This is part three in an ongoing series of posts. Part one is here and part two is here.  In the previous installment I discussed the importance of setting and managing our expectations for ourselves and our children in worship. Among those I mentioned was the expectation that “children over four-to-five years of age are ordinarily physically and

One of the things I love most about our congregation and the churches of the CREC is that we have the base level expectation that our children are ordinarily going to be in worship with us. We are principally opposed to the practice of shipping Christian children off to nurseries, children’s church and other places,

One of the most popular criticisms made against Reformed Christians and pastors is that they put way too much emphasis on learning, reading and teaching and way too little emphasis on “real ministry”. Now “real ministry” is defined in a number of ways by these critics, but the allegation routinely leveled against us from many

I think I’m ready to come out and say it. I don’t like stories with happy endings. If you know me, you know I love stories. I really enjoy novels, and movies, and even well-done television series. I have have argued for the indispensable value of stories and defended fiction in many places. Students of the Bible and

In any disagreement or conflict, the most difficult task is getting to the bottom of the issue and finding out what the real problem is between the accuser and the accused. Usually by the time the shouting begins, there has already been a long period of silent build-up, during which offenses are collected and catalogued

June 27, 2015 In light of the Obergefell decision by the United States Supreme Court yesterday, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches makes the following declaration. All the varied expressions of transgressive sexuality currently being celebrated in our culture, and now by the highest court in the land, are out of accord with God’s creational

As you have read this morning, our Supreme Court has joined the agenda to redefine the word “marriage” and has ruled in favor of nationwide recognition of “gay marriage”. So what now? Are we going to be accused of hate speech and be subject to prosecution for reading Romans 1 out loud and actually believing

In John’s third epistle, he writes “Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.” Perhaps we could rephrase his petition this way, “I pray that your physical health were just as good as your spiritual health.” He is writing in a day when Christians had

Several years ago I said that the number one social crisis for our children’s generation will be the redefinition of what it means to be male and female. I could not have been more wrong. The schedule has been moved up and the crisis is now.  I am not the first to comment on the way

In various places in the Scriptures we read about the works of the Holy Spirit. He encourages, convicts and guides. We read that we can sin against Him, that He works in unseen ways, mysterious ways, yes, but in material ways as well. The Spirit of God is the Person of the Trinity who extends God’s presence into

In Baptism the Holy Spirit gives to us the gift and promise of new life. We have all read Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus many many times and we remember how Jesus explains to this righteous, God-fearing Jew that there is something more required of him than simply submitting to Christ as a teacher. Jesus says, “Except

If you ask the average Christian what it means to be Spirit-filled, you would likely get a wide range of answers.  One answer would be that being Spirit-filled means that you have good warm feelings or excitement about God or the mission of the church. Some may profess to feel the Spirit moving when a

Genesis tells us that God breathed into Adam the breath of life. The original word for “breath” there is ruach,  the “Spirit” of life. Adam was animated by God’s Spirit. And from then on all men have derived their life from God’s Holy Spirit. In Job, Elihu understood this – 33:4 The Spirit of God has

Whenever Reformed Christians start to talk about the Holy Spirit it seems that we quickly find ourselves in uncharted waters. We know what God the Father has done for us, we know what Jesus has done for us, and it might be easy for us to relate to God as Father, or God as Older

The reports are sickening. Over the past several days we have heard one story after another recounting the attacks of Muslim militants upon Christians in various parts of the middle east. These attacks are precipitated upon the terrorists’ belief that the conflict between the Western world and the Muslim world is a religious conflict. They are