Easter Week is a great time to talk about weariness. Christ’s words in Matthew 11:28-30 were given to offer encouragement to weary aliens living in a hostile world. Following Christ was never meant to be trouble-free–but it is meant to be restful. Let me explain!
Gospel
350 posts
Parenting is a challenging task–at times even overwhelming. Because of this reality, there are countless remedies offered from every corner to make parenting easier and less stressful. Even the makers of the modern family transport, aka mini-vans, have added optional DVD players to help keep children passive while traveling to the supermarket. Yet despite all the advice and devices, at the end of the day, concerned parents are frequently left in a state of weariness. Weary not only because of the trials of the day just finished, but also weary because tomorrow is just a few hours away. In this in-between time, weariness often reaches its peak. The free advice and stress-reducing gadgets offer little consolation in this time. Even […]
The final point that needs to be covered concerning talking to your children about sex and marriage is the joyous pursuit of sexual purity. Sexual purity is the eager and aggressive commitment to trusting God’s parameters for sexual conduct. This should be a pursuit of joy. Sexual purity must not be defined only as a negative. The pursuit is of sexual purity is not only to avoid what is wrong but to eagerly pursue what is right. In this case, what is right is a passionate commitment to engage in sexual matters as God has instructed in his Word. Such purity leads to an active worship of God in all of life. That is something that you can talk about […]
Following the recent massive earthquake in Haiti, a question hangs in the air: of all the places in the world to be struck with total devastation, why Haiti? The death toll seems likely to reach 200,000 according the Haitian Interior Minister. Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, has been virtually destroyed by this earthquake. Chaos, anarchy, and devastation–all these words seem inadequate to describe the suffering of this Caribbean nation. So, again, why Haiti?
Dr. Al Mohler made this statement in his post “Where does the Story of Christmas Begin?”: “A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ….” Dr. Mohler makes an excellent point. We tend to put aside verses in the biblical text that don’t appear to be of particular interest–like genealogies. However, skipping over such pasages is not wise. The Holy Spirit included these names for a reason. His version of the Christmas story includes more detail than we have become accustomed to thinking about. Each of the names in the genealogy represents a story within the larger story of Christmas. In the […]
Isaac Watts wrote “Joy to the World” based upon Psalm 98. The psalm speaks of God’s power in winning a great victory. And, of course, the advent of Jesus Christ marks the beginning of this victory that culminated in the triumph of this same Christ on the cross. God fulfilled the promise he offered to Eve and all of mankind in the Garden. Jesus is the One who would crush the serpent’s head and give joy to a broken world.
I enjoyed reading Al Mohler’s post “Where does the Story of Christmas Begin?” This thought in particular caught my attention: “A closer look at the narratives in both Matthew and Luke reveals a richness that familiarity may hide from us. Matthew begins with the genealogy of Christ….” Dr. Mohler, as usual, is on target. We tend to put aside verses in the biblical text that don’t appear to be of particular interest– like genealogies. However, this is not wise. The Holy Spirit included these names for a reason. His version of the Christmas Story includes more detail than we have become accustomed to thinking about. Each of the names in the genealogy represents a story within the larger story of […]
Matthew quotes the Prophet Isaiah and in so doing he brings to us perhaps the most amazing reality of the Advent. This wonderful truth is that in person of Jesus Christ, God is continually with his people. People often say they wish Christmas could last all year long. Well, for those whom God has called, the reason for Christmas will be with us for eternity. Once the presents are opened and the tree is taken down the world’s thoughts of Christmas fade into the New Year celebrations. But for you, God’s child, the person of Immanuel lives on. He is with you. Praise God, he is with you! All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through […]
This is a busy time of year. Yet we should never be so busy that the wonder of Jesus becomes ordinary to us. Read these two passages of scripture slowly. Think deliberately about them. Then read them to your children. Ask God to overwhelm you with the glorious deeds of Jesus Christ.
As I listen to the radio, read various opinion articles, and view cable news programs, I have found that the seasonal greeting of Happy Holidays is a hot topic this year. Particularly, some say that Happy Holidays is a concession to political correctness. And, of course, this is true. Happy Holidays has come to replace the more antiquated Season’s Greetings in the marketplace as the accepted seasonal salutation. The primary reason for this choice is the motivation to avoid offending anyone who has a different religious preference. Happy Holidays, then, is supposed to accommodate Buddhists, Jews, Hindus, Muslims, and other groups, even the non-believers. In reality, Happy Holidays is a denial of the reason for the Christmas celebration. However, this […]