Why Did John Calvin and the Reformers Forbid All Images of the Divine Persons?
Why I believe all images of the divine Persons of the Trinity are sinful
Christianity is a religion of faith. It focuses on “things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Christians worship the unseen God and His unseen Son seated in the unseen Heaven, mediated by the unseen Spirit. Unauthorized images of Christ add nothing beneficial to this religion of faith, and serve only to tempt the faithful to take their... Continue Reading
Standing Firm for the Doctrine of Justification by Faith Alone
If the pope, the bishop, the priest, your preacher, teaches any other gospel than that which you have received, let him be anathema
“If we have to let go of our family, let go of our friends, let go of our church, let go of our lives, so be it. Otherwise, we seek to please men rather than to please God. And God has saved us with a gospel that is really a magnificent gospel, a marvelous gospel.... Continue Reading
When Darkness Is Your Only Friend
Depression feels like being in a dark hole, with no way out
“Psalm 88 is the darkest of the Psalms and, as such, there have been times when I have found not only that it uniquely gives voice to the way I feel but that it uniquely gives me a little hope, for, despite the Psalmist’s frame of mind, his faith is evidenced by his calling out... Continue Reading
On Popular Culture
We affirm that much of popular culture is largely formulaic, sentimentalized, and tends toward banality and narcissism
“We deny that a rejection of popular culture is tantamount to elitism or a disdain for the average believer. We also deny that there are no contemporary examples of orthopathy, or that orthopathy exists solely in the past.” This is a series to further explain the articles of “A Conservative Christian Declaration.” We affirm that... Continue Reading
Of Course Corporations Like Hobby Lobby Have Rights Of Conscience, And You Probably Shop At One
Some may question whether a corporation can “practice” a religion, but it is little different than a corporation having “core values”
“Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties challenged the mandate as a violation of the freedom of religion. The Court now must answer the questions of whether for-profit corporations can have a religious conscience and whether the birth control mandate substantially burdens the businesses’ free exercise of religion.” This week, the Supreme Court heard a... Continue Reading
An Open Letter To Sandra Fluke
In Sandra Fluke's zeal for women’s rights, she has declared war, not the other side
“To you, one aspect of freedom means pursuing meaningful relationships without the burden of, shall we say, reproductive consequences. You’ve probably felt frustrated with conservative Christians about this: What is it with these people? They’re against abortion, so why aren’t they all over contraceptives? Better to prevent a pregnancy than kill a baby, right?” ... Continue Reading
Leon Morris at 100
Leon Morris was born March 15, 1914. So last month marked the centenary of his birth
“Morris made his name with The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (1955), based on his Cambridge doctoral thesis. He defended – against liberal academic resistance – the idea that in the Bible, Jesus’ death was a ‘propitiation’ which turned aside God’s righteous wrath.” Leon Morris was born 15 March, 1914. So (last month marked) the... Continue Reading
Are You Aiding and Abetting Apathy?
Have you heard the phrases "I need to get back in the Word," or "My prayer life has been dry lately"?
“If your small group or church or group of friends are aiding and abetting your apathy–or you their’s– then you probably need to work hard at changing the culture of these relationships and contexts to be more reflective of biblical Christianity.” If you are connected in any way to mainline (particularly American) evangelicalism then... Continue Reading
What Is This World Coming To? Exactly What Jesus Said It Would Come To
The world is coming to exactly what Jesus said it would come to, and this actually gives us a lot of hope
Jesus isn’t particularly concerned with the most recent Barna report, or church growth study, or the state of Hollywood. He will build his church, and there is absolutely nothing that can stop him. Even as Jesus talked about the spike in lawlessness, he also promised that the gospel would be proclaimed in ALL nations. ... Continue Reading
Radical Feminist Cannibalism: The Gendercide of Unwanted Girls
So-called feminists believe the right to abortion trumps everything
When parents can abort a baby because it’s a girl, they are guilty of the worst kind of sexism. Rape, porn, the tyranny of beauty that compels little girls to perform plastic surgery to attain perfection: these are nothing in comparison to the mindset that will not allow for girls to be conceived in the... Continue Reading