This year, as it happens, the church holiday of Pentecost and our cultural holiday of Mothers Day, happen to fall on the same day. There is no deep spiritual significance to this, but it is suggestive of a few things that we ought to consider. Mothers Day is one day a year on which we …
Invade Burma?
If the ethics taught to us in the parable of the Good Samaritan transfer from the individual level to the global level, without any significant adjustments, then certain things follow. If my obligation to give a guy a sandwich transfers without adjustment to our obligation to give food to an entire nation, then other obligations …
Speaking of Non-Evangelistic Calvinists . . .
“A system which cannot touch the outside world, but must leave arousing and converting work to others, whom it judges to be unsound, writes its own condemnation” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 343).
Pathos Is No Fallacy
“They require not so much reasoning as heart-argument — which is logic set on fire . . . argument must be quickened into persuasion by the living warmth of love. Cold logic has its force, but when made red hot with affection the power of tender argument is inconceivable . . . When passionate zeal …
Internet Airedales for Truth
One of the classes we offer the covenant kids here at Christ Church is a course in memorizing the Heidelberg Catechism. I know, say what you will, but we FVers can be pretty audacious at times. We even pretend to ourselves that we believe this stuff. Anyhoo, one of my parishioners emailed me because he …
The Spirit Groans
INTRODUCTION: On Pentecost Sunday, we rejoice in the fact that the Comforter has been given, poured out upon us, so that the world might be prepared for the final consummation. This is a central role of the Spirit in the world, and it ties in directly with the purposes of God for this world that …
Tennis Shoe It Out of Here
When someone proposes good deeds on a grand scale, one of the assumptions that goes into it is the idea that, if implemented, nothing can go wrong. Since nothing can go wrong, then we never have to worry about who bears the costs if it goes wrong. Since we never have to worry about who …
Powder Without Shot
“The best way to preach sinners to Christ is to preach Christ to sinners. Exhortations, entreaties, and beseechings, if not accompanied with sound instruction, are like firing off powder without shot.” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, p. 341).
Good Calvinism Solves Problems
Lane has taken up my question about his Calvinism. In his response, he sets out a scheme that I agree with entirely — which is only to be expected, since we are both Calvinists. He acknowledges that God is the first cause of all that comes to pass, which would have included the obedience of …
No Vague Generalities
“Let him never treat sin as though it were a trifle, or a misfortune, but let him set it forth as exceeding sinful. Let him go into particulars, not superficially glancing at evil in the gross, but mentioning various sins in detail, especially those most current at the time” (Charles Spurgeon, Lectures to My Students, …