The Final Days of Jesus by Taylor and Köstenberger
This book presents a helpful introductory timeline of the last week of Jesus’ life straight from the biblical record.
My hope is that Christians will be motivated by this book to not merely “get in the Easter spirit” during one particular season of the year, but that every Sunday would be an occasion for us to meditate and think upon the death burial and resurrection of Christ. A book like this is just the... Continue Reading
How Mothers Can Worship in the Midst of Inconvenience
Why does it seem like so much of motherhood has to be lived away from community?
With small children or nursing babies waking in the night, those mornings are not going to happen on a regular basis. My time with God may have to be broken up throughout the day or delayed until evening. But God desires us as we are, not a flawless performance. Christ has already done that on... Continue Reading
Christian Britain? Make way for the thought police
'Freedom of speech' is fine providing you don't say the wrong thing – at least in public.
The humanist society says that it stands for democratic equality and autonomy with all citizens having equal rights. Try telling that to the nursery worker who lost her job because she was asked about her views on homosexuality and gave the wrong answer (in a private conversation) to a lesbian colleague and was then reported.... Continue Reading
Perseverance of the Saints Anathematized
The stark difference between Rome’s anathema of perseverance and the Reformed affirmation of it.
To summarize, Rome has anathematized (accursed) any the Christian who believes that he or she will undoubtedly persevere in the Christian faith by God’s grace. Reformed theology teaches that Christians will persevere in the faith – and can be assured of that perseverance by God’s Word and Spirit. This is one of many reasons why... Continue Reading
Of Coarse Jesting, Wisdom, And Christian Liberty
How do we think about hanging out with the guys (i.e., friends) and glorifying God simultaneously?
In the late-modern West we live in a time of license. Restraint seems to have disappeared. Thus, lacking almost any external guides, we should be cautious. Here are some things to consider. Does it edify or does it tear down? Does it encourage? Will it lead one toward godliness or away from it? How... Continue Reading
A Letter From The Presbyterian And Reformed Commission On Chaplains And Military Personnel
A letter to PRCC member denomination stated clerks, presbytery clerks, sessions, and members of congregations about providing pastoral counseling to members who are in or considering military service
The purpose of this communication is to assist you in pastoral counseling of members of your congregations who are in or considering military service. While our sons and daughters are to be commended for their desire to serve God in the uniformed services (Luke 3:14), we believe it is imperative to counsel them of the... Continue Reading
A Review: Justification Reconsidered: Rethinking a Pauline Theme
An introduction to the doctrine of justification as well as a critique the New Perspective on Paul
Paul’s doctrine of justification did target not only a Jewish view, but any human view, that presumes to make good works any part of the ground of our being found righteous before God. “For Paul, God’s gift of salvation [i.e., justification] necessarily excludes any part to be played by God-pleasing ‘works’ since human beings are incapable of doing them.” “Paul sees the only... Continue Reading
The Bestsellers: Your Best Life Now
Osteen talks about God throughout, but it is not the God of the Bible he has in mind
I have written about Osteen and his books a few times over the years. He was the inspiration for an article I titled “Smilingly Leading You to Hell” in which I said, “Both the history of the church and contemporary Evangelical church are replete with nice people who are in complete rebellion against God. Is... Continue Reading
Are Reformed Churches Against the Creation of ALL Images?
Refining the understanding of churches and the place of images
In its historical and religious context, it is clear that the 2nd Commandment language concerning the “heaven above . . . earth beneath . . . water under the earth” had specific reference to the Egyptian gods of those domains that the Israelites had long worshiped, and were still worshiping (Ezekiel 20:8-10). Thus the 2nd... Continue Reading
A Response to Rod Dreher’s “Sex After Christianity”
Gay marriage negates Christian cosmology, from which we derive our modern concept of human rights and other fundamental goods of modernity
This new “sexual” agenda is an essential element of a “post-capitalist” transformation of all of human society, and a remaking of human “identity.” Whether it will succeed is another question, but we are dealing with a neo-Marxism so committed to a classless egalitarian society that it must eradicate by any means possible embodied gender distinctions, which are... Continue Reading