"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
“Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9–10) Jesus taught us to pray that God’s will would be done here on earth. If we believe that God is sovereign, then we believe that everything that happens on earth is according to his divine will. … Continue reading Not a Blind Faith, but a Puzzled Faith
The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. — Philippians 4:5b–7 This passage of Scripture is one of the reasons Philippians is … Continue reading When Saints Disagree
I was away last week, and our study was led by Jana, who very faithfully and capably put in the work to walk us through this portion of the book of Hebrews, 8:1–9:14. I say “walk,” but getting to this chapter has taken a climb. Together with the author of Hebrews we have scaled the … Continue reading Such a High Priest
As I age, I’m finding that even with the progressive lenses in my spectacles, I often need a magnifying glass to read fine print. (Why does the important information on medication bottles need to be so small anyway?) Pulling out the curved lens of a magnifying glass enlarges and brings clarity to that which was … Continue reading After the Order of Melchizedek
In my previous post, we considered the personal rebuke and sober warning found in Hebrews 5:11–6:8, and the questions raised concerning assurance of salvation. As we learned, that passage does not teach that a genuine believer in Jesus Christ can lose her salvation. But where do we find assurance of salvation? Knowing that genuine believers … Continue reading A Sure and Steadfast Anchor
I'm a big fan of infants. After all, I'm a Grandmommy, and in recent months we have welcomed two precious grandsons to our family. There are so many joys that come with these precious children: snuggling and feeding them, watching their faces as they explore their new world, seeing them grow and change into the … Continue reading The Peril of Perpetual Immaturity
In the first four chapters of the book of Hebrews the author has been exhorting his readers to persevere in the faith of the gospel, gathering his encouragements in the form of arguments for: the supremacy of Christ as the final and best revelation of God, Christ in his humanity being perfectly suited to be … Continue reading God’s Life-Giving Word
Sin whispers, “Is God really good?” Sin suggests, “You can do better than God’s way.” Sin befriends, “God doesn’t have your best interest at heart; I do.” Sin cajoles, “Just this once.” Sin promises, “You’re in control. You’ve got this. Nobody needs to know. You can stop at any time.” Sin deceives. In the Garden, … Continue reading Hold Fast
My husband Jim and I went kayaking last month on Lake Superior with a group led by our daughter Erin. Being a good guide, she gave us a safety briefing before we began. Part of her briefing included the need to stay together. The first morning we went out there was an unusually heavy fog, … Continue reading Don’t Drift
