I humbly exhort you, my fellow pastors, please do not gloss over or forget in each sermon and Bible lesson to preach Christ, His whole gospel, and the blessings and power of being in union with Him. Do not just use the words “gospel” or “in Christ” and assume people know them or do not... Continue Reading

No one keeps the Christian Sabbath fully or maybe even all that well; we can all do better. Planning to profane it by supporting activities that require many to work and which are guaranteed to distract us is probably not the best course.   THIS MATTER HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION: Some NFL teams now... Continue Reading

If we compromise on the issue of same sex attraction and identifying with one’s sinful tendencies, it will not promote peace or unity. Rather, it will lead to churches leaving the EPC (some have left already). When biblical standards become ambiguous, it leads to the ruin and wreckage we have witnessed in the PC(USA) and... Continue Reading

For Bishop Eaton, what Lutherans should believe about the Holy Spirit is not as important as maintaining unity. On the other hand, for the ELCA, maintaining unity is not as important as embracing brand new categories of sexual morality and identity which violate the historic moral teaching of the church and Holy Scripture.   Elizabeth... Continue Reading

Christian activities commonly considered crimes include conducting worship services at home, performing baptisms, preaching in church, celebrating Christmas, attending house churches, theological education, and singing worship songs.  In a 2018 verdict, for instance, playing Christian worship songs on a guitar was cited as “misleading Muslim youth” and resulted in a 15-year prison sentence for Amin... Continue Reading

Amidst the painful reality of marriage in a fallen world the archetype of Jesus’ marriage to his church serves not to damn us, nor to dishearten us with an impossible ideal, but to encourage and even empower us. Time and again the Old Testament likens the LORD to a faithful husband who loves Israel his... Continue Reading

The theology of perseverance, when properly understood, translates into concrete actions in the believer’s daily life. First, consistent devotional practice is irreplaceable. If perseverance comes from promises treasured in the heart, regular intake of God’s Word through reading, study, and meditation is vital.   Perseverance is not an option but a calling for every Christian.... Continue Reading

Just imagine if God operated like in this customer service experience. Asking for extra payment and then not fulfilling what he promised to do. When we raise it with him, he tells us to do something and then fails to fulfil that when we do it. When we seek redress, he kicks the can down... Continue Reading

Our culture is one of relentless production. Many of the churches in our culture are fueled by the quest for more. The end result of such a culture is that the church is infected with a restlessness. Another outreach event, another music production and another special service or service project takes the driver’s seat while... Continue Reading

Churches need to include teaching and modeling about being human.   A class was offered recently at Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary in South Carolina. Annually, this seminary offers an intensive course for pastors and students. This year’s course was in Contemporary Challenges in Pastoral Ministry Among the topics were lectures on preaching, worship leadership, pastoral... Continue Reading