I am grateful to RHB for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about their translation of Petrus Van Mastricht’s magisterial Theoretical-Practical Theology.
In case you missed it yesterday, be sure to look at the very long list of Kindle deals. There are some new ones today as well.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Christian Manifesto)
Songs Are Discipleship
“If a mist in the pulpit is a fog in the pew, the same is true of the songs we choose and sing congregationally. How does this song build up the body of Christ? How does this song edify a seasoned saint? How does this jingle build up the newly-born believer? How does this worship leader understand his role and responsibility? We must take seriously the theological development of the individuals we call worship leaders because they are disciples too.”
The Hallmark of Genuine Christianity
“What is the hallmark of genuine Christianity? What is the outward sign that a person is truly Christian, or that a community of Christians is the real thing? What is the inevitable fruit of obeying the gospel? There are many potential hallmarks…” Here is one that may be often overlooked.
Deconversion is Apostasy
It’s important to understand that deconversion is simply a new term for an old and common reality.
As Jesus Sleeps
Ed Welch: “Jesus is not worried—ever. Why? Because God, his Father (and their Father, and ours), is in heaven. He loves us more than he loves the birds and flowers. And everything is his. If there are any anxieties to be had, they are about tomorrow, and those anxieties are his to deal with, too. He is already into the details of the troubles of tomorrow.”
Our Great Guarantee
“We have to be careful when we make guarantees from the Bible. Sometimes it is better to speak of general principles because people may experience exceptions to an apparent scriptural guarantee that has been misunderstood.” But with that said, Peter gives an example of one portion of Scripture that is a guarantee.
A Forgetter’s Prayer
Melissa has a prayer you may find helpful.
Flashback: Why Marriage Is Better Than Cohabitation
Though Christians continue to affirm the uniqueness, the goodness, and the necessity of marriage, our society continues to legitimize cohabitation as either a common precursor to marriage or a complete alternative.
If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world.
—C.S. Lewis
