There are places where religious liberties are being trampled, where Christians (and members of other religions) are not free to gather and to worship God according to Scripture or conscience. In such places people face arrest or worse simply for gathering to . . . Continue reading →
Covid
A Useful Distinction Regarding Church And State In Our Covid-19 Controversy
For better or worse John MacArthur and Grace Community Church have become the public face of resistance to California’s onerous Covid-19 regulations. They have also become entangled in the culture war over masks and aligned with the Trump administration, since the president . . . Continue reading →
QAnon, Evangelical Gnosticsm, Manichaeism, And The Kingdom Of The Cults
In the early 2nd century one of the gravest threats faced by the early Christians was a movement that we know as Gnosticism. It thrived by radically revising Christianity. According to the Gnostics, the material world is evil, the Creator God of the . . . Continue reading →
Church Services, Covid-19, Civil Liberties, And The Culture War
Grace Community Church, Sun Valley, CA has been at the center of a heated theological and cultural controversy over whether churches should abide by public health orders (ostensibly) intended to curb the Coronavirus and if so, how. As previously chronicled in this . . . Continue reading →
Tribalism And Irony
This came over the transom this morning: Continue reading →
Entre la conciencia y el desafío a las autoridad
Reconocemos que en Latinoamerica hay presiones o temor por pronunciarse libremente por lo ocurrido esta semana en la Iglesia de John MacArthur, en parte por la influencia, tanto económica como en liderazgo, ejercido por John MacArthur, y porque el contexto de California . . . Continue reading →
Of Masks And The Weaker Brothers
Introduction One of the stranger controversies to emerge in the broader Christian community and within congregations in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic has been over masks, whether the state has the authority to require citizens to wear masks, whether the church . . . Continue reading →
Between Conscience And Defiance: Questions For Grace Community Church
Introduction Grace Community Church met for worship this past Sunday. Ordinarily that would not be news but we are not living in ordinary times. In order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the State of California has forbidden churches to meet indoors . . . Continue reading →
Justices Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, And Kavanaugh On The Erosion Of Religious Liberty Under The Covid Regime
The Constitution guarantees the free exercise of religion. It says nothing about the freedom to play craps or blackjack, to feed tokens into a slot machine, or to engage in any other game of chance. But the Governor of Nevada apparently has . . . Continue reading →
NYT Blames Churches For Spreading Coronavirus, Ignores Protests And Riots
In this morning’s New York Times three staff reporters filed a story datelined “Pendleton, Ore” (odd question—why not use the standard postal abbreviation for Oregon, which has been in use for decades?) and it begins ominously: “Weeks after President Trump demanded that . . . Continue reading →
Coronavirus, Civil Liberties, And Crisis
In California we are in phase 2 of unlocking the public-health lockdown imposed in light of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). One of the costs of the stay-at-home has been a prohibition of all public gatherings. In phase two meetings are now allowed but . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 152: Calls On Church History, Theocracy, Biblical Languages, Final Salvation Through Works, Jesus’ Faith, And Civil Disobedience
It is time for the monthly Heidelcast call-in show and, as always, we have thoughtful and interesting questions on how to learn church history (and what to read), whether I agree with the 1646 edition of the Westminster Confession of Faith or . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 151: Christ, Culture, And Covid-19
The Covid-19 Shutdown of 2020 has begun to produce a reaction, at least in the USA. Recently we have seen demonstrations large and small in several states and particularly here in California. The various orders issued by governors, mayors, and county executives . . . Continue reading →
The Church And The Virus: Is This An Acts 5:29 Moment?
Introduction The Covid-19 Shutdown of 2020 has begun to produce a reaction, at least in the USA. Recently we have seen large-scale demonstrations in several states. The various orders issued by governors, mayors, and county executives to restrict movement has produced a . . . Continue reading →
With Presbycast On Virtual Communion—UPDATED
Regular readers of this space will know that I am a regular (or perhaps, more properly, an irregular) guest of the Presbycast podcast hosted by Brad Isbell (Chortles Weakly) and Wresbyterian. This is a valuable (if sometimes quirky) resource for the confessional . . . Continue reading →
Video: Bob Godfrey Puts The Corona Virus Into Historical Perspective
Ligonier has released a video featuring Bob Godfrey putting the Corona virus pandemic into historical perspective. Watch it here. How to subscribe to Heidelmedia
Heidelcast 144: Calls On Confessions, Covid-19, Chick-Fil-A, Christ and Culture, And More
Things are so topsy-turvy right now it seemed like a good time to do another call-in episode, and, as always we have some great calls. I will announce the most interesting caller and the winner of the book. The Heidelcast are a . . . Continue reading →
A Guide For Your Devotions On The Christian Sabbath
If your congregation is streaming a service/sermon, then by all means, you should watch that and participate as you are able. If your congregation is unable to stream services/a sermon on the Lord’s Day, because of the Corona Virus, here is what . . . Continue reading →
What God Is Telling Us Through The Corona Virus
Whenever there is a dreadful, large-scale event, e.g., a terrorist attack or the outbreak of disease, someone is sure to announce that this is God’s judgment on the world for our sins. Without a doubt, by nature, after the fall, we all . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 143: How Churches Are Responding To The Present Crisis
In the spirit of the hour, I am again postponing the series on the doctrine of God, I Am that I Am, to talk about how churches are responding to the crisis before us. Things are changing so quickly that, after we . . . Continue reading →