Show Up. Do Something. See What God Does.
God seems to bless us with fresh opportunities when we live expectantly
“Part of expecting God to do something is learning that, whatever you do, he will probably bring the opportunities and the fruit indirectly. He delights to work in ways that prevent us from claiming the glory for what he has done. That frees us up to go forth with confidence, even if our plans are... Continue Reading
What Judges Teaches the Church
Churches have seen sudden decline from one generation to another. How can we understand and prevent this kind of calamity?
The book of Judges provides a very clear answer to our questions. Its answer does not say everything that might be said in general, but it does say specific, crucial things that we must ponder to understand both Israel’s situation and our vulnerability. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the... Continue Reading
How Are You Reshaping God Based on Your Fears?
Like the Israelites, our counterfeit gods always grow out of distrust and fear.
We feel like we need something beyond God and his promises. We don’t want to get rid of God per se, but we aren’t willing to accept him on his own terms. So instead of completely walking away from God, we just reshape him into a form that guarantees he gives us something in the way... Continue Reading
The Apostle’s Creed: In Jesus Christ
Jesus is a real person, the Son of God incarnate. We confess his name.
First, the believer is making a confession in the person Jesus Christ. The Creed will go on to confess the uniqueness of his birth, his suffering death by crucifixion, he descent into hades, his resurrection, and his ascension and session at the right hand of God. We begin by confessing his identity: his name is... Continue Reading
False Teaching Out There and In Here
We need to take heed to ourselves and our teaching even as we seek to protect God’s people from errors.
God’s Word is the best means for growing solid Christians. Our calling as pastors and teachers is to equip our people so that they are able to discern the right path, the God-ordained path, and to walk in it. We know that heretics always appeal to the Bible, so we have to equip our people... Continue Reading
11 False Assumptions About Christianity
Christianity is always being challenged; here are some answers to false assumptions.
All Religions teach the same thing. Many people today attempt to dismantle the claims of religion before they even hear them by asserting (not arguing) that all religions teach the same thing. In truth, each religion makes very different claims and assumptions about reality. There may be superficial agreement about the Golden Rule, but the gospel of the... Continue Reading
Fullness of Joy and Pleasures Forevermore
However rich and deep our joys on earth may be, they are nothing compared to our future experience in heaven.
The joy of the Trinity is the perfect fellowship of the three Persons in mutual love and enjoyment. Adam was created to share that joy as God’s creature, but lost it through the fall. How, then, can this joy be restored? David answers, ‘You have made known to me the path of life’. The path... Continue Reading
Small Heart & Enlarged Heart
Why would God’s mercy to Nineveh create anger in Jonah rather than joy?
God wanted to enlarge Jonah’s heart—and he wants to enlarge your heart as well. As you think about your heart today, would you ask the Lord to search you and examine you? As you think about your life, who are those people—those sinners—who you secretly hope will experience God’s judgment? Therefore now, O Lord,... Continue Reading
The Allure of Sin
Lasting enjoyment comes from denying self, rejecting sin, and pursuing Jesus.
My desire for food that I should not have reminds me of the allure of sin. There are times in life when I can see the ugliness of sin and its deceitful nature quickly. But then there are other times when I ignore the Spirit’s prompting and warnings, and I succumb to the flesh. Sin... Continue Reading
Surveying Sanctification: Already Made Holy by God
The definitiveness of God’s work means the Christian is enabled to work on the holiness that God has already secured definitively for him or her.
In Romans 4:16-17 Paul clarified that the Christian’s faith in God is the work of God’s grace, and he quotes from Gen. 17:5. Already God had made Abraham the father of many nations, but Abraham had not yet experienced in his being and in history the fullness of this blessing. The whole Christian faith and life is wrapped... Continue Reading