“They preach man-made doctrines who say that so soon as the coin jingles into the money-box, the soul flies out of purgatory. It is certain that when the coin jingles into the money-box, greed and avarice can be increased, but the result of the intercession of the church is in the power of God alone.”  ... Continue Reading

The ordination ceremony for Abigail Eltzroth happened in Asheville at Jubilee! – a nondenominational faith community – with Bishop Bridget Mary Meehan presiding. Eltzroth, 64, said she is the second woman in North Carolina ordained by the rebel group, called the Association of the Roman Catholic Women Priests   An international group defiantly opposed to... Continue Reading

“The catechisms are excellent tools to focus like a scope of a rifle. They give us clearer insight into who we are, who God is, how we respond, and how to live life with others. Because of the many faithful pastors who have gone before us, we have at our disposal a collection of confessional,... Continue Reading

“When we look upon the church, we can only see the outward appearance (those who profess faith and their children); however, when God looks at that same church, He can see not only the outward appearance, but also the true nature of His church – not only those who outwardly profess the true religion and... Continue Reading

“The Institutes as we now have it is the product of a lifetime’s thought and reflection by one of the greatest theologians the church has known. In part, as it grew from six to eighty chapters, it reflects Calvin’s own growth in his understanding of the Christian life.”   The Institutes as we now have... Continue Reading

Unlike modern Advent ceremonies, most celebrations of Advent in history had a twin focus. The Latin word adventus was the translation of the Greek parousia—a word used for both the coming of Christ in human flesh and his Second Coming. Advent, then, always tended to focus on both.   Many churches lit the first of their Advent candles... Continue Reading

Take, for example, a “news report” about a new $90 million, 170-acre church complex with a petting zoo, seven bookstores, nine coffee shops, three restaurants, a baseball field and a monorail to the parking lots. But church leaders forgot something. Thus the headline: “Sanctuary Mistakenly Omitted From Megachurch Campus Design.”   Anyone who visits a... Continue Reading

“(1) there was a core canon from a very early time, (2) there was dispute about some of the smaller books that took some time to resolve, (3) Christians continued to find some non-canonical books to be orthodox and helpful, though not Scripture, and (4) some books were so theologically off the mark that they... Continue Reading

“In this brief article I want to contend for five affirmations with which any confessional believer – let alone any gospel minister – would be happy.  First, the historic confessions (Westminster, Heidelberg, Belgic, etc.) are safe.  Now, I can just see the eyes of some begin to roll.  But hear me out.”   Today theology... Continue Reading

“As we read the Bible and seek to grow in our understanding of God and ourselves, the best and clearest teachers from the past can show us the most biblical path forward.  They can alert us to dangers, showing where there is space for creative thinking, but also where to be exceptionally watchful and cautious.”... Continue Reading