The new 9marks eJournal is now available at their website. Its all about race, ethnicity, diversity, etc. The articles look excellent! Can’t wait to devour them up.
This is a much misunderstood and neglected subject. Read on and let the nations be glad! {Psalm 67:4}
Jonathan Leeman over at the 9marks blog gives some great advice to pastors concerning church discipline:
How To Prepare Your Church For Discipline. This is a good reminder…
My friend Gunny has an excellent post over at his blog about free will: Free will. It’s like butterfly wings: once touched, they never get off the ground. I couldn’t have said it better. This is a great post and might be helpful to those of you who have been interacting on this blog about these matters. And on account that I was taught Church History to the Modern Era by Gunny, and since he understands the history of the church as it wrestled with these theological issues WAY BETTER than I ever will, I gladly defer to my rabbi…
Matt Pugh, youth pastor at Country Bible Church, filled the pulpit for me last week. Matt is a student at Dallas Theological Seminary where he is working on his Masters of Theology. I’d like to recommend his sermon, “A Reminder…” from 2nd Peter 1 to you. You can find it here or search iTunes for the Learn To Live podcast to download it.
Matt’s challenge was: are you checking yourself spiritually to see that you have godly characteristics in your life so that you won’t become unfruitful and inneffective in your service to the Lord?
Take a listen…
George Mueller, the infamous pastor and orphanage caretaker, said this in 1829 at the age of 24:
“I now studied much, about 12 hours a day, chiefly Hebrew…{and} committed portions of the Hebrew Old Testament to memory; and this I did with prayer, often falling on my knees…I looked up to the Lord even whilst turning over the leaves of my Hebrew dictionary.”
For those of you who have studied Hebrew but perhaps lost your zeal for the language {not mention all working knowledge of it!}, or those who plan on or want to study Hebrew, let me point you to some resources:
Basics of Biblical Hebrew- This is a great book to start with. Most seminaries are using it now. This is what I cut my teeth on in seminary. You can find this and much more at www.basicsofbiblicalhebrew.com
Also see Introducing Biblical Hebrew by Allen Ross.
For the more adavnced, I would recommend 2 books by Robert Chisholm:
From Exegesis to Exposition: A Practical Guide to Using Biblical Hebrew
A Workbook for Intermediate Hebrew: Grammar, Exegesis, and Commentary on Jonah and Ruth
Finally, let me encourage and challenge those who are taking, will take, or have taken Hebrew: Don’t give up! Keep at it. It will pay dividends in the future and make you a more competent and faithful expositor of God’s Word! Think of the time and money that will go to waste if you let your Hebrew {or Greek!} go!
Since we have been discussing God’s sovereignty and man’s free will, etc, especially as it pertains to salvation, I thought I’d recommend a book that discusses the matter very thoroughly: The Cross and Salvation by Bruce Demarest.
This book covers all the bases of salvation and the various positions {Does God elect/choose people to be saved? Can people choose God? Is man capable of choosing God on his own or must he be “awakened” by God?, etc, etc.}.
Each position and the history and background of the various people and views are covered. This is a great book to get your feet wet if you’re curious about Calvinism, Pelagius, Arminianism, regeneration, grace, atonement, free will, election, predestination {or double predestination!}, etc, etc…
I am reading through 1st Kings right now and was struck by this phrase today:
“…for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word…” 1st Kings 12:15
Now, this struck me because of the recent discussion on this blog and many others concerning God’s sovereignty and involvement in the Minneapolis bridge collapse, particularly as it relates to John Piper and Greg Boyd’s discussion on the matter. But let me first give you the context and background of the passage before I pose a question.
Ahijah the prophet finds Jeroboam on the road out in the country {1st Kings 11:29}. Ahijah has on a new garment. And suddenly tears his new clothes into 12 pieces and gives them to the bewildered Jeroboam and says roughly for the LORD, “Take 10 pieces for yourself, Jeroboam, for I am about to tear the kingdom from Solomon’s hand and give you 10 tribes because Solomon has forsaken and worshipped other gods.” Meanwhile, Rehoboam is made king of Israel after the death of King Solomon {1st Kings 12:1}.
Then Jeroboam approaches King Rehoboam with others and basically asks him to not rule with a heavy hand like his father Solomon {12:3-5}. So Rehoboam sends them away and tells them to come back in 3 days and he’ll let them know what kind of ruler he will be. Then Rehoboam {wisely} asks the elders who helped his father for some advice. The old men basically say that if Rehoboam will rule them gently then the people will willingly serve him as king {12:6-7}.
But King Rehoboam gets a second opinion from the young bucks fresh out of seminary. They tell him to rule with an iron fist and make these people feel his power {12:11}. So Rehoboam agrees {unwisely} to the advice of the young guys. And he informs Jeroboam and the others that he will basically rule them more fiercely than his father ever did {12:12-14}.
So now we get to the phrase that struck me:
“So the king {Rehoboam} did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which he spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” 1st Kings 12:15
It appears to me that the LORD not only knew that the kingdom would be divided but actually decreed it to come about. This raises the question of God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. If God knew and decreed that the kingdom be divided, and King Rehoboam’s actions/response to the people were part of God’s plan {…a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word…}, then that demonstrates God’s sovereignty over even King Rehoboam’s decision! {Other passages that include this line of rationality might include Genesis 20:6 where God appears in a dream to King Abimelech and tells him that He {God} kept Abimelech from having sex with Sarah, Abraham’s wife! The text actually says, “…I kept you from sinning against me.” See also Exodus 14:4, 8 where God hardens Pharaoh’s heart}.
How do we reconcile man’s apparent free will with God’s sovereign ability to “overpower” man’s decisions? If man does have total free will and God does not intervene to overide any of man’s decisions, then how do you explain the above passages? And if these passages make you uncomfortable with a God who can and does intervene and apparently overide man’s free will, then let me ask you: Do you pray to God for family and friends to come to Christ or for God to work in people’s lives? If so, it appears that you believe in a God who can and does overide man’s free will, if not heavily influence it.
Okay, enough…my brain hurts. What say you?
Greg Boyd responded to John Piper’s response to the bridge collapse in Minneapolis. You can read it here. I would land in Piper’s camp myself. What about you?
Perhaps we should be asking and answering the question {for we must all come to terms with the answer to this question, whatever theological camp we fall into}, “If God is sovereign and could have stopped the bridge from collapsing, why didn’t He?”
To that I would say, “I don’t know. I don’t know why He didn’t keep the bridge up. But I do know that He does all things for His glory and our good {Romans 8:28}. But when I appear before Him, I will bow down and magnify His wisdom and say that He did all things well.”
{HT: Denny}
If you live in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, you won’t want to miss this conference which will explore the doctrine of the atonement.
Dr. R.C. Sproul and Dr. Steven J. Lawson will be speaking. You can find more info here.
November 2-3 @ Pantego Bible Church
Students and pastors only pay $35!
{Matt, Ross, Rob, Gunny- we going???}
This was too good to keep to myself:
YOU, O LORD, HAVE MADE ME GLAD BY YOUR WORK. Psalm 92:4
“Do you believe that your sins are forgiven and that Christ has made a full atonement for them? Then what a joyful Christian you ought to be! How you should live above the common trials and troubles of the world! Since sin is forgiven, can it matter what happens to you now? Luther said, “Smite, Lord, smite, for my sin is forgiven; if You have forgiven me, smite as hard as You will.” And in a similar spirit you may say, “Send sickness, poverty, losses, crosses, persecution, what You will. You have forgiven me, and my soul is glad.” Christian, if you are thus saved, while you are glad, be grateful and loving. Cling to that cross that took your sin away; serve Him who served you. “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship {Romans 12:1}.”
Do not let your zeal evaporate in some little exuberant song. Show your love in meaningful ways. Love the brethren of Him who loved you. If there is a Mephibosheth anywhere who is disabled, help him for Jonathan’s sake. If there is a poor tried believer, weep with him, and bear his cross for the sake of Him who wept for you and carried your sins. Since you are forgiven freely for Christ’s sake, go and tell others the joyful news of pardoning mercy. Do not be contented with this unspeakable blessing for yourself alone, but publish widely the story of the cross. Holy gladness and holy boldness will make you a good preacher, and all the world will be a pulpit for you to preach in. Cheerful holiness is the most forcible of sermons, but the Lord must give it to you. Seek it this morning before you go into the world. When it is the Lord’s work in which we rejoice, we need not be afraid of being too glad.”
Charles Spurgeon
You can get some ring-side action here. Watch out Daddy Starbucks, The Ronald is fast on your heels!
You can read the story here.
I thought I’d share John Piper’s thoughts on the bridge collapse. They are much-needed, wise pastoral counsel:
Putting My Daughter To Bed Two Hours After the Bridge Collapsed
At about 6 PM tonight the bridge of Interstate 35W over the Mississippi River in Minneapolis collapsed. I am writing this about three hours after the bridge fell. The bridge is located within sight of Bethlehem Baptist Church. Most of us who minister at the church cross this bridge several times a week. At this point I don’t know if any staff was on the bridge. Desiring God offices are about a mile from the bridge.
There are no firm facts at this point about the total number of injuries and fatalities. When we crossed the bridge Tuesday on our way out of town, there was extensive repair work happening on the surface of the bridge with single lane traffic. One speculates about the unusual stresses on the bridge with jackhammers and other surface replacement equipment. This was the fortieth anniversary of the bridge.
Tonight for our family devotions our appointed reading was Luke 13:1-9. It was not my choice. This is surely no coincidence. O that all of the Twin Cities, in shock at this major calamity, would hear what Jesus has to say about it from Luke 13:1-5. People came to Jesus with heart-wrenching news about the slaughter of worshipers by Pilate. Here is what he said.
There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
Jesus implies that those who brought him this news thought he would say that those who died, deserved to die, and that those who didn’t die did not deserve to die. That is not what he said. He said, everyone deserves to die. And if you and I don’t repent, we too will perish. This is a stunning response. It only makes sense from a view of reality that is radically oriented on God.
All of us have sinned against God, not just against man. This is an outrage ten thousand times worse than the collapse of the 35W bridge. That any human is breathing at this minute on this planet is sheer mercy from God. God makes the sun rise and the rain fall on those who do not treasure him above all else. He causes the heart to beat and the lungs to work for millions of people who deserve his wrath. This a view of reality that desperately needs to be taught in our churches, so that we are prepared for the calamities of the world.
The meaning of the collapse of this bridge is that John Piper is a sinner and should repent or forfeit his life forever. That means I should turn from the silly preoccupations of my life and focus my mind’s attention and my heart’s affection on God and embrace Jesus Christ as my only hope for the forgiveness of my sins and for the hope of eternal life. That is God’s message in the collapse of this bridge. That is his most merciful message: there is still time to turn from sin and unbelief and destruction for those of us who live. If we could see the eternal calamity from which he is offering escape we would hear this as the most precious message in the world.
We prayed during our family devotions. Talitha (11 years old) and Noel and I prayed earnestly for the families affected by the calamity and for the others in our city. Talitha prayed “Please don’t let anyone blame God for this but give thanks that they were saved.” When I sat on her bed and tucked her in and blessed her and sang over her a few minutes ago, I said, “You know, Talitha, that was a good prayer, because when people ‘blame’ God for something, they are angry with him, and they are saying that he has done something wrong. That’s what “blame” means: accuse somebody of wrongdoing. But you and I know that God did not do anything wrong. God always does what is wise. And you and I know that God could have held up that bridge with one hand.” Talitha said, “With his pinky.” “Yes,” I said, “with his pinky. Which means that God had a purpose for not holding up that bridge, knowing all that would happen, and he is infinitely wise in all that he wills.”
Talitha said, “Maybe he let it fall because he wanted all the people of Minneapolis to fear him.” “Yes, Talitha,” I said, “I am sure that is one of the reasons God let the bridge fall.”
I sang to her the song I always sing,
Come rest your head and nestle gently
And do not fear the dark of night.
Almighty God keeps watch intently,
And guards your life with all his might.
Doubt not his love, nor power to keep,
He never fails, nor does he sleep.
I said, “You know, Talitha, that is true whether you die in a bridge collapse, or in a car accident, or from cancer, or terrorism, or old age. God always keeps you, even when you die. So you don’t need to be afraid, do you.” “No,” she shook her head. I leaned down and kissed her. “Good night. I love you.”
Tonight across the Twin Cities families are wondering if they will ever kiss a loved one good night again. Some will not. I am praying that they will find Jesus Christ to be their Rock and Refuge in these agonizing hours of uncertainty and even loss.
The word “bridge” does not occur in the Bible. There may be two reasons. One is that God doesn’t build bridges, he divides seas. The other is that usually his people must pass through the deadly currents of suffering and death, not simply ride over them. “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you” (Isaiah 43:2). They may drown you. But I will be with you in life and death.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life . . . will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Killed all day long. But not separated from Christ. We go through the river. Not over it. He went before us, crucified. He came out on the other side. He knows the way through. With him we will make it. That is the message we have for the precious sinners in the Twin Cities. He died for your sins. He rose again. He saves all who trust him. We die, but because of him, we do not die.
Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”
Talitha is sleeping now. But one day she will die. I teach her this. I will not always be there to bless her. But Jesus is alive and is the same yesterday today and forever. He will be with her because she trusts him. And she will make it through the river.
Weeping with those who weep, and those who should,
Pastor John
Psalm 71:20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again.
AMAZING GREY CITY 