When is the last time you smashed one of your idols? I’m talking about the obliterating, completely destroying, burning-it-to-the-ground kind of smashing. Like the smashing that Gideon did when he tore down his father’s altar to Baal. Like the smashing the Ephesians did when Paul first preached to them and they burned their magic books […]
Born for Our Salvation: The Nativity and Childhood of Jesus Christ, Martyn McGeown. Jenison, MI: Reformed Free Publishing Association, 2019. 279 pages. Hardback. $26.95. https://rfpa.org It is well-known that the Gospel accounts are not biographies of our Lord’s life on this earth. We know that only two Gospels, Matthew and Luke, give us the account […]
Time is a precious gift, but one which we spend rapidly. Often we spend it so quickly that “we take not note of time but from its loss” (Young). Each day begins with fresh ideas and perfect plans. Ever-marching time takes our plans and IN crushes our ideas. There is never enough day to tie […]
When Rev. Brian Najapfour explained the origins of the song “Reborn in Christ, Who Pardoned Me,” he informed me that its original proposed title was “Total Depravity.” Perhaps that’s a bit of a turnoff for a first encounter with a new hymn. And yet it’s worth pondering: How many well-known hymns can you think of […]
To the Editor: I hesitate to do this, but I find the article by Ref. Steve Swets to be of such a nature that a response must be presented. “What It Means to Be Reformed: Education” offers a perspective and analysis that might cause significant harm to many Christian schools, if implemented by them. My […]
Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms—Study Resource, edited by Peter H. Holtvlüwer. Winnipeg, MB: Reformed Perspective Press, 2020. 4 volumes. Hardcover. $70.00. Christ’s Psalms, Our Psalms is a commentary on the Psalms, but much more. It calls itself a “study resource.” Its distinctive contribution “is to show the Christ-centered focus of each psalm (cf. Luke 24:25–27, 44–47; […]
How has your view of other human beings changed in the past twelve months? I am writing this in the last few days of the calendar year 2020, but I expect little will be different by the time this issue reaches your hands. The past year saw the infiltration of terms like “asymptomatic,” “silent spreaders,” […]
You have probably heard the saying that the most important things we learn are caught rather than taught. In other words, students often learn more from the demeanor, actions, and character of the teacher than from the content of the lesson. This is a key perspective in communicating big truths to little hearts, for if […]
There are some practical ways the faithful family can pursue learning deep truths through singing the beautiful hymns and psalms of the church. Even very small children can learn melodies quickly, and they tend to memorize words easily when set to music. This makes the psalms and classic music of the church a wonderful way […]
If you are in pastoral ministry or some other form of leadership, criticism is inevitable. At times, criticism can result in exasperation, insomnia, cynicism, burnout, and even despair. It is imperative for pastors and leaders to be equipped to handle verbal or written critique when it comes. Whether the criticism is constructive or destructive, receiving […]