Posts from 2011

9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; 10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;    11 strengthened with all might, according to…

Many Christians today have an understanding of Christ that, according to Sinclair Ferguson, ‘is more informed by Santa Claus than Scripture.’ He speaks of the Santa Christ – and he is not nice but naughty. Sinclair Ferguson identifies 3 ‘Santa Christs’.

The holiday season is upon us! For some, this means more days off work and more time with family. And if you have unbelieving family members, the joy of celebrating Christmas can be mixed with anxiety and hopeful expectation—this is perhaps the best time of year to talk about Jesus.

One of the common clichés of the modern evangelical church is that the church in the past has been too heavenly minded and we need to focus on creation and claiming it for Christ – whether we conceive of that as art, movies, politics or whatever. As an aside, it always interests me that such people generally only talk about claiming interesting things for Christ –…

This Psalm by David demands attention. Its opening word is “Behold!” Here is something of such significance it is worthy to take time to see it, to think about it, to wonder how it could be, and why it should not be. Here is a startling and provocative reality!

Charles Spurgeon calls Psalm 131 ‘one of the shortest psalms to read, but one of the longest to learn. It speaks of a young child, but it contains the experience of a man in Christ.’ He says it’s ‘a short ladder yet one that rises to a great height.’ Psalm 131 is a song of David, who was elevated as king of Israel, yet one who knew humility.

Billy Graham described forgiveness as ‘the most glorious word in the English language’. Al Martin asks, ‘When is your life more fragrant than when the kiss of forgiveness is most fresh upon your cheek?’ But what is forgiveness?

Rev Charles Drew is pastor of Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in New York City. The morning after the 9/11 terrorist attack he sent a note to the church family, a portion of which follows: I want to say something about trust and hate. First, think about trust. Psalm 46 reads, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear,…

“Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God;” (1 Thess 4:1) It is a familiar truth that every Christian’s overriding purpose must be to glorify God. Everything we say and do, our relationships with others, the use we make of the gifts and…

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things. (Phil 4:8) Many of you will have heard of the recent death of the Christian author John Stott.…