Imago Dei and Identity Politics
If personal identity becomes the one inviolable area of human rights to be defended with moral passion, then there can be no universal moral standards.
The great divide in the culture is not between Democrats and Republicans, or progressives and conservatives. It is much deeper. It is the divide between the truth and the lie, between the Oneist fiction of human freedom to invent oneself, or the Twoist truth of God the Creator, who made us male and female in... Continue Reading
20 Truths from Small Church Essentials
Just because a church is small, doesn’t mean it’s broken.
There are more small churches than you may think. According to Barna, “the largest group of American churchgoers attends services in a more intimate context. Almost half (46%) attend a church of 100 or fewer members. More than one-third (37%) attend a midsize church of over 100, but not larger than 499.” Karl Vaters’... Continue Reading
Christian Persecution is Real and Why Bashing the “Persecution Complex” Doesn’t Help
How can one understand the gravity and urgency of Christian persecution—atrocious human rights violations–happening overseas every day if other Christians consistently take the opportunity to constantly point out America Christianity’s failures instead?
True, American Christians are in no way experiencing the persecution happening abroad. I agree. (Although, we would likely differ on our understanding of religious freedom infringements taking place on Christian florists, bakers, and civil servants.) These same Christian Left bloggers write virtually zero articles decrying the abusers torturing, raping, beating, enslaving, imprisoning, and killing Christians... Continue Reading
The “Opium Of The People” And The Opioid Crisis (2)
So many people see opioids as a viable alternative to what Marx called the “opium of the people.”
The American population is aging and living longer. Perhaps pain management via opioids is quicker than sustained, more expensive treatments? The medical explanation leaves too much unexplained. I think that many Americans are turning to opioids (and other things) as a way of dulling the pain of disillusionment. The late-modern period is a a time of... Continue Reading
Preaching: The Abuse of Redemptive-Historical Preaching, Part 2
The sermon becomes not unlike the magician’s performance, except at the end of the act instead of a rabbit, the preacher pulls out Jesus to everyone’s surprise.
To miss the new covenant realities of the story of King David, would be to miss the main point of how Jesus is the son of David and the fulfillment of God’s covenant promises concerning God’s preservation of David’s throne. Yet, just as the Old Testament Scriptures are not only exemplaristic (which they are, see 1... Continue Reading
The Meaning and Purpose of a Godly Help Mate
In God’s design, God meets our needs with himself, yet often through other people.
Can God give extraordinary grace so that a person can survive without a church? For instance, in prison for the gospel’s sake? Yes. Can God provide extraordinary grace so that a person can thrive without a spouse? Certainly. The very word “extraordinary” reminds us that this is not God’s ordinary way of working. God has... Continue Reading
The Burning of the Wooden Shoes
What took the CRC thirty to forty years to accomplish, in jettisoning her Reformed heritage, seems to be taking some NAPARC churches about a decade.
Among a new generation of Reformed pastors and churchgoers, there seems to be little awareness that the project they are pursuing, and the shifts they are pushing, have already been tried and have ended with catastrophic consequences in the life of a major Reformed denomination. I write this out of sincere love and concern for... Continue Reading
Who Decided What Would Be in the Bible & When? – Canonicity
The “canon” refers to the books that are contained within the Bible; those which are the word of God.
How do we know which books belong in the Bible? How do we know that these 66 books are the correct ones? How do we know we’re not missing something? And who decided what would be included in the Bible and what would not? It’s a question you hear often. And it’s one that... Continue Reading
Deep Darkness Before Dawn
The prophets are not always immediately applicable unless we broaden our view of application and consider the story behind the symbols.
My family has endured the most difficult year of our lives. We’ve experienced unexpected grief and have, at times, felt overwhelmed by darkness. But in the midst of our sorrow, we have found hope in this image from Isaiah. The picture of new life emerging from the old stump has helped us place the sorrows... Continue Reading
The Irony of Hospitality
We need to love one another in the body of Christ through words such as, “Don’t be a stranger."
God says hospitality can and should be shown to Christians we already know and love. If you are practicing this currently without grumbling, you should be encouraged to know that God is pleased with your hospitable heart and practice. In recent years, I’ve heard several well-meaning Christian leaders assert that there is a sharp... Continue Reading
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