Sound Words: Only In the Lord (on Interracial Marriage)

There was a time when many fundamentalist Christians argued against interracial marriage on presumably biblical grounds. It was believed that interracial marriage was an attempt to rebel against God’s division of the races at Babel and a foretaste of the sinful uniting of humanity against God that will characterize the rule of the antichrist. Such [...]

Michael Jackson, The Sinner’s Prayer, and Christmas Decorations

You can’t make this stuff up. Christianity Astray just posted an article (citing a Bully! Pulpit article) speculating that Michael Jackson may have trusted Christ during a meeting with Andrae and Sandra Crouch a few weeks before his death . That would be wonderful news. Genuinely. Here’s the thing: what Jackson was after at the [...]

Mark Minnick on Danger Signs of Ministerial Professionalism

One of the blessings of pastoral ministry is the unrivaled privilege of engaging in in-depth Bible study on a daily basis. Others can and should dig into the Word, of course, but we get to do it as our vocational calling. This privilege brings with it a danger, as well. We can easily succumb to [...]

I Lost. Of Course.

Optimism lost out to Perspective. There’s something very instructive about that, I suppose. Thanks for voting. Or if you didn’t, thanks for your part in yet another crushing defeat. Story of my life. Sigh. (Perhaps I’ve been reading too many Demotivators?) :)

Interesting: Douglas Wilson and Separation from Disobedient Brothers

This strikes me as interesting, though I initially didn’t pay it much attention. Douglas Wilson has been expressing concern over what appeared to be the ordination of a women minister by the PCA overseas. In fact, the church in question is not a PCA church, but is one with which the PCA cooperates—a union of [...]

Please Vote for Me on Despair.com!

I am (I think) a finalist in a silly contest at Despair.com. The other night I got an email that they’re having a funny caption contest as part of their “Demotivator” series. Since sarcasm is my weakness, I entered: “Optimism: The ability to deny the inevitable despite all evidence to the contrary.” So…how about clicking [...]

Piper on TV, Movies, and Contextualization

This is one reason why it’s inaccurate to write off all conservative evangelicals as worldly. Piper (who I’ve heard attribute much of his biblical insights to the fact that his mind isn’t cluttered with pornographic images; he’s seen something like two in his entire life, and those many years ago) speaks eloquently in this post [...]

Borrowing Brains: Church Administration

I’m often reminded of Bruce McAllister’s advice to would-be pastors back in the day: “Minister from your strengths, and shore up your weaknesses.” Well, administration is not a strength of mine, to say the least. I may very well be allergic to it, in fact. Nevertheless, in the interest of such “shoring up,” what are [...]

Borrowing Brains: Trying to Figure Out the PCA

I don’t know a lot about the Presbyterian Church in America (or PCA), and I really don’t know what to make of it. The little bit of exposure I’ve had to the PCA has left me somewhat impressed. I appreciate the ministries of men like the late James Montgomery Boice, Lig Duncan, Phillip Graham Ryken, [...]

For God and Country? God, Government, and the Godly

This is part 2 of a 2-part series I wrote for the OBF Visitor on what I believe to be an unhealthy preoccupation with politics among American Christians, the first of which may be found here. It was originally published in January of 2009. _____ People have a seemingly insatiable desire to criticize government. Certainly [...]