Great little Booklets--Got a Kindle?

Got a Kindle?  Ligonier recently released a bunch of booklets, on a variety of subjects.  they cost $3 or so each as booklets--but on your Kindle, they are free!  I've read two of them so far--How to Develop a Christian Conscience? and What is the Church?  They are at most a 15-30 minute read, and very good.  Check out all the titles by clicking here.

Why Presbyterian?

Here is a rare brief article, from the Gospel Coalition's blog, titled "Why You Should Be a Presbyterian."  Just in case you wondered--have a read.

I have not always been Presbyterian, either.  What drew me mostly to Westminster Seminary was the gospel--the full grace of God expressed in the doctrines of grace.  As a byproduct, almost, I became Presbyterian.  Since Presbyterians are sinners, too, it is not utopia.  But I am blessed, as a Presbyterian minister, with wise and godly elders who are better than I deserve, and with a presbytery.  Soli Deo Gloria.

"The Wrath of God Was Satisfied..."

Perhaps you recognize that line.  It is from the new hymn, "In Christ Alone."  The entire verse reads, 
In Christ alone, Who took on flesh,
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev'ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.

The biblical teaching that the wrath of God was satisfied on the cross--that Jesus' death atoned for sin by, among other things, satisfying the justice of God--is not well-received today.  Colin Hansen has an interesting article on that at the Gospel Coalition web site.  Read it and pray for the larger church.

A Picture of the Gospel

What would you say to this?  See what happened on these two flights last year around Christmas:



This is actually a picture of the gospel. Like all analogies, it breaks down, of course, but consider this:

Every day God gives us life instead of death.  He does so to lead us to repentance (Ro. 2:14).  He does this, in other words, in order to point us toward his greatest gift: that of his Son, Jesus, who came to deal with our deepest, most profound need, that we are sinners--sin robs us of all ultimate joy and happiness, and forces us into lives of servitude to our self-serving desires.

Now in this video (by the way, what better way for a company--at a fraction of the cost of a TV commercial--to get publicity, and some loyal customers!) people, to their great surprise, receive what they asked of the electronic Santa Claus set up in the departure lounge of the airport.

Some, alas, did not ask for much--one man new socks and underwear, for instance.  Some, no doubt, were too jaded to ask for anything.  But--everyone got what they asked for! Even an Android tablet, and a large TV.

But--heart-check!--what are all these compared to forgiveness of sins, being made white as snow before God, and deliverance from slavery to sin's tyranny?  All the gifts passengers received--how many of them still make them happy next year, the year after that?  All will wear out--from the socks and underwear to the big TV.  But salvation lasts forever.  And is there for the asking.

So--ask God for a lot.  Ask for nothing less than Christ.  Don't just ask for socks and underwear.

Hat tip: David Murray

Unusual Church Plant

Here is a link to a video about the church plant I mentioned before the sermon yesterday.  Take a look:

http://vimeo.com/76092170

Here's the Bob Newhart skit I mentioned on Sunday.  Enjoy!

Comfort In, Dump Out

Here is some good advice when suffering, and when connected, either closely or more distantly, with those who are suffering. Follow this link.

An Absolute Must-Read

I am tempted to say, "If you read only one book this year, this should be it!"  I really am.  Suffice to say, I picked it up yesterday for the first time, and finished it today.  It's only about 150 pages, but it is all the way through a powerful testimony of God's grace to sinners.
I picked it up because of the uniqueness of the story it tells: it is the story of a woman who, in her mid-thirties, was a tenured professor of Culture Studies (if you know anything about post-modernism, you have some idea of what that means--let's just say she was not exactly a "social conservative"), and in a monogamous lesbian relationship.  And then God's irresistible grace got a hold of her--not overnight, but through the friendship of a pastor and his wife who welcomed her into his home, and just listened and asked questions at first.  That's an attention-grabbing summary.
But I kept reading it because of the way her story taught me about the nature of the call of the gospel; what repentance looks like; how the author wrote very perceptibly about the nature of sin, including sexual sin; and how, though I do not appear, in the eyes of many Christians to be quite so much in need of redemption as this woman was--I am every bit of it.  Excellent, excellent book.  I agree with Westminster professor and pastor Carl Trueman, whose recommendation runs like this: "I cannot recommend this book highly enough.  I do not agree with everything she says; but I did learn from everything she wrote.  It deserves the widest possible readership."
You can purchase the book from wtsbooks.com by clicking here.  Why not get a couple to give away?

Is God Anti-Gay?

That is the title of a short book that just came out.  It is written by an English pastor who, as he puts it, experiences same-sex attraction.  I just ordered a few copies (wtsbooks.com has them at a deep discount this week), so if you are at Covenant and would like one, they will be available. It should be good for anyone who has struggled with same-sex attraction, or knows someone who has.
Another book that I just ordered, and which also comes highly recommended, is called Love into Light. I hope to read both during August, and will let you know what they are like.
The Internet has naturally exploded with viewpoints on gay marriage, in light of the recent Supreme Court decisions.  But surprisingly, on a local level, I have not heard much conversation about this one, especially from church friends, pastors, etc.  So as I read these books, I may have a few more things to say about that in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, here is a "trailer" for the first book I mentioned that is worth a listen:

How do you teach the Bible to your children?

How do you teach the Bible to your children?  Is the Bible--especially the Old Testament--filled with examples of doing good, and God loves those who do good?  If you don't "dare to be a Daniel" does God stop loving you?
Follow this link for a good description, by Sally Lloyd-Jones (who wrote the Jesus Storybook Bible that we have read with our children).  She reflects on how she was taught the Bible primarily as a source for moral direction, but then came to see the Bible as one book with one theme: redemption through Jesus Christ for sinners.  Read and ponder.

Always something new in China

Yes, that's true: always something new in China.  Have you ever heard of Jackson Hole--Beijing, China?  Have a look:

American sentenced in North Korea

Here is a report from the British newspaper "The Guardian" about an American who was recently sentenced to hard labor in North Korea:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/may/02/north-korea-kenneth-bae-hard-labour
While in Yanji last year (Yanji is just across the border from N. Korea) we met many people who were working in Rason, the place where he was arrested.  Don't forget to pray for N. Korea.

For "Calvinism"

We have recently been watching and discussing R.C. Sproul's video series Chosen by God in one of our Sunday School classes.  Naturally, though our church is "Calvinist" in its confession, this has not always been easy for everyone to grab hold of.  Everything in our culture and, for many, our upbringing, screams against a God who is that sovereign.
Well, Mike Horton has recently written a book called For Calvinism. (You can buy the book at wtsbooks.com for $10.86, or get the Kindle version for $3.79 from Amazon).   Interestingly the foreword is by Roger Olson, a friend of Horton's and a committed Arminian (who in turn earlier wrote a book, Against Calvinism).
So far I have only read the introduction and the foreword, but even that much has been very worthwhile.  Incidentally, "Calvinism" is not anyone's favorite way to refer to this, including Horton.  Much better is simply to call what Calvin (and Augustine and Paul before him) taught "the doctrines of grace."
Now you might think this is for theological eggheads only.  I encourage you to read Horton's introduction (you may even be able to do that online without reading the book :)).  I think many Christians (and non-Christians) may think that all that we need to do is just be good people.  History has shown, however, that cultural "goodness" is something that cannot be passed on apart from a deeper understanding of God--and without reflecting on what his Word teaches.  And that, even a cursory glance of the Bible shows, is more than superficial goodness.  So go on--read it!

A Glimpse of Average Life in China

Check out this video for an interesting look at one young man's daily life in Shanghai--a window cleaner at Shanghai's World Trade Center (our family met with a dozen of my former students at a pub in the basement of this building last May).  Very well-done video, worth a few minutes' time.

Speaking of Good Jealousy...

In Romans 11 Paul says that the Gentiles' turning to Christ, in the divine plan, is to create "jealousy" among his kinsmen, the Jews.  Well, as I was reflecting on that, there appeared a column from one of my favorite writers, David Brooks, on the Orthodox and Hasidic Jews in New York City--and on one of their grocery stores.  Seems that these conservative Jews are not afraid, or particularly bothered, by following a different drummer--or, in contemporary language, being counter-cultural.  I wonder how my family, and our church, looks like from the outside--inasmuch as we march to a different drummer, can people see it?  What do they think of it?  Is it attractive?  May God give us grace to inspire jealousy.

"Why We Need Confessions" Link

A few weeks ago I mentioned a New Horizons article, "Why Christians Need Confessions."  At the time the article was not yet on the Internet.  Now it is: you can find it here.  To whet your appetite, here are the seven main reasons Trueman cites for why we need confessions:
1. Confessions Limit Church Power
2. Confessions Offer Succinct Summaries of the Christian Faith
3. Confessions Allow for Appropriate Discrimination between Officers and Members
4. Confessions Highlight What Is Important
5. Confessions Relativize the Present and Connect Us to the Past (i.e. the church did not start in 2000, but has been around a long time--and the past has wisdom for us!)
6. Confessions Reflect the Substance of our Worship
7. Confessions Fulfill a Vital Part of Paul's Plan for the Post-Apostolic Church

Some of these may not be what comes to mind for you--but don't let that stop you from reading this one.

Don't Miss This

If you haven't seen it yet, please be sure to spend 28 minutes to listen to Dr. Ben Carson's address at the National Prayer Breakfast on Thursday.  The C-Span feed was put on You Tube, and is available here.  This guy is an excellent speaker, and has a few good ideas.  Don't miss it.

A Hot Time in a Cold Place

The city of Harbin, Northeast China, where I lived for four years, has an annual claim to fame: the "ice lantern festival," perhaps the most prominent event of its kind in all of Asia, even perhaps the world.  For your viewing pleasure, the Wall Street Journal has a blog with pictures.  You can see it here.

Was It Real--or Faked?--or "Enhanced?"

Does it matter if what you see is real--or electronically spruced up?  You may have missed the flap over Beyonce's singing at the inauguration last week--was she singing in real-time, or did she lip-sync?  And does anyone really care?  Here is an interesting article about how people prefer--at least we think--things to be more perfect than they could ever be in "reality," and whether reality can measure up to "enhanced" reality--whether it is pictures of people, or advertising, or singing.
Or--worship.  Think about it: What if the musicians in worship thought they could do a "better" job by pre-recording their music, then lip-(and instrument-)syncing during worship?  And what if a preacher decided he could do a "better" job by pre-recording the sermon, and lip-syncing?  What would be lost?
Or--here's another angle on this.  One current phenomenon is churches with multi-site worship services, where the sermon is preached at one site, and broadcast at all the other sites.  So that if you are at another site, you do not get to "see" the preaching live, but only broadcast.  What do you think?  Is there not something to live, in-person preaching--the interaction, non-verbally, between the pastor and the congregation--that is taken away (I do think so--what do you think)?  And then, can a pastor really act as shepherd (the word "pastor" comes from a root word meaning "shepherd") for a congregation that he only knows "remotely?"  Is hearing preaching merely a matter of taking in information--or is there more going on?  Let me know what you think.

Why We Need Confessions

When it comes to confessions of faith, many Christians are like Groucho Marx here:


Well, the February edition of New Horizons has an excellent cover article, by Carl Trueman, on why Christians (and churches) need confessions of faith--even lengthy ones, like the Westminster Confession of Faith, and Catechisms.  It's not online yet, but as soon as it is, I will post a link.

Something from an Unexpected Source

Follow this link for a list of "25 Danger Signs" for Christians.  It comes from an unexpected place, and yet, if you look down the list, it will be remarkably similar for us in our place.  Ponder, for example, number 7 (among others!).