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Best Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (July 2010)

Monday, August 2nd, 2010

By Greg Gibson

Theistic Evolution’s Achilles Heal: Pre-Fall Death
“The Genesis record is a beautiful picture of God’s creation. Order, purpose and harmony permeate His completed work. Man relates righteously to God; Adam and Eve relate lovingly to one another; and animals dwell peacefully among them. No sign of conflict, fear, violence or death appears, until the day Adam sinned against God. That’s a problem for evolution—a big problem. Christians who flirt with evolution have some serious explaining to do when it comes to the existence of death before Adam’s transgression. How can God pronounce a world filled with violence, disease, suffering and death “very good”? Answer: He can’t. (GG: The new creation will be a restoration of the pre-fall creation. There will be “no more death” in the new creation, just like the pre-fall creation.) The Achilles Heal of Theistic Evolution by John MacArthur

7 Beliefs of the New Atheism
“The points detailing the distinctions of the New Atheism are as follows…

1. Celebration of Atheism – no sense of mourning as seen in the “Victorian Loss of Faith”…

2. Changed and clear direction of attention – No longer the philosophical rejection of God but a rejection of the God of Christianity specifically…

3. Explicitly based in scientific argumentation…

4. Attack upon moderate and liberal Protestantism…

5. Belief in God is not to be tolerated…

6. Theism is seen as harmful to children – teaching a child theistic beliefs is tantamount to child abuse and on the same level as (if not worse than) physical abuse…

7. Theism should be eliminated because of all the harm it has brought to humanity”…New Atheism? Yea, yea, yea whatever… by Carrie Hunter

Good and Bad Reasons to Leave Your Church
“Good Reasons for Moving On—The Four P’s

    1. Providential moving
    2. Planting another church
    3. Purity has been lost
    4. Peace of the church is in jeopardy due to my presence

Possible Reasons for Moving On – The Three S’s

    1. Spouse…
    2. Special Needs…
    3. Special Gifts…

Reasons Often Used Which are Insufficient

    1. Children’s Ministry…
    2. Buzz…
    3. Youth Group…
    4. Church has changed…
    5. New Pastor…
    6. I’m Not Being Ministered to…
    7. Music…
    8. There are others…”

Jason Helopoulos on Good Reasons for Moving On by Jason Helopoulos

Seminary Training by Dr. Jesus
“Here is the heart of the problem: we had taken a great means of grace and a critical support for life and faith and the crucial tool of our ministry – Bible understanding – and had turned it into the end, rather than the means to the end. We told ourselves we were mature Christians because we were educated rather than because we delighted ourselves in the Lord. We turned our devotions into comprehension exercises.” Training Preachers by Marcus Honeysett

Pastors: Visit Your Men at Their Workplaces
“Pastors, go to where your men work. During my past 4 years as a pastor in the Bay Area I quickly discovered that one of the most important things for me to do was to hang out with men in my church at their workplace. This helped the men. It showed them that I care about their callings, how they spend 50+ hours of their week, and the people they work with. This helped me. It taught me about the unique opportunities & challenges men were facing in their different workplaces, it opened my eyes to a world bigger than our church, and it helped set new trajectories for my preaching and discipling.” What is one of the best ways for a pastor to gain evangelistic opportunities? by Brian Croft

Pastoring Women
“We want to reflect on what he uniquely and wonderfully intends for women in the life of the church, and how to specially pastor them.” See 9 articles from the 9Marks e-Journal Pastoring Women

Bible Inerrancy: Annotated Bibliography
“Behind the centrality of expositional preaching is the assumption of the authority and truthfulness of God’s Word…I’ve saved the best for last. If I could just recommend one book on the inerrancy of the Bible it would undoubtedly be this one—John Wenham, Christ and the Bible (Tyndale Press, 1972 [UK]; IVP, 1973 [US]).Wenham’s book has been through three editions and makes the simple point that our trust in Scripture is to be a part of our following Christ, because that is the way that Christ treated Scripture—as true, and therefore authoritative. (Robert Lightner, a professor of Systematic Theology at Dallas Seminary published a similar book a few years later, A Biblical Case for Total Inerrancy: How Jesus Viewed the Old Testament [Kregel, 1978].)Wenham had first put these ideas in print with a little Tyndale pamphlet in 1953 called Our Lord’s View of the Old Testament. In Christ and the Bible, Wenham, an Anglican evangelical who taught Greek for many years at Oxford, has done us all a great service in providing us with a book which understands that we do not come by our adherence to Scripture fundamentally from the inductive resolutions of discrepancies, but from the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Only because of the Living Word may we finally know to trust the Written Word. May God use these resources of those who’ve gone before us to equip and encourage us in so trusting.” (HT:JT) Inerrancy of the Bible: An Annotated Bibliography by Mark Dever

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Best Blogs Digest: For Busy Disciples (June 2010)

Thursday, July 1st, 2010

By Greg Gibson

The New Calvinists
This is not your grandparent’s Calvinism! A good analysis of the new Calvinsts, followed by some interesting discussion. The New Calvinism Considered by Jeremy Walker

Schreiner: Salvation Promises and Warnings Harmonized
“I have argued in this book that the warnings and admonitions in the Scriptures have a particular function. By them believers are warned against departing from Christ and the gospel. If they do apostatize, then they will face final damnation….It is by means of taking the warnings seriously that the promise of our salvation is secured.” Assurance, Perseverance, and the Warning Passages of Scripture by Justin Taylor

“One of the most difficult issues in reading the scriptures is explaining the tension between warning passages and texts that promise assurance.1 On the one hand, the warning passages, such as are found in Hebrews, James, or Revelation 2-3, are incredibly severe, even frightening. They seem to warn believers that if they abandon the faith, continue to do what is evil, and fail to persevere until the end, the only prospect is eternal judgment and hell. On the other hand, the texts on assurance, such as John 10:28-30, Romans 8:28-39, and Philippians 1:6, seem to guarantee that God will continue the good work that he has started in believers, and he will see to it that those whom he has elected to salvation will make it to the end…for I am persuaded that the scriptures do teach unconditional election, and that God’s electing and sustaining grace is such that his sheep will never perish. They never perish precisely because they listen to the Good Shepherd’s voice which effectively admonishes and warns them lest they fail to follow him and perish.” Perseverance and Assurance: A Survey and a Proposal by Thomas Schreiner

“’Once saved, always saved.’…But is that the central theme of the New Testament’s teaching on perseverance?…Schreiner continually points the reader back to the Bible, the cross and Jesus’ perfect righteousness to answer the objections to his view of perseverance. Thirdly, this view of perseverance gives the warnings found in the New Testament their teeth back, while at the same time granting comfort and assurance to the believer. The warnings are shown to be one of God’s tools to keep us running the race and fixing our eyes on Jesus.” Run to Win the Prize by J.J. Sherwood

10 Evangelism Starter Questions

    “1. When you die, if God says to you, “Why should I let you into Heaven?”, what would you say? Are you interested in what the Bible says about your answer?
    2. If you were to die tonight, where do you think you would spend eternity? Why? Are you interested in what the Bible says about this?
    3. Do you think much about spiritual things?
    4. How is God involved in your life?
    5. How important is your faith to you?
    6. What has been your most meaningful spiritual experience?
    7. Do you find that your religious heritage answers your questions about life?
    8. Do you have any kind of spiritual beliefs? If what you believe were not true, would you want to know it? Well, the Bible says…
    9. To you, who is Jesus?
    10. I often like to pray for people I meet; how can I pray for you?” Ten Questions to Ask to Turn a Conversation Toward the Gospel (HT:9M) by Don Whitney

3 Numerical, Gospel Errors
“Graham Cole notes that there are three ‘ways to spoil the gospel’”
1. addition
2. subtraction
3. disproportion” Three Ways to Spoil the Gospel by Andy Naselli

The Victorious Life Defeated
Perfectionism, Higher Life, Victorious Life, Deeper Life, Abundant Life, and Spiritual Christians: What do these views of sanctification all have in common? They give the unregenerate false assurance, rely on spiritual experiences, view sanctification as instant instead of progressive, and lead to pride for the “haves” or frustration for the “have nots.” KESWICK THEOLOGY: A SURVEY AND ANALYSIS OF THE DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION IN THE EARLY KESWICK MOVEMENT by Andy Naselli

Typology Defined in One Sentence
“Typology: The idea that persons (e.g., Moses), events (e.g., the exodus), and institutions (e.g., the temple) can—in the plan of God—prefigure a later stage in that plan and provide the conceptuality necessary for understanding the divine intent (e.g., the coming of Christ to be the new Moses, to effect the new exodus, and to be the new temple)” .Defining Typology in One Sentence by Justin Taylor

34 Bible Software Programs
16 New Bible Software Tools and Methods
5 Commercial Bible Software Programs
6 Free Downloadable Bible Software Programs
7 Free Online Bible Software Programs
New Ways to Study the Bible by Tyndale House

Bible Translated Into Every Language in 15 Years
“A Christian endeavor of almost 2,000 years could be substantially completed by 2025. Protestant translators expect to have the Bible — or at least some of it — written in every one of the world’s 6,909 spoken languages…Portable computers and satellites get the credit for speeding things up by about 125 years….About 2,200 languages remain without a Bible. About 350 million people, mostly in India, China, sub-Saharan Africa and Papua New Guinea, speak only these languages. Working on this “to-do” list are about 6,600 career and short-term missionaries with training in the Bible and linguistics.” Bible translators hope to have every language covered in 15 years by The Denver Post

90% of Southern Baptists Unregenerate?
“Although the Southern Baptists claim 16,228,438 members, on average only 6,184,317 people (guests and non-member children included), a number equal to only 38% of the membership number, show up for their church’s primary worship meeting (usually Sunday morning)…In the average church you can cut the 38% Sunday morning attendance by about two-thirds or more when counting those interested in a Sunday evening service…the number of Sunday evening attenders was equal to only 12.3% of the membership (in churches that had an evening meeting)…And remember that the numbers of those attending include many non-member children and guests, often making up a third of the congregation’s main meeting attendance. When all factors are considered, these figures suggest that nearly 90% of Southern Baptist church members appear to be little different from the ‘cultural Christians’ who populate other mainline denominations…We might reverse some of our proclivity to continue as normal if we introduced our preachers more accurately in our evangelism meetings and convention settings. Try using this introduction: ‘Here is Brother ______, pastor of a church of 10,000 members, 6400 of whom do not bother to come on a given Sunday morning, and 8600 of whom do not come on Sunday evening. He is here to tell us about how to have a healthy, evangelistic church.’ It might be better to ask a man to speak who shepherds 100 members, all of whom attend with regularity and all of whom show signs of regeneration—a man who, in the last year, has baptized 5 people who stick” Southern Baptists, An Unregenerate Denomination by Jim Eliff

Charles Darwin’s Wife: His Mental Problems From Guilt
“Darwin’s many psychological or psychologically influenced physical health symptoms included severe depression, insomnia, hysterical crying, dying sensations, shaking, fainting spells, muscle twitches, shortness of breath, trembling, nausea, vomiting, severe anxiety, depersonalization, seeing spots, treading on air and vision, and other visual hallucinations…The physical symptoms included headaches, cardiac palpitations, ringing in ears (possibly tinnitus), painful flatulence, and gastric upsets,,,Others, including Darwin’s own wife, argued that his mental problem stemmed from guilt over his life’s goal to refute the argument for God from design” (GG: Beware how the author redefines sin as mental illness and psychiatric disorders. God’s Word is sufficient for our mental problems.) Was Charles Darwin Psychotic? A Study of His Mental Health by Jerry Bergman, Ph.D.

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Best Blogs Digest - May 2010

Monday, May 31st, 2010

By Greg Gibson

Six-Word, Evangelism Opener
“Over and over I’ve seen one simple question open people’s hearts to hear the gospel. Until I asked this question, they showed no interest in spiritual matters. But then after six words-only seventeen letters in English-I’ve seen people suddenly begin to weep and their resistance fall. The question is, “How can I pray for you?” Six Words as an Opener to the Gospel by Don Whitney

Four-Point, Evangelism Outline
“Everyone has their own version of the ‘gospel’ story:

    1. Creation – who I am or who I should be
    2. Fall – what’s wrong with me and the world
    3. Redemption – what’s the solution
    4. Consummation – what I hope for”

(GG: If you need an outline for Christ’s redemption, try 2 M’s + 6 R’s:
Messiah, miracles, righteous, Redeemer, risen, reigning, returning, and repent.) Everyone Has a Gospel Story) by Tim Chester

Imperatives - Indicatives = Impossibilities
“The dominant mode of evangelical preaching on sanctification, the main way to motivate for godly living, sounds something like this:

    You are not _____;
    You should be _________;
    Therefore, do or be ________!

Fill in the blank with anything good and biblical (holy; salt and light; feed the poor; walk humbly; give generously; etc.).” (GG: To preserve balance, see the helpful comments by Andrew Faris and Andy Naselli.) Imperatives - Indicatives = Impossibilities by Justin Taylor

Living in Constant Guilt?
“I’m convinced most serious Christians live their lives with an almost constant low-level sense of guilt. How do we feel guilty? Let me count the ways.

    We could pray more.
    We aren’t bold enough in evangelism.
    We like sports too much.
    We watch movies and television too often.
    Our quiet times are too short or too sporadic.
    We don’t give enough.
    We bought a new couch.
    We don’t read to our kids enough.
    Our kids eat Cheetos and french fries.
    We don’t recycle enough.
    We need to lost 20 pounds.
    We could use our time better.
    We could live some place harder or in something smaller.”

Are Christians Meant to Feel Guilty All the Time? by Kevin DeYoung

Christ-Centered Preaching: A 2nd-Century Example
In the 2nd century, Bishop Mileto of Sardis preached, “This is he who made the heavens and the earth, and formed humanity in the beginning, who is announced by the Law and the Prophets…” This Is He by Trevin Wax

Jonah’s Sectarianism vs. God’s Gracious Heart
“We can’t escape a stark contrast in this story—the tribal mindset of Jonah versus the missional mindset of God…A tribal mindset is antithetical to the gospel. The gospel demands that we be missional, because the gospel is the story of God sacrificing himself for his enemies. Both these approaches are robustly present in Jonah’s story. Jonah represents the best of a tribal mindset, the absolute best. He’s like the trophy for the tribal person. And God—ever-gracious, ever-pursuing, ever-compassionate—serves as the trophy for the mission-minded. Jonah runs from his enemies; God runs toward his enemies. Jonah serves himself; God serves the world.” Are You Tribal or Missional? by Trevin Wax

Giving: Tithing, Guilt, or Generosity?
“He begins by identifying two different extremes that Christians often hold with regard to possessions. Either: 1. God wants you to give 10%, and after that you can do whatever you want with your money. 2. Whatever you give, you should be giving more.” The Generosity Matrix by J.D. Greear

How to Write an Awful Worship Song
The top-7 tips…

    3. Be Vague About Your Theology.
    4. Make the Song All About You.

How to Write an Awful Worship Song by Stephen Altrogge

Fruitless: Fifty Years of Christian, Political Activism
“Over the past 50 years, conservatives have spent tens of billions of dollars lobbying, trying to elect candidates, trying to organize in various ways…And what has it gained? Are we any better off…What have all those conservatives and libertarians done with those billions of dollars that has shown any improvement in the political or the moral climate of the country? Now, if that money had been put into the preaching of the gospel…perhaps there would be something completely different to show for it…And I learned a very good lesson on Capitol Hill – that what happens there is of little consequence. That if one is interested in changing society, you don’t go to Capitol Hill, you preach the gospel. If anybody is operating under the illusion that political action is going to make a significant change in society apart from a sea change in the beliefs in the American people, then they’re condemned to futility. They will waste their lives.” (GG: Spend more of your time and money evangelizing than politicizing, changing hearts than changing laws, and working for the kingdom that is eternal rather than temporary.) Co-Belligerency by John Thomson

193 Scientists Who Believe in Creation
Biologists, Chemists, Geologists, Physicists, etc. Some modern scientists who have accepted the biblical account of creation by Answers in Genesis

C.S. Lewis: Not a Christian Leader
“A recent article in Christianity Today admits, ‘Though he shared basic Christian beliefs with evangelicals, he didn’t subscribe to biblical inerrancy or penal substitution. He believed in purgatory and baptismal regeneration.’” C.S. Lewis by Gary Gilley

Should a Calvinist Marry a Pentecostal?
“If you’ve counted the costs laid out above, if you’re able to receive one another in the gospel, if you’re able to be unified in your church life and your child-rearing, if Aimee’s willing to follow cheerfully, if Calvin’s willing to lead self-sacrificially, then I now pronounce you husband and wife.” Should We Marry if We’re Theologically Divided? by Russell Moore

13-Year Old Divorced 5 Times
Date and divorce, marry and divorce. Date, Divorce, Date, Divorce, Date, Divorce, Marry, Divorce, Marry. - 5.0 by Rick Thomas

Joel Osteen or Fortune Cookies: Guess These Quotes?
“I thought ‘This fortune sounds like something Joel Osteen would say.’ And then it struck me–there is very little difference between Joel and those fortune cookies (except that the cookies are delicious, of course). And now, to prove it, I will give you these twelve quotes. You tell me which are from the fortune cookies and which are from Joel Osteen.” Joel Osteen or Fortune Cookies by Tim Challies

Edited 6/01/10

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Best Blogs Digest - April 2010

Sunday, May 2nd, 2010

By Greg Gibson

Did Jesus Preach Justification by Grace Alone Through Faith Alone?
“I would use the title “Did Jesus Preach Paul’s Gospel?”—the gospel of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, on the basis of Christ’s blood and righteousness alone, for the glory of God alone…there is the suspicion (or even conviction) that justification by faith alone is part of Paul’s gospel, but not part of Jesus’ gospel…When we start reading one of the Gospels, we already know how it ends—the death and resurrection of Jesus as a substitute for our sins (Mark 10:45; Matthew 26:28)—and we should have that ending in mind with every verse that we read.” Did Jesus Preach the Gospel of Evangelicalism? by John Piper

55 Things the Gospel Isn’t
“Here are ways we often miss the center of the Gospel. Note that these may, or may be not wrong concepts; most have truth in them, and are good things. But they are not the “center” of the Gospel. They can misguide the believer when they are taught as the center, taught as the focus, taught as the key, or become the emphasis of our teaching, because they draw attention from the true center which is person and work of Christ…The Gospel Center is Jesus’ person, work on the cross for forgiveness of sins, and his resurrected triumph over death. From that center we understand the fuller work of the triumphant Christ, from his perfect life to his enthronement and return.” 55 Things the Gospel Isn’t by Jeff Louie

Theistic Evolution vs. Christ’s Virgin Birth, Miracles, and Resurrection?
“Lastly, I am astonished by the naivete of these scholars. Do they think they can restrict the hegemony of science over Scripture to the realm of creation issues? What will science make of the virgin birth, the miracles of Jesus, and the resurrection? The 20th Century gives us the answer. Moreover, do they think they can avoid worldly scorn merely by jettisoning biblical creation, while still holding to even more obnoxious doctrines like substitutionary atonement? The hermeneutics behind theistic evolution are a Trojan horse that, once inside our gates, must cause the entire fortress of Christian belief to fall under the humanistic sword.” (GG: It’s hard to believe that God evolved the old “creation,” but created the new creation.) Theistic Evolution: A Hermeneutical Trojan Horse by Rick Phillips

Pediatricians: Homosexuality Not Genetic or Unchangable
The American College of Pediatricians: “There is no scientific evidence that anyone is born gay or transgendered. Therefore, the College further advises that schools should not teach or imply to students that homosexual attraction is innate, always life-long and unchangeable. Research has shown that therapy to restore heterosexual attraction can be effective for many people…

Dr. Francis Collins, former Director of the Genome Project, has stated that while homosexuality may be genetically influenced, it is “… not hardwired by DNA, and that whatever genes are involved represent predispositions, not predeterminations. He also states [that] “…the prominent role[s] of individual free will choices [has] a profound effect on us.

The National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (NARTH) recently released a landmark survey and analysis of 125 years of scientific studies and clinical experience dealing with homosexuality. This report, What Research Shows, draws three major conclusions:
(1) individuals with unwanted same sex attraction often can be successfully treated;
(2) there is no undue risk to patients from embarking on such therapy and
(3), as a group, homosexuals experience significantly higher levels of mental and physical health problems compared to heterosexuals. Among adolescents who claim a “gay” identity, the health risks include higher rates of sexually transmitted infections, alcoholism, substance abuse, anxiety, depression and suicide.”

(GG: My wife and I know 4 children who formerly acted gay. But my wife exhorted them, and they changed. We’ve also observed that adult, gay males act more feminine than females. They have to practice acting feminine because it is unnatural to them.) American College of Pediatricians: Homosexual Attraction is Neither Innate Nor Unchangeableby Kevin DeYoung

Family Worship Resources Bibliography
Teach your family to worship the Lord with this huge list of articles, sermons, books, and websites. Creating a Family Worship Time (A Compilation of Resources) by IBC Parents (HT:JG)

How to Pray for Revival in Your Church
“You can pray that God would move in way that results in:
* hundreds of people coming to Christ,
* old animosities being removed,
* marriages being reconciled and renewed,
* wayward children coming home,
* long-standing slavery to sin being conquered,
* spiritual dullness being replaced by vibrant joy,
* weak faith being replaced by bold witness,
* disinterest in prayer being replaced by fervent intercession,
* boring Bible reading being replaced by passion for the Word,
* disinterest in global missions being replaced by energy for Christ’s name among the nations, and
* lukewarm worship being replaced by zeal for the greatness of God’s glory.” Pray for an Awakening in Your Church by Justin Taylor

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Best Blogs Digest - March 2010

Thursday, April 1st, 2010

By Greg Gibson

What Is God Doing in Our Generation?
“This leads me to a few thoughts on the young, restless, reformed movement. I believe God is at work in the under-40 generation, doing something doctrinally, ecclesiologically, and doxologically healthy among many youngish Christians. Further, I believe this work of God is being mediated through a remarkable network of like-minded pastors, preachers, and scholars. I don’t know when there have been so many folks, often friends, saying and writing more or less the same things about the gospel, the atonement, the Scriptures, the glory of God, the doctrines of grace, the centrality of the church, the importance of preaching, the roles of men and women, and on and on it goes. We are blessed with an inordinate and growing number of good teachers, good books, good blogs, and good conferences…The goal is not to be a T4G-TGC-CHBC-ACE-PCA-SGM-DGM groupie. The goal is to know God, love God, and serve God–all of which can be helped, and is being helped, by the love for gospel truth in these groups (and many others).” A Generation of Bandwagon Jumpers by Kevin DeYoung

7 Counterfeit Gospels
“In one of his books (co-authored with Tim Lane), How People Change, he identifies seven counterfeit gospels—-’religious’ ways we try and ‘justify’ or ’save’ ourselves apart from the gospel of grace. I found these unbelievably helpful. Which one (or two, or three) of these do you tend to gravitate towards?”
1. Formalism
2. Legalism
3. Mysticism
4. Activism
5. Biblicism
6. Therapism
7. Social-ism
Counterfeit Gospels by Paul Tripp and Tullian Tchividjian

Which Theological Errors Lead to Hell?
“Where an issue falls within these categories should be determined by weighing the cumulative force of at least seven considerations:
1. biblical clarity;
2. relevance to the character of God;
3. relevance to the essence of the gospel;
4. biblical frequency and significance (how often in Scripture it is taught, and what weight Scripture places upon it);
5. effect on other doctrines;
6. consensus among Christians (past and present); and
7. effect on personal and church life.”
Levels of Doctrine by Justin Taylor

“But I Was Born That Way”(?)
“The key to answering this question—which usually arises in discussions about homosexuality and Christianity—is to insist (with the Bible) that genetic dispositions are not equal to sinful determiners. Our individual makeup and background provide the context for sin and may fuel the craving for sin but never alleviate the responsibility for our sin and the requirement that we imitate God’s holy character…Indeed, human beings are condemned by virtue of Adam’s sin (Rom. 5:16, 18). Such a radical view of sin in which we inherit a sinful nature from Adam means that sinful predispositions are part of our personalities from our inception. Hence, even if it were discovered that we are genetically predisposed to certain sinful behaviors like alcoholism or homosexuality, such discoveries would not eliminate our responsibility for our actions, nor would it suggest that such actions are no longer sinful. The Scriptures teach that we are born as sinners in Adam, while at the same time they insist we should not sin and are responsible for the sin we commit. We enter into the world as slaves of sin (Rom. 6:6, 17), but we are still morally blameworthy for capitulating to the sin that serves as our master.” Are We Still Responsible for Sins for Which We May Be Genetically Predisposed? by Justin Taylor and Thomas Schreiner

“Unless Your (Imputed or Imparted?) Righteousness Surpasses That of the Pharisees”
“In Matthew 5:20 Jesus at a pivotal point in His Sermon on the Mount utters the following serious warning: ‘For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven’…this context the question is not at all one of imputed righteousness, but of imparted righteousness. And it is a question of imparted righteousness as necessary in the day of judgment. First, we need to be clear that Jesus is not speaking our initial justification by faith. Entrance into the kingdom is eschatological here–as it often is in the synoptic gospels. Cf. Matt. 6:10; 8:11-12; 13:43; 25:34. This observation is confirmed by the consistently eschatological perspective of the blessings promised in each of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:3-10. It is also confirmed by the frequent references to the day of judgment in the comments of Jesus which follow (Matthew 5:22, 26, 29, and 30). It is further confirmed by the parallel passage in Matthew 7:21-23 where the scene of entrance into the kingdom of heaven is the day of judgment.” Is There a Future Justification by Works at the Day of Judgment? #6 by Sam Waldron

If Man Is Sovereign, Why Pray?
“If I [believe in libertarian freedom and] plead with God to remove my friend’s illness, that is not absurd, for God can answer that prayer without negating anyone’s freedom. But what about the request that God change the attitudes and actions of my friend’s tyrannical boss?…” If Libertarian Free Will Is True, Why Pray? by John Feinberg and Justin Taylor

Christ Rose Into the New Creation
“But the resurrection of Christ is also inaugurates something much broader—the re‐creation of the universe.” Christ’s Resurrection and the Dawn of the New Creation by Tony Reinke (HT:JT)

Universalism Refuted: Bibliography
“We recently had an email inquiry to The Gospel Coalition asking for resources on ‘Christian Universalism.’” Responding to “Christian Universalism” by Mike Pohlman

How to Lead Your Church in Prayer: 13 Tips
“1. Prepare. Some traditions use set prayers. Others rely on extemporaneous prayers. Both have their place. But I believe what our congregations need most are studied prayers. These prayers may or may not be read, but will be thought through ahead of time. Public prayer is often boring because little thought is put into it. There’s no training for it, no effort put it into it. An hour or two is not too long to spend in preparing a long, pastoral prayer.” Thirteen Tips for Leading the Congregation in Prayer by Kevin DeYoung

Piper Values Marriage Before Ministry
“…the elders graciously approved on March 22 a leave of absence that will take me away from Bethlehem from May 1 through December 31, 2010. We thought it might be helpful to put an explanation in a letter to go along with the sermon. I asked the elders to consider this leave because of a growing sense that my soul, my marriage, my family, and my ministry-pattern need a reality check from the Holy Spirit.” John Piper’s Upcoming Leave by John Piper

Zwemer: How to Pray for Muslims
Want to know how to pray for Muslims? See missionary Samuel Zwemer’s prayer for Muslims. Prayer for Muslim Lands by Kevin DeYoung

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Best Blogs Digest - Jan. 2010

Monday, February 1st, 2010

By Greg Gibson

Prevent Divorce by Believing the Gospel
“I once confronted a ‘Christian’ couple who were getting a divorce with this: Have you ever considered being Christlike and forgiving your spouse? But you don’t know what they have done! What about not being a unmerciful servant and forgiving the smaller debt of your spouse in light of the insurmountable debt you had cancelled in Christ on your behalf? But you just do not know Mike! How about expressing your new nature in Christ? What about the love of God poured into your heart through the Holy Spirit that was given to us? What about the new heart? What about the circumcised heart? What about love, joy patience, goodness, gentleness…etc. Why is your supposedly circumcised heart so hard? Why can you not forgive and allow Christ to do a miracle in your life/marriage? Why won’t you die to yourself? You can’t express the nature of Christ towards your spouse?…Why is that? I have a very good idea. We don’t believe the Gospel. Thats it. Our churches are packed full of people who do not believe the Gospel…If you can’t do that a home, you definitely can’t do that in the church.” Divorce and the Gospel by Lionel Woods

How to Live With an Ugly Wife
“It is said that she never provided him a sit-down meal at their home…When he returned home at night, he was not able to be in the same room with his wife because he would get a tongue-lashing, so he went to his study. But his wife controlled the coal bin and the oil for the lamp, allowing him no fire to warm himself or oil to light his lamp…Once, when the local Presbyterian pastors were gathered, a toast was offered for the wives of the pastors. The man offering the toast turned to Fraser and said, probably with a knowing smile, ‘You’ll want to offer a toast to your wife as well, James?’ “So I will and so I should,’ said Fraser. ‘For my wife has been better to me than all of yours put together!’ ‘How so?’ they asked, with their mouths agape. ‘My wife has driven me to my knees seven times a day, and that is more than any of your wives have done for you!’” Making the Best of an Ugly Wife by Jim Eliff

God Is Saving Thousands of Muslims
“Many Muslims are hungry for the gospel and thousands are coming to Christ every month. In the most recent issue of Mission Frontiers, David Taylor describes a few of these developments: In Iran, a strong underground church movement continues to emerge with thousands of house fellowships multiplying throughout the country. Surveys in the country indicate that Christian satellite broadcasting in Farsi, which began in the year 2000, is being viewed by well over half the population. Equally impressive are the results of radio and satellite broadcasting throughout the Arab world. One ministry, SAT7, has a regular audience of 8.5 million people. In North Africa, the Berbers are responding to the gospel in massive numbers, with one movement among the Kabyle encompassing several hundred thousand believers.” Open Doors in the Muslim World by Mark Rogers

The 50 Worst Countries for Christian Persecution
“The World Watch List (WWL) is a ranking of 50 countries where persecution of Christians for religious reasons is worst.”
1. North Korea
2. Iran
3. Saudi Arabia
4. Somalia
5. Maldives
World Watch List by Open Doors

Adding Jesus, Subtracting Idols
“Accepting Jesus” is not just adding Jesus. It is also subtracting the idols. What does it mean to “accept Jesus”? by Ray Ortlund

How to Become a Liberal Pastor by Seeking the Praise of Men
“Other pastors, having started as evangelicals, become liberal. It’s not that they begin to deny the Formula of Chalcedon or the Nicene Creed. It’s not that they reject the bodily resurrection of Christ or the virgin birth. It’s simply that, over the course of their ministry, sound doctrine increasingly takes a back seat to effective practice and the demands of a growing budget. Hard truths are replaced by happy thoughts, tips for a successful life, and programs designed to attract crowds whose content is devoted to making those crowds feel loved and accepted…No, I’m a pastor who loves Jesus because he’s God Incarnate and who loves the gospel because it’s true, regardless of how my life turns out. But I’m also a pastor at risk of becoming a liberal, because I don’t just love God. I also love the sheep. And I love myself. And it’s those two loves, wrongly focused, that tempt me down a gospel-denying path. LOVING THE SHEEP MORE THAN THE GOOD SHEPHERD” How to Become a Liberal Without Attending Harvard Divinity School by Michael Lawrence of 9Marks

Preaching Is Counseling
“What is interesting is that Scripture says very little about the kind of one-to-one application of the Word which biblical counseling represents; rather, the focus in the New Testament (and, indeed, in the Old) is upon the Word of God coming to the people as a whole and impacting the community of believers as a whole…does the rise in biblical counseling, and the growth in the number of biblical counselors, signal a crisis in confidence, not simply in the pulpit, but in the Word of God to achieve its purpose? Now, do not misunderstand me: I am not saying that counseling has no place, nor small group; but surely, if the biblical pattern is representative of healthy church life, then 95 percent of the problems addressed by counseling should actually be addressed and solved by simply proclaiming the perennial Word of God. Is it perhaps the case that fewer people would need counseling if more people actually listened prayerfully to what their pastors were telling them from the pulpit every Sunday morning?” The Therapy of the Word by Carl Trueman

Book Review: Depression, A Stubborn Darkness by Ed Welch
“There are three fundamental failures in Welch’s approach to depression. The first is that Welch does not seem to understand what depression is…The second failure is Welch’s misunderstanding of what causes depression…The third failure of the book should then be obvious. With no fundamental understanding of what depression is, or what causes it, we could hardly expect to find real answers or solutions and Welch offers none.” Book Review: Depression, A Stubborn Darkness by Donn Arms

55 Questions for Prospective Pastors
“It is not uncommon for a pastor to be opposed by the very people who at first enthusiastically promoted him. Why? Often it is because only surface communication took place between the potential pastor and the congregation before he assumed his position in the church. In our day it is possible for a pastor to be chosen for a church with almost no serious questions being asked, much less any doctrinal questions. This should never be the case. We suggest that churches seek the most complete dialogue possible about matters of doctrine, practice, and lifestyle. If the church fails to do so, the prospective pastor should call for it. This procedure protects both pastor and church.” Questions for a Prospective Pastor by Jim Eliff and Don Whitney

Outline of Packer’s “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God”
“The aim is to dispel the suspicion that belief in the absolute sovereignty of God hinders evangelism and to show that it actually strengthens evangelism…The book divides logically into four chapters. (See the outline of the book below.)” Summary and Outline of J. I. Packer’s “Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God” by Andy Naselli

Finding Christ in the Pentatech
“To all pastors and serious readers of the Old Testament—geek, uber geek, under geek, no geek—if you graduated from high school and know the word meaning, sell your latest Piper or Driscoll book and buy Sailhamer,” Piper blogged. “There is nothing like it. It will rock your world. You will never read the Pentateuch the same again.”…Backed by these endorsements, Sailhamer’s 610-page tome on the Bible’s first five books briefly broke into the top 100 in Amazon.com’s sales rankings…I take the view that the whole of the Pentateuch is about Christ, but that doesn’t mean that Christ is in the whole Pentateuch. Finding Christ in the Pentateuch means learning to see him when he is there rather than trying to see when he is not there. I like to tell my students that we don’t need to spiritualize the Old Testament to find Christ, but we do need to read it with spiritual eyes…I’ve found that if you show someone that Christ is really there in the Pentateuch and the Old Testament, they will come back to see more—not merely because they have come to revere the Pentateuch as a foundational book, but more importantly because they want to see more of Jesus…All the evangelism we read about in the book of Acts was the result of the gospel they proclaimed from the pages of the “Old Testament.” Finding Meaning in the Pentateuch by Colin Hansen (HT: JT)

An Inconsistent Postmodern Architect
“He said, ‘This is America’s first postmodern building.’ I was startled for a moment and I said, ‘What is a postmodern building?’ He said, ‘Well, the architect said that he designed this building with no design in mind. When the architect was asked, ‘Why?’ he said, ‘If life itself is capricious, why should our buildings have any design and any meaning?’ So he has pillars that have no purpose. He has stairways that go nowhere. He has a senseless building built and somebody has paid for it.’ I said, ‘So his argument was that if life has no purpose and design, why should the building have any design?’ He said, ‘That is correct.’ I said, ‘Did he do the same with the foundation?’ All of a sudden there was silence.” Postmodern Architecture by Ravi Zacharias via Justin Taylor

Edited 2/3/10

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Best Blogs Digest - December 2009

Thursday, December 31st, 2009

By Greg Gibson

Calvinist Pharisees
(GG: Beware of sanctification by theology alone.) “Here’s the first reason I’m a Pharisee and Calvinist, or, one reason why those two things happen together far more often than they should. The Pharisee and the Calvinist are both exacting persons. They care about precision, about ‘getting things right.’ They care about the letter because each believes getting the letter correct is important. And it is. So, there is this ‘bent’ toward intellectual things. There is this tendency to live in our heads. And when that meets with a theological tradition as rich and robust as the Reformed tradition, sparks fly–in our heads. Add to that a pinch of argumentative spirit and out comes the Pharisee. But you know what’s lost? The spirit, or the Spirit…But here’s the bottom line: As long as my inclination toward detail ends with “getting it right” and not with getting more of Jesus, I’m going to be a Pharisee. Our theology doesn’t keep us humble. Jesus keeps us humble. I think there are a lot of Calvinist Pharisees out there, like me, who push deeper into the theology trusting the next truth to abase them before God. But we keep getting “puffed up” instead. Why? We settle for knowing more rather than knowing Jesus. We don’t stop to sit at Christ’s feet, to adore Him, to commune with God the Spirit. Far too often, that’s not the goal we have in mind…Here’s the second reason I’m a Pharisee and Calvinist, or, another reason why those two things happen together far more often than they should. The Pharisee and the Calvinist are both suspicious. Now I’m suspicious of a lot of things, but I’ll just mention one. I’m suspicious of joy. Yep. Now, not my joy. That’s another problem. No. Like a good Pharisee, other people’s joy makes me nervous. Not all people. Just those people who don’t express their joy the precise way I think they should. You see, without the ‘appropriate bounds’ their joy just may make them careless, lead them to error, hurt the church and cause of Christ. Their joy is combustible; it’s dangerous. It’s enthusiasm and flights of fancy that need to ballast of sobriety and sound theology.” Calvinist Confessions 1 and Calvinist Confessions 2 by Thabite Anyabwile

The Top 10 Theology Stories of 2009
“Counting down the events, debates, and books that shaped evangelical theology over the past year.” My Top Ten Theology Stories of 2009 by Colin Hansen (HT: JT)

Which Doctrinal Truths Would You Die For?
“I often tell people that there are some things that I believe that I would die for; there are some things that I believe that I would lose an arm for; there are some things that I believe that I would lose a finger for; and then there are some things that I believe that I would not even get a manicure for….

1. Essential for salvation
2. Essential for historic Christian orthodoxy
3. Essential for traditional orthodoxy
4. Essential for denominational orthodoxy
5. Important but not essential
6. Not Important
7. Pure speculation”
Essentials and Non-Essentials by C. Michael Patton

Sanctification by Psychiatric Drugs Alone?
“Pretty soon, we are going to have a pill that will take care of every disorder and sin…Wow! Complete sanctification, from beginning to end, in a bottle…Is it possible that depression is often something that accomplishes the will of God more than being ‘happy’? Is it possible that anxiety is a tool God uses to help us recognize our need for him. Is it possible that giving kids meds to control their attention could be sterilizing their giftedness…Is it possible that these mind altering drugs are causing much more harm than good?” (GG: If you struggle with depression or other mental-emotional “disorders,” consider natural, nutritional supplements like 5-HTP, lithium orotate, Sam-e, St. John’s Wort, etc. Thousands of former-psychiatric drug users have testified that natural solutions work better, with far less side-effects.) “Let’s Make Mommy Happy” or Martin Luther on Zoloft by C. Michael Patton

Gospel Pictures in the Old Testament
The Abrahamic Covenant, Old Covenant and Law of Moses, Ten Commandments, Circumcision and Baptism, and the Sabbath Gospel Pictures by Mike Adams

Promises to Israel Fulfilled by Christ and Believers in Him
“Those who have faith in Christ are the children of Abraham (i.e. Israel) (Gal 3.7)” Church and Israel by Blake White

Greg Beale Articles and Audio
“Beale’s work in the area of biblical theology is very helpful, especially in relation to the way in which in New Testament uses the Old Testament.” Gregory K. Beale Resources by James Grant

Harmonizing Jesus’ Genealogies in Matthew and Luke
“So why are the genealogical trees in Matthew and Luke so different? Matthew begins his Gospel with Jesus’ genealogy, while Luke places it, strangely, between Jesus’ baptism and temptation. Matthew has an ascending list, moving from Abraham up to Jesus, while Luke has a descending list, moving from Jesus down to Adam. Matthew’s list is partial; Luke’s is complete. And most significantly, while the two lists are virtually identical from Abraham to David, they diverge greatly from David to Jesus…Are there difficulties in reconciling the genealogies? Can they be harmonized? The answer in both cases is yes. Matthew’s and Luke’s lists stem largely from Old Testament genealogies (see Gen. 10-11 and 1 Chron. 1-3) and Jewish sources, and the differences between the names occur largely because each evangelist was selective in whom he included.” Who Was Jesus’ Grandfather? by Grant Osborne

100% of Men Have Seen Porn
“’We started our research seeking men in their 20s who had never consumed pornography,’ said Professor Simon Louis Lajeunesse. ‘We couldn’t find any.’” How to overcome temptations to porn: 9 articles and 3 books. Porndemic by Justin Taylor

Child Abuse Recovery by Psalms Counseling
“David Powlison’s booklet is being posted online in two parts. As he talks through the issues of recovering from abuse, he suggests turning to Psalms 55, 56, and 57, using four different colored markers to mark four different strands. Here’s an excerpt:” Recovering from Child Abuse: Help and Healing for Victims by Justin Taylor

MacArthur Cremates Oral Roberts and TBN
“Oral Roberts was certainly the 20th century’s leading advocate of that idea. His prosperity doctrine laid the foundation for an enormous media-based religious system, and Oral Roberts was indeed its chief architect…One leading charismatic figure this week stated that without Oral Roberts’ influence, “the entire charismatic movement might not have occurred.” That may well be true…One thing all the obituaries agree on is that Oral Roberts paved the way for all the charismatic televangelists and faith-healers who dominate religious television today…The channel lineup I receive includes at least seven other channels whose schedules are filled with false teachers and charlatans. There’s The Church Channel, Daystar, GodTV, World Harvest Television (LeSEA), Total Christian Television, and several others…Like Tetzel on steroids, the Crouches and virtually all the key broadcasters on TBN live in garish opulence, while constantly begging their needy viewers for more money.” Measuing Oral Roberts Influence and Unholy Trinity by John MacArthur

Edited 1/2/10

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Best Blogs Digest - Nov. 2009

Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

by Greg Gibson

Does Being Christ-Centered Lead to Imbalanced Trinitarianism?
“Does ‘Christocentrism’ betray an asymetrical trinitarianism that neglects the Father and the Spirit?…Christocentrism can happily co-exist ith orthodox trinitarianism because (1) it is only through Christ that we kow of the Trinity, and (2) the Trinity itself is Christ-centered.” Christ-centered hermeneutics, salvation-history, preaching, evangelism, and sanctification. Christocentrism: An Asymmetrical Trinitarianism? by Dane C. Ortlund

Christ-Centered Preaching: Every Message or Every Ministry?
“Here Hood points out that the NT sees the OT stories as both pointing to Christ and given as moral encouragement, warning, in sum as examples. The book of James references four OT characters and the prophets all of whom are used as examples for the guidance of NT believers (Jas. 2:14-26; 5:10-28). The author of Hebrews appears to challenge Chapell’s disavowal of ‘be like’ interpretation; he repeatedly mentions believers as models of active faith in the face of difficulty. Parables also routinely call hearers to imitate the character in the story. The ‘be like’ emphasis seems entirely appropriate in the parable of the wise builder (Matt. 7:24-27), the wise virgins and investors (Matt 25:1-30) and the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-27). Jesus even concludes some of the parables with the words, ‘Go and do likewise.’” Christ-Centered Interpretation Only? by Patrick Schreiner (HT:TW)

“Hood’s major concern is that the positive push to interpret Christ in all the Scripture has led pastors and scholars to sometimes overlook and even belittle moral instruction. In response, Hood cites several New Testament examples to make the case for moral instruction. Writing in Romans 15:4, the apostle Paul says, “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Similarly, he writes in 1 Corinthians 10:6, “Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.” According to Hood, these passages show that Christians don’t just see Jesus in the Old Testament. They also see themselves. Paul says the Old Testament offers believers encouragement and warning. Surveying the New Testament, Hood finds several examples of the exhortation some Christ-centered interpreters denigrate. Chastising the selfish Corinthians, Paul shows them Christ’s way of self-sacrifice (1 Cor. 2:2). The “hall of faith” in Hebrews 11:2-12:4 showcases Old Testament believers worthy of imitation. And who can forget Jesus’ parable of the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), which he concludes, “Go and do likewise.” After amassing this evidence, Hood writes, “Claims that we only teach and preach Christ and that every sermon must be focused squarely on Christ are misguided. Hood acknowledges that a compelling apology for the Christ-centered interpretation comes from the road to Emmaus: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself” (Luke 24:27). Still, Hood wants interpreters to proceed with caution. Luke notes only that many passages testify to Christ, not that every passage leads to Christ.” (GG: John Frame is correct: Every ministry, not every message, should be Christ-centered.) Christ-Centered Cautions by Colin Hansen

Sanctification by Anti-Idolatry: Is All Sin Really Idolatry?
“I have noticed that couching sin in terms of idolatry seems increasingly to mark some recent attempts to communicate the gospel to a new generation. Judging from common counseling approaches, best-selling books and blogosphere endorsements that extol this idolatry model, I doubt mine is an isolated observation. Which leads me to ask: In the increasingly fashionable world of Reformed Christianity, is idolatry becoming the new sin?…This take on idolatry speaks of sin not so much as “doing bad things” as it does “making good things into ultimate things.” In this model, sinners do not so much commit a crime as elevate good things of life beyond their proper place…idolatry-oriented approach to the sin problem…defining sin in these terms of idolatry harbors at least two defects: first, it misreads the biblical examples of genuine idolatry; and second, and even more importantly, it diminishes both the essence and the effects of sin…This reality is reflected in part in the Scriptural correlation that “greed” (or “covetousness”) is “idolatry” (Col 3:5; cf. Eph 5:6). That statement literally does not say that it is the thing (the supposedly overly-valued “good” thing) that is the idol. That statement literally says it is the wanting, the craving condition of man’s heart, not so much the thing that is craved, that is idolatrous.”

(GG: Six Concerns About “Hyper-Anti-Idolatry”:
1. God’s law is summarized by love (not idolatry).
2. The NT spiritualizes idolatry only twice [Eph. 5:5; Col. 3:5]. Beware of emphasizing it more than the NT.
3. Greed is both idolatry and false lordship (Mt. 6:24). But we don’t use lordship as the organizing key to sin or sanctification.
4. The Prophets called idolatry (spiritual) “adultery.” But we don’t use adultery as the organizing key to sin or sanctification.
5. Sanctification is multi-faceted, with no reductionistic, simplistic key.
6. Over-emphasis on spiritual idolatry leads to introspectionism, instead of Christ-centeredness. Not every sin has hidden motives.
In summary, be conscious of spiritual idolatry, but beware of hyper-anti-idolatry. Balance, balance, balance!) Is Idolatry the New Sin? by Carlton Wynne

N.T. Wright Converting Protestants to Rome
(Francis) “Beckwith told Christianity Today, ‘I have met several former evangelical Protestants who have told me that Wright’s work in particular helped them to better appreciate the Catholic view of grace.’ Also, Taylor Marshall, director of the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C., said he speaks with new Catholic converts every month, about half of whom have been ‘deeply influenced’ by Wright. Isn’t that interesting? N.T. Wright and Rome by Blake White

Prayerlessness Is Unbelief
“Almost all of us want to pray more frequently, and yet our lives seem too disordered. But in God’s mind our messy, chaotic lives are an impetus to prayer instead of an obstacle to prayer…If you know you are needy and believe that God helps the needy, you will pray. Conversely, if we seldom pray, the problem goes much deeper than a lack of organization and follow through. The heart that never talks to God is the heart that trusts in itself and not in the power of God. Prayerlessness is unbelief.” Prayerlessness Is Unbelief by Kevin DeYoung

Six Things for Which Paul Gave Thanks
“1. He was thankful for their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, 1, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon).
2. He was thankful for their love for all the saints (Ephesians, Colossians, 1, 2 Thessalonians, Philemon).
3. He was thankful for their steadfastness, especially in trial (1, 2 Thessalonians).
4. He was thankful for their spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians).
5. He was thankful for their partnership in the gospel (Philippians).
6. He was thankful for their history and mutual affection (2 Timothy).” How Did Paul Give Thanks? by Kevin DeYoung

Pastor-Author Donates 90% of His Income
“According to one comment he made in a sermon, Chan gives away about 90 percent of his income (though his church administrator preferred the phrase “most of his income”). Chan doesn’t take a salary from his church, and his book royalties, which total about $500,000, mostly go to organizations like International Justice Mission, which rescues sex slaves in foreign countries. The Chans often open their home to families who need a place to stay. One of Cornerstone’s community pastors, Bill Lucas, lived with Chan for nine months, and says he “lives out what he says.” Francis Chan by Blake White

Christian Rap Sounds Like Speaking in Tongues
This is my first (and last?) time to listen to Christian rap. If the lyrics weren’t printed, I couldn’t understand them. “Unless you speak intelligible words with your tongue, how will anyone know what you are saying?” (1 Cor. 14:9). And I found the music rather irritating. “The fruit of the Spirit is…peace” (Gal. 5:22). Nevertheless, praise God for the beautiful gospel lyrics. “The important thing is that in every way…Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice” (Phil. 1:28). I have to wonder if the Lord would use this brother’s ministry even more if the lyrics were wrapped in a more beautiful package? The Greatest Story Ever Told by Shai Linne

Free, Church Bulletin Inserts
“Free downloadable bulletin inserts for personal or church use.” (GG: Theologically faithful and well-written.) Church Bulletin Inserts by Jim Eliff and CCW

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Best Blogs Digest - October 2009

Monday, November 2nd, 2009
By Greg Gibson

What You Must Believe If You Are a Premillennialist
“If you watched or listened to the eschatology roundtable discussion at Desiring God, you heard Sam Storms make the case that when Christ returns, the NT is clear that a number of things will end at that time (sin, corruption, death) and a number of things will begin at that time (our physical resurrection, final judgment, new heavens and new earth). In other words, when Christ returns, it’s “curtains” on sin and death. But in Premillennialism, there are still a thousand years of sin and death and corruption.” What You Must Believe If You Are a Premillennialist and “Thrones” in Revelation by Sam Storms

How to Attract the Next Generation
(GG: Everything said here about how to reach youth could also apply to how to reach postmoderns. Forget the philosophizing. Simply amaze them with God!)

“You just have to be like Jesus. That’s it. So the easy part is you don’t have to be with it. The hard part is you have to be with Him. If you walk with God and walk with people, you’ll reach the next generation. Let me unpack that a bit. After thinking through the question for over a year, I’ve come up five suggestions for pastors, youth workers, campus staff, and for anyone else who wants to pass the faith on to the next generation: Grab them with passion. Win them with love. Hold them with holiness. Challenge them with truth. Amaze them with God.” Grab Them With Passion by Kevin DeYoung

“Jesus said it best: ‘By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another’…Jesus did not say ‘They will know you are my disciples by how attune you are to new trends in youth culture.’ Or ‘They will know you are my disciples by the hip atmosphere you create.’ Give up on relevance, and try love. If they see love in you, love for each other, love for the world, and love for them, they will listen. No matter who the ‘they’ are.” Win Them With Love by K.D.

“What I’m saying is that being experts in the culture matters nothing, and worse than nothing, if we are not first of all experts in love, truth, and holiness. Look at what God says in 2 Peter 1:5-8…For if these qualities are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Did you pick up on the promise in the last verse? If we are growing in faith, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection, and love, we will not be ineffective ministers for Christ. If ever there was a secret to effective ministry, these verses give it to us. Grow in God and you’ll make a difference in people’s lives.” Hold Them With Holiness by K.D.

“Doctrine and preaching—88% said the doctrine led them to their church and 90% said the preaching led them there, in particular, pastor who preached with certitude and conviction.” Challenge Them With Truth by K.D.

“If only I would trust God that God is enough to win the hearts and minds of the next generation. It’s his work much more than it is mine or yours. So make him front and center. Don’t preach your doubts as mystery. And don’t reduce God to your own level. If ever people were starving for a God the size of God, surely it is now.” Amaze Them With God by K.D.

Purity, Sex, and Marriage Books
See this helpful annotated bibliography. Sexual Detox: Recommended Resources by Tim Challies

Tom Schreiner’s Theology Articles
Learn from Schreiner’s journal articles on topics including God’s law, book reviews, and more. Thomas R. Schreiner by Thomas Schreiner

Propitiation as the Ground of Christus Victor
“So it’s not Christus Victor (Christ defeating his enemies) instead of propitiation (Christ bearing God’s wrath)–rather, it’s Christus Victor because of propitiation. Both are gloriously important, but only in that order.” Propitiation as the Ground of Christus Victor by Justin Taylor

Critiques of the Missional Church
“I have no idea when exactly conservative evangelicals co-opted the term “missional.” [9] My guess is that conservative writers and pastors in the emerging church movement like Mark Driscoll, after tromping through some of the same fields as their liberal counterparts, reached down, pulled up the missional plant by the roots, and then transplanted it into conservative soil.” What in the World is a Missional Church by Jonathan Leeman

“1. What are the Strengths of Missional Churches?
    A. Missional Churches Have a Commendable Passion for Evangelism.
    B. Missional Churches Have a Laudable Commitment to Engaging Culture.
    C. Missional Churches Have a Profitable Impulse for Reexamining Church Tradition.
    D. They Also Possess an Admirable Devotion to Social Impact.
2. What are the Weaknesses of Missional Churches?
    A. Missional Churches Tend to Be Mission-Centered Rather Than Gospel-Centered.
    B. Missional Churches Tend to Have a Reductionistic Ecclesiology.
    C. Missional Churches Tend to Confuse Culture Engagement with Cultural Immersion.
    D. Missional Churches Tend to Downplay the Institutional and Organizational Nature of the Church.
    E. Missional Churches Tend to Have an Insufficient Understanding of Apostolic Ministry.” Critiquing the Missional Movement by Tony Reinke

Seminary Training On Campus, Online, or Where?
(GG: The advantages and disadvantages of seminary training on campus, extension centers, Internet classes, J-Terms, and independent study.) “There is no ‘best’ option for taking seminary courses. Each of the options has been helpful to me, depending upon my stage in life and ministry. The best thing a prospective student can do is consider the positives and negatives and figure out which option best suits the current need.” Seminary Online, by Extension or On-Campus? by Trevin Wax

Muslim Population Growing to 1 in 4 People Worldwide
“Nearly one in four people worldwide is Muslim — and they are not necessarily where you might think, according to an extensive new study that aims to map the global Muslim population…There are about 1.57 billion Muslims in the world, according to the report, ‘Mapping the Global Muslim Population,’ by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. That represents about 23 percent of the total global population of 6.8 billion.” Nearly 1 in 4 people worldwide is Muslim, report says by CNN

Evolution’s Missing Link Disappears
“Remember Ida, the fossil discovery announced last May with its own book and TV documentary? A publicity blitz called it “the link” that would reveal the earliest evolutionary roots of monkeys, apes and humans…The new analysis says Darwinius does not belong in the same primate category as monkeys, apes and humans. Instead, the analysis concluded, it falls into the other major grouping, which includes lemurs.” ‘Missing link’ primate isn’t a link after all by MSNBC

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Best Blogs Digest - September 2009

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

By Greg Gibson

God’s Presence From Eden, to the Temple, to the New Earth
Understand God’s redemptive-historical plan to expand His glorious presence from the Garden, to the Temple, to the New Earth. Much of this material is taken from the book “The Temple and the Church’s Mission: A Biblical Theology of the Dwelling Place of God by G.K. Beale. Two sermons: “Why Is the New Heaven and the New Earth Equated with the Temple?” Highest recommendation. Part 1 and Part 2 by G.K. Beale

12 Reasons Why Adam Was a Real, Historical Person
“But the twelve observations above indicate that the historicity of Adam is a thread woven all the way through the Bible’s history, theology, and ethics. Pull out that thread and sooner or later the whole garment will unravel.” Was Adam a Real Historical Individual? by James Anderson

Biblical Counseling Training
Where can you find training in Biblical counseling (as opposed to psychological counseling)? Top Choices for Counselor Training by Rick Thomas, and Biblical Counseling Training by 9 Marks

New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ by Schreiner
“Christ the Center was pleased to welcome Dr. Thomas R. Schreiner to discuss New Testament Theology: Magnifying God in Christ. Dr. Schreiner’s book has been warmly welcomed by many respected scholars in the reformed community and listeners will understand why when they hear Dr. Schreiner detail his project.” New Testament Theology by Thomas Schreiner

Evangelizing Headhunters and Cannibals
“’There are lots of unreached tribes in Papua New Guinea. Some of them are cannibalistic and hostile headhunting tribes; they are completely unreached by the gospel. Come with me brother – Let’s go get some of them for Jesus.’…There’s an important difference between unevangelized and unreached peoples. Unevangelized people are unconverted individuals in places where there are established churches. Unreached peoples are those that live in regions where there are no churches and no access to the evangelical gospel in their culture. And to answer your question about the present trend; 96% of the missionary work force is still laboring in unevangelized, but not truly unreached regions. Here it is again – 9 out of 10 Christian missionaries that go cross-cultural are still going to reached places! Here’s still another way to say it – Something like 90% of all “ministers” worldwide are concentrating on only 2% of the world’s population! We are massively overly evangelizing places where the gospel is already well planted! I believe that we need a substantial strategic redeployment of the missionary workforce to the areas where there is still no access to the evangelical gospel.” Interview With David Sitton

“Stop Dating Churches, and Marry One”
Why join a church?
“1. Make visible your commitment to Christ and his people…
2. Makes a powerful statement in a low-commitment culture…
3. We can be overly independent…
4. Keeps us accountable…
5. Help your pastor and elders be more faithful shepherds…
6. Gives you an opportunity to make promises.”
Why Membership Matters by Kevin DeYoung

Diversity in Musical Style, Unity in Christ-Centered Lyrics
“I believe it very good for our churches to sing songs from different eras, traditions, and styles…Songs with 101-level truths should not be the staple of our musical diet, but they should be on our plate…Imagine if the church stopped singing new songs after the Reformation just because the songs were new. No “And Can it Be,” no “Amazing Grace,” no “Holy, Holy, Holy.”…Christ–sung in our songs, called up in our prayers, and heralded in the preaching–will be the glue that holds us together, and not music. That’s the kind of unity in diversity worth celebrating.” In Defense of Musical Diversity by Kevin DeYoung

History of “Grace to You” With John MacArthur
“This year marks the ministry’s 40th anniversary…And within 5 years the ministry was distributing a million tapes a year. (We get that many downloads in a typical month today.)…How many employees does GTY have? Around 50 full time plus 175 volunteers who donate time and energy every week…Our annual budget today is about $17.9 million.” Meet the Ministries: Grace to You by Tim Challies

A Self-Worshiper vs. a God-Worshiper
“There was a stark difference between the two acceptance speeches. As I listened to the two speeches, all I could think of was the old commercial catchphrase, “Like Mike… If I could be like Mike.” Unfortunately, in this instance, Mike was the last person anyone should aspire to be like. This was definitely not a Michael Jordan highlight. Jordan’s Speech was self-centered, indulgent, arrogant, and at times embarrassing. In contrast, David Robinson rose to the occasion and made a brief, inspiring, encouraging speech (see his speech here) that made his family, his team, and his friends proud.
David Elevated Others…Mike Elevated Mike
David Honored His Family…Mike Honored Himself
David Was Brief…Mike Was Indulgent
David Honored God…Mike Honored Basketball
David sees His Legacy in His Family…Mike sees His…in His Highlights”
Be Like David… Not Like Mike by Voddie Baucham

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