Have you quarreled with anyone this week? If you did, was it for the cause of righteousness, or was it merely because you wanted your own way on something? If it was the latter, as it probably was, was the quarrel worth it? Did the quarrel bring you closer to God, establish you in His …
Clothed With Christ in Worship
Never forget that God sees the heart. He knows every thought, every intention, every motive, every excuse, every rationalization, and every motion in your mind. This is the God you gather before in worship. Nothing is obscure to Him simply because you are surrounded by others. Nothing is hidden from Him simply because others are …
Because It Does
After the reign of Josiah, the Word says that God had compassion on His people and He sent them messengers. These messengers from God were mocked, the words of God were despised, and the prophets were misused. Therefore the wrath of God arose against the people, until, it says, there was no remedy. As a …
Worship As A Shield
God has never done a work of reformation in the world where that work had no critics. One of the signs of thorough-going reformation is when those involved in the work of reformation respond in grace and wisdom. This is not the same as agreeing with the critics and joining them, but it is the …
Set in Order
The image of God in you is not a static thing, a mechanical imprint. The image of God means to be orderly, in accordance with His word, in true righteousness and holiness. No human being is completely disordered or unhinged, and by God’s common grace, even non-Christians still reflect some of the order that was …
Put Them Down
This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. You are coming before God on the day when He made all things new. You are coming to Him on the day when He inaugurated the new creation. You are coming to Him on the day when the sabbath …
Psalms and Culture War
Our worship here is the center of all our endeavors in the surrounding community. We look to God here, now, for His own sake. But at the same time, the right worship of God should inform, drive, and inspire all our efforts at local culture building. Our problem has been that because our worship has …
The First Days
We are not living in the last days. When God created the heavens and earth, He rested on the seventh day, declaring that His work was complete, it was finished. But when our Lord Jesus recreated the heavens and earth, He rose from the dead on the first day, as much as to say, it …
Not Cantankerous
GRACE & PEACE “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11). Controversy, Part 18 Paul teaches us that we should be at peace with all men, so long as it is possible with us (Rom. 12:18). In other words, we ought not to be cantankerous, belligerent, and always ready for a quarrel. …
Civil Court
GRACE & PEACE “At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16:11). Controversy, Part 17 In our litigious society, it is hard to keep conflict within the Church from spilling over into the civil realm. In some cases, it may be impossible. How are we to understand this? What are we to do? …