“Can that faith save him?” (James 2:14) James asks a revealing question. Good questions have a remarkable way leading to good answers. James was defining the difference between true faith and false faith. “That faith” is only so-called faith, because it was void of motivation for good works. True faith, includes within itself, the motive that ... Continue Reading
Book Review: “Marriage and the Meaning of the Gospel” by Ray Ortlund
Marriage and the Mystery of the Gospel By Ray Ortlund Let’s start with a massive understatement. People today are confused about marriage. What is it? Who is it for? Who should regulate it? Who defines it? And on and on the questions go. It is natural to expect these questions from people who do not claim the Bible as their authority. But now, ... Continue Reading
The Man I Long To Be
In his book, Fathered by God John Eldredge describes the man I long to be. Here are two excerpts for your consideration. "The sage, communes with God-an existence entirely different from and utterly superior to the life of the expert. Whatever counsel he offers, he draws you to God, not to self-reliance. Oh, yes, the Sage has wisdom, gleaned from ... Continue Reading
My 5 Callings
1 Timothy 3:1 "The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task." God has used few men more in my life than "The Doctor" Martyn Lloyd-Jones. If you're not familiar with MLJ let me encourage you to familiarize yourself with him asap. He was a pastor who loved the Bible and believed in preaching. I ... Continue Reading
Institutional Humility
Matthew 6:1-4 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.“Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, ... Continue Reading
Preach In The Wilderness?
Matthew 3:1-6 "In those days John the baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight."" Now John wore a garment of ... Continue Reading
Even The good For Our Good!
Romans 8:28 "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." Tragedy comes. Tears flow. Silence. Back come the tears. In the heat of trauma, the heart can receive little more than a committed brother or sister weeping with those who weep. But at the appropriate time, ... Continue Reading
Major John Andre’s Hiding Place
My favorite show on TV (Netflix) is the AMC show Turn. My curiosity of the show lead me to the internet to find out more about the true story of George Washington's spy ring. One click lead to another, as Wikipedia always does, and I was reading about Major John Andre of the British Army. I found out, John Andre was converted just two days before ... Continue Reading
Pastor as Church Member
Pastor As Church Member Philippians 4:10,14-16 “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me.” “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership ... Continue Reading
Word Before Metaphor: I Almost Burned Our House Down
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience" Using the Bible to preach is not the same as preaching the Bible. In other words, preaching does not start with the preacher. By definition, a sermon starts with God's word. A Bible infused passion rant does not equal a ... Continue Reading