The Not-So Lost Art of Pharisee Making May 20, 2013 This week I followed a discussion that started off something like this: “New Presbyterian here. Anything I should know in your humble opinion?” There were many answers given, some humorous, some ridiculous, some
Christ Paul's Agony May 17, 2013 Christian conversation about pastoral ministry often includes the expression “a pastor’s heart,” but what does that expression actually mean? Though Scripture may not use the exact phrase in question, it absolutely answers
Corporate Worship Defining Corporate Worship May 16, 2013 From a recent class on worship, we hammered out a brief, Biblical, working definition of what a local congregation should be pursuing as it worships the Lord as His holy temple here on
Dennis Prutow A GenRef Podcast: Interview with Dennis Prutow May 13, 2013 Dr. Dennis Prutow is the Professor of Homiletics and Pastoral Theology at the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary (RPTS) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A former Army chaplain, seasoned pastor, and author, Denny's life
Calvinism For Whom The Bell Toils . . . May 09, 2013 Rob Bell is back, and the critiques of his latest work are coming in. I’ve not yet had the opportunity to read What We Talk About When We Talk About God, but
The Little Things I'll Miss May 08, 2013 As the time approaches for my family to move from Indiana to Pennsylvania next month, life has almost been too busy for reflection. Selling and purchasing a home. Finishing teaching one seminary class
Gospel Gleanings May 06, 2013 In an interview following his retirement, John Piper pointed out that the Bible does not necessarily mean there will not be any type of tear in heaven. Rather, the Scriptures testify that God
John Calvin Calvin's Counsel on Gentle Reformation April 30, 2013 While studying for a recent sermon series on the Lord's Supper, I read an interesting passage in John Calvin's 1540 treatise on that sacrament. Toward the end of his
Christian The New You ... April 29, 2013 Were you you when you were converted to Christianity? Or, asking about the same idea from a different angle: Are you you subsequent to your conversion? Every Christian should answer with a resolute
preaching Sermonic Echoes April 23, 2013 During my seminary days attending Covenant Fellowship Church in Pittsburgh, I was blessed to sit under the preaching of Pastor Ken Smith. We witnessed people being converted, growing disciples, and joyful singing filling
Here Come the Presbyopians! April 22, 2013 Presbyopia is a “medical condition where the eye exhibits a progressively diminished ability to focus on near objects with age.” That sounds like a horrible condition, of course, but this is not the
Female Body Image Looking into the People Mirror April 17, 2013 As Calvin taught in the opening of The Institutes of Christian Religion, we cannot truly know ourselves until we know God. A corollary to that principle (though it must be stated more carefully)
Genesis A Creative Marriage Thought April 15, 2013 As we prepare to see a son and then a daughter wed soon (he at the end of May, she the first week of June), my wife and I rejoice over the Lord&
abortion Browse Worthy: Culture Wars April 12, 2013 As the cultural wars intensify, here are some links that will assist you: Suicide - Following the suicide of well-known pastor Rick Warren's son last week, there has been an explosion
B.M. Palmer The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 3 April 10, 2013 We come now to the third and last post on the poetic life of the Christian. As stated in the first post on this subject, the lives of believers are to be poetic
Two Adams Met in Me April 05, 2013 Two Adams met in me. The first enslaved; the Other set free. The serpent blinded my first father to God's glory; Yet Seed of woman crushing his head is now my
apologetics and Christianity What Are We Defending? A Simple Plea To Christian Apologists April 02, 2013 Formal introductions are made, the crowd applauds, and the Christian and non-Christian position themselves behind a lectern, notes in hand. It is a debate, a venue where two worldviews collide in an open
Charles Spurgeon The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 2 April 02, 2013 While I do not suffer from color blindness, I do have a condition that might best be described as "beauty blindness." I simply need help from others to see many of
John Flavel The Poetic Life of the Christian - Part 1 March 28, 2013 A few days ago I spoke to a group of college students about a subject in which I am ill-trained. I gave a talk on poetry. I even spent most of the time
Yosemite's Song: In the Theater of God's Glory March 27, 2013 I have been in the “theater of God’s glory” (Calvin’s words, not mine). People have told me for years that I need to get to Yosemite Valley. Who has the time?
Internet Sins of Cyber-Speech March 27, 2013 Does the following sentence make sense to you? “I found a BFF on FB with my Droid App; his blog made me LOL so hard I had to Tweet.”[1]If so, you
Praying for a Brother March 25, 2013 Dr. Rich Holdeman, pastor of the Bloomington Reformed Presbyterian Church, contributor here at Gentle Reformation, and a dearly loved brother, just announced recently he has been diagnosed with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Though we
Calvinism Flower Power: T.U.L.I.P. Analyzed and Applied March 19, 2013 James tells us in 1:22 that the person who hears God’s word without doing God’s word is engaged in self-deceit. Obviously, self-deceit is subtle. How are we to know when
Cyprus Unjust Inclosures March 19, 2013 At one time large swaths of pasture lands, fields, and forests were open in England for local people to use for such things as pasturing animals, gathering wood, or hunting. Yet through "
Dennis Pruotw God's Presence March 15, 2013 Too few churchgoers are aware of the significance of entering into the sanctuary with the people of God. If only they recognized God's presence is there, not because of the building
