My previous column challenged Bible-believing Christians—and all Americans—to stand with the people, nation and land of Israel during these times of unprecedented hatred aimed at Jewish people around the world.

During the past week, the animosity and hostility spouted against the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob have grown to a level that we might have considered unfathomable, making such pleas all the more necessary. This story is not going away anytime soon. The acrimony is spreading like wildfire.

It looks like John MacArthur is not only returning to an early version of Jay Adams, but is even stricter. Adams allowed for Schizophrenia and Bi-polar, which apparently MacArthur does not.

Everyone pretty much agrees that sometimes some doctors can over medicate. This is true in the physical realm as well, although nowadays it seems there is much more restraint this way. Many cases of what is typically called “mental illness” are treated apart from medicine.

Although presenting addiction issues as illnesses rather than sinful addictions is not helpful, conditions like PTSD, Bi-polar, and Schizophrenia (and a host of others) are examples of conditions often called mental illnesses.

“It’s easy to confuse brokenness or weakness with sinfulness….. Bad grades, tantrums, disorganization, inappropriate comments, relational conflict, and irresponsibility may all be because of willful sin, but they may also be due to human limitation or fallenness.” - TGC

“one of those rare exceptions has occurred—sort of. I got a very intelligent reply to my arguments about KJV readability from a man by the name of Thomas Ross…. he came up with, depending on how you count, seven new arguments I haven’t heard.” - Mark Ward

“the world is filled with state actors treating their own or neighboring populations in the most appalling ways, far worse than anything that Israel could remotely be accused of, without attracting anything like the passion and vitriol directed at Jews and Israel.” - Manhattan Contrarian

“Citing the arguments presented by clinical psychologist Bruce E. Levine in his book A Profession Without Reason and The Myth of Mental Illness by the now-deceased Hungarian-American psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, MacArthur urged parents not to believe in ‘noble lies’ he alleges are being supported by the pharmaceutical industry so they can sell medication” - CPost

“Four recommendations released today are designed to ‘prioritize and emphasize the authority of messengers in defining the boundaries of our cooperation while clarifying and refining our structure,’ said a statement from the SBC’s Cooperation Group.” - Baptist Press

“How do you shepherd a flock to healthier pastures when the sheep aren’t yet convinced that the grass is greener on the other side? Some answers are obvious: we must walk faithfully with the Lord and patiently love the flock. Okay, but what else?” - 9 Marks

“When we believe that an election is that significant, we tend to shape our priorities around this perceived reality. Our fears determine our conversations, our prayers, our content consumption, our social media interactions, and even in some corners, our sermons on Sunday mornings.” - Robb Brunansky

“NDOP gatherings are set in all 50 states, according to the organization. Many local city and county leaders join with pastors and church leaders to host gatherings in city squares or the county courthouse.” - Baptist Press

“Bioethics has always been about granting ‘experts’ in the field tremendous influence over public policy. And now, one of the most prominent practitioners in the field… has urged that bioethicists expand their ‘expert’ advocacy to issues of ‘global’ importance.” - Center for Human Exceptionalism

“God calls people to be accountants, medical doctors, and farmers too…. why could God not call a man to be a schoolteacher for twenty years and then redirect him into pastoral ministry?” - P&D

Grace Evangelical Society (December 14, 2022), paperback: ‎ 158 pages (Amazon*).

“I will agree that how we write is not nearly as important as what we write….. But the supreme importance of what we communicate does not negate the importance of how we communicate.” - Jared C. Wilson

“Thirty years ago [April 29], Russell Amos Kirk died. Even though I was born two years after his passing, I have felt Dr. Kirk’s influence my whole adult life.” - Providence

Related: Understanding Russell Kirk: A Bold Biography - Imaginative Conservative

“When you become the lightning rod with every change effort…. When you give up on innovation and find deep comfort in the status quo of the past…. When apathy or anger dominates your feelings.” - Sam Rainer

“United Methodist delegates are heading into the homestretch of their first legislative gathering in five years — one that appears on track to make historic changes in lifting their church’s longstanding bans on same-sex marriage and the ordination of LGBTQ clergy.” - AP

“The Psalms are unique, for while they are God’s Word to us, they also are man’s words to God. The mindset of the people who wrote them teaches us something about the reality of our world” - 9 Marks

From Lectures to My Students: A Selection from Addresses Delivered to the Students of The Pastors’ College, Metropolitan Tabernacle

First Series, Lecture X
By C.H. Spurgeon

Read the series.

There is a category of Christian liberty found in Scripture. God gives us a great many options freely and selectively to enjoy. But this layer of ethical privilege exists only after Christian deontology, Christian consequentialism, and Christian Communitarianism are exhausted. To yield to quickly to egoism and “indifference” in ethics is at best a dubious practice.

“it is illuminating to compare the United States and Canada, which share a continent and have their origin in America’s revolution 250 years ago. One accepted what may plausibly be called [classical] liberalism and the other rejected it. Hence, with many caveats, they can provide useful points of comparison, and give a cautionary tale.” - Providence

“Anselm believed that the fact that humans are the kind of creatures that even raise the question of deity suggests there is something about us and the world that makes the idea of God reasonable in the first place.” - Breakpoint

“The April 2024 issue of Christianity Today includes three cover stories addressing ongoing differences between complementarians and egalitarians. Titled ‘Division of Labor,’ the cover asks whether egalitarians and complementarians are really as opposed to one another as people suppose.” - Denny Burk

“…when our kids don’t do things we think they should do or do things we think they shouldn’t do, to look back and say, ‘Could I have done better?’ And the answer is almost always yes.” - Desiring God

“Today, when university protesters celebrate the death of Jews, shouting, ‘We are Hamas,’ it is time for Christians across the nation to speak up on behalf of Israel and the Jewish people.” - Michael Brown

By Bob Courtney

Like many other pastors in our fellowship, I spent several years studying at a Bible institution. Many times, as a young man in my late teens, I encountered theological issues in the classroom that were over my head or had very little interest to me. I did not understand the importance of teaching on canonicity, higher criticism, inspiration, or inerrancy. I figured that those who argue for such things were people of academics and it seemed that there was no reason for a future pastor to know them. Today, I smile at my own ignorance and choose not to disclose my quiz scores from those days.

“Why didn’t God write ‘Jesus Saves’ with the stars?…. As counterintuitive as it may seem, there is no reason to believe that if God were to make His existence more manifest that more people would repent of their sin and enter into a saving relationship with Him.” - Sean McDowell

“When artists, be they Christian or not, create works of art, they are participating in God’s superabundance in one of four ways. First, their work bears witness to the reality of God.” - IFWE

“This General Conference will liberalize United Methodism’s teachings on marriage and sex….over 7660 traditionalist churches, including up to 1.5 million members, exited the denomination under a temporary policy allowing departure with property.” - Juicy Ecumenism

Related: United Methodists vote to restructure worldwide church into four parts - RNS

“Vance is right to be worried about the decline of Christianity in America and the rise of “the nones,”…. He is right to worry about the elites who promise us heaven on earth….But can we win culture wars through politics? If we could, should we?” - Acton