The more we understand the relationship between Satan and sin--keeping them in biblical perspective and viewing them in light of the person and work of Christ--the better equipped we will be to put sin to death and to avoid the temptations that so easily ensnare us. ...
Since the preaching of the gospel is the primary means by which God saves His people, ministers of the gospel should concern themselves with pursuing growth in their ability to skilfully communicate the truth of Scripture. Pastors should avail themselves of all the means of growth that are at their disposal. In so doing, we may never become the best preachers in the world, but we will--by God's grace--become more skillful in making known "the unsearchable riches of Christ." ...
With the potential for the entire world to stream into our minds and hearts by means of the internet, it is safe to conclude that there has never been a time when Christians needed discernment so much as at present....
I sometimes fear that there is a willful naïveté in the church with regard to the presence and power of Satan. One doesn't have to look far into the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, or the New Testament Epistles to discover the reality of the spiritual forces of darkness and to develop a theology of the assault tactics of the evil one. But it might surprise some to see what exactly these tactics are in their more subtle forms. ...
If the church is to be rooted in the timeless truths of God’s word, it needs leaders who are standing on the shoulders of giants in whom the Spirit of God was at work. If pastors are to navigate the overwhelming challenges of an increasingly secular and antagonistic society–not to mention the internal attacks from strong willed and self-seeking individuals within the church–they need to counsel of older and wiser saints. ...
In recent years, our society has rapidly embraced what has come to be known as the "cancel culture." If someone has said or done something--at any point in his or her life--that cuts across the grain of the suppose moral rectitude of society, he or she is swiftly excoriated to the point of irremediable social ostracization. An immediate sentence is determined by the masses and pronounced on social media in order to ensure its execution. There is no mercy, no call to repentance, and no hope of restoration...The rashness and widespread nature of the execution is, in part, the thing that makes cancel culture so brutal. The bitter and self-righteous speech of those pronouncing judgment gives the unremitting banter a veneer of justice. This is what makes cancel culture such a powerful weapon; yet, I suggest, a weapon to be avoided by Christians. ...
When we come to Christ, we learn to live in a way that is pleasing to God. We seek after His instruction and walk in His ways. Jesus is the rarest commodity–the eternal wisdom of God and sole source of righteousness and life. It is Him we must seek, find, and acquire more than any other commodities we may come to possess in life....
There is a clear pattern in Scripture of the way in which God uses the praises of His people for their future deliverances and the evangelization of the nations. May we enter into His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise, knowing that our God is enthroned on the praises of His people. We need His deliverance and the watching nations need His salvation....
By restraining wrong opinions about His person and work...
The Scriptures are clear that the actions of One unique individual affected His people for time and eternity. The writer of Hebrews tells us that Christ, "by Himself, made purification for our sins," through the one offering up of Himself on the cross. But, the Bible is equally clear about how the actions of his people can have a ripple out effect on the lives of t...
Keep ReadingOne of the most amazing biblical-theological developments in Scripture has to do with the anti-typical fulfillment of the symbolism of the ark of the covenant. The ark was a box, overlaid with gold, that remained in the Most Holy place. It consisted of three levels. The lower lever was the inside of the box--in which was Aaron's rod that blossomed, the Ten Commandments and...
Keep ReadingSomeone recently asked me what details the Scriptures give into the transition of the priesthood from Levi to Judah. It is abundantly clear from the book of Hebrews that there was such a transition; and on account of it Christ is now the eternal Priest who came with the once-for-all sacrifice. The writer of Hebrews expressly stated the transition when he wrote: Therefore, ...
Keep ReadingIt is all too common for ministers to step into pulpits Sunday after Sunday and never really preach the Gospel to the consciences of the people to whom they are called to preach. We often speak about the Gospel, and may even mention Christ by name, without actually bring people to Calvary, in our preaching, to see the wounds and bruises that Christ took for us. I am as gui...
Keep ReadingOver at Christ the Center, we recently interviewed Dr. John Fesko with regard to his latest book Word, Water and Spirit:A Reformed Perspective on Baptism. Dr. Fesko presents one of the finest examples of a biblical theological approach to the sacrament of baptism. This is certainly worth listening to whether you adhere to a "believers' baptist only" position or to the "cov...
Keep ReadingDavid VanDrunen, the Robert B. Strimple professor of Systematic Theology and Christian Ethics at Westminster Seminary California, has authored the new Living in God's Two Kingdoms: A Biblical View of Christianity and Culture which can be obtained here. VanDrunen has elsewhere shown the historical pedigree of the two kingdoms doctrine within Reformed circles. Th...
Keep ReadingI am sure that all of us have heard many professing Christians say something like, "I like to think of God as being like this or that..." or "I don't think God would do this or that..." In his article The God of Israel, B.B. Warfield, explained the significance of the fact that in both the Old and the New Testament we find an absence of statements about what the covenant p...
Keep ReadingIn the introduction to his unparalleled work, The Holy Trinity: In Scripture, History, Theology and Worship, Robert Letham includes a quote from an email correspondence with Sinclair Ferguson. In a straightforward fashion, Ferguson defended the absolute necessity of preaching the doctrine of the Trinity from Christ's teaching in the Upper Room when he wrote: “Iâ...
Keep ReadingJohn Piper and David Mathis have brought us a new compilation of articles on the significance of John Calvin. With Calvin in the Theater of God: The Glory of Christ and Everyday Life can be found here. While we may be tempted to think that the last thing that can be said about Calvin has been said, it is always good to visit Calvin and God's use of him anew....
Keep ReadingThe other day Justin Taylor took the opportunity to post a segment of Tom Schreiner's new book Forty Questions About the Christian and Biblical Law in order to highlight his view that the fourth commandment was only of Israel. Because of the controversy surrounding this issue, I thought I would take the opportunity to post Francis Turretin's marvelous exposition of that c...
Keep ReadingReaders of this blog know that I have had to deal with the loss of my mother, Carole Lynn Waddington, over the last month or so. This past Sunday we held the second of two memorial services in her honor and in each, in slightly different ways, God was glorified, Christ was lifted up, and the Spirit was honored through the proclamation of the Word. While my family a...
Keep ReadingThe panel of Christ the Center recently interviewed Dr. Dennis Prutow, Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology at Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary to speak about his book So Pastor, What’s Your Point? This was an outstanding episode for men actively engaged in preaching and the ministry of the Gospel. You can listen here....
Keep ReadingThis morning I woke up at an ungodly hour and could not go back to sleep (was it because I was giving my first ever Hebrew ordination exam?). So what was I to do? Lo and behold my eyes wandered to my night stand and the pile of books thereon. In that unwieldy stack there lay a little book and I thought to myself that I might just be able to complete it before I...
Keep ReadingThe good folks at Crossway Books have released a new book by John Piper on developing a Christian mind entitled Think which can be obtained here. Many books have been written on developing a Christian mind or worldview, but Piper brings his familiarity with Jonathan Edwards to bear on the topic in that the mind is not divorced from the emotions or will. In fact, a ...
Keep ReadingThe audio and video from the Sunday morning worship service at New Covenant Presbyterian Church in Richmond Hill, Ga is now online. The text was Acts 15:12-41, and the title, "The Letter of the Gospel." You can listen to the audio here. You can watch the video below: http://vimeo.com/15529972 ...
Keep ReadingLuke and Acts are two of the most magnificent theological compositions in the canon of Holy Scripture. Every book of the Bible is theologically rich, but these two books (which are meant to be read together) yield some of the richest theological treasures. Viewing these books together enables the reader to better understand the purpose of the individual accounts recorded i...
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