Introduction: The church of God has always had to deal with threats from two directions. The first is the obvious threat from without, from the enemies of God and the gospel. But the other threat comes from sin within the camp, from internal dissension, and from poor leadership. Nehemiah here sets us a wonderful example. …
Redemption In A Bottle
“It is hard to miss the redemptive themes in the many dreamy scenes of sensuality that we have so often seen in perfume advertisements, scenes that waft across the viewing public with the promise of bodily regeneration, even renewed sexual attraction, if one simply purchases the product.” [David Wells, Losing Our Virtue (Grand Rapids, MI: …
Rivers, Not Ponds
“In other words, the young are always educated by their elders. God has placed them in this particular cultural river; our children have no ability to flow in a different stream. This principle is recognized clearly when we are talking about parents and their children — just one generation. But it applies, just as clearly, …
Conscience, Tender or Turbulent?
In the course of controversy, due consideration must be given to those who get caught in the crossfire. The Westminster Confession says that God alone is Lord of the conscience, and this is not just talking about those consciences that are rightly informed. We tend to understand this principle on some subjects — there are …
Bible Stories
One fatal tendency is to assume that Bible stories are for children, and that doctrine is for adults. But in fact all the Bible is for all Christians. One of the lamentable results of biblical illiteracy is the fact that many Christians could not tell you what happened to all the saints mentioned in this …
Not in the Grain or Grapes
Jesus taught us that we should not labor for the meat that perishes, but rather for that meat which endures unto everlasting life, and this meat is the food which the Lord Jesus gives to us now. He is authorized to do this because God the Father has sealed us in Him. We do not …
The Lord’s Prayer, After All
This was the exhortation in the call to worship a few years ago when we first introduced the Lord’s Prayer into our worship service. This morning we have the privilege (and high responsibility) of introducing the Lord’s Prayer into our public worship of God. This will be done at the conclusion of the prayer of …
Wealth By Vanity
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 81 “Wealth gotten by vanity shall be diminished: but he that gathereth by labour shall increase” (Prov. 13:11). The contrast here is between wealth gained by labor, and wealth gained by vanity. One of the most marked distinctives of wealth …
Statement on St. Peter
Randy Booth, the moderator of the CREC Council, has posted a statement on the situation at St. Peter. That statement can be found here.
The Lure
“Advertising, which is a large part of our public world, has learned how to dip its bucket into the well of our inner desires and fantasies; it projects those desires and images as part of its merchandising prowess” [David Wells, Losing Our Virtue (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1998), p. 109]