The end of the semester is followed by the holidays so I just saw this post (HT: Aquila Report) discussing the declining fortunes of McDonalds restaurantsamong Millennials and comparing them to the church. The author notes “More people are wanting a customized, . . . Continue reading →
As long as human beings are unique, as long as even one of them thinks independently of others, Utopia is a total pipe dream. Compliance must be forced. Or human beings must cease to be human by giving up their uniqueness. Either . . . Continue reading →
Holidays are a time for great sentiment, which the Oxford American Dictionary defines, in this usage, as an “exaggerated and self-indulgent feelings of tenderness, sadness, or nostalgia.” Who does not watch the annual Christmas movies? They are part of the late-modern communal . . . Continue reading →
Santa Claus is not part of the Christmas celebration in our family, but since it is part of the broader culture, we have told our kids that Santa is a fun pretend person. A problem arose when our literal-minded eldest daughter went . . . Continue reading →
Last time we looked briefly at some of the reasons some evangelicals (Dispensationalists) have had difficulty with the biblical and historic Christian doctrine that Jesus is presently reigning over all things and particularly his church. That view is in contrast to the . . . Continue reading →
PC compliance automatically invalidates non-PC views and reinforces the bad habit of condemning all who disagree. By shutting out all but one train of thought, political correctness attacks individuality and ends up pushing people into the oblivion of a collectivized and controllable . . . Continue reading →
1. I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.2. And in Jesus Christ his only begotten Son, our Lord.3. Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.4. Suffered under Ponce Pilate, was crucified, dead, . . . Continue reading →
It is basic to historic Christian teaching and confession that Jesus is reigning and ruling now. In the sixth article of the Apostles’ Creed all Christians confess, “He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” . . . Continue reading →
XIX. The glory of his Person may be considered, partly in reference to the divine nature; partly, to the human. The former is nothing else than a most illustrious assertion, vindication, and display of the Divine majesty of Christ, reflected from the . . . Continue reading →
Abraham is a central figure not only a Genesis and the Old Testament (defined broadly) but in the New Testament as well. God called him from Ur of the Chaldeans, gave him new life, faith in Christ, and through faith alone, imputed . . . Continue reading →
The Army has disciplined a military chaplain for making references to the Bible during a suicide-prevention seminar last month. …The chaplain, Capt. Joe Lawhorn, conducted the training session on suicide prevention Nov. 20 at the University of North Georgia. During the session, . . . Continue reading →
Last time we considered the benefit of having a representative before a distant court. Now we want to consider the second benefit of Christ’s ascension: In Heidelberg Catechism 49 we confess: 49. What benefit do we receive from Christ’s ascension into heaven? First, . . . Continue reading →
The second step of Christ’s exaltation, was, his ascending up into heaven, Eph. 4:8, 10. The time of his ascension was forty days after his resurrection, Acts 1:3, “He tarried so long on earth, after his rising from the dead, to ascertain . . . Continue reading →
Our sense of distance in the late-modern, ultra-high-tech world has changed dramatically. It was not that long ago that a long-distance telephone call was a major event. The pastor with whom I served, Norman Hoeflinger, served a congregation in a town where . . . Continue reading →
If you think it through, I think you’ll also come to realize that civil discourse is the biggest impediment to centralized power. How so? When people fear expressing their innermost thoughts to others, friendships cannot develop. Personal associations are nipped in the . . . Continue reading →
Early in post-apostolic Christian history confused believers and heretics alike sought either to conflate the two natures of Christ, with the result that Christ was made, as it were, to have only one nature (the monophysite heresy) or to separate the two . . . Continue reading →
Santa Christ is sometimes a Pelagian Jesus. Like Santa, he simply asks us whether we have been good. More exactly, since the assumption is that we are all naturally good, Santa Christ asks us whether we have been “good enough.” So just . . . Continue reading →
Darryl Hart has a thought-provoking post today on Rick Warren’s recent comments about what Rome and Protestants have in common. Warren’s comments are a sterling reminder of the importance of knowing our church history. Yes, Christians of all the major traditions receive . . . Continue reading →
