Clothed with Christ

Jesus, at the end of Matthew 21, is confronted by the chief priests and elders, and he is asked, "By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?" Jesus demands that they answer his own question first, "The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?" The religious leaders are stumped. They cannot offer a satisfactory answer, and thus Jesus gives them no answer to their question.

In light of this, Jesus begins to tell a few parables. The parable of the two sons describes the responses and actions of two sons to the command of their father. One refuses at first, yet repents and obeys. The other complies with his lips, yet chooses not to obey. Jesus compares the repentance of the tax-collectors and prostitutes with the hypocrisy of the religious leaders.

Jesus further condemns the chief priests and Pharisees in the parable of the tenants. The father placed the vineyard in the hands of the tenants and over time they rejected his ownership of the vineyard. They beat and killed his messengers, and finally they murdered his son, the heir. Jesus concludes this parable by declaring judgment on the religious leaders for their failure to produce fruit, and he shows them from the Scriptures that this was the Lord's marvelous doings; they would be condemned and new tenants would inhabit the vineyard--ones that would produce fruit.

This brings me to Matthew 22:1-14, a passage I read in my devotional time today. Here, Jesus tells the final parable in this particular confrontation, the parable of the wedding feast. A king throws a wedding feast, and the invited either casually or violently reject the king's invitation. The violent rejectors were executed swiftly, and the king sent invitations to anyone his servants met on the roads. Finally, the king has a full house to celebrate the wedding feast, yet he finds someone that has attempted to sneak into the feast without wearing appropriate attire. The king has extended his invitation to the "bad and good." Why then is this man rejected by the king?

Because the man was pretending to be something he was not, because he was not adorned with the "wedding garment" provided for all the official guests, he was bound and ejected from the wedding feast.

I saw so very clearly today that Jesus Christ, by means of his atoning sacrifice and imputed righteousness, has brought his people from the dirty roads, cleaned us up, and given us acceptable attire for heaven. For us to remain in the presence of the King, and to enjoy the wedding of the Son, we must be clothed with the righteousness of Christ. We cannot sneak in with our own best clothes; they are unacceptable. We must be clothed with Christ.

So, what are you wearing to the wedding feast? Armani? Gucci? J. C. Penney? Good works? Helping the poor?

I'm going to choose Christ.

Todd

Piper on Overcoming Guilt

John Piper, in the latest issue of Christianity Today, has written an article called "Gutsy Guilt." In it, he has given us a model for fighting guilt based on Micah 7:8-9. This article is based on a sermon he preached at the Passion 07 conference in Atlanta in January. (By the way, this sermon is worth the reading/listening.) Here's what he says:

"Micah 7:8-9 is what victory looks like the morning after failure. Learn to take your theology and speak like this to the Devil or anyone else who tells you that Christ is not capable of using you mightily for his global cause. Here is what you say.

"Rejoice not over me, O my enemy. You make merry over my failure? You think you will draw me into your deception? Think again. When I fall, I shall rise. Yes, I have fallen. I hate what I have done. I grieve at the dishonor I have brought on my King. But hear this, O my enemy, I will rise. I will rise.

When I sit in darkness, the LORD will be a light to me. Yes, I am sitting in darkness. I feel miserable. I feel guilty. I am guilty. But that is not all that is true about me and my God. The same God who makes my darkness is a sustaining light to me in this very darkness. He will not forsake me.

I will bear the indignation of the LORD because I have sinned against him, until he pleads my cause and executes judgment for me. Oh yes, my enemy, this much truth you say: I have sinned. I am bearing the indignation of the Lord. But that is where your truth stops and my theology begins. He--the very one who is indignant with me--will plead my cause. You say he is against me and that I have no future with him because of my failure. That's what Job's friends said. That is a lie. And you are a liar. My God, whose Son's life is my righteousness and whose Son's death is my punishment, will execute judgment for me. For me! And not against me.

He will bring me out to the light; I shall look upon his vindication. This misery that I now feel because of my failure, I will bear as long as my dear God ordains. And this I know for sure--as sure as Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is my punishment and my righteousness--God will bring me out to the light, and I will look upon his righteousness, my Lord and my God."

This is a blessing for anyone who struggles regularly with a besetting sin. I think we can all appreciate Piper's ministry for words of wisdom like these.

Resting in Christ,

Todd

P.S. - Thank you Steve for sending this my way! Thank you brother!

Discipling Your Children

Justin Taylor recently listed several helpful questions that parents can ask children to discern their current spiritual state, encourage them in the spiritual disciplines, and to monitor parents own spiritual lives. Here are a few:

• How are your devotions?
• What is God teaching you?
• In your own words, what is the gospel?
• Is there a specific sin you’re aware of that you need my help defeating?
• What’s daddy most passionate about?
• How am I doing as a dad?
• Does my relationship with mom make you excited to be married?

There are several more, but I didn't want to copy Taylor's whole article. :-)

I hope your kids are discipled and that you are challenged by these questions!

Todd

The Goal of Youth Ministry?

Jim Hamilton and his wife attended Clifton Baptist Church when Heather and I joined that congregation. During our time at Clifton, Hamilton completed his Ph.D at Southern and accepted a position at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has since also become the preaching pastor at Baptist Church of the Redeemer in Missouri City, TX.

I noticed on Tim Challies' blog that Hamilton had recently posted a Q&A on Family Integrated Churches, and I found this discussion helpful. Hamilton describes Family Integrated Churches as a spectrum of congregations; from some that focus on "discipling dads to disciple families" and keeping families united in Sunday School and worship, to those that are "intentional about encouraging fathers to lead their families in family worship and disciple their children" and intentionally embrace biblical gender roles. He describes this spectrum a different way in another question:

Whereas a strictly “Family Integrated Church” might be inclined to view the family as God’s program for evangelism, discipleship, and world missions, we at Redeemer believe that the church is God’s program for evangelism, discipleship, and world missions.

I think this is a particularly helpful discussion because it emphasizes the biblical responsibilities parents, and especially fathers, should have in the discipleship of children. Hamilton argues that his church views Sunday School and other educational activities for children as supplemental. Our churches should be dedicated to helping parents disciple children. Here's Hamilton's take on the goal of youth ministry:

I know that when I was in youth ministry it never occurred to me, nor did anyone from whom I was learning “youth ministry” ever suggest to me, that our job was actually to help the parents disciple their own kids. These things are often overlooked by both parents and kids, and some youth ministries get so caught up in building skate parks, having cool lighting and great music, and going on big trips to fun places that “discipleship” gets overlooked, too.

So, what do you think? How should our churches embrace an emphasis on helping parents disciple children?

Todd

A Model of Hospitality

Every day I find something remarkable about Abraham! In my quiet time today, I was startled by Abraham's hospitality. Upon further review, I may have misunderstood the Scriptures, but, then again, maybe I just had a clearer vision of the way we should treat others as we happen to cross paths.

Let me give you my first take on Genesis 18:1-8: Abraham was sitting at the door of his tent and some strangers just happened upon his dwelling. Abraham quickly ran to greet them and begged them to let him minister to their traveling bodies. He offered them water to wash their grimy feet, insisted that they sit in the shade, and instructed Sarah to get busy making some cornbread while he fired up the grill for some of the finest fillets he could offer. And this was merely "a morsel of bread." Not only did he prepare a succulent meal for his guests, he also stood close by while they ate. The only honorable reason I can imagine someone standing by watching me eat is that they want to be ready to get me another piece of that delicious cornbread. (I did grow up with two brothers, ya know.)

Ok, ok, I agree with you, I'm probably letting my mind get a little outside the boundaries of proper interpretation. As I looked again at the passage, it seems likely that Abraham believed these men were not your average, ordinary travelers. I don't know, maybe it was the whole appearing out of nowhere thing. Maybe. However, I'm not totally convinced that Abraham knew exactly who he was dealing with at first glance. Joshua didn't have a clue several hundred years later when he was visited by the Commander of the army of the Lord.

So, how should we understand Abraham's response to his guests? Is this a model for Christian hospitality?

Well, the Scriptures are not silent on the matter. There are many examples of hospitality exhibited in the Bible (Lot, Jethro, the Shunammite woman, Nehemiah, Job). As a matter of fact, not only is it expected in the Bible (Hebrews 13:2; Isaiah 58:7; Romans 12:20), it is also a qualification for eldership (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:8), and commanded to all believers (Romans 12:13; 1 Peter 4:9).

So, how do you feel when you have someone come up to you on the street and ask you for money? If we were more like Abraham, maybe they would just be saving us from having to beg them to let us help them.

I am praying that God will help us understand how blessed we are already, and that we all should be seeking to minister to our neighbor.

Feeling convicted,

Todd

Birthdays and Grief

Today is my birthday! I turned 34 years old about 7:00 am this morning (sitting in Dr. Allison's class on the Doctrine of Humanity and Sin). Not unusually, I have been thinking about birth. This morning I read about God's promise to Abram in Genesis 17, that he would have a son via Sarai, and that he would be the father of many nations. Thus, God changed his name to Abraham.

This makes me think of someone else named Abraham, the subject of birth, and, tragically, the subject of death. Abraham is the name of John Piper's son, and this post on the Desiring God blog tells the heartbreaking news that Felicity Margaret Piper, Abraham's unborn daughter, has died. Apparently the umbilical cord around her neck was the cause. Her death was discovered one day before her delivery date.

We know that God sustains us during times like these, but grieving must take place. These are the times when we are thankful that we can face life standing on the solid rock of our faith, instead of succumbing to doubt and fear and worry. My heart aches for their family.

Heather and I lost two children due to miscarriage. We did not have to endure the tormenting experience of giving birth to a still-born, but we grieved. Our hearts were torn to pieces knowing that we would never be a part of the lives of these children. Even years later, I am occasionally moved to tears when I think about them.

Yet we trust God. And I know that the Pipers will too. Our father Abraham was famous for his faith, and I pray God will extend a similar faith to Abraham Piper.

Grieving together with the body of Christ,

Todd

The Righteousness of Abram

Genesis 15 describes God's covenant with Abram, and as I read this passage this morning, I was struck (again) by this verse:

"Abram believed the LORD, and He credited it to him as righteousness" (15:6, HCSB).

Abram didn't understand how God could make a great nation out of a childless family, yet God promised that Abram would have a son, and Abram trusted God.

Do you trust God? Do you choose to believe that what he has spoken is true? Do you live your life in such a way that you affirm the truth of the Bible?

Trust God; believe in his Word; place your faith and trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ and you, to0, will be counted righteous!

todd

Jim Hamilton's Challenge for Seminary Grads

Jim Hamilton writes, "This is a list of books that I think a person who is theologically educated should have read or be planning to read."

Then he drops the bomb: the Bible, of course, from front to back, including the entire New Testament in Greek and a substantial cross-section of the Old Testament in Hebrew. But wait, there's more! Let's throw in some, no, ALL of the Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 Enoch, and the Apocrypha. Act now and we'll throw in the Apostolic Fathers, Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History, and many, many more!

All joking aside, this is a significant and challenging list! Furthermore, Hamilton qualifies this list by saying that he did not succeed in meeting this challenge before he graduated with his Ph.D. He further clarifies his reasons for this difficult reading list in a comment later:

"I think it is healthy and wise to read primary sources. . . . I think that if more evangelical pastors and ministers read more primary sources, we would be less captive to the spirit of the age."

Well, I hope one day that I can claim for myself that I have accomplished this task, but with my Hebrew feeling as rusty as the hinge on my barn door, I'm not holding my breath.

Challenged...

Todd

BibleMap.org

I was studying Genesis 14 today in my daily devotion, and I was interested to see all the cities and towns on a map, even if they were rough estimates. I was particularly interested to understand what length Abram traveled to rescue Lot from the Elamites. So, I fired up my browser and typed in "bible maps" in the search bar. Abracadabra, hocus-pocus => BibleMap.org:



This is a very cool site that uses Google Maps to plot the locations of biblical points of interest in a passage of Scripture. You select your chapter from the window on the left, and the map lists the locations on the map below. The site is only in beta testing, but it looks really good and I'm looking forward to employing it regularly!

Back to my studies,

Todd

Challies' Tips on Reading

Tim Challies gives us 10 Tips to Read More and Read Better. As a seminary student, I particularly appreciate the advice to Read Light Books, since it seems I spend all my time reading "heavy books" that drain me. It is quite refreshing to read a novel that doesn't require the regular mental discipline other books demand.

Looking forward to reading a novel during Christmas break,

Todd

"Humble Orthodoxy" at Pyromaniacs

While reading a discussion over at Pyromaniacs on "Humble Orthodoxy," I happened upon this graphic:

I think this graphic is meant to be ironic, considering the reference on the left (1 Peter 3:15 - "always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect").

I'm not exactly sure how I feel about Frank Turk's post, but I know that I laughed out loud at the picture!

Just wanted to share,

Todd

The Election of Paul

In Acts chapter 9 we find this man Saul terrorizing the church; he sought and received authority from the high priest to arrest men and women who were following Christ. Luke is such a good story teller! Saul is on his way to Damascus to apprehend more believers, when he is himself arrested by God Almighty! Jesus appears to Saul in his glory, convicts him of his sin, blinds him, and commands him to go on to Damascus and wait.

Why do you think Jesus confronted Saul? Because Saul was persecuting the Church? Was Jesus simply protecting the saints from this zealous Pharisee?

Actually, we find in verses 15-16 the answer to this question. The Lord explained to Ananias exactly why Saul of Tarsus was arrested (or elected):

"For he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

Saul did not pray a prayer to be saved. Saul was saved whether he liked it or not; and we know from his writings that he liked it very much (Philippians 1:23). Ananias laid his hands on Saul, prayed that he might be filled with the Holy Spirit, and he baptized Saul without so much as a profession of faith recorded in Scripture! To quote the great theologian, Nebuchadnezzar:

"I blessed the Most High, and praised and honored him who lives forever, for his dominion is an everlasting dominion, and his kingdom endures from generation to generation; all the inhabitants of the earth are accounting as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, 'What have you done?'" (Daniel 4:34-35)

I find great comfort, and I stand in awe, that God saves or arrests or elects sinners like me despite our best efforts not to be saved. It is true that we must put our faith in God, but we must also realize that God first loved us (1 John 4:19).

I pray that you will be comforted by God's electing purposes!

Todd

Ezra on Repentance

After returning to the Promised Land from captivity in Babylon, Ezra lead the people in the restoration of the sacrificial system. Shortly after this, however, Ezra heard some disappointing news; some of the people, including priests and Levites, had taken wives from the pagan cultures that were living in the land. Even worse, many of the men responsible for governing the people were the ones falling to this temptation.

Here is Ezra's response to this disappointment:

"O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens. 7 From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today. 8 But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery. 9 For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

10 "And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments, 11which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness. 12 Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.' 13 And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this, 14 shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape? 15 O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this."

Not only did Ezra humble himself before the Lord, but he called his people to act upon this repentance! In Ezra 10, the people (except for a select few) all committed to divorce their pagan wives (and even sons) in order that they might be right with God.

Wow... so... in application... what are we ready to divorce ourselves from in order to obey God? What "pagan" influences are standing between us and the Lord? What difficulties are we experiencing in our lives that are a direct result of unresolved sin?

Forgive us, heavenly Father! "We are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you..."

We all thank God for Jesus Christ because he has obeyed perfectly! He has paid for our sins, and now we CAN stand before God, because we no longer have guilt if we trust in Christ!

This is the gospel! This is the good news!

Todd

Ezra on Providence

Ezra, in chapter 8, confesses that he was ashamed to ask Artaxerxes for an escort because he had told the king,

The hand of our God is for good on all who seek him, and the power of his wrath is against all who forsake him. (Ezra 8:22)

Sound familiar? Romans 8:28 says,

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

So, Ezra fasted and prayed for God to provide them safety on their journey, and God answered their prayers.

May God give us faith to trust him!

Todd

Ezra on Success

Ezra was the Hebrew scribe and priest whom Artaxerxes, king of Persia, sent back to Jerusalem to restore the sacrificial system and teaching of the Law of God. Interestingly, Ezra 7:6 states, "the king granted him [Ezra] all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him." Further, in verses 9-10, we see why Ezra had success in Persia:

For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him. For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

This applies so easily to the seminary students among us; we study--it is required of us to earn our degree. But do we set our hearts to study and do the Law of the Lord? Do we study and do it for a purpose? Do we study and do it so that we may teach faithfully?

Challenged to study and obey,

Todd

Family Photos

Here's one of our most recent family photos!

How Theology Helps Us Cope With Life

My son, Brandon, was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes on Wednesday of this week. He had been drinking like a fish, urinating frequently, having occasional headaches, and he had lost about 5 pounds in the last month. Heather mentioned that she was thinking about having him checked for diabetes, but I blew it off. It's been really hot here, and I just attributed his thirst and urination to normal bodily functions for someone playing outside and getting hot and sweaty.

On Tuesday, we went to the Kentucky State Fair with our friends, Logan and Allison. Heather mentioned Brandon's symptoms to Allison (who just happens to be a nutritionist and used to work with diabetic patients), and she instructed us firmly to consult his doctor as soon as possible.

So, Wednesday, Heather and Brandon visited his pediatrician, and they stopped by my office to give me the results. I asked my son, "So how did it go? What did the doctor tell you today?" He replied in a quivering, frightened voice, "They said I might have type I diabetes." The doctor's office had performed a blood test (ouch), and found that Brandon's blood sugar level was about 450. Four hundred fifty. What does that mean? Next thought; what's normal? So I asked my wife, "What's the normal level?" Normal is 80-100 for a child his age. Heather said, "We're on our way to the endocrinologist; wanna come?"

At one point in the conversation I asked Brandon, "Do you trust God? Because we know that God works all things together for those who trust him." He said, "I do trust God."

We found our way to Dr. Raghavan's office, not far from my workplace. While we waited, I read a Richard Scarry book to Brandon that I am pretty sure I read as a kid. About 1:30p or so, the doctor saw us and we learned that Brandon would have to begin to have his blood tested several times each day, and the results of his blood sugar test would indicate how much insulin he would need.

Heather and Brandon had not had lunch yet, so the doctor sent us to get some lunch. We went through the drive-through at McDonald's and found a shady place to eat in the car. I lead my family in a prayer of thanksgiving for the food and a prayer for strength and courage for the trial we were facing. As we dried our eyes, I asked Brandon again, "Do you still trust God?" Again, he replied, "I trust God, Daddy."

We headed back to the doctor's office for Brandon's shot, some prescriptions, and our instructions for the evening. Brandon was terrified, and I had to restrain him for his shot, but once it was all over, he realized the shots were not too bad. Heather dropped me back off at work, headed home with Brandon to get some clothes, drop off the prescriptions, and then meet me back at the hospital.

As I continue to process what God is doing in our lives, I am thankful I have not been tempted to ask, "Why me? Why my son? Why now?" and on and on. I am thankful that I do not have to develop my theology during the storm. Instead, I get to stand on it during the storm. And it is rock solid. We trust God because he works all things together for those who love him and are called according to his purposes (Romans 8:28). Instead of asking, "Why me?," we are asking, "What are you doing, Father? How, and for what purpose, are you shaping my son (and his mom and dad) for the future?"

I'll continue to post reflections on this as they develop. Please pray for our family to continue to trust in our Heavenly Father.

Todd

Pyromaniacs on the Emergent Church

I'm sure this post won't be relevant to some of the people who read this blog, but I thought these posters at the Pyromaniacs blog were funny comments on the the stereotypical "emergent" churches. I think I like this one the best.

I wonder what Mark Driscoll would think?

Todd

Recommended Reading

Several weeks, OK, months ago, I sent out some emails to a few of my professors asking them to list the books that were most influential in their lives. I am going to try to consolidate the list into a single reference, and I will try to indicate who recommended each book. Here goes:

Books Recommended by More Than One Professor

• A Theology of the New Testament by George Eldon Ladd and Donald A. Hagner (Schreiner, Ware)
• Desiring God by John Piper (Ware, Haykin)
• Knowing God by J. I. Packer (Allison, Ware)
• Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (Allison, Haykin)
• Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings edited by Timothy Lull (Allison, Plummer)

Everything Else

• A Call to Spiritual Reformation by D. A. Carson (Plummer)
• The Apostolic Fathers (Allison)
• Baptists and the Bible by Tom Nettles and Russ Bush (Moore)
• Body, Soul, and Life Everlasting by John W. Cooper (Allison)
• The Book of Common Prayer by Thomas Cranmer (Haykin)
• The Christian Tradition: Volume 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 by Jaroslav Pelikan (Allison)
• The Confessions: St. Augustine (Haykin)
• The Confession of St. Patrick (Haykin)
• Creeds of Christendom by Phillip Schaff (Allison)
• The Cross of Christ by John Stott (Ware)
• Dialogue with Trypho the Jew by Justin Martyr (Moore)
• Exegetical Fallacies by D. A. Carson (Plummer)
• The Existence and Attributes of God by Stephen Charnock (Allison)
• George Muller of Bristol: His Life of Prayer and Faith by A. T. Pierson (Ware)
• The Gospel and the Kingdom by George Eldon Ladd (Moore)
• Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther by Roland H. Bainton (Ware)
• Hudson Taylor by Howard Taylor (Ware)
• The Hymns and Letters of Ann Griffiths (Haykin)
• The Hymns of Charles Wesley (Haykin)
• Inspiration and Authority of the Bible by B. B. Warfield (Allison)
• Institutes of the Christian Religion by John Calvin (Allison)
• The Knowledge of the Holy by A. W. Tozer (Ware)
• The Letter to Diognetus (Haykin)
• Letters by John Newton (Haykin)
• Life is a Miracle by Wendell Berry (Moore)
• Love in the Ruins by Walker Percy (Moore)
• The Memoirs of Samuel Pearce by Andrew Fuller (Haykin)
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis (Plummer)
• The Olney Hymns by John Newton and William Cowper (Haykin)
• On the Apostolic Preaching by Irenaeus (Moore)
• On the Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen (Haykin)
• On Religious Affections by Jonathan Edwards (Haykin)
• On Spiritual Friendship by Ailred of Rievaulx (Haykin)
• The Person & Work of Christ by B. B. Warfield (Allison)
• Perspectives Old and New on Paul: The "Lutheran" Paul and His Critics by Stephen Westerholm (Schreiner)
• The Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan (Allison)
• The Pleasures of God by John Piper (Ware)
• Post-Reformation Reformed Dogmatics by Richard A. Muller (Allison)
• The Problem of Pain by C. S. Lewis (Moore)
• Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ by John Piper (Ware)
• Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem (Allison)
• Toward a Theology of the Body by Mary Timothy Prokes (Allison)
• Uneasy Conscience of Modern Fundamentalism by Carl F. H. Henry (Moore)
• The Weight of Glory by C. S. Lewis (Haykin)

Dr. Schreiner recommended any book from John Piper, D. A. Carson, J. I. Packer, John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards, Augustine (especially against Pelagius), Martin Luther, and Martin Lloyd Jones (despite his occasional charismatic tendencies). In addition, Dr. Sills pointed me to his web site for a list of his recommended books that he compiled at one time from Southern Seminary professors.

Thanks to Gregg Allison, Michael Haykin, Russell Moore, Rob Plummer, Tom Schreiner, David Sills, and Bruce Ware.

Most Influential Books - John Piper

Here is Piper's personal list of the books (and authors) that most influenced his life. Bet you can't guess which one is first! ;-)

Todd

Book Recommendations from DesiringGod.org

I recently found a list of recommended books at the Desiring God website including books on the following topics:

• General, Historical, and Systematic Theology
• Attributes of God
• The Trinity
• The Person of Christ
• Providence and Predestination
• Diving Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
• Open Theism
• Doctrine of Scripture
• Doctrine of Humanity and Sin
• Law and Gospel
• The Life of the Mind
• Preaching
• Apologetics
• Biographies
• Biblical Studies
• History
• Counseling
• Children
• Youth
• Parenting
• Marriage
• Literature
• and lots more!!!

I think a good strategy for personal growth might be to pick one of these topics, purchase and read all the books in the category, then move to another category. Some categories might be more valuable than others to begin with (particularly, we might start with the category on "Reading"). What a great education we could receive from reading these books, not to mention the great library we would treasure when we finish!

Todd

"Why Can't They See This?"

Tom Nettles recently wrote this article discussing some of the struggles we face when communicating with brothers who have "an aversion to the Doctrines of Grace." In this article, Nettles explores some of the reasons one might feel such aversion, and he prescribes patience, love, and a gracious attitude to those who seek to "teach for reformation."

Thanks Justin!

Todd

Meditation

Something that might help all of us grow in our faith is the subject of a recent post on Faith Refined; it is an excerpt from Thomas Watson's The Christian Soldier that reveals the importance of meditation. Thanks Kara!

5 Things I Dig About Jesus

Well, my friend Kara just tagged me to write a list of "5 things I dig about Jesus." Unfortunately, I'm going to have to break the rules, since I don't have many blogging friends, and she already tagged my wife! Here are the rules:

• list 5 things you dig about Jesus
• tag 5 other bloggers
• the 5 other bloggers must post a comment with their name and a link to their list

So, I didn't read Kara's list yet, because I didn't want to copy or be influenced by her answers. Here's my "5 things I dig about Jesus:"

• Jesus lived life moment by moment, feeling splinters, scraped knees, hunger, thirst, sleep deprivation, stress, deadlines, personality conflicts, personnel issues, rejection, condemnation, grief, intense suffering, and death - yet he lived his entire life in a way that is completely foreign to us; he found his every desire fulfilled in his obedience to God...
• Jesus loved people (Lazarus, the Rich Young Ruler, et. al.), and he loves me so fully that he corrects me, guides me, motivates me, comforts me, and conforms me to his magnificent image...
• Jesus is a warrior, as I believe he is portrayed in a pre-incarnate form in Joshua 5:13-15; not only is he a warrior, but he is the commander of the army of the LORD of Hosts, the greatest warrior that ever lived...
• Jesus never gave in to sin; he warred against temptation his entire life, sweating profusely while being tempted to abandon his mission in the garden of Gethsemane, but never yielding, never caving, always finding his supreme joy and fulfillment in pleasing his Heavenly Father...
• Jesus died to pay for my sin and to give to me all that his life of obedience had earned; he paid my debt and gave me fellowship with God - nothing less than everything do we owe him!

Loving Jesus for who he is and what he has done,

Todd

What Calvinism is Not

Tim Challies recently posted a brief definition of hyper-Calvinism, and he does a good job helping us understand the differences between an enthusiastic Calvinist, a 6 or 7-point Calvinist, and a "Calvinist" that takes Calvinism beyond its biblical boundaries.