The year 2010 has been a busy one for my household - we had three graduations! My son graduated from college, one daughter from high school, and I finally finished my PhD in Theology!  Although the attention in our home is rightly focused on the accomplishments of our children, my wife and I occasionally exchange a look that says, “Yes! We are finally finished the PhD!”

It took me nine years of official work and even longer if you count some preliminary studies. It started when we lived in Africa and spanned the first eight years of our time back in the U.S. I never was able to devote my sole attention to it - I was working full-time and squeezing the studies into the “cracks” of time between work and family responsibilities. More than once I questioned whether I would actually succeed. In those times I asked myself again, “Why are you doing this?” For those in the church which I pastor you may be interested in the answer to that question. So here goes… (more…)

As a Christian you are supposed to love. You know that. But do you know that you are also called on to hate? (more…)

I’m still thinking about the value of our soul, about how important you are. And in thinking about this I’m turning to John Flavel, a very influential preacher from the late 1600s. He points us to one of the most profound truths that convince us that we really are important to God.  (more…)

I’m thinking these days about how valuable you and I are to God. Sometimes when we talk about the seriousness of sin and the fact that we really are deserving of punishment from God, we mistakenly conclude that we are not valuable. Some people think that because the Bible tells us that we are sinful that therefore the Bible teaches that we are not valuable. But nothing could be further from the truth! (more…)

We’re thinking these days about the worth of our souls. (more…)

Are you (not your possessions, but you yourself) valuable? What are you worth? Some people don’t feel that they are worth much. How do you feel? (more…)

The account of Adam and Eve that we find in the Bible is very instructive for many reasons, but one in particular  (more…)

I continue sharing with you John Flavel’s meditation on 1 Corinthians 1:30. He has maintained that it is the Spirit’s work that makes real in our lives the salvation that the Father planned and the Son accomplished. In thinking further on this he writes… (more…)

John Flavel, in looking at 1 Corinthians 1:30, has concluded that “The Lord Jesus Christ, with all His precious benefits, becomes ours, by God’s special and effectual application.” Now, you may not be used to hearing the word ‘application’ used like that. What Flavel is saying, is that God applied the Son to us, and by so doing He saved us. But this application of Christ to us is not a description of all of salvation. There was more that preceded it. Let’s let John Flavel explain… (more…)

I want to continue sharing with you some of John Flavel’s writings. Last time he began a discussion on 1 Corinthians 1:30. He explained that Christ is our wisdom, our righteousness, our sanctification and our redemption. He continues… (more…)