One of the ways the Bible describes repentance and true godliness is with some variation on the phrase “seeking God’s face.” We see this in multiple places (1 Chron. 16:11; 2 Chron. 7:14; Ps. 24:6; Ps. 27:8; Ps. 105:4). But of course this is a metaphor—God the Father is spirit, and those who worship Him …
Your Tangible Praise
As we approach our God in worship, we do not come empty-handed. Our custom is to have the offering box in the back, near the entrance, where the offerings are placed as we come into church in order to worship God. This is, incidentally, the same set-up that the Temple in Jerusalem had. It is …
Grace Tastes Like Something
When the Bible calls us to holiness, which it does, it is not calling us to a fastidious primness that pretends to be holiness. Neither does it call us to a raw effort that refuses to touch the unclean thing externally, even though the heart does nothing but paw and fondle the unclean thing. And …
Juked by Self-Deception
The Bible teaches that the heart is deceitful above all things. But when the heart lies, who is it that is being lied to? Well, the answer is that the heart has ears as well as a mouth, and the heart tells lies because the heart loves to hear them. Self-deception is a real mystery. …
Honest to God
When we gather for worship, one of the things we do every week is kneel together to confess our sins. But one of the problems with doing something regularly is that you can come to believe that you are doing it. The Word of God tells us that we are to rend our hearts, not …
Tying Knots in the Light
One of the things we do routinely whenever we baptize a child is take a vow as a congregation. We vow to help these Christian parents in the covenant nurture of the child being baptized. This is generally a feel good moment because who doesn’t like to see parents committing themselves to bring up children …
Effluvia
This is the outline of remarks I gave to the male students of NSA this afternoon. Here are three things I want to set out with regard to the sins of words. I am not speaking here of the broad category of sins of the tongue — gossip, slander, quarrelsomeness, and so on. My concern …
Looking Through
“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me” (John 5:39). God has given us many gifts — indeed, there is nothing we have that is not a gift. But there is only one gift from Him that enables us to see through things. …
Political, Not Partisan
Scripture tells us that in our assemblies, when we come together, we should pray for “kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2). This is something we regularly do in our worship service. But when it comes down …
Understanding Justice
Scripture declares that “evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it completely” (Prob. 28:5, ESV). But even though they do not understand justice, evil men talk about it incessantly. Even though they do not comprehend what they are talking about, they appeal to it constantly. Because we are lost …