The Spirit does a great work, both without and within. A proper appreciation of His mighty deeds should stir up a spirit of submission and praise, for He accomplishes far more than inspiring spontaneous utterances within the occasional assemblies of believers.   There’s a poem for children by Christina G. Rossetti that captures at once... Continue Reading

The BCO is very clear as to who the leaders of the church are—teaching elders, ruling elders, and deacons. All are ordained. No one should be appointed or “commissioned” to hold an officer-like position without being ordained as an actual officer…A deaconess is an officer-like position, or at least gives the appearance of being such. The language... Continue Reading

Jesus came in space and time, was of the house of David, miraculously conceived, and born in Bethlehem as the Old Testament foretold. He is the very Son of God and took on the name Immanuel, which means God with us (Matt 1:23), the one who would give his life to bring eternal life to... Continue Reading

Luke 13:24 encourages us to have focus: you have the message of Jesus and his kingdom in front of you. Take responsibility, and don’t get pulled in this direction or that, getting distracted, led astray. No, stay focused: make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Take Jesus seriously. This is that important.  ... Continue Reading

It’s time to face the unvarnished truth. The biggest threat to the church at large and the PCA in particular has never been unbelief and rank compromise but confessional defection with good intention. It’s primarily the un-confessional yet well intended shepherds from within who are uniquely positioned to lead Christ’s sheep astray and infect the whole lump... Continue Reading

It takes great wisdom to know how and when to respond to fools. Though a Christian should never entertain foolish behavior, such as exchanging slander for slander (1 Peter 3:9), he should speak up early and often to foolish arguments so as to protect the truth. Answering 439 Bible Contradictions Answer Sometimes a wise man should respond to... Continue Reading

Jonah’s three days in the “grave” of the fish and his repulsive resurrection fits a typological pattern culminating in Christ’s three days in the grave and glorious resurrection. These points of contact establish historical correspondence and escalation from one resurrection to the next. Indeed, in Christ “something greater than Jonah is here” (Matt. 12:41; Luke 11:32). ... Continue Reading

When the Bible tells us that God is our Abba, it doesn’t mean we should be frivolous in the way we approach Him. We must, therefore, be careful to draw that distinction. The teacher in Ecclesiastes had a helpful word for his audience about how to approach the house of God, “Guard your steps when... Continue Reading

While the biblical picture of calling and vocation includes our giftedness, it also includes things like sacrifice, persecution, and an awareness of the needs of my neighbors. Jesus said that those who follow him carry crosses. Paul said that anyone who wishes to follow Christ will be persecuted. (Remember, Liddell died in a Japanese prison... Continue Reading

He gifts each one of us in different ways and expects we will make careful and deliberate use of our gifts to amplify their reach and multiply their power. What appears to be weak is soon proven to be strong. When God grants us small seeds of character, he means for it to bloom into... Continue Reading