What happens when you dislodge a deeply rooted doctrine from the human soul and replace it with a lie? Inevitably, you get false religion. Case in point, the Catholic Church. The Council of Trent (Latin: Concilium Tridentinum), held between 1545 and 1563 in Trent (or Trento, in northern Italy), was the 19th ecumenical council of […]
Sabotage: The Counsel of Trent Read More »
Since the Fall in the Garden, man has inveterately tested God’s patience. This habit is clearly illustrated in the microcosm of the household, where children test their parents’ patience via disobedience. Eventually, the children suffer the consequences (assuming the parents are active and upholding their duties). I place specific emphasis on the word eventually here because, with
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“The only God whom the natural man is not at enmity with is one of his own imagination.” — A. W. Pink, The Total Depravity of Man What is enmity? I mean, really. I wonder how many so-called “Christians” even understand what the Bible means when it uses the word enmity. I submit that, like so many other
“How are you?” “Oh, you know, same ol’ same ol’.” “I know you’ve been struggling lately and I’ve seen how morose you’ve been. You know, it almost seems cyclical, huh? Just know that I’m praying for you.” “Thanks so much, my friend. This cross I’ve been called to carry gets pretty darn heavy from time
The Things We Pray For Read More »
“Mommy, I threw up,” said the little girl from the bathroom. Sally heard her daughter from the kitchen. It was getting close to the time her siblings and their budding families were scheduled to arrive so she hadn’t been paying much attention to her daughter’s snacking. Pressure was mounting. “I told you not to eat
Arguably, the most practical use of science is its establishment of predictability. How awful would life be if every day the laws of physics changed? Thanks be to the Lord, “[The Son of God] upholds all things by the word of His power” (Hebrews 1:3b). The more we discover about science, even for ourselves, the surer we
Walking On Thin Ice Read More »
Every year, my congregation and I celebrate our Lord’s birth with a special Christmas message. Over the years, it has varied quite a bit. Thinking back, I can remember messages that were focused on the supreme nature of the One who became a man to die for our sins. I also remember deeply heartfelt messages
I struggle with anger sometimes. I’m a pastor. I ought to know better. But a man’s heart is a man’s heart, right? I cannot suppose I am able to control it, modify it, or play pretend with it. Only God can change it, and He has. And yet, here I am, struggling… Struggling with what,
My Struggle With Disdain Read More »
“It’s the little things, huh?” This is typically an invitation to share how, as we mature, it is often the things most commonly overlooked that we learn to appreciate. In doing so, if we’re grace-oriented, we attribute their very existence to the holy, loving, merciful Lord. This exercise is most welcome when we feel wrought
It’s the Little Things Read More »
Before I even begin making my point here, I have to give you a little background on the Greek language. In particular, the present tense as it pertains to verbs. In brief, when we encounter the present tense, we ought to think about something done habitually. Colloquially, we might call this “real-time, all the time.”
People Love to Make Lists Read More »