Committee Report on Church Music
Worship is a theological issue in that its purpose is glorifying God as we enjoy Him within the limits of liturgy given in Scripture.
One thing both traditional and contemporary churches could agree on is the participation of church members in congregational singing. If unity cannot be found here, then the issues that divide are presuppositional and theological. The Church, whether Presbyterian or not, is divided about music, but it is certain that all of us will be singing... Continue Reading
Lessons from the Lutheran Tradition for 2024
Looking to the Lutherans, as one of the more confessional traditions, might be helpful for evangelicals to avoid selling their souls to the politics of this world.
Lutheranism has much to offer the church catholic at this moment in time. Like all confessional Christianity, it is anchored in realities that transcend the political particularities of our day; and it also reminds us of the church’s true task and realistic expectations in a time such as this. This week I had the... Continue Reading
A Defense of the Use of the Bible as a Schoolbook
A letter to Reverend Jeremy Belknap, of Boston.
However great the benefits of reading the scriptures in schools have been, I cannot help remarking, that these benefits might be much greater, did schoolmasters take more pains to explain them to their scholars. Did they demonstrate the divine original of the Bible from the purity, consistency, and benevolence of its doctrines and precepts—did they... Continue Reading
Who Did Jesus Die For?
Jesus either died for everybody, died for nobody, or he actually died for a particular people whom he was willing, able and then did effectively save.
If Jesus death hasn’t paid for anybody’s sin then his death was ultimately pointless. He is a failed saviour who was unable to save any of his people. When he said ‘it is finished’ on the cross, he may as well have said ‘I am finished’. Fortunately, the Bible tells us clearly enough that Jesus’... Continue Reading
Israel the Oppressor vs. Hamas the Oppressed: The Inverted World of Western Cultural Marxists (Part 2)
Whether they are willing to admit it or not, for Leftists, their Marxist oppressor-oppressed ideology is their righteous cause, their essential religious belief system notwithstanding the formal religion with which they may identify.
Significant as the combat is between Hamas and Israel, more crucial is the battle for the mind and heart of billions. This is why I have devoted such close and extensive attention to understanding and explaining the true war that is being waged between two antithetical worldviews, the biblical-Christian view and the anti-Christ view which... Continue Reading
Laboring for Christ in Obscurity: Reflections on “The Alpinist”
If you could only accomplish great things for the glory of God but no one but you and God would know, would you still put in all the work necessary to accomplish those things?
At one point in the documentary, Marc-Andre looks up at this massive mountain covered with snow and says, “One of the coolest feelings that a human can experience is to feel so small in a world that’s so big.” When we seek glory for ourselves it crushes our ability to wonder and marvel because we... Continue Reading
A Devotional Summary of the Use of Psalm 110:1 and Psalm 110:4 in the NT
Power, position, priesthood, perseverance, and punishment—Psalm 110 in the New Testament richly encourages us today!
Christ’s sacrifice was once for all, and thus He sits in heaven. And yet, at His seat, He gives Himself to interceding for you and me. What an encouragement that salvation is accomplished through Him, and what further encouragement we have to know that He lives to intercede! Jesus is over all things at the... Continue Reading
9 Reasons You May Be in a Spiritual Drought—and How to Find Refreshment
What keeps us moving through the desert is knowing for certain that an oasis lies over the next hill.
The Galatians experienced the freedom and joy of the Holy Spirit, not by keeping commandments in order to gain salvation, but by hearing and believing a message—the gospel message. We are all in danger of drifting like these Galatians. After having received the Holy Spirit by faith, we attempt to perfect ourselves by the flesh... Continue Reading
God Revealed in Our Terms
Imagine the difference in your prayer life when you think of God not as a distant force but as a loving Father who listens attentively, a Shepherd who guides with care, or a Friend who understands your deepest needs.
Understanding God through anthropomorphic language isn’t just a theological exercise; it’s a transformative experience that profoundly impacts our faith and worship. When Scripture describes God in human terms, it does something remarkable—it brings the infinite within reach of our finite minds. For many Christians, God can seem distant and abstract, a vast entity far removed... Continue Reading
Dear Pastor . . . Don’t Undervalue the Sacraments
The sacraments immerse us into and fill us with Christ and allow him to continually work on us.
The most profound reason that the sacraments engage our entire being is that they present to us the incarnate Son of God. Baptism and Communion help us encounter the crucified, risen, and present Christ in a full-bodied manner. Whenever these visible words of the gospel are celebrated in the context of the gathered body, our Lord... Continue Reading
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