tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20724151934635191682012-01-29T16:10:47.998-05:00Proclamational Social GospelScriptures teach consistently that faith comes through the proclamation of the gospel, not through good works. Christ himself was not arrested and arraigned because he was trying to restore family values or feed the poor...The mounting ire of the religious leaders toward Jesus coalesced around him making himself equal with God and forgiving sins in his own person, directly, over against the temple and its sacrificial system. Michael HortonGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.comBlogger32381100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-79190371608749189312012-01-28T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-28T05:30:02.911-05:00T. D. Jakes and the Elephant Room
Questions After the Elephant Room
A Special “Elephant Room 2” Edition of Five to Live By
After the Circus Parade
T.D. Jakes Not Modalist? An Update from the Elephant Room
Comments Open and Closed
My Observations from The Elephant Room 2
Final Thoughts: The Elephant Room 2
Bishop TD Jakes on Oneness
T.D. Jakes, the Trinity, and Truth
ELEPHANT ROOM 2: MAY WE George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-22795196292848130842012-01-28T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-28T05:30:00.504-05:00Depression and Serotonin
If you have been a pastor for longer than one week, you have probably
counseled someone who was taking medication for depression. This
presents a consummate pastoral dilemma because pastors want to bring the
Bible to bear on all of life, and at the same time, we didn’t go to
medical school.
There is the reality that the help God gives us in the world comes in
the form of special George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-61717113503256651202012-01-28T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-28T05:30:03.070-05:008 Elements in True Worship
“God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” —John 4:24
This is by
no means a detailed or exhaustive list of that contained in true
worship; nevertheless, as a brief exposition of what the Lord Jesus
Christ has presented as true spiritual worship during His encounter with
the Samaritan woman at the well, I suggest that the following elements
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-85611481283563965872012-01-27T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-27T05:30:01.255-05:00Comparing the Relative Safety of Abortion and Childbirth
Earlier this week a new study was released on abortion safety. The Reuters Health headline reads: "Abortion safer than giving birth."
According to the study, one woman dies in childbirth for every 11,000
births in the United States, while one woman dies from abortion for
every 167,000 abortions. These numbers led the researchers to declare
that a woman is 14 times more likely to die George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-23006564085190116922012-01-27T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-27T05:30:04.287-05:00Mommy Needs a Recess
Mommy-y-y-y! Dad can't find his keys again and Judson is eating
crayons and Norah didn't make it to the potty and I need help with my
homework and someone rang the doorbell and now Dad really needs his keys
and Mommy, why are you closing your eyes like that are you tired?
If this scenario sounds familiar, then this article is for you. Yes,
you with the peanut butter handprints on George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-70818065985633150432012-01-27T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-27T05:30:01.954-05:00The Slaughter in Nigeria
The Story: Last week, 185 people were killed in a series of attacks
in northern Nigeria's largest city. The radical sect responsible, Boko
Haram, is using violence to impose its version of Islamic law across the
country. According to a UN report,
governments in the region are growing concerned that Boko Haram is
joining forces with Al-Qaeda and other hardline groups in West Africa.
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-60706747921456191192012-01-26T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-26T05:30:03.556-05:00Know Your Evangelicals: Francis Schaeffer
Name: Francis A. Schaeffer (1912-1984)
Why you should know him: Schaeffer was one of the
most influential figures in American evangelicalism in the period
between World War II and the mid-1980s.
Previous roles: Founder of L'Abri Fellowship International; Lecturer and author of eighteen books.
Education:
B.A., Hampden-Sydney College
B.Div. Faith Theological Seminary
HonoraryGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-6667903557649825102012-01-26T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-26T05:30:02.377-05:00James MacDonald, Modalist and Word-Faith Preacher T. D. Jakes
Today's sally is brought to you courtesy of James MacDonald. You'll forgive me for letting you do your own research for links and specifics; we at Pyro (but not we alone) have been pretty much on top of the situation, and sometimes ahead of the curve. Two of my favorite Tree Falling in the Forest posts were on the topic (this and this).
But anyway, James MacDonald decided to feature George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-8009551342019512242012-01-26T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-26T05:30:03.359-05:00Small Children at Worship Services – Why Are They Present?
There certainly is no Bible verse which tells us when children should
begin attending worship services. The customary age at which parents
begin to take their children into meetings varies from church to church.
It may properly vary among members of the same church, though it tends
to follow a pattern because of church decisions touching the nursery,
etc. The practice of local churches inGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-29409783993455325162012-01-25T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-25T05:30:00.815-05:00Visual Theology - The Attributes of God
A couple of weeks ago I released the first infographic
in a series I am titling “Visual Theology.” What I appreciate about
infographics is their ability to display information visually. Just as
there are many words that can be used to describe any one fact, there
are also many ways to display facts.
Today I have the
second infographic in the series, one that focuses in on the attributesGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-25508482414796327632012-01-25T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-25T05:30:00.169-05:005 Questions to Evaluate Ministry “Programs”
Programs are useful things, but they are not ministry in and of
themselves. I appreciate the illustration given in the title of Colin
Marshall and Tony Payne’s book, The Trellis and the Vine. In
it, programs are likened to a trellis that provides a structure for the
growing vines (i.e. people). This helpful illustration properly places
church programs as a means not an end.
As a George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-4088805257644499532012-01-25T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-25T05:30:00.521-05:00Holiness!
by J.C. Ryle
(1816—1900)
Introduction
Sin
Sanctification
Holiness
The Fight!The Cost!
Growth in Grace
Assurance
HT: The Reformed Traveler George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-69408004915160957772012-01-24T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-24T05:30:01.055-05:00The Nameless One
Over the last few months, I have been asked in numerous contexts what I
think about the young, restless and reformed (YRR) movement(s) described
in Collin Hansen's book of the same name. I did do a quasi -review of
this book some time ago, in which I argued that the existence of the
movement seemed to indicate that all the hype surrounding the emergent
business was probably overwrought George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-91030011395088093592012-01-24T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-24T05:30:02.383-05:00Of Straw Men and Shameful Speech, Part 3
Today we’re going to wrap up this mini-series which responds to
arguments that advocate for pastors to engage in sexually explicit
dialogue with Christian married couples. We’ve already taken a look at
the mistaken notion that the current age is uniquely porn-saturated compared to past years. Then we examined the claim that explicit sexual dialogue is necessary for Christians with an immoral George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-52524794659697575752012-01-24T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-24T05:00:00.073-05:00The Cross Frees You From Trying to Forgive Yourself
In my recent post entitled God Doesn’t Want You to Forgive Yourself,
I argued that the concept of “forgiving yourself” is not only
unbiblical but counterproductive to growing in your faith. In this
follow-up, I wanted to address the pain and guilt that leads people to
feel like they must forgive themselves even though they know God has
already forgiven them.
What I George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-86988791542579092612012-01-23T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-23T05:30:03.224-05:00The Evangelical Uneasy Conscience Faces the Future
It’s a little book by a dead man from the last generation, and it
just might be the road-map for the future of American Christianity. I’m
referring to the late theologian Carl F. H. Henry’s 1947 book “The Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism.”
This slim little paperback’s importance might not seem obvious in a
digital whirling world of contemporary Christians, but the issues Henry
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-11635179523687747132012-01-23T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-23T05:30:03.389-05:00Christians in Name Only
The first charge of general defilement Christ brings against the church
in Sardis was that they had a vast deal of open profession, and but
little of sincere religion. "I know thy works, that thou hast a name
that thou livest, and art dead" (Revelation 3:1).That
is the crying sin of the present age. I am not inclined to be morbid in
my temperament, or to take a melancholy view of the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-35700922968570314102012-01-23T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-23T05:00:01.010-05:00Do All Jobs Have the Same Impact Value?
In his answer last week as to whether all jobs have the same intrinsic value, Matt Perman made the distinction between economic value and moral value: Not all jobs have the same economic
value because, clearly, some jobs pay more than others. But this
doesn’t make some jobs more important than others, because all jobs have
the same moral value—that is, we are able to serve God fully and George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-57141779364074397692012-01-21T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-21T05:30:01.947-05:00Dealing with the Doubting
I deal with many people doubting their faith. To be more specific, these are Christians
going through some sort of faith crisis where they no longer believe
with the simplicity that once characterized their belief. This is
becoming more common in a world where sheltered or isolated beliefs are
impractical and antiquated. However, most of us really don't know how to
deal with doubt. We don'tGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-39187661610922659792012-01-21T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-21T05:30:00.202-05:0010 Distinguishing Marks of John Calvin’s Preaching
Published in celebration of the five hundredth anniversary of John Calvin’s birth (2009), John Calvin: A Heart for Devotion, Doctrine, and Doxology
corrects the many caricatures of John Calvin, as each chapter
progressively paints a portrait of a man who truly had, as the title
suggests, a heart for devotion, doctrine, and doxology.
Steven Lawson contributed a chapter on John Calvin George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-77130059035641069302012-01-21T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-21T05:30:02.503-05:00The Myth Of Mother Teresa
Mother Teresa, as goes without saying, was a devout Roman Catholic.
As such, some of her beliefs would necessarily have to stand at odds
with core Christian beliefs. This has not appeared to trouble many
Christians who continue today, even in Protestant churches, to uphold
her as a prime example of Christian virtue, love and self-sacrifice. Her
devotion to Catholic theology is obvious in George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-37729917787619521292012-01-20T05:30:00.003-05:002012-01-20T05:30:01.369-05:00Of Straw Men and Shameful Speech
Here are the main arguments I continue to hear played over and over
for why the church ought to regularly engage in sexually explicit
dialogue with Christian married couples:
Young couples today are coming out of a uniquely porn-saturated
culture, and are terribly confused about what is sexually appropriate in
a Christian marriage.
New Christians with an immoral past are prone to swing George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-46794923677040106582012-01-20T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-20T05:30:01.022-05:00The Three Deadliest Words in the World: “It’s a Girl”
The video below is a trailer for a documentary to be released this year titled, “It’s a Girl: The Three Deadliest Words in the World.”
The trailer alone is chilling. I can hardly imagine an entire movie
documenting this atrocity. But we need to see the culture of death for
what it is. Here’s a description of the movie:
In India, China and many other parts of
the world today,George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-15453309323910324152012-01-20T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-20T05:30:04.229-05:00A Warning To Professing Christians
Some
thirty years ago, when I was a university student, I came across a
statement by
Bishop J C Ryle that powerfully riveted itself to my mind. I made a
small A4-size poster of it and put it up on the notice board in my room.
I lost it when I graduated from university. Since then I have looked
for it and failed to find it. I have
tried to Google it, but even that has not yielded the desired George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-82601303647202038212012-01-19T14:08:00.000-05:002012-01-19T14:08:18.948-05:00Is There Enough Teaching in the Church?
I know this sounds like a crazy notion. I’m not 100% convinced
myself. But I’ve begun to wonder if there might not be enough public
teaching in today’s church.
That probably sounds nuts to many churchgoers, not to mention most
pastors. Plenty of ministers already feel swamped with some combination
of morning service, evening service, Sunday school, catechism, and
midweek teaching, George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-65083986293314246372012-01-19T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-19T05:30:01.991-05:00On Doing Ordinary Things
It has come as kind of a shock to me, now that I am a pastor and
preaching on a regular basis, that the vast majority of the sermons I
preach will be rather ordinary. I will study hard and pray hard and work
hard, I’ll get started early in the week and give it a couple of days
to germinate and give it another look-through early on Sunday morning,
and at the end of it all I will have a George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-61938469743013746552012-01-19T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-19T05:30:00.688-05:00Making Necessary Distinctions: The Call to Discernment
Some distinctions are pedantic, part of that “craving for controversy and for quarrels about words” that Paul warned against (1 Tim 6:5).
Yet where would we be without those crucial distinctions between
essence and persons in the doctrine of the Trinity, or between person
and natures in Christ? I’ve been struck by how frequently John Calvin
invoked the Chalcedonian maxim “distinctionGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-10447565948766618782012-01-19T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-19T05:30:03.225-05:00The Minister’s Fainting Fits by C.H. Spurgeon
As it is recorded that David, in the heat of battle,
waxed faint, so may it be written of all the servants of the Lord. Fits
of depression come over the most of us. Usually cheerful as we may be,
we must at intervals be cast down. The strong are not always vigorous,
the wise not always ready, the brave not always courageous, and the
joyous not always happy. There maybe here and there men George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-5591955077442806072012-01-18T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-18T05:30:01.936-05:00Who Are the 144,000 in Revelation?
And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel. (Rev. 7:4)
Many sincere Bible-believing Christians would understand the 144,000
like this: The church is raptured prior to the great tribulation. During
the time when the church is gone, a remnant of 144,000 ethnic Jews is
converted (12,000 from each tribe). These Jewish converts, in turn,
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-50992596750268098962012-01-18T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-18T05:30:00.466-05:00The Biblical Counseling Movement After Jay Adams
Most biblical counselors would dismiss the term schizophrenia as an unhelpful and confusing label. Heath Lambert has demonstrated, however, that the term has validity as a literary genre. The Biblical Counseling Movement After Adams
is a number of contradictory things. It is a respectful recounting of
the contributions of Jay Adams and a collection of harsh and unkind
epithets about the manGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-63751899965026601532012-01-18T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-18T05:30:00.736-05:00Satan's Great Desire
I have been engaged in a study of the second half of Paul’s letter to
the Ephesians, and, not surprisingly, the themes from that letter have
been resonating in my mind over the past few weeks. I have been struck
by Paul’s emphasis on the importance of love and unity in the local
church. On the one hand it’s kind of obvious—we need to love the
Christians around us—but on the other hand, George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-6981790015814244982012-01-17T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-17T05:30:01.038-05:005 Essential Elements for Pulpit Preaching
If I had
gone to a homiletic class to learn to preach, I might actually preach
more eloquently, however, I would probably rely upon my knowledge of how
to preach well, rather than leaning upon the effectual work of the Holy
Spirit through those means. That’s just me. Please don’t misunderstand.
I would not, by any means, dissuade anyone from attending a homiletic
class to learn to preachGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-32248451420273885102012-01-17T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-17T05:30:02.404-05:00Does Foreknowledge Explain Election?
The term 'Election' occurs frequently in the New Testament, referring
to God's choice of some for salvation. All Christians hold to a
doctrine of election since it is a biblical word. The notion of
God choosing some for salvation and not others is so clear throughout
the entire Bible that no serious student of Scripture denies it.
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-65758193724915655052012-01-17T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-17T05:30:00.721-05:00Historical Claims Concerning Union with Christ
“Union with Christ is finally getting its just place as a central
dogma in organizing the Reformed view of how we are saved.” “Charles
Hodge, among others, placed the forensic (especially justification) at
the center, rather than union.” “Reformed paradigm: justification and
sanctification have their source in union; Lutheran paradigm: minor role
for union, if anything, and George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-27929603147007142102012-01-16T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-16T05:30:04.225-05:00The Justification-Sanctification Debate
Some prominent bloggers have been
debating the relationship between justification and sanctification. I
have suggested that part of the confusion comes when we separate what
God has joined.
Salvation is experienced sequentially in three dimensions but must always
be understood (with deep gratitude) as one completed act of God for
undeserving, helpless, powerless, ungodly sinners whoGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-54114461477350059842012-01-16T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-16T05:30:03.052-05:00A Biblical View of the Church
“It
is very much in vogue for a consultant to ask church leaders, ‘What do
you want your church to be? Figure out your needs and desires, tell me
where you want to go, and I will help you craft a philosophy that will
take you there.’ Such people are asking the wrong question! The right
questions is, in Scripture, what does God say the church is? Based on
that, we need to ask, where George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-21463320868286749112012-01-16T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-16T05:00:06.590-05:00Co-operative or Effectual Grace
IT IS NOT A CASE OF THE BELIEVER'S "CO-OPERATION" WITH GRACE; THE WILL IS FIRST ACTUATED THROUGH GRACE
But perhaps some will concede that the will is turned away from the
good by its own nature and is converted by the Lord's power alone,
yet in such a way that, having been prepared, it then has its own
part in the action. As Augustine teaches, grace precedes every good
workGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-85791308203322168872012-01-14T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-14T05:30:01.066-05:00Parenting 101: You Can’t Bad-Attitude Someone into a Good Attitude
The implications and influence of our attitudes towards others cannot
be overstated. Our tone is usually louder than our message. And tone is
more quickly interpreted than words. I’m finding out the hard way that
this is the linchpin of parenting.
Having teenage sons in our home creates an interesting environment.
Messes happen, chores are neglected, arguments develop, things are George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-47192079783881621622012-01-14T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-14T05:30:00.508-05:00Toward Word-Centered Ministry
I recently finished teaching through Acts 20:17-38,
one of the most influential passages in my life and ministry. In Paul’s
lecture to the Ephesians elders he provides for us what I call “an
inspired philosophy of ministry.” He explains what his ministry looked
like, providing a pattern for the church throughout the ages. We need to
know this passage well and apply it to our churches George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-90473138293696987682012-01-14T05:29:00.000-05:002012-01-14T05:29:00.229-05:00Puritan Evangelism by J.I. Packer
In the report of the Archbishop’s Committee on Evangelism, published in 1945 under the title: Towards the Conversion of England, the work of evangelism is conveniently defined as follows: “so
to present Christ Jesus in the power of the Holy Spirit, that men shall
come to put their trust in God through Him, to accept Him as their
Savior, and serve Him as their King in fellowship of His George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-71954133833457630562012-01-13T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-13T05:30:00.890-05:00Preacher: Lead the Congregation into the Presence of God
It is something of a truism that seminaries are not great at teaching
preaching.
Thinking does vary on this: some believe that preachers
cannot be taught, simply improved; others that you can take someone who
cannot preach and make him a preacher. What is certain is that any
student who simply relies on the preaching experience he has in the
seminary classroom will be George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-32085766681069140212012-01-13T05:29:00.000-05:002012-01-13T05:29:00.133-05:00The Post-Program Church: Which Programs to Cut?
If churches shouldn’t rely wholly on programs
to do the work of ministry, this raises some questions: First, should
churches ditch all their programs? Second, if not, how should churches
decide which programs to keep or cut?
SHOULD CHURCHES DITCH ALL THEIR PROGRAMS?
Should churches ditch all their programs? Not necessarily.
Certainly churches should view all “programs” George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-10681125122412299362012-01-13T04:30:00.000-05:002012-01-13T04:30:01.966-05:00How To Disagree Online Without Being A Total Jerk
Science has proven that the longer an online conversation goes, the
more likely it is that someone will make a reference to Hitler.
It can start off very innocently, with two Christians on Facebook
debating the relative merits of Calvinism. But after several comments,
the innocence is usually gone, and is replaced with comments like, “I
can’t believe that you would believe in such a George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-25351081596808734262012-01-12T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-12T05:30:03.301-05:00Can We Judge the Morality of God?
The debate between monergists and synergists has to be fought anew in
each generation, for there is nothing more opposed to man's inherent
exaltation of his own powers of will than the recognition of the
sovereign freedom of grace. While we can, and do, benefit greatly from
the efforts of those who have gone before us, the fact remains that each
generation of believers is faced with the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-31963146583676802372012-01-12T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-12T05:30:01.946-05:00Jeremy Pierre Reviews “Real Marriage”
Jeremy Pierre has a critical review of Real Marriage in Credo
magazine, and like many reviewers he takes issue with chapter 10.
Pierre is a pastor and biblical counselor, and he has a section that I
think is particularly insightful. He writes,
It is precisely the Driscolls’ apparent
desire to stand against a sexualized culture that makes Chapter 10 “Can
We ____?” so frustrating to George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-1925875871440810192012-01-12T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-12T05:00:10.009-05:00Who Exactly is This Extraordinary Man, Jesus Christ?
At the center of biblical Christianity we find, not ideas and instructions, but
a person and events. Jesus is the person and the events are His doing,
dying and rising again. Christ, unlike other religious leaders, didn’t
come here merely to tell us how to live, but as the God/Man he came to
actually live, die and rise again in our place.
Throughout
the ages, apart from Jesus, thereGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-15706989899021181832012-01-11T05:31:00.000-05:002012-01-11T05:31:00.107-05:00The Disastrous Consequences of Heavy-Handed Leadership
I remember the evening with shameful regret. One of our leadership
teams was experiencing some normal ministry struggles resulting in a
period of disunity. Though the situation was not disastrous, you may not
have known it from my response in the moment. In prideful pomp, I said
some regretful words out of a heavy-handed spirit. Later, a brother
graciously confronted me. I was amazed at George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-61129373483912994852012-01-11T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-11T05:30:03.523-05:00Warning Passages Ahead
The Book of Hebrews daunts even the most gifted preachers and
scholars. For one thing, we don't know the author. He quotes the Old
Testament at length and repeatedly, but his method of interpreting these
passages doesn't always make sense to readers. His arguments about
angels, Moses, and the temple require more than cursory understanding of
the Hebrew Bible.
And then there are the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-4715956406534599902012-01-11T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-11T05:00:01.655-05:00Teaching the Whole Counsel of God in One Year
One week into my current pastorate, I challenged our congregation to
read through the Bible. Desiring to encourage participation, I offered a
weekly lesson on how the gospel of Jesus Christ is evidenced in every
book of the Bible. Many in our church showed interest, and so with great
zeal for God's Word, and with just as much ignorance on what it would
take to finish the course, I George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-44421705985320380452012-01-10T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-10T05:30:01.341-05:00Evangelical Exhibitionists - Mark Driscoll and Ed Young Jr.
After hours of writing and half a dozen drafts, I've decided not to review or link to Mark Driscoll's latest book, Real Marriage.
Over the past two weeks or so, lots of our readers have written via
e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook to ask for a TeamPyro review of the book.
Last week I said I'd go ahead and do it. But after trying for most of
the weekend to write a review without breaching the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-54479762780485133372012-01-10T05:29:00.000-05:002012-01-10T05:29:00.253-05:00The Church in RomeRome, caput mundi: A PROJECT FOR ROME, A VISION FOR ITALY
After visiting my friend Leonardo De Chirico in Rome, I couldn’t stop
telling people about the multiple ways in which God is working through
him and the church he serves—cultivating a city-wide church planting
initiative, caring for refugees, and offering a compelling example of
warm-hearted gospel service. I asked Leo if he George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-88646135401627832682012-01-10T05:28:00.000-05:002012-01-10T05:28:00.927-05:00Where Can I Find Assurance?
A month or so ago I made the point in this post that confidence in my transformation is not the source of my assurance. Rather, the source of my assurance comes from faith in Christ’s substitution. Assurance never comes from looking at ourselves. It only comes as a consequence of looking to Christ.
As a result, I had a few people raise this question: “But wait a
minute…once God saves usGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-57525546708037997822012-01-09T05:31:00.000-05:002012-01-09T05:31:00.231-05:00Salt of the Earth
What follows is an article I wrote for the current issue of TableTalk—my
favorite monthly periodical. You should subscribe if you're not already
a subscriber. Also, heads up: You won't want to miss "The Pursuit of Holiness: An Interview with Jerry Bridges" in the January edition.
"You are the salt of the earth . . . . You are the light of the world
. . . . Let your light shine before George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-56184146646478575952012-01-09T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-09T05:30:04.379-05:00Divine Sovereignty & Human Responsibility
Better minds than mine (or yours, probably) have wrestled with the
relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. The
Bibles teaches, or seems to teach, that God is sovereign over all
things, and yet it also teaches, or seems to teach, that man is
responsible to turn from his sin and come to God.
Here are two great
quotes that discuss how we can reconcile these George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-80647879347203371772012-01-09T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-09T05:30:03.061-05:00“The Beauty of Holiness” by Arthur W. Pink
“Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness” (Psa. 29:2).
Holiness is the antithesis of sin, and the beauty of holiness is in
direct contrast from the ugliness of sin. Sin is a deformity, a
monstrosity. Sin is repulsive, repellent to the infinitely pure God:
that is why He selected leprosy, the most loathsome and horrible of all
diseases, to be its emblem. When the Prophet was Divinely George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-75309848459585337472012-01-07T05:30:00.002-05:002012-01-07T05:30:01.495-05:00Unexceptional Christians
Here is a great, challenging quote from Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It is drawn from his Studies in the Sermon on the Mount and
it does away with that false notion that the heights of Christian
experience are reserved for the few and exceptional Christians who take
on Christian work as their vocation.
Read the
Beatitudes, and there you have a description of what every Christian is
meant to be.George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-51237664308329687292012-01-07T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-07T05:30:01.971-05:00The Rise of Extreme Tolerance
The world
may value compromise and tolerance as supreme virtues, but they have a
devastating effect on preaching. As more and more evangelical pulpits
reflect the surrounding culture, it’s time for Christians to proclaim a
distinctively biblical worldview.
Many evangelicals
(once known for a very prudent and biblical approach to doctrine) are
fast becoming as doctrinally clueless as theGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-1294336191987066402012-01-07T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-07T05:30:02.195-05:00When Your Preacher Is Not John Piper
Many who have had the privilege of hearing John Piper preach in
person would testify that it felt like a monumental event. His
preaching powerfully combines truth and passion, leading to convicted
and exhilarated listeners. After the sermon, certain hearers might
leave wondering if they were just in the presence of a figure who will
be talked about in future centuries.
Then theyGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-6443771882566598942012-01-06T05:30:00.001-05:002012-01-06T05:30:04.096-05:00The Missing Factor in the Justification & Sanctification Discussion
We have much to be thankful for in the recent discussion regarding
justification and sanctification in the Reformed community. And it
appears that this will continue to be a discussion for years ahead.
First, I am thankful for the renewed zealousness and commitment to the
doctrine of justification. It seems every few decades this doctrine
needs to be reconsidered and appreciated due to George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-74438515313386955222012-01-06T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-06T05:30:03.544-05:00Jonathan Edwards and Broken Resolutions
As we discussed last week, the seventy Resolutions of Jonathan Edwards exemplify an eternal and God-glorifying perspective that all believers ought to emulate.
But let’s be honest. A list of spiritual goals compiled by one of
church history’s greatest heroes can be a bit intimidating, especially
when there are seventy of them. When we make similar resolutions — and
later fail to keep George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-26357558732729361852012-01-06T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-06T05:00:00.404-05:00The Five Points of Reformed Baptist Churches
A brief out-line of our distinctive convictions
I REFORMATIONAL
A. Sola Scriptura - The Bible is the complete, closed and clear authority in all matters of faith.
B. Solus Christus - Our confidence is in Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
C. Sola Gratia - Grace secured redemption without reference to works.
D. Sola Fide - We are declared righteous by God through faith aloneGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-68181597625461189702012-01-05T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-05T05:30:01.966-05:00A Plea to Mark Driscoll
There are things I truly appreciate about Mark Driscoll. I love that he
knows and preaches the Gospel (the "matter of first importance" - 1 Cor
15). I love his zeal for evangelism and evident compassion for the lost.
I love his desire to teach doctrine so that his church is not shallow
and untrained. I love his desire to return to the church an
understanding of and respect for biblical George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-72932342876364303322012-01-05T04:31:00.000-05:002012-01-05T04:31:00.660-05:00How to Stone People Without the Inconvenience of Picking Up Rocks
Shepherding those who struggle with life dominating sin is not unlike
swimming out to a drowning victim. There’s always the potential of
having your nose broken by the very one you are trying to save. It’s an
exhausting sort of love, but sincere. Churches that truly love their
members swim out to each other’s lives in light of the risks.
It’s unloving to let a brother drown. George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-73238267330179062532012-01-05T04:30:00.000-05:002012-01-05T04:30:00.589-05:00Flattery Can Kill
She was a well-dressed middle-aged woman. She arrived early at one of
my first services as senior pastor of Gages Lake Bible Church.
Immediately my "new person" radar went up. All pastors have this sixth
sense, but for young, first-time, small church pastors it is always at
the highest levels of alert.
I walked up to her and briefly chatted before the service
began. I learned that George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-2511174281383622012-01-04T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-04T05:30:04.696-05:00Book Review of Mark Driscoll’s “Real Marriage
Chapter 10 of Real Marriage will most certainly prove to be
the most controversial chapter of the book. It has the simple title “Can
We _____?,” and the Driscolls fill-in the blank of the chapter title
with a variety of sexual activities that are sometimes considered taboo.
The chapter goes on to describe these activities in explicit detail,
and then the authors give an ethical assessmentGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-16429264297738455492012-01-04T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-04T05:00:05.903-05:00The Meaning of Marriage
It must be intimidating to write a book on marriage. Store shelves
are groaning under the weight of titles that claim to have the key to a
happy marriage, or a biblical marriage or a gospel-centered marriage. To
rise above such a crowded field a book needs to offer something
different, something unique, something that distinguishes it from the
pack. Tim and Kathy Keller have jumped into George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-36898491939219256342012-01-04T04:00:00.000-05:002012-01-04T04:00:03.124-05:00“What Would You Say to My Husband if You were a Young Seminarian Again?”
Dear Students in the Gospel of Christ:
Recently, I was asked by a young wife and mother to write some
thoughts on ministry reflections for her husband, a seminarian.
Specifically, this godly young woman wanted me to answer the question,
“As you look back on life and ministry, and where he is in life as a
seminarian, what wisdom would you offer him as a husband, father, a man
of GodGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-14956968047174505342012-01-03T05:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T05:00:03.996-05:00Mark Driscoll - Real Marriage
It must be intimidating to write a book on marriage. Store shelves
are groaning under the weight of titles that claim to have the key to a
happy marriage, or a biblical marriage or a gospel-centered marriage. To
rise above such a crowded field a book needs to offer something
different, something unique, something that distinguishes it from the
pack. Mark and Grace Driscoll have jumped George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-8659172266034996622012-01-03T04:30:00.000-05:002012-01-03T04:30:01.103-05:00Missions: The 10/40 Window
What is the 10/40 Window?
The 10/40 Window is the rectangular area of North Africa, the Middle
East and Asia approximately between 10 degrees north and 40 degrees
north latitude. The 10/40 Window is often called “The Resistant Belt”
and includes the majority of the world’s Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists.
The original 10/40 Window included only countries with at least 50% of
their land George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-73376479786199615532012-01-03T04:00:00.000-05:002012-01-03T04:00:11.947-05:00What Nazis & the Bible Agree is the Worst Resolution You Can Make
I plant my flag firmly on the side of those who believe Christians may make resolutions.
As a tadpole seminoid I was inspired by the audacity and convictions of
Jonathan Edwards’ famed 70 Resolutions. My heart thumps in time with
over-the-top commitments like #22:
“Resolved: to endeavor to obtain for myself as much
happiness, in the other world, as I possibly can, with all the power,
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-55478707088414648442012-01-02T05:30:00.000-05:002012-01-02T05:30:02.515-05:00A Blow at the Root of Antinomianism
THE design of the following sheets, cast in as a Mantissa to the foregoing discourse of Errors,
is principally to discharge and free the free grace of God from those
dangerous errors, which fight against it under its own colours; partly
to prevent the seduction of some that stagger; and, lastly, (though
least of all) to vindicate my own doctrine, the scope and current
whereof hath George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-71010487210597330762012-01-02T04:30:00.000-05:002012-01-02T04:30:02.164-05:0015 Faith-Based Predictions for 2012
To ring in the New Year, CNN's Belief Blog asked
experts in religion, faith leaders, and a secular humanist about how the
forces of faith and faithlessness will shape the world in 2012.
Here's what they told us:
1. The Republican Party will tap Mitt Romney as its presidential
nominee, and America will finally have its "Mormon moment." As
evangelicals try to figure out whether George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-61364930104169302152012-01-02T03:30:00.000-05:002012-01-02T03:30:01.090-05:00The Myth of Mutual Submission
“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ” (Eph 5:21).
This 11-page chapter (available for free as a PDF) concisely and convincingly explains why the phrase “mutual submission” is unhelpful at best:
Wayne Grudem, “The Myth of Mutual Submission as an Interpretation of Ephesians 5:21,” in Biblical Foundations for Manhood and Womanhood (ed. Wayne Grudem; Foundations for the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-60839550900523284322012-01-01T02:00:00.000-05:002012-01-02T11:56:49.827-05:00Happy New Year 2012!!!
New Year’s Message from Mr. Spurgeon
BELOVED FRIENDS,
The season
invites to renewal of spiritual life. It suggests freshness and
awakening. As there was of old a time when kings went forth to battle,
so are there periods when to gird up our loins anew is the order of the
day. The furnishing of the armor, and the sharpening of the sword, are
the duties now incumbent. Let the year of George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-29332464130550149042011-12-31T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-31T05:30:00.884-05:00An Open Letter to You in 2012: The Same Old Message for a Brand New Year
As we approach the beginning of the New Year, many people are
reflecting on the previous year and how they’ve lived their lives, and
are making resolutions and determinations
to live better in the coming year, whatever that may mean. The process
seems to involve a kind of refocusing on things that are important to us
so that when we will have come to the end of this next year we will
look George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-48440084731483025912011-12-31T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-31T05:00:06.190-05:00Are You Righteous?“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
Ethical behaviorism is a term Psychologists use which defines
righteousness exclusively in terms of what a person does or does not do.
In this sense, a righteous person is one who does the right things and
avoids the wrong things. An unrighteous person is one George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-18029601446192694992011-12-31T04:00:00.000-05:002011-12-31T04:00:10.139-05:00Confessions of a Reformed Baptist Plodder
Many years ago, an article was put into my hands, at just the right
time, in just the right place in my life, which has impacted me for many
years. Most Christians can testify of a time they heard an old truth
as if they heard it for the first time. These are truths that become
part of us and stay with us through good times and the seemingly
difficult ones.
In December of 1983, George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-48021788075147628962011-12-30T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-30T06:00:10.343-05:00The Social Gospel, Yesterday and Today - Part 1
It becomes clear from such statements that Lausanne, which
represents much of mainstream evangelicalism, is co-mingling a form of
the social gospel with the biblical gospel. To be fair, the Lausanne
leadership attempts to give evangelism the pre-eminence stating:
“Although reconciliation with other people is not reconciliation with
God, nor is social action evangelism, nor is George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-56183962197114774502011-12-30T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-30T05:30:02.634-05:00Is the Church Full of Hypocrites?
About thirty years ago, my close friend and colleague, Archie Parrish, who at that time led the Evangelism Explosion (EE) program in Fort Lauderdale, came to me with a request. He indicated that on the thousands of evangelistic visits the EE
teams made, they kept a record of responses people made to discussions
of the gospel. They collated the most frequent questions and objections
people George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-19697822948691480232011-12-30T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-30T05:00:00.703-05:00Why and How to Read Calvin’s Institutes
If you haven’t yet read C. S. Lewis’s introduction to Athanasius’s On the Incarnation, I’d highly recommend it.
He wants to refute the “strange idea” “that in every subject the
ancient books should be read only by the professionals, and that the
amateur should content himself with the modern books.”
Lewis finds the impulse humble and understandable: the layman looks
at the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-27868226036926651212011-12-29T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-29T05:30:03.191-05:0077-Part Sermon Series on The Epistle to the Romans by Sinclair FergusonMonergism has recently made available a 77-part sermon series from
Sinclair Ferguson on the Epistle to the Romans. Download the series here
George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-46056215809204667002011-12-29T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T05:00:01.051-05:00Al Mohler on Mark Driscoll
At this year’s Expositor’s Conference there
was a Q&A session in which a concerned pastor asked Al Mohler about
the influence of Mark Driscoll. Mohler’s answer was winsome and
helpful. He helpfully balanced being encouraged that Driscoll is
preaching the gospel while at the same time expressing concern at some
of his emphases. As he says, we ought to be able to be grown ups about
this George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-52224437675560660702011-12-29T04:00:00.000-05:002011-12-29T04:00:02.423-05:00Cripplegate - A Guide to Our Series
The blogging medium is perfect for making a polemic point without the
constraints of the format of a journal article and without the length of
a book. But the downside is that a step-by-step argument spread over
several days can lose its momentum and seem sort of piecemeal. Plus
there is simply the practical issue: where do you find the links to the
entire series?
The Cripplegate has George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-84751646662417517182011-12-28T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-28T05:30:01.783-05:00US Physics Professor: 'Global Warming is the Greatest and most Successful Pseudoscientific Fraud I Have Seen in my Long Life'
Harold Lewis is Emeritus Professor of Physics at the University of
California, Santa Barbara. Here is his letter of resignation to Curtis
G. Callan Jr, Princeton University, President of the American Physical
Society.
Anthony Watts describes it thus:
This is an important moment in science history. I would describe it as a letter on the scale of Martin Luther, nailing his 95 theses George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-56021253501155848642011-12-28T04:00:00.001-05:002011-12-28T04:00:04.239-05:00Self-examination and Resolutions
While some may scoff at a New Year’s Resolutions, I embrace them. The
scriptures are filled with various challenges to examine ourselves, and
to see where we fall short God’s standards. Introspection is a healthy
part of our relationship with the Lord.
Before a believer takes communion, he is to “examine himself” (1 Corinthians 11:28). Paul, in a rebuke to the Corinthians, told them toGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-88012840108470920682011-12-28T04:00:00.000-05:002011-12-28T04:00:03.962-05:00At Last! Someone With a Backbone!
I needed some post-Christmas cheer, and I have an Air Force Base commander to thank for giving it to me.
As you'll see from this Christian Post article,
the commander in question basically told a group of militant atheists
to go pound sand when they demanded he take down a Nativity scene
erected at the base.
I'm glad, and three cheers to the Air Force. I agree with his assessment
of the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-88708171450590916262011-12-27T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T06:00:10.358-05:00Social Media in the 16th Century - How Luther Went Viral
IT IS a familiar-sounding tale: after decades of simmering discontent
a new form of media gives opponents of an authoritarian regime a way to
express their views, register their solidarity and co-ordinate their
actions. The protesters’ message spreads virally through social
networks, making it impossible to suppress and highlighting the extent
of public support for revolution. The George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-21421063488798353542011-12-27T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-27T05:30:02.610-05:00Are We Required to Attend Church on Sunday?
The very fact that we have to address this question, even in
evangelical circles, demonstrates the true measure of the church’s
worldliness. It is not a superstitious attachment to days, but respect
for the Lord’s generous service to us, that gives us one day in seven to
be swept into the drama of redemption. When the holy day is reabsorbed
into the common week, the church is bound to be George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-72659583883108974952011-12-27T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-27T05:00:05.637-05:00Persecuting Pakistani Christians
I keep thinking about all the American Christians who canceled church on Christmas Day. Terry wrote about the Iraqi Christians who’ve done the same. Except in their case, it’s under threat of death.
I’m elated that Christmas is finally here after a lengthy Advent but I
am so sad that Christians in Egypt, Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan,
among other locations, aren’t able to worship George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-37123147100622864952011-12-26T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-26T05:30:01.360-05:00Joy Born at Bethlehem
"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good
tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born
this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And
this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."—Luke 2:10-12.
WE HAVE NO superstitious regard for times and seasons.George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-35427810110696877932011-12-26T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-26T05:00:03.175-05:00Who Was B.B. Warfield? An Interview with Fred G. Zaspel
Fred Zaspel is the author of The Theology of B. B. Warfield: A Systematic Summary
(Crossway, 2010). Recently, I had a chance to ask Fred a variety of
questions: such as the process that led to the writing of a book on
Warfield, the impact of Warfield’s theology on his day, and its
continuing impact. And, how Warfield might address some of the
theological issues the church faces in George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-84209455739606410652011-12-26T03:30:00.000-05:002011-12-26T03:30:01.676-05:00The New Calvinism Considered
Thanks to those who are still following this little sequence. Today we are finishing off.
Caveats and characteristics ∙ Commendations ∙ Cautions and concerns ∙ Conclusions and counsels
Conclusions and counsels
My conclusion essentially is this: be Calvinists. Don’t be New
Calvinists or Old Calvinists, whatever those distinctions really mean.
Live before God rather than before men.George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-85586891553630355632011-12-25T03:00:00.001-05:002011-12-25T03:00:06.406-05:00The Christmas Story by John MacArthurGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-73551937124537314072011-12-25T03:00:00.000-05:002011-12-25T03:00:07.750-05:00The Real Meaning of Christmas
Luke 2:1-21 (NKJV)
1
And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.
2
This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria.
3
So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4
Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-59614149775121014122011-12-24T06:00:00.000-05:002011-12-24T06:00:02.668-05:00Gospel-Driven Sanctification
Early in my Christian life I heard someone say, “The Bible was not
given to increase your knowledge but to guide your conduct.” Later I
came to realize that this statement was simplistic at best and erroneous
at worst. The Bible is far more than a rulebook to follow. It is
primarily the message of God’s saving grace through Jesus Christ, with
everything in Scripture before the cross George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-14565136669418022322011-12-24T05:00:00.000-05:002011-12-24T05:00:08.923-05:00No Sex Please, I'm British
In light of my recent post on Ed Young's risible
`sexperiment', a friend asked me this week about the current trend among
some pastors for referring to sexual matters in graphic detail in books
and sermons. Having been rightly rebuked by my wife once for using the
phrase `pole dancer' when preaching on 1 Corinthians 1 to a
congregation containing children, I am now very circumspect whenGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-62815656341928768522011-12-24T04:00:00.000-05:002011-12-24T04:00:10.709-05:00You Can Get There From Here
The mission of the church is to make disciples.
That’s basically what Greg Gilbert and I take 250 pages to say in What Is the Mission of the Church?
We believe our answer to the question is clear from the Great
Commission, from the record of the early church in Acts, from Paul’s own
missionary example, and from piecing together theological themes like
Kingdom and shalom. God sends the George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-88234665793391938812011-12-23T05:30:00.000-05:002011-12-23T07:37:21.395-05:00What Is True Spirituality?
“The evangelical orientation is
inward and subjective. We are far better at looking inward than we are
at looking outward.”
Sinclair Ferguson
The word spirituality conjures up all sorts of images and
ideas. For non-Religious–or secular–people, spirituality is nothing more
than “an inner path enabling a person to discover the essence of
his/her being…aspects of life and human George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-66746429221447628612011-12-23T04:00:00.001-05:002011-12-23T04:00:03.489-05:00The Virgin Birth and the Immaculate Conception
During Christmas season each year, we read the accounts of Jesus’
birth in the Gospels (Matt 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38), and we are reminded
once more of our Savior’s Virgin Birth. What exactly do we mean by the
Virgin Birth of Christ? Maybe that’s obvious, but let’s start with a
definition. By the Virgin Birth we understand that Jesus was conceived
in the womb of his mother Mary by a George R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2072415193463519168.post-80355981888475487292011-12-23T04:00:00.000-05:002011-12-23T04:00:09.721-05:00The Local Christian Bookstore
Farhad Manjoo recently wrote a provocative article for Slate
in which he argued that we shouldn’t support our local independent
bookstores. According to Manjoo, “buying books on Amazon is better for
authors, better for the economy, and better for you.” Those are
fighting words!
You may have heard of Amazon’s recent promotion.
If you walked into a retail outlet and used Amazon’s app toGeorge R. Krahnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04203817877101682757noreply@blogger.com0