Why I Love The Belgic Confession
The piety of the Belgic Confession is why I love the Belgic Confession.
I remember one man to whom I gave a copy of the Belgic Confession, told him to read and then get back to me. His summary was, “I felt like it was Christianity 101 that I’ve always believed.” That was music to my ears. Why? The “Reformed faith” isn’t a cultic set of doctrines and... Continue Reading
A Christian Response to Death
While giving death its due, she must not stop there but point her people to the promise of the empty tomb and the final resurrection.
While the mystery of Christ’s tears surely surpasses human finite understanding, one thing is clear: the promise does not cancel the present pain of death or circumvent grieving and lamentation. In fact, the path from Abraham to Christ strongly suggests the opposite, that knowledge of the promise and the final victory of God over death... Continue Reading
Jesus in the Gospel of John – the Good Shepherd
God had come in the person of His Son to shepherd the sheep.
In God’s declaration we find echoes of the shepherd of Psalm 23 where the shepherd is the Lord Himself. He will not desert the sheep but instead lead them to grazing fields of green pastures and to refreshing drink from still waters. Under His watch the sheep need not fear evil. These words take on flesh... Continue Reading
God’s Gifts in Times of Crisis
Thanks be to God that in times of crisis we are not left to ourselves, but can look to Christ.
When our hearts are troubled, Jesus commands us to actively practice our faith. We remember and pray things like, “I believe in God, my Heavenly Father. And I believe in Jesus Christ his only son who died for me. I believe God loves me and is in control of everything that happens in my life.... Continue Reading
Justice Is Coming
The glory of Christ as judge of the world.
First he came to offer salvation to a world under condemnation. “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Yet he will come again to put the axe to the root of the tree. First he came... Continue Reading
Hearing and the Mission of the Church
The Word of God is at work inside believers.
When preachers preach the gospel, some audiences will not believe what they hear. Even if preachers clearly communicate the gospel to their hearers, some will refuse to receive it in faith. Preachers, therefore, should not become frustrated or discouraged. Quoting Romans 10:14–17, author Roger E. Van Harn explains the central role of hearing in... Continue Reading
Of Homes and Nations
The only hope of prosperity for any nation is Christian parents training up their children in the ways of the Lord.
If the course of our country, wherever that may be, is to progress in a God-fearing and righteous manner, that must start in the Christian home. We cannot expect the world around us to pursue a path we secretly balk against ourselves. Casting down idols in the public square will not last if we are... Continue Reading
The New Bigotry
Real progress comes through God’s Spirit and Word empowering God’s people.
Consider the program and aim of bigotry: It seeks to pigeonhole and caricature another group in order to disparage their dignity and worth. Bigotry flattens a person’s three-dimensionality. It is dismissive, and its purpose is to gain control. These markers sound quite a lot like what passes today for political discourse. Among the thinning... Continue Reading
Gospel Ministry: The Kingdom Only Triumphs Through The Unnoticed Faithfulness Of The Many
Most of the acts that lead to the spread of the gospel will be unnoticed and unremarked in this life.
We need to be careful how we judge and who we celebrate. The triumph of the gospel is never just the victory of ‘The Few,’ but of the whole body working together. We need to know that our contributions, however small and insignificant they might seem, matter. This month marks the 80th Anniversary of the... Continue Reading
Racial Justice: The New Religion?
“ Woke is the new Saved."
What is unfolding before our eyes is a new secular religion. For all its claims of “inclusivity,” this new faith is deeply intolerant. It has roots in the American past that would likely surprise its adherents: the Puritan era of our nation’s earliest religious zealots. Progressives are now engaged in doing theology without God. ... Continue Reading