What Can We Expect When We Give To The Lord?
God’s word tells us that we should give with an expectation of blessings and rewards
Paul says that whatever we do, including giving, we should do for God’s glory. Sometimes we can give to the church out of habit, or because we feel like we “have to” or we “should,” because God’s word commands it. But what if we prayed before the basket passed in front of us, “Lord, I... Continue Reading
Jars of Clay
Every one of our temples is returning to dust even if some are further along that continuum than others
“I had my surgery Friday, and though there was a 40% chance that I had more cancer than the original precancerous cells they found before surgery, tests during the surgery showed I did not. We are still waiting the final official word, but it seems I am cancer free in this area at least. I... Continue Reading
The Church’s Central Role in the Coming of the Kingdom of God
The church acts as a sort of embassy for the government of the King
“It’s not to the government, nor to any king or pope or any other ruler, but rather to the church — to this ragtag bunch of argumentative, self-centered, struggling-for-holiness but gloriously forgiven sinners — that the keys of the kingdom of God are given.” The Kingdom of God Is Manifested in This Present Age... Continue Reading
The Holy Spirit Of The Bible Vs. The Spirit We Sing About
Popular songs like “Holy Spirit” or “Spirit of the Living God” fall short
I love the desire that many people have to worship in a more trinitarian sense—meaning preaching, singing, and praying that demonstrates our belief in a God who is “one in essence and three in person.” We must remember though, that just because a song is popular does not mean that it is Biblical. We must... Continue Reading
Speed with God
Great intellect though Edwards was, he recognized that to “speed with God” was a matter of the heart.
As early as the age of nineteen Edwards recognized that if he lost a sense of the greatness and generosity of the divine love, there would be no resources of grace to motivate the life of holiness to which he committed himself in his resolutions. Therein lay wisdom far beyond his years. When Sereno E.... Continue Reading
5 Attributes God isn’t Sharing
God is not just more than we are. He is in a class all by himself.
God alone is eternal, immortal, all-powerful, all-wise, and all-knowing (1 Tim. 6:15–16). His spectacular majesty is beyond our ability to comprehend. God is infinitely great. Here are five ways we see that. God loves to share things with us—life, breath, all of creation—but there are some things that only he has because he is... Continue Reading
The Walls That Law Built
In the same way as the walls of old Sydney speak of our past and act as a testimony to where we came from—yet do not define us as a nation—so do the walls of God’s law.
The walls that law built were established through the labour of transgressors—us. The price of sin must be paid, the curse must collect its toll. We laboured and served under the old written code, forever building the walls that tormented our flesh and would only lead to death, until of course, the liberating force of... Continue Reading
Why Study the Book of Song of Solomon?
The Song of Solomon is God’s gift to the church for such a time as this.
The hesitancy to study the Song is understandable. As a collection of poetic exclamations and exchanges between two lovers, the intimate nature of the material causes some to shy away. As Hebrew poetry, the Song employs parallelism with images and metaphors that are not always easy to grasp. And, some are not sure how to... Continue Reading
What is the Image of God?
Does it refer to human capacity for reason, free will, relationship, creativity, ethical conduct, or something else?
The Bible’s teaching on the Image of God can be summarised as three mutually-complementary ideas: capability, occupation, and destiny. These themes develop as the Bible’s teaching unfolds and God introduces more about himself and his plan for humanity. Since each point shapes the others, it is important to recognise that when the Bible teaches us more... Continue Reading
Gospel Promises and Perseverance (Owen)
Note how Owen distinguishes between law (covenant of works) and gospel (covenant of grace)
Gospel promises, then, are: 1. The free and gracious dispensations, and, 2. discoveries of God’s good-will and love, to, 3. sinners, 4. through Christ, 5. in a covenant of grace; 6. wherein, upon his truth and faithfulness, he engageth himself to be their God, to give his Son unto them and for them, and his... Continue Reading
