Calvin on making the proper inference by faith

Ever see things going poorly for the righteous and you’re tempted to lose heart? Or see things going grand for the wicked and you’re tempted to infer that surely in vain have you kept your heart pure? Here’s a good reminder from Calvin that in these situations we should make the proper inference by faith…and take heart!

…[W]hen we see the righteous brought into affliction by the ungodly, assailed with injuries, overwhelmed with calumnies, and lacerated by insult and contumely, while, on the contrary, the wicked flourish, prosper, acquire ease and honour, and all these with impunity, we ought forthwith to infer, that there will be a future life in which iniquity shall receive its punishment, and righteousness its reward.

Moreover, when we observe that the Lord often lays his chastening rod on the righteous, we may the more surely conclude, that far less will the unrighteous ultimately escape the scourges of his anger.  – John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion §1.5.10

The Greatness of the Great Ormond Street Hospital

The Great Ormond Street Hospital has decided 11-month-old Charlie Gard must die. Not only is the hospital unwilling to proceed with treatment for a rare condition Charlie has, but they have refused even to let Charlie’s parents take him at their own expense to a hospital that has offered to give him treatment for his condition. No, they say, they’re duty-bound to take Charlie off the ventilator so that he dies.

After all, they have their standards. As the hospital said in a statement prepared for a court hearing earlier this month, “GOSH believes in its core that every patient is his or her own, unique and special person and that it owes a duty of care to each.” Elsewhere, the statement goes on and on about “Charlie’s welfare” and “the child’s interests.”

By “Charlie’s welfare” and “duty of care,” remember, they mean they have a duty to see to it that he dies…

Weak arguments: “unelected bureaucrats”

You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the LORD your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. — Deuteronomy 16:18

Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment. –John 7:24

From time to time a judge or government administrative body will render an ungodly decision, rewarding wickedness and punishing the righteous. At such times, an objection is often raised by a conservative spokesman that such a decision was improper, having been made by “unelected bureaucrats” rather than a democratically elected body, such as Congress or a state legislature. But this is a false and dishonest argument…

I thank God for their faith

Someone asked me what I think of the band of nine men and women who blocked the front doors of Kentucky’s only abortuary last Saturday and were arrested for it.

What I say is, thank God for their faith.

Watch this video, where they place themselves in front of the door and call on the civil magistrate to do his duty to defend innocent life…

Crossing the Jordan means picking up your sword, not laying it down

Beloved hymns picture the Jordan River as a symbol of physical death and the promised land as a symbol of heaven. But when the Israelites passed over the Jordan under Joshua, they did not lay down their weapons to study war no more–they picked up their weapons and entered a lifetime of war, as little by little the Lord gave them victory over the wicked peoples that lived there and they took possession of their inheritance.

This is not a picture of physical death and heaven; this is a picture of regeneration and the life of a Christian…

They wouldn’t call her Mara

In the book of Ruth, Naomi comes back from the land of Moab bitter at God. She tells her friends not to call her Naomi (“pleasant”) anymore, but Mara (“bitter”), because the Lord has made her life bitter.

Interestingly though, her friends persist in calling her Naomi throughout the book…

Open letter to airbnb.com

Dear Airbnb,

As of November 1 (tomorrow), you are requiring that every member of the airbnb community agree to a “Community Commitment” that includes this wording:

I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their…sexual orientation…without judgment or bias.

Airbnb’s new nondiscrimination policy expands on this, stating that:

• “Airbnb hosts may not…Decline a guest based on…sexual orientation…or marital status.”
• “Airbnb hosts may not…Impose any different terms or conditions based on…sexual orientation…or marital status.”
• “Airbnb hosts may not…make any statement that discourages or indicates a preference for or against any guest on account of…sexual orientation…or marital status.”

But God declares that homosexuals as well as fornicators will face His wrath if they do not repent…