The First Commandment in the First Petition
Christians of previous generations have considered the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer to be very important portions of Scripture. For example, in the 17th century Westminster Shorter Catechism, a summary of the Christian faith, roughly fifty percent is dedicated to the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer. This is a relatively high percentage if you consider all the other important doctrines (e.g., Trinity, Jesus Christ, salvation, the church, etc.) the Catechism must contain to be a summary of the…
Love Life. Love God More.
I love life. I love the Sunday afternoon roar of the crowds at the Masters. I love four-wheel driving on the red rocks in Moab, Utah. I love the smile that dolphins perpetually wear. I love the smell of fresh-baked apple pie. I love life. God has given us so much to love! But . . . you knew there was a “but” coming. The danger is that we can love life more than we love God. Oh, it’s not…
Don’t Reduce Sin to Acts
We often reduce sin to what we do or don’t do; for example, lie, steal, or cheat. Let me be clear: sin is what we do or don’t do. But sin is much deeper. Sin is who we are. We commit acts of sin because we are sinners. The famous fifth-century pastor in North Africa, Augustine, understood this well. In his Confessions, he recounts of how he stole some pears when he was sixteen. Listen to what he says: “I…
What Benefit is the Providence of God?
God’s providence is meticulously detailed. Puritan Ezekiel Hopkins once wrote, “Not one particle of dust moves on a well-travelled road, but God raises it, directs its motion, and directs it to the specific place he appointed for it. The strongest wind cannot move it from its appointed place.” Even better, Jesus states our Father’s meticulous providence like this: “Not [a sparrow] will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matt 10:29). Knowing God’s providence is meticulously detailed is one…
Is God Great?
I remember where I was standing in a local bookstore several years ago when the New York Times bestselling book, God is Not Great, appeared on the bookshelf. Scanning through the pages, I learned about the late Christopher Hitchens. The premise of Hitchen’s book is outlined in the subtitle: How Religion Poisons Everything. He asserts that religion is the main source of hatred in the world. I agree with Hitchens that religion is the main source of hatred in…
The Bible – the Greatest Literary Paradox
I love the Bible. I believe the Bible is the word of the Creator of the Universe to humankind. Because I believe the Bible is the very words of God, I believe it is inspired and inerrant without contradiction. I also believe the Bible is the greatest literary paradox known to man. Why is the Bible the greatest literary paradox? Because it has the greatest author—God himself. Here are a few paradoxes we find in the…
Who Threw Jonah Into the Sea?
The answer to the question: who threw Jonah into the sea is simple. Jonah 1:15 says, “So they [the sailors] picked up Jonah, threw him into the sea, . . .” However, upon closer reading of the text, someone else threw Jonah into the sea. To see this, we need to review the story. In chapter one of the book of Jonah, Jonah is absolutely set on running from God (1:3). He despises God’s call to preach…
Do You Have a Right to Be Angry?
What a penetrating question! Is it right for you to be angry? Of course, if you’re familiar with the Bible, you might recall that God asked the prophet Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry” (Jonah 4:4)? Because of the context of this question, God was not expecting a response – the question was a rebuke! And the question also serves as a rebuke for us. Why? Because of the nature of anger. Anger is…
What I Should Not Do If I Am Offended at Church?
The local church is composed of sinner-saints. We are sinners, and we are saints. Sinners will offend you. And you, as a sinner, will offend others. So, what should you do if you are offended by someone in your church? There is a lot you should do, but here is what you should not do: do not forsake assembling together. I know the natural inclination is to let an offense keep you from coming to church (or sometimes you want…
Never Read a Bible Verse
I once heard some advice that is well worth repeating: “Never read a Bible verse.” As a Protestant, “never read a Bible verse” might sound more like pre-Vatican II Roman Catholicism. This couldn’t be further from the truth! The point in the phrase “never read a Bible verse” means “never interpret a verse outside of its context.” After all, the three most important rules of interpreting the Bible are (1) context, (2) context, and (3) context. Unfortunately, many times we…
Seven Ways to Love Your Church
Jesus loves the church (Eph 5:25). Jesus’ love enables our love for the church. But how do we love the church? Here are seven ways to love Christ’s local church. 1. Become a member (1 Cor 12:14-31). Becoming a member, rather than merely a regular attender, shows your loving commitment to one another. Attend the stated meetings of the church on a regular basis (Heb 10:25). At Grace Community Bible Church, we have designed each stated meeting (Sunday worship, C.E.…
I Love Jesus But Hate the Church
Susan, a professing Christian, began her Facebook comments with a curse on all pastors and churches. One of Susan’s friends on Facebook asked her in response: “Do you hate churches and pastors?” Susan responded, “Yep.” Her friend then asked a very insightful question: “Then I guess that means you hate Paul and Peter and Jesus too.” Susan proclaims: “Oh no not them, just all the ones around today,” Then she adds, “Jesus and I are doing great.” I remembered this…
The Gospel is Not a Way of Life
The Gospel is Not a Way of Life A recent Star Tribune article sadly reported that many Minnesota “mainline” churches are losing membership and closing their doors. In so doing, “a way of life” comes to an end. The problem is that years ago these churches reduced the gospel merely to “a way of life.” The truth is that the Christian faith is a historical faith. Without the historical death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, Christianity does not exist. Pastor…
Jesus’ Prayer is Better
When you hear someone say, “I am praying for you,” their words bring comfort to your soul. Though their prayers bring comfort, someone better is praying for you. The Scriptures teach that Jesus is praying for his children. And Jesus’ prayers for you are better. Here are two reasons why Jesus’ prayers are better. 1. Because Jesus’ prayers are correct. When a friend prays for you, only sometimes they know exactly what to pray for. But your friend does not…
A Listening God
Sometimes, in the course of life, you only want someone to listen to you. You don’t want them to fix you or fix your problems. You want them to listen. When you find a person who listens to you, maybe a spouse or a friend, you know that person is expressing love. One day I was reading the Bible and came across a verse that teaches us that God is a listening God. He has a listening ear. And this…
Sin Is In Prison
Through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and union by faith into that death and resurrection, you have been justified and definitively sanctified. The condemnation due to sin has been removed. You are a saint. And this means that your relationship to sin has changed. When once sin held sway over you, you now have the power, through the Holy Spirit, “to not let sin reign in your mortal body” (Rom 6:12). Sin no longer reigns; righteousness reigns. Unfortunately,…
Books Change Lives
The same book, much like the same sermon, can have different affects on different people. God, through his Spirit, uses the written word (or spoken word) as he pleases. In light of this, as I look back on my Christian pilgrimage, a few books, rooted in the Scriptures, stand out that God has been pleased to substantially influence my spiritual life. These three books impacted my life the most in the first ten years of my Christian pilgrimage (in no…
Comfort for an Uncertain Future
We often worry about and fear the future. What will be the results of my upcoming medical tests? How will I provide for my family if I lose my job? What will happen to my country if the nominee is elected? Will I remain safe during my upcoming travels? What will become of my family member if they continue their current path? English Puritan, William Gurnall, likewise experienced fears of the future. He lived during a time, much like ours,…
God’s Love Creates
Exactly five hundred years ago today (April 26), a group of theologians met in the quaint medieval town of Heidelberg to dispute 28 theses penned by Martin Luther. In the final thesis, Luther wrote a beautiful statement about love. Please read his words slowly: “The love of God does not find, but creates, that which is pleasing to it. The love of man comes into being through that which is pleasing to it.” What Luther is saying is that human…
Human Growth and Christian Growth
I was listening to a show on Minnesota Public Radio discussing character development in Young Adult fiction. They said that for a Young Adult book to sell, the character(s) have to experience genuine harm and difficulty, yet show growth in the midst of the trial. In real life, human beings grow and change. Human nature changes: it’s our nature. To be human is to change. We change our viewpoints and values, concerns and character, and interests and ideas. Unlike God…