The Apostle Paul and the Curse of God
Twice in Scripture the apostle Paul paints a picture of a time when he should or would experience the curse of God. In both cases he uses the strong word anathema, which speaks to the curse of God, the wrath of God. In his letter to the churches of Galatia, Paul boldly declares that if […]
Changing by Adding
The statement, “I love my wife” is completely changed if something is added to the end of the statement. For example, “I love my wife” is a very different message than “I love my wife when she cooks my favorite meal.” Adding “when they behave” radically alters the statement “I love my daughters.” Addition radically […]
When Advice Ceases
Ari Fleischer was serving as White House Press Secretary as our nation was attacked on September 11, 2001. He was with President Bush the entire day, and he recently tweeted his experiences from the day at the times they occurred 13 years ago. They are fascinating to read, and you can see them all here. […]
Bunyan and Grace
Recently Darrin Patrick preached at our chapel at LifeWay. His message from Galatians 5 was both powerful and helpful, and I am grateful for Darrin. He shared a fascinating story about John Bunyan, pastor and author of The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan continually preached grace, constantly reminding people that Jesus’ perfect obedience was theirs, that His […]
Delighting in the Lord
Psalm 37:4 instructs us to “take delight in the Lord, and He will give you your heart’s desires.” Surely this verse is not teaching us that if we claim to delight in God, He will give us anything we desire in this world, as in: “God, I love You, so I am ready for the […]
God’s Presence Is My Good
Psalm 73 is a well-known psalm of lament in which Asaph, the leader of David’s choirs, wrestles with the reality that evil sometimes prospers, that those who are not God’s people seem to do well in life. After bemoaning the temporary glory of the wicked, Asaph confesses that His thinking was foolish, that his knowledge […]
The Caves We Run To…
David prayed Psalm 57 while hiding in a cave from the egomaniac Saul, who was seeking to kill him. Saul had kept a jealous eye on David ever since people declared, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his tens of thousands.” Because his name and fame were his refuge, Saul was miserable. Because his […]
Surely Not I, Rabbi?
Judas, one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, was filled with information about Jesus, but he proved to have never truly been transformed by Jesus. In Matthew 26, Judas admitted with his own words that he had never been transformed. When evening came, He was reclining at the table with the Twelve. While they were eating, He […]
Repenting of Our “Goodness”
One of Jesus’ strongest rebukes is given against the towns where “most of His miracles were done because they did not repent” (Matthew 11:20). Perhaps when we read, “they did not repent,” we think of overtly wicked people who failed to turn away from their immorality. But Jesus was speaking to a group of people […]
Who Are These Christians?
The early church experienced favor among people in the broader culture (Acts 2:47). As they met together and cared for one another (Acts 2:44-46), the world took notice. John MacArthur, in his commentary on Acts, states, “Some of the reasons the early church found favor with the common people can be discerned from the apology […]