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Jan 2020 30 Jan 30, 2020

[My article was originally published at www.desiringgod.org on January 28, 2020.] There is, admittedly, a lot we don’t know or understand about prayer. How it is incorporated into the way a sovereign God providentially governs the universe remains largely a mystery. Why some prayers are answered swiftly, and others slowly, and some not at all, often baffles us. But this doesn’t mean we are left in the dark when it comes to prayer. We know, for example, that...Read More

Jan 2020 27 Jan 27, 2020

Can a born-again, justified by faith, adopted child of God ever lose their salvation? Or as others have expressed it, is it possible for a born-again, justified by faith, adopted child of God to forfeit their salvation by fully and finally turning their back on Jesus Christ and reverting to unrepentant unbelief? Some say, Yes. Others, such as myself, believe that God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is committed to preserving all his children in saving faith and wi...Read More

Jan 2020 23 Jan 23, 2020
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[This article was written by Hayden Hefner, Pastor of Student Ministries here at Bridgeway Church. I trust that you will find it as moving and encouraging as I have. Be blessed!] Memory is so odd and so wonderful. Like musical notes on lines of treble and bass, life’s moments are permanently imprinted onto the parchment of our hearts. Played in sequence, these notes create a memorable melody and tell the story of our lives. This last year was filled with many suc...Read More

Jan 2020 20 Jan 20, 2020
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In 1862 Joseph Gilmore wrote one of the more familiar of our traditional hymns: He Leadeth Me. He leadeth me, O blessèd thought! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught! Whate’er I do, where’er I be, Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me. He leadeth me, He leadeth me, By His own hand He leadeth me; His faithful follower I would be, For by His hand He leadeth me When Jesus turns to describe himself as the Good Shepherd who lays do...Read More

Jan 2020 13 Jan 13, 2020
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When Jesus declared to the religious leaders of his day that “Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day” and that “he saw it and was glad” (John 8:56), this was more than they could stomach. He’s gone too far, they said to themselves. How can you possibly know what Abraham saw and what brought him joy? You haven’t seen him. Abraham was born in 2,160 b.c., or thereabouts. But “you are not yet fifty years old” (v. 57). Abraha...Read More

Jan 2020 9 Jan 9, 2020
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Of all the questions I’m asked by other Christians, one tops the list: what is the meaning of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, or the unpardonable sin, and have I committed it? In earlier articles and in the chapter on this subject in my book, Tough Topics (Crossway), I labored to point out that this is not some inadvertent, singular, or even occasional sin. I also made it clear that those who live in fear and anxiety that they have committed this sin are the least l...Read More

Jan 2020 6 Jan 6, 2020
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Yes, I know the Christmas season is behind us now. It’s typical of most Christians, once December gives way to a new year, to turn their attention to other themes and the responsibilities of the new year. But permit me for a brief moment to linger with the Christmas story and the events surrounding the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. As I was preparing to preach on Matthew 2 at Christmas, I couldn’t help but notice how often God employed angels and dreams an...Read More

Jan 2020 1 Jan 1, 2020

It’s time once again for my selection of the best books released in 2019. I’ll list them from 10 to 1. By the way, there were a couple of ties along the way. (10) Matthew Barrett, editor, The Doctrine on Which the Church Stands or Falls: Justification in Biblical, Theological, Historical, and Pastoral Perspective (Wheaton: Crossway), 912 pages. With the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation in 2017 there were numerous books devo...Read More