“You have two overwhelming emotions,” Jesus was saying, “but as you’ve come into My presence, one can be shed like a heavy coat on a warm day. You no longer need fear … just joy.” Their fear was gone, as it always is when we encounter His near presence. When we are in the presence... Continue Reading

The goal of Babel’s people was to build a tower that would reach up to heaven, yet God has to bend down, as it were, to look at their little tinker-toy project! So in verses 7-9, God disperses the people of Babel over the face of the earth. In a total turnaround, the rebellion of... Continue Reading

You don’t taste the sweet wine of the Gospel’s salvation without having tasted the bitter cup of the Law’s condemnation. “Be holy, for I the Lord your God, am holy” echoes in our ears, even as we see the dingy gray of our own pathetic efforts at holiness, and the soiled garments of our sin.... Continue Reading

One very tangible way to prioritize the means of grace is through adding evening worship services in addition to morning worship services.  This may not be practical for every congregation, especially with limited pastoral staff or in places where most of the congregation lives at a great distance.  But, if possible for a congregation,  it... Continue Reading

Sometimes we use God’s law in a superficial way. We act as mere “hearers of the Word” who hardly pause to consider before hurrying away. We don’t stop to think about how this or that text might apply to us. We give ourselves an obligatory check in the mirror, but don’t act on what we’ve... Continue Reading

Many people are genuinely uncomfortable with Holy Spirit language, but that is what Peter, Hebrews, Paul, and Jude affirm. The distinctive messages that come from God are by the Spirit through the prophets in the previous days, and through the Son by the Spirit in these last days.   The question raises a few questions... Continue Reading

And first, remembrance of Jesus will tend to give you hope when you are under the burden of your sins. Notice a few characters here tonight. There comes in a poor creature. Look at him! He has neglected himself this last month; he looks as if he had hardly eaten his daily bread. What is... Continue Reading

For God will grant a man’s requests but in his own good time. Therefore, for quick results, one turns to the right jurisdiction, namely the ancestors who are authorised to direct the affairs of the clan in the here and now.” In short, most Africans view the ancestors and spirits as more dependable than God.... Continue Reading

Rest in God isn’t passive; it is active and brings with it a sense of hope. In Jeremiah 17:7-8 we are given a picture of a tree planted by a stream. It says, But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by... Continue Reading

Thankfully, Jesus did not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. Instead, He delighted in, and meditated upon, the law of the Lord. He lived a life of perfect obedience and died a cursed death in our place.    You and... Continue Reading