What the rejection of the Messiah meant to Him. The title of Psalm 69 identifies its human author as David1 but provides us with no historical context or background. Nor are there any internal clues to enable us to fix the time or circumstances in David’s life which occasioned the writing of the psalm. The […]
Why settle for half of the truth? A fresh look at Psalm 47. We begin with God’s choice. He is the Creator and Sovereign of the universe. Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the Lord Most High is awesome; He is a great King over […]
Secret possessions of the New Testament church Up until a few years ago, if you had been invited to the home of the Carlisle family, you might have unwittingly held in your hands a fortune in the form of a small porcelain bowl. The Carlisles—descendents of the founders of the Pony Express—regularly used the bowl […]
You can’t beat it; you might as well join it. We have a massive oak tree behind our house that lets loose its leaves in installments. I imagine they wait until I have put away my leaf blower, hung up my jacket, and am reclined in an easy chair, seeking to recover from my vigorous […]
An act of love? Who are we to judge? Isn’t love the prevailing rule of the day? It may surprise some that, in the Bible, church discipline was commanded by Christ (Mt. 18:15-18), demonstrated by apostolic practice (1 Tim. 1:20), and revealed as an inspired precept in God’s Word (1 Cor. 5:11). Levels of discipline […]
There are relationships based on God’s abounding grace. These words should be very precious to us for they expose the depths of His love for those whom He redeemed with His own blood, and they expound the great blessing into which He has brought us. Notice how He addresses His own. We are, He says, […]
Who will help us worship? Contemporary terms such as “worship team,” “worship pastor,” and “worship leaders” have crept into many church gatherings. Are these terms found in Scripture? The answer is “no.” In fact, the concepts are foreign to Scripture. If there is any “worship leader” in the local assembly, it is the Holy Spirit. […]
The church, like the tabernacle of old, may make a poor impression–until you enter in. Recently, I toured the Canadian headquarters of a company that a friend of mine works for. The complex was impressive, inside and out—intentionally so. The company had spent several million dollars on the lobby alone. Overall, a tremendous amount of […]
Pastors were God’s idea. but we must understand what a biblical pastor does. Anyone who fellowships in a New Testament church with a plurality of elders will face this question sooner or later, often from a well-meaning fellow Christian, “Who is your Pastor?” Part of the equipping of the saints referred to in Ephesians 4:12 […]