We the physicians of the world, united and loyal to the Hippocratic Oath, recognizing the profession of medicine as we know it is at a crossroad, are compelled to declare the following; WHEREAS, it is our utmost responsibility and duty to uphold . . . Continue reading →
Covid Accelerated The Homeschooling Revolution
By May, at the risk of violating state truancy laws, Wrobel had stopped fighting and let her kids log on (or not) whenever they felt like it. It was, she said, “the darkest hour before dawn.” That September, she started homeschooling. She . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 193: Taking Calls On Christian Platonism And Covid-19 Restrictions
We are taking a break from the series, What Must A Christian Believe to take some calls and answer some questions. The first question comes from Deborah in Chicago who asks about the trend among evangelicals to talk about “Christian Platonism.” What is . . . Continue reading →
Polycarp: A Model For Ministry In The Post-Christian West
Polycarp (Πολύκαρπος), whose name might be translated as fruitful was the leading pastor (ἐπίσκοπος) of Smyrna (today, Izmir, Turkey) on the Agean coast of Asia Minor. We do not know a great deal about his life. He was friends with Ignatius, the pastor of Antioch, who was (presumably) martyred about AD 115. Continue reading →
Valentinus, Marcion, And Contemporary Christianity
In our ancient church course we have been working through the basic ideas and foundational figures in the Gnostic movement of the second century AD.
Another Salvo (This One From The Left) Against The 1619 Project
On a hot, drowsy August Saturday, a copy of the New York Times Magazine devoted entirely to something called The 1619 Project landed on my doorstep, and immediately grabbed my attention. It took me little time to comprehend the project’s purpose, or . . . Continue reading →
A Meditation On The Virtue Of Truthfulness (And Against Deconstructionism)
A meditation on truthfulness from Galatians 4:16, Ephesians 4:15; John 18:38; and 1 John 2:21–24. Continue reading →
Is Missing Church A Sin?
Joe writes, “Is missing church a sin? Like if my child has a game, if I’m on vacation, or have to work?” Over the years many people have asked me some version of this question. It is an important question, one faced by the New Testament church and by the church in the twenty-first century. Continue reading →
Hywel Jones: The Lamb Is The Lamp (Rev 21:23)
Whom will Christians see in Heaven? Will it be God or Jesus? Both answers have been given throughout the history of the Church and they are still to be heard today. But will it be the one and not the other? Or . . . Continue reading →
Proof Of The Pauline-Augustinian Doctrine Of Human Depravity And Why Apologists Should Stay In Their Lane
Debra J. Saunders is an old-school journalist who, like other writers who are escaping the corrupt and corrupting media structure, has fled to Substack to publish. Continue reading
Heidelcast 192: What Must A Christian Believe? (10): “Conceived By The Holy Spirit, Born Of The Virgin Mary”
This is episode 10 in the series, What Must A Christian Believe? In this episode we are considering the third article of the Apostles’ Creed. The late and apostate Episcopal Bishop, which apparently did not disqualify him from holding episcopal office in . . . Continue reading →
Were The Protestant Reformers Missionary Failures? Challenging The Nineteenth-Century Narrative
One of the stories told about the Reformation in missiological circles is that the reformers weren’t interested in seeing the gospel go to the ends of the earth.
Continue reading →
The Heart Of The Romanist Appeal To Protestants: Skepticism
Protestants are told that they cannot trust their own interpretations of Scripture, church history, the church fathers, or anything else for that matter. They cannot trust their own evaluations of the evidence. They cannot trust themselves to tell the difference between black and white. Their sensory and rational faculties are attacked at every point. Those who buy into this way of thinking start to doubt everything, and they start to wonder where they can find stable ground. The Roman apologist is waiting to tell them that the only ground of certainty is Rome. Rome will tell you what is black and what is white. Continue reading →
The Need Of The Hour: Repentance
Dear Christians, the great need of the hour is collective humility and repentance for our sins, for our selfishness, for our idolatries, and our attempts to make our home in this world in denial of our heavenly citizenship. And we shouldn’t miss the silver lining in all of this. We are still able to publish the best news ever, a lamp is still shining in Babylon, and a voice is still sounding out, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” Continue reading →
Seeker, Franchise, Or Reforming: Moving Beyond Some Current Models In Reformed Church Planting To Recover The Whole Mission
The need is great, the mission is great but our God is greater and his grace is greater than all our sin and weakness. Pray for the harvest. Organize for the mission (to plant churches) and ask yourself where your congregation falls in the seeker — franchise — reforming continuum: is there a passion for the whole mission? Continue reading →
What If What The Church Needs Is Not A New Christendom?
Christianity is greatest when…
Continue reading →
Video: With Chris Coleman On The Grounds, Reason, And Fruit Of The Second Service On The Lord’s Day
A video discussion with Pastor Chris Coleman on the biblical and historical grounds for and the fruit of the second service on the Lord’s Day. Continue reading →
What To Do About Halloween On The Sabbath?
There are three major questions here: Halloween, the Sabbath, and how Christians ought to relate their faith in Christ to their life in the broader culture. Continue reading →
Heidelcast 191: What Must A Christian Believe? (9): “And I Believe In Jesus Christ, His Only Begotten Son, Our Lord” (part 2)
This is episode 9 in the series, What Must A Christian Believe? In this episode we are considering the third article of the Apostles’ Creed: “And I believe in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord, our Lord.” With this article . . . Continue reading →
John Piper, Future Grace: The Purifying Power of the Promises of God, rev. ed. (New York: Multnomah, 2012)—A Thorough Review
Pastor John Piper is well-known for his role in sparking the “young, restless, and Reformed” movement, mainly through his emphases on God’s sovereignty and serious expository preaching. There are no doubt numerous present members of Reformed churches who ended up there because of initial investigations of Reformed theology that began with hearing or reading John Piper. Personally, Piper was my first exposure to a thorough and biblical explanation of predestination in some of the appendices of the 2003 edition of Desiring God, which I was told to read shortly after becoming serious about my faith. Continue reading →