospel issue” is the gospel itself.
People use this language because they believe that a particular sin is so grievous that it compromises or contradicts the gospel witness of Christians individually and of the church visible and corporately. They want the sin to stop right now. So, they categorize X (pick a sin) and call it a “gospel issue.” Thus named,... Continue Reading
Esau’s Worldly Sorrow
Why was Esau rejected by God and found no place for repentance, even though he sought for it with tears?
Worldly sorrow doesn’t lead to repentance; it only leads to death. Worldly sorrow does not lead to true repentance because it is not a mourning over one’s sin, but simply a mourning over one’s loss. Worldly sorrow may seem very real, and even be ‘full of tears’ yet it is not a grieving over one’s... Continue Reading
The New Perspective on Paul: Salvation
According to Wright, the gospel is not about saving individual people from their sins, but rather about how God is using His people to redeem the cosmos
The church has one thing it can offer that no one else can: forgiveness of sins and salvation. Any secular organization can rectify social ills, provide basic human necessities, and build parks and schools. These are worthy goals, and we should not forget about the physical needs of the people around us. But if we... Continue Reading
Sanctifying our Deepest Distress
The strength of our faith makes absolutely no difference to whether we will receive God’s blessing. What counts is the one in whom our faith rests.
The strength of our faith makes absolutely no difference to whether we will receive God’s blessing. What counts is the one in whom our faith rests. If our trust is in Christ, and we are looking to him as our Lord and Savior, then God will certainly bless us, no matter how small and weak... Continue Reading
A Few Thoughts On Healing
Healing was not the plan, but pity, apparently, is essential to the character of Jesus
“I do believe that some people will be healed immediately – even today – for the glory of God and as an overflow of his compassion upon the needs of people. God hasn’t changed. He still sees and he still cares. But I also believe that waiting is sanctifying and showing.” I spent the... Continue Reading
Ask Him For Joy
The fact that we now have access to the very throne of God is incredible, and should be a source of much joy
A pastor friend of mine often reminds me that at the core of the gospel is the often-missed truth that Jesus died so that we could pray. The author of the letter to the Hebrews assures us that we may “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and... Continue Reading
The Devil’s Glasses
When you are being tempted, the devil sets on your nose a pair of false glasses
“Someone has also said the devil has another pair of glasses he places on us after we sin. These glasses make sin appear so large that it cannot be forgiven. If you are reading this today, have fallen into sin, and are despairing in this way, consider one last illustration. Though this post is not about the... Continue Reading
