Martin Luther and 95 Theses-October 31, 1517

If you have time, take a peek at Luther’s 95 Theses, thus began the Protestant Reformation.

To The Garden We Go

One of our family traditions for many years was to get everyone together and make apple butter.  We have a copper pot and utensils that has been in our family for over one hundred years.  My great grandparents used to boil down apples in their day.  We even have their old recipe (which they measured bushels different than today).  Typically, we get around 70-80 pints of apple butter depending on the year.  My brother tries to carry on the tradition, below are some pictures from a number of years ago when my dad was still alive, and Emma was a little girl.  The pictures are instructional on how to make apple butter.  First, decore, then peel, then cut, then put in the kettle, then add ingredients, then stir, then ladle.

More Answer on Test

What I am Reading-Basil of Caesarea on Humility

Probably the best little treatise I have ever read on humility.  A good theological grid filled with practical application.  Basil maintains throughout his epistles on humility that both the ground and end of our humility is found in Christ and His glory.  That is to say, we may be humble only when we follow the example of Christ and live in accordance to His commandments by His power.  And the final reason for being humble is not for our own glory (“see how humble I am”), but for the glory of Christ who has saved us for humility.

Happy Anniversary

Happy Anniversary, Love
By Phil Keaggy
Happy Anniversary, love
You're just as beautiful
As the day I met you my love
Oh, Happy Anniversary, love
The years have moved along,
But I'm still here by your side
Today, tonight
Well I can recall that moment in time
Looking deep in each other's eyes
And the solemn vows we made
On our wedding day
And there was a joy knowing you were mine
Embracing this new sunrise
So this comes from the heart of me
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary, love
For the way he made you my love
Oh, Happy Anniversary, love
Its more than words can say,
But you're the better part of me
You're all I need
Well I can recall that moment in time
Looking deep in each other's eyes
And the solemn vows we made
On our wedding day
And there was a joy knowing you were mine
Embracing this new sunrise
So this comes from the heart of me
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary
Happy Anniversary

Change My Heart O God

Our Song of the Month.  This has been a good prayer of confession and we have used it as such.  Some of the lines are based upon the psalms.  Very simple but a good song to shape prayer.

Nuts and Bolts

On the music and culture front, it seems that there is new information leading some to believe John Lennon was secretly interested in the Christian faith toward the end of his life.


On a pretty cool side, recently at the end of a U2 concert, Bono brought on stage (as he does every night) a member of the crowd.  The footage here was of a guy who played on Bono’s guitar the song he had played for his wife at their wedding “All I Want is You” (Joshua Tree).  The fascinating element is that the man is blind.  A cooler element is that Bono gives the man his guitar after playing.

Two Parodies on Christian Worship

I get a lot of stuff sent to me on parodies.  They can be overdone.  But some are hilarious because sadly there is a grain of truth to them.  Here are three of my favorites.  Thanks Tony for the last one.

Update on Southern

I am finishing up a paper on the view of the Holy Spirit that is taught by Aelred of Rievaulx, Ambrose, and Bernard of Clairvaux for my medieval spirituality track.  Fun stuff!

Lorraine Boettner on the Gospel

A great lengthy article on defining the gospel is written by Dr. Lorraine Boettner can be found here.

Wesley on Money

Someone came to John Wesley one day, and said, “your house burnt down”, and in responded no it didn’t.  “Yes, we saw that your house burnt down”.  Mr. Wesley responded-that’s God’s house, not mine, and that gives me one less thing to worry about. John Wesley posed four questions that will help us decide how to spend money.  1-In spending this money, am I acting as if I owned it, or am I acting as the Lord’s trustee?  2-What Scripture requires me to spend this money in this way? 3-Can I offer up this purchase as a sacrifice to the Lord? 4-Will God reward me for this expenditure at the resurrection of the just?

To the Garden We go...

I love fall.  The flowers, pumpkins, cider, are all a panoramic display of God’s beauty.  Happy fall from the garden.  

Hallejuah at Emmy’s

A few weeks back the Emmy’s were on, and I don’t watch much T.V. but I did see in passing a tribute to all celebrities who had died in the last year.  What caught my attention was a quartet known as the Canadian tenors.  Here is the special they did.  A very moving song with powerful lyrics, there are interruptions within the tribute, but you will get a feel for these guys talent.

What I am Reading

Within Augustine’s The Confessions are riveting prayers that convey Augustine’s passion for life, his thirst for God, his compassion for his neighbor, and above all, his love for divine presence in each human being.  These collection of prayers open the reader to the intimate relationship of love within one of Christianity’s greatest souls.

To Tithe or Not to Tithe

I get questions from time to time about tithing.  What is it?  Is it for our day?  Here are two responses from three scholars I have much respect for John MacArthur, John Piper, and D.A. Carson.
First, MacArthur
“Tithe does have its proper place still in Judaism in the gospel time. The Jewish people are still a duly constituted people. They were still under the ceremonial instruction of God's law. They were still under the obligation to obey the commandments relative to their national identity and to the funding of the priesthood. That had not been set aside yet until the church was born. And so He says you should do that. You should do that. By the way, the tithe is mentioned six times in the New Testament. Three times in the gospels and each time it is mention in the text condemning the abuse of it by the scribes and the Pharisees. Three times in the book of Hebrews when it simply reaches back and describes its historical reality in the history of Israel. At no time is it ever mentioned in the New Testament as binding on the church. It had to do with taxation of the national government of Israel” (from his sermon “The Condemnation of False Spiritual Leaders, Part 4-Matthew 23:16-33)

John Piper
D.A. Carson

C.H. Spurgeon

“Shall we never be able to drive into men’s minds the truth that predestination and free agency are both facts? Men sin as freely as birds fly in the air, and they are altogether responsible for their sin; and yet ever thing is ordained and foreseen of God. The fore-ordination of God in no degree interferes with the responsibility of man. I have often been asked by persons to reconcile the two truths. My only reply is — They need no reconciliation, for they never fell out. Why should I try to reconcile two friends? Prove to me that the two truths do not agree. In that request I have set you a task as difficult as that which you propose to me. These two facts are parallel lines; I cannot make them unite, but you cannot make them cross each other. Permit me also to add that I have long ago given up the idea of making all my beliefs into a system. I believe, but I cannot explain. I fall before the majesty of revelation, and adore the infinite Lord.

Nuts and Bolts

In case you haven’t heard yet, my denomination has plans for changing its name (maybe).



A recent poll was released of the most stressful jobs in the nation, and for the first time in a while pastors were not on the list, which I think is crazy and I am really stressed out about.

If you are a pastor that is stressed out (it is not a coincidence that Mondays follow Sundays), here is a beneficial article.

When I watch the pint-sized preacher and the justification of his call, more stress comes.  

B.B. Warfield

A God who could or would make a creature whom he could not or would not control, is no God. He would have ceased to be a moral being. It is an immoral act to make a thing that we cannot or will not control. The only justification for making anything is that we both can and will control it. If a man should manufacture a quantity of an unstable high-explosive in the corridors of an orphan asylum, and when the stuff went off should seek to excuse himself by saying that he could not control it, no one would count his excuse valid. What right had he to manufacture it, we should say, unless he could control it? He relieves himself of none of the responsibility for the havoc wrought, by pleading inability to control his creation.

To suppose that God has made a universe-or even a single being-the control of which he renounces, is to accuse him of similar immorality.

Update on Southern

I am in the process of finishing up ten book reviews for a Biblical Foundations course.  Believe or not, those have been challenging.  Also, I am in the midst of writing a major paper on Celebrations throughout Scripture and their spiritual meaning for the people of God.  Some of you have passed along some good resources, and I am thankful.  There is still time to give me your feedback.

Pastor Ponderings

I have many close pastor friends in the KC area I healthy relations with (which caused my motivation for Gospel Crier another story).  We have built some great friendship, and often talk about the plights and trends we see happening in evangelicalism at a large scale, and in our churches to a small scale.
Two issues that we have discussed in recent years, have been, I think appropriately written in recent columns.  One is an article about some of the warnings to homeschool parents written by a homeschool parent and posted by a homeschool parent.  It articulates well some of the thoughts that many pastors have expressed to me.  It is a good article for all parents to seriously consider.

Another issue that many pastors share with me is the Christian celebrities (that in some cases are non-scholars) we see in the church today.  Many of my pastor friends who are Reformed are concerned about brands of Reformed theology that seem more deformed than anything.  One extreme is a Calvinism where people are mad about something all the time.  This is one of the things I tell people, “I am a Calvinist, I’m just not mad about it.”  Yet there is another extreme that is emerging that is well written in this article that was sent me by a beloved pastor friend

Until the End of the World

Here is a clip from U2’s “Until the End of the World” which was appropriate as we closed out Matthew’s gospel a few weeks ago.  I love the last line, “I reached out to the One I tried to destroy, and You, You said You’d wait until the end of the world.”