Things were falling apart in Israel. The worship of God had been exchanged for the worship of convenience. The truth of God was exchanged for the lies of the pleasures of the flesh. The prophets of the Lord were exchanged for the prophets of Baal. The practice of purity was exchanged for debauchery and lewdness. The word of God was exchanged for human desires. Sound familiar? God’s message to Israel 2,800 years ago is the same for you today. As Psalm 2 says, The Lord laughs at those who think they are in control. The corrupt rule of man is preferred to honoring the Prince of Peace. In a world that appears to be falling apart, Christ is on the […]
Gospel
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Joy to the World: A Biblical Worldview (A Four-Part Series) Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 Part 1: Let Earth Receive Her King! Worldview can be an intimidating topic to discuss, let alone teach to your children. Isaac Watts has done the church a huge favor in putting a biblical worldview in the form of a song—the Christmas Carol, “Joy to the World.” In this post and in 3 upcoming posts we will look at each of the hymn’s four verses and see how they combine to offer a compelling worldview that brings honor to God. By singing and believing this carol you have the basics for teaching a biblical worldview to your family! Isaac Watts’ […]
On the Cross, Jesus Tore the Curtain: Reconciliation Jesus took our place, facing the darkness of God’s judgment and wrath against our sins. Then, “Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom” (Mark 15:37–38) The Jerusalem temple had two veils—one that separated the rest of the temple from the Holy of Holies, the place where God’s presence dwelled, and another that separated the Court of Israel from the Court of Women and the Court of the Gentiles. There are good theological reasons for thinking either veil was the one torn. The curtain at the Holy of Holies makes sense given its symbolism (cf. Heb. 6:19; […]
“Merry Christmas” proclaims the joy of Christ’s birth. This is not just a pleasant remembrance or an occasion for the giving of gifts. The birth of Christ literally means healing and hope for our planet, (Psalm 98; Romans 8) and the people that God rescues by his grace. And the Christmas Proclamation, or Merry Christmas, was heralded throughout the universe; it was and is a cosmic event! (Ephesians 3:10) The birth of Jesus was proclaimed by angels erupting into the night sky above the fields of Bethlehem. The Roman Press was not there to record the spectacular happening. The Emperor’s News Channel was not there to bring live coverage of the most newsworthy event in human history. There were no […]
The Holy Spirit instructs you to teach the person of Jesus to your children. One reason our children turn from the church and our parental instruction is that we teach them about Christ and Christianity without teaching them to learn, to know, the person Jesus Christ. Look closely with me at Ephesians 6:4: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Fathers are commanded not provoke their children to anger. This rules out severe discipline, harsh or arbitrary demands, abuse of authority, constant nagging, condemnation, and humiliation. Children are to be treated with respect and are not to be manipulated, exploited or crushed. This is no excuse for […]
Psalm 72 declares that God alone does wondrous things. How easily this truth is discarded! Since the Fall, the only hope of mankind has been the gospel and the gospel alone. Ultimately, the reason that you have electric light instead of candlelight is the gospel. The reason someone lets you into the next traffic lane instead of running you off the road is the gospel. The reason you can buy food instead of having to kill others for it is the gospel. Sound strange or naïve? Take a moment to consider the plight of all humans immediately after the Fall. When Adam and Eve believed Satan’s lie, not only did spiritual death occur, but at that moment hope ceased to […]
“And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil.” (Luke 4:1) The good news in the story of Jesus’ temptation is that Jesus obeyed God and defeated temptation at every point where Israel, and Adam, and you and I have failed! Jesus was tempted as our brother, captain, and king. Adam, our first representative, was tempted in paradise and failed. Jesus, the second Adam and our final representative, was tempted in the desert and conquered. He reversed every aspect of the fall. What Jesus won in this initial victory was soon to be completed in his decisive victory on the cross and […]
500 years ago today a man nailed his beliefs about God’s grace on a church door. There was no one there to record the scene of a lone churchman with his hammer and papers with their phone. There were no posts to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter. No one blogged about the event. The 24/7 news channels did not begin to speculate on what difference it would make if people actually believed the radical ideas that Luther posted and what the response of the church might be. Yet somehow, this single act altered the course of western civilization. Ideas are powerful. Ideas that proclaim the truth of God and the wonder of the Gospel are explosive! Because of the printing press, […]
A few days ago a tropical storm weakened as it approached the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula. But when the system reemerged into the Gulf of Mexico it began to move towards the coast of Texas and grew quickly into a powerful category 4 hurricane named Harvey. Do not allow the public media to deceive you into thinking that mythical Mother Nature birthed Harvey. This storm is not merely the random result of an intense area of low pressure coincidentally interacting with 2 high pressure centers that will potentially result in portions of the Texas coast receiving over 30” of rain, destructive winds and storm surges. Mother Nature has nothing to do with Harvey! This is the work of the […]
Jesus delivers a subtle warning in the Sermon on the Mount about the danger of manipulation. Look at Luke 6:32-33: “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that…” If you do good to get something good you are involved in manipulation. So, if your parental discipline is primarily designed to make things at home go more smoothly, you are doing good to get good. The rich young man in Matthew 19 had outwardly kept the commandments because he saw the value of being good. Most likely, […]