Zach Uram's Blog

  • The Pure Gospel

    Because of Christ’s sacrifice
    The Elect no longer fear their graves
    It is Christ alone
    Who saves

    Sin has lost
    It’s dominion
    Once and for all
    For those graced with redemption

    At Calvary, Christ died
    For our manifold sins
    In Him we have the victory
    It’s mankind who wins

    Christ was spotless
    In Him was no sin at all
    The Elect will be regenerated
    Through the effectual call

    On the cross at Calvary
    Christ suffered immense pain
    He bore every sin of mankind
    His hardship was our gain

    Through Christ’s precious blood
    We are no longer totally depraved
    We receive His perfect righteousness
    And we are totally saved

    The natural man must be born again
    He must repent sincerely
    And believe the Gospel of Christ
    He alone makes atonement you see

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • John MacArthur Asserts that Mental Illnesses Do Not Exist: A Response

    Listening, reading, and watching sermons on John MacArthur’s website, Grace to You, as well as teaching from R.C. Sproul’s Ligonier website, were instrumental in my becoming Reformed!

    MacArthur and Sproul have both passed away. Sadly, I must speak out against willful ignorance on the part of MacArthur. In a few months before his death, he taught that all mental illnesses were “not real”. His reasoning was that since they aren’t specifically mentioned in Scripture, they are not real illnesses affecting the human body. This is a very unbiblical and dangerous position to take. I think of the teenage girl struggling with major depression and having thoughts of suicide. If she were in MacArthur’s church, she would be told her issues were merely sins that she needed to confess, and through the act of the will, she could, in effect, wish away her symptoms. I could not sit in MacArthur’s church and be silent as he dismisses my severe mental illnesses and insists they are not real. Thanks to this type of retrograde thinking, the stigma surrounding mental health is further reinforced.

    MacArthur’s thinking on this topic is more in line with a Medieval mileu than our modern knowledge regarding mental illnesses.

    Mental illness is a disease of the body. Would someone like MacArthur claim that diabetes didn’t exist, and that all people with this illness should throw away their insulin and seek a theological solution to their problem? We are to put on the mind of Christ, that is an ongoing process and transformation. We still sin and need sincere repentance. However, I must reject the affirmation that ongoing sin causes our mental health issues. Some issues that affect the mind, such as mild anxiety and episodic depression, can benefit from prayer, devotional reading, Bible study, and talking with a pastor or elders.

    In my case, I am fighting schizophrenia, major depression, a severe anxiety disorder, and PTSD.

    These are real mental illnesses. Approaches such as nouthetic counseling can have limited success, but in many cases, such as mine, they are not sufficient to deal with the myriad issues raised by severe mental illnesses. This type of counseling affirms that all mental maladies can be cured through Bible study, prayer, and talking with a pastor or elder. Modern science indicates that problems with neurotransmitters in the brain account for severe mental illnesses. I believe that framing the issue between secular treatment and biblical treatment is a false dichotomy.

    We have greatly advanced in our understanding of mental illnesses since Scripture was written. Scripture, I believe, is sufficient for addressing sin. However, it is a false presupposition to say that every mental illness, no matter how severe, can be solved with biblical counseling.

    Without my psychiatric medication, I wouldn’t be able to function and would be locked up in a mental institution.

    MacArthur never said that cancer is not real, and that we can address symptoms purely through biblical knowledge. Yet when it comes to a physical disease of the brain, He asserts that this disease doesn’t exist.

    This topic will sadly tarnish MacArthur’s legacy.

    You can read more about this controversy here.

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  • Malaise Days

    I’m in a deep malaise
    It’s gone on for days

    I wish to be free
    From this mental misery

    I have no motivation
    It’s a sad situation

    I have no energy at all
    It’s because of the Fall

    I want to run and play
    Instead, I’m full of dismay

    I shed many a tear
    My mind is in a state of fear

    It’s difficult to concentrate
    Even though my mind is first-rate

    I have thoughts that race
    My mind can’t keep pace

    I will not despair
    I know that Jesus does care

    Soon, my depression will be no more
    I will have happiness galore

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • Thank You, Daddy

    Today I listened to “Thank You” by singer Ray Boltz.
    I was crying like a baby. Especially because it
    reminded me of how I came to be a believer in Christ.

    It was Christmas night at midnight. My sisters and I
    sat at the dining room table with Daddy.
    We had a birthday cake for Jesus.
    We each ate a piece. And sang “Happy Birthday.”

    Earlier that week, Daddy shared the Gospel with me.
    I had heard it before. But this time was different,
    I felt the full weight of my sins; I felt wretched.
    I repented of all my sins. And believed the Gospel.
    I was so happy and content. I knew my salvation was
    secure in Christ. I was 7 years old.

    At Calvary, Jesus paid the price for all my sins.
    He declared, “It is finished!” Every sin I would ever
    commit was instantly forgiven. That Christmas
    I was born again. One of God’s children.

    Thank you, Daddy, for teaching me about Jesus
    and sharing the Gospel. I know you are experiencing
    joy and happiness that transcends our understanding.
    You are now worshipping our Lord face to face.

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  • America’s First Thanksgiving

    The Pilgrims
    Were under
    Religious
    Persecution
    In Europe
    They took boats
    To America
    On Plymouth Rock
    In New England
    They landed
    Several died
    On the voyage
    The first winter
    It was brutal for them
    They weren’t
    Prepared
    Tragically
    Over half
    The Pilgrims died
    That first winter
    Native Americans
    Saw the Pilgrims
    Plight
    They felt pity
    For them
    And offered to help
    They taught
    The best way
    To plant crops
    To catch fish
    And survival
    Techniques
    They shared
    This knowledge
    Out of friendship
    The Pilgrims and
    Native Americans
    Came together for
    A meal of Thanksgiving
    To celebrate
    The autumn harvest
    They thanked God
    For all His blessings
    And His providence

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • Very Good News

    On Christmas Day
    Jesus was born
    It was a cold
    December morn

    He was incarnated
    Fully man and fully divine
    The Second Person of the Trinity
    It happened by God’s design

    With God’s immutable Word
    Man is complete
    We are immune
    To Satan’s deceit

    All of those who are in Christ
    Shall be in Paradise
    Because of His
    Perfect sacrifice

    Jesus will sit
    On the Judgement Seat
    With God’s love
    We, the Church, are replete

    We affirm
    Scripture Alone
    It is for God’s Elect
    That Christ did atone

    In Christ, we are more than
    Conquerors you see
    Through Him, we have
    Complete victory

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • Truths We Confess

    Unbelievers shall face
    The second death
    To Hell they will go
    After their last breath

    An eternity of conscious torment
    They shall be in endless agony
    Tortured forever
    For the rest of history

    We are saved because
    Of God’s good pleasure alone
    Not because of anything inherent
    Because for us Christ did atone

    There is no salvation
    Apart from being in Christ, you see
    He died for our sins
    His sovereign grace saved you and me

    Christ is King of Kings
    And Lord of Lords
    He shall destroy
    The Satanic hordes

    These facts are
    Dispensational truth
    Christ shall rule on earth
    For a millennium, He’ll rule forsooth

    Spread the gospel
    Near and far
    Use a boat, train
    Or a car

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

  • Running the Race

    We must run
    A good race
    God sets
    Our pace

    We will cross
    The finish line
    This is by
    God’s design

    We walk in the good works
    The Lord prepared for us
    Our sanctification
    Goes from minus to plus

    When we die, we want Jesus to say
    “Well done, good and faithful servant!”
    As we grow in faith
    To us, our sins should be repugnant

    Finish well
    The race of salvation
    God’s sovereign grace
    Saves us from damnation

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • I’m A Man of Mystery and Intrigue

    As a child, I ran
    In the summer rain
    This experience
    Made me insane

    A raging maelstrom
    My mind is you see
    It is, in fact
    Pure energy

    I travel
    Through time
    The experience
    Is truly sublime

    Some nights
    I howl at the moon
    People watching
    Think I’m a loon

    I like to eat
    Delicious food
    I will eat yours too
    I’m not being rude

    I am a
    Beached whale
    Have pity on
    My sad tale

    I’m on
    The prowl
    For some
    Tasty fowl

    I have a
    Massive gut
    Down the street
    I will strut

    I smack my belly
    With glee
    It is gargantuan
    The sound is ecstasy

    I travel the universe
    By employing
    A phased mind warp
    It is exhilarating

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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  • Christ the Lord

    Today is
    Christmas
    We celebrate
    The birth of
    The Second Person
    Of The Triune God
    Christ the Logos
    The living
    Word of God
    He first came
    As an infant
    To the
    Virgin Mary
    His conception
    Was supernatural
    I thank the Lord
    For Christ’s
    Incarnation
    Christ came
    From above
    To share
    His profound love
    It was deep
    And abiding
    Jesus has
    Two natures
    Human and divine
    Thank God
    For Christ’s
    Hypostatic union
    We are saved
    Through penal
    Substitutionary
    Atonement
    All our sins
    Were imputed
    To Jesus
    His perfect
    Righteousness
    Is imputed
    To us
    This is not
    A case
    Of nominalism
    We have Christ’s
    Righteousness
    We are radically
    Changed
    Through the
    New birth
    We are
    Ontologically
    New creations
    That are holy
    As we walk in
    The good works
    That God prepared
    For us
    We progress
    In sanctification
    We grow to be
    More like Jesus
    When He returns
    Jesus will wield
    An iron rod
    And annihilate
    The wicked

    by Zachary Uram
    (C) 2026

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