I just turned 41, but my records also inform me that I am on my 20th Reformed anniversary. Somewhere in the year 2000, I came into contact with a dangerous cargo filled with contrarian literature. I ate it all so quickly that the only questions I had afterwards were some variation of “What’s for dinner?” and “May I have more, please?” I still keep eating contrarian literature, and I really hope that the end result is not that I become a curmudgeon, but that I find creative ways to inculcate those blessings into my community.
So, while we are at it, let me undo speculations among some two-kingdom scholars. They consistently claim that while Jesus’ has authority over all things, that his authority does not provide or is intended to provide a tangible change in the cultural ethos. I, as a lovable contrarian assert the exact opposite: that the kingdom of Jesus is comprehensive and whatever it touches, it changes. It is not limited to one sphere, nor are things heavenly to be severely differentiated from things earthly. And again, not to repeat the obvious, but the earthly city is not Babylon, nor do we live in this perpetual sense of exile and pilgrimage simply existing seeking a city that shall come. We affirm that the people of God are headed somewhere to take something and claim Someone as Lord over the nations (Rom. 4:13), and that the city has come. Our agenda is to get people to see the ads and RSVP ASAP.
While the Reformers affirm the distinct polities of each sphere and even state without equivocation that there are distinct ends for governmental and ecclesiastical spheres, these ends do not end in wildly strange territories. They serve the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ who has all authority and power in heaven and on earth. Jesus’ earthly authority does not void his heavenly power. They find harmony as one expressive manifestation of Lordship.
So too, you need to notice that when two-kingdom advocates say, “Don’t cause any trouble, let the local officials do their job, because…ya know, Romans 13 and I Peter 4, etc.,” what they are truly implying is that history is static and unmovable. The same texts that state government officials are deacons for righteousness also state that they are under one Ruler who is progressively moving history towards a goal.
Jesus’ overturning the tables was not some act of overt rebellion, it was an act of subversive faithfulness. When the temple does not do what it ought–worship rightly–Jesus has the right to shake things up, and when unfaithfulness endures, he has the right to send armies to tear the whole place down (Lk. 21:24). When Jesus sees a government functioning like a whore, he has the right to tell his people to surround it and sing for seven days and seven nights.
It really is an impious thing for a certain theologian in California (howdy, Scotty) to assert that Christians are pilgrims, and therefore should stop making a mess of things on our way to heaven or that they should stop singing in the public square, or that they should stop opining about unfathomably stupid mask mandates in a city with no COVID death, or that they should stop the pre-planned activities simply because attention from local officials violate the pernicious division between kingdoms. As the kids say, “LOL, ROFL!”
This form of sophistry is the demonstrable failure of an expression of theology that sees the worship of the church solely functional for the sake of the church. How brave it must be to sit quietly in Puritan piety without having to lift a finger in righteous anger towards blunt violations of heaven’s laws first and American laws second, but simply exert Augustinian language as a clear-cut-case for why Christians should not engage the political process as Christians.
Let’s even assume that Calvin’s language of “contrived empire” is applied straightforwardly to us–postmillennial dreamers–to imply that we too quickly make friends of government and church, are we then to simply sit back and wait for defeat as the ideal telos of the church? If the Great Commission does not imply a complete investment in earthly and heavenly things, then our Reformed forefathers failed us in attempting to write letters to pagan kings and to urge them to read fine pieces of theology, and to express their disapproval of government actions.
I submit that the Great Commission speaks directly to all spheres; that government officials should be catechized in the language of Scripture and that once in a while we should use our voices to bring their walls down. If Christendom is merely a catch-phrase for the isolation of the Church from culture, then Jesus should have remained only a great high-priest, but as we know quite well, he is also our great high-king and our great-high prophet. Like that crazy postmil missionary, Hudson Taylor used to say, “Christ is either Lord of all, or is not Lord at all”. I happily join his insanity.
Lord of All or Lord at All?
Episode 82, with Dr. Alistair Roberts
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The video interview can be found here, and now it’s available on podcast platforms.
Once in a while I have the joy of doing these on-line discussions. I have wanted to bring in Dr. Alistair Roberts on the show for quite some time and today I finally had the joy of his virtual presence. We discussed his prolific history of theological insights as well as his wonderful daily reflections on the Bible found on YouTube. You can find them here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmkS… We also discuss theological habits and our presence on twitter.
Episode 82, KC Interview with Dr. Alistair Roberts
Once in a while I have the joy of doing these on-line discussions. I have wanted to bring in Dr. Alistair Roberts on the show for quite some time and today I finally had the joy of his virtual presence. We discussed his prolific history of theological insights as well as his wonderful daily reflections on the Bible found on YouTube. You can find them here. We also discuss theological habits and our presence on twitter.
KC Podcast, Episode 81, A Conversation on Pastoring
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Dustin Messer and I talk about pastoral life and discuss a bit of my doctoral work as well as some of the blessings of learning from other pastors.
Episode 80, Greg Bahnsen’s Apologetics
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On this interview at Kuyperian Commentary, we discuss the latest work from American Vision: Against All Opposition: Defending the Christian World View by the late Greg Bahnsen. We talk a bit about the labor of presuppositional apologetics and the renewed interest in defending the faith. Gary was a close friend of Greg’s which makes the discussion more intimate and productive.
Cussing and Cultural Fences
Guest Post by Al Stout
In 1970 Five Man Electrical Band released a song titled Signs.a In the second verse, the lyricist laments the fence a homeowner adorned with a sign:
And the sign said anybody caught trespassin’ would be shot on sight
So I jumped on the fence and-a yelled at the house
Hey! What gives you the right?”
“To put up a fence to keep me out or to keep mother nature in”
“If God was here he’d tell you to your face, man, you’re some kinda sinnerb
A couple of hundred years before Five Man, Jean Jacques Rousseau wrote that civil society was founded by simpletons who consented to a guy, putting up a fence, and said, “this is mine.”c A hatred of fences and boundaries is not merely about private property and the 9th commandment, though it is about that. Ultimately, it is about who gets to say this or that particular boundary is good or that this fence makes for good neighbors. We are not just yelling at the house, but at the resident who pounded the stakes and hung the sign.
Cultural fences are equally important. They too are set by the Lord of the manor and when they are challenged by those who hate the Lord, you can bet the culture will not last very long.
I am a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer with over 20 years active Naval service. Living on a ship with a bunch of men who at times do dangerous and deadly work can lend itself to a coarse culture. Gallows humor, harsh ridicule, and graphic descriptions of your best friend’s physical presence are all commonplace. The phrase “cursing like a Sailor” used to mean something.
For that language to exist onboard a ship full of men is one thing. It is, however, the mark of a declining culture when the warfighter’s obscenities find their way to the mouth of the homemaker, high-schooler, and the neighbor at the community pool. “Cursing like a Sailor” has its force. We can now say, “Cursing like a middle-schooler,” or “Swearing like a stressed out mother.”
When you hear the father at the pool curse his 5 year old for refusing to get out of the water and come eat his lunch and no one stops him, barriers have fallen. When someone else defends such a dad by saying, “I have heard just as bad from the Sailor” we have shaken our fist at the One who said, “If anyone causes one of these little ones to stumble, it would be better for a millstone to be tied around his neck and he be cast into the sea.”
We yell at the keeper of the house, “What gives you the right” to keep my culture from your living room? We have decided that the sin of the fence and proper boundaries is the only sin God will judge. We are mistaken. We are worse for it.
Pastor Stout serves as the Associate Pastor of Providence Church alongside his career as a civilian in the Department of the Navy, Center for Information Dominance.
- I am expanding on a quote I provided for an upcoming book by Oliver North and David Goestch. You may preorder, Veterans’ Lament: Is This the America our Heroes Fought For? here: https://bn.com/w/1136889999 (back)
- https://www.cshf.ca/song/signs/ (back)
- Jean Jacques Rousseau On the Origin of the Inequality of Mankind pt 2, 1754. “THE first man who, having enclosed a piece of ground, bethought himself of saying This is mine, and found people simple enough to believe him, was the real founder of civil society. From how many crimes, wars and murders, from how many horrors and misfortunes might not any one have saved mankind, by pulling up the stakes, or filling up the ditch, and crying to his fellows, “Beware of listening to this impostor; you are undone if you once forget that the fruits of the earth belong to us all, and the earth itself to nobody.” (back)
Safe Is the New Saved
Guest Post by Rob Hadding
As a young father, I considered keeping my family safe my chief duty. Reflecting on my track record a few years ago, I noted that in our family there had been no hospitalizations, no broken bones, not even stitches. Among my proudest paternal memories was the time my oldest daughter chided one of her siblings, “That’s not safe!” Not only had I done my job, but I had also adequately catechized my children in the Western Confession of Safe.
“What is the chief end of man,” the first catechism question of the Shorter Catechism of this WCS reads. The answer? “The chief end of man is to glorify man and live as comfortably as possible for as long as possible.” Every other question serves only to support and magnify this one. And it seems that those trained in it are legion.
The virus known as COVID-19 has revealed our cultural and global obsession with safety. Fear has gripped an already-anxious society, and the only reasonable response to the existential threat (see question one of the WCSSC) is to take every imaginable precaution to stay safe. Our personal safety, and ostensibly the safety of others, is the new righteousness. Safe is the new saved. We are justified by safe alone. And we have quickly codified our new religion.
And, as is the case with all religions, rites, symbols, and language are indispensable in affirming and communicating the tenets of the faith. These, of course, all attained ubiquity in a matter of weeks. I’m not necessarily referring to masks and gloves, although some go the second mile by masking up while driving alone or are out for a walk through the neighborhood alone. I’m talking about the quick acceptance of accepting digital meetings as a reasonable substitute for in-person interactions, “smiling with your eyes” over your homemade mask, and exchanging the new benediction, “Stay safe!”
But the truth is that we are not safe. We have never been safe. The ratio of individuals to deaths is a solid 1:1. Some lives are very short; others are long. No matter how much we try as persons or as societies, the end of every human life is the same. And the day of your death is fixed by the One who created heaven and earth. He keeps you alive every day except one. This assertion is not an argument for carelessness or for being cavalier. Providence is no excuse for imprudence. Safety is an illusion, and an overwrought concern for safety is to misplace your faith. Do not fear COVID-19 that can destroy your body but cannot destroy your soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
To be human – truly human – is to live a life of risk. The world is a dangerous place. But we were made to take dominion over the dangerous world – not to make it safe, but to make it more glorious. The much-cited quotation from John A. Shedd is appropriate: “A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” May my children benefit from my repentance, and live well.
Rob Hadding is the pastor of Christ Church in Pace, Florida. He and his wife, Marty, have five increasingly dangerous children.
50 Percent of Pastors “Believe Jesus will Return in their Lifetime.”
Guest Post by Gary Demar
When will Christians learn? It’s no surprise that less than 25 percent of Christians have a biblical worldview. On Bible prophecy, it’s around five percent. That’s my estimation.
A new study has determined by a new LifeWay Research survey that a “majority of pastors say specific current events are a sign of the End Times and Jesus’ return.”
Of the poll of 1,000 evangelical pastors, 50 percent “believe Jesus will return in their lifetime.”
Pastors were asked if they “consider any of the following types of current events to be the ‘birth pains’ that Jesus was referring to when he was asked by his disciples when he would return,” a reference to Jesus’ prophecy found in Matthew 24 and the parallel accounts in Matthew 13 and Luke 21.
Wars and Rumors of Wars
A verse-by-verse study of Mathew 23:35-24:34. Buy Now
Just so you know, the Olivet Discourse is not describing events that will take place to some future generation. Jesus was describing what was going to happen to the generation to whom Jesus was speaking. It was their generation that would not pass away until all the things He described took place.
Let’s state the obvious. There is nothing new about Christians believing they are living in what Hal Lindsey said was the “terminal generation,” the generation that was supposed to pass away before 1988 because of the same signs that are being touted today as proof that we are living in the final generation before one of the five rapture views takes place. When was Lindsey’s book published? In 1977, more than 40 years ago, seven years after The Late Great Planet Earth.
Here’s the breakdown of the signs and the percent of pastors who believe they are signs of Jesus’ near return:
83 percent, the “rise of false prophets and false teachings.”
There have always been false prophets and false teachings. John said so:
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world (1 John 4:1–4).
There were false prophets in John’s day. There were antichrist’s in John’s day, evidence that it was the “last hour” (1 John 2:18).
There was false teaching during the time leading up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. Peter wrote the following:
(more…)But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves.Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned;and in their greed they will exploit you with false words; their judgment from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep” (2 Peter 2:2–3).
Cheap grace and gratitude
Guest Post by Dr. Jordan Ballor
As we live in a time of crisis, isolation, and suffering, there’s perhaps no better time to consider anew all the goodness and grace in our lives that we so often take for granted. Amid the outbreak of plague, we should ponder the gifts we have been given and the gratitude we ought to have for them. As we deal with the loss of life and restrictions on our activities, we should also come to a greater recognition of the divine origin of all good gifts all the time.
Fallen (and perhaps particularly fallen and redeemed) human beings have a way of cheapening grace. The German pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer opened his classic work on Christian discipleship with an incisive analysis of what he called “cheap grace,” the idea that God’s saving work could simply be assumed and that it required no substantive response from or transformation of human beings.
If Christ’s atoning work was infinitely sufficient to cover all of our sins, such thinking goes, why not go on sinning that grace may abound (Rom. 6:1)? Or at least, why worry so much about doing any good works, since they aren’t all that “good” in the first place, and aren’t the basis for our salvation in any case? As Bonhoeffer puts it, “Cheap grace means grace as bargain-basement goods, cut-rate forgiveness, cut-rate comfort, cut-rate sacrament; grace as the church’s inexhaustible pantry, from which it is doled out by careless hands without hesitation or limit. It is grace without a price, without costs.”
Bonhoeffer had in mind what is often called special or saving grace in his indictment of cheap grace, and he had in mind the costliness of Christ’s sacrifice and the call to follow Him. But there’s an analogous error when it comes to the gifts of common grace. If special grace involves the application of the atoning work of Jesus Christ for the salvation of sinners, common grace involves the recognition of the gifts that are given to everyone regardless of righteousness or piety. In Matthew 5:45 we read that God “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Natural goods like sun and rain are examples of common grace, but as the Reformed theologian Abraham Kuyper describes the idea, common grace also involves social and cultural realities, like the love of familial relationships, the goods and services provided by businesses, and justice and order protected and preserved by governments.
(more…)
How Can We Cultivate Calmness in Motherhood?
A Guest Post by Danielle Poorman
There are many reasons why mothers struggle with their emotions. We live in an age where mothers are always being compared to one another and expectations to uphold the “perfect standards” are high. This is dangerous. When we as mothers submit ourselves to these comparisons and expectations, it leaves us vulnerable to dangerous emotions such as anger, anxiety, and depression.
Every mother I know wishes for more tranquility in her life as well as her family’s. So, how can mothers cultivate calmness amidst the distractions and uncertainty of everyday life?
Mothers have a high calling from our Heavenly Father. This goes well beyond the daily tasks that occur everyday inside and outside of the home. In the midst of everyday life and seasons of uncertainty, it’s very easy to lose sight of our purpose and calling.
God has uniquely called us to the amazing journey of motherhood. Your calling and your purpose are to glorify God. In some cases that may look like caring for the little people in your home to the best of your ability as you train them up in virtue. In other scenarios glorifying God as a mother may look different from your neighbor or from a mother who’s more seasoned in her journey. God has a divine and unique plan for each one of us as mothers but the end goal is His glory.
If we can learn the value of cultivating calmness, those practices and mindset will carry us through EVERY season. In the end, when we experience seasons of uncertainty and life turns upside down, our spirits will feel less chaotic.
How Can You Cultivate Clarity When It Doesn’t Come Naturally?
Some mothers, such as myself, find it difficult to find clarity in certain seasons of life. This is particularly true when schedules are busier, sickness occurs, or we’re in a long season of character training with our children. Cultivating clarity and calmness does not come naturally in my life. It’s a process, but one that is worth the effort.
Remembering that cultivation is a process is necessary. Regardless of where you are in your motherhood journey, remember back to when you were just navigating the waters of being a new mom. At each stage of your child’s development, you had to learn and navigate new territory over again. The training process seemed long but each seed you planted began to grow contributing to your “budding plants.”
One helpful way to cultivate calmness is –if at all possible–to find times to be alone! That can be tough at times with little ones who are so needy but this is essential to gain clarity. Jesus often withdrew to quiet places to get alone with God.
Matthew 14:23 – “After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone.”
Jesus sets the ultimate example for us in passages such as this one. He removes himself from distractions and gets alone. It’s important for us as mothers that we follow the same example.
Even a few quality minutes alone in prayer each day will intentionally cultivate clarity in your calling and calmness in your spirit. Cultivating calmness takes time but it is an intentional process.
Mothers experience chaos in various forms. There are times when chaos is unavoidable. Part of cultivating calmness includes taking a step back and analyzing the areas where chaos is causing restlessness.
Ask yourself, “What area am I striving for perfection where I need to relinquish control?” “Am I desiring peace in the process of motherhood?” We can often feel a lack of calmness when we refuse to allow God to lead. Acknowledging our weakness and accepting God’s strength gives us the freedom to put on the calmness He wants to give.
In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul says:
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”
What a beautiful reminder that God does not expect perfection for us as mothers. In fact, He desires that we rejoice in our weaknesses so that we can fully accept His grace. When we as mothers rest in the power of Christ, we take the first step to cultivating calmness in motherhood.
Danielle Poorman is a homeschooling mother of two children. She blogs at Danielle Hope where she encourages other mothers to find value and virtue in motherhood.
