Some hear cessationism as a quenching of the Spirit. Far from it. The Reformed answer is the reverse. The Spirit is no less present today, only present differently. At Pentecost he worked extraordinarily, inaugurating the Gentile mission and laying the foundation of the church. With the foundation laid and the canon complete, he now works... Continue Reading

When the church turns its attention to skin color or ethnic distinctions, it shifts from Christ-centeredness to man-centeredness, and, in doing so, it becomes weak. This is not a small or secondary matter. If left unchecked, such a focus does not merely distract—it can eclipse the gospel itself.    Kinism has recently impacted the Reformed... Continue Reading

Jesus didn’t stuff his anger, and on several occasions in the Gospels, he allowed his anger to become observable. He was noticeably angry. And he made use of that anger: He took its prompting, and energy, to move into justice-remedying action.   Have you been caught off guard by the anger of Jesus? There you... Continue Reading

Modern readers often filter “separation of church and state” through a secularist lens—assuming it means the government must be entirely stripped of all religious influence and pretend God does not exist, granting unrestricted free exercise to all false, non-Christian religions. This was not the view of the 1788 American divines. The revised Confession still maintains... Continue Reading

It is not insignificant that Peter’s closing exhortation in his letter is shaped by the suffering Saviour. “The God of all grace, the one who called you into his eternal glory in the Anointed, after you have suffered a little while, he himself will restore, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Pet. 5:10). Believers are called... Continue Reading

Over the years, I have become less interested in dramatic displays and more anchored in the ordinary promises of God’s Word. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. The point is not finding the right incantation against suffering. The point is taking Him at His word.   A friend recently asked... Continue Reading

BCO 58 is not merely about “how to do communion.” It is about how Christ feeds His people, how elders oversee the Table, how ministers explain the gospel signified in bread and wine, and how the whole congregation is called to come with faith, repentance, thanksgiving, and hope. Frequently, and for Edification The chapter begins... Continue Reading

“Progress means getting nearer to the place you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turn, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who... Continue Reading

Lucifer is an astute theologian.  He fully realizes (now), that God had and has His elect angels and humans.  Satan knows that it is futile for him to even seek to keep salvation from God’s elect, who become Christ’s churchmen.  The adversary of our souls long ago gave up on trying to prevent the inevitable... Continue Reading

Those who long to see their churches revived must join with the Jews of Ezra’s day and go rebuild their church as they are able. They must respond to the Lord’s stirring and put sin to death when their consciences convict them. Following the Lord’s leading, they should pursue righteousness and knowledge so that they... Continue Reading