Musings (10/01/2022) — The Riddleblog

According to CNN, "Rapture anxiety” is really a thing. An improper understanding of our Lord’s return leads to anxiety on the part of God’s people (when the second coming is to be thought of as the “blessed hope”) and mockery on the part of unbelievers who, barring faith and repentance, should be terrified of the Lord’s return.
If Rapture anxiety is really a thing, it is time to check the "Rapture Ready Index", which tells us it is time to "fasten our seat belts!" The cynic in me asks if the whole point of the Rapture is to be caught up with the Lord in the air, why should I put on a seat belt? That might leave a mark.
Califonia’s governor, Gavin Newsom, sans mask and while dining at the French Laundry, went after Grace Community Church during the Covid lock-down. Newsom has also paid for billboards around the country with grossly misused Bible verses encouraging women seeking abortions to come to California as a sort of abortion haven. John MacArthur, who won his court case against Newsom, and who clearly occupies the high-moral ground, calls Gavin Newsom to repentance in a very public manner. John Ma cArthur's "open letter" to Governor Newsom
Read it and weep. Ligonier’s annual doctrinal survey is a sad and serious indicator of the fruit of a whole generation of American evangelicals telling us that doctrine doesn’t matter. Evangelicals know premarital sex is wrong (nearly 90% agree), but nearly half embrace the most serious heresy in church history without knowing it (Arianism). Evangelicalism has been swamped by the “subjective turn” — “I think, I feel . . .” Ligonier's "State of Theology" Survey
How and why did the Reformed resurgence of the last two decades regarding distinguishing Christ’s two kingdoms come about? Here’s a good answer. Scott Clark on the Resurgence of the Reformed Understanding of Two Kingdoms.
Clark also address why Reformed Christians find Thomas Aquinas helpful on some things (such as the doctrine of the Trinity), yet problematic in others. Scott Clark on Aquinas--helpful and important, but with limits
If you are a Baseball fan, this is fascinating. Aaron Judge's Home Run record quest is far more impressive than you might think. And Judge has done it without chemical help, and in the vicious media environment of New York. Go Aaron!!!!
Is it just me, or is college football becoming almost unbearable to watch? All the commercials— 7-10 of them at each break in the action (time outs, reviews, and end of quarters). And then there are the replays with the endless pontification by the sports lawyers debating minutia of rules, camera angles, etc. A one hour game now takes 3 1/2 hours to watch!
If you live in Southern California, you are experiencing a new plague. Ankle-Biter mosquitos (Aedes) are proof of the fall. So Cal is an outdoor culture, with swimming pools commonplace, backyard BBQ’s, and comfy outdoor furniture. Then came the Aedes from China (therefore it must a cynical Xi plot) which has driven us all indoors.