Category: Miscellanies

Recently I was pondering the parable of the sower in Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23. The first group never had any growth and the last group had great growth with little complication. But the middle two groups were intriguing to me because they had temporary growth for different reasons. Group two, “fell on rocky ground, where they… Continue reading Gardening God’s Way

Though we can not comprehend Him as He is, we must be careful not to fancy Him to be what He is not. Stephen Charnock One of the most oft-quoted verses about the nature of God is that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) We hear it quoted endlessly in popular Christianity. There have been… Continue reading Keep it Simple

A quick glance through any number of the recently published works of major Christian organizations, Christian media outlets and blogs, Facebook and Twitter debates between Christians, and you will find that seemingly everyone is on fire for social justice, whether advocating for this position or against that one. I certainly wouldn’t suggest that the people… Continue reading And all these things…

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my… Continue reading Our Transfiguration

Living in Orlando has many benefits. One of the most well-known is its proximity to basically every major brand of theme park. They remain a key attraction to visitors without completely losing the interest of the local crowd. Around this time every year, the park trots out their Halloween theme, with Universal Studios, in particular,… Continue reading Don’t Fear The Reaper

Common in Reformed circles, in my experience, is a strange phenomenon. If you ask a group of Reformed believers: “Does baptism save a person?” The answer will almost always be a resounding, and at times unnecessarily aggressive “No!“ If placed in the form of a true/false question we see something like this: “True or False: ‘Baptism… Continue reading Baptism now saves you… or “What’s the deal with 1 Peter 3:21?”

But the Lord is the true God; he is the living God and the everlasting King. At his wrath the earth quakes, and the nations cannot endure his indignation. Jeremiah 10:10, ESV What does it mean exactly when we say that the God we worship is the living God, or when the Bible describes Yahweh… Continue reading The Living God

Any one also of the people of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn among them, who takes in hunting any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with earth. For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life. Therefore I have… Continue reading The Life is in the Blood

Back in September, the inaugural Paideia Center reading groups began. For those who are unfamiliar, this is a project championed primarily by Reformed Theological Seminary and involves groups around the country reading classic works on a given topic and having monthly discussion groups as well as an annual conference. This year —conspicuously timed given recent… Continue reading Gregory Hates Facebook Debates

The pastor ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both. – John Calvin The Holy Scriptures are not only true —and necessarily so— but they are the primary means by which the… Continue reading The Witness of The Word