Worship for Dummies: The Regulative Principle Made Simple
God created man for worship. Jesus declared that the Father is seeking worshippers who will worship Him “in spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24). Not surprisingly, the Shorter Catechism begins by affirming, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.” But this raises the question, “How should God be worshiped?” To be more precise, “What kind of worship pleases God?” The answer is vital. Thankfully, it’s not that complicated. Even a child may understand. Read more 
Communication That Connects: Our Preaching, Bible Version, Confession, Branding, and Songs
In the previous installments of this series, I’ve addressed the importance, definition, and biblical support for accommodating our gospel communication to make it intelligible to the people we’re trying to reach.1 Below I’d like to highlight five different areas in which we should seek to apply this principle of accommodation to the way we communicate biblical truth in church ministry. Read more
Is God’s Love Like a Hurricane?
The first line of John Mark McMillan’s song “How He Loves” compares God’s love to “a hurricane” and the believer as “bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.” But hurricanes are overpowering forces that bring destruction, suffering, and, in some cases, death. Not surprisingly, the apparent dissonance of the metaphor and the glorious truth it’s meant to portray has left some people wondering whether a hurricane is an appropriate metaphor for God’s love. Read more
Judgment Begins at the House of God: A Theology of Malachi
Several decades have passed since the temple was rebuilt and the worship of Yahweh restored under the preaching of Haggai and Zechariah. The promised King, however, had not yet come (Zech. 9:9), nor had God’s promised glory filled the temple (Hag. 2:6-9). As a result, true worship devolved into dead religion. From Israel’s perspective, God existed solely to grant his people health and material prosperity as a merited blessing. Read more
Yes, We May Be Passionate: A Friendly Reply to James Renihan
Dr. James Renihan published on his blog an entry entitled, “Are You Passionate?” (June 3, 2008), which the reader may access here. The article was just republished (Jan 5, 3013) on the Reformed Baptist Fellowship blog here and today (Jan 8, 2013) on the Aquila Report here. Renihan begins the article with the remark, “Evangelical preachers and writers have become passionate about being passionate.” “We are urged,” he says, “to have a passion for God, to be passionate about winning souls, to be passionate in worship etc. ad nauseum.” Read more
When God Doesn’t Seem to Answer Prayer
Lazarus of Bethany, the brother of Martha and Mary, is deathly ill (John 11:1-2). His two sisters send an urgent request to the only One they know has the power to heal Lazarus and keep him from death (11:3). But when Jesus receives the message, He does not immediately come to Lazarus’ aid. Instead, He purposely delays two extra days (11:6). As a result, Lazarus dies and the prayer of his sisters appears to go unanswered. Read more
Yahweh as “Holy King”: God’s Holiness and Our Worship
Psalm 99 is categorized as an “enthronement Psalm.” As such, it focuses our attention upon God’s kingship. It states in explicit terms that the Lord (Yahweh) is king, and that he reigns as king in Zion. But this psalm especially focuses our attention upon God’s holiness. Three times there’s a call to worship followed by a refrain: “He is holy” (99:3, 5, 9). God’s holiness refers to His absolute uniqueness. He’s in a class all His own. In this sense, God’s holiness is not merely one among many of His attributes. Rather, God’s holiness defines all His other attributes. Read more
2013 Winter Module: Church Ministry
Grace Baptist Church of Taylors, South Carolina will host Reformed Baptist Seminary‘s 2013 winter module on “Church Ministry” on the week of January 14 thru 18. Lecturers will include Pastors Bob Selph, Ted Christman, Matt Foreman, Chad Clint, and Bob Gonzales. Below are some of the topics that will be covered: Read more
Christ as the Pastor’s Center – Tom Ascol
Every serious-minded pastors desires to have a Christ-centered ministry. But what precisely does it mean to have a ministry where Christ is the central theme of our preaching and controlling paradigm of our shepherding? This is the question Dr Tom Ascol attempts to address as he discusses how Jesus Christ should shape the pastor’s ministry. Read more
A Poem to My Parents for Their 50th Anniversary
I grew up in a dysfunctional family with a father and mother whose marriage was on the rocks. But when God saved me at age 22, he had more in mind than rescuing me from darkness. He began a work in the entire Gonzales family and eventually drew both my parents to Christ. What’s more, he salvaged and continues to transform their marriage. Last night, we had the joy of celebrating their 50th anniversary. We also rejoiced in the fact that God has become the glue that binds their relationship, and he has graciously granted them believing children and grandchildren to be their crown (Prov 17:6). Below is a brief poem (and prayer) I wrote to commemorate the happy event. Read more
