Son of Adam, Son of God
The seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head.
For veteran preachers of the advent season, each Christmas brings an even greater challenge to open the eyes of our people to the wonder that should never cease to make us wonder. Advent season has begun. Pastors all around the world are desperately looking for texts and angles on the theme that will enable... Continue Reading
Why the Virgin Birth?
Jesus' claim to the throne and scepter of Israel rested on matters of parentage.
The virgin birth is essential to Jesus’ right to govern Israel. Without the virgin birth, Jesus could not be the Christ, the Messiah who will bring in the promised kingdom. Old-line liberals used to argue against the virgin birth of Christ. They saw it as an unreasonable and unscientific theory that was, on their... Continue Reading
Advent in a Global Pandemic
The light of Christ’s first Advent dawned in days of deep darkness.
Advent, the season of waiting and preparation before the high feast of Christmas, is a chance to regain spiritual sanity, and create fresh and healthier rhythms personally and as a family and as churches. These have been dark days in 2020, even in the light of spring and summer. Those spared great personal suffering... Continue Reading
The Gentle Tug of Spiritual Disciplines
Bible reading, journaling, prayer, and solitude are beneficial, powerful, and essential for the Christian life.
Your spiritual disciplines will not usually yell at you, but when you neglect them, there are reminders. Learn to tune your heart and mind to the gentle tug of spiritual disciplines. He always lets me know when it is time. He doesn’t care if it is freezing cold, raining, or a blazing hot South... Continue Reading
Sent Forth, Born of Woman
What child is this?
In these two short phrases, Paul begins to reflect on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth, and they in turn move us to ponder the humiliation of Him who is from all eternity the glorious Son of God. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born... Continue Reading
Godly Mothers
Some of the most useful servants of God throughout history owe a great spiritual debt to their mothers.
Even when the home life is fraught with difficulties and challenges, a Christian mother has a great opportunity to influence her children for Christ. Her family is her mission field. One of the greatest challenges that a child can face is growing up in a home where dad is either absent or spiritually disengaged.... Continue Reading
Wary of Words on the 1%
Comparing upward will leave you with eyes only for what you don’t have.
Instead of the 1% at the top, we need to be looking at the 10 or 20% at the bottom. Which, if you’re in America, does not include you. The Bible persistently calls us to look at and have regard for the poor. Did you know the that top 1% own over 50% of... Continue Reading
Obeying Rulers with the Reformed Tradition
A collected series of quotes to illustrate the Reformed notion of obedience to the civil magistrate.
Nevertheless, in our current context, I do not believe civil disobedience is warranted. I do so for a number of reasons. But at the forefront is that Christians have a duty laid out in scripture to obey the civil magistrate, even when we disagree with them, and even when it hurts us. The Covid-19... Continue Reading
Light at the End of a Dark Tunnel
Will we trust in our idols, in this world, or will we look to God to solve the source of our darkness, to solve our spiritual problems?
After the vaccine people will still die, people will still be lost in sin, people will still struggle against the flesh, and will still need spiritual transformation. The darkness of the pandemic is not the real darkness. The real darkness is the spiritual darkness that all people experience, the lostness and the sin, the separation... Continue Reading
God Created Capitalism so We Could be Kind
What a person thinks about God determines how that person approaches everything in life, right down to an unconscious level.
Consider what the Bible says on this matter. “The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied” (Pr.13:4). “Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth” (Pr.10:4). “If a man is lazy, his rafters sag; if his hands are idle, the house leaks” (Eccl.10:18). “The LORD... Continue Reading
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