We are a few weeks into a new school year, and we have a congregation that contains many students. Not only are there many students here, but there are many students here who are enrolled in very challenging programs—programs where failure is often a real possibility. Now in every demanding circumstance, when you have a …
Bread and Wine From Salem
In Genesis 14:18, Scripture tells us that Abraham was met by Melchizedek. “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.” We are expressly taught in the New Testament that Melchizedek is a type of Christ. If we take that type and apply it …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 46
INTRODUCTION: This next psalm was one of Martin Luther’s favorites, and was the inspiration for his hymn “A Mighty Fortress.” There were plenty of times during the Reformation when everything looked pretty black, and Luther would cheerfully say to Melancthon, “Come, Philip, let us sing the forty-sixth Psalm.” We have considered the importance of dogged …
Quick Lies
God is the God of all truth, and so of course, we as His people should be careful to speak the truth. One area where we sometimes neglect this duty is in the area that might be called “quick lies.” They don’t even seem like lies at all unless you take them out in the …
Growing Up Into Gladness
This is a meal of gladness, and not of gloom. We see this in many different ways, but one of them can be seen in the elements that the Lord chose for us to remember Him by. “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 45
INTRODUCTION: Psalm 45 is an Epithalamium, which is to say, a wedding song. The way it is quoted in the New Testament makes it very clear that the ultimate fulfillment of this psalm is found in the marriage of Christ to the Church. This psalm is unlike any other, and is likely the wedding hymn …
Together, But Not Lockstep
Last week at this time I mentioned that ritual actions are important to us. They are significant in the Bible, and we don’t ever want to fall into the trap of relegating them to the status of being insignificant. But there is another important element in all of this. We are gathered together as an …
In the Midst of the Throne
This meal that we are privileged to have before us is a meal of foreshadowing. God is directing all of human history toward a glorious culmination, and that culmination will be a feast. We see a glimpse of this in how the martyrs coming out of the great tribulation were received by God. “Therefore are …
Fifth Decade of Psalms/Psalm 44
INTRODUCTION: The next psalm is a desperate plea for help from God. He is the God of their salvation, and yet He appears not to care. The citation of this psalm in the New Testament shows it to be the plea of righteous martyrs. THE TEXT: “We have heard with our ears, O God, our …
Present Your Bodies as Spiritual Worship
Over the years we have emphasized the importance of ritual. Rituals are significant in the Bible, and they ought to be significant to us. We have also emphasized the importance of worshipping God with our bodies and not just with our minds. We have sought to resist the temptation that many Reformed Christians deal with, …