The Sabbath Rest of Creation
Seven observations tying the end of the bible with the beginning of the bible.
Revelation 21:3 says, “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, ‘Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them.’” God dwelt in the garden with Adam and Eve but they were exiled from that... Continue Reading
Giving Thanks for Particular Graces, Particularly
A heart of gratitude is a gospel gift.
If you are struggling to be thankful today, what it would look like for you to simply recount before the Lord 10 particular graces He has poured out on you within the past day? Your points of thankfulness can be deep and profound: new theological insights, spiritual conversations, transformative times in His Word, etc. They... Continue Reading
How to Know the Difference Between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error
Jesus has chosen to reveal His words and deeds through apostolic witnesses, and he has directed us to listen to the likes of Paul.
When we read the apostolic testimony in the New Testament, we are hearing directly from Christ himself. It was not a generic spirit that inspired the words of Scripture. It was the Spirit of Christ that moved the authors to write what they wrote. Jesus describes the Spirit this way in John 15:26, “When the... Continue Reading
God Doesn’t Say, “I Love You, but…”
His prohibitions are not exceptions, but evidences, of His love.
The word “but” indicates some kind of exception. Time and time again. And perhaps if that’s the way we say it, then there’s actually a little bit of revelation of our own hearts in that. Perhaps we think, down in the dark places of our own hearts, that any prohibition is an exception to love... Continue Reading
Lovers of God and Lovers of Self
The happiness that Sara (and all of us) longs for comes as we stop focusing inward and turn our gaze upward and out.
Every one of us has the inclination to make the Christian life all about us rather than recognize that it’s all about Jesus. We’re susceptible because we are sinful, and because a self-oriented brand of discipleship appeals to our deep craving for both autonomy and pleasure. That’s why it hooks us. It just feels so... Continue Reading
Since God Is Sovereign, How Are Humans Free?
When we come to the attributes of God, we must understand that God is most free.
Some say that God’s sovereignty is limited by human freedom. If that is the case, then man is sovereign, not God. The Reformed faith teaches that human freedom is real but limited by God’s sovereignty. We cannot overrule the sovereign decisions of God with our freedom, because God’s freedom is greater than ours. God... Continue Reading
The One Phrase That Is Helping Me Embrace The Cost Of Relationships
God will take care of me.
Nobody’s going to give me what I need so I have to guard what I have…But God will take care of me. That’s why I can give some time to the person on the other end of the phone even though it means I’m sacrificing my priorities – God will take care of me. That’s why I... Continue Reading
Minor Prophets in My Home
How children reveal our idols.
The abortion industry, which Christians tend to attack the most, is one (glaring) piece of evidence for a much larger cultural idol: limitless freedom. Kids hinder us from doing (or being) what we might do (or be) if they weren’t around to limit our options. We view them as weights around our ankles. It is... Continue Reading
The Utmost Importance of the Bible
Like our Lord, then, let’s be people of the Book.
We must relate to God his way: through his written, authoritative word. The Bible is of utmost importance because if we lose it, we literally lose God. Jensen described this well above; we must grasp what’s at stake here. God created the universe by his word (Genesis 1), then he ruled Adam and Eve... Continue Reading
Listening Puts Patience into Practice
As an act of mutual respect and concern, listening is a building block for true fellowship and understanding.
Given our consumer mindset, we can tailor our lives to cater to our interests so all our input is from people we agree with and all our output is toward those who will nod their heads in favor. There’s no need to be patient if everyone is like me, thinks like me, votes like me,... Continue Reading