In 1858 Rev. George Dufield received these words from a minister friend, whispered while dying from a tragic accident, “Let us all stand up for Jesus.”1 For the next Sunday’s sermon, Dufield wrote a poem from those words in memory of his friend titled, “Stand Up, Stand Up For Jesus.” The final stanza of the […]
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Author: Rick Shrader
Who Is Controlling Whom?
On our church web site I received an interesting note from a young man named Steve. Steve is an active member of a church that is going through a typical change (which of course is not a “change” at all but rather a conforming) from traditional to contemporary type of worship. Steve is emotionally caught […]
Compromise Is Always A Synthesis
R.C. Sproul wrote concerning the modern evangelical penchant to build bridges with defective theologies that, “The mythical element is the naïve assumption that one can build bridges that move in one direction only.”1 Meaning, that such bridges will bring the error closer to truth but not the truth closer to error. But it is the […]
The Corruption Of Good Manners
I have written often on the subject of manners. I was first introduced to the subject by my mother who impressed upon me the need to continue the course, even after she has gone. Sometimes the lessons were taught at the end of a hickory switch, but more frequently with the ease of comfortable wit […]
Our Wonderful Counselor
Jesus would have been a failure at counseling had He lived in our time. Today we do not just want someone to counsel us who knows and feels our infirmities, we want someone who has experienced our failures; someone who has fallen into the same problem we are in and who will not judge us […]
What In The World Are We Doing?
The Belgic Confession (1561) pictures God’s creation as, “a most beautiful book in which all created things, whether great or small, are as letters showing the invisible things of God to us.”1 When the angels in heaven sing before God they say, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for […]
The Vision Of The Traditional Church
The 8th century Irish hymn Be Thou My Vision has, ironically, become popular today as a modern “Celtic” hymn. In my opinion, the irony lies in the fact that so many people today do not make the Incarnate Christ the subject of their vision at all, but rather seek for an individual vision from Christ. […]
A Case For The Traditional Church
A student was once asked whether ignorance or apathy was worse, to which he answered, “I don’t know and I don’t care.” Within the last few months I have visited a “non-traditional” church, watched a promotional video from another “non-traditional” church, and read web sites from other “non-traditional” churches (not to mention various articles, books, […]
Thinking Inside The Box
G .K. Chesterton wrote, “The mind that finds its way to wild places is the poet’s; but the mind that never finds its way back is the lunatic’s.”1 It seems we have no shortage of “visionaries” and “original thinkers,” but fewer and fewer of them seem to be able to find their way back home! […]
What Child Is This?
What Child is this, who, laid to rest, on Mary’s lap is sleeping? Whom angels greet with anthems sweet, while shepherds watch are keeping? Why lies He in such mean estate where ox and ass are feeding? Good Christian, fear—for sinners here the silent Word is pleading. So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh—come, rich […]