When we encountered God’s sovereignty and outworking of salvation in our Scripture reading, we had no systematic teaching that informed us of the doctrines of grace. We had no covenantal understanding of God’s promises. Thankfully, we did have a firm grip on the inerrancy of Scripture, and though I didn’t have a theological term for... Continue Reading

Thankfully, the growth of Reformed theology among African-Americans has not been contingent upon the welcome mat of some white Reformed brothers. God continues to do what he has done, “pouring out his Spirit on all flesh.”  May my brothers and sisters according to the flesh continue to seek and embrace the truth of Reformed theology... Continue Reading

If, as people of faith, our humanity is both blessed and in various degrees redeemed by the coming of a Savior who took on our humanity, then by all means, hymnody that extols such beautiful truths is worth singing and celebrating! Not to mention the fact that the injection of such rich biblical, confessional language... Continue Reading

No church is perfect but a prepared church will respond better when these difficult problems come. Though many will volunteer to help out in an immediate crisis, it is the long term needs that strain the resources of the church and reveal its weaknesses. To keep love constant is a challenge but Christ calls us to... Continue Reading

Earlier this month President Viktor Yanukovych gave in to Russian boss Vladimir Putin’s pressure and attempted to ditch his country’s growing ties with western and central Europe. That brought hundreds of thousands of protesters into the capital city’s streets, where they toppled a statue of former Soviet dictator Vladimir Lenin, sang the national anthem, blockaded... Continue Reading

Juan Carlos de Pablo, one of the best professors at the Pontifical Catholic University in Buenos Aires, where I studied and taught, told his classes that, “if economists do not know economics, how can you blame the bishops for their economics?” Pope Francis has acknowledged the role of the laity in many areas, not only... Continue Reading

Dendrites, the common six-armed shape, form at temperatures between 3 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit. Hollow columns form at 14 to 21 F and needles form at 21 to 25 F. “It is even possible for a single snowflakes to be a combination of shapes as it moves into different temperatures within a cloud,” Pindrock said.... Continue Reading

For many of us who discovered Calvinism decades ago, it was something like a second conversion.  Likewise, for many of us who discovered covenant theology decades ago, it was something like a third conversion.  The thrill was just as great.  For many of us, Calvinism without covenant theology still borders on theological poverty.   Like... Continue Reading

The Monophysites claimed that Jesus did not have two natures, a divine nature and a human nature, but only one nature. That one nature was neither completely divine nor completely human. It was, depending on how one looked at it, a deified human nature or a humanized divine nature. This heresy was very serious for... Continue Reading

It’s often assumed that Christian missionaries and proselytizers invite persecution. But the fact is that Christians have made longstanding and unique contributions to their societies. Christians may proselytize. But even more often their faith motivates them to build hospitals, serve the poor, educate children, and aid victims of disaster.   As the world’s more than... Continue Reading