Our Father God, Your Word proclaims all life, And death has died, the enemy laid low. You have thrown down all pettiness and sin, You have declared that greatness always stoops. The way of life must now embrace the cross, The selfless one emerges from the grave, And we rejoice since Jesus led the way.
Stay, and Believe in Jesus
Several years ago, we began observing the Lord’s Supper on a weekly basis. Quite a bit went into that discussion beforehand, but one of the striking things about our preparations for it was the warning I got from a wise minister. He said that when we went to weekly communion, we should expect a great …
Hard Providence
As a congregation we affirm the exhaustive and complete sovereignty of God. We have done so in an era when many within the church at large dispute it, and so many of us have been in debates on this subject. But men are not the only ones who might test or probe the depth of …
My Sane Baptist Friend
I recently had an email exchange with someone I shall call my “sane Baptist friend,” or SBF for short. He had some questions about the Auburn Avenue deal, and I thought our exchange might prove helpful to others. There are a couple back and forths here. For ease of following, my original words are underlined, …
Blessed Are Those Who Mourn
As we consider the context of this next blessing, we must understand that Jesus is not pronouncing an indiscriminate blessing on all forms of sorrow and mourning. Just as the previous blessing was reserved for those who are poor in spirit, so this blessing is for those who spiritually mourn. Christ teaches us: “Blessed are …
Jesus or Aristotle?
I have to begin by saying that it should be self-evident that logical fallacies exist, and that they should be avoided. Having the mind of Christ includes avoiding the kinds of confusions and mistakes in reasoning that are so characteristic of our time. I think it was John Stott who said that fuzzy-mindedness is one …
Answering All the Questions
When trust breaks down, it is hard to say anything without the suspicious seizing upon whatever it is, and twisting it to suit themselves. This is just another way of saying that when trust breaks down, one of the first things that people forget is that affirmation of innocence until guilt is established and proven …
On His Last Legs
A diamondback rattlesnake checked into the emergency room of a hospital. He could scarcely breathe, slipped into unconsciousness, and the emergency staff hovered over him carefully. Their care increased all the more as the periodic death-rattles increased in frequency. All the appropriate medical treatments were being applied, for the staff were a dedicated group and …
Upcoming Debate
I am looking forward to my debate with James White this fall. I am currently halfway through his book The Roman Catholic Controversy, which is actually quite good. I agree with bunches and bunches of it. The debate, for those not up to speed, has to do with whether Roman Catholics are members of the …
Spiritual Bankrupts
The Beatitudes taken together begin the Sermon on the Mount, and this Beatitude is the introduction to the rest of the Beatitudes. Poverty of spirit is the introduction to the introduction. As we shall see, this is the place where understanding of Christ’s message must begin. Christ teaches us that “Blessed are the poor in …