Living Under Authority
It’s all too easy for us to get caught up in an attitude that will bring us into open defiance of the authority of God.
The world has gone crazy in lawlessness, but we’re to be different. Wherever we find ourselves under authority—and we all find ourselves submitting to various authorities—we’re to submit to that authority. Nobody in this world is autonomous. Every one of us has not just one boss, but several bosses. Everyone I know, including me, is... Continue Reading
Hierarchy and Subordination vs. Headship and Household Mission
Headship existed before the fall because Adam and Eve were in a household, the garden-temple-household of Eden.
Eph. 5 teaches proper headship of the husband, which is far different than ruling over a wife and demanding submission from her. Christ as the head of God’s household, the church, did what man never could, and now man is restored to lay down his own life in service to his wife and family. Interestingly... Continue Reading
Who Are “the Least of These”?
“The least of these” refers to other believers in need—specifically, itinerant Christian teachers dependent on other Christians for hospitality and support.
Matthew 25 is about social justice in the sense that it is about caring for the needy. But the needy in view are fellow Christians, especially those who depend on our hospitality and generosity for their ministry. “The least of these” is not a blanket statement about the church’s responsibility to meet the needs of... Continue Reading
8 Prayers You Should Regularly Pray For Your Pastor
Obviously, God is the one who ultimately sustains pastors, but one of his primary means is through the prayers of pastors.
Pastors can be tempted to modify or even abandon biblical doctrines for a variety of reasons. Cultural pressures, vocal church members, even legal actions can press hard upon pastors, making them feel that the only way out is to give up the clear teaching of Scripture. They need God’s grace to stay faithful to the... Continue Reading
Christ, the Church, and Marriage
God gave us marriage so that when he speaks to us of love, tenderness, intimacy and union, we would know something of what he is talking about.
The common interpretation of Ephesians 5:22ff is this: Marriage is a picture of Christ and the church. Since Christ will never abandon his church, divorce is forbidden under all circumstances. Hogwash. This is the same as saying that since Christ will never abandon his church, we also must never prune our vines. It’s silly on... Continue Reading
Minimalism Is Not the Gospel
I was a minimalist for less than a week. But I loved every clean, simple, sleek minute of it.
First-world citizens often do accumulate possessions to excess. We idolize our belongings and base our sense of self-worth on the newly acquired contents of our Macy’s shopping bag. We compare our stuff with others’ stuff in an endless cycle of covetousness. We’re also heedless of the consequences of our consumerism. In our pursuit of stuff, we become thoughtless stewards of creation and poor neighbors to those who produce goods in unsafe conditions for unfair wages. But minimalism is not the gospel.
Seeking the Approval of Men
Seeking the approval of other men — godly men — especially in ministry is not only beneficial, but also necessary
After these two experiences, I got reminded of another conversation that my wife had with another friend. Some time ago, my wife had elatedly posted on social media that I had received a license to preach from my presbytery. This other friend commented, with some deal of amazement, as to why I required such a license! Hasn’t Jesus called all of us to preach the gospel? Then why is there a need to seek a license for so obvious a task? Although that friend was sincere in asking these questions, his questions revealed to me that he had the same presuppositions as these two other friends: In ministry, we should not seek the approval of men.
The Day of Trouble
Few christians go through the whole of their christian lives without experiencing a time of trouble.
Why does the Lord allow christians to suffer for their faith? When the Lord says, ‘offences must come’, why does He use the word, ‘must’? Does He really mean that trials and afflictions are a ‘must’ in the christian life? Yes, that is exactly what He means. Why is this so? It is that even after a person is saved, and has experienced the great changes that accompany being saved, such as changes in inclinations, enjoyments, tastes, company, entertainments, and so on, God has further work to do on and in the christian, before they leave this world to enjoy the pleasures of heaven with Christ forevermore.
We Have Lost The Sense Of God
A Christian can never rise higher than his experience of God
“I am sorry to say that as I mingle with the younger generation today, I cannot help feeling that this culture of deep meditation on God has been largely lost. There is too much noise. Noise from the television, noise from the radio, noise from the internet, noise from the smartphone, noise from the computer,... Continue Reading
The Training Ground of Sound Doctrine
It is not just pastors who bear the weight of training in sound doctrine
“There are many reasons that ignorance pervades today’s church. For decades, Christians have focused on felt needs rather than doctrinal truth. We have focused on immediately-applicable topical sermons rather than verse-by-verse exposition that unleashes the whole truth of God’s whole Word.” For over a decade, I have been reviewing books that are of particular... Continue Reading