Trust in God More Than Medical Technology
God remains an active agent in the world and is able to incorporate even the things that we assume are bad into a greater plan that can be good
“We can only be grateful for the powerful technology we have. Yet because the United States has more of it than any other country, we who have access to it are challenged to restrain our tendency to use it. But it’ll always be difficult to use wisely as long as the world is as bad... Continue Reading
The Truth About Church Officers
We are all targeted. We are all sinful. We all have fallen. We all are falling. We all will fall again.
Most who hold such offices, positions, titles, or platforms for service know the truth about themselves. They may be called “Sons of God.” They may be filled with the Spirit of God. They may be called “Men of God.” They may be extraordinarily gifted by God. But they know they are not that special. Servant-leaders are not... Continue Reading
No Middle Ground: Evangelical Leaders Reject Compromise on LGBT and Religious Rights
Compromises designed to safeguard both religious freedoms and LGBT rights won’t fly among many of America’s most influential conservative Christians
“At stake in the SOGI dispute are the local, state, and federal laws governing whether religious institutions or businesses owned by people of faith must serve LGBT individuals despite their convictions on sexuality and gender.” Compromises designed to safeguard both religious freedoms and LGBT rights won’t fly among many of America’s most influential conservative... Continue Reading
Passion Conference: A Pastor’s Perspective on The Importance Of Truth and Standing Against Apostasy
The Scriptures warn us that false teachers will come and they will have ungodly passions
After just a few minutes on the website of the “Passion Conference,” as I looked at the biography of the teachers, I realized that this was an ecumenical affiliation of some of the worst heretics and false teachers who have ever been associated with the body of Christ. In January 2013 I was informed... Continue Reading
In Awe of the Aged
May our lives be increasingly marked by the calm and calming confidence in Christ we see among the spiritually aged, even if it terrifies us and others!
Many passages within Scripture extol the integrity and wisdom of the aged (Job 12:12) but Scripture stops short of praising agedness in and of itself, except when ascribing it to the eternal one, the one who is of old, the Ancient of Days. It is not the number of days lived in this world that signals holy wisdom, but the days, and even the moments of eternal consequence, spent in humble, adoring, obedient, active faith in the living God – time that is saturated with Scripture and filled with ongoing prayer or prayerfulness. These moments, infused with eternity, mature us sometimes far beyond our peers, far beyond our years and even the many years of the elderly (Job 32:9, Psalm 119:100).
Secularism, Preaching, and the Challenges of Modernity
The only authentic Christian response to the challenge of secularization is faithful, clear, and informed expository preaching
As Berger explained, Christianity, in twentieth-century America, has transformed into a non-cognitive commitment. As a result, the binding authority of the Christian moral tradition has been lost. Many of our friends and neighbors continue to profess faith in God, but that profession is ultimately devoid of any moral authority or cognitive content. From the outside looking in, America did not appear to be secularizing at the same rate as the European continent. In reality, however, professions of faith in God had little real theological or spiritual meaning.
Proverbs 8:23, the Eternal Generation of the Son and the History of Reformed Exegesis
The Wisdom of God in Proverbs 8: Is this merely a metaphorical personification of an attribute of God? Or, is it referring specifically to one of the Persons of the Godhead?
"Our argument hence is: 'Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is spoken of, Prov. 8:23, under the name of Wisdom; now, it is said expressly there of Wisdom that it was ' begotten from everlasting:' and therefore the eternal generation of Christ is hence confirmed.' Our reasons are:--(1.) Because the things here spoken of can be applied to no other. (2.) Because the very same things are affirmed of Christ, John 1:1. (3.) Because Christ is the Wisdom of God, and so called in the Scripture, not only in the expression of ὁ Λόγος, but ῥητῶς, 1 Cor. 1:30. (4.) That by Wisdom Solomon in- tended the Wisdom of God, and that that word may be supplied, is most evident from what is spoken of it. Let the place be read. (5.) Christ is called not only the "Wisdom of God," but also Wisdom absolutely and simply; and that not only Prov. 1:20, but Matt. 11:19.2"
Is This Book Healthy?
If I care about the nutritional value of the food I put into my body, then what about my spiritual diet?
It would be nice if we didn't need to ask questions such as these and be able to trust what is marketed as "Christian." But reputable publishers have been known to print less than sound fare. An author may be the sweetest person imaginable who we'd love to chat with over a cup of tea, but orthodoxy consists of more than having an engaging personality. The bar is set high for those who would be teachers and rightfully so. The Apostle Paul commended the Bereans for verifying what he taught against Scripture, and he wrote a good chunk of the New Testament! If any writer objects to his/her books being scrutinized against the Word, then maybe we shouldn't be reading them in the first place.
Dear Younger Me, Don’t Abandon Orthodoxy
If I were to offer warnings to my early twenties self in a letter, it’d go something like this
Revisionist sexual ethics will be your biggest temptation. That’s because you truly love your gay friends. You want the best for them. Deep down you secretly have the feeling sex was designed for marriage between one man and one woman. But you don’t want to hurt your same-sex attracted friends. Plus you’ll dread the idea of going against the crowd. You will want to be affirmed as a good, well-liked person. The truth is your silence could cause more harm.
Simplicity in Preaching
I think I can say without exaggeration that every preacher should try to read J. C. Ryle’s Simplicity in Preaching.
“Try to use in all your sermons, as far as you can, simple words.” This doesn’t mean the preacher can only use words of one syllable or that he cannot teach important terms and definitions. Rather, it means we should avoid unexplained jargon and words that ordinary people never use (like “erudite” perhaps?!). Preachers must not try to impress the learned or fall back into preening seminary-speak. The application of this point will vary from congregation to congregation, but as a general rule Ryle is surely right: the more you use plan common words, the better.