Part 2 of a multi-part series of posts on corporate worship: what it is and why it’s important Contrary to what many modern people believe, we can’t approach God any way we please. Trying to do so is extremely dangerous, as the Bible makes clear (see Cain, Nadab, and Abihu, for example). In the Bible,... Continue Reading

Part 1 of a multi-part series of posts on corporate worship: what it is and why it’s important At sixteen I dropped out of high school. And because my lifestyle had become so disruptive to the rest of the household (I’m the middle of seven children), my grieving parents had no choice but to kick... Continue Reading

“I do not know to what end God will bring Ripley’s encounter with leukemia. However, I DO know that it will be a good one. This is because who God IS and what God DOES are always united.” On June 22, 2010, our 3-year-old daughter Ripley was diagnosed with leukemia. Initially, the doctor had thought... Continue Reading

“Could it be that the denomination once renowned for sending evangelical missionaries around the world…could now be aptly described as pagan?” The first charge of paganism I heard at the Presbyterian Church (USA) General Assembly came from the lips of an Iowa farmer who serves as a Commissioned Lay Pastor in his small town church.... Continue Reading

“The language of the Strategic Plan suffers enormously from imprecision, and this is not something I expect from a committee of educated theologians.” Defining the Terms Clarity and precision of language is rapidly becoming a lost art.(1) Modern culture revels in the destruction of the English language and it’s not uncommon to hear a younger... Continue Reading

My single greatest joy is giving myself to others and seeing them grow in return. You cannot discover that without commitment. Certain characteristics are so inherent to Christianity that to neglect them is to become a walking oxymoron. A Christian without commitment is such an oxymoron. That’s why I was so disturbed when a friend... Continue Reading

The CMC is stating that 785 out of our 1,740 churches and missions (45%) receive less than $100,000/year in tithes and offerings. That cannot be correct. When I first learned about the Strategic Plan as presented at our May presbytery meeting, something immediately caught my eye. What was presented there was a summary of the... Continue Reading

“Keller…considers three main clusters of questions lay people raise when they learn of anyone teaching that biological evolution and biblical orthodoxy can be compatible” In the past several days, The Aquila Report has received a number of emails and phone calls bringing our attention to a paper written by PCA Minister Tim Keller, Pastor of... Continue Reading

There have always been movies asking about reality, meaning, perception, and time, but Inception is The Matrix on LSD. It’s a good thing I’m a Christian because the movie Inception was too close to the bone. I still have a tendency to struggle with the question “What is real?” The main things in life are... Continue Reading

“The courage to admit we don’t know and may never know what we don’t know is more difficult than saying, sure, we know.” No one seems quite sure what to do with agnostics. In a sense, they are the odd cousins at the theological family reunion. The atheists and the theists know where they stand,... Continue Reading