The Bible teaches us that when Christ brings us to heaven, He does not do so while holding His nose. Many have sought to abase the creature too much, in effect placing sinners beyond the reach of a Savior. This does not honor Him at all. Our need was truly desperate; apart from Him we …
Envying the Dead
“Just so. Mr. Forster was not a Philistine, but he was a stunted man, spiritually, emotionally, and professionally. He was one of those said creatures of the twentieth century who define themselves in terms of their own insufficiencies, and it was his tragedy-and ours, some may think-that he let his unhappiness and his self-reproach lead …
You Protect What You Love
“Moreover, a refusal to discipline teaches students to treat the education being offered with contempt. The students will certainly despise any education that the educators themselves hold in contempt. And if parents and teachers refuse to discipline, they are holding in contempt the education they offer. A man who refuses to defend his wife does …
Two and Three Witnesses
It has been rightly pointed out that Matthew 18 is not talking about what many people assume it is talking about. Jesus is talking about one application of the biblical principles of justice; He is not talking about all of them. Not even close. For example, the situation He describes is limited to someone who …
The Dessert Cart Rolls On
Saturday Night Live had a really good one. The Political Teen has a clip of it here. And HT to Right Mind.
Performative Contradictions
In the whole kerfluffle between modernism and postmodernism, we should take our lead from Paul at Athens. He did not go there in order to determine whether he was closer to the Epicureans or to the Stoics. They had many differences, but at bottom they were both pagan systems of thought with a deep foundational …
Do Not Forake Your Servant
Minister: Lift up your hearts!Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! And blessed are those who undefiled    Walk in the ways of God,Who walk according to His laws,Who keep His testimonies sure,    And seek their God with all their heart. Iniquity they will not do,    They walk in holy ways.For You command obedience,That we …
Junipers and Streets
Once there was a boy who had just learned to ride his bicycle. He had never had training wheels, but the previous Saturday his father had spent a good portion of the morning trotting behind the bike and holding the seat, letting go of it for a few seconds from time to time. After much …
Practicing More
This Table is the culmination point of all that we have done in assembled worship. Here all the hymns, psalms, prayers, amens, confessions, and heedings converge. This is the place where it all comes down. As we never tire of reminding you, it does not do this because it is a magic table, or because …
You Can Climb Out of a Hole, But You Can’t Dig Out
We live in a day when few people, including many Christians, understand what justice really is. In this series, we are not talking about a conversation between friends, or between a husband and wife. If a wife were to ask her husband if he would mind not interrupting when their youngest daughter is trying to …