Harrison Perkins (PhD, Queen’s University Belfast; MDiv, Westminster Seminary California) is pastor of Oakland Hills Community Church (OPC), a member of the of the Heidelberg Reformation Association, a Senior Research Fellow at the Craig Center for the Study of the Westminster Standards, associate online instructor in church history at Westminster Theological Seminary, a visiting lecturer in systematic theology at Edinburgh Theological Seminary, and author of Reformed Covenant Theology: A Systematic Introduction.
It is funny how our lodging place changes our perspective on the severity of our surrounding conditions. In a nice and sturdy house, a basic rainstorm seems inconsequential—people inside often even enjoy the patter of raindrops against their windows. On the other . . . Continue reading →
Trick or treat! Continue reading →
The terms of service have changed. Continue reading →
This series has looked at Psalm 10 to draw out its teaching that God is near to his people even when we do not feel like he is. That point comes out through David’s twofold prayer. He first laments how the wicked . . . Continue reading →
As we saw in part one of this series, Psalm 10 is a lament about how God seems to be standing far off from his people even as the wicked succeed in their evil. While the psalm recounts how the wicked conduct . . . Continue reading →
When I was young and I asked to do something I really wanted to do, my dad had a line that drove me up the wall: “We’ll see.” It seemed like a “no,” but without outright saying it. It felt like the . . . Continue reading →
What should Christians do when it seems the world has gone mad? Many believers in the West face that question daily. Action seems more effective than theological precision when dealing with the madness of crowds. Isn’t theological precision a luxury for when . . . Continue reading →
Psalm 9 is a lesson about why history matters. We can easily question why we need to learn our history. At least, the modern assumption is that only the present matters. Psalm 9 reorients God’s people to the importance the past has . . . Continue reading →
Good mystery stories maintain suspense until the big reveal. On a second reading, however, all the clues needed to deduce the big reveal should be obvious. The Apostles discovered this once Christ rose from the grave when they reread the Old Testament . . . Continue reading →
Looking to the past ought to have an encouraging place in the Christian life, especially if we apply that practice to how we pray. Psalm 9 models how we can find great hope for the present by recalling what God has previously . . . Continue reading →
We might not come back at all. Continue reading →
Imagine that you get free reign to design the plans for your dream home. You get to pick the kind of rooms you have, you get to decide the layout for where those rooms go, and you get to determine all the . . . Continue reading →
Most history teachers at some point in their tenure face that deflating student question: Why does this matter? In other words, what use is it to study the past? Is it not the present that is the most important thing? Why should . . . Continue reading →
I have to admit, I rather enjoy preaching some of Scripture’s difficult passages. Usually, I have a sense of invigoration in working hard to think through a challenging text and see how I can make good enough sense of it without punting . . . Continue reading →
Every year, the General Assembly of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church meets to consider the business of the church requiring the attention of the whole denomination, this summer meeting at Seattle Pacific University. This report summarizes some of the main conclusions from OPC . . . Continue reading →
My Country Tis of Thee. Continue reading →
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” It is one of those lines we tell our children to help them deal with aspects of life that can hit hard. It is also one of those lies . . . Continue reading →
The final countdown. Continue reading →
I have a few friends I have to call every now and then so they can put my backbone back in place. Courage is one of those finnicky things where, even if we have it, the perfect storm—or maybe even a weak . . . Continue reading →
Sometimes you have to drive outside the lines. Continue reading →