You shall put into the ark the testimony which I shall give you. Exodus 25:16 This month we return to the furniture in the tabernacle. We step with special reverence and holy awe beyond the Veil. We move beyond the curtain that separates the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. We come to that […]
Although Psalm 89 is in the genre of “laments,” it nonetheless reveals much about God’s steadfast love to a needy, sinful people. In this Psalm, the Lord takes great care to show how He will not abandon His people. He shows this in His word, His oaths, His might, and in the promise of future […]
Introduction In the sixteenth century the terms piety and spirituality were not synonyms, and piety was the preferred term among Protestants because they associated spirituality with Roman Catholic mysticism, as exemplified in Bernard of Clairvaux (1090–1153), Teresa of Avila (1515–82), John of the Cross (1542–91), and others. Pietas signified worship primarily, and its secondary meaning […]
We have arrived at the last section in the book of Judges. In chapter 19, we reached an all-time low in Israel’s history with the horrible sins of the Gibeonites, who were of the tribe of Benjamin. These last two chapters, which tell us of one event, candidly show us just how far Israel has […]
In 2 Timothy 3 the apostle Paul gives us a description of the times in which we live, the “last days,” the days between the first and second coming of Christ. He ends the list of descriptive words with these words “lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God” (v. 4). What an apt description […]
Over the past several years, I have heard some humorous names used for the cry room in our church building, names such as, “the penalty box,” “romper room,” and “the torture chamber.” My favorite, however, is “purgatory.” Like the purgatory of Roman Catholic dogma, the cry room is a place where souls suffer until they […]
The Church in the Wilderness Revelation 12–14 opens our eyes to the battle in which we are presently engaged. It is that battle described by the Apostle Paul in the sixth chapter of his letter to the Ephesians, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of […]
Reformed Protestants have a public relations problem. In their churches and worship services they lack pizzazz. In fact, the chief attributes of Reformed worship—decency and order—are lousy for appealing to seekers who want a faith that has a higher profile, one that is grand, beautiful, or simply inspiring. This predicament puts Reformed Protestants in a […]
Throughout life there are many times when two people or two parties will have differing opinions about a certain issue. In a democratic society this fact is all the more highlighted because debates are hotly contested and then after a vote, the majority position is the one that is taken to be the law of […]