Judge in Sudan Confirms Death Sentence, Whipping, for Pregnant Christian Woman
Young mother refuses to recant faith: “I am a Christian, and I have never been a Muslim.”
Before the court appearance, a Muslim scholar went to Ibrahim – as has happened repeatedly since her incarceration without trial in February – and spent nearly 40 minutes trying to force her to recant, sources said. She told him what she told the judge. “I am a Christian, and I have never been a Muslim,”... Continue Reading
Staying PCA: A Confessionalist’s Counterpoint to Webb’s 5 Reasons
10 Brief Reasons that it may NOT be time to leave the PCA.
It is better to be involved, dialogue, and work towards good ends rather than agitating to leave the denomination. The PCA is not at, or even extremely close to, a point where I am wanting to leave. This is not to predict the future that such a time may come in 5, 10, 20 or... Continue Reading
TRUE Beauty and the Lie that Kim Kardashian Believes
What is a right theology of beauty?
One of the primary lies spun to women, is that perfect beauty can be attained. And if it is not, we are destined to be miserable. As Carolyn Mahaney observes in her book, True Beauty, Satan is in charge of a master-mind plan, intended to distort our beauty-reality. Placing trust and hope in our physical... Continue Reading
The Perpetuity of the Church
Historic Christian and biblical teaching is that there always has been a people of God on earth – and there always will be
The teaching that Christ’s church disappeared for a time is an unbiblical, unchristian teaching that contradicts God’s decree, his love, Christ’s work as Savior, and the Spirit’s work as sanctifier and preserver. Thankfully, Christ will even defend his church from being destroyed by heresy, as the hymn “The Church’s One Foundation” says: The church shall... Continue Reading
Not a Sales Pitch
How odd that so much evangelism appears to be about selling Jesus and hoping that you can convince the non- Christian to “buy into” salvation.
Christians are called to share the gospel with others and rely upon the power of the Holy Spirit for His work in their lives, while at the same time never treating the gospel like a sales pitch. Some Christians—particularly new ones enthused by their budding faith—are eager and willing to share the gospel. Others have... Continue Reading
7 Thoughts on Church Discipline
What is the purpose of church discipline?
I am frequently asked about my thoughts on church discipline. I’ve learned that most of the time, when someone asks, they have a personal agenda they are attempting to address, far more than they have a concern for Biblical accuracy. They may know someone who committed a specific sin they feel warrants discipline. Sometimes they... Continue Reading
10 Reasons Why We’re Sleeping So Badly
If there are so many good reasons to sleep longer, why don’t we do it?
Anxiety: Worry seems to wake up when we are trying to sleep, and it’s often more powerful than our sleepiness. Learning how to cast our cares upon God and to trust him to care for us is far better and healthier in the long-term than sleep medications. If there are so many good reasons to sleep... Continue Reading
Battered Pastors (4)
Advice for the battered pastor
At the risk of sounding alarmist, I do believe that the church (in the West at least) is going to see (is seeing?) an increase in the number of churches which batter their pastors. It makes perfect sense. With the demise of the very idea of authority it should not be surprising that more pastors... Continue Reading
What We All Agree On, and What We (Probably) Don’t, In This Sanctification Debate
We all agree these issues really matter. So let’s see what’s really the matter.
But it’s also possible—and in fact, everyone seems to agree on this point—that there are profound disagreements about what sanctification is and how it happens. I’d be happy to slowly work through each of these questions over the coming months. I’d be happy to look at questions from the “other side.” First the low... Continue Reading
Is There a Biblical Answer To Poverty?
The book shows that Christian conservative theory empowers and helps the poor in a way the welfare state does not, and that a conservative understanding of vocation is crucial to a right understanding of the free market
But “For the Least of These” makes it clear that we should stop talking about work as a stick, and instead view it as a carrot. We need to stop bashing people over the head if they’re not working their way to wealth; life is complicated and unfair, and many people worldwide lack the resources... Continue Reading