Puritans, Anglicans?
The word "Anglican" was in use from at least the end of the 16th century precisely to describe the English manifestation of the international Reformed movement
I heard a Cambridge history professor recently (lamenting the recent death of the great Patrick Collinson) say that we really need to move beyond the strange idea that Puritans were not part of the Church of England, but some kind of external, foreign-inspired invaders. They were not; many of the great names we celebrate and... Continue Reading
Why We Need Anonymous, Plodding Church Planters
For us to plant the kinds of churches we need to plant the men who feel called to planting must change their expectations and their definition of “success.”
When numerical success becomes the primary benchmark for evaluating the success of a church, a man will sacrifice his principles and build his ministry on all the wrong things to achieve his goal. Churches built on hype, great music, and a charismatic personality may reach some people who do not know Jesus, but it will... Continue Reading
Ex-PCA Pastor Awards Calvin a Dunce Cap
Calvin’s liturgy—like the liturgies of Luther, Cranmer, Bucer, and Knox—included a Corporate Confession of Sin and Declaration of Pardon.
Calvin’s Strasbourg service followed the pattern of Martin Bucer’s liturgy, which began with a Confession of Sin followed by a “Word of Comfort” from holy Scripture (1 Tim. 1:15; or John 3:16; 3:35–36; Acts 10:43; 1 John 2:1–2; etc.) and the “Absolution.”…. Bucer’s liturgy makes it clear that the Absolution is an exercise of the... Continue Reading
The Reformed Churches: We Distinguish But Do Not Separate The Two Natures Of Christ
It was necessary that our Mediator should not only be a man, and one that was truly such, and perfectly righteous; but that he should also be God
“The dignity of the person who suffered appears in this, that it was God, the Creator himself, who died for the sins of the world; which is infinitely more than the destruction of all creatures, and avails more than the holiness of all the angels and men.” It was necessary that our Mediator should... Continue Reading
What To Do When a Pastor Falls
This week another high-profile pastor was removed from ministry for immorality
“One of the immediate reactions to a public fall of a respected pastor is a sense of betrayal. Those who have benefited from the pastor’s ministry feel as though they have been personally deceived. That’s even more true when it’s your own pastor—the one who baptized you or did your premarital counseling or was there with... Continue Reading
I Packed Up My Notes and Walked Off Stage Mid-Sermon
I drove home thinking, “I’m not going back. I’m finished with ministry."
“Burnout can be defined in many ways, but that’s how it looked in my situation. The seeds of this meltdown had been planted years earlier, and I had unknowingly nurtured them, carefully tending the soil and watering the plant until finally it sprouted.” I was preaching one Wednesday night when, in the middle of... Continue Reading
A Reformed “Spotlight”: Fighting Spiritual Abuse in the Reformed Church
The need to acknowledge and confront spiritual abuse in the church.
I want to promote godly models of leadership both in the church and in the family; because this is not just confined to pastors. As too many stories confirm, Christian husbands and fathers can also abuse their God-appointed leadership roles. We need to skillfully apply the Bible’s principles to our practice, and to advance positive... Continue Reading
Could Big Eva Face a Trump Moment?
One question to ask is whether this instantiation of a rejection of established leadership and political protocols might be indicative of a wider cultural phenomenon.
Numerous big names have been caught out: plagiarism, bullying, cover-ups, adultery, Ashley Madison – you name it, they’ve done it – yet, just like politicians, they offer quick repentances and make come-backs in the time it takes the rest of us to make a cup of tea. And small, hard-core activists are always available to... Continue Reading
Why An Evening Worship Service?
Since the historic Christian practice of attending worship twice on Sunday has fallen on hard times, the question, "Why an evening worship service?"
One great practical benefit of having both morning and evening worship is that it provides an excellent structure to help families sanctify the Lord’s Day. The two worship services become like bookends on the Sabbath, allowing the Christian to more easily keep the day holy as we are commanded, rather than merely sanctifying a couple... Continue Reading
Machen Debates Speer
The debate on “Modernism on the Mission Field” was held before Presbyterian elders to the sanctuary of the Fourth Presbyterian Church on that day of April 11, 1933. The topic was
Point 1 of his overture was: “To take care to elect to positions of the Board of Foreign Missions only persons who are fully aware of the danger in which the Church stands and who are determined to insist on such verities as the full truthfulness of Scripture, the virgin birth of our Lord, His... Continue Reading
- « Previous Page
- 1
- …
- 294
- 295
- 296
- 297
- 298
- …
- 555
- Next Page »