I’ve been reading through John Calvin’s commentary on the Gospels, and although I’m not even finished with his study of Luke 1, I am already thankful for his passion for Christ and for truth.
This quote struck me as I read the other day:
The presence of God fills men with alarm, which not only leads them [...]
Anyone who has appreciated J. R. R. Tolkien’s marvelous trilogy will understand why I’ve picked up again the first book, The Fellowship of the Ring. I’m beginning again, enjoying every sentence as it takes me back into Middle Earth. I have only just gone through the prologue, but I’m already caught in allegory. [...]
Continue reading about Books Filled With Things We Already Know
I’m spending a long night proofreading, and I have iTunes playing my music in the background. Chris Tomlin’s song, This Is Our God just played, and it shook me out of my work mindset. The lyrics are beautiful, but the truths they contain are far greater still.
As you read, realize just how wonderful [...]
It’s time to think of an outline for tomorrow’s talk. Here’s a rough, initial sketch:
Intro:Who is Joshua Lake?
What have we covered this semester?
Creation
The Fall
Promise to Redeem Humanity and Crush Satan
Promise to Abraham
The Law
Promise to David
What are the big ideas from all of that?
God, over and over again, blesses us.
Each time, humans ruin the situation.
God promises [...]
Continue reading about God is Faithful And It Matters to Students - A Rough Outline
A few scattered points about God’s faithfulness:
The RSV translation explains God’s faithfulness in this way:
God is one “with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” -James 1:17
Thankfully, God does not change in any way. If He were to change upon a whim, as do we all, nothing would be sure. If [...]
Thinking about God’s faithfulness as it was described to Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the nation of Israel can easily feel distant from our lives, because their situation was so clearly different from ours in so many ways. Even as I’ve been studying and writing it has felt distant. The nation of Israel is two things, primarily, [...]
The book of Hebrews makes much of the fulfillment of prophesy through Christ, specifically the ways in which Jesus fulfills the high priestly prophecies. After discussing that, the writer adds:
Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inagurated for [...]
Continue reading about God is Faithful to Individuals - Hebrews 10:19-23
In the Davidic covenant, God promised a kingly line from David, a line that would never end. Verses 17 and 18 put it this way:
“For thus says the Lord, ‘David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man before [...]
Continue reading about God is Faithful in Promising Christ - Jeremiah 33:14-21
In Ezekiel 36, God speaks to Israel about His reason for blessing them, for giving them a new heart, and for promising to be their God forever. He warns them against arrogance and pride, reminding them that He has acted, as we saw in Numbers, for His name’s sake.
“Therefore, say to the house of Israel, [...]
Continue reading about God is Faithful to His People for His Name’s Sake - Ezekiel 36:22-36
Reading through the book of Jeremiah is a study in irony. Nearly every chapter repeats the same theme: The people of Israel are wicked, God promises judgment if they do not repent and blessing if they will return to Him. This is the same theme found in every story of Israel. The nation turns from [...]
Continue reading about God is Faithful to His Nation - Jeremiah
