Tried With Fire

Now, then, though heretics may snarl and the excessively fastidious carp at the word person as inadmissible, in consequence of its human origin, since they cannot displace us from our position that three are named, each of whom is perfect God, and yet that there is no plurality of gods, it is most un-candid to attack the terms which do nothing more than explain what the Scriptures declare and sanction.  "It were better," they say, "to confine not only our meanings but our words within the bounds of Scripture, and not scatter about foreign terms to become the future seed-beds of brawls and dissensions. In this way, men grow tired of quarrels about words; the truth is lost in altercation , and charity melts away in hateful strife." If they call it a foreign term, because it cannot be pointed out in Scripture in so many syllables, they certainly impose an unjust law - a law which would condemn every interpretation of Scripture that is not composed of other words of ...

Well, in a day when identity politics is in, I have decided to launch my own webzine, aimed specifically at that most neglected sector of today's culture: miserable middle-aged gits, of whom I am a foremost representative. To capture the essence of the project, I am going to call it "Oi You, Get Off My Lawn!" as long as the relevant web address (www.oiyougetoffmylawn.com) is not taken . . . [T]here'll be a regular editorial, addressing such urgent issues of the day as "Dooyeweerd or Don't You Weird? The Case Against Soul Patches," and "Why Are There Never Enough Parking Places at the Prostate Clinic? Toward a Christian Response." Now, if you don't think these columns and questions are relevant, then you must be either (a) a woman or (b) a man under the age of 40. If the latter, give it a few years and the profound relevance of these issues will be painfully clear. In the meantime, don't oppress me by engaging in the imperialist, sexi...

This week's list: ~ Dogwood and azalea time ~ Minimal pollen allergies so far. ~ Long discussions with my daughter about worldview, dating/courtship, movies, modesty and how the foundation of the Word and the gospel under-girds our practice of those specifics. ~ Books and friends who encourage Biblical thinking. ~ Mercy ministry outreach dinner and gospel message tonight. The end goal is not to just offer handouts but training in practical skills so folks can become financially self-sufficient. ~ Reminders of Jesus' power to save in the gospel of Mark. Our salvation truly is a miracle.

 Here are links to the talks from the final day of the Ligonier conference: Session 11 : Ignorance is not bliss  Robert Godfrey Text: Psalm 49.  Dr. Godfrey gave an overview of the decline of Christian thought and the consequences of it not being taken seriously.  Christians throughout history have been maligned for their deeds, i..e the crusades. But the death toll from the ideologies that have rejected God is far worse. What vision of the life and the life to come should Christians hold up? How do we engage ourselves in this world for the cause of Christ? Dr. Godfrey then used Abraham Kuyper as an example of someone who was actively engaged in bringing Christ to bear in the time and place where he lived. We are responsible for the sphere in which we find ourselves, but we are responsible and accountable to Him.  If we love God and love our neighbor, we will offer an alternative to the shepherds of death - the Good Shepherd.  Ignorance is not bliss...

Not this book. Far from it, but the title of the essay that's being quoted. I'm about halfway through this book, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it so far. Carl Trueman's insight into Christianity's follies (some of which are uniquely American) will have you laughing and wincing at the same time.  His aim is accurate. "A church service involving clowns or fancy dress or skits or stand-up comedy does not reflect the seriousness of the gospel; and those who take the gospel seriously should know better. Frankly, it is more appropriate to liberal theology that does not take seriously the gospel, or the God of the gospel. Serious things demand serious idioms. I heard recently of a church service involving dressing up in a costume and music taken from a Tom Cruise movie. Now, if I go for my annual prostate examination, and the doctor comes into the consulting room dressed as Coco the Clown, with "Take My Breath Away" from Top Gun playing in the background,...

(FYI: You can watch the messages on the Ligonier site for free, which is far better than reading my posts.) Break out session: The Gospel Focus of Charles Spurgeon  Steven Lawson (If you love Spurgeon, love the gospel, and love the doctrines of grace, please watch this. It will be worth every minute of your time. My notes are sparse because I was listening rather than writing.) Charles Spurgeon had the depth of Calvinism and the breadth of evangelicalism. If you only have Calvinism, you can get stoic eggheads staring at their navels. If you only have evangelicalism, you can get  a manipulative gospel. Spurgeon combined both. He was born June 19, 1834 and was raised in a Christian home. He was converted at age 15 and started preaching at age 16. He was called to pastor the New Park St. Chapel at 19. Within a year, it was standing room only.  By age 20, Spurgeon preached at Exeter hall to 5000. He became pastor of the Metropolitan at age 26, which seated 6000. He ...