"Call upon Me in the day of trouble! I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me!" Psalm 50:1 Believer, in this portion of the divine word, you will discover 1. your present portion, trouble; 2. your constant privilege, prayer; 3. your future prospect, deliverance. 1. Your present portion is trouble. You must expect trouble, and will certainly be deceived if you expect … Continue reading Troubles, Prayer, and Deliverance
Sometimes, our lives can get so messy that we wonder if God can redeem them. Reading through Genesis 30 and 31, we see how God’s plan proceeds even through jealousies, envy, and the strivings of our human nature. Sinfulness cannot thwart God’s plan. Though the sinner is guilty, the Lord continues in his grace to … Continue reading Messy lives, Merciful Savior
What is history? Is it a random accumulation of events, or does it have a specific meaning and direction? The biblical understanding is clear: history has a purpose and is moving toward the final climax in the return of Christ. Interestingly, many secular worldviews operate on the assumption that history has meaning and is progressing … Continue reading Nationalism, Law, and the Christian View of History
What is the weight of your soul? Though it cannot be measured by scientific means, it does have a weight of its own. The only way to measure it is to attempt to balance it on a scale against all the world deems significant. J.C. Philpot once explored this idea to our benefit. Below is … Continue reading The Weight of Your Soul
Why bother to pray? I have recently posted two articles about the power of prayer here on the blog, but I also had the opportunity to preach a sermon on the same topic this past Lord’s Day at Bethel Grace Baptist Church. Drawing from the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, we … Continue reading The Power of Prayer [Sermon]
Sin wants us to itself. We find this heart-stopping line in Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic work, Life Together. “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community. The more isolated a person is, the more destructive will be the power of sin over him, and the more deeply he becomes involved in … Continue reading Sin Wants Us Isolated
Jesus will pronounce many people "unclean" when they stand before him, because they do not accept the deeper teaching of this verse. -Click to Read More
To borrow language from John Calvin, both “useless drones and faithful ministers” find their way into pulpits, and we must carefully distinguish between them. As believers, we must discover faithful ministers and place ourselves under their ministry. Still, we must be aware that there are others out there who have a form of godliness but … Continue reading 6 Characteristics of False Teachers
There is something about me that always wants to be in control. If I am sick, I want to outlearn the disease and overcome it. If relationships start to fail, I want to be able to charm them back to life. We all desire control. I think this is why we buy into so many … Continue reading Finding Peace Beyond the Illusion of Control
The following is an excerpt from a letter from John Berridge to a fellow minister who had recently injured himself in a bad fall. Dear Sir, I received your letter, and dare not say that I am sorry for your fall, nor indeed for any afflictions that God lays on His children; they are tokens … Continue reading Fierce Furnace, Gentle Grace
The Fight of Faith 