Author Archives: vanguardpresbytery

Acts 16:6-10 gives us an account of the Macedonian call to Paul to come over to Philippi and help the western world. Paul wanted to go east, but he writes that he “was forbidden by the Holy Spirit” (Acts 16:6) and that “the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them” (Acts 16:7) to do so.Continue reading “The Missionary Nature of the Church”

In his Institutes of the Christian Religion, the great John Calvin wrote the following concerning the various modes of baptism: But whether a person being baptized should be wholly immersed, and whether thrice or once, whether he should only be sprinkled with poured water—these details are of no importance, but ought to be optional to churchesContinue reading “Shall I Be Baptized?”

I frequently get emails or telephone calls from people asking questions about Vanguard Presbytery—how we got started, what is our relationship with other reformed denominations, what we believe, how we are governed, etc. The questions are usually similar enough that there is value in writing some general answers to them for this email.  Q 1. WhyContinue reading “Questions that Deserve Answers”

There are almost no guidelines that are given to congregations that are leaving one denomination and beginning the process of affiliating with a new denomination. I have never read an article on how to do that. Some congregations are so focused on leaving a denomination that is heretical or trending in that direction that theyContinue reading “How to Choose a Denomination”

One of the best known and most well-loved hymns concerning the resurrection of Christ is “He Lives” whose first line says, “I Serve a Risen Savior, He’s in the World Today.” Sadly, that hymn has come under a lot of criticism over the last fifty years because of the closing words of the refrain, “YouContinue reading ““I Serve a Risen Savior””

In 1977, I was on my first trip to Great Britain and spent a few days in the home of Iain and Jean Murray in Edinburgh, Scotland. One day, I made a comment to Iain that Presbyterians—rather than Independents—had the correct form of church government. He replied, “Yes, but Independents often have more of theContinue reading “True Church Power”

John Lafayette Girardeau (1825-1898) was born on James Island, South Carolina to French Huguenot parents.  Many French Huguenots had fled to South Carolina after the Edict of Nantes (1598) was revoked in 1685. That edict had previously granted religious toleration and rights to Protestants. Girardeau’s grandfather had fought in the American Revolutionary War and he was,Continue reading “John L. Girardeau on Evangelists”

On August 20, 1944, four American B-29’s built by Boeing were forced to make an emergency landing in far eastern Russia. One plane crash landed at Khabarovsk and the other three safely landed near Vladivostok. The crews of the three intact fighter planes thought that they would be allowed to refuel and fly out ofContinue reading “Scripture: the Church’s Only Prototype”

In his excellent commentary, The Confession of Faith, Archibald Alexander Hodge wrote the following concerning Chapter XXXI, Of Synods and Councils: As we have seen in the last chapter, all Church power is vested by Christ in the Church as a whole—not as a mob, but as an organized body. As organized, the Church consists ofContinue reading “Shall We Trust Church Courts Implicitly?”

In recent days, I have had several people contact me about the Asbury Revival which is happening presently at Asbury University in Asbury, Kentucky. Time will tell if this is a true revival or just a work of the human flesh. Either way, there will certainly be some people who come to faith as aContinue reading “The Asbury Revival, True or False?”