Topic Archives: Life Issues

An elder preceded the minister into the pulpit and then came to the front and addressed the congregation. ‘Last week…a child was bored in the service.’ A gasp went through the congregation. Men looked at their feet, women cried quietly, and children went white. ‘The church officers are meeting with the minister during the week […]

A few years ago, I was working on a mobile clinic in western Kenya. Returning from one of our many tours, we found a desperately sick woman lying across the road. Her condition was critical so we drove her to the nearest government hospital, five hours away. When we arrived she was too weak to […]

You will appreciate that much of my time is devoted to the endeavor of applying the Word of God to individuals, as well as to the gathered congregation. The public ministry of the Word is accomplished through preaching. The private application of the Word to individuals, or couples, or families is done through counseling. I […]

The first and worst cause of error that prevails in our day is spiritual pride. This is the main door by which the devil comes into the hearts of those who are zealous for the advancement of Christ. It is the chief inlet of smoke from the bottomless pit to darken the mind and mislead […]

On March 31, at Bryn-y-Groes Conference Centre, Bala in North Wales, the Associating Evangelical Churches of North Wales held a Day Conference on medical ethics. The speaker was Dr John Ling, a lecturer in the faculty of Biological Sciences at the University in Aberystwyth. He is the author of a new book entitled, Responding to […]

It’s what mothers’ worst nightmares are made of–the last thing Jason and Trina Baker expected as they headed out into a blizzard in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 2, 1999. And because it was so unexpected, it was all the more horrifying when it happened. As they headed out into the gathering storm for a […]

Last thing at night, when our children were small, I often secretly watched them as they slept: there they lay, breathing rhythmically, almost imperceptibly, relaxed, at ease, enjoying ‘the sleep of innocence.’ But man–perhaps especially a father–looks on the outward appearance. What of the heart on which God gazes? Wearing biblical lenses we come to […]

Friday evening, December 1, Dr Duane Gish debated Dr Massimo Pigliucci for the fifth time. The debate was at the Church of Christ of Winchester, Virginia, before an audience estimated at 1200. Dr Pigliucci, a native of Italy, has a Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Connecticut and is an Associate Professor of Botany, […]

The phrase ‘Third Way’ is so seductive. It suggests that the tension between the locked in polarities of evangelical and liberal, or Protestant and Roman Catholic can be overcome by a third option. ‘If only there were more discussion, prayer, trust, give and take, leading of the Spirit, our antagonisms could come to an end.’ […]

Former President Jimmy Carter’s ‘resignation’ from the Southern Baptist Convention was intended to draw public attention—and it did. After all, it isn’t every day that one of the world’s most famous citizens denounces his denomination. The Tie No Longer Binds Mr Carter, now 76, has been America’s most active former president. His efforts at peace-making, […]

The distinguished Dutch physician Bert Keizer went to London this week and gave a lecture at the London Millennium Festival of Science, at King’s College. He spoke of the rise of Modern Medicine after 1850, the study of the anatomical basis of the symptoms of diseases, the discovery of the bacterial causes of diseases, the […]

In early October, 2000, Dr Joel Beeke of Grand Rapids buried an elderly Christian. He gave the following letter to her children after the funeral (on 1 Tim. 1:15-17), detailing his last visit with her:– The last visit I had with your dear mother last week was quite special for me, so I wrote out […]

At the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) in Long Beach, California a luncheon meeting was held (June 26) at which Dr Joseph Nicolosi spoke (so reports Jack Volkers). Nicolosi is an expert on therapy for homosexuals, and he told the evangelical Christians gathered there that homosexuality can be cured and that studies show […]

Three unrelated items all appearing in the daily paper on the same day have been enough to sound again the warning bells about the steady slide of our society. No doubt they are all true. They present obvious concerns for parents. We are aware that the subtle war for the minds of men is more […]

The late Dr Arthur Fawcett lectured on Church History in the Bible Training Institute in Glasgow when I was a student there. His doctoral thesis was published by the Banner of Truth as The Cambuslang Revival, and a worthwhile read it is. His unusual appearance, including the shocks of pure white hair on either side […]