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Mar 2017 31 Mar 31, 2017
2

So what should we do when we feel nothing, when we are bored and indifferent and dead on the inside, when we are downcast and can barely move our mouths to sing? What should we do when we've lost our sense of intimacy with the Lord, when we feel nothing of his presence, when there is but a haunting echo of his distance? Some of you struggle to attend church. You find little appealing in it but feel obligated to go because a friend or family member pressured you into comi...Read More

Mar 2017 29 Mar 29, 2017
1

Does the New Testament explicitly mention or describe formal church membership? No, it does not. However, there are numerous truths and responsibilities in the NT which would be minimized or denied if there were no definable local church membership. In other words, the fact that membership is not explicitly mentioned does not mean it didn’t exist. Those things which are explicitly mentioned necessarily assume that covenant membership existed. Therefore, if we concl...Read More

Mar 2017 27 Mar 27, 2017
5

If there is a single driving force in our society today it may well be what I call instant self-gratification. It is into this mindset in our society that the Bible speaks about fasting. Is it any wonder that few people are listening? Nothing seems as silly to the natural mind or as repulsive to the body as fasting, especially when you place our demand for instant self-gratification in a consumer-oriented world where life is all about seeking and obtaining whatever suits...Read More

Mar 2017 22 Mar 22, 2017
1

Our worship of God does not make him more powerful. Neither does it compel him to act. But God is pleased by praise. He loves to act on behalf of his people when his people exult in him and exalt him in worship. Praise is where God lives (Ps. 22:3)! It is his home! Continue reading . . .  Our worship of God does not make him more powerful. Neither does it compel him to act. But God is pleased by praise. He loves to act on behalf of his people when his people exult ...Read More

Mar 2017 20 Mar 20, 2017
3

Before I delineate the 10 things all of us should know, let’s look at a definition of postmillennialism by one of its advocates, Lorainne Boettner. Continue reading . . .  Before I delineate the 10 things all of us should know, let’s look at a definition of postmillennialism by one of its advocates, Lorainne Boettner. He describes postmillennialism as, “that view of the last things which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in th...Read More

Mar 2017 16 Mar 16, 2017
11

The following brief article was written by my friend Ray Ortlund and posted on his blog on February 28, 2017. I was deeply moved by it and thought it should be made available again to those who may not have seen it. Continue reading . . .  The following brief article was written by my friend Ray Ortlund and posted on his blog on February 28, 2017. I was deeply moved by it and thought it should be made available again to those who may not have seen it. It is very m...Read More

Mar 2017 15 Mar 15, 2017
1

The psalmist exhorts us to worship “skillfully” (Ps. 33:3). Does this simply mean with technical precision or is there something more involved? I would like to suggest that what the psalmist likely had in mind is similar to what John Piper calls “undistracting excellence.” Continue reading . . .  The psalmist exhorts us to worship “skillfully” (Ps. 33:3). Does this simply mean with technical precision or is there something more i...Read More

Mar 2017 13 Mar 13, 2017
2

I need to make a confession right up front. I’ve never smoked marijuana. I’ve never been drunk with alcohol. In fact, I’ve never used an illicit drug of any sort. I mention this because I’m quite sure that some will object to what I say in this article by insisting that I have no right to speak about an experience in which I’ve never personally indulged. I think that’s ridiculous. Whether or not I’ve ever been “high” ...Read More

Mar 2017 9 Mar 9, 2017

In the previous article we looked at the unsearchable greatness of God. So, how does one respond to such a God? Needless to say, such splendor, majesty, mercy and call for the loudest and most passionate of praise. Continue reading . . .  In the previous article we looked at the unsearchable greatness of God. So, how does one respond to such a God? Needless to say, such splendor, majesty, mercy and call for the loudest and most passionate of praise. We are to exto...Read More

Mar 2017 8 Mar 8, 2017

You can’t not worship. Ignore my use of the ungrammatical double negative and try to understand what I’m saying. You can’t not worship. Or to put it yet another way, “we can’t not love something ultimate” (James K. A. Smith, You Are What You Love, 20). You may choose not to sing. You may choose not to bow down. You may choose not to lift your hands. You may choose not to give any outward or physical expression to your devotion, but you...Read More

Mar 2017 6 Mar 6, 2017

Worship is a subject on which everyone has a personal opinion. We all know what we like and dislike. So it may appear silly for me to summarize in ten points what a biblical approach to worship should entail. Silly or not, here goes. Continue reading . . .  Worship is a subject on which everyone has a personal opinion. We all know what we like and dislike. So it may appear silly for me to summarize in ten points what a biblical approach to worship should entail. Si...Read More

Mar 2017 3 Mar 3, 2017
2

The following is a brief excerpt from my book, Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life (Zondervan). Its focus is Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 5:18-21, where he writes: Continue reading . . .  The following is a brief excerpt from my book, Practicing the Power: Welcoming the Gifts of the Holy Spirit in Your Life (Zondervan). Its focus is Paul’s instruction in Ephesians 5:18-21, where he writes: “And do not ge...Read More

Mar 2017 1 Mar 1, 2017
1

It’s one thing to be filled with the joy that comes from earthly comforts or accomplishments. The joy of winning the game or completing a project is truly a wonderful thing. But nothing can compare to the experience in one’s heart of the very joy that filled the heart of Jesus. In John 15:11 Jesus said this: “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” He virtually repeats himself in John 17:13 &nd...Read More