“When the disciples said to Jesus, “Lord, teach us to pray,” they saw a connection between the power of Jesus and the impact of his ministry and the time he spent in prayer. Obviously, the Son of God felt that prayer was a very valuable enterprise because he gave himself to it so deeply and... Continue Reading

“Unapologetic Christian conviction vying in the public square does not exacerbate the gulf between Christians and others. For what fellowship can darkness hath with light? The Gospel is good. It is true. It is life-giving. Therefore even the clumsiest act of evangelism is an act of love. If competing for public policies that reflect our... Continue Reading

In sum, the stories of Pliny and Nero are both encouraging and frightening at the same time.  They are frightening because they sound eerily similar to the kind of language and accusations being used today against Christians.  But, instead of Christians being asked to pay homage to the Roman gods to prove their acceptability, they... Continue Reading

When I meet people and they ask me about Providence Presbyterian Church – “What kind of church is it?” – I will tell them about our denomination (“We’re PCA”); I will tell them about our worship (“We have simple worship, singing Hymns and Psalms along with some contemporary hymns with piano accompaniment”); I will tell... Continue Reading

Forgiveness doesn’t mean end of discussion. How many of us husbands have said to our wives “I said I was sorry. So why do we have to keep talking about it?” Even when we forgive, it can be really important for the one sinned against to share how the offender hurt or affected them. We need... Continue Reading

The holy kiss is not subject to personal choice and individual preference. Touch in the church is not offered to someone we especially like as a sign that he or she has been singled out for intimate attention. The holy kiss is not exclusive. In contrast to the man in James 2:2-4 who tells the rich man to... Continue Reading

Hebrews 7:25 says that Jesus alone is “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him” because he alone is our substitute and our representative before God. Mary did not obey and die for us. St. Christopher did not obey and die for us. Further, Mary, St Anne, and St... Continue Reading

I believe church cannibalism is a bad thing for the Kingdom. Why then is there so little discussion of these pac-man tactics? Why no accountability within these mega structures for this kind of activity? Where are the elders and directing boards and what are they thinking when such tactics are carried out again and again?... Continue Reading

That’s why “The Exclusivity of Treasure Pursuit” Principle is bad news for our inner Pharisee. Christ has raised the standard of righteousness to an unattainable extreme, and there’s no way we can please God without the grace of Jesus. But if we incorrectly convince ourselves that it’s possible to serve two masters, we’ll believe that... Continue Reading

We do not have to be possessed by a demon to get drunk. There is enough abiding wickedness in us to do it all by ourselves. We can never say, “The Devil made me do it.” We can say that we are tempted, incited, or seduced by Satan, but not that we are controlled or... Continue Reading