The Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world. The most important question everyone must answer is “Who do you think Jesus Christ is?” If you answer incorrectly, you will die in your sin. But God grants eternal life and peace to those who confess that Jesus has come in the […]
Sloth, Sam Sloth: The Unlikely Detective — Children’s Book Review
Noble, Sara. Sloth, Sam Sloth: The Unlikely Detective. Independently published, 2021. 32pp. $8.99. Purchase here. Biographical Sketch of the Author Sara Noble (From Amazon) I love writing, painting with acrylics, drawing, teaching, hiking, running, cats, books, laughing, puns, and embracing the good, noble, lovely, and praiseworthy things of this life. I do have a Bachelor’s […]
The Enemy of Your Enemy May Not Be Your Friend
There’s a pretty well-known quote that goes like this: The enemy of my enemy is my friend. The idea is simple enough: if you have an enemy, someone else who is an enemy of that person is someone with whom you now have something in common. And he may even be a person whom it would […]
Isaiah 7, a Child, and Impeccability
When discussing the humanity of Jesus Christ, impeccability is the word Christians use to describe that Jesus was unable to sin. This is a disputed topic even among Reformed™ brethren. There are some who teach that it was, in fact, possible for Jesus to sin, yet he did not. Impeccability is the word we use to say […]
A Little Book on the Christian Life by John Calvin (book review)
A Little Book on the Christian Life I was surprised to find out how utterly readable John Calvin is when I first delved into reading him myself. As I stated (in other words) in my review of Simonetta Carr’s biography of Calvin, his immense contribution to Christianity made me think that somehow his writing would […]
John Calvin (book review)
From the Back Cover In this attractive volume, Simonetta Carr introduces young readers to the life, thought, and work of one of the most famous Reformers of the Christian church. She tells about the life of John Calvin from his birth to his death, placing him within the troubled context of the sixteenth century. Carr […]
John Newton (book review)
Never in my life have I read a testimony that brought to mind my own life as the biography of John Newton. From the near-death experiences displaying the providence of God to the conversion of a hateful sinner into a preacher of God’s love, I was moved on nearly every page by the demonstration of […]
Jonathan Edwards (book review)
From the Back Cover Jonathan Edwards lived at a time when many people were seriously questioning long-accepted ideas about the world, life, and God, and his answers to these questions have left a mark on the way we think today. While he is often remembered as the preacher of a scary sermon about a spider […]
Julia Gonzaga (book review)
Carr, Simonetta. Julia Gonzaga (Christian Biographies for Young Readers). Hardcover. Reformation Heritage Books, 2018. 64pp. $8. Purchase at RHB website. Biographical Sketch of Author and Illustrator Simonetta Carr – Author (from Amazon) Award-winning author Simonetta Carr was born in Italy and has lived and worked in different cultures. She worked first as an elementary school […]
Unintended Consequences (audio)
This is the audio edition of “Unintended Consequences,” the written edition of which we originally published in September of 2018. You can go back and read it if you wish or just enjoy the audio edition. If you haven’t subscribed to the audio edition already, you’re missing out! Things Above Us Audio Edition audio narration […]
You Ask Me How I Know He Lives?
A Presbyterian minister named Alfred H. Ackley wrote hundreds of hymns. One of the most well-known of these is “He Lives.” I found this article that gives some history and even an explanation of the song if you are interested. But my goal in this post is simply to offer a defense for the last […]
On Vacay? Out of Town? Go to Church!
Whether they hold to the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath or not, Christians should universally believe in the significance and importance of attending church. Yet folks skip miss church for all sorts of reasons—and most of them are bad reasons. One of the worst reasons Christians miss weekly worship is due to a vacation or travel schedule.
I believe that Christians should make every effort to schedule their lives around the Lord’s Day. Worshipping Christ in communion with the saints should be the focal point of your week…and everything else should fit in around that. If you follow that principle, you will never find yourself traveling all day Sunday and missing church or lounging on the beach when you should be gathering corporately. A mind set on being ready to meet with God on Sunday with the saints will take the necessary steps on Saturday to not be too tired for church, for example.
Witnessing to Mormons
A couple of Mormon missionaries stopped by my house when I was particularly busy early this week. I invited them back and they showed up right at the time we agreed upon. I spoke to them on my porch and thought the conversation may edify others. There are some editing points where a few seconds […]
A Curious Case of Providence
A couple of weeks ago, our team was ministering at Planned Parenthood. We had a group of five people, which is a nice team size, but two of the men were first-timers; that is, they had never been to an abortion clinic before for ministry. Nothing remarkable happened that day in regards to a “turn-away” (a […]
One Way God Judges (audio repost)
As part of our newly-debuted audio edition, we’re re-publishing some of our older posts in audio format. If you haven’t subscribed, please consider doing so! In today’s post, One Way God Judges, Michael encourages us not to hold back from sharing God’s law and gospel from others even when they been seriously hurt by others. […]
It’s Good to Be a Boy by Spurgeon — Children’s Book Review
Spurgeon, Joseph. It’s Good to be a Boy. Large type / Large print edition. 5 Solas Press, 2020. 26pp. $14. Purchase here. Biographical Sketch of the Author (From Amazon) Joseph Spurgeon is the husband of a beautiful and godly woman named Rowina, father to six children, and pastor/church planter of Sovereign King Church in Southern […]
The Pilgrim’s Progress by Rogue Valley Fellowship — Movie Review
This is my second review of a The Pilgrim’s Progress movie, and I’m glad to share this movie with the Things Above Us readers. When my friend posted on YouTube that he and his family watched this adaptation of John Bunyan’s classic allegory, I was at first a bit skeptical. But I’m glad I sat down […]
Then Nathan Went To His House
In 2 Samuel 12:15, we find the phrase “Then Nathan went to his house.” It appears to be an inconsequential detail of a greater narrative. Yet every Word of God’s revelation is profitable, and we should meditate upon why God chooses to include certain details in His Word. What strikes me most about this verse […]
Assurance of Salvation, or the Lack Thereof
The Problem I saw a heartbreaking post in a Facebook group. It went like this: Do any of you worry that Jesus will say depart from me for I never knew you? And I worry that I would be one of those wolves in sheep clothing, deceiving the Body of Christ? I don’t understand why, this bothers […]
Go, Therefore: Family Worship
“Go, Therefore” posts are quick tips to help Christians live lives of evangelism. Family Worship As Evangelism Daily family worship ought to be observed by families for many reasons. To name a few: God is worthy to be worshipped, it is a way men ought to lead their homes, it’s good preparation for church, it […]