We pray against the wrong enemy a lot of the time. Why aren’t we praying against Satan and the demons? Just because we can’t see it, and we don’t know much about it, therefore, we think that the battle is entirely in the visual spectrum. But the real battle is a spiritual one. When we... Continue Reading

It is good to mourn our sins in confession, regretting the pain we have caused others and ourselves. It is right to have a healthy desire to be taught by God—to have the discipline of a loving father. Yet, in our weakness God shows forth his glory in the love and forgiveness we have in... Continue Reading

His eternality, perhaps more than anything else, sets God apart from us. His holiness refers not only to His purity but also to His otherness or transcendence—the sense in which He is different from us. One thing we human beings have in common is that we are creatures, who by nature are temporal. At the... Continue Reading

I remember one man to whom I gave a copy of the Belgic Confession, told him to read and then get back to me. His summary was, “I felt like it was Christianity 101 that I’ve always believed.” That was music to my ears. Why? The “Reformed faith” isn’t a cultic set of doctrines and... Continue Reading

While the mystery of Christ’s tears surely surpasses human finite understanding, one thing is clear: the promise does not cancel the present pain of death or circumvent grieving and lamentation. In fact, the path from Abraham to Christ strongly suggests the opposite, that knowledge of the promise and the final victory of God over death... Continue Reading

In God’s declaration we find echoes of the shepherd of Psalm 23 where the shepherd is the Lord Himself. He will not desert the sheep but instead lead them to grazing fields of green pastures and to refreshing drink from still waters. Under His watch the sheep need not fear evil. These words take on flesh... Continue Reading

When our hearts are troubled, Jesus commands us to actively practice our faith. We remember and pray things like, “I believe in God, my Heavenly Father. And I believe in Jesus Christ his only son who died for me. I believe God loves me and is in control of everything that happens in my life.... Continue Reading

First he came to offer salvation to a world under condemnation. “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:17). Yet he will come again to put the axe to the root of the tree. First he came... Continue Reading

When preachers preach the gospel, some audiences will not believe what they hear. Even if preachers clearly communicate the gospel to their hearers, some will refuse to receive it in faith. Preachers, therefore, should not become frustrated or discouraged.   Quoting Romans 10:14–17, author Roger E. Van Harn explains the central role of hearing in... Continue Reading

If the course of our country, wherever that may be, is to progress in a God-fearing and righteous manner, that must start in the Christian home. We cannot expect the world around us to pursue a path we secretly balk against ourselves. Casting down idols in the public square will not last if we are... Continue Reading