We come now to see what Proverbs teaches about the civil magistrate. Throughout this short post, I will be using the terms king and prince, but this is merely a reflection of the language of Proverbs. The principles contained here certainly apply to magistrates in all civil orders, including governors, members of parliaments, congressmen, and …
Ezra Nehemiah 20
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, …
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 …
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 …
I Know How You Feel
A certain black man was visiting a strange city on business, and he had to be gone over the weekend. He was a believer and hated to miss worship at home, and his business was all at the convention center where he was staying, and he did not have a rental car. So he thought …
Your Law Is Honey
Minister: Lift up your hearts! Congregation: We lift them up to the Lord! My mediation is Your law! I love to contemplate All day the law You gave to us. Through Your commands You made me wise, More than my enemies can know. More than my teachers I have learned, Your laws instruct my heart. …
Sons of Belial
The law of God beats us up, but it does this for our edification, not our condemnation. Whenever we hear of His wisdom, His holiness, His righteousness, with humble hearts, it convicts us, but it also encourages us. But if we are exasperated by it, or condemned, or frustrated, or if we chafe under the …
All Good Gifts
Father and God, we thank You now for the arrival of yet another Lord’s Day. We thank You for the company of friends, for wine, for food, for the children. We are grateful to You for all good gifts, which You shower upon Your people faithfully. We look forward to our worship of You tomorrow, …
Let the Gentleman Do His Thing
I had made a mental note to post something about N.T. Wright’s comments on the Christian faith of Marcus Borg. Life has been busy, and this might be yesterday’s newspaper by now, but I would like to add my two cents. Those who missed the flap can catch up on it by looking at some …