Enchanting Faith: The Chronicles of Narnia and the Power of Myth
Why are C.S. Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia - especially their showcase opener, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - so popular, more than fifty years after their author's death?
“For Lewis, a myth is a story which evokes awe, enchantment and inspiration, and which conveys or embodies an imaginative expression of the deepest meanings of life – meanings that prove totally elusive in the face of any attempt to express them in purely abstract or conceptual forms. For Lewis, God authorizes the use of... Continue Reading
The Federal Vision and Grace
Federal Vision’s denial that regeneration represents “a permanent change in the hearts” of God’s people changes the meaning of the biblical gospel and also of the grace of God.
It is not enough, therefore, that the adherents of the Federal Vision speak about grace. What do they mean by the use of the word grace? Is it the internal, subjective, efficacious grace bestowed by the Holy Spirit in regeneration? Or is it external, objective, and non-efficacious “grace” bestowed by water baptism? These are questions... Continue Reading
Reflective Review: “Heal Us, Emmanuel”
A review of “Heal Us, Emmanuel: A Call for Racial Reconciliation, Representation, and Unity in the Church”
I am encouraged that a few of the Overtures (Overture 1 and 50 in particular) this year names particular sins, and directs the bodies of the church (presbyteries and local churches) to examine if and where they have occurred to address them at that level. I hope specificity and localness are embraced by the Assembly.... Continue Reading
Beyond Original Sin?
How Denis Lamoureux’s ‘evolutionary creation’ leads to heresy and the undermining of the Gospel
The Bible teaches that a person is either ‘in Adam’ or ‘in Christ’. If we are ‘in Adam’ we are still in sin and under God’s judgement; if we are ‘in Christ’ we become partakers of His righteousness and escape judgement (Romans 5:18–19). There was a literal Adam, through whom we literally became sinners and... Continue Reading
What Does It Mean To Be Presbyterian?
Presbytopia by Ken Golden is a good place to start exploring the riches of Reformation theology and church life.
I appreciate this short book because it sticks to the basics; it is also concise and clear. There are some questions at the end of each chapter for discussion purposes. Golden nicely summarized the truths of justification, the sovereignty of God’s grace in salvation, and the gospel-centered aspect of the means of grace. There is... Continue Reading
Praying Together vs Fervent and The War Room
I am happy to offer Megan Hill’s new book, Praying Together to anyone who was intrigued by The War Room or Fervent.
Hill’s focus isn’t on separating ourselves into a special room with sticky notes of prayer requests on the walls, but on a sustainable prayer life together with God’s people. She has a wonderful chapter on the importance of corporate, elder-led prayer, including practical tips on how to pray when someone else leads. She then moves... Continue Reading
Some Remarks on Assurance
Speaking of assurance, John Newton made some great observations on it when he preached from Job
“How far our assurance is solid and true may be estimated by the effects. It will surely make us humble, spiritual, peaceful, and patient. I pity those who talk confidently of their hope, as if they were out of the reach of doubts and fears, while their tempers are unsanctified and their hearts are visibly... Continue Reading
5 Questions To Ask of a Book Before You Read It
A few tips on sorting out which books you should read by asking 5 questions of any book.
All of this is designed to help you filter the few books you will read from the thousands you could read. Not only that, but it is designed to help you get a sense of what a book is all about before you begin to read it. When you are quite new to Christian books,... Continue Reading
The Flow of the Psalms
An overview of O. Palmer Robertson’s latest book, “The Flow of the Psalms’”
Robertson’s thesis is that we shouldn’t treat the Psalms like Hershey’s Kisses – beautifully, individually wrapped treats that have no relationship to one another. He argues that there is a flow to the Psalter, a very deliberate, sophisticated arrangement and a logical progression over the course of the 150 ancient songs that were collected together... Continue Reading
He Who Sought Was Found
If you want a rich God-centered and Christ-centered collection of older sermons for devotional purposes, I highly recommend Vos’ Grace and Glory.
Most of us know the story of Zacchaeus climbing the tree to see Jesus (Lk 19). Have you ever noticed the “seeking” aspect of it? The story starts out by mentioning the fact that Zacchaeus is seeking (ζητέω) to see Jesus (v3) . A the end of the story we learn that Jesus’ mission as... Continue Reading
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