Doctrinal Matters

I grew up in a loving home with Christian parents and Christian siblings (an older brother and sister). My dad felt God's call on his life to become a pastor before I even started school so I have been a preacher's kid for practically all of my life.  Yeah, I'm that kid.  The one that got to go on the youth group snow skiing trip before I was in the youth group because I got to tag along with my pastor/dad. I have heard a lot of stories of preacher's kids (pk's) who are bitter about their experiences; the perceived constant scrutiny from church members, the lack of privacy, having to share their dad with hundreds of other people, missing out on family vacations because someone's aunt so-and-so died, etc. Those are real experiences, but I consider it a privilege to have the example of a godly dad who gave himself to minister to others as their pastor.  The blessings of being a pk far outweigh the challenges in my opinion. When I was around five years old, my ni...

photo courtesy of www.freeimages.com If you were to guess what the most often quoted Bible verse is, you would probably say John 3:16. Right? If so, you may be wrong.  Erwin Lutzer, in his book Who are You to Judge? , says that the popular John 3:16 may actually be the second most quoted verse.  He says that the most often quoted words from the Bible are not "For God so loved the world..." but, rather, "Do not judge..." (from Matt. 7:1). [1]  While Lutzer doesn't cite any evidence to prove his assertion I tend to believe him.  This same assertion is made by Paul Copan in his book "True For You, But Not For Me" . [2]   Of course you are familiar with the recent statements ( read article here ) made by Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty fame. Robertson's words had barely left his lips when a chorus of postmodern voices shouted him down with chants of "Judge not!".  Even Christians joined in the act of condemning Robertson for supposedl...

I remember our shock the first time we gave him a bath.   He wasn't shocked.  He was thrilled at being in a shower; squealing with joy at the fun of being under the water and chasing the soap bubbles down the drain. We were the ones shocked.  Shocked at the sight of the twists in his skeletal system.  It was the first time we were able to get a look at our eight-year old son's entire body.   It was the first time we were able to get a look at the full extent of the effects of arthrogryposis.  Before he had always been covered with layers of clothing.  Now we stood in the bathroom of our rented apartment in Eastern Europe and watched our new son play in the shower. With our biological children we immediately assessed their physical condition while still in the delivery room. We looked at their little toes and fingers.  Although the ultrasounds showed nothing out of the ordinary before birth, we still searched for any sign that something may be ...

By far the most popular passage in Baptist churches concerning observing the Lord's Supper is 1 Corinthians 11:17-34.  A particular focus has been placed on verses 27-31 quoted below from the King James Version that many of us grew up with. 27  Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28  But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 29  For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. 30  For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. 31  For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. (1 Cor. 11:27-31 KJV) photo courtesy of www.freeimages.com Pastors often point to these verses as a warning to would be participants in the ordinance that they should first examine themselves so that they don't partake unworthily ...