abandoned to Christ.

Our family's first introduction to Dr. R.C. Sproul was in 2008 when my darling husband Jim and I were blessed to participate in a book/DVD study The Holiness of God . Our hearts were gripped by Sproul's teaching of the magnitude of God's holiness. Though we always knew that God is holy, we had, sadly, like many Christians in our time, marginalized this glorious attribute of our mighty Lord and God. Rather than see all of God's attributes (righteousness, love, grace, mercy) through the lens of His holiness, we saw His holiness as merely an addendum. But when we sat under Dr. Sproul's loving, courageous, and soundly doctrinal teaching on God's holiness, we knew we could never return to the mediocre standard of Christianity that's acceptable by many, if not most, Christians today. After our initial introduction to R.C. Sproul's teaching through The Holiness of God , we began listening to RefNet  in 2012, and have commended it to others as well as ma...

Our gracious and compassionate Father's timing is always perfect. It just so happens that today's Psalm (61:1-3) is exactly what my heart needed to hear and my soul needed to be reminded of. No matter the battles, heartaches, and losses that come my way, I know because the LORD my God is my refuge; the Rock that is higher than I, all is always well with my soul. Though I can never do anything to be worthy of God's holy and perfect love, I am always  loved by the Father because of worthiness of Jesus Christ the Son. Therefore, whenever my heart is faint due to external circumstances, my soul delights in magnifying the LORD for giving me all the good I don't deserve (grace) and withholding the evil that I do deserve (mercy). When I remember this truth and speak it to my soul, it is difficult for me to plunge into the depths of self-pity. Rather, my heart rises to echo the last verse of today's Psalm (v.8), "So will I ever sing praises to your name [...

Twenty-eight years ago, the Lord moved me to Southern California as an answer to my cry for help. My faithful and merciful Father God had graciously and mercifully endured, preserved, and persevered me through 13 years of severe and brutal persecution. But because I did not heed His exhortation and admonition in Deuteronomy 8:11-20, I forgot that it was by His mighty hand that I received relief from my enemies. Much like the Israelites whom the LORD kindly saved and freed from the bondage of Egypt, I fancied that this reprieve was due to something good I had done—and for three years, I entertained the fallacy, that I deserved every good I received from the Lord. I behaved as if God owed me for my obedience, rather than remember that even my obedience was a gift from Him, through Jesus Christ; who through His death and resurrection, freed and enabled me to do what I could never do on my own—please and honor the one and only, holy and righteous God (Heb 11:6). During th...

Today's Psalm, Psalm 53:2-3 reminds me of the redeeming hope we have in Christ, prophesied about in Isaiah 59:14-16, "Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has stumbled in the public squares, and uprightness cannot enter. Truth is lacking, and he who departs from evil makes himself a prey. The LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no justice. He saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no one to intercede; then his own arm brought him salvation, and his righteousness upheld him." I'm so very grateful to our Father God who reminds us of who He is, and who we are in the light of His holiness. Which is why the Gospel is truly the greatest news anyone can ever hear. To know that I am completely unable and helpless to save myself from the righteous wrath of God, He sent His one and only Son to suffer and die in my stead, leaves me awestruck and humbled. May we never forget who God is, who we are, and w...

Evil will always do what evil does—deceive, destroy, devour. But thanks be to God that He is good, and therefore, always does what is good—deliver us from darkness, and into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ where truth, justice, and mercy reign. Though a tumult of wickedness may surround us. Though we have distress within and war without; those of us who repent of our sins and trust wholly in the name of Jesus Christ, the only and holy Son of God, alone, are free to find refuge and peace in Him. For in this world, Christ promised that we will have trouble, yet, we are of good courage because we do not fear all that is frightening, but rather, we fear the Almighty alone, and therefore, we are safe and have the peace of God that transcends all understanding (Jn 16:33, 1 Pet 3:6, Php 4:4-7). We are wild olive shoots, whom God has had mercy on, so that we may be nourished and strengthened from the Root of Jesse who was cut open, that we might be grafted in Him, and receive...

This exhorting article from R.C. Sproul took me back to a time nearly 30 years ago, when I was quite discontented with being single. I'd wanted to be married as long as I could remember. I was also discontented with my job, believing it wasn't using all my God-given computer skills and causing them to wane (because I didn't have to use a computer, I had secretaries for that). But that wasn't all; I was quite discontented with a number of things. It seemed everyone else around me was generally, happier than me because they had all they desired...and I felt owed, though I'd never admit that. I'd properly admit as a Christian, I know I'm only owed Hell. Yet, my discontented state proved my words of religiosity, to be false. Then I came to the throne of grace, as did Asaph when he was miserably discontented as I, "But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, until I went into the sanctuary of God... ...

Today's Psalm is a beautiful expression and demonstration of what true repentance looks like—an honest look at self, in the sight of the only living, holy, and awesome God. In Psalm 51, King David pours out his heart to God Almighty; taking full responsibility for his sins against the Lord, Bathsheba, and her now deceased husband, Uriah. He makes no excuses. And he asks for nothing but God's forgiveness, knowing he is powerless to redeem himself. King David was a mighty warrior. He was a man of valor. He was also very arrogant, an adulterer, plotter of evil, a murderer, a lackadaisical father. Essentially, he was a wretched sinner like the rest of us. But then why did God give him one of the greatest compliments by calling him a man after God's own heart? The heart of the Almighty does not murder, is not arrogant, lackadaisical in regards to His children, etc.? Why would God refer to King David as someone who chases hard after the LORD? My guess is because King...

Peace is not the absence of conflict with people. Peace is the absence of conflict with God. Leviticus 7:11-15 says, "And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings that one may offer to the LORD. If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer with the thanksgiving sacrifice unleavened loaves mixed with oil, unleavened wafers smeared with oil, and loaves of fine flour well mixed with oil. With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving he shall bring his offering with loaves of leavened bread. And from it he shall offer one loaf from each offering, as a gift to the LORD. It shall belong to the priest who throws the blood of the peace offerings. And the flesh of the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving shall be eaten on the day of his offering. He shall not leave any of it until the morning." (ESV) Those of us who have been granted the gift of repentance that leads to saving faith in Jesus Christ, had the only acceptable pe...