If resignation or receiving into a new body exempts an individual from church censure, the Church abdicates half of the keys of the kingdom. Such a policy implies the ability to remit sins but not to retain them, violating the principles outlined in WCF 30.   The impetus for this piece is this statement from the PCA’s Central Florida Presbytery. Imagine... Continue Reading

Part of the common fallacy is the claim that Tyndale wrote mainly in monosyllables and avoided long sentences.  But when the original text was couched in exalted language and long sentences, Tyndale reproduced it in English: “For this cause we also since the day we heard of it have not ceased praying for you and... Continue Reading

As do many governments, Finland claims to guarantee freedom of speech and religion. But the recent decision of the Finnish Supreme Court to convict Dr. Päivi Räsänen and Lutheran Bishop Juhana Pohjola of “hate speech” calls into question the meaning of such traditional freedoms in the West…Räsänen authored a booklet in 2004 on the Bible’s... Continue Reading

He is the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the promised Messiah, the eternal King who brings fruit from what was once thought dead. And here’s where hope floods the story: after the pressing, after the crushing, after the death—new life sprang forth. Jesus rose from the grave, just as Isaiah foretold. And when He rose,... Continue Reading

Don’t believe every accusation. I’ve learned in ministry that there are always two sides to every story, and I make it my habit to never form conclusions about a situation until I have spoken with all parties involved. Advice like “believe all women” sounds compassionate and caring, but it ignores the element of human sin... Continue Reading

Jesus died the same day the sacrificial Passover lambs were slaughtered. The Perfect Lamb without spot or blemish had suffered the wrath and condemnation of God in the place of his people. His blood covered them, the angel of death would mercifully pass over them.   Five Centuries before the crucifixion of Jesus the prophet Zechariah watched... Continue Reading

We tend to divide events in the world between the ‘natural’ (those caused by natural or physical means) and the ‘supernatural’ (those events that in some way are caused by non-natural agents). But Scripture doesn’t do this, since God is sovereign over both. There are no non-supernaturally caused events as far as the Bible is... Continue Reading

The Word must be preached, for God has called the church to be a preaching church, to minister his truths from the pulpit to the people. And since preaching requires preachers, there must be men who accept the risk. Hence, my counsel to the aspiring preacher is not simply to admit that if you spend... Continue Reading

As a pastor/planter, the work is too precious and meaningful to do halfway. Preaching God’s word requires a stewardship of our calendars, meetings, brains, hearts, souls, and margin so we can study and rightly handle the word of truth. Don’t settle for good enough. Let’s leave it all out on the field for Jesus.   Our lives are filled... Continue Reading

The principle of resting one day in seven to worship God is a permanent moral law (the Fourth Commandment, rooted in Creation). However, the specific requirement to observe it on the seventh day of the week (Saturday) was a ceremonial aspect tied to the Old Covenant. With the resurrection of Christ, the ceremonial shadow of the seventh day expired, but the... Continue Reading