"All of life is business with God…" John Calvin
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 recently wrote about God’s love for his children even in the midst of their suffering, and I still believe it is true. But it was only a sliver of biblical truth regarding suffering. In the face of great suffering, the first thing to say may be nothing at all. I know that all the … Continue reading Unspeakable
Update, we're positive for covid. Let's break this down: The bad news: we're kinda sick and are isolating ourselves. We were exposed along with members of our extended family, one of whom is also positive, and another who is symptomatic and likely positive. We may have exposed others; they have been notified. Our daughter Erin … Continue reading The News: Bad to Best
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
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
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
A few weeks ago we went to Wisconsin, along the shore of Lake Superior, for a beautiful week of vacation. The local residents love their lake, and they clearly enjoy the adjectival advantages of living next to North America’s largest lake, which is “superior in magnitude to any of the lakes on that vast continent.”[1] … Continue reading Jesus Christ, Our Superior Prophet, Priest, and King
Grateful 