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On Suffering and the Love of God

  All of my readers know what it is to suffer. We all pass through difficult seasons—physical, emotional, or spiritual, and sometimes all three at once. When I compare my own recent trial to the tragic losses others have faced, I hardly dare to call it a trial at all. Still, something has taken place in this season that feels worth sharing. In March 2025, I was hospitalized with severe rhabdomyolysis (rhabdo)—a condition in which muscle tissue rapidly breaks down, releasing harmful proteins into the bloodstream. My creatine kinase (CK) levels, which indicate muscle damage, were quite high—over 60,000, far beyond the normal range. In the months since, I’ve had two more episodes and a series of related symptoms that have led to repeated hospital visits. I’ve been told that it isn’t a matter of if but when another episode will occur. For reasons not yet understood, my muscles no longer recover properly after exertion. I can’t spend much time on my feet, must limit any kind of exertio...
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The Goodness of God

  “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins (1 John 4:9-10).” “For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations (Psalm 100:5).” If I were to ask you where creation came from, I trust you would tell me God. You would be able to say that this was entirely His idea, entirely His invention. What I want you to remember, as you think about what God has done to rescue His people from their sin, is that this too was entirely His idea and entirely His invention. I say that because there seems to be an emotional part of our memory that is forgetful of such things. When we go wrong in our lives, when we disappoint ourselves with our sin and our weakness, and find ourselves in the midst of regret and shame, we seem to remember it backwards - ...
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From Rutherford to Ravenhill: My Most Beloved Books

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  At home I have a shelf of favourite books. That is the picture above. Some time ago, I began a series of “ top six ” books on various subjects. Here, I’d like to do something a little different. First, I want to name the six books that have most impacted my life. Second, I want to name those which remain most precious to me. With present health issues, I find myself drawn to another kind of book. Were I confined to my sickbed with only my Bible and a few other books, these are the ones I would choose. I had planned to restrict it to six for consistency’s sake, but I am finding that impossible. The six that have most impacted my life The Letters of Samuel Rutherford — edited by Andrew Bonar Memoirs & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne — Andrew Bonar Power Through Prayer — E.M. Bounds Revival — D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Studies in the Sermon on the Mount — D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Why Revival Tarries — Leonard Ravenhill Eight that remain most precious Looking Unto Jesus — Isaac ...
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The Lord is my Shepherd

  "The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me. Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely, goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." - Psalm 23 Remember that the Shepherd of whom this psalm speaks is Jesus. It was Jesus Himself who would later say, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). So when we say, “The Lord is my shepherd,” we are talking about Him - the Lord of glory, Immanuel, God with us. One whom the book of Colossians says is “the image of the invisible God, the firstborn o...
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On Animosity, Hate and the Kenneth Kranendonk Post

Yesterday I had a brief exchange with someone over these words from a recent blog post : “Today, Christians are sometimes known for their animosity toward people who identify as LGBT, or toward those who strongly advocate for them.” I said I didn’t understand such animosity. As I understand it, animosity means hostility, resentment, or ill will. One dictionary defines it as " a strong feeling of dislike or hatred :  ill will  or resentment tending toward active hostility  :  an antagonistic attitude."   At first, I thought the questions I was asked had to do with my stance on homosexuality. In fact, I was asked: “Is there a reason you took down your blog posts responding to Kenneth Kranendonk’s false teaching?” I affirmed - as I did in the original post - that I hold to a biblical ethic, and that my convictions on homosexuality have not changed. Why would they?   But during the exchange I realized the real issue - at least from this man’s perspective - ...
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