Genesis Three (Pt.6): The Subtlety of the Serpent
It’s hard to get the hook out when it’s in past the barb—some flesh will need to be sacrificed. When sin gets our attention and gets a hold, it's difficult to remove and detach ourselves from it. This is where the woman found herself. Having captured her attention and locked her in conversation, Satan began to devour her (1 Peter 5:8).
The Majesty of God and a Disabled Child
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.
Why Does God Allow Children To Suffer?
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 [...]
Cross-Cultural Crash Course (First Part) (9-min read)
Being a missionary is not about doing different ministry than you would do at home; it’s about being willing to do it in a different (or foreign) culture.
Pentecost and the Baptism in the Holy Spirit: The Promise of Success in Missions
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).
Why do Pastor’s Kids Go Wild?
"...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 [...]
Characteristics of a Healthy Church
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 [...]
We Are Created to Think
The words of God, “let us make man” (Genesis 1:26) on the sixth day of creation introduce the creation of a being that would be different from every other part of creation. Man became the [...]
Taste and See that the Lord is Good (7 min. read)
One of the challenges of living in rural Kenya is food. I tend to think about food a lot here because we have to plan ahead more. In the first few weeks of living here, [...]
Recovering A Sense of Awe in the Fellowship of the Saints (10 min. read)
The twentieth century was not a good century for what the Apostles' Creed calls “the holy catholic Church: the communion of saints.” In that century the Church witnessed its greatest fragmentation since the Protestant Reformation. Coupled with [...]
The Sin of Ham and the Curse of Canaan
Woodcut after a drawing by Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld (German painter, 1794-1872). Credit iStock. When Noah stepped off the ark, he stepped into a whole new world of fresh opportunities. He was, in [...]
Preaching from the Song of Solomon
One would have to be spiritually numb to miss the connection between this song and the believer’s relationship with Christ. For Christians, this is the most natural reading of the book, and the received [...]
St. John’s Theology of Overcoming (1 John 5:4-5)
The gospel does not only help me to overcome, it makes me an overcomer. If overcoming faith is real, then the overcoming life will be a reality. The apostle John more than any other New [...]
Rethinking Missionary Giving
If our giving does not demand returns or produce spiritual growth, then we are only propping up the church not building it up, and we are doing the Church a disfavour. Late in August 2018 [...]
Need is the Norm
In asking us to embrace the suffering and the struggle, Jesus is asking us to enter into a deeper trust and dependency on the truth of the gospel. So here we are living at FAME [...]
The God of Impossibilities
We find ourselves now making a home in rural Kenya with an organization called FAME (Friends of Africa Missionary Endeavour). We are located three and a half hours northeast of Nairobi, twelve kilometres off the [...]
Jehovah Jireh: The God Who Provides
So why one more blog? Does the world really need another mommy blog? This is what I have been asking myself for many years as I've been tempted to start a blog about chronic [...]
“A New Song”
The term “new song” appears about ten times in Scripture. It is a label for a victory song; fresh praise for fresh victories. The term “new song” is always found with the indefinite article “a [...]
Five Suggestions for Daily Interaction with the Word of God
Daily devotion is a way of life, not a moment in time. It is, what John Calvin referred to, commenting on Hebrews 4:9, “a sabbathizing reserved for God’s people, that is a spiritual rest; to which [...]
Thoughts on Daily Devotions
The Christian has a threefold duty towards a daily interaction with Scripture; to read, to search (John 5:39; Acts 17:11) and to memorize/meditate (John 15:7-8; Colossians 3:16; Joshua 1:8; Proverbs 2:1-6, 7:1-3; Psalm 119:11). The [...]
March Devotionals—Patrick of Ireland: A Devotional History
In the early part of March considerable attention is given to the memory of St. Patrick in the run-up to the celebrations on the 17th March. St. Patrick’s Day celebrations are now a worldwide phenomenon [...]
The Kingdom of God’s Sovereign Grace
Understanding the kingdom of God (see PDF diagram) is fundamental to our understanding and enjoyment of the gospel. Salvation—the new birth—is an entrance into the kingdom (John 3:3) which we are commanded to “seek first” [...]
A. W. Pink: The Pioneer of a Modern Reformation (Pt. 1: A String of Failures)
The past sixty years in the evangelical church has witnessed a deepening interest in reformed literature and a resurgence of reformed theology; it is, in some respects, a modern Reformation. Much of this has been [...]
Fundamentalism and the New Conservative Evangelical Identity
In previous articles I have tried to address some of the problems with fundamentalism. I have not been—nor should anyone be—afraid to face these hard issues head-on, to admit the difficulties, and to attempt to [...]
R-Rated Religion: Why is the Bible so filled with blood, guts, and immorality?
The film industry is regulated by certain government guidelines. Movies are categorized by a series of ratings indicating what different governing bodies feel are appropriate for certain audiences, usually according to age. In Canada each [...]
Why Salvation by Blood?
Have you ever noticed how often the word blood is found in the Bible? In the Old Testament there’s blood everywhere: in basins, on doorposts, sprinkled in the tabernacle (Leviticus 4:6), and around the tabernacle [...]
An Inconvenient Obedience
It’s been a while since I’ve written anything. We’ve had a crazy few months! Thomas became very sick and we ended up in hospital twice, first with a severe viral infection and stomach bug which [...]
Genesis Three (Pt.7): The False Promises of Sin
The subtle beginnings soon morphed into an all-out attack. This was a change in tactic (Edward J. Young, 33). Everything was out in the open. He moved from doubting God to radical and reckless infidelity. In the discourse that followed between the serpent and the woman, Satan made three promises in verses four and five; the promise of impunity, of improvement, and of independence.
Genesis Three (Pt.5): The Serpent’s Strategy of War
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.