To what end has God given his church pastors? Certainly we can say that one end is that faithful under-shepherds shepherd the sheep well! That is, pastors are given by God to help church members know, love, and follow Jesus…
It has attained the status of a Christian motto: “Attempt great things for God.” Some people are surprised to learn that these words aren’t in the Bible but were spoken by the pioneering missionary William Carey. As disciples of Christ,…
On his first missionary journey Paul said something startling to the believers in Derbe. He said, “[through] many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”[1] Nearly twenty years later, toward the end of Paul’s life, while in his last…
I was recently driving with my young daughter a few days after she publicly professed her faith in Christ. She asked an important question: Not everyone who says they trust in Jesus stays faithful to him. How can I be…
One passage cherished for Advent reflection is Isaiah 9:6. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor,…
The three previous articles in this series addressed the necessity, content, and character of Scripture as set forth in chapter 1, paragraphs 1-5, of the Westminster Confession of Faith. Paragraph 6 turns to the subject of the doctrine often called…
Isaiah 26:3-4 gives God’s people one of the most precious truths in all of Scripture. Isaiah speaks directly to God and says, “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.…
I love a good ponder. Whether it’s eyes up to the midnight sky, gulping down drafts of galaxy from the clear and cloudless evenings, or pen-planting rows of thought along my journal, I love thinking and reflecting and meditating. When…
The overwhelming biblical data on the place of works at the final judgment is not something we can afford to ignore (see Rom. 2:13; 2 Cor. 5:10; Matt. 16:27; Jn. 5:28-29; Gal. 6:7-9; Rev. 20:13; 22:12). The final judgment and…
One of my favorite texts is Acts 13:38-39. It’s a simple gospel text that is part of Paul’s sermon to a Jewish synagogue situated in the gentile region of Pisidia. Paul is speaking to both Jews and gentile God-fearers. Verses…
