Reformed Thinking

Deep Dive into The Great Commission by Michael Morales The church's active engagement in the Great Commission stems from a renewed vision of Jesus Christ in all His glory and splendor . Matthew's Gospel strikingly concludes not with an ascension, but with a powerful image of Jesus already exalted and reigning at the Father's right hand, a foretaste of His heavenly glory. This scene on...

Deep Dive into The Forgotten Doctrine in Missions by Jonathan Master The new birth, also known as regeneration, is presented as a radical, supernatural transformation of a spiritually dead heart, brought to life by God the Holy Spirit through His Word. Jesus emphasized its absolute necessity, stating that "unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is an internal, G...

Deep Dive into All of Grace: An Earnest Word for Those Who Are, by Grace, Seeking Salvation by Charles Spurgeon - Why Saints Persevere The perseverance and ultimate security of believers are firmly rooted in two immutable foundations: God's unwavering faithfulness and their indissoluble union with His Son, Jesus Christ . Unlike the unreliable and "mere vanity" of human faithfulness,...

Deep Dive into Tyndale - To the Ends of the Earth by John Piper The central message from the sources is that there is no optimal time for world evangelization or truth clarification . Ideal conditions for God's mission will never naturally occur due to pervasive spiritual and earthly challenges. Therefore, engaging in Christian work requires embracing "inhospitable, unsuitable, uncongenia...

Deep Dive into The Power of a Sigh (Psalm 12:5) by Charles Spurgeon Charles Haddon Spurgeon’s sermon, "The Power of a Sigh," delivered on April 22, 1886, offers immense comfort by focusing on God's response to human suffering. The central message is that even in the darkest times, God hears the deepest sorrows of His people, especially when expressed through a simple sigh, and is pow...

Deep Dive into Missions Today by Brooks Buser The core of effective missions, as presented by Brooks Buser, centers on the ultimate goal of church planting as the fulfillment of the Great Commission. He emphasizes that missionaries must aim high from the outset, as they rarely achieve more than what they initially set out to do. This is a long-term endeavor , with anything less than five years con...

Deep Dive into מְנָת The Hebrew word מְנָת (menāṯ) is a versatile feminine noun primarily meaning a "part" or "portion." It originates from the Hebrew root מָנָה , which signifies "to count" or "to allot." While considered an Aramaic loanword into Hebrew, it has deep linguistic roots across Semitic languages, with cognates like "מְנָתָא" in various...

Deep Dive into Modern Missions: What's Really Going On? by Chad Vegas The church's overarching purpose is to shine the light of the Gospel of Christ to the Earth , acting as a "lampstand" through which Christ's light radiates. This is fundamentally tied to fulfilling the Great Commission , which involves making disciples of all nations, proclaiming Christ to every tribe, tong...

Deep Dive into the Nature of the Church The Church's mission is the outward pulse of the life she already possesses in union with her risen Head . It flows directly from God's own being and work, signifying that the Church exists for God, from God, and toward God . At its core, the Church's chief end is doxological: to glorify and enjoy Him now and forever . This doxology is never pass...

Deep Dive into Who Was William Tyndale and Why Does He Matter? by Ian Hamilton William Tyndale dedicated his life to one singular purpose: to make the word of God accessible to the English people in their own language . He famously declared he would make it possible for even a plow boy to know more of the scriptures than learned clerics. His ultimate goal was that his countrymen might encounter th...

Deep Dive into The Passionate Pursuit of Revival and Christ-Exalting Joy by John Piper - Evangelist Bill Piper: Fundamentalist Full of Grace and Joy Paradox and irony are fundamental to Christian identity and experience, profoundly shaping lives and expressions of faith. Irony is the incongruity between expectation and reality. This inherent nature stems from Christians being simultaneously fallen...

Deep Dive into Q&A by Brooks Buser, Chad Vegas, Jonathan Master The concept of "missio Dei," or the mission of God, has become a significant problem in contemporary missions because its interpretation has strayed from its historical and biblical roots, primarily by separating it from the specific missions of the Son and the Holy Spirit . Historically, missio Dei referred to the Fathe...

Deep Dive into Christian Theology by Millard J. Erickson - Theories of the Atonement The Governmental Theory of atonement, primarily developed by Hugo Grotius , a lawyer by training, posits a unique understanding of how God deals with sin. This theory views God as a holy and righteous ruler who has established moral laws. Sin is understood as a serious violation of these laws, inherently deserving...

Deep Dive into Tyndale and the Word of God by Conrad Mbewe William Tyndale, educated at Oxford and later Cambridge, stands as arguably the single greatest translator of the Bible into the English language . His life was consumed by one fervent passion : to make the scriptures accessible to ordinary English-speaking people, including "the boy that driveth the plow," in their own language....

Deep Dive into God as El Shaddai The name El Shaddai profoundly embodies God's power and provision through its multifaceted meaning and consistent biblical usage. Lexically, "Shaddai" is often linked to "overpower" (signifying almighty power ) and "breast" (denoting all-nourishing sufficiency ), reflecting interpretations like "God Almighty" and "Al...

Deep Dive into Why Spread God’s Glory Among the Nations by Costi Hinn Costi Hinn's central message addresses "Why spread God's glory among the nations?" He states that the primary motivation is the glory of God , which radically transformed his own life. He recounts his past immersion in the prosperity gospel , where he viewed God as a "magic genie" for personal gain, a...

Deep Dive into Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin - The Sum of the Christian Life: The Denial of Ourselves The foundational principle of Christian life is the profound understanding that believers are not their own masters, but belong wholly to God . This means their entire being—thoughts, speech, meditations, and actions—must be consecrated and dedicated solely to His glory . The...

Deep Dive into Why the Unreached? by Chad Vegas Missionaries emphasize unreached language groups for three primary reasons, all deeply rooted in their understanding of the Bible and the mission of Christ. Firstly, they believe Jesus explicitly commands His followers to gather those who belong to Him from every language group. The "Great Commission" in Matthew 28 and Luke 24 calls for mak...

Deep Dive into Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards - Truly Gracious Affections Differ from Those Affections That Are False and Delusive, in That They Tend to, and Are Attended with the Lamblike, Dovelike Spirit and Temper of Jesus Christ; or in Other Words, They Naturally Beget and Promote Such a Spirit of Love, Meekness, Quietness, Forgiveness and Mercy, as Appears in Christ True Christians...

Deep Dive into Missionary: A Biblical Definition by Paul Washer Apostles, in the foundational sense of the early church, no longer exist today. These were the original twelve (plus Paul), uniquely sent by the resurrected Christ with supra-ecclesiastical authority and divine revelation to lay the church's foundation. However, "apostles" do exist today in a different, ongoing sense: as...

Deep Dive into All of Grace: An Earnest Word for Those Who Are, by Grace, Seeking Salvation by Charles Spurgeon - Confirmation Blamelessness in Christ is a state of being confirmed and preserved by God's grace to stand without fatal charge in the Day of Judgment. It is a profound security and holiness that Paul confidently expected for all saints. This blamelessness is a desired confirmation ,...

Deep Dive into Living for Eternity by Brooks Buser A Christian's belief in eternal life fundamentally transforms their worldly decisions, shifting their focus from the temporary present to the enduring "world to come." This eternal perspective is cultivated through three key views: A right view of God is paramount. Deeply knowing God, through meditating on His Word, provides greater...

Deep Dive into Matthew Poole’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, Volumes 1–3 - Psalm 12 Psalm 12 begins with David's desperate cry, " HELP, LORD ," reflecting his profound need for divine intervention during Saul's oppressive government and persecution of him and other good men. David was destitute of human comfort , lamenting that "the godly man ceaseth" and "the fait...

Deep Dive into Missions Q&A Session by Go: West Coast Conference The central motivation for participating in the Great Commission stems from a profound and compelling love for Christ, which, in turn, fuels obedience to His commands. The most fundamental reason is that "Christ's love to me compels my love to him and so I want to obey him and do what he has commanded." This obedien...

Deep Dive into רָשָׁע The Hebrew term רָשָׁע (rāšāʿ) refers to a wicked person, evildoer, or someone who is guilty . It is fundamentally understood in direct opposition to צַדִּיק (ṣaddiq) , meaning righteous or just, highlighting a core biblical dichotomy between individuals and their moral standing. In a legal or forensic context , "רָשָׁע" denotes someone "guilty of an individual...