She fully embraced the Reformed and Presbyterian faith as described in the Westminster standards. She would never burden others that they must because she did – but that she did isn’t really a question. She was of the old, rugged faith. She never felt the need to pressure anyone in regard to matters of faith but she also didn’t have a great deal of patience for cute or pop cultural theological moods. This was part of her strength.

As to Raquel Welch, thank you for your many condolences.
She was a wonderful lady and a fine Christian. The children have taken it a bit hard as they have many fond memories. I’ll tell you a few things the usual sources won’t tell you.
First, she was a serious Christian and church member. Many people (maybe most people) do things when they’re young or make decisions they think better of later in life. Because she did also she had great grace and understanding for every person. This is a great testimony of her hope in Christ.
She had no reason for games or play at the faith and she took her religion seriously. We had deep talks about theology historical and theoretical and she embraced both with care and study.
As with many, her faith grew more serious and practical with age. It’s often true that the most important things become the most important to us as we’ve matured personally. That’s just to say that spiritual and personal maturity are often coincident age and life experience.
Second, she fully embraced the Reformed and Presbyterian faith as described in the Westminster standards. She would never burden others that they must because she did – but that she did isn’t really a question. She was of the old, rugged faith. She never felt the need to pressure anyone in regard to matters of faith but she also didn’t have a great deal of patience for cute or pop cultural theological moods. This was part of her strength.
Third, she was just another lady of the church. She didn’t put on airs or expect special attention (although she could hardly avoid even with the best of intentions being the most glamorous person in the room). And she often advised churches and ministries on practical and business matters because she was brilliant in those things. You didn’t think she survived and thrived 60+ years in the public eye by just being a pretty face?
Fourth, she often attributed the revitalization of her faith to others with whom she had to do including other conservative Presbyterians Jimmy Stewart, Ron Reagan and Chuck Heston.
Fifth, she thought of the Reformed faith as the faith of her family, parents and ancestors and the one that was deep enough and strong enough to carry a person through a difficult and painful life.
Because of her peculiar life and the experiences that come with that she didn’t trust many people. When everyone wants to be your friend it’s hard to have any.
Still she was our friend and a delightful lady full of grace, wisdom and good humor. She loved our children and there’s no greater testimony of care and true concern than that.
We will miss her.
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All authority has limits because it is a derived authority. That does not mean there is a place where the civil magistrate behaves perfectly.  Since the fall, all authority is abused because it is exercised by sinful men. Today, governments are acting as a master over its people by assuming responsibility over its citizens’ consciences. Some will agree with what it is demanding and imposing, others not. The point is not agreement with policy, but limit of authority. Today, governments are failing to live under the laws of their own nations. In effect the government has become a law breaker. Again, some will agree with what it is demanding and imposing, and others not. The point is not agreement with policy, but limit of authority.

Whenever obedience to man is inconsistent with obedience to God,then disobedience becomes a duty.[1]
At the start of this series, the mission statement was made: to help the Christian navigate an exercise of government power not previously experienced in my life-time. The virus that has troubled the world since the beginning of 2020 has subjected western society to a variety of mandates and restrictions, including businesses and churches. Christians everywhere have experienced these things, but there is disagreement about a proper response. There those who advocate for complete compliance, and those who have taken up what sounds like a Christian activism. This series represents an attempt to help Christians think clearly about this subject. Whatever our gut response may be, these articles are asking whether they are biblical. And to begin that critical assessment, this series began with a biblical study and the source and purpose for the power of the government.
First, we have seen from Romans 13 that all authority is given by God. That would include the authority that the civil magistrate has, even if behaving in an ungodly manner. Clearly, the biblical position of authority is that it is God-given. Second, we have also seen that the government exists as a servant of God. It is to carry out God’s vengeance on the wrongdoer and protect those who do good. The words “wrongdoer” and “good” are theological words, which must be biblically defined. A government will apply its power well, or poorly, and the report card is based on the biblical definitions of these words. And it is in this last observation that the problem arises. What does the Christian do when the government does not match up well to the biblical definitions of wrongdoing and goodness? Is there a point when the government’s authority is to be disobeyed because of its disregard for its function as God’s servant? What are the limits to this power?
To further complicate matters, there are other authorities in the world as well. That means there may be times when different authorities (all of whom God has provided) come into conflict with each other. For example, consider parental authority or church authority. This authority is also God-given, with its own set of responsibilities. These different authority structures further add to the difficulty of what may happen. For example, Colossians 3:20 says, “Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.” What happens if the demands of the civil authority conflict with those of parents? Which is to be obeyed? As an example, what should happen when the government mandates that a child in kindergarten participate in an explicit “educational” presentation on human sexuality. Even if it is only factual, without any propaganda about the perversion of human sexuality, does the government have the implicit right to overturn the parents’ authority over the child, simply because they have God-given authority? The bring some clarity, consider these possible limits to government authority.
Man’s authority is always delegated. God provides authority for specific reasons. Parents are provided to train up their children in the fear and admonition of the Lord. Elders are given to protect the church from false doctrine and encourage it toward love and good works. The civil magistrate is empowered to provide necessary order in society. For each of these positions of authority there are limits. That is because a father is not the owner of his children and the elder is not the master of the congregants. These things are easily seen. For example, most would agree that parents are not free to force their children to marry against their will. Or elders are not free to require all congregants to wear a yellow suit to church each Lord’s Day.
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Striving for contentment is honorable and good. But we should not allow striving for contentment to prevent us from seeking to better our situation through either work or asking for help. Help doesn’t necessarily equate with finances, either. I’m terrible about asking for any form of help. Many of my friends have expressed a similar struggle. Yet we’re often met with obstacles that we struggle to overcome on our own. Try as we may, we can’t escape the fact that God designed us to be interdependent.

Philippians 4 has always struck me as a misunderstood chapter of the Bible. It’s likely that Phil 4:13 is the verse that stands out in your mind. After all, it’s emblazoned on everything from the home team’s high school football banners to athlete’s eye black to countless Instagram profiles. It’s used to encourage everyone from test-takers to Olympic athletes that, through Jesus, they can do all things.
But Philippians 4 has always been about contentment. In fact, Phil 4:13, the oft-quoted verse used to inspire a victor’s mindset, was actually Paul’s admission that he had learned how to be content in less-than-favorable circumstances. Paul wasn’t saying that, through Jesus, He could overcome any obstacle. He was saying that, through Jesus, he had learned how to be ok with plenty or with little, with victory or with a setback.
Contentment is More than Always Being Happy with what You Have
Lest we think that story ends there, Paul continued on: “Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles.” Paul then outlined how the church at Philippi had been a financial blessing in his ministry. In fact, they were the first church ever to support him and were willing to help him when no one else would. Now, Paul took the opportunity to thank them for a new financial gift they had sent to him that had left him “amply supplied” (4:18)
The message of Philippians 4 is far more nuanced than we like to make it.
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