What Were You Made To Live For
The Creator designed us to chase meaning and purpose
“God carefully constructed his world and then placed it in the hands of people. You and I are designed to be resident managers, caring for the wide variety of amazing things God has purposefully crafted to be reflectors of his glory.” Why do little kids daydream about being a pilot or a princess? Why... Continue Reading
The Name Is Yahweh
The most arcane practice of English Bible translations is the use of “The Lord” for God’s name
If you were to hear me preach from the Old Testament, you would hear me say “Yahweh” in the places where my NASB or ESV says “The Lord.” I’m often asked after services by visitors what Bible translation I use which uses Yahweh. I tell them I’m using theirs, and have them open to the... Continue Reading
The Unbreakable Bond of Training & Tenderness (Christian Men & Their Godly Moms)
The great desire of Christian parents is that our children will grow into godliness
“In this collection on Christian Men and Their Godly Moms, we have learned of the power of a mother who was spiritually strong even while physically weak, and we have learned of the power of a mother who fervently prayed. Now we want to examine the power of a mother who diligently trained her son... Continue Reading
TULIP and Reformed Theology: Limited Atonement
I think that of all the five points of Calvinism, limited atonement is the most controversial
“I prefer not to use the term limited atonement because it is misleading. I rather speak of definite redemption or definite atonement, which communicates that God the Father designed the work of redemption specifically with a view to providing salvation for the elect, and that Christ died for His sheep and laid down His life... Continue Reading
10 Reasons The Father Didn’t Turn His Face Away At The Cross
Christ took the penalty for our sin upon Himself; does this mean that the Father turned his face from the Son on the cross?
Psalm 22:1 is a key verse for the rejection theory. ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken Me?’ (Ps 22:1). What does it mean? Two things. First, context is clear. Look at the parallel verse: ‘why are you so far from helping me?’ This is the issue: ‘no help’. The sufferer is asking why... Continue Reading
Four Qualifications for Finding Contentment
Biblical contentment unfolds from the Spirit’s work in a believer’s heart, mind, life, and hope.
Contentment does not suddenly descend upon us; it is learned. Can you recall the last time you learned something new? Usually, learning involves both study and observation, but at some point it requires application. If I learn to ride a bike, I may begin by reading about it in a book. I may also watch... Continue Reading
How Jesus Answers the Cries of Our Heart
Many of us have favorite psalms—perhaps even some we’ve memorized—which give us hope in the midst of sorrow, fear, loneliness, or grief.
Jesus fulfills all the deepest cries of our heart. Jesus is God’s ultimate answer to all that the psalmist cried out for. Just as the psalmist turned to God as his salvation in the midst of his sorrow, grief, and fear, we also must turn to Christ as our salvation in our own emotional turmoil.... Continue Reading
Hezekiah My Hero
Re-reading the life and times of Hezekiah has given me a fresh, more positive take on his reign – I’ve recently declared in church ‘Hezekiah is my new hero!’
There is far more to Hezekiah than initially meets the gaze. His reign concluded in a downfall caused by pride, when self-interest finally trumped and eclipsed a career of outstanding service. However, the bulk of his work was devoted to God’s glory, namely to purging the nation of false gods and to cleansing the church of images.... Continue Reading
God Died on the Cross
“O Love divine, what has thou done! The immortal God hath died for me!”
When theologians get hold of stark, paradoxical statements like “God died,” they have an instinct to clarify what is being said. They do not want to remove the shock or the force (that would be very bad theology), but they do want to make sure that the true paradox rather than something else is being communicated. They want to rule... Continue Reading
That’s Not Christian Liberty, That’s Immaturity!
“…Christian freedom is, in all its parts, a spiritual thing."
The Reformers talked about Christian liberty in terms of the gospel, that our consciences are free from the terrors of the law because Christ obeyed in our place and paid for all our sins. Justification by faith alone is very closely related to Christian liberty! Christian liberty is one of those great biblical truths the... Continue Reading