Despite the current egalitarian ethos in our culture, neither consensus nor opposition within a group is biblically determinative of a leader’s effectiveness. Neither are they an assessment of whether or not the leader is exhibiting character and integrity as he follows the Lord in his calling. Absalom won the hearts of the people over against... Continue Reading

It is easy to succumb to the temptations of the temporal city of man. How we spend our time is telling—we have choices to make. Is our time spent on what is temporary or what is eternal—materialism or the Word of God? Consumption for ourselves or helping another person in need? Feeding our eyes with... Continue Reading

God proclaimed about Himself: “Even from eternity, I am He” (Isaiah 43.13).  Therefore, this eternity of God means that He is the sure and steadfast dwelling place for all His creatures (Deuteronomy 33.27). He is Lord over time, existing both above time and within time for His own glory and purposes. He is totally free... Continue Reading

God is sovereign; humans are responsible; he gets all the glory. We don’t understand how this all works together, and that’s okay. He’s God and we’re not. The challenge is to remember that we’re not God, to refuse to stand in judgment over him, and to thank him for his mercy as we plead for... Continue Reading

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