Introduction: We have spent some time in Nehemiah, but not as much time as the people there themselves spent in establishing the work of reformation. As with all reformations, they often find themselves doing the same thing over again, as we find in this passage. The Text: Now those that sealed were, Nehemiah, the Tirshatha, …
Define Kitsch
“There is a type of art known as ‘kitsch.’ In addition to paintings of Elvis on black velvet, this category would include plaster lawn ornaments, vacation souvenirs purchased in ‘tourist traps,’ and ‘cute’ knickknacks on the mantle. Kitsch is art of poor quality, which nevertheless manages to be enormously popular by appealing to some sentiment …
A Lover Not a Fighter
“But the Bible requires Christian leaders to know such issues, requiring in effect that Christian shepherds know what a wolf looks like. A man can be orthodox and yet be disqualified for ministry. A man can like the sheep without being qualified to fight the wolves” (“Epilogue” in Bound Only Once, p. 220).
Denying the Cat
So let us talk about Mark Twain and the problem of evil. Twain was a fool on this subject, albeit a talented one. But even though his folly is evident on every page of his “Letters from Earth,” his ability to grasp and follow the argument exceeds the ability of most superficial Christians. In this …
The Crown of the Wise
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 89 “The crown of the wise is their riches: but the foolishness of fools is folly.” (Prov. 14:24). One lesson that the Bible teaches, and that conservative believers have generally learned, is that wealth presents many spiritual dangers. It is …
Cheap Thrills
“Some people enjoy being scared; others enjoy the spectacle of people getting butchered. Visceral reactions—to sex, violence, shock, or dazzling special effects—are relatively easy to induce, and much popular art is only entertaining rather than done well.” [Gene Veith, State of the Arts (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books, 1991), p. 39]
But At Least We Fought
“The forces of the Enlightenment and modernity routed the standing armies of the faith in Europe, accomplishing what we currently see there, which is a nearly total hegemony on the part of unbelief. In this country, the forces of modernity captured all the key cultural centers, and metaphorically speaking forced the faithful up into the …
Laymen and Scripture
An interesting thread broke out after a recent post I made about N.T. Wright and the need to bring genuine discipline to academic debate. The thread (to use shorthand) revolved around private judgment, the priesthood of believers, sola Scriptura, and the ministerium of the Church. How’s that for a summary? I thought I would add …
Valuable Beyond Rubies
The sanctification of the checkbook is extraordinarily difficult for many. We like to tell ourselves that obedience to God’s way is “impractical,“ as though we knew more about it than He does. Always, always, always we must turn to the Word. And on this subject, we have a treasury of doctrine. First, wealth is a …
Part of a Larger Work of Art
“The art world today tends to scorn art that is ‘merely decorative.’ Choosing a painting because it matches the furniture does tend to minimize the work of art. The meaning of the work and its self-contained identity is neglected, giving the object of art no more status than the coffee table or the wallpaper. Decorative …