From Pulpit to Pew
In retirement I have not so much switched roles as I have changed vantage points, from pulpit to pew.
Deciding on sermon series is no longer on my plate. Now, I am on the other side of the pulpit, a parishioner in the pew pulling up to the table to be fed. And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.... Continue Reading
Only Christ Can Reconcile Blacks and Whites, and Everybody Else, With God
The world seeks to divide that which is whole and make whole that which is divided.
Secular liberalism, supported by theological liberalism and its replacement of the gospel of Jesus Christ with the social gospel, not white racism, stands behind the bitter fruit of racial tension and minority poverty that our society must deal with today. I wrote my book, Race in America: Liberalism’s Attack on Minorities and the Church, from... Continue Reading
Four Reasons to Plant a Church and One Question to Ask
Where many would tend to ask, “Why plant a new church?” It might be better to start asking, “Why not?”
We need more churches, having more gospel faithful churches is a good thing for any area. In my context, having a conservative evangelical church in an area without one is a good thing. You may have picked up that we have plans to plant a new church in Rochdale, which is north east of... Continue Reading
5 Myths About The Armor Of God
According to the Bible, the Christian life is not a picnic but a battle, an armed struggle against a powerful adversary.
This assumption, however, misses the fact that each of the pieces of armor that Paul describes has a rich background in the Old Testament, where they quite literally describe “God’s Armor”: the armor that God himself dons to rescue his people. It is the Old Testament and not the Roman legionary that provided Paul with... Continue Reading
It’s Time for A Protestant Reformation 3.0
The influence of the Reformation has in essence disappeared in our time; it needs to be recovered.
The ultimate model for the rule of nations is found in the Ten Commandments, especially as it is revealed in its application in both the Old and New Testaments. The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament were fulfilled in Christ, but the general equity of the Law of God, with its abiding principles, is still... Continue Reading
Knowledge of God in Practice (part 2)
Theology is eminently practical, and at the same time, theological.
It’s a theological statement to say, “I love my wife,” but it is equally a theological statement to say, “I love God” because such statements arise from Scripture itself (Matthew 22:37-40; Ephesians 5). Sometimes we may not always see the direct connections between specific conviction statements (the procession of the Spirit) or specific practices (feeding... Continue Reading
Justification and Roman Catholicism
The history of Rome’s understanding of justification is itself variegated and in no way lends itself to an easy retelling.
There’s a story about an argument over justification by faith, held during the two-decade deliberation of the Council of Trent, where “the Bishop of La Cava wrenched the beard of the Cretan Bishop of Chironissa, who had commented that he was either a knave or a fool for sounding a bit like Martin Luther on... Continue Reading
After the Virus: The Deluge?
We need to practice what we preach with respect to loving our neighbor, even when our neighbour has become our enemy.
We also need to see beyond the myopia of the current crisis to its long-term consequences. What awaits us when the pestilence passes? What sort of world will we be living in? Will the lessons learned lead to the restoration of lost liberties or will we find that the freedoms we relinquished in this time... Continue Reading
Of Oceans, Thimbles, and Talking to Your Kids about Death
Few things are more comforting to a child than knowing that it’s ok to talk about their fears.
I realize that talking about death, like talking about sex, is not the easiest for most parents. That’s ok. Both have a huge impact on our lives and we are right to be reverently cautious when we speak of powerful and intimate things. But that doesn’t mean we should refrain from speaking about them openly... Continue Reading
Thinking Like Jesus
The world has never experienced such sound thinking as was manifested in the mind of Christ.
Sin prejudices us against the law of God for as long as we live, and we have to fight to overcome these basic distortions of the truth of God. But if we love God, not only with all of our hearts, our souls, and our strength, but also with our minds (Mark 12:30), we will... Continue Reading