In the West, men had been taught to view Reality as fundamentally rational, and that the eternal Word had been revealed in the person of Jesus Christ. The Western mind was therefore awakened by the burning conviction that truth could be known. A thread had emerged between the heavens and the earth; a tether established... Continue Reading

Beauty stirs in us a longing for Heaven. We can appreciate the beautiful things of this world, but they don’t fully satisfy. They are merely echoes of the true, lasting kingdom. A longing for Heaven, for our “true country,” has been written on our hearts. We are, after all, image-bearers of the one who made... Continue Reading

Jesus called the crowd “hypocrites.” Usually, He reserved that sting for the religious elite—the “actors” who performed righteousness for an audience. But here, He addresses the everyday crowd. This rebuke is rooted in love, as the Scriptures state: “Better an open rebuke than love that is concealed.” – Proverbs 27:5. Jesus offers a public rebuke... Continue Reading

‘A Heart Aflame for God’ is as good a book as any I have read this year and one I wish I had read last year. It refreshed my understanding of spiritual formation and deepened my confidence that the Reformed tradition has deeply satisfying means for developing, increasing, and moving forward as a Christian.  ... Continue Reading

Some say that playing video games enhances credibility with others. A few may point out that video games can bring in income, whether through retailing, programming, or tournament play. Many believe that video games can be great virtual babysitting tools. Parents can give games to their children to occupy their time with little-to-no direct supervision. Grownups then... Continue Reading

“The report is making its conclusion based on humanism and human logic, not on Scripture. I heard exactly the same misuse of Scripture being quoted at our last presbytery meeting when we were leaving the PC(USA). It was the Scripture about the woman caught in adultery. The AIC presenter quoted Jesus as saying, “Neither do... Continue Reading

That word “justice” seems to have drawn them to it. With some people it has a mesmerizing quality. Tell them that justice requires this or that, and they rush to do it without further thought. There is such a desperation to be “on the right side of history” or “part of something bigger than oneself,”... Continue Reading

That difference between Saturday and Sunday is easy to overlook, but it is not a small thing. It reflects something fundamental about the difference between the Old Testament faith and the New. The Sabbath points backward….The Sabbath commemorates the completion of creation. It says: look back at what God has made. It is a day... Continue Reading

I often wonder if the fallen pastors I read about genuinely had authority in their lives. Sure, many of them presided within a “plurality of elders.” But authority on paper isn’t the same thing as authority in practice. Did these fallen pastors submit their lives to anyone? Would they have listened if someone told them,... Continue Reading

A person’s identity is not linked to what he or she can articulate. Identity and humanness emerge from the imago Dei bestowed upon each person (Gen. 1:27). John Swinton reminds us that modern thinking often equates humanness with cognitive ability. But knowing about God is not the same as knowing God—and knowing God is not limited to memory or... Continue Reading