Presbyterian Church in America installs four new ministers in Fredericksburg
Each of the new churches grew out of New Life in Christ Church of Fredericksburg, VA
Another minister new to the area, Rev. Leon Brown, will preach at New City Fellowship in downtown Fredericksburg. Sexton said one of the missions of that congregation has been to advance multicultural outreach, which Brown will work on. Brown also will serve as an adjunct instructor of Old Testament and Hebrew at the New Geneva... Continue Reading
Presbyterian Machiavelli for Same Sex Marriage
In the next five years, the Presbyterian Church (USA) will effectively change its Constitution and probably not even realize it
If you’re curious about what the next five years holds for the Presbyterian Church (USA), look no further than Daniel Saperstein’s recent address “Marriage Equality in the PCUSA” delivered to the Covenant Network’s Regional Conference in Denver earlier this year. While we won’t know for sure that the strategy outlined in Saperstein’s address will be... Continue Reading
Your Ministry Is Not Your Identity
Either our identity comes from who we are in Christ or we will shop for it in the situations, experiences, and relationships of our daily life
I’m not surprised by bitter, socially uncomfortable pastors with messy or dysfunctional relationships at home, tense relationships with staff members and lay leaders, and secret, unconfessed sin. We have become comfortable with defining ourselves in a less than biblical way. We approach God as less than needy, so we’re less open to the ministry of... Continue Reading
You Know You Are Losing The Battle of Faith If…
Ways in which we demonstrate our lack of faith
You regularly find yourself plotting our your future instead of trusting in the Lord with all your heart. You run different scenarios through your mind, working out all the “if-then’s”, planning for every contingency, creating plan ‘A’, plan ‘B’, and plan ‘C’. Your assurance and peace comes from your ability to “figure things out” rather... Continue Reading
The Day of Atonement was a Copy of Christ’s Atonement
Only the blood of the divine image incarnate could cleanse our sin
This ritual was an acted parable, a copy of what Christ was to do on the great day when He made atonement. The blood of animals is both inappropriate and inadequate to provide the cleansing necessary to approach God. Animal sacrifice could not atone for human sin. Neither could any finite individual atone for sin... Continue Reading
C.J. Mahaney steps down as President of Sovereign Grace Ministries
Mahaney to focus on pastoring his new church in Louisville, KY
In a blog post, Mahaney cited an imminent SGM transition to a “new polity” as the reason for the change and said plans for his resignation began in October 2012. Mahaney said he is “eager to once again devote my attention to pastoral ministry. Returning to the pulpit of a local church last September has... Continue Reading
Bryan Loritts, Pastor of Fellowship Memphis, Critiques Doug Wilson
Thoughts on Doug Wilson’s book Black and Tan
I was moved by Loritt’s pastoral critique of Wilson. He assessed that the coldness or lack of concern for “the other” probably lies in the fact that real relationships with Blacks don’t exist for Wilson. I’m tempted to agree with Loritts. I know a few people (who happen to love Wilson) who lack deep relationships... Continue Reading
Body Image
God’s word teaches us how to have an accurate view of self.
Do you constantly scrutinize your appearance? Is it as though you walk around with a mirror held out in front of you reminding you what is lacking? In reality, that mirror reflects a distorted perception; much like a carnival mirror that distorts reality. It not only prevents you from seeing yourself accurately, but it creates... Continue Reading
The Christian Creed in One Short Psalm
In Psalm 110, we find the Christian confession of faith
Hopefully after reading a bit about these confessions contained in David’s creed, you will see why Psalm 110 is the most quoted Psalm in the New Testament. If you have ever struggled to articulate your faith, this may be a good place for you to begin. It would be quite beneficial to memorize the 7... Continue Reading
Does Calvinism Teach Puppet Theology?
God is not a puppet master pulling on our strings so that we do what he wants apart from our own willing or doing
Anyone familiar with the Canons of Dort should know that Calvinists do not believe that God works on his people by means of forcible coercion. Instead, we believe that God supernaturally, sovereignly, and irresistibly renews our hearts so that we can feel and choose and do what we ought. Earlier in the week I... Continue Reading