Scepters, Crowns, Thrones
Where men grasp and strive for power, God values those who seek after humility.
If there are scepters in God’s invisible kingdom, they are not grasped in clenched fists but joyfully surrendered to the true king. If there are crowns in God’s invisible kingdom, they are worn only so they can be removed to be thrown at his feet. My travels have led me through many castles in... Continue Reading
The Bright Side of Futility
Perhaps our sense of futility is simply one more manifestation that God has indeed made us for himself, and that our hearts are restless until they rest in him.
Our sense of futility itself, like our belief in error, evil, and emptiness, testifies to some notion of utility or purpose or meaning that we desire and yet sometimes lack. futility: (n) the quality or state of being futile; uselessness or pointlessness All of us, on occasion or often, have felt a sense of... Continue Reading
World on Fire
While technology may create the conditions, the spark that sets the world on fire is...us.
Technology has created a combustible environment, sure. It has made it easier for us to be terrible to each other. And that is something to mourn and resist (many tech-experts will tell you that was done on purpose). But what James holds up in front of us is this: the desire to be terrible in... Continue Reading
You Are Called to Suffer with Christ
Jesus predicted that all who follow him will suffer.
Suffering is common to all human beings; however, its expectation is more sure for Christians, due to our union with the suffering Savior. Though he now sits at God’s right hand, our victorious, risen and ascended Savior still has his scars. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you,... Continue Reading
Why Do Christians Pray, “And Lead Us Not into Temptation, But Deliver Us from Evil”?
Temptation begins by questioning the fairness of God’s commands.
We pray that he will shield us from temptations and trials that we are too weak to resist. By praying this powerful prayer, we place our entire hope for salvation into our Father’s hands. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.—Matthew 6:13 (ESV) God placed Adam and Eve in Eden,... Continue Reading
We Must Live With This: Anathema
Some do not have any love for Christ because they love everything else.
Whatever the status of the malignancy of the heart, there is no hope for those who don’t love the Lord until and unless they have a change of heart. They must love what they do not love now. Let anyone who has no love for the Lord be accursed. (1 Cor 16:22, NET) This... Continue Reading
Old and New Covenant Means of Grace
Seeing the parallels of the means of grace in tabernacle worship and new covenant worship gives us a greater appreciation of all that Christ won for us.
God has always had mediums, or means of grace, to communicate Himself to His people. But rather than looking to the old grandeur of the tabernacle with longing, we should remember that all those things pointed forward to Christ and the greater fellowship to be had between God and His people in new covenant worship.... Continue Reading
The Bible Teaches the Sacred/Secular Distinction
It’s really a distinction between time and eternity.
The sacred is to shape and regulate the secular. If, in our zeal to live for Christ, we throw out this sacred/secular distinction, the irony is that we will become more secular than ever. It’s very easy for us as Christians to compartmentalise our Christian lives. I’m sure lots of us feel the contradiction between what... Continue Reading
When God Contests His Children
Like the story of Jacob wrestling with God, we can sometimes be left alone for a long night of combat.
This night of wrestling is not primarily about Jacob getting something out of God. This contest is about God getting something out of Jacob. Remember, Jacob did not go looking for the struggle. God came to Him, and for a while, Jacob had no idea what was going on. No matter how much I struggled, there was no relief. I could not win the... Continue Reading
From Gods to Gallows
How the Fear of Man Undoes a Man
Expose the futility of the fear of man and pursue meaning and satisfaction from God. And look for a clearer and clearer sight of him in his grandeur, allowing his glory, which is displayed everywhere in his creation, to eclipse the people whose approval or rejection seem so large to you. Anyone who has... Continue Reading
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