“The reasons for singling out David the Psalmist as the primary model for Christian poets no doubt include the very great spiritual significance and artistic worth ascribed to the Psalms in contemporary commentary, as well as their use for centuries in Christian liturgy. But in addition, the Psalms were seen to raise with special force …
Part of the Cost of Doing Business
“A scandalous story from the father of lies may be forged against you, and you may be quite unable to defend yourself” (Charles Spurgeon, An All-Round Ministry, p. 217).
The Beautiful Character
“We have lost our sense of the holiness of beauty . . . when exterior beauty is in harmony with a character’s interior beauty, then the sign value of the tale of the character is greatly enhanced” (Michael D. O’Brian, A Landscape With Dragons, p. 35).
Just and General
“Generalizations are legitimate if they honestly describe an overall pattern. Generalizations are consequently not refuted through particular and individual counter examples. Honest Pharisees lived at the time of Christ, and they were not an embarrassment to Christ’s scathing denunciations of their religious sect as a whole. Indeed one indication of a Pharisee’s honesty would be …
Pretty Funny
Heh.
Amos for Americans (Part Two)/Amos XII
INTRODUCTION: We have made the distinction between direct and indirect obedience. In the realms of indirect obedience, we noted the importance of starting close to home, and starting with the obvious. As God gives more grace, we may move out from the center. We will be able to see to do this because the beam …
Amos for Americans (Part One)/Amos XI
INTRODUCTION: We have spent a good bit of time considering the applications of the prophet’s words to his original audience, to the Israelites in the northern kingdom of Israel. Lord willing, we will spend two weeks considering how those words may legitimately be applied to us as Americans. This is not a topical sermon so …
Appalled or Disgusted
I haven’t commented on the presidential campaign in a bit, and now that Obama is over in the Holy Land — I can’t quite make out what he is doing there, but piecing together reports from the media accompanying him, I think he has been walking on the Sea of Galilee — let me offer …
Poverty and Work
“At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore” (Ps. 16: 11) Growing Dominion, Part 147 “I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; And, lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof …
Torah and Law
The Greek word anomos means without law, and should be distinguished for the other Greek word anomos (with an omicron at the end, not an omega). This anomos is used twice in Romans 2:12. “For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law . . .” This is referred to the …