Even as Spurgeon warned about the suffering promised to Christians, he insisted that the affliction experienced by believers was not purposeless. In fact, he urged, “When you and I enter upon a new trouble, we ought to fall on our knees and thank God that he is about to elevate us to a higher grace... Continue Reading

Too many in the church today believe and teach that Christ does not here and now occupy and execute the office of king. At best, this false view gives us a Great Commission without a King to issue it, while it deprives us of the motivating vision of the present glory and majesty of Christ. We dare not forget... Continue Reading

I would suggest that the whole of a minister’s life is perpetual training to become the pastor that God calls him to be. There is never a time when pastoral training ends, and professionalism begins… Whatever conclusions you may draw about this subject, of this much we can be sure–the church needs gifted, knowledgeable, thoughtful,... Continue Reading

How do we untangle ourselves and our churches from the pervasiveness of self-centered discipleship? We all need to be reoriented to who God is and who we are. Our local churches need to completely orient themselves toward the character and nature of God. Self-denial only makes sense if we get God instead of ourselves… Discipleship is... Continue Reading

When anything painful, sorrowful, or grievous befalls us, it is never an act of injustice on God’s part, because God does not owe us freedom from tragedies. He does not owe us protection from falling towers. We are debtors to God and cannot repay. Our only hope to avoid perishing at the hands of God... Continue Reading

Through the grand message of redemptive and doxological history, God’s self-giving love is understood by men and angels in ways they could not otherwise know. I’ve suggested this poetically. Humility, self-denial, the cross, begets exaltation, joy and resurrection. To know the self-giving love of the Trinity, sinners must come and die with Jesus, and so rise with... Continue Reading

Wheat and tares look virtually alike. Only God can see hearts. However, the awareness that those dear to us may merely appear to be a brother or sister in Christ should compel us to humbly initiate these hard conversations. Let us not become the Christian gestapo, but let us exhibit an authentic urgency and concern... Continue Reading

Against everything we are told today, happiness is not found in ourselves, in appreciating our own beauty or convincing ourselves of it. Deep, lasting, satisfying happiness is found in the all-glorious God. All of which is really just another way of saying with the Reformation’s Westminster Shorter Catechism: What is the chief end of man?... Continue Reading

“Cut me some slack”.  This common phrase comes from docking ships and means “loosen the rope”.  If the rope is too tight, there is no room to relieve or readjust.  And leaving slack allows the boat to float with changing tides without having its balance upset.  The Hebrew for “be still” means to slacken one’s... Continue Reading

In my line of work I sometimes hear the refrain, “I have no self-esteem”, and, whilst I understand what is being said and have great sympathy where it is merited, it has often made me wonder.  After all, we are only reconstituted earth, which lives in rebellion against its creator—what have we to be esteemed... Continue Reading