Ambrose (340-397) writes: Often we hear talk about fleeing from this world, and I wish that the mind were as careful and circumspect as talk is easy! But, what is worse, the allurement of earthly lusts frequently creeps in, and influx of vanities takes over the mind, so that what you endeavour to avoid, you think about and turn over in your mind. It is difficult for a man to guard against this, but impossible for him to get rid... Read more
Christianity always has been and will be a political religion. To think otherwise is ignorant. The key is to align our politics with the truths of Scripture. As God’s Spirit penetrates people’s hearts through the gospel, those people become new creatures (2 Cor. 5:17). They take their faith into every sphere of life, including the workplace, politics, economics, education, and the arts. And in all these realms, they seek to glorify God. They hear Paul’s exhortation in 1 Cor. 10:31, “whether... Read more
I would be considered to be apart of this “New Calvinism”(The Gospel Coalition, Desiring God, etc.). I wasn’t raised in a Reformed church, in fact the church is probably the furthest (well not quite) away from the Reformers. The Reformers put to death the type of people (Anabaptists) that formed the kind of church that I attended. Anyways, I first came in contact with the theological framework called Calvinism from a YouTube video that I watched over 3 years ago.... Read more
Editor’s Note: Below is a guest post from Brendan McCaskell. Brendan has a B.A. in Business Administration and Biblical Studies from Canadian Mennonite University. He is also a youth pastor at City Church in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Find his blog at Reformed Ramblings. The Gospel Coalition bi-annual conference took place in sunny Orlando, Florida, a welcome relief from the (still!) two feet of snow in Winnipeg, Canada. Thousands of people gathered together with a single purpose: To revel in God’s gracious Gospel.... Read more
1. Patiently Listen: “Let every person be quick to hear” (James 1:19). I don’t mean just to look for loopholes or a chance to criticize or find fault. We must listen so as to get to or gain the “heart thrust” of what a person is saying. This is hard work and an art — a skill to be learned. It’s not natural. It takes practice. Listen to what moves other people. Listen for where their passions lie, what they value,... Read more
One day two men went to church to pray. The first man was a shallow, uninformed evangelical. Everything about him shouted of squishy theology. He didn’t know or use big theological words. He watched Christian TV and thought it was deep. He bought books from the inspirational section of the bookstore. He attended one of those megachurches where the sermons are short and the worship leaders look like American Idol contestants. The second man who went to pray was different. He was a Christian of... Read more
I work in a coffee shop. My job title is “new media specialist”. What do I do? To name a few things, I build websites, create graphics and develop multimedia presentations. I really enjoy what I do, I get to work with several different companies and ministries. One of the benefits of working in a coffee shop, besides the quick access to coffee, is that I meet some fascinating people. I also hear some interesting conversations, in particular over the... Read more
Editor’s Note: Below is a guest post from Steve Swan. Steve is the associate pastor at The King’s Fellowship, a church in the heart of Winnipeg, Canada. Steve is married to his best friend, Sarah and they have two daughters, Nora(3) and Lulu(1). You can find his blog at Words of Truth & Reason. How can you evangelize if you’re a Calvinist? Every once in a while someone will challenge me, specifically about how I can believe in the Reformed view... Read more
Recently someone asked me this question: Why did God create Satan and allow (or predestine?) him and so many other angels to turn against God, and why did God allow (or, again, predestine?) Satan to successfully tempt our first parents in the garden? This is a loaded question and one that we must answer carefully. I’m going to answer this question in 5 parts. 1. It was necessary to have the fall so that God could then have a reason to... Read more
PART 1 PART 2 Read more
Born to Reform
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In