Repent of Lent?

Dr. Brian Lee, pastor of the "other" Christ Reformed Church (in DC.), has a helpful essay on various theological problems associated with the observance of Lent (and various other spiritual disciplines) published in the Federalist.

According to Lee,

The problem with even the evangelical, self-imposed fast is that it creates a little law for us to obey, a rule that is within our reach. It is, not surprisingly, a law of our own making, for the law of God — love God and neighbor with your whole heart, soul, mind and strength — is impossible to obey, even for a moment. If we fulfill our personal law, we have confirmed ourselves in the conceit that we aren’t so badly off after all.

To read the rest of Dr. Lee's insightful essay, click here: Repent of Lent

Does the Faith of Our Presidents Matter?

Dr. Brian Lee has an editorial in today's Daily Caller that is well worth reading.

Dr. Lee writes, "To date, all U.S. presidents have labeled themselves Christians of some sort, and it is speculative and uncharitable to question their claims or sincerity. Nevertheless, a number of presidents have provided abundant evidence in their writings or behavior that their faith was heterodox, at best. At worst, we may have serious reason to doubt whether they confessed anything at all like the historic Christian faith."

You can find the rest of the essay here:  Click Here

Dr. Lee is the pastor of the "other" Christ Reformed Church in Washington, DC.

Preaching Politics?

Our good friend and colleague, Dr. Brian Lee (the pastor of the "other" Christ Reformed Church in Washington DC), recently addressed the question of whether or not ministers should participate in a call by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) to preach a politically-oriented sermon on Sunday, to defy the 1954 "Johnson Amendment" which prohibits such activity.

You can read Dr. Lee's thoughtful response here (Click Here)

Lee concludes with this gem:

The minister doesn't speak for himself; the title means "servant." Perhaps preachers should ask themselves, before they step up to the pulpit this Sunday, whether they'd feel comfortable reading on behalf of their boss the standard campaign disclosure when they're finished:

"I'm Jesus Christ, and I approve this message."

What Joel Osteen Can Do that the Washington Nationals Cannot

Dr. Brian Lee, pastor of the "other" Christ Reformed Church in Washington DC.,  has a great essay on Joel Osteen in today's Daily Caller.

For a resolution to the riddle posed above, you will have to read Brian's essay.  Click Here

I am amazed by Osteen's uncanny ability to preach the same sermon every time he preaches, yet make it sound so different from the last time he preached it!

"Christ and the Condition" -- A New Book from Michael Brown

Michael Brown's new book on Samuel Petto will be released in January.  Petto may be unknown to you (as we was to me), but he was very influential in his own day, and pastor Brown introduces him to us in Christ and the Condition.  Rev. Brown is the pastor of Christ United Reformed Church in Santee, California.

Here's the publisher's blurb:

Covenant theology is the “warp and woof” of Reformed theology, and its development was most seriously worked out during the seventeenth century. In Christ and the Condition, Michael Brown introduces us to an influential Puritan pastor who, though now largely forgotten, was a significant contributor to the covenantal debates of his day. Brown analyzes the covenantal thought of Samuel Petto and reveals a diversity of thought among the Puritans, especially concerning the Mosaic covenant. Brown’s assessment places Petto in the context of the covenantal debates and also demonstrated the implications of covenantal thought on the doctrine of justification.

Table of Contents:

A Puritan Pastor-Theologian: Petto in Context

Petto’s Covenant Schema

The Mosaic Covenant in Reformed Theology

Petto on the Mosaic Covenant

Implications for Justification

__________________________________________

You can order it here:  Click Here

"Preach the Word" -- A Sermon for the Ordination of Mr. Chris Coleman

Here's the audio from this morning's ordination sermon.  This was a great day in the life of our church!

Click Here

Edmonton Prophecy Conference Audio and Handouts Posted -- "Israel and the Last Days"

The audio and handouts of my lectures from this past weekend are posted here:  Israel and the Last Days

It was great to meet so many White Horse Inn listeners, fellow URC folk, and to make many new friends!

Edmonton Prophecy Conference Nov 4-6 -- "Israel and the Last Days"

I will be speaking this coming weekend (November 4-6) at the Orthodox Reformed Church of Edmonton (a URCNA congregation).

Here's the link to the conference with all the necessary info.  Click Here.

If you know of anyone who might be interested, please let them know!

Brian Lee Responds to Bill Keller of the NY Times on the Faith of Political Candidates

Dr. Brian Lee is the pastor of the other "Christ Reformed Church" in Washington DC.  You can find Brian's church info here: www.ChristReformedDC.org 

Brian and his wife Sara attended the original Christ Reformed Church in Anaheim before the Lees moved to the nation's capitol.  Brian's response is in the Daily Caller.  To read Brian's essay, Click Here

450 Years Ago Today . . .

The Belgic Confession is 450 years old.

Wes Bredenhof, who is pastor of the Providence Canadian Reformed Church, Hamilton, ON, has the story.

Well worth reading.  The Belgic Confession