7 Observations on Church Discipline
For a church to be healthy, there must be prudently administered church discipline.
But when I write about church discipline, the topic expands into both biblical teachings, particularly ecclesiology, and practical church ministry. A healthy church is ultimately a biblical church. And there should be little debate about the biblical mandate for churches to exercise church discipline. ThomRainer.com focuses on the local church, pastors and staff, and... Continue Reading
Evangelicals: Alone and Exiled in Hollywood
Singing about God as an evangelical was too much for Academy which black-listed Joni Earekson Tada's song, Alone and Yet Not Alone.
The lesson to be learned: unless you endorse the Academy’s ideological line in thought, word, deed, and song, you will get no acknowledgement from Hollywood. Her story is the stuff Hollywood films are made of. She is a severely disabled woman with an inspiring story and the singer of a sweet song entitled “Alone and Yet... Continue Reading
How Ephesians Killed My Radical Christianity
The Christian life is not about going someplace for Jesus or doing great things for him. It is being holy right where we are
We don’t like Paul’s call to be radical because it is a lot easier to love the lost whom we haven’t seen than our wife who we see every day. We don’t like it because forgiveness is hard (4:32) and fornication is easy (5:3). We don’t like it because we would rather be known for... Continue Reading
Calvinism in Scotland
The belief that until very recently Scotland was a Calvinist nation is pure myth
Part of the reason is that Scotland sees its remaining Calvinist bodies through magnifying-glasses. We cannot shake off our fascination with the Free Church and the Free Presbyterian Church. They are part-bogeymen, part scarecrow, part dinosaur and part Super Ego. Between them they receive as much media coverage as the Church of England, yet the... Continue Reading
We Coddle Teens by Not Holding Them Accountable for Their Actions
For the millennial generation, raised in a therapeutic culture, when they commit crimes the ultimate culprit is usually one class of people: their parents
A teen who alleges that coddling by his wealthy parents led to his drunk driving manslaughter is now being coddled by the state of Texas. If you love America and the rule of law this ruling should be alarming. It points us to a future society where money and psychological imagination excuse people from being... Continue Reading
Lessons from the Ken Ham vs. Bill Nye Creation Debate
What Jesus will we declare and what Jesus did on the cross if there was no historical Adam who cast our race into sin?
Christians should desire to be thoughtful and we naturally desire to be accepted as reasonable by our secularist neighbors. But the Bill Nye – Ken Ham debate, and the media commentary that followed, argues that in order to remain faithful to God’s Word and bear a faithful testimony to the Jesus of the Bible, we... Continue Reading
I Wasn’t Ready for Marriage
I wasn’t ready for marriage, and You. Will. Never. Be. Ready.
We weren’t “ready” for marriage. We hadn’t tried it out. According to conventional wisdom, we were “unprepared.” We didn’t take a turn in the Marriage Simulator. We didn’t live together for seven years and slowly glide into it. We were two, apart, only dating — courting, really — until we were one. We were unmarried,... Continue Reading
Jesus Is Better
Life in Jesus is so much richer, fuller, and better than any life apart from him
One who attempts to quench his thirst in seawater will only find himself thirstier still. If he keeps drinking, eventually he will die. Likewise, one who attempts to quench his spiritual thirst with temporal stuff will only find himself thirsty for more. This world’s treasures simply cannot satisfy our souls. They were never intended to... Continue Reading
Death To Healthy, Wealthy And Happy
I hate the prosperity gospel or any teaching that suggests good Christians will be healthy, wealthy and happy
I know healings do happen and I am glad that they do. I believe I saw one in the last month. But I hate the prosperity gospel. It focuses on here-and-now benefits, leaving people unprepared for hardships. Some even feel guilty when they suffer because they assume they have done something wrong and have yet to figure... Continue Reading
The Ten Commandments: Nothing New
The presentation of God’s Law at Mt. Sinai was new, but its revelation was not
Therefore, let us discern the difference between the permanent and the temporary laws of God, and let us strive to keep God’s universal and permanent commandments. They are good, pleasant, wise, true and mandatory; even if Moses had the privilege of hearing them, holding them, and presenting them afresh to his people. God has... Continue Reading