Reformation Faith Today

You may or may not know that the PCA will be considering an overture from the Philadelphia Presbytery that a study committee be set up on the subject of women as deaconesses. You can read the overture here. The Central Georgia Presbytery has overtured GA to NOT erect a study committee. Here is their overture.

There are several posts on this blog on the subject here and here for example. My views are no secret. The offices of elder and deacon are reserved for men. That is the current and historic position of the PCA. I agree with the Central Georgia Presbytery that we don’t need a committee to tell us what we already know.

But actually I think the committee Continue Reading »

UPDATE: Peter M. Head has another view. Read it here. We try to fair and balanced!

D.A. Carson on what he calls Red Letter Christians,

A particularly virulent form of this approach is hidden behind what Tony Campolo now approvingly calls “red letter Christians.” These red letter Christians, he says, hold the same theological commitments as do other evangelicals, but they take the words of Jesus especially seriously (they devote themselves to the “red letters” of some foolishly printed Bibles) and end up being more concerned Continue Reading »

Do Hard Things is a must read if you have children, especially if you have those we refer to as teens living in your home. I read it last week and now am getting ready to take my three sons through it (as soon as school is out). It is an outstanding book and one I hope that each parent and “teen” will read and heed.

Alex and Brett Harris are twin 19 year olds who at 16 founded The Rebelution, a web site challenging “low expectations” for teens. Check it out.

Below, I will put an excerpt from the book and part of Tim Challies’ review. I will not attempt a review as Challies has done a very able one. Youth pastors–get this book and read it! There is much in it that you need to help you challenge those in your pastoral care.

Challies writes about the book Continue Reading »

Well I have heard about this for many years. Sadly, others’ predictions have been wrong. There have been those certain that it was Napoleon, Hitler and Henry Kissinger to name a few notable ones.

But, I now have to admit that I have figured it out, or at least others have. This article in the Daily Illini says,

Intrepid LiveJournal user Kynn and the blog Unfogged have explored the darkest, most Christian corners of the Internet and discovered a terrible truth: Continue Reading »

It has been a few weeks, but we’re back to Rev. Dick Lucas’ sermons on Acts 17. Part I and II are very well your reading. I commend them to you.

In part three, Rev. Lucas preaches a sermon titled Preaching To Pagans-Truth Applied. Here is a short excerpt.

God is not inviting people to consider His claims;

He commands us to submit to Him. Notice that

Jesus did not ‘invite’ the Twelve disciples to follow

Him; He commanded them “Follow Me”, and

they obeyed immediately. This is how the Bible

presents the call to Christian discipleship. It is the

sovereign God who takes the initiative in seeking

to establish a relationship between God and man.

If anyone is not a Christian after hearing God’s

command, it is not due to unbelief but to disobedience.

Click here for the rest of the sermon.

This is the best on the subject for Christians I have seen in a while.

There are people who use a blog as a public diary to think aloud. But a Christian should not be airing his doubts in public, and thereby planting seeds of doubt in other minds.

If I began to doubt the doctrines of grace, I wouldn’t advertise that state of mind at [XYZ Blog]. Rather, I would withdraw from blogging, and run my doubts by a few trusted friends in private. If I have no idea where I’m going, I have no right to take anyone with me.

I have adapted someone else’s list of how youth can avoid wasting their summer. What do you think? Can you think of a few other ways to add to the list?

1.  Study Jesus & The Gospel. Read and study one of the Gospels this summer. Read your Bible!!!!

·      Get into Jesus’ Life, check out Matthew, Mark, Luke or John and spend you summer studying the life of our Savior.

“Are you really telling me to read my Bible!!!? That is so basic!!”  YES!!!! I am telling you to ready your Bible.  It is basic..but so many people neglect it and many other basic spiritual disciplines.  Being offended is generally a warrant to truth. Check your heart Continue Reading »

Kent Muhling at Third Mill fields a question from a Baptist writer:

I am a Reformed Baptist. One of my objections to infant baptism is that the new covenant cannot be broken (Jer 31:31-34), and thus that the sign should only be applied to believers. Why do Presbyterians argue that the new covenant can be broken, especially in light of Jeremiah 31:31-34?

Click here to read Kent’s answer. Remember, we here at Reformation Faith Today love our Baptist brethren. In fact, one of us is Baptistic (Randy) and the other two are former Baptists (Les and Rob). But hey, these make for good friendly interaction, though most of what I have to say about I have already said.

The Reverend Terry Johnson is the Senior Minister at Independent Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia. Rev. Johnson has authored several books through the years on worship. His books include Leading in Worship, The Pastor’s Public Ministry, Reformed Worship, The Case for Traditional Protestantism and The Family Worship Book. You may see all his books here.

In IPCs May 4 newsletter, Rev. Johnson wrote an article titled A Modest Proposal. In the article he writes about the “new worship” that has swept through most of evangelicalism and wishes for a return to traditional Reformed worship. His modest proposal is for the practitioners of the “new worship” to have a new denomination. Read on to see the full article. I must confess that I am very sympathetic to his dilemma. Maybe he is right. What do you think of his proposal? Continue Reading »

Some readers who know me fairly well know that our oldest daughter Leslie is expecting in early October (our first grandchild). Well, she and Matt went to the doc today for “the” ultrasound. You know, the one where they can find out if the little one is a boy or a girl.

Well today they found out. Then Helen and I met them for lunch at The Cheesecake Factory. Very appropriate because the doc said that Leslie needed to gain a little more weight.

As we all know, “children are a heritage from the Lord…” For us Presbyterians we also love the Lord’s covenant promise, “For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”

To all my Baptist brethren, this is where I know I lost you, but just bear with us here.

Anyway, so Lord willing Leslie and Matt will have the blessing and joy of bring home a Continue Reading »