Study Bible Advice

Great advice on Study Bibles from Albert Mohler.

How should a study Bible be used?

1. Read the text of the Bible first. Meditate upon the text and read it with care. Apply your own knowledge of the Bible in order to understand the particular text within its context and place in the biblical story-line. Consider and note other texts that come to your mind as directly related to this text. Read the text with full attention and conviction.

2. Look carefully at the cross-references that the study Bible links to the text you are reading. Do not look only to the citations, but read the actual passages. This assistance is still the main contribution of a study Bible -- making related and parallel passages more accessible. A first principle of interpreting the Bible is to interpret the Bible by the Bible. In other words, to allow the Bible to interpret itself text by text.

3. As a third step, take full advantage of the notes, articles, and other helps printed alongside the text. In some cases, short articles will help in understanding contested issues or matters that might otherwise require a Bible dictionary or encyclopedia. Where appropriate, maps can be very useful, along with tables of measurement and similar points of reference. The very best of the study Bibles will also offer some level of commentary within the notes.

Of course, it is the Bible itself that is inspired, inerrant, and infallible -- not the study materials included in study Bibles. Therefore, judge the notes by the biblical text, and never the other way around. Where possible, use more than one study Bible in order to maximize this learning process.

I am often asked for recommended Bible translations and study Bibles, so I offer this list in the hope that some will find it helpful. For the sake of simplicity I will recommend three excellent study Bibles representing the three translations I most eagerly commend.

The ESV Study Bible -- This long-awaited study Bible redefines the category in terms of its sheer heft. Its 2750 pages (plus maps) represents a massive resource for personal Bible study. Based on the English Standard Version [ESV] of the Bible, this is a truly worthy contribution to the world of study Bibles. Under the direction of General Editor Wayne Grudem of Phoenix Seminary, the scholars who wrote and edited this study Bible have blended practical insights with keen theological reflection. The introductions to each book are well done, as is the pleasing and useful layout of the text and materials. This new study Bible will be warmly welcomed by those who pray to see more Christians grow in understanding the Bible. This is a study Bible for the serious Bible student and will serve any Bible reader well.

The MacArthur Study Bible -- This well-known study Bible flows from the preaching and teaching ministry of Dr. John MacArthur, one of the most respected expositors of our era. I find this study Bible consistently helpful. Dr. MacArthur's clarity and the simplicity of his explanations make this study Bible accessible to anyone, while the preacher or Bible teacher will find great usefulness as well. One key feature of this study Bible are his notes on the texts, especially the Old Testament, on which Dr. MacArthur has not yet written commentary in other forms. The MacArthur Study Bible, first released in the New King James Version [NKJV] of the Bible, is now (gladly) available in the New American Standard Bible [NASB] version.

The Apologetics Study Bible -- This unique project is a study Bible that devotes particular attention to the apologetic issues that are confronted within the Biblical text. Under the general editorship of Dr. Ted Cabal of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a team of scholars contributed, not only cross-references and the usual helps found in study Bibles, but also short articles on issues of current concern. The Apologetics Study Bible is based on the Holman Christian Standard Bible, another very trustworthy translation. I was honored to write one of the articles in this study Bible, and I commend it especially as a wonderful resource for students at the high school, college, and university levels. Those on the front lines of the apologetic confrontation will find great help here.

James McDonald has Cancer

This is from James McDonald. I recently posted a video of him explaining his beliefs on "near death experiences." In this post on his blog he announces that he has cancer and the feelings that accompany the news. I hope we can all learn how not to waste suffering from him.

Yeah, no doubt about it. PSA rising, sent for a biopsy and then the dreaded diagnosis . . .“I am sorry to confirm you have prostate cancer.” It’s a moment I have imagined through the years as occasional aches and pains led to tests, but always in the past the confirmation “all is well it’s just . . .” Not this time though; I have cancer. This of course confirms what I have taught so many times from God’s word . . . the effects of sin visit themselves randomly upon the creation in varying degrees and at various times (John 9:1-3). God promises only that His grace will be sufficient as His power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10), and that He has a purpose in the life of His child that will advance our good if we submit to what He has lovingly allowed (Hebrews 12:5-13).

So that’s it! I have cancer and I can diagnose the theology as well as any oncologist can diagnose the pathology. But here’s the great part. I truly believe those things. I am not especially anxious, I am not struggling with God’s goodness or asking a lot of penetrating ‘why’s?’ I am more aware of my pending mortality and the brevity of this life by eternal standards.

We are experiencing a great nearness to the Lord and a sense of His wisdom in appointing this season of adversity for us. In fact I have a tenderness to the pain of others and a deeper burden for those closest to me. I am more acutely aware of my sin and much less willing to weigh it or measure it or manage it. I just want to be clean and close and consecrated in my walk with Christ; and I am, more than ever. Truly!!! And for that I am very thankful. I have experienced an outpouring of love from our congregation and beyond that has made me more appreciative than ever to pastor a church and belong to the body of Christ. God is good, I’m gonna get through this in God’s way and in His time and I love Him more than ever. Today is a good day, and because of it, no matter how this ‘day’ ends, tomorrow will be even better. Isn’t it great to know the Lord and love His word and walk in fellowship with His followers? How blessed I am! I will keep you up to date.

All Hail the Power of Jesus' Name

All hail the power of Jesus’ Name! Let angels prostrate fall;
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let highborn seraphs tune the lyre, and as they tune it, fall
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.
Before His face Who tunes their choir, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye morning stars of light, who fixed this floating ball;
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.
Now hail the strength of Israel’s might, and crown Him Lord of all.

Crown Him, ye martyrs of your God, who from His altar call;
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.
Extol the Stem of Jesse’s Rod, and crown Him Lord of all.

Ye seed of Israel’s chosen race, ye ransomed from the fall,
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.
Hail Him Who saves you by His grace, and crown Him Lord of all.

Hail Him, ye heirs of David’s line, whom David Lord did call,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all,
The God incarnate, Man divine, and crown Him Lord of all.

Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget the wormwood and the gall,
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.
Go spread your trophies at His feet, and crown Him Lord of all.

Let every tribe and every tongue before Him prostrate fall
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.
And shout in universal song the crownèd Lord of all.

-Ed­ward Per­ro­net

Bible Study: Romans 2:17-24 “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in God and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? While you preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that one must not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law dishonor God by breaking the law. For, as it is written, “The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you.”

In the previous section Paul's argument was primarily to Gentiles. Now Paul is turning his attention to the elect nation of God, Israel. Paul is showing us that no person is exempt from the charge that is to come in Romans 3:23.

Previously we saw that a Gentile's ability to obey the law shows that the law is written on his heart. Now we are seeing the inverse; a Jew's lack of ability to keep the law shows that the law being given to them has not made them perfect. Rather, the law is like a teacher, as Paul says, we are "instructed from the law" it shows us that we are guilty before God of breaking His law.

Paul then makes an interesting statement. He talks about people who are sure that they are, amongst other things, "a guide to the blind." He is showing the Jewish people the hypocrisy of thinking that because they posses the law they are themselves an example of godly living. The law only reveals their sin and hypocrisy. Paul quotes Isaiah and Ezekiel in verse 2:24 to show the Jew just how serious this hypocrisy is, it enables the blasphemy of God.

Since the argument began in verse 1:18 Paul has not presented the remedy to this problem. He is giving the diagnoses of the terminal disease that plagues mankind. Simply stated, Paul is arguing that EVERYONE is guilty whether Jew, Gentile, unreached people groups, or Bible Belt Southern Baptists. ALL are guilty of sin before God.

The application of this passage does not avoid us just because it is talking about the Jewish people. Many Christians today tend to think that because a person has grown up in church, been baptized, hasn't done anything really bad (in their eyes) God will forgive them of their sins. But we saw last week that the good things we do are only good enough to bring further judgment on the bad things we do. We need a Savior.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Jesus and Santa

Remember what Christmas is really about...the gospel. From all of us (which is pretty much just me) at the 24:45 blog. Merry Christmas!

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

A Response to the Response to Proposition 8 Part 2

Perhaps the best example of the more "intelligent" responses to California's voters passing proposition 8 is given in the video "Prop 8 The Musical" (see yesterday's post). There seem to be two levels of response: (1) violence and (2) thoughtful interaction. Both of these responses are filled with enough hate to contradict their own statements that those who do not support homosexual "marriage" are simply revealing old fashioned, ignorant hatred. I can't speak for everyone who supports Prop 8 and other amendments like it but I can speak for myself and hatred is far from my reason for being against homosexual "marriage."

The funny thing is that the makers of "Prop 8 The Musical" really think they have refuted any argument from the Bible against homosexuality and/or homosexual "marriage." So I just want to make some quick points in the form of what I hope is received as a thoughtful loving response to those with whom I disagree.

(1) Four years ago it seemed that the main arguments I heard were based on certain rights that homosexuals wanted (hospital visitation, power of attorney, etc). I'm not sure that most of these things should even be exclusive to marriage. Most of the rights I have heard homosexuals say they want I am more than willing to give to anyone.

(2) Please stop the hate. When you feel like you are hated by a group (or in this case the majority of Californians) it doesn't help your cause to act in kind. I am a Christian. We are historically the most hated people that has ever existed (Though I might be inclined to give that award to Israel. Either way we are at least in the top 2). Yet we are told throughout Scripture that it is better to suffer when doing good than to give people a reason to hate us (see the book of 1 Peter). So please stop the language, blasphemy, and violence. It isn't helping you.

(3) If you are going to try and use the Bible against us, learn how to read it. Part of the problem with this is that so many Christians want to find a quick verse and throw it at you (Leviticus 18:22) and hope that it sticks. Then the opposition goes to the book and sees all of these other things in the same book and makes the claim that we "pick and choose." So let me help you out. The reason certain laws are not carried over after Christ and some are carried over is because Christ fulfilled the law. Therefore any law that is not re-instituted in the New Testament is no longer sinful. For this reason, 9 of the 10 commandments carry over. So the question is, "does the New Testament teach the same thing as Leviticus 18:22. The answer is yes. See Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9, and my previous post on the subject.

(4) I don't know about everyone else but for me this is about 2 things (the second will be addressed in both #5 and 6). I am a supporter of the recent act, namely, Act 1, in Arkansas to ban cohabiting couples from being able to adopt or foster care. This is because of my firm belief that a child should be raised by a mom and a dad. I realize that there are a lot of professing Christians who are forced to bring up a child alone and that there are a lot of non-ideal situations even among Christians. I think we can all agree that there are always exceptions and I hope that God will use me in part to change some of those statistics. However, the Bible uses the natural order of things (which were created by God for a reason) to illustrate why we should do things one way over another. I think it is fair to say that there is a natural principle that says you can't have a child without a dad and a mom. I know...I know there are exceptions and you can kindly write them to me in the comment section.

(5) Marriage is biblically defined as one man and one woman. Don't worry, I won't rave about Adam and Steve as some do. It's just as annoying to me as it is to you. But here's the definition of marriage affirmed by both the Old and New Testaments, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). This does not mean man+man or woman+woman. Though disobeyed by several people in the Old Testament it does not mean man+ several women either.

(6) Most important is that this whole thing isn't just about a word, certain rights or even children; it's about the gospel. Ephesians 5:22-33 reveals the true meaning of marriage. In 5:32 Paul explains Genesis 2:24 (see #5 for quote) and explains, "This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." It is for this reason that I feel it is right to protect marriage. That means protecting it against divorce, abuse, unfaithfulness, and yes homosexual misuse. It is for this reason that I consider what you want to be homosexual "marriage." What you want is a biblical oxymoron. I am not asking you to simply stop practicing homosexuality. I know that you can't do that apart from God saving you. But if you are unwilling to repent (as every person homosexual or heterosexual has to) and believe the gospel the very least I ask of you is that you realize that you are not being attacked by proposition 8; the gospel is under attack by all of those who want to redefine its parable of permanence.

This is one of the longest posts I have ever written but I felt it necessary to respond to what I have been seeing unfold over the last few months and even years.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

A Response to the Response to Proposition 8

Marc Shaiman, the Tony Award-winning composer of the film and stage musical "Hairspray," has done the country a major, if inadvertent, service. He has composed a brief musical piece against California Proposition 8 that takes only three minutes to reveal the ignorance and hate that pervades so much anti-Proposition 8 activism.-Daily Breeze

Does this cheeky video really reveal ignorance in the arguments again homosexual "marriage"? I don't think so. See why I disagree with this claim tomorrow.

Joy to the World!

Joy to the world, the Lord is come!
Let earth receive her King;
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven and nature sing,
And Heaven, and Heaven, and nature sing.

Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns!
Let men their songs employ;
While fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat the sounding joy,
Repeat, repeat, the sounding joy.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found,
Far as the curse is found,
Far as, far as, the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders of His love,
And wonders, wonders, of His love.

-Isaac Watts

Bible Study: Romans 2:6-16 "the work of the law is written on their hearts"

He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. For God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, a according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

This is a big section so lets just break it down into what Paul is basically saying:

(1) God is going to judge every single person according to what they have done in their life.

(2) The Jewish understanding of this judgment would be that every person will be judged by the Old Testament Law.

(3) Those who are judged to be righteous (completely 100% perfect) will be granted eternal life.

(4) Those who are judged to be self seeking and evil will be punished in the wrath of God.

(5) The majority of this section deals with the fact that there are Gentiles who have no knowledge of the Old Testament Law that is assumed to be the basis of their judgment. Paul's argument is that all men have some understanding of the Law of God even if they don't know it in its written form. For example:

Imagine a young child who has never had to clean his room in his life. His mom tells him, "Tommy, I need you to clean up your room." So Tommy, though he has never been taught how to clean his room, runs and does the best job he knows how. His mom walks in and sees that, though the room looks far from perfect, little Tommy obeyed her. She is pleased with little Tommy.

Now fast forward two months. The mom tells the child again, "Tommy, I need you to clean up your room." But the child doesn't want to clean up his room this time so he ignores his mom. Later, the mom walks in and sees that Tommy didn't do anything this time. She asks him why he disobeyed her and Tommy replies, "you never showed me how to clean my room so I don't think you should punish me for not doing it." Should the mother punish Tommy for his disobedience? Or has she proven to be unjust for asking her child to do something without showing him how to do it?

Little Tommy is a law to himself.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The ABC's of the Bible- Elder

Elders: Servant Leaders

The New Testament form of church government seems to be led by a plurality of elders. We see this happening in Acts 14:23 and implied in James 5:14. The words "elder" and "pastor" seem to be used interchangeably in the New Testament.

The qualifications of an elder are found in Titus 1:7-9. Notice that these qualifications are basically the same as that of a deacon with the addition of the elder's ability to teach.

For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

A Morning Prayer

We again draw near unto You, O Lord our God, beseeching You to grant us audience with Your Divine majesty. We appear before You in the name and Person, righteousness and sacrifice, intercession and advocacy of the holy and immaculate Lamb. At Your throne of grace, as the monuments of Your sacred mercy, we desire to extol and praise Your most holy name.

O Lord, we have nothing in ourselves--but sin. We are all impurity--to us belong shame and confusion of face. We are in the uttermost sense--lost, undone, sinful, guilty, and vile. We entreat You to behold us in Christ Jesus. View us in Him, O Lord.

O let our souls be under the mighty, all-constraining, all-conquering influence of Your everlasting love today. We beg You to keep us this day from sinning against You. Lord, we are in ourselves, and when left to ourselves--as unstable as water. O support us. O defend us. O be near unto us this day, and uphold us with the right hand of Your righteousness.

Lord, we are full of sin; O lead us to the fountain opened for sin and impurity! We are all emptiness in ourselves. Lord, lead us to the fullness of Jesus for the supply of all our needs.

Blessed God and Father, do most graciously sympathize with us. Guide us with Your eye. O keep us near Yourself. Allow no iniquity to have dominion over us; save us from ourselves! Save us, O Lord, from our constitutional sins, tempers, and corruptions. O let them be kept under control, and subdued by the omnipotent power of Your grace.

We beseech You, O Holy Spirit, to bring our minds and hearts under the mighty power of all-conquering grace. O Lord, let not sin, nor Satan, prevail against us. We leave ourselves with You, Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, to whom be glory forever. Amen. -S.E. Pierce

For this and other resources go to Grace Gems.

A Book You Can Read: The Knowledge of the Holy

Title: The Knowledge of the Holy Category: Theology Proper (the study of God) Author: A.W. Tozer. Tozer was a popular evangelist in the early part of the 20th century.

Pages: 120.

Readability Rating: 2.5 out of 5. If you read a King James Bible on a regular basis and understand it you can bump this up to a 4 out of 5. The book is readable for almost everybody but it takes a little work to do translation. It isn’t too bad though.

Why you should read it: You won’t find very many books that give such a concise understanding of the nature and character of God as this book. Tozer loved God. That love was poured into every page of this little book. I have found the prayers at the beginning of each short chapter helpful for my personal devotions as well.

Price: 12.99 or less.

Hark! the Herald Angels Sing

Hark! The herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King;
Peace on earth, and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!”
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With th’angelic host proclaim,
“Christ is born in Bethlehem!”

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Christ, by highest Heav’n adored;
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time, behold Him come,
Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see;
Hail th’incarnate Deity,
Pleased with us in flesh to dwell,
Jesus our Emmanuel.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Hail the heav’nly Prince of Peace!
Hail the Sun of Righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Ris’n with healing in His wings.
Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die.
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman’s conqu’ring Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent’s head.
Now display Thy saving power,
Ruined nature now restore;
Now in mystic union join
Thine to ours, and ours to Thine.

Hark! the herald angels sing,
“Glory to the newborn King!”

Adam’s likeness, Lord, efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place:
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.
Let us Thee, though lost, regain,
Thee, the Life, the inner man:
O, to all Thyself impart,
Formed in each believing heart.

-Charles Wesley

Bible Study: Romans 2:1-5 "Storing up Wrath"

Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.

"A soft and repentant heart is needed to avert God's wrath on the day of wrath, the final judgment. Such repentance would express itself in trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. Paul disagrees with much of the Jewish teaching of his day, according to which the Jews were not storing up wrath but were in good standing with God through their covenant relationship, not needing to meet God's standard of perfect obedience but needing only an intention to obey God." -ESV Study Bible

The ABC's of the Bible- Deacon

Deacons: Leading Servants

Acts 6:1-6 describes a dilemma in the early church. The size of the church was making it difficult to care for everyone. So the apostles had the church pick seven godly men to be the leading servants so that the elders could be free to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the word. These "servants" are what we now call deacons.

The qualifications for a deacon are described in 1 Timothy 3:8-13.

One issue of debate among godly Bible scholars is whether or not the Bible permits women to be deacons. This is a gray area in Scripture. There does seem to be evidence of a female deacon in Romans 16:1. My opinion is that a church that defines the office of deacon in a biblical way, without giving it the authority of a pastor/elder, women should be able to serve in that office. Perhaps that should be further explored in a future post.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

What is Gospel Centered Marriage?

Find this and other resources from the Gospel Coalition.

A Book You Can Read: Pierced by the Word

Title: Pierced by the Word Category: Devotion Author: John Piper. Piper is one of the most influential people in my life. When I was young and had undeveloped thoughts on what I was reading in my Bible Piper was there to fill in the blanks and give me a passion for putting those thoughts into action. His mission is to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all peoples through Jesus Christ.

Pages: 119.

Readability Rating: 4.5 out of 5. I was originally inclined to give the book a perfect score in readability but I know that I have never read one of Piper’s books and not had to go back over a few things to understand the point. However, this book is for all kinds of people and you should be able to read through each chapter quickly and meditate on the Biblical truth contained therein.

Why you should read it: As with any devotion book I do not recommend it in place of regular Bible reading. When I use these kinds of books it is usually at night or some other time that is not my regular Bible time. It is short and punchy; a wonderful supplement for the regular Bible reader.

Price: 12.99 or less.

O Holy Night

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;
It is the night of the dear Savior’s birth!
Long lay the world in sin and error pining,
Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.
A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,
For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.
Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!
O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
O night, O holy night, O night divine!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,
With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.
So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,
Here came the wise men from Orient land.
The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,
In all our trials born to be our Friend!
He knows our need—to our weakness is no stranger.
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!
Behold your King; before Him lowly bend!

Truly He taught us to love one another;
His law is love and His Gospel is peace.
Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother
And in His Name all oppression shall cease.
Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,
Let all within us praise His holy Name!
Christ is the Lord! O praise His name forever!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!
His pow’r and glory evermore proclaim!

-Placide Cappeau

Bible Study: Romans 1:18-23 "Seen but suppressed."

For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.

"God is in himself invisible; but as his majesty shines forth in his works and in his creatures everywhere, men ought in these to acknowledge him, for they clearly set forth their Maker: and for this reason the Apostle in his Epistle to the Hebrews says, that this world is a mirror, or the representation of invisible things." -John Calvin (Calvin Commentary on Romans, 70)

The ABC's of the Bible- Christ

The Greek word translated in English as "Christ" is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Messiah and means "anointed one." Although not intrinsic to its meaning, the New Testament use of the term Christ tends to point to the deity of Jesus. (Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms, 25)

Christ is not Jesus' last name. To say that Jesus is the Christ means that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. Though the word "Messiah" is not used in the Old Testament, it is a word that sums up the promise of a coming Jewish leader/ruler/redeemer.

The New Testament writer most focused on convincing his readers that Jesus is the Christ was Matthew. Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience and began his Gospel with a genealogy which connected Christ to King David. That is why his opening title was probably quite eye grabbing back in the 1st century, "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ."

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Penelope Judd

This is a great parable. I know it looks long but that's only because each line is pretty short.

Once upon a time in a distant land

Far beyond the sea where there lived no man

Or woman- in fact, lo and behold

The oldest person there was only 12 years old

Because all the grown-ups had washed away in a flood

One town in particular there was called Mud

Because every sister, cousin and brother

From head to toe in mud they were covered

But anyway, in this town called Mud

There lived a little girl named Penelope Judd

Now Penelope was a very sad, sad girl

Because she was living in a bad, bad world

Where kids teased each other and acted really mean

They lied, cheated and stole and their speech was obscene

With no grown-ups around, nobody was really wise

So every kid did what was right in their own eyes

Penelope would cry- like every single day

No matter what she did, the tears wouldn’t go away

But deep down in her heart, she hoped it would get better

Because of what her grandpa had written in a letter

He said, “Penelope, it’s great news that I bring

On the mountain top there lives a great King

The King has a Son, and being a proud Father

He’s going to throw the Prince a huge party in His honor

But the good part: and I hope it gets you excited

Penelope Judd, you’re officially invited!

He’s sending a Dove- He’ll tell you all you need to know

Just have your bags packed and be ready to go”

It had been such a long time Penelope was waiting

She wondered if the letter was true or just faking

But one day she was playing outside

And to her great surprise, the Dove had arrived!

He said:


Off we go with no delay

Don’t let nobody try to make you stay

We’re gonna see the King, we're on our way

And all the old things gon’ pass away

The Dove told her that He was sent by the King

If she wanted to go, she had to run and grab her things

Penelope said, “OK. I’ll be right back!”

Ran into the house and came back out with her knapsack

The Dove said, “Penelope, the party is in a day

Stay alert, follow me and I’ll lead the way”

So as He flew and Penelope walked the path

She waived good-bye to her friends and they started to laugh

They said that she was silly for following the Dove

Just to go to some stupid party up above

Penelope and the Dove continued on their way

But then she got sad, because part of her wanted to stay

But then she thought to herself, “Why would I want to stay?

Because all they do is play in the mud all day

And while they’re doing that, I’m gonna see the King!”

It made Penelope so happy, she started to sing

She said:

Off I go with no delay

And ain’t nobody gonna make me stay

I’m gonna see the King- I’m on my way

And all the old things gon’ pass away

Now when they had been walking for a long time

They reached the foot of the mountain and they started to climb

Penelope got scared, not sure if she could keep

going because the mountain was very, very steep

On top of that, it was now dark outside

The Dove said, “Keep your eyes on me- I’ll be your guide”

Getting to the top was a difficult trip

But the Dove was there to pick her up whenever she slipped

And she was so excited when they got near the top

that she didn’t even stop when her knapsack dropped

The Dove led her to the Palace and said, “Farewell!

See you inside!” He flew away; Penelope rang the bell

A huge angel answered, looked her up and down

She knew something was wrong because he had a big frown

“Can I help you, ma’am?” “Yes, I’m here for the party

I have an invitation” He said, “I’m so sorry!

There’s no way that I can let you through these doors

The King won’t let anyone dirty up His floors”

She didn’t understand, so without coming near her

He reached into his pocket and He pulled out a mirror

And for the very first time, she saw that she was dirty

The Palace was spotless- she knew she was unworthy

As the angel continued, “I’m sorry, little friend

but…”A voice inside the party said, “You can let her in”

The next thing she knew, the Prince Himself was at the door

He looked at her, smiled and said, “There’s room for one more”

He reached out and touched her- instantly she was clean

Wearing the brightest robe that she had ever seen

If the Mud kids had seen it, they would have gone blind

“Where’d you get it?”, she asked, He said, “Actually, it’s mine”

And as He lead her in through the Palace doors

He sang the sweetest song she ever heard before

He said:

Long ago, laid aside my crown

Became a Mud kid, traveled to your town

They kicked me out, didn’t want me around

But those who love me get to share my crown

- By Shai Linne. This is one track on his wonderful new album Storiez.

A Book You Can Read: What is a Healthy Church Member

I don't want to say that this is another "series." Every once in a while I will be posting a short readable book for those of you who wish you could read more but it doesn't work for a number of reasons. These books will help in your Christian walk as they help you understand the Bible. More important, you should be able to finish one before you get bored of it. Here's the first one:

Title: What is a Healthy Church Member?

Category: Christian Living/Church Ministry

Author: Thabiti Anyabwile. I had never heard of Thabiti until I went to the Together for the Gospel conference in April of 2008. I have now had multiple opportunities to listen to him, read him, and hear other influential Christians talk about him. Honestly, one thing I love about him is that he is an African-American with sound biblical theology. He doesn’t fit any category of person you normally find advertised in Christianity but he is part of a growing movement.

Pages: 127 (including table of contents, preface, forward, and indexes). This is a short book. The page number doesn’t even do it justice because the size of the pages is so small.

Readability Rating: 4 out of 5. Thabiti seeks to build categories in our minds rather than work with preexisting categories. Rarely does he assume the reader having any knowledge on a topic he is writing about in the book. Nevertheless, you might find yourself reading one or two things over again just to make sure you get the thought. This is still a very readable book for anyone.

Why you should read it: This book will help fill in your understanding on several basics of the Christian life. Chances are, whether you are ignorant of most theology or a seminary student, you will learn a lot from this book.

Price: 12.99 or less.

The Power of the Cross

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.
-Keith and Kristyn Getty

Blogging in Boredom

Happy Thanksgiving

The blog is taking a Thanksgiving break along with you. If you need a break from all of the family, football, turkey, and shopping you can always explore the blog for posts you haven't yet read. Don't waste your Thanksgiving!

Grace and Peace
Stephen

Are Near-Death Experiences Biblical?

Note: The views expressed in this video do not necessarily reflect my own...He makes a lot of sense though.

I also wonder what God's purpose would be in allowing someone to die and then return to earth...any thoughts?

Does James 2:24 contradict Paul's understanding of Justification by faith alone?

"You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24).

The first thing we need to remember is that, though ultimately the Holy Spirit is the Author of Scripture, there are two different human authors speaking on the subject of justification in James and Paul. The Holy Spirit was using them as they came from different backgrounds, wrote to different audiences, in the context of different situations.

There is no doubt that both Paul and James make belief a major part of their definitions of the word "faith." For Paul we see this clearly in Romans 4:5. Here faith clearly points back to belief. For James it is seen in James 2:19, In the context of his argument that faith apart from works is dead he says, "You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!" So there is no disagreement between the two that faith includes intellectual consent to an idea.

The problem is that James is arguing that faith is not enough for one to be justified and Paul is arguing that it is the only means by (or through) which God justifies.

Once again I think if we look at the definitions of "faith" under which the authors are operating we will see that they believe the same thing. Going back to Romans 4 where Paul's argument on justification is being made we see that "faith" does not merely mean "believe" (Romans 4:20-21). Here faith is being spoken of in terms of trust. A fuller scope of Paul's definition will show that he also sees faith as an act of obedience (Romans 1:5, 16:26) by which the righteous man must live (Romans 1:17) and without which any man is sinning (Romans 14:23). All that said I think it is safe to conclude that Paul has an "all inclusive" definition of the word "faith."

James, for whatever reason, is not working with as full a definition as Paul. In fact, he is arguing for the kind of faith which Paul assumes. James 2:22 should suffice as an example of this, "You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works." James is arguing for a fuller, more complete faith; a faith like that of the apostle Paul.

Understanding this is important for many reasons. I hope your faith is strengthened by understanding faith. James is a hard book to read and should not be taken lightly but it does not contradict Paul's understanding of justification; it supports it.

Rescue the Perishing

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;
Weep o’er the erring one, lift up the fallen,
Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

Though they are slighting Him, still He is waiting,
Waiting the penitent child to receive;
Plead with them earnestly, plead with them gently;
He will forgive if they only believe.

Down in the human heart, crushed by the tempter,
Feelings lie buried that grace can restore;
Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness,
Chords that were broken will vibrate once more.

Rescue the perishing, duty demands it;
Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide;
Back to the narrow way patiently win them;
Tell the poor wand’rer a Savior has died.

Rescue the perishing, care for the dying,
Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save.

Bible Study: Romans 1:14-17

I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.

Here is a portion of what I wrote on this passage on my post on June 3rd.

Why isn't Paul ashamed of the gospel? He tells us that it is because "it is the power of God for salvation." The problem with this phrase is that when I (and I suspect most American Evangelical Christians) read this phrase my mind is thinking "it is the power of God for converting people." In other words, I think most people read this phrase and think that Paul is saying that the message of the gospel is the power of convincing people to believe; which is the basis of their salvation. Though it may be true that the message has that kind of power (see Romans 10:17) that is not the grounds of Paul's confidence in the gospel. If Paul's lack of shame in the gospel was merely that it has the power to convert people he would be no better than any other religious leader (no better than Oprah!).

So what is it the real reason Paul is not ashamed of the gospel? What is it that encourages him to follow the command of Jesus in Luke 9? Simply put, Paul is not ashamed of the gospel because it works. Look at it this way, "I am not ashamed of the gospel (the person and work of Jesus Christ coming to the world to die for sinners), for it is the power of God for salvation (salvation from the wrath of God unto eternal life) to everyone who believes."

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The ABC's of the Bible- Baptism

What is Baptism? Baptism is the outward sign of the reality that a person has died to his old self and been raised to a new life in Christ.

-It is commanded by Christ (Matthew 28:19).

-Baptism is immersion (Acts 8:37-38). The very word means "dip or immerse."

-Baptism signifies union with Christ (Romans 6:3-4).

-Baptism is for believers (Colossians 2:11-12). It is often argued that infants of Christian families should be baptized. The argument is usually based on the link between circumcision (of the Old Covenant) and Baptism (of the New Covenant). Many good Christians believe this but in doing so they must redefine the biblical definition of Baptism (see Galatians 3:26-27).

Based on John Piper's sermon, "What is Baptism, and How Important is it?"

What if I doubt my salvation?

Become a Calvinist because we sleep better after bad elections.

The Democrats' opinion of Barack Obama: "He's the Messiah!"

The Republicans' opinion of Barack Obama: "He's the anti-Christ!"

The Bible's opinion of Barack Obama: "His heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; the LORD turns it wherever he wills." (Proverbs 21:1)

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Joyful Noise

"Angels surrounding His throne and
Worthy is the Lamb who was slain
The whole earth is full of His glory
All nations bow to His name
His majesty fills the Heavens
Our hearts give thunderous praise
Declare the Lord is forever
Make a joyful noise in this place" -Flame

Bible Study: Romans 1:8-13 A Cooperative Ministry

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you 10always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. I want you to know, brothers, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles.

"What he heard of their flourishing in grace was so much a joy to him that it must needs be much more so to behold it. Paul could take comfort in the fruit of the labours of other ministers.--By the mutual faith both of you and me, that is, our mutual faithfulness and fidelity. It is very comfortable when there is a mutual confidence between minister and people, they confiding in him as a faithful minister, and he in them as a faithful people. Or, the mutual work of faith, which is love; they rejoiced in the expressions of one another's love, or communicating their faith one to another. It is very refreshing to Christians to compare notes about their spiritual concerns; thus are they sharpened, as iron sharpens iron.--That I might have some fruit, Romans 1:13. Their edification would be his advantage, it would be fruit abounding to a good account. Paul minded his work, as one that believed the more good he did the greater would his reward be." -Matthew Henry

The ABC's of the Bible- Adam

Adam was the first man created (see Genesis 2-3). We are all his descendants and thus it was his sin (see Genesis 3) that spread to the rest of mankind, and through sin also comes the judgment of death (see Romans 5:12).

Adam brings both good news and bad news to the Bible. The good news is that God, in love, decided to create a race of people knowing that they would almost immediately fall into rebellion. The bad news is that this rebellion has spread along with the judgment that accompanies it. This judgment is both physical and spiritual in nature.

The good news of the Bible is that God intended all along to send a second Adam.

"Thus it is written, 'The first man Adam became a living being'; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven." (1 Corinthians 15:45-49)

The hope of this second Adam is that he brings hope of a second birth and a second life.

Legacy

What kind of legacy does King David have? It is in some passing words that don't even mention his name.

"And Samuel said to Saul, 'You have done foolishly. You have not kept the command of the Lord your God, with which he commanded you. For then the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

Three Reasons to Believe that Hell is Eternal

1. The greatness of the offended party increases the greatness of the crime, the greatness of the crime increases the greatness of the punishment.

Is there a difference between the punishment for lying to an infant and lying to the President?

2. There is no biblical evidence of the sinful nature being reversed when a person goes to hell.

We assume that people repent in hell but it seems that their hearts are still hardened toward God (example, Luke 16:19-31 the rich man still sees himself as greater than Lazarus).

3. There is no biblical basis for the assumption that because Jesus was able to bear the full wrath of God we can bear it too.

Jesus was a sufficient sacrifice who was able to bear the wrath of God to the end. If we as humans are not even able to look upon God what makes us think we can bear His wrath in a finite number of years?

To God be the Glory

To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.

O perfect redemption, the purchase of blood,
To every believer the promise of God;
The vilest offender who truly believes,
That moment from Jesus a pardon receives.

Great things He has taught us, great things He has done,
And great our rejoicing through Jesus the Son;
But purer, and higher, and greater will be
Our wonder, our transport, when Jesus we see.

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the earth hear His voice!
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,
Let the people rejoice!
O come to the Father, through Jesus the Son,
And give Him the glory, great things He has done.

Bible Study: Romans 1:1-7 "...for the sake of his name..."

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, including you who are called to belong to Jesus Christ,

To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Why does God set it up this way – with everything dependent on his grace through our faith? And the last phrase in Romans 1:5 gives the answer: "Through [Christ] we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the [ peoples] for His name's sake." The ultimate goal of all God's dealings is that his name (or the name of Christ, who is his image) would be known and admired and cherished and praised above all other realities.

Now this is why God makes all our salvation and all our ministry and all our obedience dependent on his grace and makes all our salvation and ministry and obedience the fruit of faith in grace – because the giver gets the glory. If our ministry and all our obedience is by grace through faith, then God gets the glory and we get the help. If Paul relied on himself to serve as an apostle, and if the effect of his ministry was to bring about the obedience of works, not the obedience of faith among the gentiles, then the name of Christ would not be praised, Paul would be.

...God gets the glory for our service if God gives the grace for our service, and if we serve by faith in that grace, in the strength of that grace and not our own." -John Piper

Two New Studies Coming Soon!

Theology Thursday posts are usually among my favorite posts of the week. I know they can be too detailed at times (I'm working on it!) but if you are able to get a survey of some of these topics I think they will be very helpful in your Bible study. I don't say this as one who has a lot of theological knowledge but the little I have I am happy to offer as a begger who found some good table scraps. That said, I have a new study that will begin next week for Theology Thursday as well as a new study for Fridays (I don't have a catchy name for it).

The ABC's of the Bible- I basically stole this idea from a recent lecture I attended at the Bible Church of Little Rock. What I'm going to do is do a brief overview of a biblical character, doctrine of theology, etc... from the letter A to the letter Z (so it should be a 26 week study!) If you have an idea for a certain thing I should go over when I get to its letter just post it in the comment section.

Studying Books of the Bible Together- I am especially excited about this study which should begin tomorrow. We will begin with the book of Romans. The idea is to simply show a portion of Scripture and then a portion of a commentary, sermon, quote, or my own thoughts on the passage. I think it will be a good learning experience.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Election Season Hangover Prayer

Colossians 1:15-17

"[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together."

Proverbs 21:1

"The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord;
he turns it wherever he will."

Pray for our new President elect.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen Bean

NOTE: THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BEFORE ELECTION DAY WITH NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE OUTCOME.

Who's Will is Revealed Today?

Daniel 2:20-22-
“Blessed be the name of God forever and ever,
to whom belong wisdom and might.
He changes times and seasons;
he removes kings and sets up kings;
he gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to those who have understanding;
he reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what is in the darkness,
and the light dwells with him.”

Psalm 22:27-28-

“All the ends of the earth shall remember
and turn to the LORD,
and all the families of the nations
shall worship before you.
For kingship belongs to the LORD,
and he rules over the nations.”


Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Is "throwing my vote away" better than voting for McCain?

John McCain probably has thousands of Conservatives who dislike him more than I do. But I can't help but wonder what is the greater evil in my vote.

McCain is 98% pro-life.

Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party is 100% pro-life.

So the question is: if a vote for McCain is technically a vote for a massive reduction of abortions and a vote for Baldwin is a vote for the complete eradication of abortion, is a vote for McCain any better than a vote for Obama? Because Obama claims to be this new kind of pro-life that wants to reduce abortion while maintaining choice.

If you have an opinion please share it in the comments section. I do have more thoughts which I would be willing to share but I have not yet decided for whom I am voting in the Presidential race. I need somebody to explain to me how God will be pleased with a vote for John McCain or Chuck Baldwin. If you want me to vote for Obama you can share your thoughts but it won't convince me.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Happy Reformation Day!

Simply Irresistible Part 7

In conclusion to my series on the doctrine of irresistible grace I want to address the most serious accusation against the sovereignty of God in salvation. I have found that two questions are quickly raised when discussing the 5-points of Calvinism. We should not take these lightly.

If Irresistible Grace is true, why evangelize? It breaks my heart when Christians ask this question. It is as if they throw out all they know about the Bible to try and win an argument against a Calvinist. However, there is some substance to their argument. There are Calvinists who would say that evangelism is not necessary because of the doctrine of election or of irresistible grace. This is called "Hyper Calvinism" and it is completely unbiblical (Romans 10:14).

A positive response is that irresistible grace encourages evangelism. If I have to rely on my wit or intellect to get somebody to have faith in Christ I won't be able to sleep at night. However, if I know that God works through the preaching of the gospel and that He will use my obedience to bring salvation to someone I am able to evangelize harder than any Arminian and still sleep like a Calvinist.

Here is how Paul puts it: "Having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. But we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world [Satan] has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God...For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor. 4:1-6)

If Irresistible Grace is true, why pray for the lost?

I'm sure any non-Calvinist who has read me say that the Holy Spirit has freedom to give new birth to whomever He wills (which happens to be the elect) had the thought come to mind "then why pray for them?" But my question is why would you pray for them if the Holy Spirit is just waiting on the sinner to produce faith on his own? If you don't believe God can or will overcome resistance why would you waste your time praying for people instead of trying to use clever devices to get them to believe? (I'm sorry if this is an equally irrational question but I think it is fair).

God uses means to achieve His ends. If He predestined that Bob gets saved He might have also predestined that you pray that Bob get saved. You don't know what God has predestined until it happens. You know that you are told by God in His word to pray. So pray for Bob's salvation! God is not going to punish you for praying for someone when you didn't know if they were elect.

I hope and pray that this series has been helpful. Feel free to leave comments or questions.
Grace and Peace,
Stephen

"Claiming to be wise, they became fools"

A little humor from John Cleese. I couldn't pass this up.

Beginning and the End

Out of darkness into light
I know that I will be alright
Here inside Your hands
I never want to stray too far
Just want to be where You are
Here inside Your plan
And You’re the center of
The beginning and the end

And I place my life inside Your hands
You hold for me a perfect plan
And You are…
The beginning and the end

Everything that I’ve done wrong
Put You there on that cross
Where nails drove in Your hands
A crown of thorns deep in Your brow
I never knew it until now
It was all Your plan
God, You’ve always been
The beginning and the end
-Leeland

Christian Response to Anne Pressley's Murder and the UCA Shooting

What We Know- God is sovereign and will have vengeance. "Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly...For the LORD will vindicate his people and have compassion on his servants...I kill and I make alive; I wound and I heal; and there is none that can deliver out of my hand" (Deuteronomy 32:35-36, 39).

What We Don't Know-Will vengeance be taken in hell or was it taken at the cross? (Colossians 2:13-14, Revelation 21:8)

How Do We Respond? "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Rom. 12:15)

Remember, if God is not sovereign over all He is not sovereign at all.

"Sunday Worship" will be tomorrow.

A Purpose Driven Death

"Once I attended a pastors’ gathering with Richard Wormbrand. He asked questions like, 'Will you choose to suffer?' If suffering were offered to you as a gift, would you accept it?

He told a story about an abbot. A reporter asked him about what he would say if found out at the end of his life that there was no God. He said, 'Holiness, silence, and sacrifice are beautiful in themselves. I still would have used my life well.' Does that sound noble? Right?

Here’s what Paul said: 'If for this life only, we have hoped in Christ, we are of all men most to be pitied.' Why did Paul say that? Because his life was a life of consciously embraced suffering. Read the list in 2 Corinthians 11:23-28. Most of us define the benefits of Christianity with how it makes our life better now: 'Your best life now." -John Piper (Sermon- Filling Up What is Lacking in the Afflictions of Christ) Listen Here.

Simply Irresistible Part 6

In this post I want to respond to some objections to Irresistible Grace. The article I used to find these three objections can be found here. I will not be responding to everything said in the article or even every point of the article (some of the facts stated are just plain wrong). I do encourage you to read it and let me know via the comments section if I missed something to which you would like me to respond. I would be happy to respond to any further objections (whether in the article or not) in the comment section. If you are a Calvinist you can even raise questions that others have brought to you. Let's have fun with this!

Objection #1: Was not Israel elect? Didn't they reject God's grace?
Proverbs 1:22-24, "How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple?How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? If you turn at my reproof, behold, I will pour out my spirit to you; I will make my words known to you. Because I have called and you refused to listen, have stretched out my hand and no one has heeded..." (Also see Matthew 23:37 and Acts 7:51).

This objection can come from one of two misunderstandings: (1) The misunderstanding that Irresistible Grace teaches that the Holy Spirit cannot be resisted under any circumstances, or (2) a wrong understanding of election. The article from which I got this defined Irresistible Grace with a correct understanding of #1 so I will assume they don't understand the election of Israel.

The logic used to for this question is: God draws the elect irresistibly, Israel is God's chosen people, therefore God must draw all of Israel irresistibly.

The problem text for this understanding is not a small text, it's Romans 9-11. I will discuss election in another post but here is enough to answer the objection. Romans 8 is the peak of the letter, from it we see that God truly does save His people and nothing can separate us from Him. Then Paul anticipates the thought that must be coming to the minds of his readers, namely "What about Israel?!" Paul's response is a mini dissertation on election and Israel. The clearest solution Paul gives, "But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring...This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring" (Romans 9:6-8). So the New Testament is not ignorant of the question of God's election and Israel. God is not bound to drawing the nation of Israel.

Objection #2: Doesn't the Bible Teach that God Draws Everybody?

John 12:32, "And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself."
1 Timothy 2:3, "[God] desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth."

John 12 seems to present a big problem for Irresistible Grace whereas the text in 1 Timothy looks like a problem for Calvinism in general. Let's look at the verses individually.

The ESV (which is what I use above) is more friendly to the Calvinist position with John 12:32 than most. If you use the NIV or NASB you will find, "[I] will draw all men to myself." With "people" there is wiggle room (I could say he is talking about nations, see below), with "men" it looks like he is talking about each individual person. So which translation is correct? Neither. The reason we have different translations of this word is because it is an English supplement. It should read, "I will draw all to myself" but that doesn't make sense in English. Is this an argument for Irresistible Grace? No, but it is no longer an argument against it. But if you are looking for a text that supports Calvinism just read after 12:32 to the end of the chapter.

There are several problems with the non-Calvinists' use of 1 Timothy 2, the biggest being context, context, context. First, in 1 Timothy 2:1 Paul begins the text by using similar language to what we will find in verse four. Paul says "all people" but then what does he say? "...for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life..." (2:2). So now Paul has elaborated on what "all people" means, namely every type of person (or every nation). I have two other objections to this text but they relate to election and the atonement so I will save them.

Objection #3 Grace is Not Unmerited Favor on Individuals.
Romans 2:11, "For God shows no partiality."
The text cited, Romans 2:11, is taken out of context. Paul just finished talking about God's judgment and it is all described as "to the Jew first and also to the Greek." He then inserts his words in Romans 2:11 to explain this.

As for the objection that Grace is not unmerited we must look at the argument given in the article. In this objection they argue that "grace" is primarily used in contrast to "law." So, they would say, it is unfair to the text to make "grace" mean "unmerited favor." Their argument is based partially on the common phrase, "there, if not for grace, go I." They argue that this is a terrible thing to say as if God has given them something that He has not given another. What is the problem with this argument? Read Romans 11:28-32, it shows God's grace in the way they are arguing against.

(See part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Poetic Prayer

"Batter my heart, three personed God; for You
As yet but knock, breathe, shine, and seek to mend;
That I may rise and stand, o’erthrow me, and bend
Your force to break, blow, burn, and make me new.
I, like an usurped town, to another due,
Labor to admit You, but Oh, to no end.
Reason, Your viceroy in me, me should defend,
But is captived, and proves weak or untrue
Yet dearly I love You, and would be loved fain,
But am betrothed unto Your enemy:
Divorce me, untie or break that knot again,
Take me to You, imprison me, for I,
Except You enthrall me, never shall be free,
No ever chaste, except You ravish me."-John Donne

I'll give you a hint...it doesn't mean you are a good person

"People tell me that they are not Christians, not so much because they have never been convinced of the truth claims of Christianity, but because they have never been convinced of the need for what the Bible teaches. How many times have you heard people say, 'That may be true, but I personally don't feel the need for Jesus,' or 'I don't need he church,' or 'I don't need Christianity'? When people say something like this to me, I try to steer the conversation to the question of the truth of Christianity. I believe that if we can convince people of the truth of the identity of Christ and the truth of the work He accomplished, it will become instantly apparent to them that they need it." -R.C. Sproul (The Truth of the Cross, 6-7)

One question to ask yourself today; what does the death of Jesus Christ mean to your life?

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Corinthians 2:2)

Before the Throne of God Above

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea.
A great high Priest whose Name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me.
My name is graven on His hands,
My name is written on His heart.
I know that while in Heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair
And tells me of the guilt within,
Upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin.
Because the sinless Savior died
My sinful soul is counted free.
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,
My perfect spotless righteousness,
The great unchangeable I AM,
The King of glory and of grace,
One in Himself I cannot die.
My soul is purchased by His blood,
My life is hid with Christ on high,
With Christ my Savior and my God! -Charitie Bancroft

Is Your 401k (or 403b) More Important Than Another's Life?

I do not want this blog to ever be about politics. But one thing that is connected to politics as well as the foundation of this blog is the sanctity of human life. John McCain is not my favorite choice for the office of President, but he is also not merely the lesser of two evils. When I vote this November it will not be based on red or blue, it will not be based on whether or not I like Bush and how much different from him a candidate is, it will not be based on black or white (though I hope to have a godly black President some day), it will not be based on WMD's in Iraq, and it will not be based on the economy. Though I do not only care about one issue I do use one issue as a filter. It doesn't take the e-mail politics that base everything on whether or not somebody likes the pledge of allegiance to see that Obama is one of the most pro-abortion candidates we have ever seen. I hope that you are not persuaded by the double talk of making abortions "safe and rare" because if we were talking about two year olds you wouldn't buy that argument. Please pray with me that the Sovereign of the universe would have mercy on this nation and bring abortion to an end in this country. Having a Republican in the White House will not save a nation but I think if God would give us the grace to overcome this great evil we would be so much further from His judgment than we are today.

I took the following from Randy Alcorn's blog. Here is his post, Not Cool: Obama's Pro-abortion Stance, and Christians enabling him.

God's stance on abortion:

"Do not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD." (Leviticus 18:21)

"Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed." (Deuteronomy 19:10)

"Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I will give you over to bloodshed and it will pursue you. Since you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you." (Ezekiel 35:6)

"Shedding innocent blood? Not cool.

Supporting and voting for those committed to the legalized shedding of innocent blood? You tell me." -Randy Alcorn

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

Simply Irresistible Part 5

This is part 5 of a series on the doctrine of Irresistible Grace. Here are parts 1, 2, 3, and 4.

This week I want to show you the connection between the atonement of Christ and regeneration. Several texts in the Old Testament promise the New Covenant. Jeremiah 31:31 speaks of this New Covenant and connects two interesting acts of God. He says in Jeremiah 31:33-34 "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts...they shall all know me...I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more." Ezekiel 36:23 tells of how God will vindicate His holiness. This, like when Jeremiah speaks of forgiveness, is about the atonement of Christ (see Romans 3:25-26). What does Ezekiel continue to say? "I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh...I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes" (Ezekiel 36:26-27). Both Ezekiel and Jeremiah show an undeniable connection between the atonement of Christ and regeneration.

This may sounds boring but it's extremely important for two doctrines, namely the scope of the atonement of Christ and the new birth. In Luke 22:20 Jesus says that his blood is of the "new covenant." The New Covenant cannot be for everyone; if God causes someone to know Him and walk in His statutes they are saved.

Ephesians 2 is a good illustration for this connection. (Ephesians 2:1-3) Paul begins by talking about how we were once dead in sin, (Ephesians 2:4-7) But God, Paul says, made us alive. The alternative view of these two doctrines would say that Paul is talking about God intervening in our lives by providing an atonement. Once we hear about this atonement we respond in faith and God responds to that with regeneration. What Paul is saying is that we were dead and couldn't do anything to save ourselves and God provided an atonement for us and then made us alive giving us the ability to even respond to Him in faith. This is truly amazing grace.

Grace and Peace,
Stephen

The Example of Daniel

"...I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes." (Daniel 9:2-3).

God is sovereign over all things. This includes those in charge of our nation. In light of this and the fact that He calls us to pray, we should heed the example of Daniel. What do we know? That God is Sovereign, man is responsible, our nation is coming up on a huge election, and our nation is incredibly wicked and deserving of judgment (including but not limited to a terrible President with wicked policies). What should we do? Think of it this way, Daniel knew that, according to what God had promised through Jeremiah, the desolation was about to come to an end. Instead of saying "God is sovereign so I don't have to do anything" he prayed on behalf of his people and repented on their behalf.

It's not too late...

5 Reasons I Like My Brother's Writing More Than My Own

1. It is not my own, therefore it is easier to learn new things.

2. Jonathan's passion for worship of God in all things exceeds that of any other worship leader/writer I have ever known so I know that he has hand picked every word.

3. He writes best when he feels least "spiritual."

4. Nothing I write has cool music behind it.

5. One of my favorite songs was written by him:

"Relieved of pain, I dream again, desiring a place I’ve never known.
Loving people and aching to be in a place this body doesn’t crave.

So why am I still here? How does this desk help fix my broken hearted ache.
How will I get there? My heart is over an ocean

Everything’s gonna be just fine, I’ll lose my dreams I’ll lose this life and wait with time
Everything’s gonna be so bright, this life is hard, this road is rough, but joys with loss.

Looking at the future money melts away, and dreams of self denial pave the way.
Studying pictures and hearing stories, watching others reach their day.
So why am I still here, My life’s calling still unfulfilled
How will I get there? My heart is over an ocean

Everything’s gonna be just fine, I’ll lose my dreams I’ll lose this life and wait with time
Everything’s gonna be so bright, this life is hard, this road is rough, but joys with loss.

I’m called to go, I’m called to love, I’m called to offer life,
I’m called to shine, I’m called to share at all times
I’m called to wait I’m called to serve here for this time,
I’m here to go, I love to share, this is the missionary cry

Everything’s gonna be just fine, I’ll lose my dreams I’ll lose this life and wait with time
Everything’s gonna be so bright, this life is hard, this road is rough, but joys with loss."

-Jonathan Bean (Missionary Cry by Across the Valley) used without permission