Attending Church in America - the Day after Trump Bombed Iran

Attending church this Sunday, I was struck once again by the different approaches and understandings as to what we're doing there, who are we, and why do we gather?

The SBC Founders Find the Road to not just Loserdom but Functional Apostasy (II)

We are then subjected to ridiculous ad for 'Christian Coffee' whatever that is. To be frank, I'd rather give my money to Starbucks than false Christianity. Don't be fooled, despite their claims, these people have no problem giving their money to support evil. The list of examples is long and would fill an encyclopaedia. It was ridiculous to say the least. Later we are subjected to a sacrilegious soap commercial cast in Dominionist terms and a biography of John Knox is promoted - certainly a whitewash of his actual history and views.

The SBC Founders Find the Road to not just Loserdom but Functional Apostasy (I)

https://www.theblaze.com/abide/meek-not-weak-the-era-of-christian-loserdom-is-over

https://founders.org/podcasts/tstt-must-christians-lose-down-here/

The Founders here refers not to the American Founders but a movement within the Southern Baptist Convention to recover its Calvinist roots from the time of the antebellum split in American Christianity. I remember hearing about this movement back in the 1990's and it was spoken of with great approval and hope. Today, Tom Ascol is the leader of the Founders. I'm not entirely sure if he's cut from the same cloth as earlier men like Ernest Reisinger who got the movement going. There's no doubt that the Founders have played a significant role in the genesis of New Calvinism.

One of Satan's Ministers in the Pulpit on Memorial Day

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/remember-to-remember-part-1/id1433823311?i=1000710247721

SermonAudio blocks anyone who is deemed 'woke' or who embraces too robust a view of works or sacraments. They are guardians of orthodoxy or so they deem - but then they allow this kind of heretical filth. Scudder's sermons receive no sanction or censorship.

Spinning Israel, Anti-Semitism, and the Los Angeles Riots

With a tone of moral vindication, the BBC reported on the Starmer government's condemnation and sanction of Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich, both far-right cabinet members in the Netanyahu government. Connected to the Settler movement, they have been charged with inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, and the abuse of human rights. Further they have openly advocated policies of ethnic cleansing, though the official statements dance around this a bit as there are legal implications once such 'red lines' are crossed.

Another Example of Progressive Orthodoxy

https://churcheswithoutchests.net/2025/03/13/the-imitation-of-christ/

I am pleased to note de Bruyn also offers some praise for the Theologia Germanica, another worthy pre-Reformation work.

But as I've often argued there's a problem with this approach to orthodoxy - it's progressive. Men like de Bruyn are willing to say that à Kempis and the anonymous author (the Friend of God from the Oberland) of the Theologia were Christians.

Trueman has Seemingly Lost his Mind

https://firstthings.com/pope-francis-my-worst-protestant-nightmare/

https://wng.org/opinions/an-office-of-great-cultural-significance-1746424321

These articles left me baffled but they demonstrate how cultural and political motivations have taken over and now drive the thinking of most Christians. Trueman in particular surprises me as he once passionately argued for a kind of sober detachment but now is at the forefront of culture war battles even being promoted by and collaborating with the likes of Charles Colson protege John Stonestreet.

A Different Sort of Non-Aligned Movement

When trying to explain how a First Reformation and non-resistance view might operate in today's world and how we might bear witness with regard to events, culture, and geopolitics - and yet not be part of it, I was reminded of the Non-Aligned Movement during the Cold War.

The Magdeburg Confession of 1550

While there is much to laud with regard to Lutheranism, the 1550 Magdeburg Confession is a remarkable exception. Written by Lutheran pastors, the document argues for the basis of lawful resistance - in other words the justification for Christians killing others to secure their own rights and privileges. Indeed, there are times when Christian must resist certain laws. But it must be asked if this perceived need or right allows the Christian to abandon New Testament ethics? Is this not a case of the end justifying the means?

Recent Discussion of the Salem Witch Trials

https://reformedforum.org/podcasts/ctc907/

https://churchandfamilylife.com/podcasts/scripture-applied/681b88f593d37c3f67415b85

Regarding the Salem Witch Trials of 1692/93, it was evident early on that the host of the show was not familiar with the subject when he raised the question of whether Britain had its witch episodes as well. I guess he's never heard of Matthew Hopkins (d.1647).

The 17th century represented probably the height of the witch craze in the Western world. Many wrongly think of the Middle Ages when it comes to witches. Most of the episodes actually occur in the post-Renaissance context and the phenomenon seemed to equally afflict both Protestant and Roman Catholic circles.

Samuel Davies: A Colonial Era Hero, Presbyterian Patriot, and Christ-hater

https://americanreformer.org/2024/07/samuel-davies-colonial-presbyterian-patriot/

My eye was drawn to the locales mentioned in the opening paragraph. They are well known to me as my family has made a point of visiting these places for historical reference - and they're not too far away from where we live.

Samuel Davies (1723-1761) is also a name well known to me from my days spent in OP and PCA circles. He is a titan in American Presbyterianism but to be honest I hadn't give Samuel Davies a lot of thought in quite a few years. So by this point I was hooked and decided to read the article.

Evangelical Ecclesiology and the Question of Authority

https://religionnews.com/2025/03/04/why-are-southern-baptists-still-arguing-about-women-preachers-credentials-committee-newspring/

The reason the Southern Baptist Convention is still arguing about women preachers is because they won't address the fundamental issue. The vast majority of the conservatives have no problem with women teaching - which is to exercise authority. The arguments in the New Testament that forbid women office are tied to the question of authority and the role of women which is one of domesticity.

A PCA Take on Paedocommunion

https://gospelreformation.net/dear-pastor-may-my-child-take-the-lords-supper/

Spinnenweber is to be commended as he covers all the bases and his treatment of the subject is fair. Unfortunately his conclusions are completely wrong.

A Popular but Contrived Celtic Heritage

A Calvinist blogger (from the South) posted about wanting to understand his Celtic roots and then listed some books being read to that end.

Bircher Evangelicals Praise Trump and Worship America - Even While They Spurn Zion and Spit on Christ

 An email newsletter arrived in my inbox from VCY-Crosstalk, which should rightly be called Bircher Radio. They are mouthpieces for that organisation (JBS) and its disinformation campaigns. They echo its views and frequently give a platform to its spokesmen. Some of the statements in the newsletter are eye opening and I thought it warranted some commentary and response. The text of the email newsletter is in italics while my comments are in standard font.

Fundamentalism's Baconian Epistemology

I encountered this on a website - an argument against transubstantiation by means of empirical deduction. It reminded me of what some have called the Baconian epistemology of Fundamentalism which is closely related to the Common Sense Realism so dominant in the early days of America. The pastor in question appeals to a perceived problem with the bread....

A Dutch Reformed Reading of the Cultural Mandate and Psalm 8

Recently I was re-reading a book of essays on Klaas Schilder and on the question of Christ and Culture, NH Gootjes asks if the cultural mandate changed radically after the Fall? Psalm 8 show the opposite, he asserts. 'Man has been given dominion over the works of God's hands (v.6). Man can rule over God's creation as Joseph ruled over Egypt (Gen. 45:8, 26). The psalm reminds us of Genesis 1. Man still has the position in creation as he had in the beginning, sin notwithstanding.'*

A Parody of Socialism and Whitewash of Capitalism

https://juicyecumenism.com/2024/11/07/answering-socialism/

One need not be an advocate for Socialism to realize that Bernard Mauser is attacking a straw man. If Evangelicals want to offer a critique of socialism, that's fine but if their goal is simply to promote capitalism and to caricature the rival system - then we have a problem not only in the realms of fact and truth, but also with integrity.

Malachi Martin and Rich Church, Poor Church

Back in the 1990's I used to pick up some Malachi Martin works on occasion. He provides insider information about the Jesuits and the Vatican and while I've never agreed with him, I've always found him to be interesting.

I stumbled on his 1984 work 'Rich Church, Poor Church' in a pile of discount books and since it was only $1.50, I decided to pick it up. It was a work I had never encountered before.

Ashurbanipal, Nebuchadnezzar, and the Leaders of Other Evil Empires

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/reagan-evil-empire/

During the Cold War there were three years that stand out - periods in which tension was high and the world stood on the brink of nuclear conflagration. 1962 easily ranks first with the Cuban Missile Crisis. 1973 usually ranks second in connection to the Yom Kippur War and the US raising of the DefCon alert to an elevated '3' - signalling preparations for potential war. The DefCon was not raised by the Americans in 1983, but Moscow was on high alert and many consider it to be one of the most tense periods of the Cold War.

A Wesleyan Triad of Errors - A Formula for Evangelical Disaster

 Wesleyan Methodists (and the related body known as God's Missionary Church) teach:

"That second, definite, instantaneous work of grace, subsequent to regeneration, wrought in the heart of the justified person through faith, by the baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire, whereby the heart of the believer is cleansed from the original sin, and purified by the filling of the Holy Ghost."

A Chronicle of Lies

https://www.jonathan-cook.net/blog/2025-01-30/gaza-middle-east-lies/

This is a helpful summary and reminder of the scope and magnitude of deceit when it comes to mainstream Western narratives regarding the Middle East, its wars, and America's part in them. And this is true when it comes to the Establishment (or Legacy as some would have it) media outlets - with everything turned up a notch or two when it comes to the growing array of Right-wing platforms.

Spiritual Symbolism is Still Symbolism

https://www.crossway.org/articles/is-the-lords-supper-jesuss-actual-body-and-blood-1-corinthians/

On one level this article had moments in which it was a blessing to read. And yet another part of me wanted to crumple up the paper and throw it across the room.

We can agree that the Lord's Supper is not a repeated sacrifice as understood in the Roman Catholic Mass and while some of the Lutheran hair-splitting and insistence on ubiquity is not always helpful, Naselli's rendering of the Supper as merely symbolic does not account for the Scriptural data.

Escaping a Jury Summons

I have been summoned to 'serve' on a jury. This isn't the first time and I must say that one of the disadvantages of living in a rural county with a small population is that you get called up quite often. In my case as the sole breadwinner I've been able to wholly avoid it - until now. Apparently they're having trouble filling the jury pool and are unwilling to excuse people over the phone as in the past. I was told that I needed to appear and go through the process.

The Less than Great Hal Lindsey

https://religionnews.com/2024/12/05/the-late-great-hal-lindsey/

As I've mentioned numerous times, I grew up with Hal Lindsey. Like so many other American households of the 1970's, our shelves contained his works. I grew up reading The Late Great Planet Earth and Satan is Alive and Well on Planet Earth. I later read his 1980's: Countdown to Armageddon and was convinced that the Rapture would likely happen by 1988.

What is Good Art? Dominionist Aesthetics versus the Detachment-Discernment Ethos of New Testament Pilgrim Christianity (II)

Rather than reduce art to the Hellenistic categories of the good, true, and beautiful our understanding needs to be both wide and nuanced.

What is Good Art? Dominionist Aesthetics versus the Detachment-Discernment Ethos of New Testament Pilgrim Christianity (I)

https://g3min.org/art-that-accords-with-sound-doctrine/

This G3 article represents yet another attempt to formulate a Christian theology of art. It's clear enough that since the Scriptures don't speak to this - and verses have to be grasped at, the exercise is not one of doctrinal elaboration but philosophy cast in theological terms.

Reflecting on Schlissel and his Place in the Reformed World

The recent death of Steve Schlissel (1952-2025) has rekindled some of the discussions regarding Federal Vision - something I also touched on in a recent piece.

How Should Christians View Their Children?

https://jacobrcrouch.wordpress.com/2024/11/01/train-your-kids-to-be-christians/

There is much that is positive in this article and I do not doubt Crouch's sincerity nor do I wish to simply cast his comments in a negative light. Rather I wish to utilize them and discuss some of the tensions and inconsistencies that exist within the Reformed and Evangelical communities.

Blair, the Roman Beast, and The Mark (IV)

The visions in Daniel and repeated in Revelation seem to suggest the Roman Empire is the model for the Beast and indeed from the time of the New Testament to the present, the spectre of Rome haunts Christendom. From the Russian and British Empires, to the German, French, and American - all seek to emulate Rome. Whether Republican or Imperial Rome, the Western or Eastern iterations, all look to Rome as the paragon of government, the ideal they aspire to. All are inspired by its institutions and laws - and certainly its architecture. And all muse over its fall.

Blair, the Roman Beast, and The Mark (III)

War abroad will always mean war waged against the population at home. Contrary to the rhetoric of someone like Biden or the pipe dreams of the Libertarians, we are headed toward a period of authoritarian rule and where it's absent - there will be chaos. Either option represents a form of dystopia. It's inescapable.

Blair, the Roman Beast, and The Mark (II)

As Western or even Global society waxes in a more Bestial direction we have to expect heightened opposition and exclusion. If faithful, we should be feeling it even now – even in liberal countries that supposedly are tolerant and don't persecute Christians. They may not execute us in the public square but soft persecution exists and there's a lot of pressure. I'm not speaking of the sort of things one might hear Evangelicals talk about on FOX – struggles over cake baking, cross necklaces, or workers forced to work on Sunday. They're actually part of it in most cases as they support the corporate control of workplace culture, selective censorship, and the economic system that puts profits over people.

Blair, the Roman Beast, and The Mark (I)

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-64729442

Published in early 2023, this is a disturbing story on many levels. William Hague and Tony Blair are certainly evil men and their arguments and justifications for biometric identification are not to be trusted. The truth is after witnessing the events of the past decade or so, and given the growing instability within society, coupled with the sheer massiveness of modern populations, those sitting atop the state are nervous and fearing the spectre of chaos and the threat of pandemonium. They want mechanisms in place that allow them to exert and maintain control.

Hobbes and Calvinist Scholasticism

https://regensburgforum.com/2016/12/12/political-theology-modernity-and-late-scholasticism/

The context for this discussion is the epistemological crisis that emerged with the Magisterial Reformation. The Protestant Reformers looked to the state to legislate their religious reforms and counter the authority of the Roman Catholic Church - which in many parts of Europe had lost its standing with the state. The Magisterial Protestant rebellion had to be justified philosophically and ethically and as such there were various appeals to Scripture, lesser magistrates, conscience, and early forms of social contract theory.

The Latest Episode of Media Malpractice and What it Reveals about American Society and the State of the Church

The news is focused on Christmas-related human-interest stories, shopping deals, travel woes, actresses who market their bodies and then complain when they aren't treated with due respect, and the latest absurdities flowing from Trump's reprobate mouth.

The Right is playing up the gruesome murder on a New York City subway - apparently it would have been less of an atrocity if the perpetrator had been a legal resident or citizen. There also remains a fixation on the case of the murdered United Healthcare CEO, even while there are many brutal murders that take place every day and yet don't receive much if any attention or media and law enforcement resources. In other words this murder matters because the victim is part of the same millionaire class the media represents and there is a fear that such vigilantism might spread. Certainly the public outcry of support for the shooter has generated alarm.