Reprise: You’re Using It Wrong: John 3:16
The best loved verses are often among the most misunderstood ones.
The common interpretation of this passage is that God loved the world so, so, very much that he sent Jesus, and if anyone chooses to believe in Him they will have eternal life. That is often how it is used, and at times it is mistaken even for a full presentation of the gospel (sometimes... Continue Reading
A Plea To Job’s Friends In The Wake Of Evil
Had Job’s fellow Reformed pastors been quoted in the Washington Post, it would have sounded like this: these calamities only come upon those are doing evil.
Job has suffered these terrible calamites. Therefore, Job is at fault for this evil. The syllogism by many “Reformed friends” is the same. This kind of hatred only comes upon people who have been indoctrinated into white nationalism. The shooter attended a Reformed church and yet practiced this hatred against the Jews. Therefore, the blame... Continue Reading
Singing the Lord’s Song in a Foreign Land
This is a psalm of sadness and pain.
The Psalmist is not only weeping, but he reached to hang up his lyre on the branch of a willow tree somewhere along the Tigris or Euphrates River in this cradle that gave birth to the ancient civilization (137:2). The Babylonians, his captors, wanted to hear him sing a song of Zion. But the Psalmist... Continue Reading
Canons Of Dort (27): The Reformed Distinguish Law And Gospel
One of the great underlying issues at the Synod was the very nature of the gospel.
The revisions of the Reformation theology, that salvation is by grace alone (sola gratia), through faith alone (sola fide) proposed by the Remonstrants were fatal to the good news. They also rested on a hermeneutical foundation. Hermeneutics is the study of the interpretation of texts. The study of biblical interpretation is, of course, biblical hermeneutics. When we... Continue Reading
The Hidden Hand of God
One of the main lessons the book of Ruth teaches is that, despite appearances often to the contrary, God cares for us and is in control of all things.
The theological word that describes God’s care for all things is “providence.” Providence means that the hidden hand of God is always at work in the ordinary affairs of day-to-day life. Ruth is not a theological treatise reflecting on the doctrine of providence in the form of propositions. Instead, as we read about the lives... Continue Reading
When Christians Hide Their Light
God has set you apart to be His mouthpiece and we do not have the choice to say no to Him.
You take a lamp with oil (which is very expensive to burn), you turn it on, place it in the center of the room in order to light up the whole room, and, instead of allowing it to do its job, you put a basket over it. A foolish waste of money. That’s what Christians look... Continue Reading
6 Reasons Why “Touch Not the Anointed” Verses Are Not for Pastors
A servant of God must humble and submit himself to the Word of God.
Anointing of oil, literally, were attributed only on Jesus (Hebrews 1:9) and the sick (Mark 6: 13, James 5: 14) but not a would be pastor or any other church leaders, much more in a figurative sense. Jesus, the apostles or anyone in the New Testament didn’t make mentioned or practiced it. Neither did they... Continue Reading
Are You Tired?
The only way to sustain ourselves is to view Christ as inherently beautiful.
It is easy to weary in doing good when people are respectful and grateful for your help and support. It is even easier to weary in doing good when people are pushy and demand your support, as though it is their right. It is easier still to grow weary in doing good when people demand... Continue Reading
The God Who Laughs… and Those Who Hide
All those who take refuge in Him are happy (Psalm 2:10-12).
It’s that last part that’s getting to me: All those who take refuge in Him are happy. That doesn’t sound like someone who is aligned with God; it sounds like someone who is hiding behind God. This is the true “other side.” Sometimes we might think that God is fortunate to have us – our talents,... Continue Reading
What Does “You Are the Light of the World” Mean?
The world God has placed around you should be triggered by your life and your witness.
Like bacteria that needs water to live, sin lives off of darkness and grows exponentially. Whenever believers come along and shine the light of Christ, the world is not going to like it. They will be exposed and they will want to either run and hide or in some cases fight back; they did so... Continue Reading