Seriously? Questioning Machen on the Active Obedience of Christ?
If you take seriously the guilt of sin and its ongoing influence in the life of the believer, you would be inclined to take great comfort in the active obedience of Christ
Why Leithart thinks Machen de-personalized Christ’s work is beyond me. How much more personal could doctrines be that described what Christ actually endured and did in his bodily existence and death on the cross? “My faithful Lord Jesus who is with me by His Spirit” sure seems to abstract from the Christian what Christ actually... Continue Reading
Our Make-Believe Parents: When Adam Becomes More Fiction than Fact
The existence of our first parents has been and continues to be challenged and denied by some voices even within the church
Fortunately, there are Christians who do not reject science as a discipline but instead use it to God’s glory in demonstrating the truth about his world. They are looking at the same scientific data regarding the origins of life and coming to orthodox conclusions in ways that do justice to the appropriate parameters and integrity... Continue Reading
Birmingham +50
Relations between blacks and whites have improved in what was once a hotbed of racist violence, but a lot of work remains
Segregationists were detonating bombs all over Birmingham in 1963. In May, they bombed the front half of Rev. A.D. King’s home. The minister and his family, in the back rooms, survived uninjured. That same day two bombs exploded at the Gaston Motel, where civil rights leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., had been meeting.... Continue Reading
The Disappearance of Heresy
There appears to be lip-service to confessional orthodoxy but complacency in preaching and defending it
Today, the only thing not tolerated is intolerance of doctrinal tolerance, the only evil is calling out evil, and the only heresy is calling anything heresy. And although we cannot by any means condone any of the unbiblical tactics of the thirteenth-century church in her wrong-headed attempts to root out and kill heretics, particularly the... Continue Reading
Superman Pastors Are Bound to Fail
Many pastors have learned and practiced a deficient model of leadership in the last century: the Superman model
Pastors cannot micromanage every detail of every ministry in their church. My congregation can’t serve well or grow and develop if I interject every time I think I could offer better counsel or oversight. As Jesus sent out the twelve in Matthew 10, so also we need to be willing to release our people for... Continue Reading
Gross
How many times have we offended God with poor choices and he loved us regardless of the motivation behind them?
I think of how many times I have offended God with my poor choices regardless of my motivation behind making them. But He never left my side. He was not pleased with my actions but He stayed with me through my illness of sin. God would not leave my side because I was His son... Continue Reading
It is Always Darkest Just before the Light Shines
The modern culture of America is wallowing in a moral cesspool; however, we are not without encouraging signs
Even in the midst of the decline in our culture, we still have reason to hope. The reason for hope is not Christian Transformationalism or some type of Kuyperian Neo-Calvinism. The Bible and providential history teach otherwise. It is always darkest just before the light shines. When culture is at its lowest point and men... Continue Reading
The Reformed Faith on Sunset Boulevard: The Arts & Entertainment Institute
In the heart of Los Angeles is a ministry that provides a beacon of hope to the entertainment community
AEI is a part of a larger organization called Arts & Entertainment Ministries, which was founded in 2004 by Joel Pelsue, an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church in America, and his wife Michelle as a way to train Christians to engage the mainstream culture. Joel and Michelle became professional artists at a young age.... Continue Reading
Grace Presbytery Overtures the PCA GA to Amend BCO 15-5 to Vote on SJC Decisions
The overture asks the PCA General Assembly to amend BCO 15-5(a) and (b) in order to regularize the approval of judicial commission decisions
At its stated meeting on September 10, 2013, Grace Presbytery (South Mississippi) approved an overture on changing some of the judicial processes in the Presbyterian Church in America. The overture recommends that the PCA General Assembly amend its Book of Church Order 15-5 which deals with the decisions of the Standing Judicial Commission (SJC). ... Continue Reading
Parental Knowledge: Where Are My Blind Spots?
Kids who learn about the risks of drugs from their parents are 50 percent less likely to use drugs and alcohol than those who do not
Perhaps it is those parents who have established good relationships with their teens who find it easier to speak with them about drug use. These parents see very positive results, not because they dialogued about alcohol, but because they had already established positive relationships. Are the good results dependent upon the dialogue or on the... Continue Reading