A Big God Calls for Really, Really Big Prayers
When you pray you are speaking to the God whose majesty is so unfathomable that the four living creatures never cease, day or night, to cry out, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
“Do you know the God to whom you are speaking?” How do you envision him as you pray? Do you think of him as so completely occupied with people more important than yourself that he could barely find a spare minute to listen to your little requests? Do you think of him as hearing your... Continue Reading
4 Problems with Downplaying God’s Wrath
The doctrine of divine wrath is an integral piece of the gospel message, and therefore, moving away from it will inevitably have far-reaching consequences for the church’s faith and life.
I think movements away from the doctrine of hell are also often connected to discomfort with divine wrath. For example, I remember Rob Bell’s question in the promotional video for Love Wins: “What kind of God would need to save us from himself? And how could that possibly be good news?” The root issue for Bell... Continue Reading
Cultural Myths About Truth and Love
"Truth without love is barbarity, but love without truth is cruelty."
Because speaking the truth is central to an effective Gospel ministry, there is little doubt that Satan will devise as many reasons possible to discourage Christians from either speaking to those living in the death spiral of sin and idolatry; or to distract them from intentionally, thoughtfully and relentlessly loving sinners drowning in the brokenness... Continue Reading
Are Some Sins Worse Than Others?
Contrary to the current narrative, the Scriptures, the Reformed Confessions and principles of nature teach us that some sins are more reprehensible than others.
Our society unequivocally acknowledges that it is a heightened offense for men who hold positions of power to abuse that power in order to prey on women for sexual gratification. When God places men or women in positions of power or influence, such individuals have an increased responsibility to use that power for the glory... Continue Reading
Why I March? To Reject Pro-Abortion Christianity
We are called to spearhead a movement that emphasizes love, compassion and justice for the least among us.
We live in a deceived society where even professing Christians succumb to pro-abortion arguments. This reality should push us to speak up, prepare a defense, and keep marching for the sanctity of life Just last November, I reported that a group of liberal clergy gathered in Fort Worth, Texas. They were there to “bless” an abortion clinic and... Continue Reading
Where Do You Find Life?
When life is hard when obstacles block your way, when burdens weigh heavy, and when the reality of your sin threatens to undo you—where do you seek life?
David again tells God of his sorrow and seeks strength in God’s word. Where do we turn when we are in sorrow? Do we try to distract ourselves with the comfort of Netflix, food, or social media? Do we use our circumstances as an excuse for sin? We see here and throughout the Psalms that... Continue Reading
Anti-Scholasticism, Revival(ism), Pietism, Or The Reformed Theology, Piety, And Practice?
Why would those who actually subscribe to the Reformed confession pursue revivalism and pietism?
I and others have been trying to persuade the Reformed to recognize that the 18th and 19th century revivals are not as distinct (the first supposedly a good revival and the second supposedly a bad revival) as we have been told nor were they a natural outgrowth of the classical Reformed theology, piety, and practice.... Continue Reading
The Doctrines of Grace: By His Grace and for His Glory
There is really only one point to the doctrines of grace, namely, that God saves sinners by His grace and for His glory.
This is why the doctrines of grace are so desperately needed in our churches. They give glory to God alone. They define salvation as being all of God. When salvation is correctly perceived in this way, then—and only then—God receives all the glory for it. Only sola gratia produces soli Deo gloria. “Those who have received salvation are to attribute it... Continue Reading
Faith & Repentance
Which comes first, logically? Is it repentance? Is it faith?
“In grammatical terms, then, the words repent and believe both function as a synecdoche—the figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole. Thus, repentance implies faith and faith implies repentance. One cannot exist without the other.” When the gospel is proclaimed, it seems at first sight that two different, even alternative,... Continue Reading
Alzheimer’s Locks Up Its Victims, but Christ Holds the Key
Many Christians, myself included, fear not only Alzheimer’s, but any mental illness that robs us
“Many Americans today live in fear of Alzheimer’s, for that terrible disease seems able to steal our soul and obliterate our personality. But it does not. It only has the power to lock it up for a season, until the One who made it calls it back from its troubled slumber.” On September 15,... Continue Reading