Even if the worst happens in this life, you can persevere with strength, comfort, peace, and joy, because you have a true, righteous, human, and divine mediator and deliverer. Jesus is your human and divine mediator and deliverer in the midst of your fears and anxiety, and that is comfort for your soul.     ... Continue Reading

Taken together, these considerations point to the conclusion that the “all Israel” that shall be saved is the whole covenant people of God, the completed olive tree, comprising the full number of elect Jews and Gentiles. Thus, Paul’s declaration should be understood neither as a prophecy of a future conversion of the great body of... Continue Reading

Our self-sufficiency is a myth that will be dispelled by coming seasons of trials and dependence on Jesus Christ’s sure victory. Hallelujah.   I walk in the wilderness near home in Northern California. The autumn breeze cools my face as I watch our dog roam ahead. Falling pine needles and leaves totter and spin about,... Continue Reading

Garden friendships require a more intentional investment of time and attention that only a few people can provide. Jesus asked nine disciples to sit close by, but only three were asked to remain closer to Him in His desperate hour.   “Jesus could have done it alone, but he didn’t.” Our conference speaker, Dave Busby,... Continue Reading

Scoffers abound. Sources of wisdom are rare. Let us seek out God’s voice through his Word, through prayer, and through godly people around us so that our roots might go deep in his streams of wisdom.   How loud are the voices of scoffers in your life? The mockers, the angry, the rude, the crass.... Continue Reading

Always remember that your work ethic flows from your identity in Christ. Let who you are in Him shape how you speak, pray, prepare, and respond in work environments that are toxic and challenging.   As a minister I don’t always experience the feelings you do before another day at work, but I counsel many... Continue Reading

Do you let Scripture dissect your feelings and examine them, or do you accept them as “valid” for interpreting your situation and pushing you to act? The latter can be very dangerous when it comes to our spiritual navigation.   Ripples and Response Ripples on the surface of water: it’s a fitting image for human... Continue Reading

It certainly is good news that culturally speaking, the wind appears to be going out of the sails of this latest stage of the same-sex and gender revolution. That fact is now showing itself in the lives of our young people, and careful scientists are taking notice.   It was certainly an interesting development. Just... Continue Reading

The rot in many segments of the Evangelical church is rancid, and it must be named and purged. If there is to be any course correction, it requires thorough, specific, public repentance, followed by meaningful structural reforms. It sure seems that God, in His divine sovereignty, is exposing and cleansing His Church, for He will... Continue Reading

In a culture that conditions personal identity on the 70-hour work-week, Calvin’s insistence here acts as a vital reframing of the way we view our lives. This theological guardrail against excessive devotion to one’s career was further reinforced by Calvin’s distinction between sloth and leisure. The former is a sinful neglecting of our callings. The... Continue Reading

The synod agreed to establish two initial presbyteries: the Presbytery of the East and the Presbytery of the West, each consisting of approximately 9 to 14 churches that are either in the process of being dismissed from their current denominations or are considering dismissal into the WCA. Each Presbytery met separately to receive churches and... Continue Reading

What would it look like to see with the spiritual eyes God intends us to have? In what might seem like an ordinary section of his letter, the author of Hebrews gives us an answer. “Let brotherly love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers” (Heb. 13:1-2), he admonishes. If I were writing... Continue Reading

Bryson does not write this book as a believer. Yet, as I read it, I find it to be one of the most worshipful books I have ever read. The point of the book is simple: this world is amazing, impossibly amazing. What we experience every day defies explanation. As I read this book, I... Continue Reading

While building successful and dynamic churches or ministries can be a good thing, it is also possible that such building can be done as another opportunity to build a name for ourselves. Anyone paying attention over the last decade can see how many churches and ministries have been shipwrecked by the desire for self-glorification. Now,... Continue Reading

Dads, you might not realize or be interested or even think it’s fair that such a weight of responsibility falls on you as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of your children. Sorry – you are, whether you like it or even know it or not. In these matters, there’s really not a choice.... Continue Reading

I viewed an online meeting of the Norton town council which opened their meeting for comments from local citizens.  There were no Muslims present at the meeting.  The response of the local community was very negative toward allowing the establishment of this mosque in their small town.  It was not riotous, but it was robust. ... Continue Reading

No, a Christian’s identity shouldn’t be so tightly bound to a political party that he or she embraces its values uncritically. No, we shouldn’t demand political conformity on disputable matters. But we should also be willing to point out moral asymmetry. We shouldn’t be afraid of being labelled “partisan” for holding to biblical positions. Grace... Continue Reading

As amazing as A.I. is and as impressive the panoply of papers, pictures, and videos it can put out, it is still a “dumb idol” and a “dumb stone” as the prophet puts it. It is no more than a machine that has been programmed to emulate a human being, and it does not have... Continue Reading

We should not let the skepticism of our age rob us of properly lauding heroes from an earlier age. If we aren’t careful, we will find ourselves denying the supernatural altogether and wondering if God is too good to be true. In the end, the way to read martyr stories like those of Perpetua and... Continue Reading

Recognized (ordained) leaders—pastors, teachers, elders, deacons—set the pace in teaching the Word, discipling the immature, and extending mercy to those in need. And by setting the pace, leaders motivate, recruit, train, and deploy all the members of the body, each with his or her own gifting from God’s Spirit, to engage in ministries of speaking,... Continue Reading