We all have lived long enough “passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another” (Titus 3:3). Christ bids us out of the shadows of suspicion, to live in the sunshine as children of the day, bearing all things, believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things (1 Corinthians... Continue Reading

Preachers are to preach by faith as Spurgeon says, expecting the lame to walk, the blind to see, the deaf to hear, and the dead to rise! With confidence in God blessing the means of preaching He has ordained, they are to call forth these actions with heavenly authority.    From the pulpit and in... Continue Reading

True zeal generates obedience. It makes us hear God’s Word with reverence, to pray with persistence, to love others with brotherly affection. It is the height of hypocrisy for a believer to be outwardly zealous while inwardly committed to sin. A godly heart boils over with holy affection for God and man.   I fear... Continue Reading

 Don’t think God needs you in the ministry. The truth is you need Him more than He needs you. His work can continue without your help. So be thankful to God if He is using you in the building up of His church. To be a minister is a great privilege from the Lord. Think... Continue Reading

Studying church history this way allows the reader to see that the barometer of faithfulness in Christian ministry is judged not by what one may bring as an individual to the work of the kingdom, but rather what one contributes as a servant in the churches of the kingdom, whether known or in obscurity. If... Continue Reading

It may also be the case, as it was for Ezra and the Jews who had returned to Jerusalem before him, that we may have to endure setbacks and suffering on account of Satan’s lies. But truth will always triumph ultimately over lies. Our confidence rests in Jesus’ promise, ‘You will know the truth and... Continue Reading

We find significance in being foot soldiers (or usually, let’s admit, we see ourselves as generals). Controversy plays to our vanity. We have a love-hate relationship with feeling embattled. It’s not that controversies are never necessary. Many times, they are. But too often, the indignation we see is less the result of spiritual seriousness and... Continue Reading

Friends, it is possible—even more, biblically commanded—to strive for truth and unity while sacrificing neither. When we have the truth, we must foster and cultivate unity in our local churches and with others around the world via social media.   I think Christians need a “come to Jesus” moment over their flippant use of the “H-word.”... Continue Reading

I know that “looking to Jesus” sometimes sounds like a vague and convenient substitute for more careful application. But really, look to Jesus — not simply with a quick glance in moments of care, but as the main labor (and joy) of every day. Read books about him. Get to know him in his offices as... Continue Reading

There are a couple of things that left an impression on me as I recently reread Bridge’s classic work. The first is the author’s amazing knowledge and grasp of Scripture. Of course, he was not alone among the Puritans in this regard. They were all ‘men of the Book’ who demonstrated an intimate familiarity with... Continue Reading