In John 7:1, John tells us that Jesus did not go into Judea because the Jewish leaders were trying to kill Him. But the feast of tabernacles was at hand, and just a few verses later, his brothers (who did not believe in Him, v. 5), were taunting Him, trying to get Him to go …
All the Same Truth
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Great Jehovah, You are the only God! We worship You now in the great name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and in the power of His Holy Spirit. You rule the earth, and You do so in majesty, wisdom, power, authority, splendor, …
The Sin of Striking Back
When someone hurts you, the natural, carnal reaction is to strike back. No one needs to teach us this; we learn it from Adam. And even though we are in the new Adam, with this new way of being human being renewed in us, we still have regular provocations to the old Adam. As we …
Fellowship Around the Table
This Table is a table of communion, and since it is offered to sinners, it presupposes forgiveness. But this has implications. The Lord teaches us that we are to be reconciled to Him, and His forgiveness makes this possible. But He also teaches that, as far as it is possible with us, we are to …
Bush and the Lie
Liberals are fond of calling the president a liar, which is just one of the things that makes our vibrant democracy such a monkey house. The only standard they have for measuring the truth is (apparently) the level of decibels. Lying at the top of one’s lungs is their idea of speaking the truth to …
Foundations of Marriage IX
Introduction: This week we will be addressing masculinity, and how men are different from women. Next week, the topic will be femininity, and how women are different from men. The central concern here is not biology (male and female), but the broader question of masculinity and femininity. The Text: “But I would have you know, …
Arguing With God/Psalm 30
In this psalm we find another inspiring pattern for prayer—and it is the kind of prayer that can be offered up by a sinner. David offers up a petition here, and the need for the petition was created by his own spiritual carelessness. But we serve and worship a God who forgives. “I will extol …
Created for the Good Work of Worship
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Father and Jehovah God, You called forth the heavens and earth out of nothing. You separated the night from the day, and the waters from the dry land, and the woman from the man. Father, we worship and adore You, the Lord …
Gird Up Your Loins
Always beware of unexamined assumptions. When we speak and act, we do so on the basis of what we instinctively know to be the case. When we are right, this is right and proper—it is how we were created to live. We cannot be examining all our assumptions constantly. We have to live on the …
The Taste of Fear
The Bible does not teach us that the Table must be protected from unfaithful people. Rather, the Bible teaches us that unfaithful people must be protected from the Table. This Table is a winnowing fan, a fan that separates the wheat from the chaff. This Table deals with us as we come to it. To …