In my previous article, I argued that spanking our children is a legitimate means of parental discipline, yet parents must be careful that they spank biblically. Parents must be self-controlled...
Author: Doug Van Meter
Sphere Sovereignty and Parental Responsibility
On 19 October 2017, the High Court in Johannesburg judged that the defence of “reasonable chastisement” no longer applies to the corporal punishment of children by parents. In other words,...
An MRI and the Mercy of God
This past week I had my first (and, I hope, my last) MRI. It wasn’t quite as bad as I had anticipated, but close enough that I am committed to taking better care of my health!
The radiologist...
Dr Death and the Promise of Life
While driving to my office recently, I noticed a leaflet attached to the middle of a stop sign. It read, “Same Day Abortions” and included a phone number along with the name of the...
The Need for Nerds
The title of this article might lead you to think that I am about to provide some autobiographical insights. In a sense, I hope that is true. If I am correct that the world needs a certain kind of...
Good News!
What a week it’s been! Since last Thursday’s “night of the long knives,” South Africa has been battered on the financial markets, downgraded to junk status by one financial institution,...
Tight-Lipped
I have at times been chided for being tight-lipped about my family. That is, since I am careful to prudently guard my family’s privacy, I have historically been cautious about what I share with...
Pastoring, Not Pestering
There is perhaps a fine line between pastoring and pestering. If so, I want to work hard on staying on the correct side of that line. But it is not always easy. One man’s concern is another...
And Yet
Australian theologian Peter Tong is concerned about bad theology being perpetuated via the Internet. He, along with many pastors—including this one—is concerned that an overreliance, and an...
Rhetorical Reassurance
Genesis 18:14 records a rhetorical question, one that should reverberate in our hearts as we “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). In this verse, the Lord responds to...