Christ doesn’t lead His bride with irritation and volatility, and He doesn’t abandon her in distress. He leads with strength under control. So when frustration rises in the home, the first response shouldn’t be explosion or retreat, but self-government.   In my article yesterday about kingdom utility, I wrote that a husband is useful to... Continue Reading

Steve McQueen reportedly left life with a bible given to him by Billy Graham. According to his wife, he read it daily. Why? Because he had a new heart, new affections, new loves. He knew the Savior and had been adopted by God.   Steve McQueen made The Great Escape. But he was sprung by... Continue Reading

The work of reforming and strengthening worship is never finished by adopting a document. But it can be helped by one. A good Directory will not do the work of pastors and elders for them. But it can help pastors and elders do their work better.   A constitutional Directory for Worship will not, by... Continue Reading

I have noticed that the term “race” does not appear in the Bible.  It is a relatively new term in the history of mankind.  The terms “race” and “ethnicity” have replaced the biblical word “nation.”  The word nation refers, first of all, to a people who have a common biological ancestor.    I have noticed... Continue Reading

Like any family, the church needs proper discipline and order so that our personal and corporate life together will imperfectly but truly reflect the fact that the church is an embassy of Christ and the age to come even in this present evil age. God’s law, not our spontaneous sincerity, defines what we should do.... Continue Reading

In any body of Christians (of any size), there will be a “mixture” of those who are regenerated, and those who are not. The problem is, it is not always that easy to discern between the two. The good news is, God has not called us to know this.   “Corpus per mixtum,” is Latin,... Continue Reading

Through suffering, God is conforming us to the image of His Son. When we are faced with personal tragedies, we should remember that God is not just working outside of us, but He is working in us.   It was just after 11 p.m. on an unusually cold January night in north Florida when the... Continue Reading

Basil also said that “the idea of the image would be lost were it not to preserve throughout the plain and invariable likeness”.  By that standard any image purporting to show Christ cannot be deemed his image, since we cannot know it preserves “plain and invariable likeness” to him—and since there are as many purported... Continue Reading

If the hearers of the gospel do not witness the glory of Christ in the image of God through all the blessings of the gospel, then we have not yet seen what finally makes the gospel truly good news—the Person of God himself.   We have pictured the gospel as a glorious diamond reflecting biblical... Continue Reading

From an early age, work must be taught, positively modeled by adults, and regularly practiced by children. This is one of the best gifts we can give to children.   I guess it could be subjective as to what is best to give our children. Even though God is the one who changes their heart,... Continue Reading