Most of the pastors I know work hard and care deeply about the church. Most of the pastors I know have never expected to get rich from being a pastor. We are sickened by stories of pastors building 16,000 square foot mansions and using hundreds of thousands of dollars of church money to pay a marketing... Continue Reading

When Mary Tudor died it was safe for Knox and other Protestants to return.  He traveled throughout Scotland, preaching and promoting reformed theology and a presbyterian type of church government free from control by the monarch.  In spite of threats he continued to preach and became the leader of the Protestants in Scotland.  A short... Continue Reading

The final chapter connects the tenth commandment with the Sabbath….Here the author draws the connection that genuine Sabbath keeping and contentment go hand-in-glove. And, inversely, not recognizing Sabbath breeds avarice, “( . . . ) Sabbath is a school for our desires, an expose and critique of the false desires that focus on idolatry and... Continue Reading

As believers, we are to be filling our minds first with Scripture, then with writing that is biblically faithful, in order to build ourselves up in the faith. But that does not mean that secular writing has nothing to say to us. Occasionally, there are books coming from other worldviews that offer insights, help us... Continue Reading

He calls the outcasts and the strangers into his family, and makes them his bride. He doesn’t summon us to build an empire, to change the education system while convincing the world of his sovereignty, and to clean out the music industry for his glory. He calls us to worship and he calls us to... Continue Reading

This book is hard to read; it’s callous and brutal and disgusting. The horror of Chi An’s “profession” comes to life in the chapter entitled “The Little-Boy-Who-Wouldn’t-Die.” A young girl, at full term, was forced to abort her baby. One doctor, then another, plunged formaldehyde into the baby’s brain in the birth canal, but still... Continue Reading

I greatly appreciated was that Anyabwile did not just focus on the qualifications of elders or pastors (part 2 of the book), but also dedicated the entire third section of the book to the work that they are called to do.  Again, this section would be good for pastor/elder and laity alike.  We often have... Continue Reading

Among the many trends in the New Calvinism (or the Young Restless and Reformed movement) is the prominent dislike of the word “religion.”  I’ve heard a lot of people speak and write about religion as being a moral straitjacket, rigid, and not Christian.  They say religion is one thing, the gospel is another thing.  Essentially... Continue Reading

In an eternal covenant the Son of God claimed that he was for me. And I do not remember the day that I turned to him in faith and repentance. In hindsight, I see his fingerprints all over the crime scenes of my life. The evidence says, “Not her, but me.” How is this so?... Continue Reading

Urging people away from certain books and insisting that ministry staff not recommend them is an important task of the pastor these days. This is particularly so in an age when theological nonsense is so widely distributed and easily attainable. It is the pastor’s duty to protect the purity and unity of the flock he... Continue Reading