Why Studying Apologetics Will Help You Suffer Well
We study apologetics because suffering will find us in this life — painful suffering we can’t understand, suffering that could make a person doubt God’s love or even His existence
Unanswerable questions will tempt us toward doubt and anger, and we, like many of Jesus’ disciples, will be tempted to walk away. But if we have been fully convinced, beyond mere feeling, of the truth of Jesus and His work, if we can solidly stand with Peter and say, “Lord, to whom shall we go?... Continue Reading
Living Out Lord’s Day 1: A Cuban Story
We make plans, many plans and yet God has other plans for us
We asked every one if they knew Luis, the man with the broken back. It took us three trips to Cuba before we met someone who remembered him and took us to his “forgotten prison.” He was overjoyed with his glasses and asked for his Bible to loudly read to us. His dirty mattress had... Continue Reading
Praying Through the Scriptures: Deuteronomy 3
Over the years it has been my practice to offer up praises and petitions framed by a passage of Scripture
As I continue to learn how to pray I have shared a few prayers with my family and friends for their use or adaptation. The Alliance has asked me to share some with you too. Here is the third in a series on “Praying Through the Scriptures.” Over the years it has been my... Continue Reading
Seeing The Glory of God In The Nose of a Puppy
Dogs have up to 300 million olfactory receptors in their noses
“While we were out walking Archie and we watched him sniffing constantly I remembered reading some incredible facts about dogs’ noses, but they were so astonishing that I thought I must have got them wrong so I went to check. I had got them wrong—they were far more mind-bogglingly amazing than I had thought!” ... Continue Reading
Teach Us to Number Our Days
Moses reminds us that while the life of man is frail and short, God is eternal.
It is surely frightening to think that God’s wrath will equal all the obedience that is due to Him. Although life is short and the wrath of God terrifying, the mercy and protection of God for His people are great. God is the home of His people: “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations”... Continue Reading
Why it’s Unfair for Good People to Go to Heaven
‘Be good’ is a bar we believe everyone can meet.
If everyone can ‘be good’ by their own will, we expect everyone to rise up to this occasion, and then when someone does not, whatever contempt we feel toward that person is justified. So while the call to ‘be good’ is inclusive, it is also unclear. What does it mean to be good, how good to... Continue Reading
God Is Bigger Than Your Problems
Your problems may be big, perhaps even bigger than you know. But your God is bigger, and his promises to you are stronger and surer.
Who is the God who gives his promises to us? He is the God of might, who created the world by his word. He is the God of wisdom, who makes a way in the wilderness. He is the God of tenderness, who carries his children home. And he is bigger than all of our... Continue Reading
Moths & Roaches: Responding to the Light
Spiritually speaking, we are all roaches who love darkness.
You cannot escape the way the Bible presents the reason some people receive the light and others don’t. All are born roaches and only the will of God changes us into moths. An application for us is to preach the gospel to all people with confidence. Give all glory to God for our salvation, keeping none... Continue Reading
Providence and God’s Pilgrim People
God’s providence is beautiful, but it is not always easy.
The surprising twists and turns we see in the lives of the patriarchs are nothing compared to the surprise of the gospel. That God should become man is truly the greatest surprise in history. That He should become the servant of poor sinners such as we are is the sweetest surprise we have ever imagined.... Continue Reading
Legalism: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself
Hold your conviction with passion and zeal, but do not seek to enslave the consciences of others who may disagree with you.
One unmistakable sign of a legalistic spirit is the tendency always to be looking for what’s wrong in other people’s lives in order to judge them, instead of looking for what’s right in order to encourage them. None of us does everything right. We all fall short in many ways. It may be how we respond to the poor or our style... Continue Reading