News

From Slavery to Singing

Everyone wants joy. Everyone wants to be happy. Have that in mind as your end goal—your desire for them. Bring them along to church. May that be your motivation to invite them: the power in this message that’s preached in church. So listen to Moses who preached to Pharaoh and…

Rewriting “My Way”

The previous pastor of this church, used to quote a popular song all the time in this pulpit, it was Frank Sinatra’s My Way. Quoting My Way in a pulpit has probably become a bit of a cliché by now! But it is such a clear example of sin! My Way by Frank…

Good News of Great Joy

Isaiah knew that great joy when he preached of the feet of him who brings good news on the mountain—being beautiful because that man is bringing good news of happiness. He’s publishing salvation. He’s saying to Zion, “Your God reigns.” It’s okay. The war is over. God has brought peace…

Miracles as Signs Confirming God’s Authority

This is how Moses confirmed his authority in Egypt before Pharaoh: the sign of the staff turning into a snake, and the hand being turned leprous—pointing to the power of the Lord. Now Moses truly was sent by him. It’s a sign. Or think of the Baal worshippers—following the wrong…

Faithful in Every Place

In the Old Testament, I’m reminded of Joseph and how he was a witness in Egypt too—his master’s house, how he was even a witness in the prison where he ended up, and then in the government of Egypt. These are all the places where he was scattered, and he…

Crushing Satan with the Shield of Faith

Trust in Christ is not a passive thing; it’s an active thing. It’s like putting up a shield and holding it up. That active trust in Christ actually extinguishes all the flaming darts of the evil one, according to Paul in Ephesians 6. So, that’s another way that Paul had…

The Devil: Defeated, Yet Still Dangerous

The ruler of this world was cast out by the cross. His head was crushed by the cross. He fell from heaven and has been destroyed—past tense. He had the power of death and would be destroyed when Jesus died on the cross and when Jesus rose again, and I…

The God of Peace

The Father promises his people in Leviticus 26: “I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid.” David speaks to the Lord: “You, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 29 affirms, “The Lord will bless his people with peace,”…

Persecuted from Within: Faithfulness in a Scattering Church

Sadly, in the case of many churches, the persecution comes from within. And I suppose, in one sense, that’s what was happening here in Acts 8, because the people persecuting Stephen were those who claimed to be Bible men, those who claimed to be believers in the Messiah. But they…

Wang Zhiming and the Cost of Standing Firm

Beginning in 1966, something called the Cultural Revolution took place in China. It was led by Chairman Mao, and its main goal was to enforce communism in China and to remove all the old customs, the old culture, the old habits, and the old ideas of China, and to replace…