I am not the first, and certainly not the most eloquent, writer who has reflected on Emmanuel as one of the names for Jesus, the Messiah. This reflection, in no small part, has be influenced by the movie "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" which was … [Continue reading]
Who gets the glory?
Have you ever sat through a sermon on a Sunday, thinking that the preacher was doing well, only to walk away not remembering the point of the sermon? I have experienced a sermon or two after which I remembered the opening joke or a touching … [Continue reading]
But what are they for so many?
There are so many problems in our culture that it is easy to become overwhelmed just by listening to the news. Certainly, to get improved ratings the news curators pick stories based on their shock value, so things are likely not as bad as what the … [Continue reading]
On Biblical Joy
In a recent sermon, I heard a definition of Biblical joy that I would like to share with you: Biblical joy is the conviction that God sovereignly controls the events of life for his glory and our good. I am writing this two days before the … [Continue reading]
Chilling words from 100 years ago
J Gresham Machen published a book in the 1920s describing the challenge facing the church of his day. I'm finding that some of what he predicted as the result of cultural trends in his time is impressively applicable 100 years after his … [Continue reading]
Not based on circumstances
The opening verses of Matthew 5 are commonly referred to as the Beatitudes. Each of the nine beatitudes begins with "Blessed are . . ." and then provides a condition for blessing. I wrote an introduction to the Beatitudes in a previous post which you … [Continue reading]
