Thought For the Week

Dear Friends, Life is not always easy. Things come our way that inflict pain and wound the heart. Sickness can steal away our energy and strength for a time – though it is more difficult when it is chronic. My father was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 43 and struggled with its effects until he passed away at 85 – being told close to that time that his physical body was like that of a 110-year-old. Being in constant pain earned him the occasional nick-name, “Grumpy Grampy.” I could understand why. Pain is no fun. I’m not the easiest to be around when I’m in constant pain either. And as John Owen once pointed out, “It is not the intensity of the trial, but its longevity, that eats away at our resolve.” Therefore, if you are struggling in this area (or know someone who is), today I offer you some helpful words from Charles Spurgeon. Yet, it helps to point out he was not giving advice as one who did not himself struggle. He battled much of his life with depressi...

Dear Friends, One of my professors (Jerry Bridges) once let us listen to a cassette tape recording (2001) of best-selling Christian authors at a Christian Booksellers Conference. They were asked the question: “What is the Gospel?” The answers given by every one of the best-selling authors who were interviewed varied from lacking at best, to tongue-tied and scrambling for an answer, to completely heretical. Yet, the Gospel is the one message every believer should know through and through, since everything in the Christian life flows out of the Gospel! Therefore, today, I pass along some insights or descriptions of the Gospel that are very much “spot on” and in line with the biblical Gospel, because to the extent that we get the Gospel wrong, we weaken it’s saving and life-transforming power and can lead people astray. If the Gospel (the one given in the New Testament) “IS the power of God for the salvation of all who believe” a different Gospel (Galatians 1:6-7) does not carry ...

Dear Friends, As I look online, I see a lot of posts by Christians voicing their sentiments on politics and the coming election. Some do it in a civil and engaging fashion, while others seem to be, “agree with me or exit the conversation.” Some paint their candidate as a flawless savior and the opposing candidate as the devil in the flesh, while others admit that both candidates (being human) are sinners, and therefore have flaws and blind spots – straying in differing areas from a well-rounded biblical or gospel-like perspective. The Gospel is too radical to be captive to any flawed and lacking human political party’s agenda. I try to stay out of politics, and have always kept it out of the pulpit, despite advice to the contrary. But since it is a reality we must deal with I prefer to simply offer guidance. The first section (in purple) is wise counsel on Christian involvement in politics in general, not from me, but from a man named Dr. Matt O’Reilly. Obviously, I agree wi...