Dear Twitter, I’m Leaving You for My Wife
The worst part of Twitter might actually be the whole pig—the head, the body, the arms, the legs, the snout, the curly tail, and not just the underbelly.
I know that I am culpable for my Twitter feed. The specifics of all the social media algorithms may remain opaque, but the principle is readily known: the more you click, the more you get. And I certainly got. For every doofus Twitter comment I clicked, I got ten more comments in my feed. My... Continue Reading
Some Lose God While Serving God, A Subtle Danger in Christian Ministry
One of the most frightening — Lewis calls it “the subtlest of all snares” — is the temptation to mistake a means for the end.
Abstract truth tends to remain on the surface. Real transformation comes when we get concrete and personal. And I’m no artist, real or otherwise. But I am a teacher and a preacher. And I love to teach and preach. And reading Lewis on the danger of mistaking the means for the end challenges me precisely at this... Continue Reading
Standing at the Abyss: Reclaiming Civilisation
How are we to respond to the full-blown assault on our culture?
Sure, as a Christian I realise that at the end of the day cultures will come and go, nations will rise and fall, and societies will only thrive temporarily. As C. S. Lewis said about the dignity of the individual as made in the image of God: “There are no ‘ordinary’ people. You have never... Continue Reading
Keep Your Head
Don’t be shocked and don’t be thrown, be sober minded, keep your head in the midst of that.
It isn’t always the case that the fears of a crisis are unfounded. Just occasionally it is as bad as you fear, but still Paul’s advice holds firm: Keep your Head. There are challenging and fearful times in ministry and church life, but rarely is an instant reaction the right reaction. Quick decisions are often bad... Continue Reading
Who Can Stop the Lord Almighty?
Who can stop the bride of the Lord Almighty? She has been given a task.
Her bridegroom has been given all authority. Not most. All. As we go through the good works set before us (Ephesians 2:10) let’s keep this in mind. We are part of an unstoppable kingdom. To approach the tasks that our Lord has ordained for us as tasks that are doomed to fail is to have... Continue Reading
The Kingdom of God Conquors Racism
We have a hope that transcends social policies. We have the gospel.
In these days of division, our earthly kingdom seems to be splintered beyond repair. We should long for unity and reconciliation. We should long for a kingdom with no tears from the pains and consequences of partiality. We should long for the eternal joy and equality we were created for. But most importantly, we should... Continue Reading
The Dangerous Culture of Apology
If we have not done anything objectively wrong and know that to be the case, then offering an apology as if we had done something wrong has several serious problems.
While I agree that we should be constantly open to correction, that we’re often blind to our own failings, and that we should always listen with humility to rebuke, I think that this ‘culture of apology’ is not only wrong but actively dangerous. We are minimizing the importance of honesty. We are building a world... Continue Reading
Obedience to Civil Authorities
Christians are bound to a general disposition of submission toward civil authorities, except for when their policies come into conflict with divine justice and the demands of Christ.
We ought to expect for Christians and Churches to embrace a range of acceptable stances that simultaneously reflect primary honor for God, and secondary honor for the state. There will be certain government evils that believers simply overlook (Prov. 17:9; 19:11), either because they are preoccupied with other godly causes, unaware of the said evils,... Continue Reading
The Resurrection’s Higher Math
Christ is better than the law and the law cannot account for the eternal kind of life.
But my Jesus will look at my accuser and say, “Isn’t this why you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? Because Jared is in me by faith, and because there is no condemnation for those who are in me, he is an heir of eternal life. I am... Continue Reading
What is Reformed Preaching?
Reformed preaching is on watch for the ways the truth of Scripture relates to every sphere and circumstance of life.
In a day when pastors are looking to the world of business, psychology, and politics for talking points, and sermons are sounding more and more like motivational talks, group therapy sessions, or stump speeches, we would do well to return to the legacy of the Reformation—to recover, yet again, the centrality of preaching in our... Continue Reading
