The Lord’s brother warned us about the problem of incongruity in speech. With the same tongue we praise God, in a service of worship, and we also curse those who are made in God’s likeness — whether in traffic, or in family irritations, or in self-righteousness censure. Gossip during the week is inconsistent with what …
Gladness in the Sanctuary
In this time of exhortation, it is easy to dwell on the things we are doing wrong, or might do wrong, as we approach the Father in worship. And to a point, this is actually as it should be — sinners must never become presumptive about anything. At the same time, one of the things …
Sammy the Stinkard
Once there was a young boy named Sammy. His father had been on quite a few business trips recently, and was working long hours even when he was in town. As a result, Sammy had not seen much of him for the last several months, and neither had Sammy’s mother. Now you might think that …
Deep Kindness
A new commandment is given to you, that you love one another. This love is not to be understood as a mere sentiment, although it makes all true sentiment possible, and more than possible, lovely. Love means that we are to treat one another as the voice of God requires, and that we are to …
Indispensable Men
As God allows us to stumble toward more mature forms of worship and government, we must take great care. An essential part of cultural maturity in community is that places of honor will develop. This is inescapable. Jesus did not command the Jews to tear out the chief seats in the synagogues and to level …
Overflowing Like God
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 69 “There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty” (Prov. 11:24). God has placed us in the world in a such a way as to bless us. …
Response to Tumult
When God moves in reformation, it always causes a stir, and it always causes controversy. Take care that you do not give way to the flesh in either circumstance. Receive what God is doing in our midst with gladness and simplicity. But know that Americans have a two-hundred year history of mangling a right understanding …
The Marks of a Pharisee
The Pharisees are the principal bad guys in the New Testament, and they are caricatured as such by the Lord Jesus Himself. But we frequently miss the spiritual lessons involved because we don’t understand polemical satire and caricature. We look at the portrait Jesus draws and we take it with a wooden literalism, and we …
Forsaking the Right Thing
As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper every week, take note that every exhortation, every confession, every charge is to be heard in this context, and this is how we are to fence the Table. If you are a baptized believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, and you are not under the lawful discipline of His …
Bread, Not Crumbs
As you worship God, keep in mind that He is kind to us, and He teaches us. But also keep in mind that we have much to learn. The disintegrating condition of the contemporary church around us, and the fact that we see it, should not make us proud, but rather should make us fear. …