Remember from where you have fallen (Revelation 2:4). Wake up and strengthen what remains and is about to die (Revelation 3:2). These two phrases, the first spoken to the church in Ephesus, and the second spoken to the church in Sardis, summarize the condition of our spiritual lives from time to time. For countless Christians, it is easy to reflect … Continue reading Strengthen What Remains
Church is often dull because we think about it like secularists, not according to scripture. This world takes its stand against Christ, and Jesus tells us that as believers, we will have trouble. He also reminds us to take heart because he has overcome the world (John 16:33). For us to take heart, which leaves … Continue reading Why Church is Often Boring
No matter how hostile the world may become towards Christians, the Lord always has fellow believers available to us for support. We were never meant to stand alone, and we should be available to encourage other believers as well. The apostle Paul faced countless persecutions as a Christian. From stonings to beatings to imprisonment, all … Continue reading Together in a Hostile World
There is joy and peace in believing. Once we know Jesus and the forgiveness he has granted us through faith, joy and peace begin to flow. The problem is if our faith weakens and our spiritual-mindedness begins to diminish, so does the joy and peace that flows from it. There is peace in knowing that we are no longer at … Continue reading Joy and Peace in Believing
When we read God's statement in scripture where he says, "For this very purpose I have raised you up," commonplace religion has conditioned us always to expect the reason to be something positive for the person addressed. Perhaps God raised this person up to save a group of people from genocide, like Esther. Maybe God raised this … Continue reading For this Purpose I Raised You Up
Throughout history, we see the church expand and contract not only in size but also in terms of its faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his word. Today, in North America, the visible church as a whole seems to be in a time of decline. Many churches are shrinking or closing, and many others are giving into the … Continue reading The Remnant is Like a Fuse
“You have access to a world of knowledge on the phone in your pocket, but you have no wisdom.” Would this be something God would say to many of us in the church today if he were to speak to us in the same way he spoke to the church in Laodicea in the book of Revelation? … Continue reading If the Letter to Laodicea was Written to Us
Put yourself in this situation. It is somewhere between 70 and 95 AD, and the church is under siege by the world. You have seen Nero take some of your brothers and sisters in Christ, tie them to poles, cover them in tar, and set them on fire to light his parties. The enemies of God have even … Continue reading When Downcast, Look to the Throne
We all tend to examine others more quickly than we examine ourselves. How many sermons have we sat through only to critique the pastor afterward without ever considering how we measure up to the text he was preaching? Below is the second sermon I had the privilege of preaching this weekend, addressing this tendency. CLICK TO READ MORE...
This weekend, I had the privilege of preaching a couple of sermons at the First Christian Reformed Church in Artesia. This sermon looks at sin and its consequences through the life of Gehazi in 2 Kings chapter five. There are times when the hand of God is heavy upon us because of our sin, but … Continue reading Sin and Its Consequences
The Fight of Faith 