A Presbyterian minister named Alfred H. Ackley wrote hundreds of hymns. One of the most well-known of these is “He Lives.” I found this article that gives some history and even an explanation of the song if you are interested. But my goal in this post is simply to offer a defense for the last […]
Reformed Baptist Theology
On Vacay? Out of Town? Go to Church!
Whether they hold to the doctrine of the Christian Sabbath or not, Christians should universally believe in the significance and importance of attending church. Yet folks skip miss church for all sorts of reasons—and most of them are bad reasons. One of the worst reasons Christians miss weekly worship is due to a vacation or travel schedule.
I believe that Christians should make every effort to schedule their lives around the Lord’s Day. Worshipping Christ in communion with the saints should be the focal point of your week…and everything else should fit in around that. If you follow that principle, you will never find yourself traveling all day Sunday and missing church or lounging on the beach when you should be gathering corporately. A mind set on being ready to meet with God on Sunday with the saints will take the necessary steps on Saturday to not be too tired for church, for example.
Reformed Systematic Theology – Vol 2: Man and Christ (book review)
Reformed Systematic Theology Vol. 2: Man and Christ effectively balances academic theological precision with devotional posture.
Covenant Theology and The Fulfillment of the Promises of God (book reviews)
In this article we review a pair of great books which look at the many variations of Covenant Theology.
Assurance of Salvation, or the Lack Thereof
The Problem I saw a heartbreaking post in a Facebook group. It went like this: Do any of you worry that Jesus will say depart from me for I never knew you? And I worry that I would be one of those wolves in sheep clothing, deceiving the Body of Christ? I don’t understand why, this bothers […]
Encouraging the Church After the Violence in Washington DC
The following is what I told my church on January 10, 2021. Click here for the audio. Our commitment at CBC is verse by verse and expositional preaching. By exegeting scripture and applying its wisdom every week, we think the saints are most edified and prepared to live godly lives. We also recognize that there […]
Tweets I Didn’t Send
ICYMI, I have been avoiding Twitter™ since mid-July. As part of a church plant (yay!) my priorities have changed (a quote on that in the body of this post). So the social media world has missed my “words of wisdom” as of late. But my avoidance of Twitter™ doesn’t necessarily imply I didn’t think of […]
Book Review: A Call to Pure Worship
Pastor Meadows created something I really needed in this explanation of the Regulative Principle of Worship: clarity, conciseness, and a direct explanation of the doctrine.
Ep. 029 | Brad Weber Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Brad Weber of Theology Nights @ http://theologynights.com/ Theology Nights offers Reformed theology, articles, teaching, videos, and podcasts. In this episode, Brad gives us insight into his former life of addiction and what drives him to do what he does today. Brad is an elder at Youngtown Metro Church. Enjoy this discussion between brothers who […]
Ep. 027 | Dustin Benge Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Dr. Dustin Benge of Southern Seminary about the two sermons he gave at the 2019 Cruciform Conference concerning the cruciform gospel. Dustin preached from Titus 3 and posed 4 questions to consider: Where does a cruciform gospel start? What does a cruciform gospel exalt? What is the message of a cruciform gospel? And […]
Ep. 024 | Kofi Interview — TAU Roundtable
Michael interviews Kofi regarding his sermon, Hebrews 12: Cross Purchased Discipline. This discussion will edify saints as you get the benefit of the hours of study which was put in before the Cruciform Conference in Indianapolis. Also, we hear about Kofi’s church’s upcoming ministry events. Please visit https://gccroguevalley.org/ to learn more about Grace Community Church […]
Bulls on Your Altar
How does sacrificing bulls on God’s altar teach us about right sacrifices to God?
After establishing the right relationship with God through His cleansing power, we see that God WILL delight in right sacrifices and that bulls will be offered on God’s altar. It isn’t that God is completely displeased with sacrifices and offerings (religion). It is that sacrifices and offerings (religion) are only acceptable to God through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Once we know Jesus we are made holy so that we may offer sacrifices to God in Spirit and in Truth (Romans 12:1; 1 Peter 2:5; Matthew 5:23-24).
Ep. 022 | Getting Apostasy Right — TAU Roundtable
Michael, Tim, and George discuss the New Covenant promise of the perseverance of the saints and Tim’s article “Choked Out by Thorns.” How are we to think about folks who fall away like Joshua Harris or Marty Sampson? What assurance can a Christian have in this life that they will truly be preserved to the end?
What steps can someone take to make their calling and election sure and watch out for their brethren?
Ep. 021 | Getting the New Covenant Right — TAU Roundtable
Michael and George discuss the New Covenant. This covenant is unmixed, unbreakable and unconditional. This is the first in a series where we will define the New Covenant, discuss its implications, apply it to the Christian life, and then contrast it to errors that ensue when getting the New Covenant wrong. Scripture references: Jeremiah 31:31-34; […]
Ep. 020 | Heinous Sin, Better Savior — TAU Roundtable
Michael and Allen discuss a couple of recent posts on Thing Above Us: The Essence and Effects of Sin and What’s Your Portion? and find that the posts are surprisingly related!
A Jolly Missionary Report
I made a new friend recently as the result of reading about his faithfulness through a trial. I found myself praising the Lord so much while reading his letter that I wanted to share it with you. My wife and I signed up to begin supporting this mission monthly, and I want to invite you […]
Ep. 013 | Kofi Interview — TAU Roundtable
Tune in as we get to know the writers of Things Above Us. Up first is our token Brit, Kofi Adu-Boahen. See all posts in this series
Kindly Let People Ask If Mary Knew
“Mary, Did You Know?” is a Christmas song with lyrics written by Mark Lowry and music written by Buddy Greene. It was originally recorded by Christian recording artist Michael English on his self-titled debut solo album in 1991 (English and Lowry were both members of the Gaither Vocal Band at the time). It reached No. […]
Guess Who’s Coming to Town?
This Christmas I want you to be prepared for someone who is “coming to town.” And, no, I do not mean Santa Claus. It seems every Christmas a few people always appear on the scene and present situations where Christians need to respond appropriately. Four people who seem to consistently show up every December are […]
Envy: Beastmode Gone Wrong
Beast mode refers to a state of performing something, especially difficult activities, with extreme power, skill, or determination (dictionary.com). For sports enthusiasts, this is most commonly understood when Marshawn Lynch famously has torn through opposing defenses (see here). The idea is that a human being begins to function in a different mode than normal, exhibiting characteristics […]