The Old Faith a New Nation: American Protestants and the Christian Past, by Paul J. Gutacker, Oxford University Press, 2023, 247 pp. Paul Gutacker writes against the stereotype (from Phillip Schaff, etc.) of American Protestants as ignorant or uninterested in history. His thesis is that American Protestants – though usually dedicated to the tenant of …
I had an excellent time at the 86th General Synod of the Bible Presbyterian Church held this year in Greeneville, TN. This year’s theme was Biblical Revival, although with an unchecked typo, all of the programs, t-shirts, etc. said “Biblical Revivial.” Rev. Carl Van der Merwe of the host church, Grace Reformed Presbyterian Church of …
Brief Notes on the 2023 Bible Presbyterian Synod Read More »
Substitutionary atonement is the doctrine that Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross for the sake of his chosen people; that he was the substitute, taking upon himself the penalty they deserve and giving them his righteousness. As the sacrifice of the passover lamb was a substitute for the people, so Jesus, being the …
I recently gave a sermon on the virtue of gentleness. And this provided an opportunity to bring up an idea that has been developing in my mind for some time. I call it “The Quiet Minister.” This idea of “The Quiet Minister” came to my mind as the opposite of the brash young ministers and …
Your Father’s L’Abri, Reflections on the Ministry of Francis Schaeffer, by Gregory Edward Reynolds, Manchester, NH: Monadnock Press, 2023, 105 pp. There is some challenge in reviewing a book that is largely a review of other books. (All but the first chapter of Your Father’s L’Abri is the author’s reviews of other volumes on Francis …
Review of “Your Father’s L’Abri” by Gregory Edward Reynolds Read More »
Each week in my own sermon preparation I try to listen to two or three sermons on the passage at hand. This is often made difficult by the fact that preachers are not uniform in how they divide up each book of the Bible into passages. One may choose verses 1-7 for example, while another …
Another busy year! And consequently limited opportunity to read. But praise the Lord that our church and mission are active places! And praise the Lord for healthy family and growing kids. I managed to read just the below 25 books this year. Technically, I’m still working on the 25th book, but hope to have it …
Finding Meeker’s Meeting House, the story of an overlooked Revolutionary War era church near the New York – New Jersey border. By Rev. Douglas J. Douma, Pastor of First Presbyterian Church at Unionville, NY In the year 1780—or sometime previous—a meeting house was built on the land of Samuel Meeker in northwestern New Jersey near …
In the last few years I’ve developed a hobby of woodworking. I’m now glad to offer products for sale, custom to the request of the buyer. I’m “vertically integrated” doing all the work myself from the cutting down of a tree to sawing into boards, drying, design, milling, cutting, routing, and finishing. I’ve primarily worked …
I’ve recently undertaken a study on repentance. I read four books, which I’ll briefly review below, and then give some comments on the subject. The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson (1668) The Puritan Thomas Watson (c. 1620 – 1686) presumably provides a Reformed view of repentance. He writes that true repentance is made up …
