Why You Have That Thorn
We are given thorns that significantly weaken us in order to make us stronger
“Paul’s thorn is among the most famous afflictions in history, and we don’t even know what it was. There’s been a lot of speculation over the years. Paul’s thorn could have been a physical affliction. This is plausible given all the physical violence and deprivation he endured (2 Corinthians 11:23–27), and some think he may... Continue Reading
The Eclipse of the Gospel and the School of Hard Knox
John Knox brought reform to Scotland and re-energized a nation that had all but forgotten God
Knox helped awaken a nation that neglected God’s truth which led to a virtual eclipse of the gospel. Martyn Lloyd-Jones describes Knox as a man who preached “with the fire of God in his bones and in his belly! He preached as they all preached, with fire and power, alarming sermons, convicting sermons, humbling sermons,... Continue Reading
Why Me?! The Battle of Mount Carmel in Our Hearts
God’s most powerful and convincing displays of his glory have come through the quiet faithfulness of his servants who have been willing to obey and sacrifice to the point of death
“Why does God ask those who have sacrificed so much for him to do more than they’ve already done? It seems that when the Lord is preparing to make his power known before his enemies in public on Mount Carmel, he makes sure to stage the battle of Mount Carmel in the hearts of his... Continue Reading
Your God Is Too Small
There is no one like our God.
Isaiah’s prescription for this withering sickness of unbelief is a dose of God’s magnificent majesty, power, and glory. The promises of God are guaranteed by who and what He is. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the world and His people. Your God Is Too Small is the title of the book written by J.B. Phillips, and... Continue Reading
Racism And The Second Use Of The Law (Updated)
Racism is the antithesis of loving one’s neighbor. It does not seek his good. It hates.
To add “social justice advocacy” to the mandate of the visible church is to go beyond Scripture and imperil her true vocation. Individual Christians, however, have every freedom to band together to advocate for social policies and our brothers and sisters have a right to disagree with us about those social polices. One hopes that... Continue Reading
Surveying Sanctification: Union with Christ
Holiness of life is drawn from Christ, who alone is “life-giving Spirit” (1 Cor. 15:45).
Union with Christ reminds us we cannot lay hold of one benefit of Christ without receiving the others. We cannot come to Christ for justification and somehow sneak away without sanctification. To have one benefit is to have Christ. To have Christ is to have all benefits. The benefits of justification and sanctification are, of... Continue Reading
How do we Seek the Things that are Above?
Is it a child’s game to you, or a desperate search for that without which you cannot live?
This Greek word for seek, zeteo, can refer to simply looking for something, but when talking about seeking God, Christ, and His kingdom, it tends to mean something quite a bit stronger. In fact, you could use words like “require,” “crave,” and “demand.” You NEED it, so you seek it. A few years ago, our family was... Continue Reading
Rediscovering the Lost Art of Lament
Does God want us to ignore the great difficulties of life, to get over them, to power through them, or to be crushed by them?
This place where Jesus experienced forsakenness—this place of ultimate lament—is where we need to come when we are lamenting. When we cry out to God for his help, we can look to the cross and know that God will not turn his back on us. God’s rejection is what Jesus has already experienced, in our... Continue Reading
10 Commandments of Progressive Christianity #1: Is Jesus Our Lord or Our Example?
When given the choice between worshiping Jesus (which requires that he is divine) and merely looking at Jesus as a good moral guide, liberals have always favored the latter.
While liberal Christians make much of Jesus’ moral example, what is missing in their system is why anyone should care. After all, if Jesus is just an ordinary man, then why would we think his particular moral code is any better than any other person’s? Why should we think his moral code matters at all?... Continue Reading
The Amazing Riches of Psalm 23
Jesus’ unceasing love for us never ceases. Every sunrise brings new mercies. His faithfulness is infinite.
Because Jesus has redeemed us, called us by name, and made us his own, he will always be with us, no matter what we go through. And because he is the Lord our God and our Savior, he will allow nothing to overwhelm us in an ultimate sense. He will give us peace. Psalm... Continue Reading