Revive us, Oh Lord!

I just read a cool Bible verse. In Psalm 85:6, God's people are begging God, "Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?" I thought it was cool that they're asking God to revive THEM, because they know that they are dead and they can't come back to life on their own. Only God can bring the dead to life. If you are feeling distant from God, worn out, depressed, or like your spiritual life is dead, then cry out to Jesus and ask him to revive you! He alone is the one who gives life! You can celebrate that verse 8 goes on to say, "He promises peace to his people, his saints--but let them not return to their folly." If you need to be revived spiritually, call out to God and rely on his strength as you turn away from your sin. Verse 9 says, "Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land," and verse 12 affirms, "The Lord will indeed give what is good."

Cultivating Distrust of the Certainties of Despair

Cultivating Distrust of the Certainties of Despair

Book Review: "Just Do Something" by Kevin DeYoung

Kevin DeYoung's Just Do Something in an excellent book for people trying to discern God's will for their lives. It's a relatively short book (122 pages and small-sized), but it's packed with many helpful insights.

The gist of this book is that when seeking God's will for our lives, we ought to "Seek first [God's] kingdom and [God's] righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well," (Matt. 6:33). DeYoung argues that as long as we seek God first in everything we do, then no matter what we do, we will please him. In other words, when we surrender our lives to the finished work of Jesus Christ to live in our place, die in our place, and rise again for us, we respond rightly by loving him and living in obedience to his commands in the Bible. When we put the glory of Jesus Christ as the predominant priority in our lives, then we can have peace knowing that whatever we do, it is covered by his work (not ours), and, thus, it is pleasing to him.

DeYoung teases this out in the second chapter, as he distinguishes between God's wills of decree, desire, and direction. God's will of decree is what God has ordained to happen according to his sovereign, divine pleasure. God's will of desire is what God has commanded in his Word--what he desires from his creatures. God's will of direction is his individual, specific plan for the who, what, where, when, and how of our lives. One of the many accurate and liberating statements DeYoung makes about God's will of direction is, "God does have a specific plan for our lives, but it is not one that He expects us to figure out before we make a decision," (24).

DeYoung discusses many insightful reasons why younger generations are so obsessed with finding God's will for their lives, and why this treasure hunt is leaving so many young people daunted, paralyzed, and ultimately, stagnant. DeYoung writes that we ought to disregard the idea that there is one right option out there that God wants us to choose, and if we don't find it and follow it, then we're failures. Instead, God most often uses the decisions we make to teach us about ourselves, the way he's wired us individually, and about his will of direction for our lives.

The most practical advice DeYoung offers readers by the end of the book is that they ought to ask God for wisdom in their decision-making, and that they ought to pursue it by regularly reading his Word, by asking for insight from godly friends and mentors, and by praying to God and growing closer to Him. I agree with the author that this is the best practical advice and approach we can utilize as we seek God's will of direction for lives. This approach will also allow to examine our own experiences and skills to help determine the direction in which God might be leading us.

I really enjoyed and appreciated this book. It reminded me that God is in control of my life, and that he promises to lead me and guide me. My job is to trust him, to love him, and to obey him to the best of my ability by the power of the Holy Spirit, and he will guide me where he wants me to go. I highly recommend this book for anybody in their teens and twenties.

DeYoung, Kevin. Just Do Something. Moody: Chicago, 2009.

Book Review: "Defying Gravity: How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry"

Defying Gravity: How to Survive the Storms of Pastoral Ministry was written by Daniel Henderson, who is also known for his emphasis on prayer-based revitalization of large churches. This book is a basic introduction for pastors entering full-time ministry about what they should expect in ministry, and how to survive and thrive in ministry.

Using the analogy of commercial flight and flying in comparison with pastoral ministry, Henderson emphasizes the need for pastors to keep their eyes on nine important "gauges" in ministry. The nine gauges include:
1) Applied truth: Essentially, applying the Gospel message to oneself before preaching it to others.
2) Spiritual intimacy: Maintaining a close, personal relationship with Jesus while in ministry
3) Personal integrity: Living an above-reproach life 24/7
4) Biblical Identity: Living in the awareness of your identity in Christ
5) Genuine Accountability: Putting interpersonal accountability measures into your life
6) Eternal Significance: Prioritizing your life and work according to God's standards of success, not the world's standards of success
7) Healthy Family Life: Serving and spiritually-leading your family like they deserve
8) Indispensable Pain: Anticipating and enduring the sufferings in pastoral ministry
9) Captivating Call: Persevering in ministry by remembering one's call to ministry

The first few chapters of this book were a little slow; however, I enjoyed the subsequent chapters that addressed the gauges of ministry. This book does not bring anything significantly new to the discussion of pastoral leadership; however, it is a light, easy-to-read introduction to pastoral ministry. Before recommending this book to new pastors, I would probably recommend Spurgeon's Lectures to My Students and Derek Prime's On Being a Pastor (which, to be fair, I have not yet completed). For men who don't have time or energy to read these longer works, Defying Gravity would be a sufficient "Cliff's Notes" replacement.

Henderson, Daniel. Defying Gravity. Moody: Chicago, 2010.

Book Review: Appointed to Preach

Appointed to Preach by David W. Hegg is a very helpful book both for men discerning their call to full-time preaching ministry, and also to those pastors conducting ordination councils.

The first half of the book is written for those men discerning whether they are called by God to enter the pastoral ministry. Hegg does a great job laying out the main things they should consider as they’re evaluating their call: character, affirmation of God’s people, desire, message, and gifts. Hegg demonstrates how all these criteria for evaluating one’s calling are grounded in Scripture.

The second half of the book gives the pastoral candidate an idea of what to expect during the ordination process, and it also provides the ordaining council a helpful model for what this process should look like. Hegg makes it clear that he believes the role of the council is not to try to encourage and pass men who may be unqualified for ministry, but to discern who truly is called to ministry and to affirm them.

This book was the most helpful work I’ve read that helps men figure out if they’re called to the preaching ministry and to ordination. It was an enjoyable read, I was challenged in areas in which I need to grow, and I highly recommend this resource to anyone considering the preaching ministry, or who will ever be part of an ordination council.

(Hegg, David. Appointed to Preach. Mentor Publishing: Glasgow, 1999)

Book Review: "Miraculous Healing" by Henry Frost

Of "Miraculous Healing" by Henry Frost, Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, "This is easily and incomparably the best book I have ever read on this subject." Having read that quote by such a trustworthy pastor-scholar as Lloyd Jones, I was interested in reading this book.

Frost attempts to analyze and discuss the topic of miraculous healing as objectively, and almost, as scientifically as possible. He begins by sharing five instances from his own life in which he or a friend of his was miraculously healed. He then shares five, very similar situations from his own life in which he or a friend of his was not miraculously healed. He then discusses the similarities and differences between the details of those situations. For instance, he notes that in all ten cases, medical means were not rejected; however, in several of those situations, healings happened in spite of medical treatment, not in light of medical treatment. Frost also notes that in the majority of his cases, people did not call for the elders of the church to pray over them; that the sick people all asked for healing with a spirit of submission to God's will, rather than a spirit of demanding God to heal them; that all the sick patients sought God's healing with faith in his healing power...etc.

The strongest point this book makes about miraculous healing is that it is all subject to the sovereignty of our loving, heavenly Father. God tells us to pray to Him, because it is good and right, and we know that the prayers of the righteous person are powerful and effective; that, however, does not guarantee healing. Should a miraculous healing not take place, we ought not beat ourselves over the head, blaming ourselves for not having demonstrated sufficient faith in God. That being said, we ought to follow the appropriate steps given in Scripture for seeking healing, such as confessing unconfessed sin, etc. We ought to pray during suffering for the healing we desire, while submitting that to the will of our all-wise, all-gracious, all-loving heavenly father. Many times, God will not provide a miraculous healing for reasons that only he knows. Other times, God will provide miraculous healing. In either case, his holy character does not change.

While I personally disagreed with a few of Frost's theological positions, I would commend this book to someone interested in a brief overview of the topic. The book was definitely dry at times, and I would be interested to look into other books on this topic from a reformed position.

What Does It Look Like to Receive the New Testament for the First Time?

What Does It Look Like to Receive the New Testament for the First Time?

Book Review: "Decision Points" by George W. Bush

Don't shoot me for saying this, but the reason I wanted to read this book was because of Oprah. That is, I saw an intriguing interview with George W. Bush on the Oprah show a few months ago, which made me interested in this book. She wasn't necessarily promoting his book; rather, she was just asking him about some of the controversial aspects of his presidency, while he was getting some free promotion for his book. When he said that the first chapter in the book was about him defeating his addiction to alcohol thanks to his faith in Jesus, I wanted to read it.

Thus far in my life, I would say that I've enjoyed 50% of the biographies I've read. I must say, this is probably one of the best autobiographical works I've read. Whether or not you like George W. Bush, this book will give you a new appreciation of him and of the presidency in general. "Decision Points" is largely about being a leader and making the decisions one believes are right, regardless of one's "approval ratings." I learned that most people have no clue what all information is available to the President when he makes decisions that he believes will be best for everyone. For instance, while many people criticized George W. Bush for entering Iraq, they were clueless about the hundreds of plausible terrorist threats that appear in a written report to the President every morning. Also, many people may not know that in addition to the U.S. intelligence on Iraq, Great Britain and other countries had gathered their own intelligence that led them to believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Although no military forces have yet discovered WMDs in Iraq to date, the President had to decide whether to act on the information given to him by his own government and other nations, or whether he would sit back and risk other terrorists slipping through his fingers. The point is, the majority of the U.S. was criticizing its leader for his decisions, while most of them had no clue what he knew.

The book is divided into fourteen chapters of his presidential career, including: finding freedom in Jesus from alcohol, running for President, selecting the right leaders for his cabinet, stem cell research, 9/11, establishing post-9/11 anti-terrorist agencies, the war in Afghanistan, the war in Iraq, Hurricane Katrina, AIDS, the Surge in Iraq, establishing international democracies, and the U.S. financial crisis. Each chapter offers a first-person perspective of what the President saw, knew, and did to navigate these crises.

This book is written very well. It is easy to read and goes by quickly. Each chapter is divided into smaller chunks, which makes the chapters much easier to digest. I learned much about the government, diplomacy, and international politics. It clarified my understanding of what was going on in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what the crucial issues at hand were. I also enjoyed and was a bit surprised by the frequency with which President Bush credited his faith in Jesus for leading him and carrying him many times. I also learned much about leadership: picking the right leaders to work with you, standing up for what you believe is right, owning and learning from your mistakes, making informed decisions, and not caring about what others think about you.

Obviously, any autobiography is biased toward the person writing about him/herself. That being said, I think this book gave Bush a much-needed and very beneficial apologetic for the decisions he made while President. I recommend this book highly to anyone who cares to learn more about U.S. politics, international relations, leadership lessons, and, of course, George W. Bush.

George W. Bush. Decision Points. Crown Publishers: New York, 2010.

Book Review: "Lectures to My Students" by Charles Spurgeon

Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon should be read by every pastor at least once. If you want to learn about preaching and pastoring, why not learn from one of the most effective communicators and soul-winners in history? This book is a collection of lectures he gave to students and future pastors at the Pastor's college. Spurgeon (1834-1892) has been given the title "the Prince of Preachers," due to his proliferation of Spirit-led preaching and the great number of people who became Christians as a result of his preaching. There are several biographies about Spurgeon, but for a short, helpful overview of his life, consider reading the "Heroes of the Faith" biography of Charles Spurgeon.

In this collection of 28 lectures, Spurgeon offers wisdom and practical advice on issues related to pastoral ministry and preaching, including: personal integrity, calling, prayer, choosing texts, preaching etiquette, the Holy Spirit, evangelism, dealing with interpersonal conflict, earnestness, and how to handle criticism. Some of my favorite chapters in this book were: "The Holy Spirit in Connection with Our Ministry," "Earnestness," "The Blind Eye and the Deaf Ear," and "Sermons--Their Matter."

I have countless underlinings in my book and notes in the margins--too many to share here. Walking away from this book, here are some of the main points that will stick with me:

1) The pastor must tend to his own soul and walk with Jesus before tending to the souls of others. Unless a pastor takes time to pray and read the Bible and serve and grow in his own joy in the Lord, he cannot serve others well. One cannot give away what one does not possess.

2) Any beneficial, eternally significant result of a sermon happens because of the saving activity of the Holy Spirit and the clear proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. It matters not how well a man preaches or how charismatic is his personality if he does not have the anointing of the Holy Spirit. So, pastors must constantly pray for the Holy Spirit to work for them. Pastors must saturate everything they do with prayer, asking the Holy Spirit to cover and anoint their work, to move mightily among their flock, and to save lost souls. Only God can save people; we can not.

3) It is a great privilege to pray in a public church service. Do not seek to impress others with your words or knowledge. Do not say anything to detract from worship to God and glory to Him alone. Recognize that you are bringing not only your own request before God, but the requests of every believer present. Allow the different trials and blessings currently experienced by everyone in the church family to shape the content of your prayers. Be reverent, and be yourself. Written prayers are not necessary, but may be used some.

4) Preach Jesus Christ crucified in every sermon, because that is at the heart of the Gospel of Jesus. Preach Christ crucified and its implications for the lost, the found, the backslidden, the rich, the poor, the depressed, the hopeless, the elderly, the child, the man, and the woman.

5) Preach a combination of book-length and topical sermons, depending on the context in which you are preaching. Preach everything in the context of the larger text. If you are a traveling preacher, you obviously have but one sermon to preach with a crowd, so pray for divine wisdom as you discern which text to preach. While it appears that Spurgeon did not advocate preaching through a book of the Bible, it seems to me that his sermons would only have been further enhanced had they come in the context of series of sermons on the same book.

6) A preacher must be convinced of the urgency of the message he is preaching if he desires his audience to sense the same urgency. The preacher must be passionate and excited about the Word of God if he desires his flock to be the same. Do not be fake, but always remember the privilege you've been given to teach and preach the living Word of God, and allow your natural zeal for Jesus and his Word to fill you with authentic enthusiasm for preaching and hearing a message from God.

7) Seasons of depression, discouragement, and trial are to be expected. If you are preaching the Word of Christ, if you are united with Christ, you will suffer for Christ and with Christ. Make sure to give yourself regular breaks and Sabbaths, so that you can refresh your soul and reconnect with the Lord. Persevere, for God is with you.

8) Be a guy with whom other guys can relate. Socialize. Have some hobbies. Let others see you as a mere man, just as they are. This does not mean engaging in sin, but it does mean not putting oneself on a pedestal or allowing others to keep oneself there. Men and women want to know that you're a real person who struggles like they do, who enjoys the same things they do, and who lives where they live.

9) Embrace a balanced combination of studying books and studying life. While our primary energy should be spent in God's Word and studying it, also fill your extra time with commentaries and edifying reading. Head knowledge is no substitute for street knowledge, though. Learn about life wherever you can. Visit hospitals, jails, orphanages, and other places, so that you can enhance your worldview, your experiences, and your understanding of how the Gospel applies to the lives of everyone.

10) Conduct yourself privately and publicly in a way that is pleasing to God. Do not tout your intellectual and theological prowess. Do not constantly be in "attack mode," always looking for a spiritual discussion to win or a heresy to conquer. Stand firm in the truth of God's Word. Do not overreact or outburst during most theological discussions. Be patient with others, and maintain your humility. Act in a way that will win people to Christ and that will bring joy to the Lord.

11) Be yourself while preaching. Do not put your audience to sleep, but don't be someone you aren't. God has designed you with your unique personality and has sovereignly placed you to share His Word with the audience before you. Don't dramatize or act. Be genuine. Speak clearly and loudly and passionately. Vary the tone of your voice, so as not to be boring. Work at getting better at communicating. Preaching takes practice and more preaching to get better at it. Learn from excellent preachers, but be yourself, and make no apologies for that.

12) Expand your mission field by getting outside the church building. Get involved in the community. Eat where people eat, go to public parks, volunteer in local organizations, etc. Don't expect every lost soul to come to you. Jesus told us to go out and make disciples of all nations. Spend adequate time on your sermon, but get out and be with the sheep in their pasture.

13) Harsh comments will be thrown at you in ministry. You need to allow many of those comments to roll off your back. Consider what truth you may glean from all criticism, take the good, and leave the bad. Be able to bear some criticism. You don't really want others to think you're perfect, and you certainly don't want to be in danger of considering yourself flawless, do you? Don't allow comments to stick with you. Hear them, learn them, release them to God, and move on. Don't believe gossip you hear. Don't be paranoid about people out to get you. Don't worry about the people who don't like you. Live a life of such godly integrity that your actions will mute the accusations of your enemies. Do not make much of an abundance of praise or depreciation from others. Preach the truth of God's Word in love, and worry not whether people love you or hate you. Care only that you are faithful to God and have lovingly and accurately shared his Word.

14) Teach the full Gospel of Jesus, including the depravity of sinners, the necessity of the Holy Spirit's divine intervention, the atonement of Jesus, justification by faith, and the love of God in Jesus. Plead with your audience to repent and be saved and to love Jesus. Be bold in your proclamation of the Gospel, and do not feel as if you're asking the audience a favor to listen to God's Word, as though they would oblige Jesus to save them. They need Jesus, and they are going to hell without him. Work hard. Allow other trustworthy preachers to fill your pulpit from time to time, so that your audience can hear the Gospel from a fresh voice.

15) Use illustrations in preaching in order to help your audience more clearly visualize and comprehend the Gospel message. Be on the lookout for illustrations all around you. Read the news, read books, look at your own life, examine history, examine culture, and learn from a variety of sciences and studies. The more you learn about different areas of life, the more illustrations you are bound to find. Only use an illustration if it is helpful and clarifying, though. It should not add another layer of confusion to your message, but should reveal, bring into focus, and simplify another point you're trying to prove.

Although there are definitely certain sections of this book that are antiquated and fit for a specific time and place in history, the majority of Spurgeon's insights are still helpful, applicable, and can be translated into our world today. I highly recommend it to all pastors.

Charles Spurgeon. "Lectures to My Students." Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979.

My Dream Punk Band

I love punk music, mostly new school punk music. I'm not as into the old school stuff, but I like some of it. After much time thinking about this, here is the dream punk band that I would love to see come together someday!

Lead Vocals: Mike Herrera (MxPx)

This was the hardest spot for me to fill, because there are many great singers who could take this role. For me, it was a toss-up for me between Mike and Trever Keith. To be honest, I could go either way. I went with Mike, though, because of his overall songwriting skills, singing ability, and more melodic style. MxPx was the first punk band I ever got into (if you don’t include Plankeye), and Mike Herrera has been the band’s frontman for over 18 years. Further, it’s important to consider that the lead singer is often the leader of the band as far as stage presence, and Herrera has great stage presence, so it just makes sense.

Lead Guitar: Jackson Mould (Slick Shoes)

This one was a no-brainer. In fact, Jackson Mould might actually be able to be a punk band by himself. In the early days of Slick Shoes, he wrote all the lyrics, all the guitar parts, and was lead vocals. There are other great punk guitarists out there from whom to choose (e.g. Rufio, Saosin, Hangnail, Four Year Strong, Strung Out); however, I’m going with the guy who single-handedly introduced an entire generation to new school punk rock with an 80s flair, AND who is not ashamed to talk about Jesus! I’ll never forget the 99’ Tooth and Nail Winter Festival in Salem, OR; Jackson Mould and the Supertones were the only two musicians to take time in the middle of their set to share about Jesus Christ. Not that the other bands weren’t Christian, but on that day, Jackson Mould sealed his title as greatest punk guitarist ever in my book.

Backup Guitar / Backup Vocals: Trever Keith (Face to Face)

Trever Keith almost made it as lead vocalist, but I gave it to Mike for the reasons listed above. Also, Face to Face is doubly represented in my lineup, so I had to give extra cred to MxPx. Trever Keith not only has one of the coolest voices for a punk singer, but also is a great guitarist, too. On the Face to Face “goodbye” tour in 2005, Trever Keith was the only guitarist, playing all lead and rhythm parts, and it sounded great live. That’s pretty amazing, considering one of the key distinctives of Face to Face is their use of two guitars on their recordings. I should also mention that Trever Keith would only play backup guitar if it was in no way offensive to Jackson Mould. As I said earlier, does Jackson really need another guitarist? No. Does he even need other band members? Probably not. But, my guess is that Jackson would be humble enough to let Trever play, too, so I’m all for it!

Bass Guitar: Scott Shiflett (Face to Face)

This one was an easy one for me, because I’ve known it for a long time. Scott Shiflett is just the best punk bassist out there. He’s one of the only punk bassists I know who routinely does cool bass lines between verses and during the verses that isn’t simply the bass note the guitarist is playing. I don’t know much else about the guy, except that he is a great bassist AND a great backup vocalist. I would like to see Scott sing some backup vocals, too, but the prime backup position goes to Trever Keith.

Drummer: Travis Barker (Blink-182)

This was another easy one for me. I am at a point now, where I mostly listen to Blink-182 just to hear Travis Barker drum. I like Tom Delonge’s guitar parts, but it’s pretty much the Travis Barker show. I haven’t heard another punk drummer who plays like him. Granted, this isn’t my area of expertise, but from what my ears tell me they like to hear, they like to hear Travis Barker on drums. Off the top of my head, I would probably give honorable mention in this category to the drummers in Saosin and Four Year Strong.

Lyrics: Collaborative effort by Sick of Change and Broken Cedars

No punk band has better lyrics in my book than Sick of Change and Broken Cedars. So, they will work collaboratively to write the most unbelievable lyrics ever to be heard from a punk band. These bands have led me many times to moments of spontaneous worship, reminding me of the amazing love of God, and the wonder of his grace that he fully displayed by dying in our place on the cross for us and being resurrected from the dead. To this day, I have all of the lyrics from Broken Cedar’s first CD printed on my office wall. These guys will bring you into the throne room to worship Jesus!

Book Review: "Christian Beliefs" by Wayne Grudem

Wayne Grudem's "Christian Beliefs" is the best introductory book I've found on the topic of Christian systematic theology. Condensed from Grudem's much longer and highly recommended work "Systematic Theology," "Christian Beliefs" addresses the most important biblical doctrines and the issues related to those doctrines. I've read this book twice, most recently with a group of six college freshman, for whom this book was a perfect primer on basic Christian theology. While the chapters are short (5-8 pages each), the strength of this book lies in the author's appropriate exegesis of Scripture and the book's abundance of biblical citations. Although some reviewers have written that the book is slanted toward Calvinistic believers, which it is in a few parts, I believe that this book simply addresses scriptural truths and allows readers to wrestle for themselves with the Bible. Grudem is a strong Calvinist, however, he is careful to allow flexibility in areas where difference of opinion is allowed within orthodox Christian teaching (e.g. eschatology, etc.). This book would be an excellent resource to use in a Sunday School class, a new believer's class, in a home group, with teenagers and young adults, or with Christians of any age who need to brush up on Bible-based systematic theology. I highly recommend this book!

Short Book Review: Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

I'm sure there are dozens of online reviews of Tim Keller's Counterfeit Gods, but I want to throw in my two cents as well. Tim Keller is one of my very favorite Christian communicators to hear, be that through listening to his messages or reading his books. Keller is definitely one of the most creative and fresh voices today in the world of biblically faithful thinkers and cultural exegetes. What amazes me is how someone who is so intelligent and who thinks so deeply can articulate his profound insights through language everyone can understand. Counterfeit Gods is no exception.

The thesis of the book is that all sins are really different forms of idolatry, because they occur when people seek to find their purpose and acceptance in created things instead of in their Creator, the Lord Jesus Christ. Keller looks at some of the key idols that have plagued humanity for thousands of years, showing examples of those idols in the lives of people in the Bible, and then revealing how those idols play out in ou world today. These idols include romantic love, money, success, and power.

The end of the book gives readers some ideas about how to identify the idols in their lives, and how to replace them with greater affections for Jesus Christ. It is only when we find our greatest treasure and delight in Jesus Christ can we appropriately identify and rid our lives of the false gods in our lives.

This is an excellent book and very readable. I highly recommend it!

Timothy Keller. Counterfeit Gods. New York: Penguin, 2009.

Hallock CD Available

My brother and I recently released our new CD, "Affections from Northampton, MA," which has 10 tracks recorded in the studio and 9 bonus tracks that we recorded at home (that's 19 songs total)! All the songs on this CD were inspired by a collection of Puritan prayers entitled "The Valley of Vision."

We are selling this CD in order to 1) help people worship Jesus through music, and 2) to help care for children in an orphanage we've visited in Juarez, Mexico, called "Rescue Ministries of Mexico." The CD is $10 (half of which goes to the orphanage; the other half pays for our cost to make the CD) + $3 S&H (if needed). We'd love to hear from you if you'd like to partner with us in this ministry and buy a CD for yourself or someone you love. Listen to some of the songs at:
www.purevolume.com/hallock

Book Review: The Unity of the Bible

The following sentence alone persuaded me to purchase and read Daniel Fuller's The Unity of the Bible, "No book besides the Bible has had a greater influence on my life than Daniel Fuller's Unity of the Bible." Penned by John Piper, this recommendation convinced me that reading this work was a worthwhile investment of my time. I'm neither the most prolific nor the speediest reader I know, so plowing into this 460 page work was a lengthy endeavor for me. I really enjoyed this book, though, it taught me much, and it's very clear to see how it influenced Piper's theology and teaching.

In sum, this book is basically a primer on biblical theology, covering the storyline of the entire Bible and its unifying themes. Having focused almost exclusively on systematic theology during my seminary years, the study of which I thoroughly enjoy, this was a really refreshing way to view Scripture as the one unified book that it is. The book is divided into four parts: 1) The Value of the Inquiry (for the unity of the Bible); 2) The Foundations of Redemptive History; 3) Israel, The Lesson Book for the Nations; and 4) The Gospel Goes to the World.

The first part is "The Value of the Inquiry (for the unity of the Bible)." This introductory part lays the groundwork for viewing scripture as an integrated whole by giving evidence for the Bible's unity through the Old and New Testament canons. It then defines some of the essential elements for formulating a biblical worldview and contrasts that with the works-based worldviews of Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam. Thus, this section clearly reveals that all of the Bible teaches salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ from beginning to end.

The second part is "The Foundations of Redemptive History." In this section, Fuller more fully explores the account of the Fall of man and the entrance of sin into humanity in the book of Genesis. This is followed by a look at the nature of God, including His being a Trinity, his work of creation, and his purpose for humanity. Then, Fuller looks at the reason for justness of an eternal hell, followed by an exploration of the riches of God's mercy from the cross of Jesus (my favorite chapter), and God's promise to protect the seed of his chosen people.

The third part is "Israel, the Lesson Book for the Nations." This section looks at the life of Abraham, the purpose of the Old Testament Law, and the Kingdom of God in the Old Testament. One of Fuller's main points is that as in the New Testament, God's chosen people are reconciled to Himself by faith in God, which is evidenced by consequential works of obedience. Such a message of eternal salvation is directly opposed to a hopeless and non-biblical perspective that salvation is achieved through faith, supplemented by necessary obedience and works, the sum of which might earn one a righteous standing before God.

The fourth part is "The Gospel Goes to the World." This last part of the book examines the Kingdom of God during the life of Christ and the early church, in our current world, and in the future. A key point in this section is that Jesus Christ desires to save all people around the world whom he has elected, regardless of race, lineage, or geographical location. Fuller completes this section by discussing the future conversion of those Jews alive at the time of Christ's return.

Here are a few of my favorite quotes from this book:

On the canonization of the Bible during the early church, "Such decisions singling out those documents that 'teach the truth' were not made in some church council attended by representatives from church districts scattered far and wide, as is sometimes claimed. Instead they were made informally at the grass-roots level, by small groups of Christians networked with each other in household churches located mostly around the eastern half of the Mediterranean," (62).

"God's ultimate purpose (in creation) is to increase his joy by sharing the blessing of the Trinity in creation. And while it constitutes a desirable goal that he took steps to attain, it is also his free act in that he finds so much joy just in transmitting his blessings to those who appreciate them that he wants nothing more," (136).

"Significantly, the first of the two steps involved in submitting to God's purpose corresponds to his necessary work of being a truly glorious God as a Trinity; the second parallels his free work of extending the goodness of his glory throughout the world he created. First, then we want to delight ourselves in God, looking to him to satisfy our need-love. Then we want to increase our joy by exercising benevolent love to all other people," (139).

"(Jesus) had no sweet frame o mind, like many martyrs, to help him endure his physical agony; rather, his most extreme anguish was that God was treating him like a sinner. His Father had forsaken him and had become his enemy, pouring out the full force of his wrath upon his Son," (213).

"Another way in which Jesus' resurrection is vital for the forgiveness of sins is made clear in Romans 4:24-25: 'God will credit righteousness--for us who believe in him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.' This passage implies that we could not be confident that Jesus had paid the penalty for our sins unless he had risen from the dead. Had he remained in the tomb, the conclusion would have been that he must be punished eternally like all other people who have 'sinned and [fallen] short of the glory of God' (3:23). But because he was raised, we know that we can be justified, or accounted righteous, before God," (216).

A note I wrote in the margin on p. 218: To help us understand the enormity of God's love for us, we must ask, "How valuable was God's love for His only Son, who he sent to die for us?" When we understand the enormity of God's love for his Son, then we can begin to understand the enormity of his love for us.

I really enjoyed Fuller's The Unity of the Bible, and it helped me understand better that the One and Only God is the author of all the Bible, that He is the creator of all things for His Glory, and that we can be saved into a relationship with Him only by faith in the grace he offers us through the life, death, resurrection, and exaltation of Jesus Christ. While this book definitely has much theological depth to it, I found myself often reading it as devotional reading. If you have not read a basic primer on biblical theology, this is the book for you!

Fuller, Daniel P. The Unity of the Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

Cooking with Jackson TV

Make video fullscreen by pushing button in bottom righthand corner of video player.

How Can't You Love Owl City?

Praise God for a majorly successful musician using his God-given influence to reflect the glory of Christ! Check out this link to hear Owl City's rendition of "In Christ Alone." The lyrics are very moving.

In Christ alone, my hope is found

He is my light, my strength, my song

This cornerstone, this solid ground

Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace

When fears are stilled, when strivings cease

My comforter, my all-in-all

Here in the love of Christ I stand

There in the ground His body lay

Light of the world by darkness slain

Then bursting forth in glorious day

Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory

Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me

For I am His and He is mine

Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death

This is the power of Christ in me

From life’s first cry to final breath

Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man

Can ever pluck me from His hand

Till He returns or calls me home

Here in the power of Christ I’ll stand

Prayer for Teen Heroin Problem in Stanwood

There's been much media coverage recently about the heroin epidemic among teenagers in Stanwood. I encourage all parents to communicate regularly with their kids about what's going on in their lives, who they're hanging out with, and what they're doing in their free time (especially during the hours of 2:30-5:30PM). Likewise, we need teenagers to communicate with "safe adults" in their lives about what they're seeing and doing in and out of school.

All sorts of factors contribute to teen issues like these, including peer pressure, easy drug availability, lack of parental involvement, etc. I feel strongly, though, that the reason so many teens are hooked on drugs and other "addictions" like peer pressure, sexual activity, and self-harming activities is because they are trying to fill an infinite hole in their hearts which only Jesus Christ can fill. Only when people surrender to the true love and grace that Jesus has for them, and which he has displayed for them through his death and resurrection will they find true rest from their problems and peace in whom God created them to be.

So, how do we introduce hurting teenagers to the only One who can heal their hearts?

First, and most importantly, we must pray for the Holy Spirit of God to move among our teenagers, to encounter and convict them, and to transform them by His power, which is something only He can do. If we try to go out and change the world without humbly asking for the the presence, power, and leading of the Holy Spirit, our efforts are all for nothing. Psalm 127:1 says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain." We need to pray privately and corporately that God would move among our teens and transform them.

Second, we need to share and the show the love of Jesus Christ to these teens and their families. Instead of self-righteously viewing drug users as enemies, we must admit that we ourselves are no better than anyone, that we are all sinners in need of a Savior! As the body of Christ, we need to care for these students and their families through sharing the Good News of Jesus with them verbally, that there is hope for them in Jesus, and by showing them the Good News of Jesus actively through inviting them to church youth group activities, connecting them with caring adults, helping them make new friends who love Jesus, and giving them opportunities to share how they're really feeling and why they're living the way they are. Our current series at CYM is perfect for teens struggling with addictions, as we are watching testimonies from many famous athletes, actors, and musicians who have wrestled with such problems, and have since found peace and transformation in Jesus Christ!

I want to share three concluding thoughts: one is that I don't claim to be an expert on the issue of teen drug abuse, and I don't pretend to know all the specific answers about what strategies will work best for overcoming this problem. Only God knows that, and that's why we need to pray for divine wisdom. While I don't know how/if we can fully solve the secondary issues related to the problem of heroin use in Stanwood, I do know what THE primary answer is: for teenagers and their families to have a life-transforming friendship with Jesus Christ.

Second, we shouldn't naively assume that heroin use is the only major problem among our teens in Stanwood. Granted, it's what's hot on the headlines right now, but there are lots of other worrisome issues among our teens that deserve equal attention, like self-injurious activities, rampant sexual activity, alcohol and other drug abuses, etc. Again, the way to really help our teens is not merely to put a bandage on each of these problems, but to realize that these problems are merely symptoms of a much greater and more dangerous problem: spiritual emptiness.

Third, I encourage parents to continue to be informed about this problem and to participate in community dialogues taking place, like the recent discussion at Stanwood Middle School. The TV show 20/20 recently reported about the problem of heroin use among suburban teens, which you can watch here. (http://abc.go.com/watch/2020/SH559026/VD5594303/teens-hooked-on-heroin) I have not yet watched this, so view it at your own discretion.

My Youth Group Website

I just created a new website for our youth group, if you're interested in checking it out. The web address is: www.cedarhomeyouth.com

"The Bible is About Jesus" by Tim Keller

UnderOath Testimony

I Am Living: Aaron Gillespie from Come&Live! on Vimeo.