In a recent response to my question, Andrew Sandlin was kind enough to write the following. “By ‘factuality’ in redemptive-historical creedal affirmations I mean that Jesus really lived, died, rose again, and will come again in the air for His own.” In doing this, he has let me know that he not only affirms the …
More Than In Our Private Times
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Great God of the city, the city of Zion, Your foundation stands sure, Your foundation is in the holy mountains. Your city is in the holy mountains. You love the gates of Zion, You love the public worship of Your saints More …
Brain Snakes
The New Testament talks a lot about the truth, knowing the truth, holding to the truth, believing the truth. The assumption throughout is that there is a correspondence between what the faithful believer holds to be the case, and what actually is the case. This is in contrast to those who hold to delusions, in …
Response to Tumult
When God moves in reformation, it always causes a stir, and it always causes controversy. Take care that you do not give way to the flesh in either circumstance. Receive what God is doing in our midst with gladness and simplicity. But know that Americans have a two-hundred year history of mangling a right understanding …
Publishing Is Warfare
Some of you may have noticed that over the weekend the Canon Press images on my bookrack off to the right went blank. This little glitch on my blog was the result of a major renovation, overhaul and upgrade of the Canon Press web site. I would strongly encourage all of you (and your sisters …
Remembering Your Day
Our Father in heaven, we thank and praise You in the name of Jesus for all Your kindness to us. That kindness includes Sabbath kindness, and so we rejoice before You now. We thank You for the food, for the wine, for the fellowship, and for the opportunity to proclaim Your gospel in this joyful …
Neck Kissing
This morning I received a really fine set of questions about my posts on Brian McLaren and the emergent church from a graduate of NSA, one who really grasps what we are seeking to do here, and who wondered at the similarity between McLaren’s critique of modern evangelicalism and our own critique of it. The …
True Certainty
Absolutism is a two-edged sword, and yet we would prefer to have it be a more comfortable one-edged sword. Epistemic certainty is an Enlightenment idol — men who want to know absolutely have fallen to the ancient temptation offered in Eden, which is, ye shall be as God. Only God knows absolutely. But the fact …
Old Friends On The Road
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! Lord, You have favored this land, You have brought back the captivity of Jacob, Restoring the exiles. You forgave the iniquity of Your people, And You have covered up all their sin. Think for a moment. You took away all Your wrath, …
Why Didn’t Jesus Stay?
We cannot be reminded too often that the very center of our faith is a grotesque murder. Not only was Jesus murdered, but He was murdered in a miscarriage of justice—the murder was perpetrated by the very authorities assigned by God to prevent that kind of thing. We must not be permitted to gloss over …