FAIR SUNSHINE

W e have two texts set before us this Lord’s Day. The first, found in the opening thirteen verses of the sixteenth chapter of Saint Luke, is a word intended for the sheepfold alone. The second, found in the verses that follow—from the nineteenth to the thirty-first—is a message directed both to the sheep within the fold and to the public gathered without.  Luke 16:1-13 The Parable of the Deceitful Steward The first was given to the sheepfold as a solemn reminder that the Christian religion is a practical thing. It is not enough to offer God our worship in the spirit; we must show the reality of that worship in a tangible way to those who bear His image. In like manner, God did not merely declare His love from the heavens; He demonstrated that love toward us by the giving of His own Son. It is in this very act of giving—of pouring ourselves out for the sake of others—that we truly mirror the Lord Jesus, making His grace wonderful and visible to a world unfamiliar to such kindness....

T he street meeting is a necessary departure from that narrow and common notion which prescribes confining the movement of the Spirit within the walls of a building. It is a work of double grace for the benefit of souls: Firstly, the saints are gathered, under the canopy of heaven, together for edification and fellowship. Secondly, the Gospel is sounded in the midst of the public square. The entirety of the Holy Scriptures breathes with a missionary spirit ( Psalm 119:176, Isaiah 40:11, Jeremiah 50:6,  Ezekiel 34:11-12, 34:16, Zechariah 10:6, Mark 6:34,  Luke 15:4, 15:8, 15:24, 19:10, John 10:11, 14, 27, Hebrews 13:20, James 5:19–20, 1 Peter 2:25, Revelation 7:17 ) , revealing a God who is even now bringing to pass the glorious fulfillment of His Covenant: the bringing of a chosen people to Himself. In His sovereign mercy, He is pleased to redeem His elect unto Himself, not by the wisdom of men, but by the bold proclamation of the Gospel of Christ—a work most po...

 The Two Labors of the Kingdom H ere in the first part of this article we cite the differences between these two labors. In the second part we will show how it is not only possible to marry both, but it is the very calling of the church to grow in grace, in order to serve as lights that show forth the excellencies of God who elected them ( 1 Peter 2:9 ). We must be careful not to hold to one while neglecting the other; for though men may try to separate them, these two works are truly but one, and neither can stand rightly without the other. A church gathering that does not evangelize is an unused candle. It is good for no one except to itself for it is dead. It is the proverbial student who keeps studying yet never graduates. On the other hand, mere evangelism apart from the church is like earning money only to put it in a bag with holes. It is futile as well. These two labors are two faces of the same coin. The singular purpose is to glorify God in the advancement of His kingdo...

I t was just some months ago that this very ground was nothing but a dusty parking area—a place where people simply loitered. Yet, by a most gracious hand, the L ORD  was pleased to transform this barren space into a garden. Little did the municipality know that when they initiated their beautification project they were but preparing a venue for the proclamation of the Gospel. The Lord has provided this pleasant refuge so that the common folk might be drawn here, and find themselves sitting under the reading of the Scriptures before they are even aware of their soul's great need. Hundreds of precious souls hath heard the glad tidings of Christ’s redeeming love here—souls that surely would have remained unreached had we, like so many formal assemblies, kept this heavenly treasure hid within our own walls.  Our arrival at the public grounds found the crowd to be but a meager handful. Disappointment crept over me, and I was tempted to believe that the message this day would f...

There is a command to make disciples, as well as a command to remind them of the cost of becoming one. Luke 14:25-35. I t is a grievous error of our times that many imagine Christianity to be merely an assent, a quiet nod of the head, to the belief that Christ Jesus is the Son of God. Far from it. That may be true for nominal Christianity, but different from true biblical Christianity. It is not enough, I tell you, merely to believe in the Savior; we are called to follow Him. This is the great, vital work: to set aside, with a firm and devout resolution, all and everyone else—yea, even the dearest ties of flesh and blood, the most cherished comforts of this fleeting life—so that the blessed Lord Christ may occupy that sole, uncontested position in the very center of your soul. If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. And when that moment of trial comes—as they...