Tag: faith
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Calvinism: Not Just a Pretty TULIP
This article was published at The American Reformer. “Calvin had inspired in his disciples that energy of piety which abhors all halfway measures, which boldly endeavors to make all affairs of life subject to Christ, the Head and Lord.” – Augustus Lang Calvinism used to be a cultural force. In fact, Calvinists have a long…
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Trump wins!
This is part of the email going out to my congregation this morning: “He who sits in the heavens laughs.” Those words from Psalm 2:4 certainly rang true last night. In the providence of God, we have just witnessed the greatest political comeback in American history. Donald Trump has battled back from losing the 2020…
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From the Archives: A Visionary Ecclesiology (2002)
A Primer for Church Members on the Nature and Functions of the Body of Christ Introductory Note: I intend this paper to serve as something of a “user’s guide” for church members, though church leaders may also find it valuable in developing vision statements for their local bodies. I have not “proven” all my assertions with…
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Worship Exhortation – 7/28/24 (Re: Olympics Opening Ceremony)
This is a rough summary that combines ad expands the exhortation I gave before worship and before the Lord’s Supper on July 28, 2024: I did not see the Olympic opening ceremonies the other day. I was traveling, but honestly, even if I was not traveling, I probably still would not have watched. However, I…
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Baptismal Exhortation, June 2024
One thing conservative and Christian people do a lot these days is talk about how over several generations evil has progressed. It seems evil is growing stronger in our culture, year by year right now. Darkness is getting darker and covering more ground. Things that were once unthinkable and even illegal are now celebrated in…
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Progressives Will Not Make Very Much Progress, and Other Worldview Notes
I was teaching a Bible study on Judges 9 the other night and it occurred to me just how relevant this chapter is to many of our current issues. (We will eventually get audio up on our website.) First, anyone who wants a so-called “strong man” to rule should pay close attention to the beginning…
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Easter Miscellanies
Here are some things that have been on my mind during this Easter season: In the sermon on 4/7/24 on Matthew 27:57-28:20, I made the assumption that the guards at the tomb where Jesus was buried were Roman. The question was asked afterward if they could have been Jewish guards. The text is not clear…
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Lenten Exhortations (2024) and Other Notes
A couple of recent exhortations….. Lent is the season of the church year that highlights spiritual warfare. Jesus came as a great warrior. He fought our battles for us. He won the victory over Satan and his temptations in the wilderness. He won the victory over sin and death at the cross. He has trampled…
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Lord’s Day Exhortation: Turning Anxiety into Prayer and Peace (1/21/24)
We live in chaotic, tumultuous times. I don’t think anyone paying attention can deny that. It’s like the proverbial Chinese curse: “May you live in interesting times!” These are interesting times indeed. We live in clown world. It seems like the world if falling apart and going insane. It is easy to be anxious —…
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Lenten Meditation (Revised)
Jesus said the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath (Mk. 2:27). If the God-ordained Sabbath was instituted for the sake of human needs, this is all the more true of the church’s calendar, which does not derive from divine ordinance, but from the church’s reflection on God’s redemptive work in history…
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