“The artistic temperament is a disease that afflicts amateurs . . . But in artists of less force, the thing becomes a pressure, and produces a definite pain, which is called the artistic temperament. Thus, the very great artists are able to be ordinary men—men like Shakespeare or Browning. There are many real tragedies of …
More Church Fights
“If a man were to see his wife being attacked by rapists, all his professions of love and deep concern are meaningless unless he fights for her. Under such circumstances, a refusal to fight does not stem from a love of peace, but rather from the now-revealed contempt he has for his wife. In the …
The Problem of the Old Testament
I just finished reading Inspiration and Incarnation by Peter Enns, a book that was, in unequal measures, edifying and frustrating. First, the strengths. Enns does a superb job, on a number of issues, of raising questions that easily frustrate traditional Bible believers. This is because traditional Bible believers want (in the name of inerrancy) a …
And God Will Send His Blessings Down
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Everyone who fears the Lord is blessed, All who walk in the ways assigned. Your meals will be the work of your hands, Happiness weighs your table down, And it will all be well with all your house. Your wife will be …
No Dessert for You
Once there was a young couple whose first child was approaching school age, and they had begun to talk seriously about what they were going to do. The problem was acute for them because they both came from families that had a lot of public school teachers in them. These were Christian people, but public …
Preparing Food, Preparing People
The Holy Spirit does not seek to motivate His people into positive godliness by means of guilt. The only thing that guilt motivates us to is confession. Once confession is made, the central motive force for all that we do is to be love and gratitude. This Table is here to nourish you, to equip …
Oh
Well, I have listened to an interview with Guy Waters on the Federal Vision (HT: Mark Horne). In a nutshell, I agree with Mark’s response here. How is it possible for the same teaching to create false assurance and no assurance? How is our preaching and teaching putting them to complacent sleep in their covenantal …
Audio Reading of Post
The Leaven of Joy
We now come to the conclusion of the Mosaic exposition on the fourth commandment. We see that the sabbath principle runs throughout the year, and is not limited to a weekly cycle. And of course we see the fulfillment of these festivals is found in Christ. “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover …
The Sun is Up
As we come to the Table together, I would like to speak a word to the children who have been gathered here with us. You are named by the name of Jesus Christ. Just as you were born into a particular family, and no one asked you whether or not you wanted your last name, …
Unity and Conflict
The unity of the faith is dependent upon unity of faith. While we have an objective unity with all who share one Lord, one faith, one baptism, Paul does on to say that there is another unity that we must grow up into. There is a unity we must preserve, and there is a unity …