Here’s a collection of helpful, edifying articles. Perhaps one will capture your attention and encourage you in the Lord. Happy reading!

He Dawns as Mighty God by David Mathis

We’ve become familiar with the phrase ‘Mighty God’ as a reference to the Christ child. This article invites us to exult in the true meaning of this incredible phrase. “This ‘God’ of Isaiah 9:6 paired with ‘might’ brings us to the battlefield. The “Wonderful Counselor” guides his people with wisdom at a fork in the road; the “God of might” stands before them in battle. David had his mighty men for war. God’s people, forecasts Isaiah, will have a Mighty God with them in combat.”

What Does It Mean to Let Our Light Shine? by John Piper

In this article, Piper connects Jesus’s command “to let our light shine” with Jesus’s last Beatitute. “Jesus’s command for all the world is that all human beings find in him the all-satisfying glory for which we were made. Then he commands that we turn from trusting in anything else, and bank our hope on the “great reward” of everlasting joy in him. And then, in that hope and joy, he commands that we let that light shine in sacrificial good deeds of love, so that others will see and savor and spread the glory of God.”

The Deadly Danger of Remodeling Hell by Al Mohler

Kirk Cameron recently denied the clear biblical teaching on hell as eternal conscious torment. Because this has garnered so much attention, Mohler addresses several of Cameron’s statements and arguments. “The New Testament evidence for hell as eternal conscious punishment is clear, as Jesus declared in Matthew 25:46: “And these will go away unto eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” Note carefully that eternal punishment and eternal life are presented as parallel destinies—both are eternal and both are final. The wicked, without Christ, go to eternal conscious torment, described in the Bible with graphic intensity. The redeemed, bearing the imputed righteousness of Christ Himself, enter into eternal life. Annihilation is not part of the picture. Hell is not a passage into non-existence, but the torment of the wicked. The truth is horrible, so the warnings are stark.”

What About Hell? by Ryan Denton

In a similar vein, Ryan Denton pleads with unbelievers to flee from hell and to flee to Christ, the only safe refuge from the wrath to come. “Here’s another way to think about it. The real monstrosity is not God’s justice that damns the sinner to hell for eternity. It’s the sinner who turns against his Creator while breathing the air God gives, basking under God’s sunlight, eating the food God provides with the miracle of tastebuds that cover his tongue, all while walking and living on the earth God made. These very gifts are used to defy Him. The creature depends on God every moment for life, breath, and being—and yet lives as if God is unnecessary. This is the height of treason and ingratitude. This is why hell is not excessive.“

What Consitutes a True Baptism? by Sam Emadi

Sam Emadi gives us four diagnostic questions to help determine whether someone’s baptism was genuine. This article is particularly helpful for pastors as they interview prospective members. “In these circumstances, determining whether a baptism was true, even if irregular, can be complicated. In my own ministry, I’ve used the following four questions as a grid for determining true baptisms. If you can answer each of the following four questions affirmatively then I think you’re looking at a true baptism.”