Monthly Archives: December 2010

Our Responsibility as Individuals…

God does save us as individuals. But this does not mean that he wants us to live out our lives in isolation from a corporate involvement. We need to find our individual callings in the context of the larger calling … Continue reading

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Seventh Day of Christmas

GALATIANS 4:4-5 4But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. DEVOTIONAL … Continue reading

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Sixth Day of Christmas

2 CORINTHIANS 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT During Advent we read through … Continue reading

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Fifth Day of Christmas

JOHN 3:16-17: 16For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, … Continue reading

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My fault…

Anyone who reads as much as I do is probably familiar with the closing paragraph of the acknowledgment section of a book. It ends with the author making it clear that if there are faults in the book, they should … Continue reading

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Video Book Review #8 – Bram Stoker’s Dracula

  Welcome to another episode of Book Reviews. This is episode #8. On this episode I want to briefly review Bram Stoker’s classic Dracula. I began reading this in book form, but when I discovered it was available for free … Continue reading

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Fourth Day of Christmas

1 PETER 1:10-12 10Of this salvation the prophets have inquired and searched carefully, who prophesied of the grace that would come to you,11searching what, or what manner of time, the Spirit of Christ who was in them was indicating when … Continue reading

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Third Day of Christmas

JOHN 8:56-58 56 “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” 57Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” 58Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, … Continue reading

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The Incarnation: Gospel, Deception, and Justice

The audio from my first sermon after Christmas. Manuscript: Prayer: May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock, and our Kinsman. Amen. Sermon: People of God, this … Continue reading

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Second Day of Christmas

JOHN 1:9-10 9That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT In the verses … Continue reading

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Communion Meditation: The Preserver of our Souls

Our gospel lesson this morning teaches us that Joseph is the great preserver. He—by his faithfulness—preserves his family, but much more than that, he preserves the One who will become His preserver. The Christ child will become Joseph’s protector in … Continue reading

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Exhortation: Changing into the Unchanging God

God is unchanging. The calendar changes, but Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We are a dependent people, and today we express our dependence by receiving God’s gifts in worship. This morning the incarnate Son of God … Continue reading

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First Day of Christmas

1 TIMOTHY 1:15-17 15This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief. 16However, for this reason I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ … Continue reading

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Twenty-Seventh Day of Advent

Isaiah 9:4-7 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian. 5 For every warrior’s sandal from the noisy battle, And garments … Continue reading

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The Foolishness of the Cross…

John Calvin sees that the reason Joseph was sent to Egypt for refuge and nourishment is another demonstration of the foolishness of the cross, which far surpasses the foolishness of the world. The world expected a different scenario, but God … Continue reading

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Twenty-Sixth Day of Advent

Isaiah 9:1-3 1 Nevertheless the gloom will not be upon her who is distressed, As when at first He lightly esteemed The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward more heavily oppressed her, By the way of … Continue reading

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Double Death…

Chiastically, Jim Jordan argues in his recently released paper– on the structures of the gospel of Matthew–that the “martyrdom of the little children is prophetically related to the coming of the destruction of Jerusalem.” The martyrdom of the little children … Continue reading

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Jesus, the New Samson

David Garland believes Matthew is making a word play on the word “nazarite.” By doing so, he is comparing Jesus to Samson. Like Samson, Jesus  “was made holy to God from his mother’s womb (Judges 16:17) and was to save … Continue reading

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Omens and Anti-Christ superstitions…

Peter Leithart in DC references the absurd belief in the ability of oracles to predict war outcomes. For Maxentius, it was an exodus-like disaster. Likewise, David Garland’s Literary and Theological Commentary on Matthew observes similarly that in the first century, … Continue reading

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Twenty-Fifth Day of Advent

HEBREWS 2:14-18 14Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and release those who … Continue reading

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Steve Wilkins vs. Advent Conspiracy

Our interview with Pastor Steve Wilkins can be found here.

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Leithart on Perrin’s Jesus the Temple

Leithart summarizes Perrin’s fascinating observation on St. Matthew’s language of heavenly treasures with the following words: In his highly stimulating Jesus the Temple, Nick Perrin examines Jesus’ statements about “heavenly treasure” in the light of the “counter-temple” agenda that Perrin argues is central … Continue reading

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Twenty Fourth Day of Advent

ISAIAH 53:1-3 1Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, And as a root out of dry ground. He has … Continue reading

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Twenty Third Day of Advent

LUKE 2:36-38 36 Now there was one, Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37and this woman was a … Continue reading

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A Prayer of Thanksgiving for Wine

Most merciful God, we celebrate with great delight your good gifts this evening. We delight in this community of saints; for the righteous saints gathered here who like Joseph love your law and seek to live under your righteous rule. … Continue reading

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Twenty Second Day of Advent

LUKE 2:33-35 33And Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. 34Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and … Continue reading

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Exhortation: The Divine Conspiracy

Grace, Mercy, and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to read a section of Isaiah 7 this morning. Of course, Isaiah 7 is well known for its 14th verse, which reads: … Continue reading

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Communion Meditation: The Table of Love

Our gospel lesson this morning teaches us that God does not overlook his servants’ faithfulness. Joseph is a model of godliness for the people of God. His love for Mary and his love for God’s law reveal what sort of … Continue reading

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Twenty First Day of Advent

25And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26And it had been revealed to him by the … Continue reading

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Leithart on the necessity of poetry

If poetry is low on our cultural priorities, it will likely mean that the Bible is as well. But the way forward is to start with the Bible not with poetry. Put the Bible back in play, and poetry will … Continue reading

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