If a Christian is facing an illness that will not go away and needs encouragement, the Lord healing the paralytic who was lowered through the roof in Mark 2:1-12 can touch our deepest wounds but not in the way many might think. When the man who could not move of his own volition was lowered … Continue reading Sin is Worse than Sickness
I know from experience that when faced with troublesome circumstances beyond our control, our natural reaction is to fear, but we must ask ourselves, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" Have we forgotten our Father, and how many times he has delivered us? Yes, the storm is raging, but he can … Continue reading Why Are You So Afraid?
To borrow a phrase from C.S. Lewis, every worldly pleasure you are pursuing is “doomed to final frustration.” These include sinful pleasures and lawful ones. One day, they will either fail to live up to your expectations, or death will come knocking on your door and steal them from your hands. This final frustration means … Continue reading Doomed to Final Frustration
The following is a guest post by Pastor Rob Golding of First Artesia Christian Reformed Church. It’s interesting to see how flaccid the “new atheism” movement is today. While the infamous “four horsemen” of atheism once strode valiantly across the meager lands of fideist Christians, they now find themselves described as “cultural Christians,” even saying, “I … Continue reading Perhaps Christianity’s Greatest Weakness is its Strength
I sometimes hope at the closing hour, when I shall exchange worlds, that Jesus will help me to lay hold of every sinful serpent that has long twisted around my soul, and keeps me company all my pilgrimage; and enable me, by the hand of faith, to hold them up, crying out: Behold the heads … Continue reading The Sinful Serpents Twisted Around My Soul
One biblical truth dramatically turned my frustration into contentment. We were driving through Los Angeles, and that only meant one thing: traffic. Without traffic, the trip would have taken an hour, but in L.A., that never happens. We were fortunate that it was Sunday afternoon, which meant the typical two-hour trip would only take an … Continue reading The Road to Contentment
"Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners!" - 1 Timothy 1:15 What a gospel this is for a poor sinner! It speaks of pardon, of acceptance, of peace with God, of full redemption here, and unspeakable glory hereafter! This glorious gospel proclaims a Savior to the lost, a Redeemer to the captive, a … Continue reading The Savior of Sinners
The Bible is full of promises that speak to the restoration and hope we find in God, even when our sinfulness has caused the trouble. We see one such promise in Hosea 2:15. After God brings Israel low for their transgressions, he says, “And there I will give her her vineyards and make the Valley … Continue reading The Valley of Trouble is a Door of Hope
As Children of God, we often find ourselves confronted by our own sinfulness. These falls can be disheartening experiences, but the book of Micah offers us profound encouragement. In Micah 7:8, after the sins of the nation have brought them low, the prophet declares as their spokesperson, “Rejoice not over me, O my enemy; when … Continue reading Hope for Fallen Christians
We are likely more conformed to the age in which we live than we realize. Even those of us who stand firmly opposed to many of its most significant sins might still conform in other ways. We rarely recognize much of the worldliness around us because it is well-mannered and has an air of … Continue reading The Invisible Chains of Cultural Conformity
The Fight of Faith 