Author: Pastor Rich Lusk
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Theonomy and Christian Nationalism
In so many ways, the current discussions over Christian nationalism parallel discussions of Theonomy/Christian Reconstruction a generation ago. The Recons were also accused of fostering nominalism, seeking salvation in politics, etc. And they gave answers very similar to Joseph’s here (which I agree with). There is a massive blind spot in many expressions of Reformed…
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How Cultures Change
This is an excellent summary from Joseph Spurgeon of how cultural change happens. There is a top down “elite theory” component and a bottom up “grass roots” component, and the church is central to it all since the church is both elite and grass roots, and will always be the source of spiritual renewal through…
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A Classic
Anyone remember “Butt Prints in the Sand”? Such a classic! I know, I know – it sounds FV… [And, yes, this is a parody of “Footprints in the Sand.”]
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Pastoral Slobs
Many pastors today dress like slobs when they’re in the pulpit on Sunday. Pastors should not contribute to the ongoing slobification of America and the juvenilization of the church. I’m not saying you need to wear an alb+stole like I do (though I think there good arguments for it). I’m not even saying you need…
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What does it mean to be “pastoral”?
The adjective “pastoral” is an interesting one. What do we mean when we call a man “pastoral”? Most often today, “pastoral” seems to mean nice, soft, gentle, and most of all, winsome. But biblically, that’s not how pastors are described. It is true that pastors are called to be gentle and not quarrelsome. But it’s very…
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May-June ’25 Miscellanies: Calvin’s Ecclesiocentrism, the Politics of the Gospel, Racism and Nationalism, Mahler vs. White Debate, P*rn and the Jews, Theonomy vs. Christian Nationalism vs. Libertarianism, Responsibility and Masculinity, Nostalgia, Atheism, and more…
A lot of this post (though not all of it) first appeared on X. — When John Calvin described the office of pastor, he centered the pastor’s work on the three marks of the church: pastors are to faithfully preach God’s Word, rightly administer the sacraments, and seek the proper application of discipline. But Calvin…
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Dispensationalism’s False Prophets
Does Genesis 17:8 mean Israel as a permenant right to the land of Palestine and deserves unconditional political support from Christians and America? Here are a few considerations: This land promise was not unconditional. See Genesis 17:1 and the covenant curses in Deuteronomy 27-28. Later in history, God judged Israel and Judah by exiling them…
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A Thread on Natural Affection
A Thread on Natural Affection: In recent years, the Reformed segment of the church has been roiled by debates over natural affection. Interestingly, Scripture has very little explicit material on natural affection (“storge” in the Greek), but it does mention the lack of natural affection (“astorge”) as a sign of apostasy and idolatry in a…
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The Folk Wisdom of Country Music
I’ve written several posts over the last year or so that invoke country music as a source of folk wisdom. A few examples: — We need more dads like the one Ashley McBryde sings about in her song “Bible and a .44.” Great song, with a great vision of fatherhood. — “Well, you know what’s…
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Notes on the Use of YHWH and Jehovah
Some are arguing we should never use the name “Yahweh” or “Jehovah” for God, even when the Tetragrammaton was used in the Hebrew OT. My response: What’s the concern here? I don’t see why not knowing the exact pronunciation for the Tetragrammaton matters. We don’t know how lots of ancient words were pronounced. In some…
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