It is Going To Be Okay
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 →
Until June 20, 2020: All Ligonier Teaching Series Free To Stream
Here is the Ligonier announcement: As a result of the global health crisis, churches are canceling Bible studies, small groups, and Sunday school classes. Pastors and elders around the world are thinking about new ways to bring God’s Word to their congregations. . . . 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 →
Hart On The Intractable Problem Of Defining Evangelical
Key to Kidd’s strategy is definition. He characterizes evangelicals as “born-again Protestants who cherish the Bible as the Word of God and who emphasize a personal relationship with Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.” [4] Conversion, Scripture, and experience of the Holy . . . Continue reading →
Therapeutic Moralistic Deism Is Real
Not long ago I had occasion to be a typical, midwestern megachurch. Everything was out of the megachurch playbook down to the praise band and the message, which one could hardly describe as a sermon, at least if sermon means something like . . . 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 →
On Cancelling Services And Holding Devotions At Home On The Christian Sabbath
Preface I have received a number of telephone calls and had a number discussions by text, direct message etc about this topic. Here, in general, is what I am telling those who ask. There are variables. It may be that, in your . . . Continue reading →
Your Only Comfort In Life And In Death
Introduction The Heidelberg Catechism is justly regarded as one of the finest summaries of the Christian faith ever written. First published in 1563, the catechism is used by more than a million Christians globally. The first question of the catechism is among . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 142: When Pastors Abuse
And What To Do About It
I am interrupting the series on the doctrine of God (again), I Am that I Am, to talk about a recurring problem in the church: abuse of the sheep by the shepherd. Recently Julie Roys featured audio from a public conference by . . . Continue reading →
New Resource Page On The Twofold Kingdom
Arguably the one of the greatest challenges that the church has faced has been how to relate to the prevailing culture. This was true before Christendom, when Christians were mostly ignored. It was true when we were being actively persecuted and martyred . . . Continue reading →
What The Reformed Can Learn From A 1532 Synod
Introduction In researching the essay on sola scriptura I found myself reading the 44 articles of the Synod of Bern, which was held January 9–14, 1532. In attendance were 230 delegates, including Wolfgang Capito (c. 1478–1541) and William Farel (1489–1565). Two things . . . Continue reading →
Was Sola Scriptura A Reformation Slogan And Doctrine?
Introduction: What Sola Scriptura Is and Is Not Recently, in a couple of places (online and in print) I have run across the claims, which, in different ways question the Reformation bona fides of the slogan and doctrine, sola scriptura. In one place an . . . Continue reading →
How Did We Get To Drag Queen Story Hour?
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712–1778) is a key source, with his provocative notion that human learning—the “arts and sciences” of his First Discourse—is actually that which corrupts us and hinders us being truly ourselves. Uncultured instincts and feelings are really who we are; civilization . . . Continue reading →
Rosaria Explains Intersectionality In One Paragraph
… How have we arrived at a place where students on elite college campuses perceive objective truth as a threat to personal safety and authentic selfhood? The answer is intersectionality, an analytical tool introduced in humanities and social science departments in U.S. . . . Continue reading →
Sibbes: At Sinai God Renewed The Covenant Of Works
The communion and fellowship of man with God, was first founded on a covenant of works made with Adam in paradise. If he did obey, and did not eat of the forbidden fruit, he should have life both for himself and his . . . Continue reading →
With Presbycast On Gospel, Grace, Antinomianism, FV, Moscow, And More
It is always fun to talk with the Presbycast guys. Tonight we talked about a wide range of issues. We started by discussing Chortles’s discovery of an online copy of the last number of Presbyterian and Reformed News from 2004. That issue . . . Continue reading →
Why You Should Not Trust Wikipedia
In my classroom the quickest way to fail an assignment or possibly even the entire course is to cite Wikipedia as an authoritative source. I have been expressing concern about Wikipedia as a reliable source for information for almost as long as . . . Continue reading →
Office Hours With Michael McClymond Against Universalism
Since the arrival of the capital M Modern world, beginning in the mid-17th century, one of the persistent points of friction between orthodox Christianity and Modernity has been the Christian doctrine that Jesus is the only way to heaven and eternal life. . . . Continue reading →
Samuel Rutherford: “The Whole Bulk Of The Judicial Laws…Is Expired”
That this Author saith, God commanded those that transgressed his holy Law with an high hand, and presumptuously to be killed, lest they should live and profane his holy things; I defend not: But sure Erastus erreth, who will have all such . . . Continue reading →