Resolved by the Grace of God
“I shall live for God, not for the ministry.”
Being sensible that I am unable to do anything without God’s help, I do humbly entreat him by his grace to enable me to keep these resolutions, so far as they are agreeable to his will, for Christ’s sake. –J. Edwards When I was nineteen years old, I joined the staff of a large... Continue Reading
Is Fornication Really a Sin?
If sex before marriage was not forbidden, why does Christ say that lust is?
God created sex. God created our sexual desires. Sex is good within the borders of marriage. For those of you who think that God is a killjoy for limiting sex to such a situation, please remember a couple of things: 1) God created sex! How could he be a killjoy? Think about it. The very... Continue Reading
Bad News about the Good News: The Construction of the Christian-Failure Narrative
The statistics Evangelicals use against themselves are highly suspect; their faulty statistics are their own worst enemy
Christian leaders and commentators find it useful to cast the church in a negative light. The emphasis on bad news about Christianity, regardless of its accuracy, is a powerful way of attracting listeners, readers, and financial support. We term this rhetorical strategy as the “Christian-failure narrative.”…When Christian leaders portray Christians as amoral and hypocritical, it... Continue Reading
Top Fifty Stories of 2012 on The Aquila Report, Part 3
Numbers 21 through 30
Again this year we are featuring a summary of the top 50 stories. We are breaking the list into 5 parts, 10 a day; starting from the bottom and going up with 30 through 21 Number 30 At the PCA General Assembly: Overtures Committee report A surprise (to many) vote on the subject... Continue Reading
Churches’ Hostility to Gay Marriage Only Underlines Their Impotence
It may be low politics or high principle but the Government is right to push for this
It is clear from polling that an older generation, brought up to believe that homosexuality was a crime, has struggled to come to terms with changing mores while younger generations drive society forward in a more liberal direction. In Britain, surveys have found hugely divergent views between pensioners and those under 50. Like millions... Continue Reading
Top Fifty Stories of 2012 on The Aquila Report, Part 2
Numbers 31 through 40
Again this year we are featuring a summary of the top 50 stories. We are breaking the list into 5 parts, 10 a day; starting from the bottom and going up with 40 through 31 Number 40 PCA Gospel Reformation Network Meeting Focuses on the Gospel for Life and Ministry Written by Staff |... Continue Reading
Killing Sprees—Is There a Common Theological Thread?
They believed that by killing themselves they would not have to answer for their crimes.
But that fact goes to my point that one’s beliefs about ultimate truth really do guide one’s behavior. And there seems to be a common theological thread among killing spree killers. They’re not worried about God, judgment, or a place called hell. On Christmas Eve William Spengler set fire to his house. When firemen... Continue Reading
Top Fifty Stories of 2012 on The Aquila Report, Part 1
Numbers 41 through 50
Again this year we are featuring a summary of the top 50 stories. We are breaking the list into 5 parts, 10 a day; starting from the bottom and going up with 50 through 41 Number 50 Declaration on the Special Creation of Adam and Eve Adopted by the Session of Trinity Presbyterian... Continue Reading
Should You ‘Choose’ to be Attracted to Your Potential Spouse?
Basing a relationship primarily on spiritual attraction creates unhelpful, hyper-spiritual pressure in relationships
If a young man came to me, and said he was thinking about a particular girl, I would ask him two questions: Is she godly? If yes, proceed to question number two. Do you think she is attractive? Recently Mike McKinley and Tim Challies both wrote articles which argued that young people, particularly men,... Continue Reading
My Top 10 Theology Stories of 2012
It's subjective, presumptuous, and guaranteed to infuriate almost all of you
In terms of sheer reader interest, nothing on The Gospel Coalition website in 2012 compared to the discussion surrounding Jefferson Bethke’s spoken word video: “Why I Hate Religion, But Love Jesus.” The end of the year brings lists galore recounting the best books and top news stories. But I’ve never seen anyone else attempt... Continue Reading