Reformation21

There seems to be a common misconception among believers, at least in my growing experience as a Christian and as a pastor. It is a misconception that I have seen and felt from various directions. It shows itself among husbands and wives, parents and children, church members toward one another and...

Some time ago I read a letter from a pastor who had spent time in hospital. He was surprised at how ill-equipped the saints who came to visit him seemed to be in ministering to his soul as he lay in the hospital bed. More recently, I was asked by a brother in a church which is currently without a...

Thankfully God deals with our idols, because left to ourselves we certainly would not. Four years ago I had a paid flight to South Africa, tickets to many games, and passes into some of the various television studios (Al Jazeera, FOX, etc.). But my wife was pregnant with twins - her fault, by the...

When I first arrived at seminary, I was appalled that anyone claiming to be Protestant would baptize infants. In my limited understanding, only Roman Catholics conducted themselves in such an unbiblical manner. In my mind, infant baptism may have been as close to heresy as one could get without...

(Note: while there is an almost endless variety of material available from Logos Bible Software, this compound review is based around Logos Bible Software 5 , the Bronze base package , and the Gold Reformed package .) From time to time, Logos gets a mention - and usually a kind one - on the...

As part of my series on practical Christology, I have asked: "How may I know Christ loves me?" and "Why is Heaven eternal? " The answers to these questions do not belong only to theologians and pastors, but especially also to God's people. In preparation for a forthcoming book, titled "Knowing...

We confess, along with Christians throughout the ages, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). Even from our earliest age, we are sinners (Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:1). As the Westminster Shorter Catechism 18 announces, "The sinfulness of that estate whereinto man fell,...

Never have I so carefully typed quotation marks. Those tiny dashes keep intact both my ordination vows and my soul. They also refer to my enjoyable experience last Sunday attending an international service organized by the Gereformeerde Kerken in IJsselmuiden, Netherlands. Gathered there was a...

Just around the corner from our church building is a junior school. We have a reasonable relationship with the school, extending to taking occasional school assemblies, depending on who is responsible for arranging them. Over the last fifteen years or so, since the neighbourhood was established and...

I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. On Father's Day I will be in the same place doing the same thing that I have done for the past 35 years. No, not in my church preaching a Father's Day sermon. Actually, though I have been in ministry for 35 years, I have never preached a Father's Day sermon. In...