"One of the most powerful ways to share the truth [of Jesus Christ] is personal testimony. Remember, a personal testimony is not necessarily evangelism, but it can be an instrument of evangelism. How many times in the Gospels do we witness converted people start sharing the gospel immediately after Jesus encounters them and draws them to salvation? From the woman at the well to the leper to the blind man and Zacchaeus at Jericho and others, they all heard the truth, surrendered to Christ, and began sharing their testimony." —Harry Reeder from his weekend study "Use Words. They are Necessary." in the August 2012 issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: As believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must always speak the truth, but we must always speak it in love (Eph. 4:15). Our default position should be to build networks with other believers and churches who are passionate for the gospel even when they may have different styles and priorities, not to work or act as if ministries and churches that do not do things the way we do are somehow unworthy of our friendship.
Coram Deo: Jesus solemnly warns us that He will deny before the Father those who deny Him before the world (Matt. 10:32–33). This should strike fear into our hearts and lead us to pray for the strength to confess Him in all circumstances. Yet His words should not cause us to despair, for His statement is not an absolute one. Christ will only deny those who continue to deny Him, but He will always receive back into fellowship those who have denied Him if they repent of their betrayal.
"I have learned after pastoring people for twelve years that in this life, some things do not just 'get better.' And people do not always just 'get over it.' Wounds heal, but scars remain." —Eric Watkins from "Comforting Eve" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: John Calvin writes, “Nothing indeed can be more blessed than to live under the reign of God; and this highest happiness is ever promised to the faithful.” Because human beings rebel against God, however, His reign is not always acknowledged, and the church suffers attack. But God preserves His inheritance—the elect remnant—both now and in the future. We taste the “highest happiness” today in Christ, and will enjoy it fully at His return. Our enemies will lose the war.
"However wrong you may think others have been, maintain with great diligence and watchfulness a Christian meekness and gentleness of spirit." —Jonathan Edwards
Coram Deo: When Christ returns to consummate history, there will be no one left who tries to rely on his own efforts or foreign gods for redemption. Even those who are finally cast into hell will be forced to acknowledge that He alone is Lord and that He alone can save. Today, as we trust in Jesus alone for salvation, we join this group that will worship the Lord for eternity, content in His provision. Let us seek Him alone to meet all of our needs now and forever.
"Our labors in the here and now, insofar as they reflect and flow out of our commitment to the reign of Christ, no matter what happens between now and the end, will survive. Our work matters into eternity." —R.C. Sproul Jr. from "The End of the End" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: In Romans 9, Paul applies the election of the people of Israel to individual believers, telling us that those who are saved have been chosen from the foundation of the world. Divine election assures us of God’s love and that we belong to Him now and always if we trust in Him alone. If you believe in Christ, you are elect. And if you are elect, you have been elected and loved by God in Christ from all eternity. Nothing could be more secure than that.
"Although the evil one still has limited power in a fallen world, it is far less than what he had when he was able to bind and blind all nations outside Israel. And believers can still overcome even Satan’s limited power, for James 4:7 commands us, 'Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.'" —Douglas Kelly from "The Binding of Satan" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: God wants all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength in all that we do, but particularly in the case of worship. If we are not endeavouring to worship according to His commands and with the right intent, it would be better for us not to worship at all. He does not seek perfect worship from us at the present time, which is impossible given our sinful condition. What He seeks is true, intentional worship that is a testimony to His great glory.
"Our hearts should be set aflame when we really explore how the Father sent His Son into the world to save us, and then joined us to that Savior by sending His Holy Spirit into our hearts." —Gerrit Scott Dawson from "Theology and Doxology" in the January 2013 issue of Tabletalk Magazine
"God often uses providence, like the crowing of a rooster, to point our consciences to unsettled accounts with Him. The sound of a baby crying in the next room can be a painful reminder to the conscience of a woman who aborted her baby that God still has a controversy with her. Two people talking in front of you on a queue may touch on a subject that reminds you of an apology or restitution that you still need to make. Surviving a terrible car accident or an armed robbery may be a reminder that you need to be reconciled with God." —Conrad Mbewe from his weekend devotional "The Crowing of the Rooster" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: When was the last time you spent a day or part of a day in prayer and fasting, reading the psalms, going deep inside yourself before God and crying out to Him? We all need this from time to time. Otherwise our lives become glib and our hearts become hard. Target those areas of your life, like envy, where you know God desires change.
Coram Deo: Scripture tells us that marrying someone who does not share the beliefs of the covenant community leads to trouble. For example, Solomon’s marriages to pagan women led him astray and gave paganism a foothold in Israel (1 Kings 11:1–8). If you are single and looking for a spouse, you must look for a Christian. Married couples should encourage one another in the Lord. If you are already married to a non-Christian, pray daily for your spouse’s salvation.
"Regardless of our method of evangelism, we need to clearly present the gospel within the storyline of Scripture. How did it all begin? What has gone wrong? Is there any hope? What will the future hold? These are basic worldview questions that every religion attempts to answer in some way." —J.D. Bridges from "The Story We Share" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: Dr. R.C. Sproul has often pointed out that Malachi 3:10 is the only place in Scripture where God commands us to put Him to the test. It is otherwise sinful to test the Lord, but we may test Him with the tithe. When we give to the work of the Lord, He promises to bless us and meet our needs—not necessarily to make us rich materially but to satisfy us and make us content. Let us give to the Lord’s work that we might see Him keep His promises.
"Unbelievers seek their happiness in things of the world. Believers find their happiness in God. It is contrary to the nature of faith for a believer to seek peace in his earthly enjoyments." —Richard Baxter
Coram Deo: The hardest thing about the life of faith is that the Lord often seems slow to keep His promises. Sometimes we feel like we must wait, wait, and then wait some more for God to intervene. Faith, however, trusts that God is not slow but is working out all things in His time. It was hundreds of years after Malachi’s day that the Messiah came—but He came. As we wait for His return and for answers to prayer, we must remember that all this will come as well.
"Christ’s person is a greater gift to His people than His benefits. We do not merely receive from Christ, but, more importantly, we belong to Him." —Mark Jones from "Against the Law" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: John the Baptist was the last prophet of the old covenant even though his story is told in what we commonly call the New Testament. Jesus tells us that John was the greatest prophet of the old covenant, but greater still is the least one who has seen the inauguration of the kingdom (Matt. 11:11). Our Savior is the Davidic King and fulfillment of the prophets. We must trust Him to bring all the prophetic promises to pass, for He will surely do it (1 Thess. 5:24).
Coram Deo: We do not believe that the office of prophet continues today. God established the prophets as the foundation of the church, and a foundation is laid only once. However, God’s people are called to build on that foundation alone (Eph. 2:19–22). Today, preachers and teachers who call people back to the Lord’s inerrant Word stand in the prophetic line, not as infallible spokesmen for God but as those who direct us to the church’s prophetic and Apostolic foundation.
Q: How can Christians grow in their assurance of their own salvation?
Joel Beeke: (1) Increasingly rest by faith in the promises of God in Christ Jesus for salvation. (2) Diligently and prayerfully use the spiritual disciplines God has provided us to grow, such as Scripture reading, preaching, meditating, praying, reading sound literature, communing with the saints, serving the church, and evangelizing.
"Most genealogies are written to show that there is no impurity in the bloodline. Herod the Great destroyed his genealogy so no one could compare his background with anyone else’s. But Jesus is not ashamed to call us His brothers. Jesus not only came to save sinners; He came from sinners." —Tedd Tripp from his weekend devotional "Grace Four Women" in this month's Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: That the church is the Israel of God does not mean that every church member has authentic faith. Throughout history, the visible church has always included those who are not true believers because of their inauthentic faith (Rom. 9:6–7). However, in Christ, God is fulfilling all of the promises made to Israel. As the people of God, we must fulfil the task of Israel and proclaim God’s excellency (1 Peter 2:10). Seek to do this in whatever you do.
Coram Deo: Ultimately, God only demands one thing—our full commitment to Him. We were made for our Creator, and He will not share us with another. He will not have us as His if we try to divide our ultimate allegiance between Him and anything else. In Elijah’s day, many in Israel tried to serve God and someone else on the side. We are ever tempted to do the same. Let us remember the One for whom we were made that we might realize that we can be satisfied in Him alone.
"One of the primary themes in the book of Revelation is the paradox of the Christian life. Believers are united to Christ, the Lamb who was slain but now reigns as the Lion from the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5–6), and they are 'more than conquerors' even when they experience trial, persecution, and martyrdom for their testimony concerning Jesus Christ." —Cornelius Venema from "Reigning with Christ" in this month's issue of Tabletalk Magazine
Coram Deo: The gift of prophecy has ceased, so Jesus calls none of us to be prophets in the classical sense. However, we are called to bear witness to Him where we are and insofar as we are able. This is the mantle—or better, the cross—that all of God’s people are given in this new covenant era. We are called not to be ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Rom. 1:16–17), to stand firm for His truth. Like Elisha, we can do that only in the power of the Holy Spirit given to us.
"We must go about making resolutions with genuine prayer and thorough study of God’s Word." —Burk Parsons
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