If God chooses to get glory in sustaining a child with chronic illness or disability, rather than by removing the condition, that is His prerogative and we should rejoice in it. Removing it may make life easier, more pleasant and comfortable for the family. But God does not exist for our happiness—we exist for his glory. God forms babies in the womb that will cause us to fear Him, reverence Him and stand in awe of Him.
The suffering of children has been on my mind to varying degrees and at different periods for the past decade. I’ve had to deal with suffering children as a parent, as a pastor, as a pastor-parent combination (I’ll explain that in a later post), and now in the orphanage connected with my work in rural [...]
Eden was no random attack, it was a strategy of war. Satan had a target in mind, and that target was humanity, the apex of God’s creation ... He must strike humanity at the root. He must poison the fountain at the source. Satan’s target was not Adam but Adam’s children—humanity ... Humanity fell as one when Satan poisoned the source. The “likeness” and “image” of Adam’s offspring were marred by Adam’s sin.
The Bible begins and ends with the serpent. In Genesis he is cunning, subtle and deceptive—and he finds a measure of success. But that “success” is given him only to reveal God's gracious salvation. In Revelation, he is defeated and cast into the bottomless pit. This is the story of the gospel.
When God created Adam and his wife, he provided everything they needed. The Scriptures tells us that God planted a garden for the man and his wife (Genesis 2:8). This garden provided a fully sustainable home, a workplace and a place of worship. They had no wants. The garden of Eden begins a “garden theology” that continues throughout the Scriptures. Eden is the prototype of blessed safety and tranquility in the presence of the Lord—a paradise.
Before we get into chapter three let's step back into chapters one and two of Genesis and get a picture of the people and the environment the Lord created. The phrase “let us make man” (1:26-27) which God used on the final day of creation, introduced a part of creation that would be different from [...]
The story of the Bible is the story of the sovereign God, the salvation of man and the spoiling of Satan and his helpers. Genesis chapter three is the beginning of that story. In that chapter, there are three major areas of biblical study that continue throughout the Scriptures; theology, anthropology, and demonology. In the [...]
Moses prayed that “all” the Lord’s people would have the Spirit. Joel prophesied that the Lord would pour out of the Spirit on “all flesh” and Paul tells us that we have “all” been baptized into one body. The repeated gift of tongue throughout the book of Acts proves that this happened and shows that the giving of the Spirit at Pentecost was intended for the Church universal; “all” believers; “for there is no difference” (Romans 10:12).
"...how similar the Christian life and ministry is no matter where you go in the world. We have the same basic needs; though different on many levels, yet so similar." Monday afternoon class at our collage here in rural Africa is a little different. We have a discussion class, when the teachers sit at the [...]
It is important to distinguish between a true Church and a healthy Church. Five of the seven churches in Asia minor were “true Churches” but they had serious health problems. Some were dying a slow and silent death. So, it is important to be able to identify health concerns and to work towards a healthy Church. [...]