Supernatural Annunciations
After 400 years of silence, with no dreams, no visions, no prophetic voices, what was the first clear sign that God was bringing his redemptive program to a climax?
Heaven-sent messengers appear to Zechariah the father of John the Baptist; to Mary the mother of Jesus, followed by an appearance to her husband, Joseph; and upon Jesus’ birth an innumerable company of angels to shepherds in Bethlehem’s fields (Luke 1:11–20, 26–38; Matt. 1:20–21; Luke 2:8–14). A special star in the heavens guides the magi... Continue Reading
The LORD will Keep You from all Evil
There are many unpleasant things in this world, and the Christian is groaning for redemption (Rom 8:23).
In all of the evil and unpleasantness of living in a world stained by sin, for the Christian, God never intends any of it for evil. Isn’t that such a comfort? That our God is able to take all of those things that we wish most to avoid, and mean them for our good. We... Continue Reading
Advent: The Word Became Flesh Before Birth
The incarnation is a mystery that keeps inspiring us to holy awe.
Jesus humbly submitted Himself to begin in the earliest stages of human life, to be confined in a small space in amniotic fluid hidden from the world, and dependent upon nourishment and protection from a woman. This is simply about the incredible state of humiliation of Jesus Christ, “the Word,” that John wrote was “made... Continue Reading
Worshipping and Evaluating
Christians are to evaluate rightly, and examine the Scriptures, even daily, to see if the message being taught is true (Acts 17:11).
Some of the most attractive Christians can lack discernment, and some of the most discerning could use some spiritual and moral attractiveness. Spurgeon was warning us to be aware of the spiritual state of others, and beware of an overly-critical spirit. Test everything (1 Thess.5:20) but do not quench the Spirit (1 Thess.5:19). A lop-sided... Continue Reading
Why Study Theology?
Love of God and knowledge of God go hand in hand.
Every time we think or speak about God, His will, or His works, we are doing theology. If we do it without awareness or reflection, the potential for error increases dramatically. We need to consider this because errors regarding God, His will, and His works are far more serious than errors in other areas of... Continue Reading
The Mainline Question
The mainline churches are not only unworthy of saving, but also there is no realistic path for saving them.
If the mainline churches are not legitimate heirs to their tradition, and if there is no viable path to saving them from themselves, we should have no interest in propping up their institutions whose sole identity is based on rejecting orthodoxy and providing a veneer of Christianity to the dominant leftist ideology. A Response... Continue Reading
A Fresh Look at Basics
The apostles devoted themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word.
The one thing that really matters is this: to have a religion that will bring us safe at last to the new heavens and the new earth. To have that “little that a righteous man has,” to have faith that is lodged in Jesus Christ even if our trust seems as fine as a spider’s... Continue Reading
The Lesson of the Fig Tree—Mark 13:28-31
You can live with confidence in what Jesus says about the future.
We refuse to get caught up in the hoopla of the experts, not because we are climate deniers. We believe the words of Jesus. Heaven and earth will pass away. Revelation 21:1 says, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.” When... Continue Reading
Seeing What You Have as Something That Doesn’t Belong to You
All that we have is a gift from God.
If we know the real owner of all we have, it makes a massive difference to how we approach life….God has blessed all of his children so richly. Let’s use what we have been entrusted with well and enthusiastically for His glory! Have you ever borrowed someone’s car or looked after their house while... Continue Reading
Exodus 1-15: “The Great Escape”
Our covenant-keeping God is willing to rescue helpless people like us who are unable to rescue ourselves.
At the beginning of the book of Exodus it might appear that God’s covenant promises to Abraham have amounted to nothing. However it is on the basis of these promises that God brings his people out of Egypt (2:23-25; 6:1-6). In doing this he reveals his character as being one who is absolutely faithful to... Continue Reading
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