This makes us think of the temple. The temple was God’s house, and a person could only go into God’s house via the altar and the sea (1 Kings 7:23-26 and 2 Chron. 4:2-5). At the altar sin was atoned for by the blood of a substitutionary sacrifice. At the sea—which held some seventeen tons of water—sin was... Continue Reading

Following a “legend” requires a humble spirit. Humble yourself before the Lord often. Rejoice that your predecessor has a special place in the hearts of others. Do not allow yourself to be tempted to tear your predecessor down in any way (even in your thoughts!) in an attempt to make yourself look good. Pride can be expressed... Continue Reading

What is the heart of our communion? What is that makes us a community? The Confession wastes no time in providing the foundation of our unity, declaring in paragraph 1 of Chapter 26 that: All saints, that are unified to Jesus Christ their Head by His Spirit and by faith, have fellowship in His graces,... Continue Reading

My biggest concern about the prosperity movement is that it diminishes Christ by making him less central and less satisfying than his gifts. Christ is not magnified most by being the giver of wealth. He is magnified most by satisfying the souls of those who sacrifice to love others in the ministry of the gospel.... Continue Reading

Somebody had apparently called the private Christian school and leveled allegations against her. Lisciandro said the assistant principal told her the school received word that Lisciandro was in a relationship with a woman, she had attended a pride festival, and she hosted an LGBTQ group in her studio. Her response? “Well, it’s true.” Lisciandro, who is... Continue Reading

Jesus Christ and his gospel regulate what and how we sing in worship, and he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, or as Luther put, “From age to age the same.” It is inimical to the timeless enduring truth of justification by faith alone to recast it with music that is fashionable, but only... Continue Reading

Increasingly, religion was looking more like the oppressor than the victim. Why should a Christian baker or photographer be able to turn down same-sex couples looking for wedding services? Why should a church get to limit its building to heterosexual wedding ceremonies? Why should a college get to limit its hiring to those who believe... Continue Reading

In a statement the Presbyterian Church [in] Ireland] said it “had the right to order its own affairs under the Word of God, our supreme standard, and guided by our confessional subordinate standards. A consequence of this is that those in ordained leadership within our church are required to subscribe to the church’s subordinate standards... Continue Reading

Those words I sang as a seven-year old on a hot summer night in Chicago or around campfires in northern Minnesota or in Vacation Bible school now speak to me, every day. In fact, I can hardly finish singing a hymn without my lips quivering and my heart full of emotion. When I hear “Jesus... Continue Reading

At this juncture, we need clear definitions and we need to be sure that throughout this controversy within evangelicalism that we’re working from the same dictionary. It serves little purpose to have an honest conversation without working from the same set of terms.   One of the great tragedies of our day has been parade... Continue Reading