Resisting the Spirit of the Age
We resist the spirit of the age by refusing to worship the idols of the age.
We resist the spirit of the age by refusing to worship the idols of the age. And we do this by trusting, obeying, and worshiping the one true God of this and every age, who has called us to know Him forever through His Son and by His Spirit. We live in an age... Continue Reading
Baptists and Federal Visionists Together?
Both Baptists and Federal Visionists collapse the divine decree into the outward administration of the covenant of grace, though for different reasons.
Baptists do not confess nor do they ordinarily teach that baptism necessarily confers what it signifies. They baptize professing believers because, it is believed, that person professing faith already has what baptism signifies. Nevertheless, the Federal Visionists and the Baptists agree that the visible church is composed of those who have what baptism signifies. Both... Continue Reading
10 Things You Should Know about Jonathan Edwards
He pastored his first church when he was 18 years old.
His final words were written to his daughter, Lucy: Dear Lucy, it seems to me to be the will of God that I must shortly leave you; therefore give my kindest love to my dear wife, and tell her, that the uncommon union, which has so long subsisted between us, has been of such a... Continue Reading
Why Won’t They Understand? Here Are 10 Reasons.
Why can’t they just listen to me? After nearly twenty years of asking those questions and seeking out the answers, here are a few of the possible reasons.
Over the past several years, my family and I have encountered several parents of adopted children with significantly negative behaviors. Acting out, extreme defiance, abusing animals or other children, caught up in uncontrollable rage, or captured by wide mood swings are a few of the things these parents face. Many are confused by these beyond-normal... Continue Reading
The Life and Death of Jesus: A Theophany
Christ’s life brings to fulfillment the entire spectrum of theophanies and appearances of God in the Old Testament.
Entering the cloud in Luke 9:34 is similar to Moses entering the cloud in Exodus 24:18. But, unlike at Mount Sinai, the heavenly voice at the transfiguration does not continue to speak, and does not deliver an extended message, parallel to the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Instead, the voice directs the disciples’ attention to... Continue Reading
Exit Theology – Leaving the PCA?
When is the proper time for a church to withdraw from a Presbytery or a denomination?
The PCA was created in the context of ecclesiastical powers inherent in the hierarchical structure of the old Presbyterian Church in the United States (the “Southern Presbyterian Church”). Ownership of property became a major issue. Some churches lost their property. Thus, the PCA created the provision that any church could leave the denomination at any... Continue Reading
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker: A Scandal of the Self
Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker: A Scandal of the Self
To appreciate fully the Bakkers’ significance requires locating them in a spiritual lineage that extends back to early American history. A post-Reformation phenomenon in religious culture—referred to as “religious enthusiasm” in the combative literature of the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe—came to have an enormous influence on American Christianity. For religious enthusiasts, the doctrines... Continue Reading
Loss and Grief
Some days, I am in the valley of the shadow of death, and I forget to remember that God is with me. But he doesn’t forget.
Grief. Sometimes loss is just a bit overwhelming. Sometimes I wish I could just experience what they call the “ugly cry” but I don’t think I’m able to. Too unseemly. I have too much of my father in me I guess. But I still grieve. I am grieving for lost youth. I wasn’t ready for... Continue Reading
“Biblical Womanhood”: What Is a Woman?
We must stop teaching stereotypes as if they are based in scripture.
Jacob cooked stew. Jesus cooked fish. The male deacons—not the women’s ministry—served food to the Greek widows. Paul let himself be beat up in Philippi, and Jesus allowed himself to be stripped and spit on—great insults to manhood. Mary of Bethany sat in the traditional pose of a male seminary student as she studied Torah... Continue Reading
Cultivating Praise in Marriage
Prayer with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6) is the most powerful path to growth in valuing, enjoying, and encouraging your spouse.
As you grow in this, it will do more than strengthen your marriage. When we praise one another, we are, in a sense, practicing for glory. Paul writes, “you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus” (2 Cor 1:14b). Praise and affirmation are surely... Continue Reading