If you are feeling the weight of the world, please take a moment to read the following timeless encouragement written in 1856 by James Smith. If you are a sincere believer in Jesus, whatever may be your present difficult circumstances, however trying, however perplexing: it will all end in mercy! You may not think so … Continue reading Hope for the Heavy Heart
The angels came from glory to announce the birth of Christ, but why did they appear to shepherds? Their testimony did not even count in a court of law. What would it have been like to hear the shepherds tell their story? Though we do not know what they said precisely, it might have sounded … Continue reading A Shepherd’s Encounter with Glory
The Magnificat, when Mary praises God after Gabriel tells her that she will be the mother of the Messiah, is a beautiful picture of the grace of God towards fallen humanity (Luke 1:46-56). But there is another side to the Magnificat ignored by many. Just as God is merciful to his children, he is righteous … Continue reading The Two Sides of the Magnificat
The following is a guest post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. Nothing is more frustrating than being a small-time pastor. Pastors spend their time reading and preaching God’s word. They constantly pray that the New Heavens and New Earth would come, that unbelievers … Continue reading The Pastor’s Futility and the Pastor’s Hope
Too many of us celebrate the birth of Jesus while neglecting Christ himself. This negligence is because, though many of us would like to experience the joy of our salvation, our indulgence in worldliness cuts us off from it. We have lost the reason to celebrate. Many of us also desire the Lord to use … Continue reading Celebrating Christmas with Jesus Himself
The following is a guest post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. Do not forsake individualist Christianity! We are rightly concerned with avoiding over-individualism. We know Westerners are inherently individualistic. Americans are proponents of “rugged individualism.” We have heard that Old and New Testament … Continue reading Good Individualist Christianity
Sometimes our lives can grow dim because we are no longer walking closely with the Lord like we used to. However, our God is so gracious that even after we have wandered away, he not only forgives our sins, but he also gives us times of refreshing (Act 3:19-21). In Acts chapter three, the phrase, … Continue reading Times of Refreshing
In the Christian life, there are times of rest and times of struggle, and what we do when the sun is shining will often determine how well we will fare when the rains fall and the winds blow. It is usually the pleasant times when self-confidence becomes exaggerated that many professing Christians tend to chip … Continue reading Chipping Away Our Confidence in Christ
The following is a guest post by my son, Mark Eaton. When it comes to seeing the love of Christ in the Song of Songs, errors can be made in two opposite extremes. Often, every word is presented as part of an allegory of Jesus and the Church, or Jesus is removed altogether and is … Continue reading The Love of Christ in the Song of Solomon
The following is a guest post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. He also writes for the Westminster Theological Seminary Magazine. Christianity entails many divine ironies—the dead man lives; the humble woman is exalted; the servant is the King; finding life is losing it; salvation is not by works; the Son of … Continue reading Christian Maturity and Secular Infancy
The Fight of Faith 