Like a high-powered attorney the dragon does not miss a point. From the juror’s seat, our guilt is established beyond a reasonable doubt. The Accuser’s case is so air-tight that our conviction will be certain. We shudder in hopelessness. We stand guilty before a holy God with no way to pay for our sins. We... Continue Reading

We know that trials often strengthen our faith. Yet those seasons are precisely when we are most tempted to complain. Like Israel, we can receive daily bread from God while grumbling about the form in which it arrives. I have prayed for opportunities in ministry, only to grumble when those opportunities brought difficulty. I have... Continue Reading

And when the days of her purifying are completed, whether for a son or for a daughter, she shall bring to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting a lamb a year old for a burnt offering, and a pigeon or a turtledove for a sin offering, and he shall offer it... Continue Reading

Is the goal graduation? College acceptance? Or to raise moral citizens? As Christians, our highest aim for our children should be that they are brought up in the nourishment and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).     I have noticed a growing trend in my area due to changes in state laws that allow... Continue Reading

Humans love to-do lists. It is part of our nature to assemble a set of goals that, when or if accomplished, will somehow settle a debt we owe God. In the garden of Eden, we see Adam and Eve were the first humans to rebel against the God who made them. In a world where... Continue Reading

Suffering often presses this truth deeper into the heart than calm days ever could. Many believers carry the quiet discouragement that faith should remove the hardest seasons of life. Scripture speaks differently. The presence of the Shepherd does not always remove the valley. It assures us that we will not face it alone.    ... Continue Reading

Society’s slide into moral and spiritual degeneracy seems sometimes unstoppable, yet from time to time the Lord grants relief. The Scottish Parliament had been considering a reckless piece of legislation to allow assisted suicide in Scotland, yet at the last minute this appalling wrong has been averted.   Enough MSPs to provide a clear majority... Continue Reading

God’s gifts aren’t the problem, of course. He gives good gifts to his children (Ps 84:11, 34:10, 103:5). Our problem is the weight we misattribute to these gifts. We want them to be and to bear too much. When we hoist a crane on the back of a horse, we shouldn’t expect any galloping around... Continue Reading

You may not always feel close to God. Seasons of dryness, grief, or confusion may cloud your awareness of him. God’s presence is constant, whether or not you perceive it. Feelings do not determine reality.     The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Psalm 23:1) In times of fear and danger—when we... Continue Reading

Preparation involves prayer before the service, attentiveness during the preaching, and meditation afterward. It assumes that hearing the Word is one of the most important spiritual activities of the Christian life. In other words, the catechism assumes a responsibility of the hearer. Preaching matters greatly, but so does listening.     For many Christians, the... Continue Reading