Burroughs: Gospel Hope

The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the cause of true lively hope in the hearts of the saints. By the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead, God has declared that He is fully satisfied for the sins of man, and that the work of redemption is fully wrought out; otherwise Christ must have been held by the prison of the grave forever. But when Jesus Christ is let out of the prison of the grave, and the bonds of death are taken from Him, this declares to men and angels that the work of redemption is perfect; it holds this out to the soul upon which faith is grounded and hope is raised.

Jeremiah Burroughs in Hope, page 26

A Christian View of Abortion

On January 22, 1973, the Supreme Court of the United States, by a 7 to 2 vote, declared that abortion was a right granted by the constitution. Since that time, more than 50 million unborn children have been legally aborted (murdered). This does not include illegal abortions that are unreported. An estimated 1.5 million babies are murdered while in the womb each year. Women who have abortions cite three main reasons for having abortions: 1) having a baby would interfere with work, school or other responsibilities; 2) they cannot afford a child; and 3) they do not want to be a single parent or are having problems with their husband or partner.[1]

Despite hand-wringing by politicians, cries for the mother’s health by activists, and the insistence of abortion’s legality by jurists, the question is very simple. Is it right or wrong to kill an innocent person? The unborn child is scientifically and biologically a person. And that unborn person has done nothing to warrant execution. He or she has committed no crime against society. In a morally sane society the answer should be obvious. Abortion is murder and killing unborn children is ethically wrong. As Christians, we recognize that murder is sin and that God alone has the prerogative to give life and take life. Murdering children (or anyone else) is always wrong and sinful. As Christians we should stand against the immoral, wicked, and ungodly practice of abortion.

Abortion is legalized murder. It is protected and preserved in our society by greed and selfishness. The abortion industry is a billion dollar a year industry. It is fueled by Satan’s hatred of God and his attempt to kill God in effigy by destroying the little ones created in God’s image.[2] Psalm 82:3-4 calls us to “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed. Rescue the weak and needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” The weakest, most oppressed, most needy, most in need of deliverance from the hands of the wicked in America today are the unborn. Let us work for their survival.

As Christians committed to life, we should pursue all legal avenues to eliminate abortion including voting, petitioning, and peacefully protesting. We should work to raise awareness of the realities of abortion by becoming educated ourselves and then talking with family, friends, and neighbors about abortion. We should support political candidates who are firmly committed to life and justice for the unborn. As Dr. R.C. Sproul has written, “If you care about the slaughter of the innocent, then for God’s sake, speak up. Speak to your family. Speak to your neighbor. Speak to your friend. Speak to your doctor. Speak to your minister. Speak to your congressman. Let your voice be heard in a chorus of protest. Yours is only one voice, but it is a voice. Use it.”[3] Promote a culture of life by supporting pro-life causes, adoption services, and agencies helping mothers and children in need like Peoria Rescue Ministries.

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[1] Source: http://www.abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ accessed January 20, 2011.

[2] Randy Alcorn, ProLife Answers to ProChoice Argument, Multnomah Press, p. 295.

[3] R.C. Sproul, Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue, NavPress, p. 151.

A Review of "If God is Good" by Randy Alcorn

Three traits make Randy Alcorn a helpful writer. First he is exhaustive. Second he is readable. Third he writes is a warm pastoral way. Like his previous book Heaven, If God is Good is exhaustive, readable and pastoral. This book may be the best book dealing with the very complex problem of Theodicy (the question of evil and suffering in relation to God's sovereignty) available to the lay-person. Unafraid to address skeptics' and critics' charges and questions, Alcorn lays out a Biblical explanation of suffering.

45 chapters are divided into 11 sections. This makes the book easily accessible for those who want to zero in on a particular question or topic. The Scripture and Topical Indexes are helpful in this regard as well.

One feature (perhaps as an appendix) I would have appreciated is some extended discussion on God's commands to wipe out the Canaanite inhabitants in Joshua.

Young and first time pastors my find the last section of the book, Living Meaningful in Suffering very helpful during counseling situations.

All in all, I highly recommend this excellent book.

Disclaimer: Multnomah provided a review copy to me free of charge.

Burroughs: Hope Higher

The men of the world have their hopes. One man hopes to increase his estate and grow rich; he has a fair way of trading; he hope for a good voyage, and makes account that if such things return safely home, he must be thus enriched. Another hopes to get a good place; another hopes that upon the death of such a friend he shall get thus and thus. There are a great many hopes in the world, but "he who has this hope," says the apostle. The hopes of the saints are pitched higher than the hopes of the men of the world. They are raised up to high and glorious things, even to the appearing of Jesus Christ, to seeing Him as He is, and being made like unto Him-- he who has this hope.

Jeremiah Burroughs, Hope, page 4

Introducing Jeremiah Burroughs

The Puritans have been my teachers for several years now. It was through the ministries of John Piper (from a distance) and my seminary president Charley Holmes (in the classroom) that I first became interested in the Puritans. But it was blogger Tony Reinke and his series The Puritan Study in 2006 that really fueled and guided my interest in the Puritans.

One Puritan was mentioned repeatedly as I perused Puritan works and read what others said about the Puritans- Jeremiah Burroughs.

Burroughs was one of the Westminster Divines- a member of the group that wrote the Westminster Confession of Faith and the Westminster Longer and Shorter Catechisms. Even for a Baptist like me, the Westminster documents are breath taking. The depth, scope and weightiness of the Confess and two Catechisms cannot be overstated. I have turned to them over and over again over the last 5 years or so to help me think through the implications of doctrine in Christian living.

Burroughs was born in 1599 and faithfully served the Lord in England and Holland. He was known for his winsome and gentle spirit. Burroughs was not only a theologian capable of helping draft some of the most important theological documents in church history, he was a pastor. This makes him of great interest to me. He was no ivory tower thinker, detached from every day life. He was a deep thinker in the daily trenches of average life. He was Gospel rooted, theologically robust, deeply spiritual, and incredibly helpful.

I look forward to spending time learning from Mr. Burroughs this year. I intend to read at least twelve of his books, including the Gospel Life series. Each week I will post a quotation or two from my previous reading.

For more information about Burroughs, visit A Puritan's Mind.

10 Questions for a New Year (and my answers)

Don Whitney has for quite some time been a helper and coach (through his books and web site) in my quest for Godliness. He offers 10 questions to begin the New Year. His questions are in bold and my answers are in italics.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
Read the Bible daily with the purpose of hearing from God and not merely to accomplish a reading goal or writing a sermon or lesson.

2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
Give our church 5 young families.

3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
Take time and energy to build my relationship with Sarah... to serve her more this year.

4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
Family worship... Be more consistent with it.

5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
Surfing the net and chasing down links to time wasters... I am going to stop.

6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
By doing more personal evangelism.

7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
Abigail

8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
Lose weight and exercise daily... While bodily exercise profits some (1 Timothy 4:8), I think it does make a significant impact on all areas of my life.

9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
Use the Valley of Vision to help guide my prayer life.

10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?
Disciple 3 guys. I'm working with 1... I hope to start discipling 2 more this year.

2010 Reading and Beyond

Here is a list of the books I read from cover to cover in 2010. There were a number of other books started and not finished. I finished #50 today driving back from Arkansas (well, technically, Sarah was driving while I was reading).

1. Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
2. The Bookends of the Christian Life by Jerry Bridges and Bob Bevington
3. Words from the Fire by R. Albert Mohler
4. Axiom by Bill Hybels
5. Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
6. Twelve Challenges Churches Face by Mark Dever
7. God's Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts
8. Why we Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
9. The Most Loving Place in Town by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges
10. Stop Dating the Church by Joshua Harris
11. The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
12. The Basis of Unity by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
13. Worldliness: Resisting the Seduction of a Fallen World edited by C.J. Mahaney
14. A Sweet and Bitter Providence by John Piper
15. The Power of Words and the Wonder of God edited by John Piper and Justin Taylor
16. Leaders Who Last by Dave Kraft
17. Christ's Words from the Cross by Charles H. Spurgeon
18. Raised with Christ by Adrian Warnock
19. What's So Great About the Doctrines of Grace by Richard D. Phillips
20. Engaging with the Holy Spirit: Real Questions, Practical Answers by Graham A. Cole
21. Fifty Reasons Why Jesus Came to Die by John Piper
22. Five Who Changed the World by Daniel L. Akin
23. What is the Gospel? by Greg Gilbert
24. This Little Church Had None by Gary Gilley with Jay Wegter
25. C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership by Steve Miller
26. Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
27. Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus by D.A. Carson
28. Simplify Your Spiritual Life by Donald Whitney
29. Simple Church by Thom Rainer and Eric Geiger
30. Love That Lasts by Gary and Betsy Ricucci
31. Fear Not! Death and the Afterlife from a Christian Perspective by Ligon Duncan
32. The Living Church by John Stott
33. Just Do Something by Kevin DeYoung
34. Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike McKinley
35. From the Resurrection to His Return: Living Faithfully in the Last Days by Don Carson
36. Tap: Defeating the Sins that Defeat You by Yancey Arrington
37. The Doctrine of Repentance by Thomas Watson
38. Marks of the Messenger by J. Mack Stiles
39. Towards Spiritual Maturity by William Still
40. Radical by David Platt
41. Think by John Piper
42. Teach them to Pray by Paul Tautges
43. Christless Christianity by Michael Horton
44. A Not-So-Silent Night by Verlyn Verbrugge
45. My Soul Magnifies the Lord by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
46. Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer
47. Holy Subversion by Trevin Wax
48. When Worlds Collide by R.C. Sproul
49. Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus edited by Nancy Guthrie
50. The Radical Disciple by John Stott

I'm looking forward to the books I'm going to read in 2011. I've started The Truth War by John MacArthur tonight. I need to read The Transformational Church by Ed Stetzer and Thom Rainer & The Trellis and the Vine by Colin Marshall and Tony Payne for local book reading clubs in January. And I will be reading and reviewing Randy Alcorn's If God Is Good. January is going to be a busy book month!

Taking the lead from my friend Josh King, I've committed to reading a dozen or so books by Puritan Jeremiah Burroughs in 2011.

Happy New Year and happy reading!

Top 5(ish) Books I Read in 2010

Honorable Mention: Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy
This memoir from my favorite (former) NFL coach is insightful and touching. Tony exemplifies all that is good in professional athletics. May his tribe increase.

5a. Christless Christianity by Michael Horton
Do you ever look around at Evangelicalism and think something is wrong? So does Horton. And he shows us what it is... We, like the Laodicean Church of Revelation 3, have forgotten Jesus and left him out in the cold. This book is a strong critique that the church in American desperately needs to hear.

5b. Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer
Like Horton's book, Spencer sees a number of problems in contemporary evangelicalism. He calls us back to a "Jesus-shaped spirituality." In other words, just don't talk about Jesus, actually walk with Jesus and know him and love him.

5c. Why we Love the Church by Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck
Are there problems in the church? Yes. But like DeYoung and Kluck, I love the church. Horton and Spencer alone may make you cynical toward the church. DeYoung and Kluck help us see the good and all three together give us a good perspective of what church should be.

4. Christ's Words from the Cross by Charles Spurgeon
This little book complies a sermon or writing on each of Christ's seven statements uttered from the cross. I've read this little book several times in the last 15 years and each time its truths become even more precious to me.

3. Church Planting is for Wimps by Mike McKinley
This little book is powerful. It is encouraging and instructive, hopeful and realistic. Best of all, it it rooted in the Gospel and exemplifies true pastoral shepherding.

2. Radical by David Platt
This book will stir your heart for discipleship and missions on every level. Warning: it will kick you in the gut... but in a good way.

1. Counterfeit Gods by Timothy Keller
This is the first book I read in 2010, and what a book to start the year off with. Keller exposes all sorts of idols and calls us to faithfulness to the Lord. A must read!

Review: Mere Churchianity by Michael Spencer

I was in seminary when I first read Michael Spencer's blog InternetMonk.com. Back in the day, I was working through some major theological truths that were rocking my world. Theology of Worship with Dr. Holmes was challenging everything I had previously thought about church, worship, ministry, and even the doctrine of salvation itself.

Doing some research for that class on organizing and leading a worship service, Google took me to the IMonk's essay on Christless preaching. This essay has shaped my preaching and teaching ministry since that time. I am now and always grateful for it.

In April of this year, Michael died. But before the cancer destroyed his body, Michael wrote Mere Churchianity. What a way to end one's pilgrimage.

In his later years, Michael became disenchanted with what what he called "church-shaped spirituality" or "churchianity." This is the false form of Christianity that pervades much of evangelicalism today. Instead, he called us back to a "Jesus-shaped spirituality." For all his flaws and struggles, Michael consistently looked to and pointed others toward Jesus. That is what makes this a very good book.

I am in the group Michael is criticizing. I am a pastor in an evangelical, (informally) institutional, Baptist church. Much in my life and ministry has distracted people away from Jesus. My work in youth ministry often replaced Jesus with some cool fad. I was (and in many ways still am) enamored with doctrinal correctness and stiff theologizing. And I can contribute to the problem.

But Michael urges me to keep Jesus at the center, in my life and in my ministry. While I may not agree with Michael's solutions, or even his diagnoses of the problems, I do agree that the answer is always Jesus kept front and center. Or, to say it better, Jesus followed and loved supremely.

I urge church leaders to read Mere Churchianity as a diagnostic tool. Is your church and ministry shaped by Jesus, or by the institution of your church? Michael urges me, and I hope you, to make it all about Jesus in a real way.

Some favorite quotes from the book:

Jesus-shaped discipleship produces people whose lives, habits, commitments, and words resemble Jesus more than the cultural ideals of comfort, convenience, and economic prosperity. (p. 15)

When you view evangelicalism from a distance, it becomes clear that almost all the problems can be traced back to evangelicalism's unquestioned commitment to be successful and relevant. (p. 25)

Wrong ideas about God are, themselves, false gods. They are idols just as much as a graven image. (p. 34)

When I first began to think about Jesus-shaped spirituality, I would ask this door opening question: If I spent three years with Jesus, how would I feel about...? The question is appropriate and revealing, no matter what the subject or issue happens to be. How would Jesus shape me in this area if he deeply influenced my thinking and living? (p. 42)

You can't have a Christian experience, in a church or outside one, without Jesus. (p. 49)

It's pointless to be cool, because trying to make Jesus sexy is a waste of time. (p. 79)

Faith is a lack of contentment with what I am, but a sense of satisfaction with what God has given me of himself in Jesus. The mark of saving faith is not just resting passively in the promises of the gospel (though that is exactly what justification does), but it's an ongoing war with the reality of my condition. (p. 146)

...sanctification consists, in large measure, in seeing our sin and acknowledging how deeply and extensively it has marred us. (p. 149)

Review: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series

The Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament is an exceptional series. I picked up James a couple of years ago and was blown over by it. This series is helpful for those who, like me, have had Greek in seminary, know the importance of the original languages, but through the busyness of ministry have neglected to keep it up. The ZECNT serves as a kind of prompt to help you remember what you studied and ease back into using Greek.

But it does more than that. It offers great exegetical insights into the text. Unlike other exegetical commentaries, it does not overwhelm you with interaction from other critical sources. You don't read page after page of interaction with other commentaries and monographs. That is not to say this series ignores other material. It simply keeps the focus on the Greek text. For this reason, I can't recommend this series highly enough.

Zondervan recently sent me a copy of the newly released Ephesians commentary. I plan on preaching through Ephesians in 2011 and this will be a much used resource. Thumbing through it I can already see this will be a helpful resource to enrich my study and sermon preparation.

This may be one of the best new commentary series available. Even though it deals with the Greek text, those with little to no Greek backgrounds will benefit from it greatly.