Think much on heaven’s hope

John Owen, “The Grace and Duty of Being Spiritually Minded:” Suppose sundry persons engaged in a voyage unto a most remote country, wherein all of them have an apprehension that there is a place of rest and an inheritance provided for them. Under this apprehension they all put themselves upon their voyage, to possess what […]

A better friend

Philip Melanchthon had evidently been complaining to his friend Martin Luther about some problems he was facing. Martin Luther wrote him back some direct counsel (June 27, 1530). I need friends like this and I need to be unafraid to be this kind of friend: Those great cares by which you say you are consumed […]

What has changed?

Transformation isn’t always readily or immediately apparent. Go to a new car lot and it may be hard to tell the difference between the 2012 and 2011 models. But underneath the hood, there are likely to be significant improvements. Or when looking on a store shelf and seeing the label “new and improved” affixed to […]

Excuses for prayer

Instinctively and automatically [the carnal mind] will mobilize all the reasons it can conceive of for not praying now: You are too busy; your mind is too preoccupied; your heart is not inclined toward prayer; later on you will have more time, your mind will be more calm and collected, and you will be able […]

This is a flash mob I can appreciate…

HT: Challies.

Dangers of unconfronted sin

We are prone to make many justifications for not confronting evident sin in a fellow-Christian. He won’t listen to me anyway. It’s too hard and too embarrassing for me to do something like that. Wouldn’t it be more gracious not to say anything? Isn’t that only the kinds of things radical churches do? It’s not […]

July 4th and freedom

“…knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; for he who has died is freed from sin.” (Romans 6:6-7) While on vacation a number of years ago, we turned on the […]

Cautions about the sinner’s prayer

Many times I have shared the gospel with someone, only to have them tell me, “Oh, I’ve already done that…I prayed the prayer when I was seven-years-old…” (or “I walked the aisle…”). It’s as if Christianity is a one-time inoculation against all things bad and the dosage never needs to be repeated (or enjoyed). In […]

On the topic of work…

This past Sunday, we considered what Paul said to Titus about those who are slaves and how they are to work and specifically, with what kind of motive they are to work — as a testimony to and adornment of the truth of God (i.e., the gospel). Scripture has much to say about the topic […]

Imitate me

It is a simple, eight-word statement by the apostle Paul, but it sounds bold, brash, and arrogant to our ears: “Therefore I exhort you, be imitators of me.” (1 Cor 4:16) Yet there is a sound biblical reason Paul offers this command: he was given to them by God as their earthly spiritual father to […]

You’ve heard of T.U.L.I.P.?

The five points of Calvinism have generally been summarized by the acronym T.U.L.I.P. — Total depravity Unconditional election Limited atonement Irresistible grace Perseverance of the saints Someone has recently thought of a new way to think of the topic, and perhaps this might be an easier way for some to remember the points of Calvinism […]

Principles of building

For the third time in five years, today we are receiving new flooring in our kitchen and hallways. The first time, we laid new wood floors over some old, tired laminate. We were thrilled with the way it turned out and loved it. Then one Saturday night at 9:00 I went to get a drink […]

Trusting God

R. C. Sproul, Jr.’s post, “Breaking Hearts,” is a must read for anyone, particularly anyone who struggles to trust God in the everyday affairs of life (which is everyone). His wife died of cancer last year, leaving him as a single father to eight children. A sample… Five days ago, concerned over a radical increase […]

Sunday Leftovers — what’s an employee to do?

One more thought from John Piper (Don’t Waste Your Life) about the value of secular work: We make much of Christ in our secular work by treating the web of relationships it creates as a gift of God to be loved by sharing the Gospel and by practical deeds of help. I put this last not […]

Who was Asaph?

This morning we will read the last of the Psalms attributed to Asaph (Ps. 83). The superscriptions indicate that he also wrote Psalms 50 and 73-83. So who was this man who wrote a dozen of the collected songs in the Israelite hymn book? From 1 Chron. 16:4-5, we know that he was a leading […]