Barbarians at the Gate

January 10, 2021
What it all boils down to is the choice between Christ and chaos. People will tolerate chaos only temporarily. Eventually, society will submit to a tyrant who will promise safety and peace. Totalitarianism is the end result of a secular worldview. It’s only when we choose Christ that we have freedom. As John Adams said, our constitution is fit only for a religious and moral people; it is wholly inadequate for any other. Read More ...

The Humiliation of Christ

December 20, 2020
The Poverty Carol reminds us that Jesus welcomes humble, broken people. He was born in very humble surroundings to poor parents. His first days were spent in a feeding trough most likely surrounded by farmyard animals. The Bible assures us that Jesus sympathizes with us in our weaknesses. He understands the human condition. He’s well aware that we are broken, sinful people. When we come to him humbly and repentantly, he will welcome us warmly. Read More ...
At Christmastime, we celebrate Jesus’ birth, and rightly so. We should recognize that Jesus’ birth was the culmination of a long line of people and events that had to unfold in a certain way. In part, it’s these genealogical lists that give us confidence that Jesus is whom he claimed to be—not only the son of Mary and the adopted son of Joseph, but the son of David, the son of Abraham and, most significantly, the eternal Son of God. Read More ...
Apart from the biblical authors themselves, Calvin stands as one of the most influential Christian leaders the world has ever seen. Luther’s colleague, Philip Melanchthon, revered him as the most able interpreter of Scripture in the church, and therefore labeled him simply “the theologian.” And Charles Spurgeon said that Calvin “propounded truth more clearly than any other man that ever breathed, knew more of Scripture, and explained it more clearly.” His influence remains strong within numerous branches of the church even today. Read More ...
We can have confidence that all of the things Jesus tells us here will happen. The culmination of this plan is the 2nd Coming of Christ and the establishment of his kingdom. And before the kingdom arrives, believers will experience the kinds of things Jesus warns about here—persecution, wars, natural disasters, betrayal, and even death. We must endure such difficulties; we must persevere in faith and in good works until the Lord returns. Read More ...