Pleading the Promises
Prayer in Nehemiah (4)
Nehemiah asks God to “remember.” It’s not that God has forgotten or could forget. Rather, Nehemiah is laying out the basis of his plea. He has boldness to ask of God not because he is worthy or deserving or has any reason in himself to request. His confidence rests in the unshakable promises of God... Continue Reading
8 Words of Warning
“Be sure your sin will find you out.”
These words have been recorded and preserved for us by our loving heavenly Father. They have been recorded for us as a defense against sin’s deceit. Just as with the tribes of Gad and Rueben, our sin is never secret or without consequences. It’s wonderful to know that our Lord meets us in our weakness... Continue Reading
The Storm
Storms do not continue everlastingly or forever.
It is good to remind ourselves, in the middle of fierce storms – when it is frighteningly dark, and it feels like dead of night – that what is true of the world of meteorology is also true in the spiritual realm: monster storms are allowed to do their worst, but the God of Love,... Continue Reading
How to Identify a False Teacher, Part 4
False teachers, according to 1 John, are a clear sign that we are living in the last hour.
False teachers speak the world’s language. They promise bodily pleasure and satisfaction. They promise riches, beauty, and material gain. And they promise that by following their teaching you will win the approval of others and increase your status in this world. False teachers are absorbed in what is transitory and they speak to people whose... Continue Reading
6 Characteristics of a Successful Pastorate
Equipping saints for the work of ministry.
“Under God, [pastors are] responsible for the increase of holiness, Christlikeness, in the congregation.” Boyce said this aspect of ministry is “one of the most important tests” of a successful ministry. So what if our people know “sound doctrine” but don’t live holy lives? James Petigru Boyce (1827–1888) is a name all Southern Baptists should... Continue Reading
Two Sins a Pastor Might Commit
The Sins of Omission
The ministry of the Word and prayer. In the busyness of pastoral life these two tasks can fall off the radar. In the rush to professionalise the ministry and ensure that we are great leaders who maintain focus, build churches, streamline processes, create memorable online content, and structure teams, we will often neglect the primary focus:... Continue Reading
A Theology of Woman from Proverbs 31: A Wise Woman to Emulate
A godly woman applies wisdom in daily living.
Few if any will ever measure up to the epitome of household wisdom as portrayed by the Proverbs 31 woman. Yet we can apply the wisdom exemplified to specific situations in our own lives. We should examine our own finances, work ethic, reputation, and character. We must strive to live wisely in the situation and among... Continue Reading
DEI and the Cultural Revolution
Beware this Trojan horse.
Christopher Rufo: America’s Cultural Revolution: How the Radical Left Conquered Everything (Broadside Books, 2023). In it he has a chapter on DEI and its role in the Cultural Revolution. The chapter’s final paragraphs are just as true of Australia and other Western nations: If critical race theory should succeed as a system of government, it is... Continue Reading
What Is Perfectionism?
A perfectionist is humorously described as “someone who takes great pains and gives them to others.”
Perfectionism is expecting God to give me in this life what He has promised to give me only in the next. Perfectionists want to live in a world without sin, sickness, suffering, and Satan. The problem is, except for the first and last two chapters of the Bible, we find at least one of these... Continue Reading
Evangelism as God’s Work
God is ahead of us: this is a liberating truth for Christians in the great privilege of sharing the gospel. God has already been at work.
Long before you or I ever share the gospel with someone, long before we’ve even met them, God has set His love upon them. After saying that God elects some to eternal life “out of his mere free grace and love, without any foresight of faith, or good works,” the Westminster Confession of Faith says... Continue Reading
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