In the Pandemic, Give Thanks…
In Paul’s first epistle to the Thessalonians, the Lord commands us, saying, “In all things, give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). As I write these words right in the…
Category Reformation21
Home Visitation: The Worst of Times, the Best of Times
It’s clearly the worst of times. Thousands dying, quarantine tightening, unemployment rising, churches closing – this is the best definition of “worst” that the world has seen for decades. That said, it is also the best of times, at least…
Joy for the Anxious
Anxiety presents a real struggle for many in the United States. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, “Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the U.S., affecting 40 million adults in the United States age…
Truth vs. Consensus
Postmodernism has produced an heir, and its name is Consensus. Four years ago, the Oxford Dictionary announced that “post-truth” was its word of the year. Post-truth refers to our contemporary sense of justice, in which objective reality and facts bow…
Ten Ways COVID-19 Can Work for Our Good
As a Christian, I want to view the coronavirus pandemic through the lens of the Bible, especially Romans 8:28–29: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according…
Getting Better Glasses
Every culture assumes facts about God and man. They are like glasses through which we view life. Most are unaware that they have them on, or they differ from the assumptions of other times and places. Yet the truth is…
To Live, to Die
The coronavirus is another stark reminder that we are mortal. We are all going to die, one way or another, but in moments like these we are forced to consider the reality of our own death. For the vast majority of…
Facets of Faith in Crisis
I recently saw a funny post on Pinterest entitled “Response to Coronavirus Threat by Enneagram Number.” Apparently a Four “broods over indignity of possibility of getting the same illness as everyone else,” while an Eight is “annoyed by CDC updates. Washes hands…
Where Jesus Is
Where is Jesus today? One might assume that because Jesus is God the Son, He is present anywhere and everywhere. Indeed, He is! According to His divine nature, He is omnipresent. Our interest, however, is not in His omni presence,…
Superlative Optimism
Editor’s Note: This address was originally delivered at the Philadelphia Conference on Reformed Theology in 1974. The present form has been adapted with permission from Our Sovereign God (Baker, 1977, pp. 147–153). An optimist does not cut a very impressive figure among…