God, our refuge

While redeemed from sin, no believer in Christ lives perfectly. Every believer knows the daily (hourly? minute-by-minute?) battle with the flesh. Paul knew it (see Romans 7:14-25) and so do we. How can a believer stand more effectively? What will transform our hearts and change the way we live so that we are more like the […]

Unless the Lord had shortened the days…

Psalm 1 says it about as simply and clearly as it can be said: “the wicked will not stand in the judgment” (v. 5). But few believe it. Ask an unbeliever about hell and the judgment of God and he will characterize them as a debauched party with friends or something severe, but manageable — […]

The Olivet Discourse

Matthew 24-25, commonly called “The Olivet Discourse,” relates to Israel at the end of the age; it has nothing to do with the church, which will have already been raptured out of the world when these events happen. What follows is a brief outline of the events of Matthew 24: The first half of the […]

The sins of hypocrisy

Hypocrisy. Say the word and undoubtedly some past experience, activity, or person comes to mind. When we hear that word, we remember the hypocrisy and inconsistencies of others. We remember their failures and how they sinned against us while purporting to have attained a level of righteousness. We think of their lives and we look […]

You can reject Christ

Paul tells Timothy to “remember Jesus Christ” (2 Tim. 2:8). Specifically, Timothy is told to remember the resurrection of Christ and the Messianic fulfillment of Christ. In keeping with that command, this week is the great remembrance of Christ and His work. There is nothing that Jesus did or does that surpasses what was accomplished […]

What belongs to God?

In the final days of Jesus, His opponents used various means to attempt to discredit His teaching and malign His character. The questions they asked were not genuine desires to learn from Him or to clarify their understanding; the queries were not-so-cleverly disguised attempts to trap Him into saying something unintended that would make Him […]

Hope in God

Three times the Psalmist says in Psalms 42-43 that he should hope in God. He says this as a reminder to himself because he is in despair. He is discouraged and distraught — even brought to tears (Ps. 42:5) by a variety of pressures and burdens: attacks from critics who deny the reality of God […]

What happened when Jesus died

Jesus made His way into Jerusalem with the praise and adulation of the crowds on Palm Sunday. And when it was over, the people went home and the Pharisees said to each other, “You see that you are not doing any good; look, the world has gone after Him” (Jn. 12:19). They were wrong and […]

He came in the name of the Lord

Next Sunday is Palm Sunday, and this morning’s Scripture reading (Mark 11) recalls the event of Christ’s ride into Jerusalem. There was much joy that day and declarations from the Psalms of Praise were sung as shouted as Jesus and the crowds processed into Jerusalem. One statements that was called out was, “Blessed is He […]

A week of conflict

One might think that the manner in which Christ entered Jerusalem (Mt. 21:1-11) set the tone for the week. He came being acclaimed and worshipped by the crowds. They sang Messianic songs and welcomed Him with joy. They even declared Him to be “the Prophet” (v. 11), a reference to Dt. 18:15 and an affirmation […]

Grumbling about grace

It is a skill we begin to hone early in life. Its first manifestations are the belligerent screams of a demanding infant at feeding time (or diaper changing time or bath time or getting dressed time). By the time the child is a toddler, the screams morph into whines, mixed with occasion tears. In the […]

The innumerable works of God

Of all the attitudes that might be cultivated towards God, one of the most dangerous is complacency. Because God is majestic and supreme to be bored with Him is sin. Because God is infinitely gracious to all mankind and particularly gracious towards those who belong to Him, to take His work for granted is an […]

All things are possible for God

“If you ask where God’s glory most is seen, I will not point to creation, nor to providence, but to the raising of Jesus from the dead,” said Charles Spurgeon. There is a parallel to that statement. If God’s glory is most seen in the resurrection of Christ, then His glory is likewise seen in the […]

Salvation – a study in contrasts

Mark 10 might be called a study in contrasts. Just as the qualities of oil and water are revealed when they are placed in the same jar, what Jesus says is clarified by two contrasting accounts in this chapter. In the first, the disciples want the children surrounding Christ to be sent away; Jesus wants […]

The danger of self-deception

Construction worker Patrick Lawler thought he had a toothache. He tried painkillers and ice packs but received no relief. Finally he went to the dental office where his wife worked and the x-ray revealed the problem: he had a four-inch nail in his head. Apparently six days earlier Patrick’s nail gun misfired and one of […]