Decapitating the Serpent
The only meaningful way to decapitate the serpent is with the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Part of me wants to smile a bit when I think about a statue to Satan being torn down and decapitated because my heart rejoices in the defeat of the devil. This urge, though, must be tempered with truth, the truth that toppling a ridiculous display doesn’t do anything to defeat the devil. It’s at... Continue Reading
Jesus Became a Baby Because He Loves You
This work of love is glorious.
The cross is the central work in John’s Gospel. There, the Son goes to the cross because “the Father loves me.” And there, glory and love meet. The man bruised and broken and bloodied is the glory of God on a cross stained red with love. All of this happened because “God so loved the... Continue Reading
The Wonder of the Word
Just as “the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” in Moses’s day, so too the glory of God the Father filled the Son of God, “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
It’s a wonderful truth that the Word “became flesh and dwelt among us” in order to reveal God’s glory. But it’s even more amazing that “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). When Israel stood around Mount Sinai, when Moses received the law of God, His glory was so terrifying... Continue Reading
The Great Shepherd of the Sheep | Hebrews 13:20-25
Through Christ, we are being remade into those who desire to do the will of God. And as He is remaking us, He also equips us to do His will.
God equip us to do His will. Indeed, He must equip us to do His will, or we will not have the desire or ability to do so. He equips us, and He also works in us to do that which is pleasing in his sight. The sacrifices of praise, which we studied last week,... Continue Reading
Antichrist Blesses Same Sex Couples
This deceptive heresy (I John 2:22-23; 2 John 7) is confusing at best and outright wicked at worst.
The claim is that when same-sex couples ask for a blessing they are actually asking–in the mind of Francis–for help. He said, ““when one asks for a blessing, one is expressing a petition for God’s assistance, a plea to live better, and confidence in a Father who can help us live better.” This is not... Continue Reading
Raising Kids to Love the Nations
Parents can begin to draw them into God’s global work in at least five practical ways.
Many of God’s people began to love the nations by reading books or missionary stories. Hudson Taylor’s father was “deeply stirred about the spiritual state of China” after reading several books, especially one about the travels of a certain Captain Basil Hall. Start with just one nation (or a few), and teach your kids who... Continue Reading
Love and Obey: The Way of the Believer
Christianity's Gracious Difference from Oppressive Pagan Religion
As long as men desire to be as god they will find themselves disappointed, unable to receive the place they want for themselves. However, when we hear what Jesus is teaching His people, that recognizes who we truly are, sinners saved by grace, those who have received by gift and grant the benefits won by... Continue Reading
Finding Renewal of Heart and Faith this Christmas Season
Take heart that Christmas is about bringing joy to the world.
All humans are broken without Jesus, and, therefore, no one is any better than another. While the Christmas season can feel overwhelming due to complex and sometimes sad emotions, the message we all need to hear and steadfastly cling to is the gospel of salvation in Christ alone. There is true and enduring joy in... Continue Reading
Called to Ministry?
Discerning an Internal Call
Spurgeon goes on to identify four ways by which we may assess whether we are called to ministry. First is ‘an intense, all-absorbing desire for the work’. It is in this context that Spurgeon (followed by Lloyd-Jones in the next century) urged that you should not enter the ministry if you could be content doing... Continue Reading
Giving as Worship: How and Why the Corinthians Gave to the Church in Jerusalem
Learning to give properly is a central part of learning to worship properly.
How much ought we to give? In proportion with our income, as God moves our hearts. And how ought it be handled? With the utmost integrity. At the heart of giving is the matter of worship. God reigns supreme not only in believers’ heads but also in our hearts and through our hands. Christ’s lordship ought... Continue Reading
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