Always Reforming

This post is an adaptation of my sermon notes from 12/23. One of life's most fundamental questions, one that we must all ask ourselves is, “Who is Jesus?”   This question has received many answers, and many of them are correct, if incomplete.   Jesus is God.   He is a man.   He is a teacher and a shepherd and our Savior.    The Reformed tradition has long thought it best to view Christ through the lens of His three offices: Prophet, Priest, and King.   Of these three, people like to emphasize His Kingship the least as it is the most repulsive to our human nature (see the Garden of Eden).   Liberal Christianity likes to speak of Christ as our Prophet, Evangelical Christianity likes to speak of Christ as our Priest, but it seems nobody wants to speak of Christ as our King!   The New Testament, however, strongly emphasizes the Kingship of Christ.   In fact, o f the three offices He occupies, His Kingship is perhaps emphasized the mo...

Eschatology is one of the most controversial topics in Christian theology, and one of the most controversial issues within Eschatology is the identity of the "Man of Sin."  The phrase is taken from 2 Thessalonians 2, where Paul exhorts the Thessalonian Church to be fearless and to stand firm in the face of impending persecution and uncertainty.  Although they lack explicit warrant, it is not surprising that interpreters have often linked this figure to the Beast of Revelation and the Antichrist. Many view this Man of Sin as a future threat, while others identify him with a historical figure, such as Nero (my personal view).  I do not, however, want to discuss the identity of the Man of Sin, but, rather, I would like to take a look at how we can apply Paul's warning in our day, regardless of who this shadowy villain was or may prove to be. Paul tells the Thessalonians that the great rebellion cannot occur until the Man of Sin arises.  The word commonly translated...

    Bernie Sanders must certainly qualify as one of the great political disappointments of the last few election cycles.  A relative no-name, he purported to start a revolution built upon honesty, common sense, and a fresh perspective.  As with our upcoming national Presidential election, the Democratic primaries were binary.  Democrats were given two choices: fresh and revolutionary (Sanders) or established and safe (Clinton).  Clinton, who has traditionally played the part of the moderate, tried to appear progressive (thereby showing that she will play any part necessary to advance herself), but everyone knew who she is--the establishment favorite.  I have no desire to comment on the exposed corruption within the DNC or Sander's policies.  Today I want to discuss his so-called revolution.     Sanders is a self-proclaimed democratic socialist (the "democratic" doesn't mitigate the "socialist" nearly as much as one would hope), so in ...

    I am often asked how many children I plan on having.  Upon hearing my response (typically a "as many as the good Lord gives me") most people ask me why.  Up until this point I have never seen the need to articulate my reasoning clearly, but yesterday one of my good friends asked me.  The answer, I felt, would be best answered with a blog, which will hopefully contain a balanced ratio of both sobriety and levity.  So, here goes my five reasons for having multiple children, in order of least to most important: 1.   Spencers make cute babies .  Okay...maybe this is one is a wee bit subjective and maybe just a little biased, but, hey, I think my kids are darn cute.  My nieces and nephews are pretty cute, too.  It almost feels like we have a duty to fill the world with beautiful people. 2.   It's a family thing .  Having children is one of the ways I embrace the Christian heritage my parents gave me.  My father is, and ...

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old: Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us. We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he has done. For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children: That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments: And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not steadfast with God. (These are my notes, unedited, from a lesson this mornin...

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying, “Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us.” He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, “As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill.” I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”   Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him. ...