70th Birthday Reflections
What should we think of as we ponder our “Golden Years”?
I believe five main truths must be in place to make the remainder of our lives truly productive for the Kingdom of God. A child should be able to comprehend and prayerfully believe the answers to life’s key questions: origin, meaning, conduct, response to evil (internal and external) and destiny. I just celebrated my... Continue Reading
Thomas Chalmers and the Recovery of the Parish
Chalmers had a vision of Scotland in which all her people from those of highest to those of lowest rank would know and love the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thomas Carlyle said of him “What a wonderful old man Chalmers is. Or rather, he has all the buoyancy of youth. When so many of us are wringing our hands in hopeless despair over the vileness and wretchedness of the large towns, there goes the old man, shovel in hand, down into the dirtiest puddles... Continue Reading
His Wounded Heart Bled Bible
John Bunyan (1628–1688)
In 1655, when the matter of his soul was settled, he was asked to exhort the church, and suddenly a great preacher was discovered. He would not be licensed as pastor of the Bedford church until seventeen years later. But his popularity as a powerful lay preacher exploded. The extent of his work grew. “When... Continue Reading
From Gay to Gospel: The Fascinating Story of Becket Cook
He never looked back, trading his gay identity for a new identity in Christ.
What changed for Cook? He met Jesus. On a momentous day in September 2009, while drinking coffee with a friend at Intelligentsia in L.A.’s Silver Lake neighborhood, Cook started chatting with a group of young people sitting at a nearby table—physical Bibles opened in front of them (remember, this was 2009). They were from a... Continue Reading
Katherine Parr and Her Role in the English Reformation
She was the last wife of King Henry VIII and an important writer.
Whatever her personal feelings (which, given the fate of her predecessors, must have included great caution), she accepted the proposal and embraced her new role with energy and wisdom, proving to be a godsent to Henry in many ways. Katherine Parr (1512-1548) is often remembered as the only wife of King Henry VIII who... Continue Reading
And They’re Back! MacDonald and Tchividjian Restore Themselves To Ministry
Two men properly removed from ministry for the abuse of their pastoral offices and because of sexual sin, are going to leap back into the pulpit anyway.
“We have prayed to practice our biblical teaching on love and God has surely allowed us to be stretched. There is much we could say, as so much is not at all what has been portrayed. But we look to the Lord for forgiveness where I did fail as a leader and for vindication of... Continue Reading
Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary Board Selects Dr. Jonathan Master As Their Second President
Dr. Master will assume the Seminary presidency on July 1, 2020; Dr. Pipa will continue to serve as full-time Professor of Systematic & Homiletical Theology and President Emeritus
Dr. Master earned a Ph.D. in Theology from the University of Aberdeen. His research was in the field of Historical Theology, specifically the doctrine of assurance in the Westminster Confession and in the writings of Anthony Burgess. He earned both the M.Div. and the Th.M. from Capital Bible Seminary, and the B.S. in Bible at... Continue Reading
John Wants to Be Jane: 3 Ways to Counsel a Gender-Confused Child
Will I harm my child if I don’t embrace their trans identity? What should I say in response to their confusion? How can I help my child?
While Christian parents can’t affirm their child’s misplaced desires, they have a God-given responsibility to lovingly help their child through a real struggle with gender identity. Rather than being bewildered into ineffectiveness, parents can proactively care for their child in at least three basic ways. “Mom and Dad, can we talk?” With this seemingly... Continue Reading
Sarah Edwards: Jonathan’s Home and Haven
“What shall I say? A holy and good God has covered us with a dark cloud. O that we may kiss the rod, and lay our hands upon our mouths!”
Sarah Edwards was the supporter and protector and home-builder for Jonathan Edwards, whose philosophy and passion for God is still vital 300 years after his birth. She was the godly mother and example to eleven children who became the parents of outstanding citizens of this country, and — immensely more important to her — many... Continue Reading
Why Pastors Should Engage Basil of Caesarea
He made the Scriptures the center of his life, and strove to live a life completely in accord with its teaching.
Living the Gospel made Basil more sensitive to problems in the Church and in society and equipped him to make a contribution to their solution. Unlike many ascetics, Basil did not withdraw from the Church and the world but engaged them. He was ordained a presbyter to help the bishop of Caesarea and eventually became... Continue Reading
