Book Review: “With the Clouds of Heaven: The book of Daniel in biblical theology” by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Book Review 

“With the Clouds of Heaven: The book of Daniel in biblical theology”

by James M. Hamilton Jr.

Inter Varsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 2014

  Of all of the books in the bible, Daniel ranks as one of the most controversial and most difficult to grasp and understand.  In the fall of 2013 I preached through the book of Daniel for 12 weeks. It was an enormous task and yet an enormous blessing at the same time and the Lord used the book of Daniel in a great way within our church.  I used 20 resources before and during that period and purchased and received several more since then.  If I were to preach or teach through Daniel again (and Lord willing I will!) James M. Hamilton Jr’s With the Clouds of Heaven” would be the first resource I would turn to.  In this book review I will give a brief summary of the book, discuss strengths and weakness, and provide come concluding thoughts.  

       The New Studies in Biblical Theology is a fantastic series from Inter Varsity Press and I have read and reviewed several books within this series and Hamilton’s work on Daniel did not disappoint.  The book is broken down into 10 chapters with a series and an author’s preface.  Hamilton uses chapter one to lay out preliminaries for entire work and makes it very clear that his book is not a verse by verse commentary but instead “an evangelical and canonical biblical theology of Daniel.” (21) Hamilton states at the end of chapter one that  his “…hope is to pay close attention to the text of Daniel, in both the original languages in which it was written and in the Greek and English translations, to set what Daniel wrote in the broader context of biblical theology, and to move readers toward a clearer understanding of biblical theology, and to move readers towards a clearer understanding of how we should live today in response to the message of Daniel.” (40)  A difficult task, and yet at the completion of reading his work i believe he has accomplished such a great task.  

  Within the preliminaries Hamilton discusses his view of biblical theology, the canon of Scripture, and the details of his evangelical approach towards this study.  It is an extremely helpful chapter of introduction.  Hamilton is a seminary professor, but even more he is gifted at teaching. He does not miss the opportunity to cover issues that affect his point of view while simultaneously pointing and persuading his readers in the same direction.  In this regard Hamilton is unapologetic of his positions and is passionate about defending the historical authenticity of the book of Daniel.  

Chapters 2 and 3 continue more introductory matters but are both very helpful chapters.  In chapter 2 Hamilton relates Daniel within the progression of the revelation of Scriptures and how the progression will continue until the end of time.  Daniel reaches back to Genesis in his opening statements referring to Babylon as ’Shinar’ (1:2) and carries it forward until the ‘end of days’ (41). Hamilton does an excellent job showing how Daniel is heavily influenced by the Old Testament up to that point in time and how Daniel contributes to the continuing revelation of the coming of the end of days.  In Chapter 3 Hamilton argues that the structure of Daniel should be viewed as a chiasm (A mirroring poetic form where the top and bottom correspond and where the middle is emphasized at times).  Typically, scholars acknowledge 2 chasms within the book of Daniel but Hamilton’s argument for one chiasm is very convincing and very helpful.  He has presented it in prior works and so I was already familiar with it but his chapter on the structure of Daniel is very helpful.  

Next, in chapters 4-6 Hamilton gets into the nitty gritty of the Book of Daniel by addressing the visions, images, and dialogue between Daniel and the heavenly beings.  Much could be said about the details and delicacy that Hamilton gives in dealing with these passages.  In particular, his argument regarding the 3rd and 4th kingdoms are very helpful.  Whereas many scholars argue for the 4th kingdom to be Rome, Hamilton argues that it should more be seen as a typological kingdom that continues (over and over again) until the coming of the Anti-Christ, who is pictured as a Nebuchadnezzar (and later Antiochus Epiphanes). Essentially, Daniel’s message was to encourage his readers to hold fast during these trying times and it is still applicable to Christians today.

In chapter 7, Hamilton goes through early Jewish literature to build his arguments about authorship and dating and to show how the writings of Daniel affected later authors to copy or incorporate Daniel’s style within their own writings.  In chapters 8-10, Hamilton jumps into the New Testament and tackles passages that directly relate with the Book of Daniel from the Appendix IV in the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece, 27th edition (179-180).  Then, he carefully handles how John uses Daniel in Revelation (though not exhaustive as he indicates has been done in several other books), even to the point of copying the chiasm of Daniel to drive home the point of the exaltation of Jesus opposed to the humiliation of Nebuchadnezzar and Belteshazzar (205-206).   

Hamilton accomplishes his goal of providing a biblical theology of the Book of Daniel.  It no easy task to read let alone comprehend and communicate what exactly Daniel is conveying through his retelling of visions and dialogues with heavenly beings.  Hamilton does an excellent job of teaching as he argues.  His preliminary chapter is very helpful in preparing his readers for the following arguments without being exhaustive over introductory matters.  Chapter 3 is beneficial even if you are not studying or preaching through Daniel because of the comprehensive presentation of the Scriptures. 

Other strengths include his explanations on the early Jewish literature, the structure of the Book of Daniel as a chiasm and the corresponding nature that John uses the same pattern to organize Revelation, and the typological nature of Daniel and Joseph in chapter 10.  I would recommend anyone, scholar, student, pastor, lay-person, to begin with Hamilton’s work before consulting any other work.  I say this because of the consistency of Hamilton’s argument and the foundational issues such as structure and the typological patterns that create the bases in which Daniel writes.  Of all of the other resources I have read on Daniel none compare to this volume from Hamilton when it comes to these issues.  Other works have their strengths of course but consistently i found myself unable to rely on any particular commentary or resource throughout my study on Daniel.  In my opinion, you will not find a better resource that balances the academic and the application purposes of the Book of Daniel.  

It is rare that a reader can see progression of thought in the right way.  Anyone who reads Hamilton’s earlier works (and I recommend that you make it priority to do so) will see how he has progressed from a literal interpretation of the 70 weeks in Daniel to a more symbolic (typological) interpretation of the 70 weeks.  Though this progression does not change his final view of the 70 weeks (Hamilton takes a Historic Premillennialism point of view) it does show that he has continued to wrestle with the text.  I appreciated words like ‘appears’, ‘seems’ and ‘possibly’ that Hamilton would use in referencing the difficult passages.  He balances strong conviction with the limitations that every interpreter of Daniel faces.  Though I am not persuaded completely to his arguments concerning the 70 weeks and the millennial reign (I would follow Gentry and Wellum’s argument in Kingdom through Covenant), I do believe it is the best (and only legitimate) alternative to the Amillenial view.  It would appear the major differences between my view and Hamilton’s is the placement of the 1000 year reign and whether or not there is a gap between the 69th and 70th week.  I will continue studying and pursuing the nature of these differences but am happy with either.  

       In conclusion, I believe Hamilton successfully arrives at his goal of providing a biblical theology of the Book of Daniel and I would highly recommend it, for personal study, for scholars, for pastors, and even lay-men to continue their pursuits on knowing God better through the means He has given us, His Word.  I am thankful for Inter Varsity Press for providing a copy of Hamilton’s book for review.  I am indebted to Dr. Hamilton’s passion for teaching and communicating the truths of Scripture, the storyline of salvation through judgment, and how the Book of Daniel is applicable to my life.

Book Review: 10:10 Life to the Fullest by Daniel Hill

10:10 “Life to the Fullest”

Daniel Hill

*I received this book for free from Baker Books in exchange for my reviewing it, and I was not required to write a positive review.

Daniel Hill states on page 33 that the purpose of his book is “to paint a biblical picture of holistic, multidimensional faith, and to inspire and equip you to step into that as a new dimension of life in Christ.”  Hill certainly paints pictures, but does he actually reach his goal?  I would argue he does not.  

Hill is a great communicator.  His stories are gripping and his illustrations are on point.  But Hill lacks good exegesis.  He gives the background of his spiritual journey through various denominations and churches in which he realized that people from all of these various backgrounds had the same problem. Something was missing…Hill says it is faith.   He then goes on and describes holistic faith through three sections 1. Faith and Fear 2. Faith and Intimacy and 3. Faith and Missions.  Hill spends 4 chapters in introductory matters (and waits until chapter three to give any sort of thesis statement).  I worried during the first two chapters if Hill would ever actually refer to the Scriptures at all.  Instead it was a very self-centered description of his own journey.  When he does refer to Scripture he frequently takes parables out of their context to to align with a particular story and point he is trying to make.    

I found it ironic that his conclusion was faith and yet he does not emphasize two important things about faith.  First, Romans 10:17 “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” While Hill tries to tie Hebrews 11 into his argument he does not emphasize the fact that true faith only comes through the submission and devotion to the Scriptures.  All through out the Scriptures (Genesis 1, Deuteronomy 6., Joshua 1, Psalms 1, 19, 119 etc) there is an emphasis on knowing God through the means He has given us.  His Word.  Therefore. the more we read Scripture the more we come to know God, the bigger our view of God is the more we fear and obey and LOVE Him.  This is how faith is increased and rightly changes our lives. Hill though completely misses at urging his readers to read and obey the Scriptures.

Secondly, all throughout the gospels and especially the book of Acts the words “faith” and “repent” are used interchangeably.  Therefore to truly have faith is equal to repenting and vice versa.  Hill, however, does not go into the topic of repentance.  Instead in chapter 10 Hill emphasizes our own fears and Satan as what hinders us from having true faith.  Hill never gets the the main thing that separates mankind from God, SIN.  When one reads throughout the Scripture one thing becomes clear.  Man is sinful and God is Holy.  This is what makes grace so amazing, that a Holy God would conquer sin in order for us to be with Him again.  Hill misses a great opportunity to call his readers to repentance.  

Readers will certainly like Hill’s stories and the fact that he will appeal to your flesh and seem to give a new approach to what “real” faith is but ultimately he falls short.  If you are a new Christian or someone who has run away from rules and regulations then this book might appeal to you…but it won’t ultimately point you in the direction you need to go.  I would recommend “Desiring God” by John Piper instead.  John 10:10 is certainly a wonderful promise…just one that Daniel Hill does not right exegete.

Book Review: Dynamic Women of the Bible

Dynamic Women of the Bible
Ruth A Tucker
Baker Book 2014

I signed up to begin reviewing books for publishers.  I received my first group a few weeks ago and have finished up the first batch and will post reviews within the coming days.  

Unfortunately the first book review is not one that I'd recommend.  If you are looking for a good women's book the check here. 

        "Dynamic Women of the Bible" seemed to have potential, I wanted it to be a resource I could pass onto women in my church and maybe use for women’s small group studies and such. However this book is dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, Tucker shows in some sentences she is a scholar but then it goes down hill. Fast. One of the primary things you learn from studying hermeneutics (how to study the Bible) is that context is king. Tucker goes throughout the Bible and takes women out of their intended and beautiful contexts, provides a brief info and then gives her own interpretation. This is where this book becomes dangerous. Tucker adds in the “what if’s” and basically turns each character into who she wants them to be. This is known as eisegesis and is the opposite of exegesis. When you read someones thoughts on someone else's words it is important that the one commentating uses exegesis and not eisegesis so that the point the original author was trying to make is what is conveyed to the reader. Tucker fails at this. Repeatedly.  
Tucker is right that women in the Bible are authentic and approachable (xiii), she briefly mentions that Joseph is a type of Christ (xiv) and that briefly mentions the importance of Genesis 3:15 (the protoevangelium page 5-6) but other than a few glimpses of scholarship, the rest is all down hill. Rapid down hill and it was difficult to read. I am all for asking questions and wondering but when it comes to Scripture there are boundaries one must have when questioning to stay within the context and intention of the authors.  
For instance when talking about Eve, Tucker questions if she even understood Genesis 3:15(5-6). What Tucker fails to do is allow what Moses is trying to say be heard. Instead of asking questions and giving our opinions on things that the Scriptures are silent on, we should be asking and interpreting what is given. The point of Genesis 3 is that Adam failed.  Adam failed to communicate God’s word accurately to Eve. Adam failed to protect Eve and rule over the animals. But after they fall the glorious thing about Genesis 3:15 is that it is the gospel. Adam and Eve were told is you eat of this tree you will die. They eat.  Then they hear you are not dying today. That’s grace, that’s mercy and how do they respond to this news? They both have faith. How do we know? Because the text tells us it is after all of this that Adam then names his wife Eve. What does Eve mean? Mother of the living!  Adam and Eve believe Genesis 3:15 and they are saved by grace through faith like everyone else since. They are then clothed by animals skins by God and in Genesis 4 we do have actual words (though brief I agree) from Eve and what is she doing? Praising God that she has gotten children. Why? Because it will be though women having children that all of mankind will be saved. What an important and glorious role to celebrate and live in.  Tucker fails at giving what is there in the text.  
Tucker forces things into the text of Genesis 1-4 by saying things like “Eve has no way of knowing that she had been formed out of this man-creature’s rib (3).” Again Tucker says of Eve “does she know God personally the as Adam does(4)?” This is clear eisegesis. Tucker is forcing her own understanding of something that happened 6000 (approximately) years ago and in doing so belittle’s Eve and God. Unfortunately is doesn’t get any better through the rest of the book. Whether it’s bashing Sarah (and almost exalting Hagar) and neglecting to mention that she is the only woman in the Bible that other women are called to emulate (a huge miss on Tucker’s part) or saying things about Mary’s appearance and thoughts about Jesus never really having a childhood (240), Tucker misses the golden opportunity that her title speaks of. Instead of looking at the dynamic women of the Bible as the Bible presents them this book is simply Tucker’s misleading thoughts or comments about women in the Bible. I cannot recommend it in anyway. It was painful to see such an opportunity missed completely. 

*I received this book free from the publisher to write this review. 

Old Testament Survey

          This past monday I completed teaching Old Testament Survey for a class going through the BTCP training in our association.  BTCP is essentially a non-credited mobile seminary used to train pastors world wide.  It is a fantastic and transferable way to train pastors and leaders.  There are 10 total courses and it was a privilege to teach the Old Testament.  Normally in seminary you have 2-3 courses that cover the Old Testament (typically OT I and OT II) and spend anywhere from 24-28 weeks going through each book.  Even in Seminary this was not an easy task to complete.  
           
           For this class we chose to meet for 20 weeks (a huge commitment) for 3 hours on Monday night.  I chose to follow the Hebrew text as far as the outline and schedule. We want to approach the Old Testament in the same manner that the New Testament looks at the Old Testament and specifically how Jesus looks at the Old Testament.  The best passage is Luke 24 where Jesus breaks down the Old Testament into three books or categories: Torah (Moses), Prophets, Writings (Psalms). This is how the nation of Israel referred to the Old Testament as well as the authors of the New Testament.  The Scripture of the Hebrews was also referred at the TaNaK.  This is an acronym for the headings of the three sections.  Torah (Moses), Nevi’im (Prophets), and Ketuvim (Writings/Psalms).  Here is the order of the Old Testament books as presented in the Hebrew Bible.


Torah (Moses) Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Number, and Deuteronomy
Nevi’im (Prophets) Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and The Twelve
Ketuvim (Writings/Psalms) Psalms, Proverbs, Job, The Five Scrolls, Daniel, Ezra/Nehemiah, Chronicles.

          The author of Chronicles is traditionally been recognized as Ezra (though no official author is ever stated within the book itself). As Ezra is a part of the rebuilding project of the Temple after the exile and return from Babylon he is realizing that though there has been a physical return back to the Promised Land there has not been a spiritual return or exodus that the prophets have indicated would happen. Therefore Chronicles ends with the decree of Cyrus, one of the two Servants prophesied about by Isaiah.  By ending in this manner, the Chronicler has organized the Old Testament in such a way to provoke hope in the Messiah.  The second Servant mentioned in Isaiah.  That is what the nation of Israel and the world is waiting for as the Old Testament closes. We are looking for the seed of Adam, the seed of Abraham, and the Seed of David.  Which is why, Matthew begins his book with a genealogy about Jesus, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 

          It was a joy to teach and train students in the Old Testament and I look forward to doing it again in the future.  The books that influenced my teaching and approach the Old Testament the most were:
Dominion and Dynasty by Stephen Dempster
God's Glory in Salvation Through Judgment by James Hamilton
Kingdom through Covenant by Stephen Wellum and Peter Gentry
The Temple and the Church's Mission by GK Beale
The Faith of Israel by William Dumbrell

Though there are many more that could be included and have shaped my view of Scripture these were the primary resources I used week in and week out.  

El Salvador Trip Notes

 

 
 
 



Thank you to everyone who prayed for our team while we were in El Salvador last week.  It was an amazing week of ministry.  There are so many who have gone before us that set such a great foundation.  Through their efforts the Lord blessed our trip and we are eternally grateful for their work.  Here are some thoughts and recap from our trip.

The Team
I went with a team of 15 members from 3 churches in South East Missouri with ages ranging from 13-68.  By God's grace our team had amazing chemistry even though we did not know each other very well before the trip.  I have been on a lot of teams and trips overseas but this by far was one of the best "team" experiences I have ever had.  There was no complaining or whining (even when we lost power at our hotel and when our schedule kept changing).  There was flexibility and humility.  Most of all there was joy and excitement to be able to serve the Lord.

The Training
It was difficult for me to break away from the group each day but the main reason I went on this trip was to train El Salvadorian Pastors in the Old Testament.  We met Monday-Wednesday from 8AM-4PM and Thursday from 8AM-12PM and worked through the Pentateuch.  We spent time during the introduction to the Old Testament to talk about the structure and order and how Luke 24 shows us how Jesus read the Old Testament.  Then we spent a lot of time in Genesis.  Genesis is so crucial because of the foundation it provides the rest of the Bible and typically we read through it quickly or assume we "know" it and we miss the structure and patterns that then keep reappearing throughout the Bible.

It was a challenging task teaching all day and using an interpreter but it was so worth it.  The pastors were hungry to learn and showed great signs of taking in and being able to process and apply what we discussed.  The pastors also had great questions and reflections and we had to park on several texts and theological issues.  It was a blessing to be able to show them how true 2 Timothy 3:16 is and to wrestle with the difficult texts found in the Pentateuch.

The Church Plants
Churches in our association here in Missouri have begun partnering with church plants going on in El Salvador.  This trip our teams were able to visit these locations and talk with the pastors about how we can help them going forward and in some areas they were able to evangelize and minister to the surrounding villages.  We got great feedback and ideas going forward to help plan for future trips with specific needs that those teams can meet.  This is huge as the nature of trips will be transitioning from how they have gone in the past to how we can help in the future.  We were able to worship at the church plant in Apaneca one night and spend the day evangelizing in some surrounding villages and saw a great need for a VBS team to come back and not only run a VBS but also train the members in Apaneca how to have a successful  children's outreach ministry.

Church Services
Apart from one night at Apaneca, we spent each night at Santa Catarina for church services.  We had a team that ministered to the children doing various teachings, puppets, crafts, and singing.  We also had a group lead the youth a couple of times (even though they were only given a few moments notice that they were going to minister to the youth) and the rest of us did panel discussions with the adults.  The panel discussions led to incredible discussions and questions.  Issues such as identity, spiritual gifts, marriage, idolatry and etc were brought up in our discussions.  You could tell that great strides were being made each night we had these discussions.  They normally went very long and we would have to end the discussions, even though they could have kept going.

The People
Again our team was amazing but it was also so encouraging to see brothers and sisters in El Salvador.  I remembered many who I had met in November and we were able to work with amazing translators and pastors while there.  Roberto (the main translator) quickly took our team under his wing and was a great source of information, entertainment, and was the glue that kept us all together.  It was a privilege to get to know the pastors while in training and the pastors of each church we worked with.

Fun Day
On Friday our team broke up and some went shopping in A Taco and the rest of us went Zip Lining in Apaneca.  The Zip Line was an awesome experience and there were some amazing views of the mountains, coffee plantations, and the city of Apaneca.  After meeting the rest of the team for lunch in A Taco we went to a Mayan ruin for the afternoon.  It rained...no it poured on our way to the ruin and several us in the back of the pick-up truck we were in got soaked.  It was still raining when we got to the ruin so we did not stay long but it was very interesting looking into the history and technology of the Mayans.

El Salvador Trip

This Saturday I will be heading to El Salvador with a group of 15 members representing three different churches from South East Missouri.  We would greatly appreciate your prayers for us while we are there (June 7th-14th).  I will be teaching Old Testament Survey to about 20 pastors who have begun the Bible Center Training for Pastors while others from the team will be visiting schools and doing door to door evangelism in the town of Apaneca.  Each night we will also be visiting with churches in the area for fellowship and training.  

Please pray...

1. That the Lord would bring glory to His name through our trip

2. That the Lord would open doors for evangelism in homes and in schools

3. That the Lord would save those who we share the gospel with

4. That the Lord would encourage and strengthen pastors while they are being trained

5. That the Lord would grant us endurance (Endurance to teach, endurance to listen and learn, endurance to share in schools, homes, and churches), strength, and health. 

6. That our team would have safe travels to and from El Salvador and safety within the country. 

7. That our team would have unity and humility as we serve. 

8. That our families at home would be protected while we are away. 

Lord willing, I will make a few posts while on the trip and a follow-up post once back home.

You can also follow along on facebook here.  

    

Evangelism and PROOF

I have recently finished reading two great books.  Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles and PROOF by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones.  I received both for free at the conferences I attended in Louisville in April.

Evangelism by J. Mack Stiles, Crossway, Wheaton, IL, 2014 $14.99

       Evangelism is part of the 9Marks series on building healthy churches.  Each book in the series is an extension from Mark Dever's book Nine Marks of a Healthy Church. Dever's book is very helpful and I am thrilled they have continued to expand upon his original work.  J. Mack Stiles does not present a new method of how to do evangelism.  This is not FAITH 2.0 or EE 2.0.  From the foreword (by David Platt) and throughout the book it is clear that Stiles is arguing for a "culture" of evangelism that does not rely on programs, events, projects, and professionals (14).

After the Foreword and Intro Stiles Has five chapters and an Appendix. In chapter one Stiles argues that "...the Bible never uses results to guide or justify evangelistic practices"(24).  The point of evangelism is not to be good at a method.  It is to be faithful to communicate the message.  God can overcome bad evangelism or methods because it is the message, the gospel, that ultimately bares fruit.  Evangelism is defined as "teaching the gospel with the aim to persuade." (26)  Christians should persuade but not manipulate.  Churches should engage but not aim to entertain.  Stiles then defines the gospel and explains the urgency of why getting evangelism right is so important.  He says"Unbiblical evangelism is a method os assisted suicide for a church, so there is much at stake in getting evangelism right." (39)

In chapter two explains how to create a culture of evangelism where every church member is active in naturally haring their faith.  In chapter three Stiles ties the culture of evangelism to the church and how having a correct ecclesiology helps create a culture of evangelism.  Next, in chapter four Stiles argues for intentionality in our evangelism and how is should be considered a spiritual discipline for all believers.  Finally, in chapter five, Stiles offers examples of how each Christian can be a true Ambassador for Christ.

Stiles work is right on point.  It is convicting, to the point, and filled with great illustrations.  A great resource for pastors and laymen.  I pray that not only my church, but churches everywhere will cultivate a culture of evangelism.

PROOF by Daniel Montgomery and Timothy Paul Jones, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, 2014 $16.99

       I received copy of PROOF at Band of Blogger 2014 in Louisville, KY and I am so happy I did.  Jones and Montgomery have written a significant work about a significant topic at a very significant time.  PROOF is all about grace.  In fact PROOF is an acronym for planned grace, resurrecting grace, outrageous grace, overcoming grace, and forever grace.  The authors open with a chapter about the works based mindset that we all are born with and struggle to fight against even after coming to faith.  They state "at the root of every man-made deity and every human religion is the notion that our performance can achieve some sort of negotiated settlement with a Holy God." Therefore PROOF is "an alarm clock that awakens you from the delusion that life depends on you and frees you to discover the intoxicating joy of God's wild and free grace."

Chapters two through six then go through each point of grace.  Instead of following the acronym TULIP to describe the doctrines of grace the authors follow the Synod of Dort (A response to the false teachings of Jacob Arminius).  The strength of each chapter is the careful walk through the Scriptures (and particularly feasting on Ephesians) and how well each chapter is written.  PROOF is filled with great examples and illustrations from both authors.

The jewel of the book for me was chapter seven,  titled "Grace for Life."  In this chapter the authors walk through the reformation, the response to reformational teaching by Jacob Arminius's followers (not Arminius himself), and the rebuttal by pastors at the Synod of Dort in 1618.  The response to the heresy of the followers of Arminius did not represent new truths.  Many church fathers had already advocated these truths well before the reformation.  The idea of the TULIP did not develop until 1905 when a Presbyterian pastor in Brooklyn chose the flower to make the teachings more rememberable.  The problem with the acronym is that language and changes were made that had nothing to do with the decisions made at Dort.  It comes across as harsh in both the view of man and of God because of the language used.  The authors rightly reject the flaws and the false theology that can come from extreme views of the TULIP (i.e. Hyper Calvinism).  But they whole heartedly agree with the decisions made at the Synod of Dort.

Calvinism is a very hot topic right now.  Some for good reason and a lot for bad reasons.  PROOF is a great work that provides balance and understanding to the history of the debate and how and why it has caused issues now.  The authors state that "the point of PROOF is...to point you away from Calvinism-or, perhaps more precisely, to push you away from Calvinism as a system and toward the gospel of God's grace."  To this I say AMEN.  The authors provide several charts and graphs to describe the prevalent views of grace right now and how each other view is wrong.  Again, this chapter, this book is very helpful. The disunity and the controversy over this topic seems to come from parties who do not have balance.  One party over emphasizes God's sovereignty, the other party over emphasizes man's responsibility. Balance is needed.

What the Synod of Dort and PROOF push is the Scriptures, not a system of rational or theological statements.  The more I read the Scriptures the more these truths of grace become evident.  God is indeed completely sovereign and yet man is also responsible.  What we need now is balance and PROOF is a great step forward to balancing God's sovereignty and man's responsibility.  Those turned off by Calvinism will benefit greatly by carefully studying this work (they provide great appendices and 'proof' texts).  On the flip side those who are extreme in their understanding and proclamation of Calvinism will greatly benefit as well.

I whole-heartedly recommend every believer pick up PROOF and glean from the wisdom and great exposition of these two authors.  I pray this work will bring unity (especially within the SBC) and enlightenment to the truly amazing and irresistible grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Great Posts from Moore and Tchvidjian

"..the gospel ought to drive us to ask for, and to receive, forgiveness from one another."

Dr. Russell Moore's Reflections on Tullian Tchvidjian's Apology

I agree with Dr. Moore's summary that the argument was more about "emphasis" than "substance." Moore has great thoughts on the issue of forgiveness. I love when he says "But then we remember that we’re Christians. And nothing makes us look weaker than crucifixion. Let’s love one another, and forgive one another."

In other words...forgiven sinners forgive. It's not easy to apologize and it's equally as hard to forgive. Christians are called and will do both.

You can read Tullian's apology here.

Praise the Lord for forgiveness and reconciliation.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

How and I doing? Nine Heartfelt Remarks from Pastors and Church Members

Thom Rainer posted two really good posts last week about pastors and church members. And feedback between them. Sometimes there can be a great disconnect between pastors and their congregations.  I am sure there are a number of factors that cause this disconnect (cultural and age differences etc) and Rainer in these two articles does a great job of trying to bridge the gap.

As a pastor I want to be as transparent as I can be (for better or worse) as I lead. I ask for and I welcome feedback and would appreciate any of your thoughts after reading these two articles. I can identify with a lot of the points from Pastors to Church Members. Especially #7 "Please don’t criticize me or ask me to do something right before I preach." How about you (pastor or church member) what points can you relate to?  Read both articles. How am I doing (CM to Pastor)?
Nine Heartfelt Things Church Members Would Like to Say to Their Pastors

Nine Heartfelt Things Pastors Would Like to Say to Church Members

Basketball with Dad

I love sports.  Watching, playing, even talking about sports.  I prefer football as an adult, played a lot of baseball when I was younger, and dabbled in soccer and basketball.  Anyways...

Nowadays I live next to several indoor/outdoor basketball courts.  I'm not very good or graceful but there is something relaxing about shooting hoops and free-throws.  As a pastor my mind is always running...and usually at high speeds.  Basketball is a good discipline to simply clear my mind.

Basketball has also become a great training tool for raising my children and particularly my boys.  Deuteronomy 6 makes it clear that we are to be training our children day and night.  So tonight, my oldest son Andrew (5) is using my full size basketball (too heavy for him) and trying to make into the elementary hoop on the playground (about 8ft).  I have been guilty in the past of celebrating when he makes a goal and correcting his form or effort when he missed.  Andrew is a perfectionist but also loves to celebrate victory and often cries if he loses. Tonight...he didn't make one shot.  He came close.  But no net.  The difference tonight.  No tears.  After each miss I encouraged him to keep trying and after each try I told him how proud of him I was for trying.  30-40 misses later, I hugged him and celebrated him as my son.  He smiled from ear to ear.  He kept trying not to earn my favor.  He kept trying because he knew he had my favor.

Pauls says in Galatians 4:4-9

"4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. 6 And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?"

Christians are adopted as sons.  We were slaves! Now we are sons! We were enslaved to sin but now we know God.  He knows us and we have his favor.  Therefore when he calls us to walk in the good works that He has prepared beforehand for us (Eph 2:10) we do it out of joy because we are not earning favor with God. What disciple(s) are you not walking in? In what ways are you trying to earn favor instead of walking in the favor that was earned for you? Your not called to perfect living. You are called to obedient living.  There will be days like today where you miss everything...and the Father wraps His arms around you and says "I love you...son."

  

Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible

In Knowable Word, Peter Krol has written a very short, readable, and reproducible book on the most important topic of study there could ever be: The Bible.  I am confident that biblical illiteracy is a major reason for church declines over the past decade or so.  Many people think that the Bible is foreign or irrelevant.  Even worst, a lot of church goers think they know "enough" of the Bible because they know some of the key verses.  Krol encourages his readers to not be afraid of the Bible and to read it...A LOT!

The strengths of Krol's work is the approach and examples he gives the reader. He writes as if you are in his office or meeting with him over coffee for discipleship.  Through the book he goes through Genesis 1:1-2:3 using the inductive study method of Observation, Interpretation, and Application.  A long the way through the process of breaking down the text, looking at key weds, repetition and etc, Krol gives forms and outlines that the reader could easily and quickly adapt to help them in their studies.  Even better yet, Krol has a whole website/blog dedicated to the the to topic of the book that can be found here. 

My favorite line from the book is "God’s knowable Word smashes like a jackhammer and repairs like a blowtorch. It rips us apart and puts us back together. It identifies exactly what is wrong with the world: me and you. It shows us the solution: Jesus. It gives us hope that we can break the patterns of brokenness and replace them with more life-giving options. Let it speak to the details of your life."  The more we read the Bible the more we are changed which is why I encourage this book for any Christian who needs a refresher or a beginning approach to studying the Bible.  

No book is perfect of course.  Krol does give an example of how Genesis 1 was basically applied to his life.  Though not wrong, I disagree with some of the conclusions and observations he has on Genesis 1 and the way it applies to us today.  I also would have liked to see more emphasis given to the meta-narrative or overall story of the Bible as a way to help readers begin to read and understand the Bible.  He briefly mentions it in the last chapter but it is more of an after thought.  Finally, though Krol does encourage his readers to read the Bible a lot I felt that he put the bar too high and then provided little direction.  Which then, in the end, may discourage his readers from even trying.  He could have encourage a progression of reading long chunks of Scripture and then given direction on how to read the Bible with the "Big Picture" in mind, but in this work he primarily stinks to the OIA method instead.  

Again, any work on helping people understand and read the Bible is worth reading so I do recommend that you read this work and more so I pray it encourages you to read the Bible more.  

It's Worth the Effort!

Replant: Review and thoughts on Revitalization

       Thom Rainer has a great post about the dangerous denials of dying churches.  I mentioned his newest work Autopsy of a Deceased Church in a  previous post.  Rainer has produced a lot of helpful blog posts, polls, and written material on a critical need right now in churches.

       Society has rapidly changed in the past 5-10 years in areas of technology and communications (which are obvious, and hard to keep up with).  Those changes are easy to see, but changes within the home and within ways people and families operate on a day to day are also happening just as rapidly but they are not so easy to see.

       One of the main take aways from all of the different resources on Church Revitalization I have recently reviewed is that a church must match its cultural identity.  Be contextual if you will, which means if churches aren't changing with their culture then not only are they behind...they are probably unhealthy or worse...dying.

       In the book Replant by Mark DeVine and Darrin Patrick, provide another great resource on Church Revitalization.  The story is given in which a once prominent church in Kansas City is all but about to cease from existing.  DeVine, who was teaching at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary at the time, agreed to become an Interim Pastor for this church.  He took this opportunity seriously because of the perceived unhealthiness that became clearer as he continued to preach and serve.  In short, the church was being run by a small group (who though faithful and willing) who were simply unqualified-both biblically and in giftedness-to lead.

      DeVine then made it his priority to biblically persuade the members that things were not being done properly and that there was change needed.  Of course this change did not happen overnight and DeVine tells the riveting story of how slowly, leaders change and so did the church.  Ultimately the facility and members needed outside help.  It was a large building in a more downtown area.  Most of the members did not  live in the community any longer and the church has lost its witness among the surrounding neighborhoods.  DeVine was confident that on their own the members would not be able to hire the right guy, they need someone to do that for them. DeVine looked for local churches to essentially adopt and take over but no one in Kansas City was lead to take on this dying church.

     Enter Darrin Patrick.  Patrick's comments are brief throughout the book.  Essentially his church in St Louis, MO was not in a great position to take on such a demanding task but took a leap of faith.  DeVine records this process and how Patrick's church was able to take over all funding, buildings, property and etc and essentially plant a church planting team within the existing church to start over.  The church had a tough decision.  Change or die.  By faith they changed, someone took over, and they now run over 1600 in worship.  An incredible story.

      The biggest takeaways I had are this.  1. DeVine stressed the history of the church (the people) and the brick and mortar as pictures of the grace of God and His work.  He celebrated the history of the church and even more so wanted the church to not die and to continue.  Sometimes it is easy to see problems and stress over reasons why the problems have to come to this point and forget to remember the grace of God that you are even here at this point whether healthy or unhealthy by grace.  2.  This was a Baptist church that asked for help which seems like a rare thing.  Autonomy can be a great thing but it can also be an idolized thing like anything else.  Unhealthy churches should seek healthy churches to partner with in some way to begin the process or revitalizing.  Churches should be autonomous but they should also cooperate and network with one another.  DeVine and Patrick's story is not meant to be THE model of revitalization.  Most churches will not take the same path.  But their story in a must to read and wrestle with.

       Replant was an easy but challenging read.  I would recommend it to pastors and church members and particularly seminary students unsure of what the Lord has in store for you.  Church planting is a great need but Church Revitalization is an equally great need as well.

"Emily giveth, and Emily taketh away." Sobering thoughts from Dr. Al Mohler

Dr. Mohler's Article about Emily Letts is right on point.  If you haven't heard...Emily Letts is trying to take the guilt away from those who have abortions.  So she filmed her own abortion and is parading it as something she has "no guilt" over.  Romans 1:18-32 came to mind while reading this story.  Emily Letts is just another person trying to suppress the truths about God and about what it means to be made in the image of God.  She has "exchanged" the worship of God for the worship of her own 'power' and self.

I pray that the Lord would use this video in the compete opposite way and that it would prevent thousands and millions on innocent lives from being aborted.  I pray that the Lord would bring Emily Letts to repentance...and I pray that the Church would speak up for the "least of these."

What I've Been Reading Lately...Brief Reviews

 


The Word Became Fresh by Dale Ralph Davis

Davis has written some great commentaries on Samuel, Kings, and Joshua.  This work claims to be a preaching book but it is far from it.  That's not all a bad thing though.  Davis writes as if the reader were with him as he prepares to read, study, and preach form the Old Testament.  He drives the reader to preach and teach from all of the Scriptures and not just pass up  the hard topics (Chapter 5).  This was a fresh read and just a good reminder of how to approach the Old Testament.  The casual style of Davis makes this work accessible for all audiences, not just pastors or those in academics.

Intentional Parenting by Thad Thompson

I always like to resources for parenting and specifically those that train parents on how to disciple their children.  Thompson doesn't disappoint.  Cruciform Press aims at publishing short but powerful books (100 pages or so) for $9.99 which is great for church members and those with busy schedules.  
Intentional Parenting, is a great beginning point for parents seeking to be obedience to Scriptures call to parents to be the primary disciplers of their children.  Thompson goes through 7 areas parents need to  go through to be intentional.  They are Gospel, The Big Story (biblical theology), The Big Truths (systematic theology), The Great Commission, The Spiritual Disciplines, Christian Living, and Having a Biblical Worldview.  This is more than just how to have "Family Devotions" but is not overwhelming and a great resource for parents to read.  

Revitalize by Alvin Reid

I received this book through The Church Revitalization Conference hosted by NAMB.  I am so glad that church revitalization is getting some publicity alongside church planting. Both are necessary. Dr. Alvin Reid has written fantastic resource on a much needed subject. The book is short, to the point, and packs a punch. In between an Intro and Conclusion are five chapters based on the acronym VITAL (Visions, Ingestion, Traction, Alignment, and Leverage). Revitalization is a process, not an event or program. Revitalization is not just numerical growth, or returning to the glory days, or following a formula. Revitalization is "recapturing of the mission of God as seen in Scripture to the people of God living mission regardless of vocation or location" (8). Reid rightly acknowledges in the introduction, that all revitalization begins with prayer. Each chapter is packed with practical advice of how to begin the process of revitalization. Again, it's not a formula, but a process, a process that begins with repentance and prayer. I can't recommend this book enough. Pastor's and church members will benefit from this work.    

Jesus on Every Page by David Murray

Biblical Theology has greatly impacted my life. Too often books in this field are very academic and not ones I would recommend just anyone reading. Murray has began the process of bridging the gap between the academic world and church laity. BOTH those in the academic world and the normal church attendee will benefit from reading Murray's work. It's not too long and it is written from a testimony style or point of view in which Murray relates how he has come to read the Old Testament over years of study and growth. Murray is great at alliteration as seen in the chapter titles Christ’s Planet, Christ’s People, Christ’s Presence, Christ’s Precept, Christ’s Past, Christ’s Prophets, Christ’s Pictures, Christ’s Promises, Christ’s Proverbs, and Christ’s Poets.  Pastor's, Students, but most importantly the normal church member will greatly benefit from this work.  Murray masterfully points readers to Christ through the Old Testament as He did in Luke 24. 

Moore on the Supreme Court Ruling Yesterday

"...the Supreme Court didn’t violate the separation between the church and the state, rightly understood. The Court instead upheld it, and did the right thing."

Here is the article in full.  Time Magazine's Article with Dr. Moore

Moore was also quoted in a summary article by Facts and Trends who have a link to the amicus submitted by Moore and the ERLC.  

If you are unaware of the ERLC (The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission) then you are missing out on great resources which can be found online at  www.erlc.com

The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission is an entity of the Southern Baptist Convention. The ERLC is dedicated to engaging the culture with the gospel of Jesus Christ and speaking to issues in the public square for the protection of religious liberty and human flourishing. Our vision can be summed up in three words: kingdom, culture and mission.

Brief Review of "Autopsy of a Deceased Church"

Autopsy of a Deceased Church by Thom Rainer

       In Autopsy of a Deceased Church, Thom Rainer expands upon the most looked at blogpost from his website on why churches are dying and I am glad that he has.  In the same mold as I am a Church Member the book  is short, to the point,  easy to read, and has challenges at the end of each chapter.  

       Rainer interviewed 14 different churches from different areas and contexts around North America and then summarizes his findings.  The point of the book is clear "...observing an autopsy is only beneficial if it is received as a warning to the living. This book is not about dwelling in the past, but bearing fruit in the future" (page 8).   Rainer's desire is to help prevent churches from dying and he goes through issues of finances, prayer, community presence, pastoral tenures, evangelism, preferences, the past,  and the building.  Each of these can be very sensitive issues, cause church splits, and closures, but they must be discussed.  

       Church revitalization was not the popular choice of fellow seminary class mates and was is discussed much in class (unlike Church Planting, which was all the rage).  I am glad that this trend is changing.  With NAMB offering Revitalizing Conferences with Johnny Hunt and more people getting in the discussion and strategy of Church Revitalization I am hopeful for the future of churches in decline.  Rainer's work is a much need punch in the gut, slap in the face, or shoulder grab and shake to wake churches up to the reality of our present day.  Where my family and I lived in Louisville, KY there was a baptist church with building that could hold 300-500 people right around the corner from our house.  Unfortunately, the membership declined down to 30 and the church sold it's building to a Islamic group who turned the baptist building into an Islamic Center/School.  This is real, and Rainer's work is very honest, helpful, and a step in the right direction. Don't miss this, and if you haven't read "I am a Church Member" make sure to pick that up too.  

Together for the Gospel

Ok...It's been a while.  Like I have said it will take some time for this to become frequent.  Anyways...

I was blessed with the opportunity to go to Together for the Gospel in Louisville, KY last week and thought I'd write a blog post about the highlights of the event.

Highlight #1.  Seeing old friends and seminary classmates.  By far the best part of the conference was catching up with friends and classmates I hadn't seen in a long time (for some it had been 10 years).  I was encouraged and refreshed by these conversations and they a lone were worth the trip.  Due to unforeseen circumstance I went to T4G alone, but I am so glad I went.  On Wednesday night I skipped the main session with Matt Chandler and went to Fisherville Baptist Church where I interned in Louisville.  I was so encouraged to see how the Lord has been working there and it was so great to see and talk with members old and new.  I felt right back at home.

Highlight #2.  The singing.  8000+ men and women singing the great hymns of the faith was incredible.  I never attended the 'extra' singing they offered but during the main sessions the singing was incredible and heavenly.  It doesn't matter if you sing contemporary songs or hymns, with a band or a piano, what matters is that you worship in Spirit and in truth.  Thanks to Bob Kauflin for leading us in worshipping in Spirit and in truth.  

Highlight #3.  The  pre-conference events.  I went to the CBMW and Band of Bloggers pre conferences.  Both were fantastic (though they did over lap so I missed some of the CBMW sessions).  The quick sessions of the CBMW worked great and each speaker had a powerful and concise message. You can check out the messages here CBMW once they are posted.  At both pre-confrence events participants received free books.  The Band of Bloggers offered some 30 books and a Chick-fil-a lunch for $15 and it was well worth the time and money.  Band of Bloggers had good dialogue about the witness and etiquette  of Christian blogging and social media in general.  I am thankful for both of these pre-confrences and would attend them again in 2016, Lord willing.

Highlight #4,  The BOOKS.  As already stated the pre-confrences has free books and of course T4G had free books.  In all I got about 50 books retailing around $800 for FREE.  That's nothing to sneeze about.  6-8 books have not even been released yet and about 95% of the books I did not previously own and so I am thankful that my library was increased with solid books.  The book stores were fun to walk around, there were soo many resources.  It took several walk arounds.  In the end I still bought about $100 in books because of the discounts offered on each title.  

Highlight # 5.  The main sessions. The speakers were great and the video testimonies were encouraging.  You can listen to the messages and videos online here.  In particular I was challenge by David Platt's and John Piper's messages. Platt urged the praying and pleading for people like Moses did in Exodus 32-33.  It was heart wrenching and completely accurate.  It is so simple.  Pray, preach, and practice what you pray and preach.  Yet, we so often neglect to pray and when we do it is usually not pleading for the souls of the lost.  Listen to it, soak it in, and may we become people of pleading prayers.  Piper's message on Roman's 9 was fantastic too, but his closing testimony was particularly helpful.  He urged the crowd that after sharing the gospel and reasoning with the lost to close by simply stating "I want you."  Essentially personalizing with each person that you desperately want them to believe in Jesus for eternal life and not spend eternity in hell.  Again, listen to it, soak it in, practice it.

I was extremely challenged and refreshed from this conference and hope to take people from my church and area next time in 2016.  Louisville, KY will always have a special place in my heart.  It was neat driving around and seeing how the city has changed since we have lived there.  It is always a blessing to be on Southern Seminary's campus, to walk around in the book store, and it was particularly cool to see the pre-air show air show downtown in preparation for Thunder that was this past weekend.

Hopefully I can read all of the books before the next conference....