We need to work like the body of Christ, not pretending that everything we want is directly linked up to God’s own will, realizing that the local church is the place where God distributes his gift of sanctification. As we rub against one another in sanctification, it polishes us so that we will eventually sparkle... Continue Reading

As we look at these Old and New Testament accounts, we see that Jesus’s ministry was greater than that of Elijah and Elisha. Neither Elijah nor Elisha claimed to be the source of such power and life. They were prophets whom the Lord used in miraculous ways. What makes Jesus’s ministry different is a claim like John... Continue Reading

Yes, we still show up every Sunday. Yes, we still sing the songs. We still listen to the preaching. We may even take notes. We may still work in the church, but as we do it, there does not seem to be much life in it. We do all the right things, but we do... Continue Reading

We, too, were on the path that leads to destruction but now we’ve been saved by Jesus. We’ve found the truth and so out of a love for the lost we need to share the gospel with people, not to win an argument or to be someone special, but because sharing Jesus and making disciples... Continue Reading

Without strong encouragement, the fainthearted will quickly succumb to the pressures of the world, the stubborn will become more set in their ways, and the faithless will fall away from the living God. On the other hand, a strong encouragement from a brother or sister in Christ can act like a balm that softens our... Continue Reading

The doing and dying of Jesus (recounted in the good news of the gospel) only makes sense against the backdrop of the bad news–the broken covenant of works in which we all sinned in Adam, but we are given eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ (cf. Romans 5:12-19).   In Hosea 6:7, the prophet... Continue Reading

The Puritans were not completely aligned on all aspects of theology, and their views of eschatology demonstrate this well. The different perspectives reflect the diversity of interpretations and the complexity of understanding eschatological passages in the Bible, as well as the variety in theological perspectives amongst the Puritans themselves. The takeaway for Christians today is... Continue Reading

“We must realize that to know the truth and to practice it will be costly….We must keep on speaking and acting even if the price is high. We must keep on preaching, even if the price is high. There is nothing in the Bible that says we are to stop. The Bible rather says, keep... Continue Reading

Young seminarians are being steeped—in seminary—in an expressive individualism that is contrary to the gospel of Jesus Christ and that will, if it’s not nipped right in the bud, lead actual people into hell.   A few years ago there was a piece published somewhere that expressed a sentiment buried deep within the hearts of... Continue Reading

Claiming that religion can have no part in public discourse, in government, in law, etc., is not a neutral stance regarding religion. It is an overtly hostile and antithetical stance whatever its claims about tolerance; it is hostile to God and therefore to most of what is good, true, and just in the world.   ... Continue Reading