Are You Actually Responsible for How Your Year Turned Out?
God has been kind to us for another year. Let’s thank Him for this and not only consider the things we controlled and planned.
When I reflect on my past year, some of the things I prayed for and planned for did come about. Yet many things were unexpected. One of my co-pastors became very unwell. Many people joined the church and some people left. Many things, both large and small, happened that I could never have known in... Continue Reading
Majoring in the Minors: Haggai
The emphatic message of Haggai, in light of this Divine hope, is “Be strong, all you people of the land … Work, for I am with you, declares the LORD of hosts.” (2:4)
Even after the rebuilding of the temple commences, a second threat to its progress arises. The new temple built in their impoverished condition is not nearly as impressive as Solomon’s original structure. Haggai asks a progressive series of rhetorical questions, “Who is left among you who saw this house in its former glory? How do... Continue Reading
Remember Jesus Christ – the Creed of Nicea
This creed is a faithful expression of the announcement given by the angels at Jesus’ birth: “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ, the Lord.”
Never has there been any point in God’s eternal existence when the Son was not begotten by the Father. If there had been, then the relation of Father and Son would be merely temporal and there would be no way of maintaining a singularity in the divine essence while affirming a real plurality of persons.... Continue Reading
“Ten Times Better”: Daniel 1:17-21, Part Three
Daniel epitomizes the instructions given by Peter to Christian exiles. The sovereign hand of God “gave” Daniel everything necessary for his survival and his flourishing, making him ten times better than all the others.
Although the young man Daniel suffered through the terrifying ordeal of being kidnapped and forced to serve in a pagan court of a tyrannical king, those who know Israel’s history know that Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are part of the believing remnant within Judah–those Jews who, despite the curse of YHWH upon their own... Continue Reading
Sometimes They Must Be Named and Shamed
Is it appropriate to call out others in public?
As is often the case, we need some care, wisdom and discernment as to when and how we might deal with the sin, error or failings of others. But contrary to the views of some, there certainly is a place for public rebuke – even for naming and shaming. It is interesting to see this... Continue Reading
A Mature Man’s Understanding of His Battles
Your quiet confidence will confuse your enemies and please the One who holds you.
He cried out to the Lord and then lay down and slept. “But You, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head. I was crying to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain. (Selah … pause and think about that). I... Continue Reading
A Confused Colloquy in the Land of the Mystics
Part one of an extended criticism of Credo magazine’s edition on lectio divina.
In his article, Greg Peters says that “historically lectio divina was just the way to read the biblical text” (emphasis original), and that it was “not a unique way of reading but the common way of reading the Word of God.” In Credo’s book awards they went so far as to say that it is... Continue Reading
Grace Grows Best in Winter
When winter comes those rooted in Christ draw down on His resources as they are enabled by His Spirit.
God, through the winter, is working grace in us, though now we may not see it. In this way we might liken winter to night. It is ominous because it is lightless. But if you’ve ever sat near a field on a hot summer night you can hear the corn growing. We are growing in... Continue Reading
The Fragile Shield of Cynicism
How ironically disappointing is the world of the cynic?
God’s people, with all our faults and immaturities, are God’s glorious works in progress. Though our hearts are often fickle, they are also cleansed. Therefore, we don’t write one another off, but commit to one another, rejoice with one another, give grace to one another. In the process, we will certainly be disappointed, but Jesus... Continue Reading
Has the Modern Mind Lost Its Grip on Jesus’s Sacrifice?
The purpose of Edwards’s most famous sermon was to awaken individuals to the reality of their spiritual condition and to direct them toward the only path of salvation—Jesus Christ.
Edwards emphasized the imminent danger of living in sin and the urgency of seeking salvation. His exclamation, “There is nothing between you and hell but the air; ’tis only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up,” is a stark reminder of the precariousness of life without Christ. Edwards’s message was a... Continue Reading
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