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By In Music

The Shape of Sola Musica

In the 19th century, the evangelist Charles Finney, known for creating the invitational system, changed how music was done in Church. Music was no longer in praise of God but a way of drawing people to the front to make public professions. This model was adopted in the United States and is very much prominent today.

Music, for Finney, was utilitarian. “How can I draw people to God through their emotions and tears?” Rather than “How can we adore the Triune God?” There is a fundamental difference.

One recent theologian was perplexed by how modern Americans read their Bibles. Instead of asking, “What does the text mean?” we ask, “What does it mean to me?” We have become self-interpreters. We have become infatuated with the way something affects us. And if it doesn’t fit my style, then I will find something else. We have divided the evangelical church into “Traditional vs. Contemporary.” In other words, if you are between the age of 20-45, you are encouraged to visit our contemporary service, and if you are older, please attend our traditional service at 11.

We have segregated the evangelical church into preferences. Now there are things preferential in the Church: the color of chairs, curtains, bagels, etc. But worship must be regulated according to God’s holy word.

When the contemporary church asks: “Why do our children suddenly decide to worship elsewhere when they are older instead of mom and dad’s church?” The answer is that we have segregated our children for so long that they logically want to be separated from us.

History is made up of happy major chords and sad minor chords. It is a story of joy and sorrow. Therefore, our music must reflect not just exuberance but also the deep anguish of Scriptures. Biblical, Church music should be reverential, joyful, exuberant, shout-worthy, mournful, lamentable, and war-like. Music dresses us in priestly garments (Eph. 6:10-20).

It ought to shape our way of thinking about everything. Church music ought to appeal to you and your children. In Psalm 8, God says from the mouths of infants, I have declared my praise. You should sing a hymn and then say, “I am more aware of who God is because of what I have just sung.” You should have Psalms 2, 98, and 110 going through your minds as you work from Monday through Friday. They communicate God’s plans for his people and how he promises to deliver his people from evil.

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By In Men

Fatherhood and the Gift of Bread

The Bible tells us that fathers are to be providers. If he fails to provide, he is worse than an infidel (I Tim. 5:8). Infidels give their sons stones when they ask for bread. The world is replete with false fathers and imitation versions of fathers.

The father famine in our society grows with each passing day. The economy suffers because fathers do not train sons and daughters to be productive stewards of the happy grain offerings. Instead, they leave the house of bread (Bethlehem) to the house of misery (Moab).

There is a need for godly fathers who know their roles as providers in the home; who don’t offer cheap substitutes for real provision or entertainment without love or goods without grace. Fatherhood is deeply trinitarian because it is an overflow of the love of the Father for the Son.

Fatherhood gives true bread and never confuses false loves for the bread of life. Far from a flawless father, the good father is familiar with repentance. He gives bread because Bread saved him. He gives life because the manna from heaven was not stingy in giving of himself, but gave himself body and soul as broken bread to the world.

Fathers, to give your children bread is to give them of yourselves. Nothing else will cure the father famine in our culture. Fatherhood gives because he has received much and to whom much is given much is required.

Happy Father’s Day! Be wise, men! Love your children and those under your fatherly care the everlasting bread so they may never hunger again.

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By In Scribblings

Pride Month and June Victories

We are moving through June merrily. And for the gay manifestos and movements, that has been a terrible thing. Our Christian happiness means the demise of organizations that hate our King. Bud Light, Target, and other nauseating institutions of lesser learning have felt the sting of death in their stock portfolios. And now, Starbucks does not want the sting, so employees are complaining that the green goddess of caffeine no longer supports their LGBTQ+ claims of orthodoxy. Christians move on gayly and merrily through this whole affair.

What does this mean for us? It means that the Church is much more powerful when she harmonizes her prayer meetings and credit payments. It turns out that when moms come together to plan playdates they do not like to see modified linen for aberrations on the racks. It means the Church controls the culture and the world. My seventh thesis on an ecclesial conservatism summarizes: “Ecclesiastical Conservatism does not escape politics but embraces it as an expression of his faith in the world.”

These little victories are astonishing in light of the barrage of externalized impiety among the LGBTQ+ lobby and the overwhelming amount of money poured into these endeavors. But in the end, these organizations still must bow down before the Lord of the Church, and they are still indebted to us for their survival.

The same application goes to ecclesiastical bodies like the SBC and PCA. If my reading is right, there is a trend towards purity, and the incremental task of cleaning things up will take time but is very much worth the calling. The fellas in the courtyard have called the shots too long and set the price tags for our freedom. It’s time to set them free from this conservative bondage and let them form their own band of blind men leading the blind. 

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By In Church

The Future and Female Ordination in the SBC

The Southern Baptist Convention is on the brink of disaster. I pastor a small liturgical Presbyterian congregation in the panhandle of Florida that uses wine during the Lord’s Supper. That fact alone is sufficient to cause great consternation from our SBC friends. Still, I think our practical and theological differences are the kinds of differences that can stir a good conversation around a beer…make that sweet tea.

I love my SBC brethren, but this entire struggle for identity is one they should embrace wholeheartedly. Their future is at stake. SBC ministers must fight for the heart of theological integrity and uphold their commitment to Paul’s distinct vision for only qualified male leaders in the pulpit.

The Southern Baptists I know are committed to doing so, and they should strive for the peace of the convention through stricter definitions and not looser ones. As a former Baptist, I am committed to supporting them in this endeavor, which leads me to my main point: Rick Warren and his tribe must go if the SBC is going to survive.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM) states unequivocally, “While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.” Some, like JD Greer, argue that the number of female pastors in the SBC is declining. But it is clear that this is a statistical error.

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By In Counseling/Piety

The God of Death and Resurrection

One of the clearest biblical themes is that of death and resurrection. Virtually every single biblical story includes these motifs (sacrifices, meals, covenants, etc.). Whether these moments are actual terminations of human life or whether these are endings or beginnings of human seasons and relationships, these themes pervade the biblical narrative. God loves to kill and make alive. He loves to judge and restore. He loves to see day one end to bring about day two.

Wherever we find ourselves, we can confidently conclude that God is ending and starting new things. We may read of deaths and resurrections near us, but God is still working loudly in the silence of our existential dilemmas. God does not hide in times of chaos, but he shows himself even more clearly. In fact, he gives of himself in such times so that we may receive more of him daily.

Lamentations says that his mercies are new each morning, which means that God constantly makes things alive that were perhaps dead the night before. Circumstances will change and allow you to move forward with more pronounced boldness.

Consider even now how God is transforming the dynamics of life. Things we once took for granted are now things cherished. People who were once a mystery are now benedictions in our lives. God is making something new when we become more attuned to what matters most. This re-prioritization is a newness in our lives. We are finding out that certain things we once idolized were psychological icons that must be put down. God gives and takes away, and he takes away and then gives. He is the God of death and resurrection.

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By In Culture

The Derek Webb Apostasy Culture

I am sure you are hearing about sundry celebrities abandoning the faith. Some say it’s the contradictions in the Bible. Others believe that the sexual revolution is causing people to choose between family members and traditional Christianity. Still, others argue that the allure of wealth leads people to drink from the mammon chalice rather than the eucharist chalice.

Well, let me address only the first quickly by stating that the supposed contradictions in the Bible have been addressed ad infinitum in the last 2,000 years of Church History. Contradictions only exist if someone denies that God is all-powerful and if they deny that the Spirit inspired men to write accounts that preserve the integrity of their humanity and their perspectives on events. Presuppositions shape conclusions.

Assume someone says, “Hey, I can’t believe a man would live in the belly of a fish for three days and three nights. That’s just impossible.” In this case, he is denying that God is all-powerful. After all, if God created the world out of nothing, then for a sea creature to swallow a Hebrew prophet is actually a playground miracle in God’s repertoire.

If someone says, “But the Gospel accounts are different from each other.” In this case, they are denying the humanity of the authors. If these authors wrote identical accounts, then we should be skeptical. But they added their individual perspectives to the narratives, which prove indisputably that we are dealing with a reliable source.

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By In Theology

Meaning in Trinity

When the Church hears the word “God,” they should automatically think Trinity. We don’t want to fall prey to speaking about the Trinity in abstract and philosophical terms. Our liturgy speaks of Father, Son, and Spirit in concrete and relational terms. The Triune God is not Aristotle’s unmoved mover; the Triune God moves. The Triune God is not Islam’s un-relational God; the Triune God relates and loves to be in relationship with His people. The Trinity is an incomprehensible mystery – but it is a mystery of glory and light, not obscurity and darkness – ’tis only the splendor of light hideth thee,’ as the hymn puts it.

In our religiously pluralistic cultural environment, it is important to stress that the Trinity alone is the true God. Lesslie Newbigin once said, “…there is no way to preach Jesus without preaching the Trinity.” The Trinity is not only a doctrine to be believed but a God to be loved. When we see Christ, we see the Father; to adore Christ is to adore the Spirit whom he sent. To be Trinitarian is to simply to be Christian. As Darrell Johnson notes,

“This controversial, mind-stretching doctrine we call “the Trinity” did not emerge out of an ivory-tower think-tank. It emerged out of the life and mission of ordinary congregations.”

It was a comforting and living truth for the early Church, and it is a comforting and living truth for us today. The Trinity is not meant to remain on a 700-page systematic theology; it is intended to be a part of your life and the life of the body. Thinking Trinitarianly has serious consequences for us as a people. The Psalmist tells us that you are what you worship, which means that who we worship shapes the world around us.

Do not be deceived by the world’s cry that relationships are private and that sexual mutilation and transformation are personal decisions without consequence to society. We know that is a lie because the Trinity—the source of all reality–is not private, nor should your relationship with ethics be. You don’t need to find yourself in a tik tok video; you must find God and his people.

The Triune God alone gives meaning; apart from him, we are eternally lost. Let us come and find union in communion with the Father, Son, and Spirit.

Happy Trinity Sunday!

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By In Church

Women Who Play Like Warriors

Pride month kicks in like an avalanche of perversions! And while I am eager to call men back to their roles, I want to spend a little time addressing evangelical women. I believe they are crucial to pushing back against the modern insinuations of our day, which open up platforms for sexual confusion. Women are much more easily seduced by the proliferation of false Gospels and therefore, they need to stand firm.

I address them because they are being duped by sentimental slobbery, and our evangelical churches act as if women want this sentimental slobbery. They are offering messages that have no objectivity. They assume that women have no interest in theology or biblical orthodoxy, and all they want is an avalanche of emotional darts that will penetrate their “silly, teenage hearts.”

When churches and well-known female authors perpetuate this mentality, Christian women will easily be seduced into thinking that Deborah was a biblical abhorrence, that Ruth was too zealous for the covenant, and that grandmother Lois (II Tim. 1:5) was too committed to catechesis. No matter how “Hippie-dippy, Big Love Jesus Type,” you may be, you are not being a faithful follower of Jesus unless you agree that the Bible does not tame women; the Bible sets them free to be image-bearers who dwell in God’s house forever with the strength of a covenantal warrior. This is not a conversation about the role of women; it’s a conversation about who women are in Christ.

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By In Theology

The Devil’s Diet: Kuyperian Press Publication

Absolutely delighted to see this work published and in my hands. This is the fourth publication from Kuyperian Press.

This was the fruit of a lovely conversation with the Rev. Jack Phelps when I was in Anchorage, Alaska. It contains articles by a host of faithful men and, special note, two essays published for the first time by the late and inimitable R.J. Rushdoony.

My deep gratitude to the fastidious Austin C. Brown, whose care and typesetting brought this book to light.

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By In Church

Pentecost 101: A Brief Lesson

Tomorrow is Pentecost Sunday! It’s a big deal in our neck of the woods. I have been a vocal apologist for the church calendar for quite a while. The reason for this is not because I think there is salvation in a calendar but because I believe there is salvation in whom the Calendar points to.

For the two of you worried about my enthusiasm to continue this program, don’t worry. I am fully proteinied-up for the next decade. My liturgical muscles won’t atrophy. For those still curious about what I am proposing, let me sketch this out:

We are talking only about Classic Reformational and Lutheran celebrations, including Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, Lent, Easter, and Pentecost. In other words, these are conspicuously Christ-Centered feasts. These feasts exalt the work and name of Jesus. Jesus. More Jesus.

Some may say, “But we celebrate Easter all year long. Why do we have to set time aside to celebrate Pentecost in particular?” While this comment is noble, it is important to note that you can’t always say everything lest you say nothing at all. There is simply no way to celebrate all these events all the time. Hence, the Church has developed a way of commemorating, remembering, and internalizing the life of Jesus throughout the year.

So, what is Pentecost, and how can we celebrate this Feast?

Pentecost means the “fiftieth day” because it is the 50th day after Passover. This was also the Feast of the Harvest. In fact, we can say that Pentecost in Acts 2 is the great fulfillment of all previous Pentecosts. The Old Testament Feasts led us to this fiery moment of redemptive history in the first century. The Great Harvest Feast is now being fulfilled, and God is harvesting the nations. Since Christ is sitting at the Father’s right hand, the nations are being given to Jesus Christ as an inheritance (Ps. 110) through the ministry of the Church.

How can I celebrate this Feast?

Pentecost goes from the 28th of May to the 2nd of December. One way to be liturgically self-conscious is by practicing a few things.

First, you may consider wearing something red this Sunday. Remember the promise of Acts 2 that the Spirit would be poured out like fire. Pentecost is the re-birth of the Church. Red symbolizes the fire that came from heaven and indwelt the Church as they moved from Jerusalem to the uttermost parts of the earth.

Secondly, use this time to talk to your children about the Holy Spirit. The Third Person of the Godhead is often set aside as the forgotten Person of the Trinity, but he should not be. We must remember that Jesus refers to the Spirit as our Comforter (Jn. 14:16). Reading Acts 2 and other passages about the work of the Spirit is a healthy way of bringing recognition to the One who is truly God.

Thirdly, allow this feast, which celebrates the subversion of Babel, to be a reminder that God has made a new humanity through his Spirit. We are no longer a divided ethnos but one new creation of Jews and Gentiles. Live out gospel reconciliation in every possible situation. As Malcolm Guite puts it, “Whose mother tongue is Love in every nation.”

Finally, do not be hopeless in this season. God has not left us orphans. The absence of Jesus’ physical body on earth means his presence at the right hand of the Father in heaven is one of power and might. He rules and reigns by his Spirit, forming a resurrected creation under his reign.

May Your Pentecost be Mighty! Rejoice greatly! The Spirit is among us!

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