westportexperiment

La Iglesia Visible: ciudadela de salvación

San Marino Castle Fortress Rock II. La iglesia visible, que también es católica o universal bajo el evangelio (no está limitada a una nación como anteriormente en el tiempo de la ley), se compone de todos aquellos que en todo el mundo profesan la religión verdadera, (1) juntamente con sus hijos, (2) y es el reino del Señor Jesucristo, (3) la casa y familia de Dios, (4) fuera de la cual no hay posibilidad ordinaria de salvación. (5)

1. 1 Corintios 1:2; 12:12,13; Salmos 2:8; Apocalipsis 7:9; Romanos 15:9-12.
2. 1 Corintios 7:14; Hechos 2:39; Ezequiel 16:20-21; Romanos 11:16; Génesis 3:15; 17:7.
3. Mateo 13:47; Isaías 9:7.
4. Efesios 2:19; 3:15.
5. Hechos 2:47.

– Confesión de Fe de Westminster (1646), 25.2

From star & crescent to Christ

A tremendous story about a radical, Lebanese Muslim finding Jesus – and becoming a conservative Lutheran pastor to boot! I was struck by the close similarities he drew between the works righteousness of Islam and the old Roman bondage from which Luther was set free. “By grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast” (Eph. 2:8-9).

Expository preaching

Here are a couple of good, basic introductions to expository preaching, if you are unfamiliar with it. Very simply, expository preaching is the authoritative explanation and application of the biblical text within its context.

No accident!

Well, apparently evolution has failed to make us invincible behind the wheel. So humans have retooled themsellves to give Darwinism a little boost. This better (?) human being is able to roll with rolls, to bob and weave with head-ons. Only, I think there’s one design flaw. This better human cannot procreate because he is so repulsive.

I’ll stick with Intelligent Design. God makes perfect humans – able to build vehicles, make them safer, find romance, and perpetuate the race. No accident!

Christ’s autobiographical beatitudes

golden-wheat-field-1354390133xGa “When our Savior speaks to us concerning what constitutes our true blessedness He is simply describing His own experience. The beatitudes are not the immediate revelation of His Godhead, they are much more the impressive testimony of His manhood. He knew the truth of what He was saying because He had verified it all in Himself for thirty experimental years.”

-quoted by Alexander Whyte

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The Beatitudes

And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

– Matthew 5:2-12

¿Qué es la predicación expositiva?

Death’s suicide

“In dying [Christ] became the plague and destruction of death. When death slew him, it slew itself: for Christ, through death, destroyed him that had the power of death, even the devil (Heb. 2:14).”

-Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758)

The friendly-minded God

‘The end and intent of the Scripture is to declare that God is benevolent and friendly-minded to mankind; and that he hath declared that kindness in and through Jesu Christ, his only Son; the which kindness is received by faith.”

-from Protestant martyr George Wishart’s (1513-1546) translation of the First Helvetic Confession (1536)

¿Pueden las Mujeres servir como Pastoras?

Este artículo es publicado con permiso de su autor, Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner, y 9Marks. Dr. Schreiner es Profesor James Buchanan Harrison de Interpretación del Nuevo Testamento en el Southern Baptist Theological Seminary en Louisville, Kentucky y es pastor de predicación en Clifton Baptist Church.

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Frecuentemente me preguntan si una mujer puede servir en el ministerio. Mi respuesta es siempre: « ¡ bible-bible-study-book-510249 Si, claro! Todos los creyentes están llamados a servir y ministrarse unos a otros».

Pero respondería de manera diferente si la pregunta fuera planteada de una forma más precisa: « ¿Existen algunos roles ministeriales en los que las mujeres no pueden servir?» Argumentaría que el Nuevo Testamento claramente enseña que las mujeres no deberían servir como pastoras (lo cual el Nuevo Testamento también llama obispo o ancianos). Está claro en el Nuevo Testamento que los términos pastor, obispo, y anciano se refieren al mismo oficio (véase Hechos 20:17, 28; Tito 1:5, 7; 1 Pedro 5:1-2), y para el resto de este relato utilizaré los términos «anciano» y «pastor» de manera intercambiable para referirme a este oficio. Continue reading “¿Pueden las Mujeres servir como Pastoras?”

Science or silence?

“In the face of vehement opposition from transgender activists, Brown University last week pulled a press release about a study suggesting gender dysphoria in adolescents could be a social contagion.” Read more here. There is also a very good piece that corresponds on World’s daily newscast on Sept. 14 here. It begins at about minute marker 7:30.