I’ve about finished reading through the Pentateuch again and it has changed how I pray for my family. This probably is not a new thing for anybody, but I have much to learn! Moses regularly prayed for God to be merciful and forgive the sins of the Israelite’s. I had never prayed for God to forgive the sins of my wife and children before, but seeing Moses, remembering Job’s intercession for his children (Job 1:5) and reading Ezekiel 22:30 “stand in the gap” verse has led to me doing this almost daily (certainly not for lack of time needed to repent of my own sins).

How about you? Besides praying for your family, do you ask God for mercy and forgiveness on the behalf of your wife and children?

“Eschatology determines ethics.” So said Dr. Hafemann almost everyday in Greek 101 at Wheaton College. And he’s right. What a man believes about what the future holds will shape the way he lives in the present. With that said, N.T. Wright has been getting a lot of press recently with his book Surprised by Hope, a slimmed down version of his larger book, The Resurrection of the Son of God. While I haven’t seen this new book yet, I do have a copy of Resurrection, and I’m not very comfortable with all that I’ve seen in it. Therefore, I was very interested to read this review by my former professor at SBTS, Dr. Schreiner. Dr. Schreiner does an excellent job highlighting the good and bad in the book and I believe he hits a couple things perfectly.

First, I often wonder as I’m reading N.T. Wright just whom he is attacking. Schreiner helpfully points out that the main errant theological targeted population in this book is very small, almost nonexistent. Almost no one today would say that in heaven we will not have physical bodies. Secondly, I think Schreiner does a good job of pointing out that Wright’s emphasis on the continuity between this world and the world to come is over played. Yes the Bible speaks of a basic continuity between this world and the next, but it also speaks of a radical discontinuity the to me seems to undermine his almost radical social program. Here are a few highlights to whet the appetite.  

As noted above, Wright often emphasizes that our work in this world is important. Christians ought not to think that their work in politics, economics, business, art, and so forth is insignificant. There has been a kind of pietism that has denigrated such work. Still, it isn’t clear that forgiving third world debt is a moral obligation on the same level as abolishing slavery. Wright too confidently dismisses all who disagree with him on this matter, sweeping away any objections with rhetorical statements. Moral claims in the public sphere must be advanced by careful reasoning, and Wright does not provide arguments to support his conclusions. Perhaps in the future he will tackle the matter with reasoned public discourse instead of dicta from above.

Wright commends evangelism as part of our work as believers, but he clearly emphasizes being engaged in the political sphere. Surely Wright has his emphases backwards here. The Scriptures teach that only those who believe in Jesus Christ and repent of their sins will enjoy the new creation. Isn’t the most important thing for human beings, therefore, to gain acceptance into this new creation? Aren’t there great artists and gifted politicians who have improved our life in this world (for which we are all thankful), and yet who will not be part of the new creation because they have rejected the gospel? Moreover, while Wright correctly affirms that everything done in this world matters, there is also discontinuity between this world and the next. The curse of Genesis 3 will not be lifted until Jesus comes again. Our work in this world is provisional and always touched by the curse. The invention of the car solved a pollution problem in the streets caused by horses, but no one foresaw that it would cause pollution problems of its own.

Reading an article on N.T. Wright and the New Perspective by Mark Seifrid called: The Narrative of Scripture and Justification by Faith: A Fresh Response to N. T. Wright. In the introductory comments, Mark points out that in order to stay true to the truth, we must constantly be restating the truth in ever fresher/truer ways. I found these two sentences intriguing:

Like Alice-through-the-Looking-Glass, we must run fast if we only wish to stay in place. Or, as the author of Hebrews enjoins us, we must here and now give the closest attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it.

Al Mohler posts today about Planned Parenthood Coming to a Mall Near You

What does it say about our culture of death when PP is actively “seeking to woo more affluent patients.”

This is about revenue and profit, market growth and competition. It is a horrifying glimpse into the cold hard reality of what stands behind the abortion movement in general and Planned Parenthood in particular — the ideology of death and the love of money. Can we imagine a more lethal combination?

Stick it right in between Children’s Place and Gymboree.

“Eschatology determines ethics.” So said Dr.

So we all know John Piper’s perspective on being a people who have a tendency to shrink back when trial comes. In this sound bite (about 3:10 long) he really puts this into perspective concretely. The whole sermon is very good, but I found this particularly challenging.

From the sermon What Faith Knows and Hopes For, here is the What Faith Knows and Hopes For Excerpt.

Great post over at Pyromaniacs

In a nutshell…

Compare the apostle’s vision of manly maturity with John Eldredge’s famous sine qua non of manhood.” Eldredge says, “Deep in his heart, every man longs for a battle to fight, an adventure to live, and a beauty to rescue.”

That is a little boy’s lie. That’s the stuff of children’s fantasies. You simply won’t find a description of manliness like that in Scripture. Instead, Scripture says what motivates real men is a love for the truth; a contempt for error; and a passion for being used by God in the work of snatching people from the grip of the father of lies.

And, um…

I keep hearing about churches who (in order to appeal to ostensibly “masculine” instincts) have moved their men’s fellowship to the pub, where they discuss theology as a hobby and share their views on life as Christian men over beer and cigars.

Let me point out that there’s nothing particularly manly about that. It’s still a private hen party, but you’ve just substituted beer and cigars in place of tea and crumpets.

Hen Party? Ouch.

Read the whole dang deal here.

Heard Piper say this in a sermon this morning.

“For most people today, if there is a god, he exists to be thanked briefly after a close call, and questioned thoroughly after a tragedy.”

I think this is true for most Christians. We need to regularly be strengthening and refining our doctrine of suffering. God is not who we think he is if he is only credited with having a hand in the good things.

The quote is from his Hebrews series from 96′/97′. Here’s the direct link to the sermon if you’re interested: Woe to Those Who Trample the Son of God

One of the reasons I like John Piper is his unapologetic zeal for the gospel and for calling Christians to the same. It is so easy as American Christians to misplace our zeal or to have none at all. Why? America offers so much to entice us and take our eyes off of Christ. We are low-hanging fruit for Satan. Many times these things even seem good, but ultimately if they take our gaze from Christ and serving him, cannot be good.

But it is not hopeless, Christ has won the battle. Because of the work of Christ in us, we can repent, seek God in prayer and in His Word and ask for hearts that desire Him more than anything else. Hearts that desire His glory more than our pleasure and comfort.

Below is a great commentary by Spurgeon on zeal and how important it is. Although it seems (to me anyway) the Scripture reference doesn’t quite fit, Paul calls us to the same: “Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord.” (Rom 12:11-12). And what is the alternative to zeal for the gospel? “So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. ” (Rev 3:16-17)

June 07, PM - “Be zealous.” (Rev 3:19)

If you would see souls converted,

if you would hear the cry that “the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord”;

if you would place crowns upon the head of the Saviour, and His throne lifted high,

then be filled with zeal.

For, under God, the way of the world’s conversion must be by the zeal of the church. Every grace shall do exploits, but this shall be first; prudence, knowledge, patience, and courage will follow in their places, but zeal must lead the van. It is not the extent of your knowledge, though that is useful; it is not the extent of your talent, though that is not to be despised; it is your zeal that shall do great exploits. This zeal is the fruit of the Holy Spirit: it draws its vital force from the continued operations of the Holy Ghost in the soul.

If our inner life dwindles, if our heart beats slowly before God, we shall not know zeal; but if all be strong and vigorous within, then we cannot but feel a loving anxiety to see the kingdom of Christ come, and His will done on earth, even as it is in heaven.

A deep sense of gratitude will nourish Christian zeal. Looking to the hole of the pit whence we were digged, we find abundant reason why we should spend and be spent for God. And zeal is also stimulated by the thought of the eternal future. It looks with tearful eyes down to the flames of hell, and it cannot slumber: it looks up with anxious gaze to the glories of heaven, and it cannot but bestir itself. It feels that time is short compared with the work to be done, and therefore it devotes all that it has to the cause of its Lord. And it is ever strengthened by the remembrance of Christ’s example. He was clothed with zeal as with a cloak. How swift the chariot-wheels of duty went with Him! He knew no loitering by the way. Let us prove that we are His disciples by manifesting the same spirit of zeal.

from C.H. Spurgeon’s - Morning and Evening (with my formatting)

Be zealous for the gospel brothers and sisters! And when I fail to be zealous for God and am taken by the enticements of the world, please tell me so.

“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”   John 20:30-31 

 

“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God.”  Micah  6:8