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Donald Trump and the Westminster Confession of Faith

By Angela Wittman Yesterday during the Michael Cohen testimony before the House Oversight Committee  a comment was made on Twitter by a Reformed Christian to the effect that voting for and supporting a man like Donald Trump, even though he has moral "failings" is taught to be ethical behavior by John Calvin and the Westminster Divines. The comment was not directed toward me, but as I'm reformed and have studied the WCF for over almost 2 decades, I asked where this was at so I could look it up myself. I was directed to my favorite chapter of the Westminster Confession of Faith, (XXIII), and specifically to section IV. Here is what Chapter XXIII, section IV of the Westminster Confession of Faith says regarding the Civil Magistrate: IV. It is the duty of people to pray for magistrates, [8] to honor their persons, [9] to pay them tribute or other dues, [10] to obey their lawful commands, and to be subject to their authority, for conscience' sake. [11] Infid

'Of Saving Faith'

The Westminster Confession of Faith Chapter XIV Of Saving Faith I. The grace of faith, whereby the elect are enabled to believe to the saving of their souls, [1] is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts, [2] and is ordinarily wrought by the ministry of the Word, [3] by which also, and by the administration of the sacraments, and prayer, it is increased and strengthened. [4] II. By this faith, a Christian believes to be true whatsoever is revealed in the Word, for the authority of God himself speaking therein; [5] and acts differently upon that which each particular passage thereof contains; yielding obedience to the commands, [6] trembling at the threatenings, [7] and embracing the promises of God for this life, and that which is to come. [8] But the principal acts of saving faith are accepting, receiving, and resting upon Christ alone for justification, sanctification, and eternal life, by virtue of the covenant of grace. [9] III. This faith is differ

The Trial of Alzheimer's Disease

By Angela Wittman My father who suffers from Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease has been living with us since mid August of 2018. Our lives have a "new" normal and I hope that sharing my experiences with others in our position will benefit or at least help them to not feel alone while dealing with this disease. First of all, let me lay some background for the reader: My father is 83 years old and lost his wife last summer. I'm not certain when he first began exhibiting symptoms of Alzheimer's as we were estranged for many years. I suspect that he had been hiding it and that might be partly why he pushed me away. Our estrangement began when he would make excuses why I should not visit (he and his wife lived approximately 3 hours away from my home.) The excuses would vary from the timing was bad as he and his wife would be out of town to they didn't have room for visitors. I knew there was a history of Alzheimer's Disease in our family, but I

New mercies everyday while caring for an elderly parent

By Angela Wittman The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. - Lamentations 3:22, 23 ESV Dear Friends, It's been almost 2 months since my last post regarding my father and his illness with Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Diseases.  In that post I expressed my trust in the Sovereignty of the Lord, which hasn't changed. But what has changed is Dad has come to live with me. Here is an update on our situation: Shortly after Dad's birthday, (July 28th), I began to realize that he wasn't content at the nursing home. This was partly due to new residents who were much more progressed in Alzheimer's Disease than dad and who would wander into rooms (including Dad's), often half dressed and completely disoriented. I also saw the rapid decline of some of the residents and I became alarmed that this would happen to dad unless I put him in a different environment. The

Trusting Dad's Care to the Sovereignty of the LORD

Dear Friends, My last post regarding my father mentioned that his 83rd birthday was only 9 days away. Today is July 25th and his birthday is now just a few days away. How quickly one's health can change in a matter of days, especially for the elderly! Last Saturday and yesterday I noticed that Dad's Parkinson's and Alzheimer's Disease symptoms are more pronounced - his hands tremble more and his memory appears dimmer. He can't remember if he was in the Air Force during the Korean or Vietnam wars. He has also lost his appetite; just a week ago he would munch through a package of cookies within days - now they sit almost untouched. Then yesterday he stated he had lost the desire to go out to a restaurant with family for his 83rd Birthday celebration. He doesn't appear well and I'm concerned; when questioned about his health, Dad says he feels fine and isn't in any pain. There is a doctor on staff at the nursing facility and the nurses are wat

The LORD's mercy and grace shown toward a father and daughter

8 The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. 9 The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. 10 All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. Psalm 145 (KJV)  Dear Friends, It has been approximately 6 weeks since my last blog post and I am happy to report the good Lord has been at work in our family and my father's current situation. Father is currently living in a nursing home that is staffed with competent, caring and compassionate souls. After Peggy's death, the staff and some of the patients reached out to Dad with sympathy and understanding. Dad appears to be content there, though I know it is hard for him to give up his independence. I try to visit at least twice a week (it is a 45 minute drive from my home) and supply him with easy to read books, cookies, muffins and family pictures. The family pictures and articles from our family history blog seem to help h

Love, Divorce, Broken Families and Trusting in the Sovereignty of the Lord

Dad. mother, Terry, Kenny and me. Late 1950's. Dear Friends, It's been a month since I last wrote a blog post here and I hope to fill you in on what has been happening, as well as request your prayers for us. What many of you do not know is I've been estranged from my father for almost a year, and it has been a terribly depressing time for me and my family with much worry and grief.  My father is 82 years-old with Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. How did our estrangement happen? Let me tell you our story with the hope you'll pray for us and possibly avoid such trouble in your lives, too. My parents met and fell madly in love in the mid 1950's. Dad was a handsome airman in the United States Air Force and mom was a captivating beauty living in a town near the base where Dad was stationed. My father had a brief marriage to a childhood sweetheart in his hometown who he divorced; I believe mom was under the impression that Dad was single