It is a picture of a careworn man, bent under a heavy load on his back. His face is grim and all sparkle has disappeared from his downcast eyes.
Read MoreWorship, however, is the most important and serious thing we will do all week.
Read MoreIn turn, God stood on a rock before Israel, Moses struck the rock, and from the rock came the water. God himself took the blow that Israel deserved, and that resulted in the saving of their lives.
Read MoreFailure is a great gift from God. Psalm 51 was written in the aftermath of David’s failure.
Read MoreDo you ever wonder what the point of worship service is? Some of us, no doubt, know this very well. Others of us, perhaps, have forgotten. Truth be told, we all need regular reminders.
Read MoreWhen you are reminded of your inability to present yourself blameless to God, know that our time of worship is coming to God “who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy.” You can't. God can.
Read MoreThe heart is beyond understanding. Sometimes it makes people complain because God is too regular and unfailing in his faithfulness.
Read MoreDarkness will not last. Pain will not endure. God will safely lead us through “the present evil age” and bring us to that coming age of glory and joy. And now even the darkest night is not so dark anymore. And we give glory to God.
Read MoreLet us think over Ecclesiastes 5:1 as we prepare to worship. “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil.”
Read MoreParents, model humility for your children. God has ordained various authorities to which we owe honor and respect. When parents humbly honor the authorities over them, be they familial, political, spiritual, as God’s kind provision for their good, your children will learn likewise to honor your parental authority God has placed over them.
Parents, model quick repentance to your children. Do not put on a facade of never sinning, and always being right. Show your children that you respond humbly to correction from Scripture, from your pastor and elders, from the body of Christ. Show them there is redemption from sin, that there is a way back after stumbling.
Read MoreThe Lord’s Day is Christians delighting in God’s mercy, rejoicing once again of their honored status before God. But, some will say, we can do this throughout the week and do not need a special day for this. That is true. We should always boast of God. But we also should not be wiser than God or the apostles.
Read MoreWhat do you think? Is the Lord’s command a suggestion to ignore? Or is it really an invitation to know God’s goodness in a deeper way?
Read MoreChristians of past generations often thought about what is “sacred” and “secular,” as well as what is “holy” and “profane.” These days, however, for a number of different reasons, many Christians do not dwell on these things so much anymore. And that is a shame.
Read MoreHang a picture of Jesus in your home, and your sins will be visited upon your children and your children’s children.
Read MoreParaphrasing C.S. Lewis a little bit here, Trendy words come and go. They mostly go. May the Lord have mercy on us, that idol and idolatry are not just another passing thought of the moment. But that we find lasting delight in God, find our satisfaction and contentment in him who said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Read MoreThat is, Jesus’ commanding grasp of Scripture was a result of his deep devotion to obey God’s word. The more he obeyed, the more he grew in wisdom. And as his obedience to God’s Word was flawless, he came to possess a flawless understanding of God’s Word.
Read Morehidden behind a sizable pulpit. That is intentional. In the worship service, God’s Word faithfully preached from the pulpit has the attention of the worshippers. The minister is but a servant of the Word, and he is never the central figure of the worship service.
Read MoreSunday is Father’s Day, and, naturally, my inbox is flooded with notices of special sales. Leaving aside the unabashed consumerism for a moment, we may profit from reflecting on honoring our fathers. Interestingly, honoring our heavenly Father with appropriate gifts is the theme of Malachi 1:6–11.
Read MoreEvangelical Christians often say “We are saved by faith.” It is a perfectly fine statement as long as we understand that it is actually highly compressed statement of convenience.
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