If the world is preserved, it is preserved for Jesus. When God hangs His war bow in the clouds, He is effectively saying, “I will hold back my wrath from this sin-cursed world.” Why? So that He can one day take that wrath upon Himself on the cross. The temporal peace of the Noahic covenant is... Continue Reading

God’s abundant love is marked by a forbearance that outlasts every generation. The Lord has never stopped caring, listening, or moving toward his people, no matter how transient our lives are. Whether single, married, separated, or divorced, our earthly lives frequently change; God does not.   God’s love is the great comfort of those caring... Continue Reading

Divine aseity affirms that God needs nothing because he is the plentitude of life and blessedness—he is the infinitely bursting forth reservoir of happiness that never stops pouring and never diminishes. His delight and contentment cannot wane because it is boundlessly radiant. Well, the doctrine of the Trinity helps us get how this Fire burns; how... Continue Reading

Look to God and his Word. God’s grace, goodness, wisdom, glory, and power are eternal. They always have been and always will be. Look to his salvation which he has written in a book before the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8). If you’ve trusted in Jesus, he will never let go of you. You... Continue Reading

‘David had served the purpose of God in his own generation’. Are you serving the Lord in your generation? Are you seeking to be used of him, even though basically no one knows you from Adam, and no one knows what you are doing for Christ and the Kingdom? Often our work for the Lord... Continue Reading

Most recently, Phillip Yancy, a popular Christian writer, admitted to an 8-year affair. But it is not just the popular and famous. In the church of my youth, there was a man who was held up as an example of a fine Christian, but it was discovered that he had been having an affair for... Continue Reading

View post-sermon discouragement as a gift, not to yourself, but to the congregation. I learned this from James Pennington at the Heritage Preaching Lectures last October. Pennington described the emotional and psychological cost of preaching as a gift the preacher gives to the congregation, one that often goes unseen and unrecognized.   A well-known preacher,... Continue Reading

The cross did not happen in the shadows. Nails rang against wood in full view of heaven and earth. Blood ran down splintered grain and soaked into ground God Himself had spoken into existence. Christ carried guilt He had never owned. He bore judgment He did not deserve. He stood exposed before the Father so... Continue Reading

What is a Sunday for? You might answer that it’s for the purpose of seeing new people come in, explore the faith, and get saved. The car parking and seat fill might then flow from that, though your diagnostic questions will be at a higher level. I, as regular readers will know, think differently about... Continue Reading

I knew marriage was for life and a serious decision and I was scared when I proposed, but it was one of the best decisions I ever made. The same is true when I started to travel to foreign countries or begin a business or change employment. We go into many of these times with... Continue Reading