OT prophecies of Christ

The OT provides many prophecies of Christ. Here are some of the key passages:

Be on the alert

“Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” (1 Cor. 16:13; NASB) It was a simple task. Two bushes. One set of hedge clippers. One hour. No problem. I dove into the job with vigor. I really do enjoy trimming bushes and trees — I enjoy seeing the speedy […]

Do you contemplate your dependance on Christ?

Do you contemplate daily your dependence on Christ? Do the words of Paul resonate in your heart? Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming from ourselves, but our adequacy is from God (2 Cor. 3:5) Are John the Baptist’s words sensible to you? “He must increase, but I must decrease.” […]

The power of God and His care of you

It is possible to consider the attributes of God (possible, but not wise) and to think that while God is great and supreme, that He is also disconnected from us. “So what if He is all-powerful,” we might irrationally reason, “of what use is that to me?” In his sermon, “God’s Uniqueness, Our Assurance,” Ray […]

Two new books of particular interest

In the coming months, two books of particular interest to me will be released. They are new books written by my father. The first is entitled Living the New Testament. It is a daily devotional (365 one-page readings) that will take the reader through the key passages in the New Testament providing not only explanation […]

Sunday Leftovers (8/1/10)

A letter to Dear Abby a number of years ago reveals the heart of what many believe about giving: Is it considered proper to make change from the offering plate when it’s passed at church? A member of our family says it’s not OK. I say, it’s better than not putting anything in. Your opinion […]

Memories

Memories. The first day of school. The first date with your wife. The night your child was born. The funeral of your best friend. The aching regret of a mistake, a sin, that cannot be undone. Water skiing on the lake with friends. The smell of hot-dogs and popcorn that takes you in your mind’s […]

Storing treasures in our hearts

Richard Sibbes reminds us of the importance of not only speaking the truth, but thinking and meditating on the truth. This is the work and manifestation of a righteous man — one who speaks the truth in his heart: All sin is either from false principles, or ignorance, or thoughtlessness, or unbelief of what is […]

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 […]

Still studying

During a dinner party conversation, the neighbor of Albert Einstein asked the white-haired physicist, “What are you actually, by profession?” “I devote myself to the study of physics,” replied Einstein. The girl was astonished: “You mean to say that you study physics at your age? I finished mine a year ago!” What that poor young […]

Sunday Leftovers (7/25/10)

There is a kind of anger that is righteous. We know that because God is wrathful and Jesus demonstrated anger during His time on earth. It is also quite evident that virtually all human anger is unrighteous — and even when it is righteous initially, it tends towards unrighteousness over time. And that is why […]

Preparing for suffering

C. J. Mahaney has often encouraged pastors to prepare their people for suffering. Matt Chandler is one pastor who has done just that — and found that in the process he actually had prepared himself for his own suffering. Watch the video here: (HT: Justin Taylor)

A cake not turned…

This morning we read in Hosea the accusation that “Ephraim has become a cake not turned” (7:8). If you are reading carefully, you have to ask what the prophet means. Spurgeon provided one answer: A cake not turned is uncooked on one side; and so Ephraim was, in many respects, untouched by divine grace: though […]

Reading Hosea

Hosea is one of the most unusual books in Scripture. It has to be labeled as such since the bitter marriage of the prophet Hosea to his prostitute wife stands as a picture of the tragic relationship between the gracious God and His disobedient and rebellious people. The tendency is for readers to align themselves […]

We are beggars

It’s generally not a welcome sight. And it’s not something that is often seen in my neighborhood, nor probably in yours either. But in the neighborhood where my wife and I had our first apartment, it was not unusual to see a man diving in the dumpster outside our apartment for small bits of edible […]