Bitterness is something which tempts us to be distracted, and this keeps us from looking where God’s Word requires us to look. And because bitterness has deceived many, it is our responsibility to pray that the God of heaven would teach us to be wise about this great evil. And when they came to Marah, …
Pentecost Sunday 2006
Introduction: It is characteristic of the Holy Spirit that He draws attention away from Himself. Sometimes, the Spirit of God is neglected because of a deficiency in theology. But other times this happens precisely because He is active and doing His work. The Text: “Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will …
Ezra Nehemiah 21
Introduction: The two chapters we are considering today are filled with many strange names (which we have already encountered), but we also learn some important lessons on the place and role of music in the work of reformation. The Text: And the rulers of the people dwelt at Jerusalem: the rest of the people also …
The Role of Biblical Women
We live in a fallen world in which God works redemptively. This means that nothing can be simply assumed to be in submission to God. It can only be assumed to be in submission to Him, or not. Consequently, we must consider all things as a blessing, or a curse, depending upon its relationship to …
The Law and the Prince
We come now to see what Proverbs teaches about the civil magistrate. Throughout this short post, I will be using the terms king and prince, but this is merely a reflection of the language of Proverbs. The principles contained here certainly apply to magistrates in all civil orders, including governors, members of parliaments, congressmen, and …
Ezra Nehemiah 20
Introduction: We have spent some time in Nehemiah, but not as much time as the people there themselves spent in establishing the work of reformation. As with all reformations, they often find themselves doing the same thing over again, as we find in this passage. The Text: Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, …
Valuable Beyond Rubies
The sanctification of the checkbook is extraordinarily difficult for many. We like to tell ourselves that obedience to God’s way is “impractical,“ as though we knew more about it than He does. Always, always, always we must turn to the Word. And on this subject, we have a treasury of doctrine. First, wealth is a …
Ezra Nehemiah 19
Introduction: Repentance is hard work. Although a change of heart and mind is right at the center of it, there are other aspects of repentance—study of the law of God being one of them. It is not enough to say that you would do what God wants “if you only knew.” Perhaps, if He has …
The Fool Is a Thoroughbred
A people are known by their proverbs — what they value and what they do not, where they profess to find wisdom and where they do not. Our modern culture hates objectivity — countless propaganda pieces tell us that we must find the truth within ourselves, we must be true to ourselves, we must always …
The Liberty of God
There is certainly no biblical problem with preaching the doctrine of God’s sovereignty. At the same time, there are other situations where it is wise to present the facts of the case as dispassionately as we are able to. God’s saints must see this issue as it really is — the clear, objective teaching of …