Month: March 2007

Tim Keller Is Making Art To The Glory Of God

Tim Keller and Charlie Peacock among other writers, art historians, actors, musicians, poets, and artists have contributed to It Was Good: Making Art to the Glory of God. This book seeks to answer the question: “What does it mean to be a creative individual who is a follower of the creative God?” through a series of essays which offer theoretical and practical insights into artmaking from a Christian perspective. It Was Good runs over 300 pages and features full color artwork throughout by over fifty artists as diverse as Michelangelo, Edward Knippers {I love this guy!!!! Knippers was very influential in my early years of painting as I struggled with nudity in Christian art and I caused some mayhem at the conservative Southern Baptist college I was attending over my graphic senior art exhibit} , Howard Finster, Tim Hawkinson, Dayton Castleman, Rembrandt, Karen Mulder, Mary McCleary, Matthew Clark and Peter Mollenkof.

This should be my next purchase!

Prayer and Preaching

I am notorious for reading 15,000,00 books at one time. My list to the right, however, does not reflect what I am reading now. I have not updated it for many months now {as pointed out by Mike at The Missional Position} . See his comments here. But, I am finishing Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor” which is my “Puritan of the Month Read” for March, and was struck by these words:

“Our whole work must be carried on under a deep sense of our own insufficiency, and of our entire dependence on Christ. We must go for light, and life, and strength to him who sends us on the work. And when we feel our own faith weak, and our hearts dull, and unsuitable to so great a work as we have to do, we must have recourse to him, and say, ‘Lord, wilt thou send me with such an unbelieving heart to persuade others to believe? Must I daily plead with sinners about everlasting life and everlasting death, and have no more belief or feeling of these weighty things myself? O, send me not naked and unprovided to the work; but, as thou commandest me to do it, furnish me with a spirit suitable thereto.’ Prayer must carry on our work as well as preaching: he preacheth not heartily to his people, that prayeth not earnestly for them. If we prevail not with God to give them faith and repentance, we shall never prevail with them to believe and repent. When our own hearts are so far out of order, and theirs so far out of order, if we prevail not with God to mend and help them, we are like to make but unsuccessful work.”

Words that need heeding…

Click here for more info or to join the “Puritan of the Month Club”…our April book looks promising!

Pastoral Burnout

Mark Driscoll has blogged at The Resurgence about how his body is wearing down from pastoring and preaching at one of the fastest growing churches in America, Mars Hill. Obviously the Lord has/is blessing Mark’s ministry, but I must admit that I question his rationale for keeping up this hectic speaking schedule {he preaches at least 4 times a Sunday}.

Now, before you throw stones, let me tell you that I love this guy. I listen to his sermons, have read his books, and I think very highly of him. You can say that I’m a fan. I think he’s great. But here’s my problem with some megachurches. And before you throw stones, let me say that I see nothing wrong with them. The more people we can reach with the Gospel, the better. And video services I have no problem with either. Use technology, go for it. Extend the kingdom.

Here’s my issue. As a preacher, I know it is physically demanding to preach when you put your soul into it. I have heard it said that preaching for one hour is equivalent to 8 hours of hard manual labor. I can’t prove it, but I would agree. It takes a toll on you. My problem, or rather, question to those pastors who preach extensively in one day/weekend often enough that its causing physical issues is: why not bring on another pastor who is an equally qualified, gifted teacher who can help carry the load? Surely there are gifted teaching pastors out there looking for a ministry position? Might you alternate?

This is just me wondering about my fellow brothers out there who are over-extending themsleves. Mark, if you happen to read this, and I doubt you will, keep up the good work. I’m praying for you. I hope you multiply abundantly and reach even more of Seattle with the Gospel. I pray that you plant more churches. I hope that God opens more opportunities for you to write books, speak at conferences, raise up elders, etc because we need you. I only hope that you and the other gifted brothers who have a large platform will find a way to do it, but not have to do it all yourself.

For Those of You Who Preach

Couldn’t resist copying this from Justin Taylor’s blog…file it under GOLD.

This is Charles Spurgeon’s recipe for church growth:

My good ministering brother, have you got an empty church? Do you want to fill it? I will give you a good recipe, and if you will follow it, you will, in all probability, have your chapel full to the doors.

Burn all your manuscripts, that is No. 1. Give up your notes, that is No. 2. Read your Bible and preach it as you find it in the simplicity of its language. And give up all your Latinized English. Begin to tell the people what you have felt in your own heart, and beseech the Holy Spirit to make your heart as hot as a furnace for zeal. Then go out and talk to the people. Speak to them like their brother. Be a man amongst men. Tell them what you have felt and what you know, and tell it heartily with a good, bold face; and, my dear friend, I do not care who you are, you will get a congregation.

But if you say, “Now, to get a congregation, I must buy an organ.”

That will not serve you a bit.

“But we must have a good choir.”

I would not care to have a congregation that comes through a good choir.

“No,” says another, “but really I must a little alter my style of preaching.”

My dear friend, it is not the style of preaching, it is the style of feeling. People sometimes begin to mimic other preachers, because they are successful. Why, the worst preachers are those who mimic others, whom they look upon as standards preach naturally. Preach out of your hearts just what you feel to be true, and the old soul-stirring words of the gospel will soon draw a congregation. “Where the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.”

But if it ended there, what would be the good of it? If the congregation came and listened to the sound, and then went away unsaved, of what use would it be? But in the next place, Christ acts as a net to draw men unto him. The gospel ministry is, in God’s Word, compared to a fishery; God’s ministers are the fishermen, they go to catch souls, as fishermen go to catch fish.

How shall souls be caught? They shall be caught by preaching Christ. Just preach a sermon that is full of Christ, and throw it unto your congregation, as you throw a net into the sea; —you need not look where they are, nor try to fit your sermon to different cases; but, throw it in, and as sure as God’s Word is what it is, it shall not return to him void; it shall accomplish that which he pleases, and prosper in the thing whereto he hath sent it.

The gospel never was unsuccessful yet, when it was preached with the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. It is not fine orations upon the death of princes, or the movements of politics which will save souls. If we wish to have sinners saved and to have our churches increased; if we desire the spread of God’s kingdom, the only thing whereby we can hope to accomplish the end, is the lifting up of Christ; for, “I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me.”

Read the whole sermon, Christ Lifted Up (preached July 5, 1857).

Ancient Treasures of the Holy Land Exhibit

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If you live in or will be traveling to the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, there is an exhibit that might interest you. “Ancient Treasures of the Holy Land” features more than 350 artifacts, including portions of the Dead Sea Scrolls that are for the first time being displayed in the U.S., an ossuary believed by some to hold the bones of Simon of Cyrene, who carried the cross for Jesus, lamps and pottery from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, weapons, jars, etc.

It will also feature an interactive children’s area with an archaeological dig and a restaurant serving first-century meals, ala lentil soup, hummus and pita bread.

WHEN: Wednesday March 14th through July 28th.
WHERE: Embarcadero Building at Fair Park, 3809 Grand Ave., Dallas
HOURS: 10 A.M. to 7 P.M. Sunday through Thursday, and 10 A.M. to 9 P.M. Friday and Saturday
COST: At the door, $16.95 adults, $13.95 senior citizens, $6.95 for children 6-13. Children under 6 admitted free. Adults $10 if purchased online in March. Children’s archaeological dig is $5 and requires reservations.
DETAILS: Call 866-698-5333 or visit www.holyland1.com for more info and other discount options

TULIP

Gunny over at the Semper Reformanda blog tills the ground around our favorite flower in the garden: TULIP. Its a good post, check it out. He’s a good friend, a great thinker, {and I even made an “A” in his church history class at DTS!!}. Thanks for giving me extra credit for that paper on federalism! I know you don’t remember, that was over 6 or 7 years ago, but I do. I needed that to make up for bombing that first test! Grace, grace indeed!

Losing Faith: How Scholarship Affects Scholars

From the Biblical Archaeolgical Society:

“Several media stories recently reported that Bart Ehrman, a leading expert on the apocryphal gospels and one of BAS’s most popular lecturers, had lost his faith as a result of his scholarly research. This raised a question for us that is not often talked about, but seemed well worth a discussion: What effect does scholarship have on faith? We asked Bart to join three other scholars to talk about this: James F. Strange, a leading archaeologist and Baptist minister; Lawrence H. Schiffman, a prominent Dead Sea Scroll scholar and Orthodox Jew; and William G. Dever, one of America’s best-known and most widely quoted archaeologists, who had been an evangelical preacher, then lost his faith, then became a Reform Jew and now says he’s a non-believer. The discussion took place in the offices of the Biblical Archaeology Society on November 19, 2006, and was moderated by BAR editor Hershel Shanks.”

You can read the interview here.

Free Starbucks!

Get a free cup of coffee at Starbucks from 10 a.m. to noon March 15.

Next Thursday, all company-operated and licensed Starbucks stores in the U.S., Canada, and other countries will give away free Tall (12-ounce) cups of coffee to anyone who drops by for the second annual Starbucks Coffee Break.

And while you’re there, pick up a CUSTOMER COMMENT CARD, which are usually located at the condiment bar, and fill it out requesting Starbucks to get on board with the free wi-fi revolution that will eventually be available in every major city! Or, click here to fill one out online. Don’t you want to check your email in a Starbucks without having to pay for it?

Hello, My Father Just Died

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Pastor John Piper’s father died yesterday. This is Pastor John’s journal entry a few hours later at 2 A.M. Very moving. May it serve to remind us of the shortness of life, the frailty of our own lives, the unswerving commitment of some to spread the Gospel, and be a fresh challenge to our own souls to love this great and incredible God that we serve with all of our heart, soul, mind and strength:

Tuesday, March 6, 2007. 2 a.m.

The big hospital clock in room 4326 of Greenville Memorial Hospital said, with both hands straight up, midnight. Daddy had just taken his last breath. My watch said 12:01, March 6, 2007.

I had slept a little since his last morphine shot at ten. One ear sleeping, one on the breathing. At 11:45, I awoke. The breaths were coming more frequently and were very shallow. I will not sleep again, I thought. For ten minutes, I prayed aloud into his left ear with Bible texts and pleadings to Jesus to come and take him. I had made this case before, and this time felt an unusual sense of partnership with Daddy as I pressed on the Lord to relieve this warrior of his burden.

I finished and lay down. Good. Thank you, Lord. It will not be long. And, grace upon grace, hundreds of prayers are being answered: He is not choking. The gurgling that threatened to spill over and drown him in the afternoon had sunk deep, and now there was simple clear air, shorter and shorter. I listened from where I lay next to him on a foldout chair.

That’s it. I rose and waited. Will he breathe again? Nothing. Fifteen or twenty seconds, and then a gasp. I was told to expect these false endings. But it was not false. The gasp was the first of two. But no more breaths. I waited, watching. No facial expressions. His face had frozen in place hours before. One more jerk. That was all. Perhaps an eyebrow twitch a moment later. Nothing more.

I stroked his forehead and sang,

My gracious Master and My God
Assist me to proclaim
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of thy name.

Daddy, how many thousands awaited you because of your proclamation of the great gospel. You were faithful. You kept the faith, finished the race, fought the fight. “Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous mammon that they might receive you into eternal habitations.”

I watched, wondering if there could be other reflexes. I combed his hair. He always wore a tie. The indignities of death are many, but we tried to minimize them. Keep the covers straight. Pull the gown up around his neck so it looks like a sharp turtleneck. Tuck the gappy shoulder slits down behind so they don’t show. Use a wet washcloth to keep the secretions from crusting in the eyelashes. And by all means, keep his hair combed. So now I straightened his bedding and combed his hair and wiped his eyes and put the mouth moisturizer on his lips and tried to close his mouth. His mouth would not stay closed. It had been set in that position from hours and hours of strained breathing. But he was neat. A strong, dignified face.

I called my sister Beverly first, then Noël. Tearfully we gave thanks. Get a good night’s rest. I will take care of things here with the doctor and the nurses and the mortuary arrangements. I will gather all our things and take them back to the motel. “I wish I had been there,” Beverly lamented. Yes. That is good. But don’t let that feeling dominate now. In the days to come, you will look back with enormous gratitude for the hundreds of hours you gave serving Daddy. It is my turn to be blessed.

The nurse came to give him his scheduled morphine shot. As she walked toward me I said, “He won’t need that any more.” “Is he gone?” “Yes. And thank you so much for your ministry to him.” “I will notify the doctor so he can come and verify. I will leave you alone.” “Yes, thank you.”

The doctor in his green frock came at 12:40 and listened with his stethoscope to four different places on Daddy’s chest. Then he pulled back the sheet and said, “I must apply some pain stimuli to his nail base to see if he reacts. Then he used his flashlight to test Daddy’s eyes. “The nurse supervisor will come and get the information we need about the mortuary.” Thank you.

Alone again, I felt his cheeks. Finally cool after the fevered and flushed fight. I felt his nose, as though I were blind. Then I felt mine. I thought, very soon my nose will be like your nose. It is already like your nose.

The nurse came. No thank you, an autopsy will not be necessary. Mackey Mortuary on Century Drive. My name is John, his son. My cell phone is . . . . “You may stay as long as you like.” Thank you. I will be leaving soon.

Now I just look at him. Nothing has changed in his face here in the darkness of this dim light. Just no movement. But I have watched his chest so long—even now, was that a slight rise and fall? No, surely not. It’s like sailing on the sea for days. On the land the waves still roll.

He has four-day’s beard and dark eyes. I lift an eyelid to see him eye to eye. They are dilated.

Thank you, Daddy. Thank you for sixty-one years of faithfulness to me. I am simply looking into his face now. Thank you. You were a good father. You never put me down. Discipline, yes. Spankings, yes. But you never scorned me. You never treated me with contempt. You never spoke of my future with hopelessness in your voice. You believed God’s hand was on me. You approved of my ministry. You prayed for me. Everyday. That may be the biggest change in these new days: Daddy is no longer praying for me.

I look you in the face and promise you with all my heart: Never will I forsake your gospel. O how you believed in hell and heaven and Christ and cross and blood and righteousness and faith and salvation and the Holy Spirit and the life of holiness and love. I rededicate myself, Daddy, to serve your great and glorious Lord Jesus with all my heart and with all my strength. You have not lived in vain. Your life goes on in thousands. I am glad to be one.

I kissed him on his cold cheek and on his forehead. I love you, Daddy. Thank you.

It was 12:55 as I walked out of room 4326. Just before the elevators on the fourth floor in the lounge, a young man in his twenties was sitting alone listening to his iPod with headphones. I paused. Then I walked toward him. He stopped his music. Hello, my father just died. One of the greatest tributes I could pay to him is to ask you, Are you ready to meet God? “Yes, Sir.” That would make my father very happy. You know Jesus is the only way? “Yes, Sir.” Good. Thank you for letting me talk to you.

As I drove out of the parking lot, I stopped. The moon was a day past full. It was cold—for Greenville. I looked at this great hospital. Thank you, Lord, for this hospital. I will probably never lay eyes on it again.

Biblical Eldership

The new 9 Marks March/April newsletter/web update is now out and available here. This month looks excellent with some great articles and studies on biblical eldership. Here’s a plug from the editor, Jonathan Leeman:

“This fall I read Timothy Laniak’s book Shepherds After My Own Heart, which provides an excellent biblical theology of the shepherding metaphor throughout Scripture (my review of the book below). While reading, I kept thinking that he needed to turn it into a study guide for elders. I even thought about emailing Professor Laniak—whom I don’t know—with my stellar suggestion.

Paul Alexander made this email unnecessary. Gladly stealing the fruit of Laniak’s careful study, Pastor Alexander translated Laniak’s book into four separate lessons for the elders of his own church, which we reproduce here for you. Alexander’s lessons were not written with a web audience in mind. They are long and full of Scripture. Pastor, let me recommend printing them out, and reading them meditatively. Then send them to your fellow elders. They describe the heart of what God has called all of you to be.

As long as we’re talking about training elders, take a look at what First Presbyterian in Jackson does, as well as what THE Bill Mounce has to offer.

Matt Schmucker and the other elders at Capitol Hill Baptist offer several reflections on living and surviving as an elder amidst the many difficulties of the work. Finally, Thabiti Anyabwile’s article on following leaders, I believe, is worth cutting and pasting into one of your church newsletters. It will serve you, the congregation, and the glory of God. You’ll see what I mean.”

Looks like their some gold here, so read on brothers, meditate on what it means to be an elder in God’s church and love and serve your congregation!

Preaching the Cross

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Crossway Books will release a new book next month “Preaching the Cross” — with contributors Mark Dever, J. Ligon Duncan, Al Mohler, C.J. Mahaney, John MacArthur, John Piper, and R.C. Sproul. Here’s a description:

“Proclaiming the gospel is without a doubt the most important task of pastoral ministry, yet often other seemingly urgent activities can obscure it. From time to time all pastors and preachers need a fresh reminder of the primacy of the gospel.

Preaching the Cross does just this. It is a call to preaching the gospel as the center of pastoral ministry. This volume showcases an unprecedented combination of pastors representing a variety of evangelical traditions. Though they may differ on some secondary points of church practice, they all enthusiastically celebrate the centrality of the cross of Christ.”

Here’s info on the contributors, if you even need it!–

Mark Dever is Senior Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, D.C. and Executive Director for 9Marks Ministries. Dr. Dever has contributed to several books on church health and church leadership, and is a visiting professor at both Beeson Divinity School and The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

J. Ligon Duncan is Senior Minister of the historic First Presbyterian Church of Jackson, Mississippi, Chairman of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, and the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church of America.

R. Albert Mohler, Jr., is president, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky and host of the Albert Mohler radio program and blog.

C. J. Mahaney leads Sovereign Grace Ministries, a growing family of local churches in several countries. He serves on the boards of the Christian Counseling and Educational Foundation and the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.

John MacArthur is the pastor of Grace Community Church in California and president of The Master’s College and Seminary, as well as a best-selling author. He can be heard on the “Grace to You” radio program, which broadcasts daily around the world on nearly 2,000 stations in English and Spanish.

ECPA Gold Medallion winner John Piper is senior pastor of Bethlehem Baptist Church in Minneapolis and the head of Desiring God. He has written numerous books on topics that include personal holiness, missions and historical figures.

R. C. Sproul is the founder and principal teacher of Ligonier Ministries, which provides Christian laity with materials on theology, history, Bible study, apologetics, and ethics. He is also a noted author and visiting professor at several seminaries and Minister of Preaching and Teaching at Saint Andrews Chapel.

Release date: April 20th.

A New 12 Step Program!

Looking to transform your life? Let me suggest the new 12 step program: “12 Puritans A Year”

Today’s Christian culture is saturated with sugar-coated, watered-down books, music, magazines, churches, etc. Most top-selling books within the Christian market are full of fluff and strive to create warm-fuzzies rather that truth that changes lives for the glory of God. So, I’ve started a new reading system where I plan to read one Puritan writer a month, for a total of 12 books a year. Most of these books cost under $10!! I am currently finishing Richard Baxter’s “The Reformed Pastor” and plan on reading “Crook in the Lot” by Thomas Boston next.

For more info on the Puritans try Tony Reinke’s blog, The Shepherd’s Scrapbook. Or read “Meet the Puritans” by Joel R. Beeke and Randall J. Pederson.