Grab Bag

Learn to “Read better with [puritan Richard] Baxter” Pastor Tim Keller tells us how to “How to Love One Another: Affirm, Share, and Serve” The Trellis and the Vine — one of my new favorite books on how to minister and serve in the church body — is now in paperback, and on sale for […]

Believers and the omnipresence of God

If a fool has reason to fear the omnipresence of God, then believers have reason to delight in His omnipresence. Thomas Watson explains: If God be everywhere present, then for a Christian to walk with God is not impossible. God is not only in heaven, but he is in earth too. Isa 66:6: Heaven is […]

God is holy

In the vision of Isaiah 6, the prophet saw the angels around the throne of God repeatedly declaring, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts.” We ourselves often speak and sing of this truth. But what does it mean that God is holy? It means that He is set apart and distinct. He is […]

What God cannot do

The apocryphal story is told of a Sunday School teacher who asked his class, “If you tell me something God can do, I’ll give you an apple.” To which a wise little girl responded, “If you tell me something God can’t do, I’ll give you a case of apples!” Well, in actuality, there are things […]

What do you think about when it rains?

What do you think about when it rains? (And we’ve had much opportunity to form an opinion about rain this month.) When I was a child, I thought “It’s raining it’s pouring…rain, rain, go away, come again another day…” When I was in seminary, working as a pool cleaner, I would wake up to the […]

The kind of Father God is

I didn’t have time to develop this thought fully in my sermon yesterday morning, but here are some Scriptures to stimulate your thinking about the kind of Father God is to His children: He is compassionate toward our needs (whether it is sin or difficulty; 2 Thess. 2:16-17) We are recipients of His mercy — […]

God the Shepherd

At the conclusion of his book, Into Thin Air, outdoorsman and author Jon Krakauer recounts a conversation he had with fellow climber Neal Beidleman after they both successfully made it down from Mount Everest in May, 1996 — the same month when 12 people died attempting to climb the world’s highest peak. Beidleman had led […]

Today’s Quote – Grace (Tozer)

A. W. Tozer, The Radical Cross: You’ll never run into a stratum in God that is hard. You’ll always find God gracious, at all times and toward all peoples forever. You’ll never run into any meanness in God, never any resentment or rancor or ill will, for there is none there. God has no ill […]

Does God hate?

What does it mean when the Bible says, “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated” (Rom. 9:13)? Can God really hate people? (We know it is righteous to hate sin.) If so, how is that hatred righteous (as it must be for God to be God)? And what specifically did it mean when Paul quoted […]

Sunday Leftovers (2/15/09)

When God waits for a thousand years to accomplish a purpose of His own, He does not wait a long time. He waits only for “one day.” That is, His purposes are not compromised by a delay of a thousand years, nor are they enhanced by the delay. In fact, what are a thousand years […]

Today’s Quote – God’s Names (Bavinck)

Herman Bavinck, The Doctrine of God: …the names which we use in mentioning and addressing God are not arbitrary: they are not the mere inventions of our mind. Rather, it is God himself who in nature and in grace reveals himself consciously and freely, who gives us the right to name him on the ground […]

Today’s Quote (10/24/08)

Derek Thomas, What is Providence?: Providence has wider issues in mind than merely our personal comfort or gain. In response to the oft-cited question in times of difficulty, “Why me?” the answer that the narrative [of Joseph’s life] gives is, “Them!” He allows us to suffer so that others may be blessed.

Today’s Quote (10/23/08)

Steve Lawson, Made in Our Image: In governing the universe, God controls all occurrences, events, and actions. It may seem to some people that this world is out of control — but such is not the case. Tragedies come; trials buffet us; the unexpected occurs. Yet, despite outward appearances, God fully controls all events and […]

Today’s Quote (10/21/08)

A. W. Pink: Nothing is too great and nothing is too small to commit into the hands of the Lord. (HT: CQOD)

Today’s Quote (10/20/08)

John Newton (in a letter to a young, prospective pastor): If it be the Lord’s will to bring you to this ministry, he has already appointed your place and service; and though you know it not at present, you shall at the proper time. If you had the talents of an angel, you could do […]