I recently read the autobiography of Andre Agassi, an American tennis player whose profession career spanned twenty years (1986–2006) and whose unorthodox apparel and attitude is widely credited with helping to revive the popularity of the sport by which he made his living. Agassi’s career was one of ups and downs. He first reached the World No. 1 ranking in 1995, but sank … [Read more...]
Personal Revival (Psalm 119:153–160)
Psalm 119:153–160 addresses the need for personal revival in the life of the believer. We will look at these eight verses under two broad headings: (1) personal revival through our affliction (vv. 153–158); and (2) personal revival in our affection (vv. 159–160). The text draws our attention to three areas of affliction that can lead us to despair and a weakened desire for the … [Read more...]
Pursuing Righteousness Amidst Suffering (Psalm 119:121–128)
What do Christians sing in their misery? That might seem like an absurd question to ask. Perhaps the thought of a broken-hearted, lonely, or despairing Christian is so absurd that it’s comical. And yet I ask the question honestly. We have been making our way through Psalm 119, the great psalm concerning God’s Word and the blessings that it brings to us. And yet, although a … [Read more...]
Keep at It (Psalm 4:1–8)
I recently returned from a trip to a country where two of our missionaries are serving. The land where they are making disciples is a difficult place, in many ways—not the least of which is that only about one percent of the population are evangelical Christians. A larger percentage would be nominally Christian. These, in fact, have become our missionaries’ main target for … [Read more...]
The Perseverance of the Saviour (Psalm 129:1–8)
I recently met with a visitor to our church and, and during our time together he asked me about the doctrine of eternal security. I explained to him what our church believes, but then added that “the perseverance of the saints” is probably a better description of this biblical teaching. The doctrine of the perseverance of the saints teaches that, once a person is justified … [Read more...]