Now, most people automatically think of the rending of the Temple curtain at the death of Christ.  But that’s not what the text says.  It says, “[he] opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh.” The torn curtain was the flesh of the Son.  In other words, on the cross Christ’s flesh... Continue Reading

I was struck a few years back when reading through Sinclair Ferguson’s The Whole Christ where he made the remark that many pastors have within their libraries lots of books on preaching, and even books about preaching Christ, but surmises that there are probably far fewer on Christ himself.[1] This point is underlined by another comment... Continue Reading

I realize that I am generalizing here, but I believe my generalization of the situation is valid as to a trend in worship. In a general way, with some minor differences, most metropolitan evangelical churches in the U.S. are worshiping the same way. I call it the “new evangelical liturgy.”   Over the years I have had the... Continue Reading

I wish that would be Greek scholars spent a little time studying the Old Testament Hebrew word “hesed.” The word does not translate well into English and often is translated something like “lovingkindness” or “steadfast love.” The word has a range of meaning so it does not fit well to one English word. When we... Continue Reading

While we might like to believe our pastors are infallible, this truth can actually be an encouragement each week as we sit under their preaching. We can receive their admonishment, their correction, and their teaching knowing they are preaching and speaking the same truths of the gospel to themselves each week. We can rejoice that... Continue Reading

God is not our boss; he is our father. He calls us into his work because he loves us and wants us to grow. Whilst he tells us clearly enough that the work will be hard, he also gives us grace to continue. God’s grace extends to us both in the sustaining ministry of the... Continue Reading

Loving people who are hard to love involves perseverance. It is going to require a lot of prayer. We need to pray for patience in dealing with them. We need to pray for wisdom in handling them. We need to know when to speak and when not to speak. We need to ask the Lord... Continue Reading

The benediction? You mean that closing “prayer” the pastor gives with his hands raised? Isn’t that like the credits of a movie? Perhaps we’ve misunderstood its nature and purpose, at best treating it as a special goodbye from God. But historically, the benediction has been a vital component of the church’s worship.   There are... Continue Reading

We must be both mentally and spiritually equipped to defend against these mechanized attempts to subvert the mind of Christ. Paganism, once thought antiquated and impotent in civilized society, has arisen again, now perfectly joined with the world’s postmodern sensibilities, digital imagery and technological advancements. From that breeding ground we now see new counterfeit belief... Continue Reading

Many within my denomination believe that the world already knows what the Bible declares regarding human sexuality in regards to homosexuality, transgenderism, and same-sex attraction. Based on my own evangelistic interactions with unbelievers, I strongly disagree. With groups of Christians telling the LGBTQ community that Jesus is all love who requires no repentance on their... Continue Reading