While we can’t always understand why things happen, the gospel helps us see God’s nearness clearly. Far from leaving us alone when we suffer, God went above and beyond to make sure our suffering would end and that we could be with him forever.   As a teenager, I lived the sort of dream life... Continue Reading

Pragmatism is not of God, however, tragically, the corrupting influences of it are becoming more and more prevalent in the church with “Seeker-sensitive” worship being used to increase attendance. The goal is to get more people in the pews instead of having the congregation grow in spiritual maturity.   28 For which one of you,... Continue Reading

We must understand that wisdom is readily available, and we have only to listen. Wisdom already took initiative with us and came to us, not in a set of ideas, but in a person. Our duty is not to get everything just right and be perfect, but rather to set our hope in the one who got everything just... Continue Reading

If God makes promises in His Word, you can guarantee that the story is not over until all of the promises have come to pass. The covenants and prophesies link the ancient stories. What has been fulfilled foreshadows what is coming later in the story and ties the millennia of narratives together.   Does the... Continue Reading

“Although Satan tries to block all paths to prevent them from praying, they should nonetheless break through, surely persuaded that, although not freed of all hindrances, their efforts still please God and their petitions are approved, provided they endeavor and strive toward a goal not immediately attainable.”   Calvin addresses a matter most Christians have... Continue Reading

When our faith is sufficient to lead us to actually follow God’s plan, we will always see that it is “good, acceptable, and perfect.”…the One who loves us with an everlasting love; who pursues us relentlessly to bring us into His presence, to restore us to the Garden for eternity… who sent His Son that... Continue Reading

All up these five volumes contain 76 excellent papers covering quite a wide range of topics and issues. But to further tempt you into considering getting one or more of these valuable books, let me just share a short quote from one piece: Packer on Puritan Worship from vol. 3. He writes: What is worship?... Continue Reading

God had said to Adam, “In the day that you eat of [the forbidden tree] you shall surely die” (Gen. 2:17). Or as Paul later explained, “The wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But physical death is merely the “first death.” The second death is far worse. The book of Revelation contains a harrowing... Continue Reading

Paul isn’t merely traveling from Caesarea Maritima to Rome; rather, biblical-theological insights reveal the significance of Acts 27 in Paul’s mission. Even though the storm is unexpected it displays Yahweh’s power over the sea and Paul’s role which fulfills the function of Old Testament prophets sent to Gentiles.   The second half of Acts is... Continue Reading

In God’s plan, his holy Zion—the church—becomes a centre of world pilgrimage. Everyone will recognize that God alone is the true God, that his Son is the Saviour, and that it’s through his church they can hear this gospel. God’s plan is startling and his promises stretch our ideas of what is reasonable. Think of... Continue Reading