Living in Light of Two Ages
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Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 02:51PM 
Here's the audio of this morning's sermon from Rev. Andrew Compton, on Luke 11:1-13; Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 47 -- Hallowing God’s Name: Praying for Soli Deo Gloria.
Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 02:38PM 
Here's the audio from Ken Samples' Academy lecture, "Augustine’s Most Important Theological Contribution."
Sunday, November 9, 2014 at 02:25PM 
Is God a Religious Pluralist?
Is it true that all religious paths lead to the same God? Can something be true for you, but not for others? How are we to deal with the exclusive claims of Jesus in our pluralistic age? On this special edition of White Horse Inn, our friend Greg Koukl will discuss these questions in his address at a recent WHI conference.
Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 07:44AM It must have been tough to memorize the dialogue for this film!
Thursday, November 6, 2014 at 07:42AM 
The Fifth in a Series of Sermons on the Gospel of John
Although we read about him in the New Testament, Jesus said he was the greatest of the Old Testament prophets. And given his rather odd diet (locusts and honey) and his distinctive attire (camel hair with a leather belt), it is easy to think of John the Baptist as some sort of religious eccentric who appears out in the Judean wilderness and begins preaching “the end is near.” But John the Baptist is an important figure in redemptive history, and is identified as such in the opening chapter of John’s Gospel when the Baptist appears as the messianic forerunner who bears witness to the fact that with the coming of Jesus, the light has come into the world of darkness.
We have completed our time in the prologue to John’s Gospel (vv. 1-18) and we now move into the body of John’s Gospel beginning with John the Disciple’s account of John the Baptist in verses 19-28 of chapter 1. In John’s prologue we have learned that Jesus is the eternal word (logos) who was with God in the beginning. Therefore, Jesus is God, yet distinct from the father. We have also learned that Jesus is the creator of all things who then took to himself a true human nature (the word “became” flesh) to save us from our sins. John speaks of the creator becoming our redeemer in terms of darkness (human sinfulness and willful ignorance of the truth) and light (the grace and truth of Jesus Christ). It is Jesus who gives us the authority to become children of God, something which cannot be accomplished by natural birth or through an act of the human will.
In the prologue, John the Disciple (and the author of this gospel) has also introduced us to the “other” John, John the Baptist. The Baptist is that one who sent by God to bear witness to Jesus Christ, the light who has come into the world to overcome the darkness. Says John (about the Baptist) in verses 6-8, “there was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” In verse 15, the disciple adds, “John bore witness about him, and cried out, `This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’” In John’s prologue we learn who Jesus is so that when John begins to recount the details of our Lord’s messianic mission later in chapter 1, we already know that Jesus is the eternal God become flesh. In his prologue, John also tells us who the Baptist is, and what his mission as messianic forerunner will entail. John the Baptist’s calling is to give testimony about the one coming after him.
Given the important role that John the Baptist plays in redemptive history, it would be a good idea to go through the biblical background regarding John the Baptist to learn more about him and dispel the idea that he is some sort of self-appointed religious zealot. It is vital to understand the critical role he plays in preparing the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. If John the Baptist is the greatest of the Old Testament prophets, then we should know more about him.
To read the rest of this sermon: Click Here
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 04:40PM 
I was on Issues, Etc., today discussing the doctrine of the Trinity.
You can listen here: Click Here
Wednesday, November 5, 2014 at 07:45AM
I saw this picture this morning on the Omaha.com website while looking for news about Ben Sasse. I about choked on my coffee.
Senator-elect of Nebraska Ben Sasse was a member of Christ Reformed Church back in the days when he lived in California. His two amigos (enjoying the moment of victory) are Dan Bryant and Brian Lee. Brian Lee also attended Christ Reformed during his seminary days (he often taught our evening catechism service), and is now pastor of Christ URC in Washington DC. Dan Bryant is a White Horse Inn board member.
Oh, the thrill of victory!
Meanwhile, we will pray for Ben and his family. Big challenges are ahead.
Monday, November 3, 2014 at 09:39PM 
When he's not lecturing on Augustine at the Christ Reformed Academy, he's on Fox News with Lauren Green talking about politics!
Monday, November 3, 2014 at 02:49PM 
As Horton notes, "the media frequently asks, 'Should Americans keep their religious views out of politics?'"
But what does the question actually mean, and how do we answer it? Horton points out that there are two options:
Option One: Religious convictions are deeply personal and private; they shouldn’t shape a voter’s public policy perspectives
Option Two: Public arguments have to persuade. The properly coercive arm of civil government shouldn’t give preference to one religion or church in public policy decisions.
As for option one, Horton concludes,"it’s impossible for a Christian to separate his or her most deeply-held religious convictions from judgments about the common good."
As for option two, "Christians should make explicit their religious grounding for public policies, while offering arguments that prick the conscience of unbelievers to reconsider the nihilistic path to which their presuppositions lead. However, politics is the realm of negotiation and compromise. Our clashing worldviews lead to clashing political policies, and often even those with the same worldview differ on how exactly to apply it to specific policies. Instead of focusing on all out `wins,' we should focus on making arguments that are at least good enough to persuade enough folks to mitigate the damage that their ungodly worldviews could and would accomplish if consistently worked out. It’s only Christ-honoring and neighbor-loving for us to make those convictions explicit—and more honest than most secularists.
To read the whole essay, Click Here
Monday, November 3, 2014 at 10:57AM 
Sunday Morning (November 9): Rev. Andrew Compton will be preaching. Our Lord's Day worship service begins at 10:30 a.m.
Sunday Afternoon: Rev. Compton will be conducting our catechism service which begins @ 1:15 p.m.
Wednesday Night Bible Study (November 5): I will be continuing our rapid-fire "run through Romans." We will work our way through Romans 6-8. Bible Study begins at 7:30 p.m.
Academy (November 7): Prof. Ken Samples continues his six week series entitled, "If I Had Lunch with St. Augustine." Ken's fourth lecture is entitled, "Augustine’s Most Important Theological Contribution."
For more information and directions, check out the Christ Reformed website: Christ Reformed Church
