From the Pastors' Desks

“How do I act right when my spouse acts wrong?” That’s a great question! Let me recommend one resource that works out biblically-wise answers in ways that are practical and true to life: "How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong" by Biblical counselor Leslie Vernick. In what follows, I’ve tried to summarize what Vernick says in 200 pages. If you find yourself reacting sinfully to being sinned against by your spouse, or if you know someone who does, let me encourage you to read and apply this book in your life and ministry. Of course, if you would like to sit down together and talk about these sorts of struggles, please let me know; I would be glad to help you!

I’d like to be that guy - the one who is not afraid of bad news. The one whose heart is firm and steady. How do you get to be a person like that?? Well, it’s right there in the text – “his heart is firm, trusting in the Lord". That’s it. That’s the gold. The biblical antidote to fear is “trusting in the Lord”. The way to have a “firm heart” in the midst of troubling times and even trembling mountains (Ps 46:3) is to lean on the rock of God’s faithfulness and stand on the unshakeable foundation of His promises.

O God of the Nations, You are the all-powerful God, who appoints our times... Yet knowing that you are compassionate and merciful, and that you have instructed us to lift up prayers for all who are in high position that we might live peaceful and quiet lives, we pray for Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus and their governing authorities.

There are some meals you remember. Some are memorable for their location or quality: I remember eating my first steak and ale pie in a restaurant outside Aberdeen, and the pork schnitzel that I had in a beer garden outside the city limits of Vienna may have been the best meal I’ve ever had. Others are memorable for their uniqueness, like when I tried calamari or pickled herring (and survived). And still others are memorable for their company. I remember listening with fascination at a dinner party to my host sharing stories, like the time he got into a shoot-out with poachers while on safari in Africa. Believe me when I say that it was a memorable meal for all sorts of reasons!

I read an article last week by Rick Perhai, an American missionary who had decided to remain in Ukraine despite the danger of an imminent Russian invasion. What I found particularly compelling was the idea that, when life gets scary, God’s people have a refuge the world knows nothing of – and which we ourselves only discover, in truth, when “all around our soul gives way”.

How do you get FROM Big Ben TO Buckingham Palace? Or more generally, how do you get FROM any point A TO any point B within a six-mile radius from the center of downtown London? You’ll find no better guides than the drivers of the Black Cab. The reason? As Gregory Hudson puts it, “Cabbies are famed for possessing a detailed understanding of the city.” First comes a few years of training, then comes a thoroughgoing testing. The result? These drivers possess a “mental map” of some 25,000 city streets! They call it “The Knowledge”—a very practical, down-to-earth understanding of how to take a person FROM here TO there.

When elders engage in household visitation, one of the most common clusters of questions that are asked is about personal devotions and family worship: where do I start? Do you have any recommended resources for family devotions? What can I use if I’m looking to grow in my personal devotional life? What could I read with my girlfriend or boyfriend? As we’re closing out the first month of the year, I thought it would be helpful to provide some recommendations of devotionals that you could use for personal devotions or family devotions.

Raised in a Presbyterian and Reformed congregation in Mexico, I grew up singing many praise and worship songs written by English speaking Christians artists and translated into Spanish. We sang songs by Keith and Kristin Getty, Chris Tomlin, and others.

Do you know what the leading cause of death is in the world? Last year it accounted for 42.5 million deaths. That’s more than the deaths caused by heart disease (18M.), cancer (9.5M.), and respiratory diseases (4M.) combined. Care to guess what it is? Abortion.

I heard from several people that the sermon this past Sunday night was a great blessing to them. It seems to have touched a nerve. The name of that nerve is “fear”. We all have it. We would all like to be rid of it. So, when God says “Fear not” and gives us glorious reasons for comfort and courage, it matters.