"Don't be Dumb with Your Smart Phone" - A Talk by Tony Reinke

I recently listened to a good talk by Tony Reinke about smart phones. He has a good perspective on how to apply Scripture to our view and use of our smart phones. You can find it at the Gospel Coalition Website, here. He also has a book entitled Twelve Ways Your Phone is Changing You, that you might want to check out.

Holding Your Horses - The Importance of Baptism

I was reading several weeks ago in Acts 8:26-40. In this passage, we encounter a man, a royal official (eunuch) from Ethiopia. Philip, a Christian, comes upon the Ethiopian who happens to be sitting on the tailgate of his chariot reading a part of the Old Testament. Specifically, he is reading a passage about the coming Savior (Isaiah 53). Philip asks him what he is reading, and the Ethiopian admits he isn't able to understand who the sheep that is lead to slaughter is in the passage.

Here is an excerpt from what happened next (35-39):

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.

Philip shared the good news about Jesus and the man believes! There are many lessons here about evangelism, the power of God's Word, and the sovereignty of God in salvation. But here is something I noticed for the first time. The Ethiopian, after hearing the good news, is the one who says, "hold the horses, there is water right there, can you baptize me?" (New Ben Translation). Philip, in sharing "the good news about Jesus," must have included Jesus' command for all his followers to be baptized (Matt. 28:18-20). Otherwise, how did the man know about baptism? It is clear that baptism does not make a person right with God (justification is by faith alone). Nonetheless, baptism is not unimportant or a nice thing for those who enjoy that sort of thing. 

In summary, my point is not that we must talk about baptism while sharing the gospel, but rather to show that baptism is not a "take it or leave it" type of thing. Philip included it in his overview of the good news of Jesus. And notice that the man who was baptized "went on his way rejoicing." He came to know Jesus as his Savior and Lord, and, so, he was quite happy. Baptism was the public testimony to that inward reality and, I would argue, magnified his joy.

Here is a closing illustration will highlight what I mean. Wearing a wedding ring isn't necessary for a marriage covenant to be real, but most couples are not indifferent to picking out a ring and exchanging them on their wedding day. They aren't indifferent to the ring and, in fact, they delight in it because of what it signifies. It is a physical picture of the commitment they are making to one another.  In the same way, baptism isn't necessary for our being united to Jesus. But that doesn't mean we are indifferent to sign of our covenant with him. We are glad to publically identify with the lover of our soul.

If baptism is a new concept for you, check out the booklet on baptism and communion at our church's website. If you are a believer in Jesus and have not been baptized since placing your faith in Him, contact one of the pastors to discuss baptism and get any questions you have answered.

Fighting the Fear of Man

The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe. - Prov. 29:25

Rod dealt with this theme in his sermon this past Sunday. He mentioned a book, and I wanted to second that recommendation. When People are Big and God is Small: Overcoming peer pressure, co-dependency and the fear of man, by Ed Welch is a great help in the fight against fearing people. Or, to say it another way, it helps in the fight against desiring the approval of others more than the approval of God.

Another helpful book on this topic is People Pleasing: How not to be an approval junkie, by Lou Priolo.

"Tragedy in Texas: Christian Testimony in the Face of Evil"

You have probably heard about the mass shooting at a church in Texas over the weekend. Here is a helpful article by Dr. Al Mohler which gives us a Christian perspective on it.

Here is part of his conclusion

This throws us back on the deepest resources of biblical Christianity. This pushes us back to understanding the attributes of God as revealed in Scripture, the attributes of his power and the attributes of his morality, his greatness and his goodness, his justice, his righteousness, and his mercy. We are also reminded of the fact that the only answer Christians have is the answer of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is the only promise of making sense out of nonsense. The gospel is the only assurance of the victory of good over evil. The gospel of Christ is the only promise of meaning and significance and satisfaction, not only in this life, but in the life to come.

Keeping God's Word: Our Happy Duty

This past Sunday I preached on Psalm 119:1-16 (here is a link to it in case you missed it). We have a joyful duty to live in line with God's Word. It is a joy because we love God. It is duty because God commands it and it takes work to know what he says. Specifically, we ought to memorize and meditate on Scripture. Here are a few resources to encourage, challenge, and help you in this joyful work.

• Here is a link to a quote by Charales Spurgeon on Bleeding Bibline
• Fighter Verses. This is an app produced by Desiring God to help in memorizing and meditating on Scripture. You can find the app on itunes or the google play store. 
• The Topical Memory System by Navigators. When I was in college, this is what I used to memorize a bunch of good verses. 
• Don Whitney has a one page article listing and explaining 17 methods to help you in meditating on Scripture.

Do you have any apps, articles, or practices that you recommend? If so, share them in the comments section. 

Some Articles for the 500 Anniversary of the Reformation

Yesterday, we celebrated the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation. Here are a few articles to help you reflect on it and enjoy it.

• 5 Passages [of Scripture] to Read on Reformation Day
• Martin Luther: Here He Stood by John Piper
• The Runaway Nun by Kristen Tabb

Audio

• You also might enjoy listening to the 31 episodes of "5 Minutes in Church History" in the month of October (devoted to the Reformation). 
• Roman Catholics & Protestants: Commonalities and Differences by Greg Allison (this one is longer a bit more academic, but I found it helpful)

Why Join a Local Church in College

Becoming a member of a local church is important. Occasionally I like to link to an article on the topic - mainly because it is such an important issue which is not often well understood. Here is an article at the Gospel Coalition site entitled "Fellow College Students, Please Join a Local Church." 

Below are his main points, but the whole thing is short and worth a read.

1. To be watched over by church leaders. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account” (Heb. 13:17).
2. To be discipled by older church members. “Older women likewise are . . . to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled” (Titus 2:3–5).
3. To build up the church. “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:11–13).
4. To learn to love those Jesus loved. “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her” (Eph. 5:25).

Resources for Studying the Bible: Arching & Tracing

I mentioned at Bible study last week two helpful methods for analyzing the connections between sentences, especially in passages that are teaching (rather than story). Though these principles work for that too.

Here is a link to John Piper describing "arching." You can see him doing something similar (more like what we are doing on Thursday nights though) in his "look at the book" series of videos. In these, he breaks down a passage while you watch (ie. does something similar to COMA).

"Tracing" is similar to arching, and is what I learned in seminary. Here is a link to information about that (this article is more technical and might take a lot of mental energy, but the payoff is well worth the investment). This is a very helpful thing to learn, especially if you plan to teach others in a more formal setting.

If you don't have time to pursue these avenues now, why not set a reminder to revisit them in the summer? And, why not check out the "look at the book" videos now? They are easy to watch and you will learn a lot about how to better study the Bible (hopefully Thursday nights are helping with this too).

"10 Sure Marks of Humility"

Humilty is one of those things we often see the need of but have trouble wrapping our mind around. Just saying, "I need to grow in humility," often does not translate to true growth in humility. I have found, in my life, that true, biblical change only occurs as I repent specifically rather than in generalities.

Tim Challies, a Christian blogger, recently went through the book A Godly Man's Picture, which is by the puritan Thomas Watson. He helpfully summarizes the main points of some sections, and one post summarizes some marks of humility. I list the headings below, and if you are looking to grow in humility, you might find it helpful to look at his article.

1. A humble person thinks little of himself. [though don't mistake this for self-pity which is a form of pride - see my post on self-pity here].
2. A humble person thinks better of others than of himself.
3. A humble person has a low assessment of his spiritual disciplines.
4. A humble person complains about his heart, not his circumstances.
5. A humble person praises God in times of trouble.
6. A humble person magnifies Christ.
7. A humble person accepts reproof for sin.
8. A humble person is content to be eclipsed by others.
9. A humble person accepts the condition God sees best for him.
10. A humble person will stoop to the lowest person and lowest tasks.

For more help in specifically fighting pride and growing in humility, you might find Stuart Scott's booklet "From Pride to Humility" helpful. He lists specific manifestations of pride and humility. 

Why We Value the Sunday Evening Service

The following is a letter sent by the elders to our congregation reflecting on the value of our Sunday evening gathering.

It seems as though the Sunday Evening service, in many churches, is going the way of the dodo (ie. dead dead). As the pastors of this church body, we wanted to express why we value our Sunday evening service with the hope that these sentiments will resonate with you or help you develop new found love for the Sunday evening service. Of course, our ultimate aim is that we not simply love a service, but that we, as a church, aim to glorify God and to experience His grace in all we do together. 

What is the purpose of the Sunday evening service? 

There are several different things that happen in the life of our church family each week and they all serve a slightly different purpose. Perhaps a quick overview would be most helpful.

• The Sunday school hour and mid-week Bible studies serve to equip us as we learn to be better students of God’s Word and glean the fruit of greater trust and obedience to God. 
• Our worship service is the gathering of the whole body, made up of all its diverse members, to join our hearts, voices, and minds in worshiping God by singing, praying, and hearing His Word. It is the main feeding time for the flock. 
• Sunday evenings are a time for us to pray together, to discuss the sermon we heard in the morning, and to receive updates on missionaries, unreached people groups, and local outreach ministries. Additionally, we have a program for preschool through elementary age children with the goal of teaching them foundational theological truth at a child’s level. 

Each of the meetings, services, and studies serve a purpose, and we value all of them. As Shepherds we believe the priority is the Sunday morning time of worship. However, since the evening service is the one that often gets overlooked, we’d like to focus on why we value it with the hope of shepherding us to see its benefits and joyfully participate in it.

Reasons we value the Sunday evening service

1. It is the time we have set aside for praying together. It is such a joy to hear other brothers and sisters thanking God, praying for one another, and praying for the needs of our world. We see the early church was marked by praying together and can imagine that it was not a burden but a joy for them too (Acts 2:42, 4:23-ff; 1 Tim. 2). 
2. It is an opportunity to fulfill the command to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice (Rom. 12:15). This can and should happen one-on-one, on Sunday mornings, and at Bible studies too. But Sunday evenings provide a great opportunity for this as we are gathering primarily to pray together. We can thank God for engagements, births, and job promotions. We can ask for his mercy for those facing loneliness, losses, and trials (1 Cor. 12:26).
3. It is a great chance to interact with the sermon we heard. Sermons are the main feeding of our souls each week. Rather than having another teaching time (in addition to Sunday school, a Bible study, and the sermon) the elders wanted to provide a chance for us to digest the rich feast of God’s Word we just had during the worship service. We want to be doers of the word. Additionally, this allows an opportunity to ask questions and gain new insights together.
4. It is another time for fellowship. The more often we see each other and interact, the better the chances are that we will be able to move past merely socializing (which is good) to fellowship (encouraging one another in our walk with God).
5. As Christians, we want to be with fellow believers as often as possible. This has always been a mark of God’s people (Psalm 16:3, Acts 2:42, 46).  
6. It helps us keep Sunday set apart for special enjoyment in God. For centuries, Christians have referred to Sunday as “the Lord’s Day” (Rev. 1:10). Not that this is the only day that is His. Rather it is a day uniquely set aside to have more focused attention on worshiping Him and on being with His people. Sunday evenings give us the other bookend to the Lord’s Day. Without it, Sunday could easily become a day like any other save a 90-minute block of worship.

Consider being part of the Sunday evening service

There are reasons it may be hard to come. For some, the drive is too much to do twice a day. Those with young children might also find it difficult to come (though we have purposely set the service to run from 5-6 p.m. with the goal of making it easier for those with young children to attend).  We do not want to imply that it is sinful to not attend on Sunday evenings. We simply want to express why we, as your pastors, value Sunday evenings and encourage you to develop the habit of gathering with us. It is a commitment for the elders to lead another service, but we believe it is worthwhile. May it continue to serve as a blessing to our church family.

In Christ,
The Elders

"Why the Church Needs Intergenerational Friendships"

Do all your friends fit within your own age demographic? What might you be missing out on if this is the case? How might this be counterproductive not only in your own spiritual life but in the spiritual health of a local church?

Unfortunately, we are much like electricity, following the path of least resistance, when it comes to friendships. But when we do this, we fail to maintain and participate in the unity God has built into the body of Christ.  We can miss out on hearing more of God's great works, as Psalm 71: says,

So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come (v. 18). 

I recently read an article at the gospel coalition blog by Joseph Rhea entitled, "Why the Church Needs Intergenerational Friendships." In his article, Rhea lists several of the benefits of friendships across generational lines and some of the hard work associated with developing such friendships. Below are some excerpts, but you really should read the short article.

Benefits:

1. Wisdom "The most obvious gain is the wisdom that comes from perspectives other than our own."
2. Wonder "Learning the stories of God’s work in wildly different situations leads to wonder at his power and character."
3. Godliness He lists several areas, but one is love. He writes, "Loving someone different from me requires me to love more deliberately. I’m going to have to ask more questions and listen better. To hear things I don’t understand and maybe things I don’t agree with. I might have to sacrifice things on my schedule or my style. But developing that intergenerational friendship will make me into a more maturely loving person."

What it takes to gain these benefits (ie. to form intergenerational friendships). 

1. I must be willing to push through discomfort.
2. I must speak and listen charitably.
3. I must elevate Jesus above all else. 

A quick word about peer friendships. For some, it is hard to develop friendships with peers and, maybe, easier to do this with older folks. It is good to have those friendships with older folks, but don't neglect the benefits and unity with believers your own age within the church body. If you think they are too immature for you, then ask yourself, how should a mature believer respond to those that are immature? What does Christian love look like in such situations? 

Advice from John Piper on Staying Close to God while in College

This short (13 minute) audio from the Ask Pastor John podcast  (episode 1081) is worth a listen. He responds to a question about how to stay close to God while in college. Here are his main points, but you really need to hear him flesh them out (or read the transcript).

1. Prepare for War
2. Love the Word
3. Invest in a Church
4. Find Good Friends
5. Ask for Help

Don't Exchange "Eulogy Virtues" for "Resume Virtues"

I recently read Ben Sasse's book, The Vanishing American Adult: Our coming-of -age crisis and how to rebuild a culture of self-reliance. In one place he writes to parents,

In our effort to develop our kids' talents, to provide them with a set of extracurricular experiences even more impressive than our own to help them stand out from the rest of the college-bound crowd, many of us might be unintentionally displacing lifelong "eulogy virtues" in favor of mere "resume virtures." 

This got me to thinking about the pressure in our culture, especially for high school and college students, to merely produce (and at times not even to produce so much as to get their names on a list or check off a box of having done something). There is a push to do a lot of things to build up our resume and make ourselves more marketable.

But what if that signifies a great loss for us and our culture.  Don't get me wrong, God did make us to produce, and He warns us against being lazy and self-indulgent. However, He made us to represent Him in all our production. This requires us growing in godly characteristics (see Titus 1 - 2 for example).

Perhaps we should still focus on building resumes (after all we will need them to find jobs), but what if we did it more with an eye of seeing how God would use us to serve others and how he would use those situations to develop a greater love in our hearts for Himself.

The usefulness of mere resume virtues will come to end one day. But "eulogy virtues" (or in biblical terms, godliness) is of lasting value.

If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed. Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come (1 Tim 4:6-8).

 If you are looking for a place to start "training yourself for godliness," why not start with the list of virtues God gives us in 1 Timothy and Titus (see below).

Five Vices to Replace

Vice	Opposite	Application
Arrogance/Self-will- Pushy and seeking one's own will instead of God's and instead of looking out for the interests of others. It is also a pride that won’t receive criticism well.	A humble servant who looks out for the interest of others instead of using power for personal gain (Matt. 20:25-28). A proper view of self (a sinner) which enables you to receive criticism.	Do you often push for your own way? How are you looking out for the interests of others? How do you handle criticism?  Do you examine it humbly to see if it is true or does it go “in one ear and out the other?”
Quick-Tempered- Having a “short fuse,” or being easily angered.	Humility, gentleness, patience, love (Eph. 4:1-2)	Are you easily provoked to anger by people and situations? If you ask someone to do something and they don’t do it the way you want or they fail, how do you respond? With patience or in anger?
Drunkard- A person whose companion is wine (or any other substance that causes a person to not be clear-headed/sober-minded).	Being self-controlled and filled with the Spirit (Eph. 4:18).	Are you free not to drink? Do you drink to the point of not being clear-headed? Do you see alcohol as a means of escaping life’s problems?
Violent- Abusiveness, meanness, or fighting to get one’s own way or to suppress opposition. Riding rough-shod over others or bullying them with physical violence or with your words.	Gentleness (1 Tim 3:3) and being a peacemaker (Rom. 12:18).	Do you like brawling to get your way (physically or striking with your words)? Are you argumentative or quick to attack those who get in your way or express a different opinion? Or, do you seek peace in situations?
Greedy for Gain- Seeking financial or material gain without integrity.  Loving money and material things. Unsatisfied with what you have.	Contentment (1 Tim. 6:6), seeking God’s Kingdom and His righteousness above all (Matt. 6). Being a cheerful giver (2 Cor. 9:7).	Are you content financially and materially? Or do you constantly seek happiness in having newer and nicer things (phones, clothes, etc.)?

Six Virtues to Put on

Virtue	Application
Hospitable- One who gives practical help to new comers.	Are you welcoming new people at church instead of just talking to your group of friends? Do you try to meet the needs of other Christians that you do not know that well? Or are you quick to make excuses and slow to inconvenience yourself for others?
Loving what is good- Loves what is good as opposed to sinful, worthless, and not God-glorifying.	Our close friendships should be with those who love good things. The ultimate “good” is Christ. So you should love those who love Christ. Do the TV shows you watch make light of that which is evil according to God?  The problem is not that you would go do the things you see, but that you are mentally delighting in what is not good.
Sensible- Being wise and thoughtful. Not being driven by emotion, but cool-headed.	Are you controlled in your thinking, not given to a lack of control and being “feelings” driven?
Upright- Living righteously and justly.	Do you seek to practice righteousness in your everyday life? Do you want to be just in your dealings with others?
Holy/Devout- Living a life that is pleasing to God.	Do you regularly confess and repent of your sin before the Lord (even if others don’t know about it)? Do you seek to find out what pleases the Lord from His Word? Do you seek to do what is pleasing to the Lord?
Disciplined/ Self-controlled- Having one’s desires in check and under control.	Are you ruled by your desires for money, sleep (laziness), food (overeating), and/or material things? Do you lack control with your use of time (wasting much time on TV or the Internet) or money? Or do you rule over your desires so that you might be focused on pursuing the one prize- namely, Jesus (1 Cor. 9:24-27)?

The Heresy of Racial Superiority

I have not really kept up with news recently, but based on the news out of Charlotte, I think it is worth reminding ourselves that ideas of racial superiority are not in line with the gospel.

Dr. Mohler has a good article entitled "Letter from Berlin: the lessons of history and the heresy of racial superiority." Below is a section that I wanted to highlight (but the whole thing is worth a read).

We must see claims of racial superiority–and mainly that means claims of white superiority–as heresy. 

That is not a word we use casually. Heresy leads to a denial of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the eclipse of the living God as revealed in the Bible. A claim of white superiority is not merely wrong, and not merely deadly. It is a denial of the glory of God in creating humanity—every single human being–in his own image. It is a rejection of God’s glory in creating a humanity of different skin pigmentation. It is a misconstrual of God’s judgment and glory in creating different ethnicities. 

Most urgently, it is a rejection of the gospel of Christ–the great good news of God’s saving purpose in the atonement accomplished by Christ. A claim of racial superiority denies our common humanity, our common sinfulness, our common salvation through faith in Christ, and God’s purpose to create a common new humanity in Christ. 

You cannot preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and hold to any notion of racial superiority. It is impossible.

Why is this true? Here are a few reasons ideas of racial superiority are antithetical to the gospel:

1. The gospel is predicated on the fact that there is one race - the human race- which began in Adam and in which we all find ourselves dead in sin. All of us are "in Adam" (Rom. 5). 
2. The gospel is the good news of God for our salvation - all of our salvation. Colossians 3:11 tells us that being in Christ is what saves us. When it comes to our salvation we all come to God through Jesus Christ. We are on equal footing. 
3. The gospel restores what was broken at the fall into sin, including a breaking down of hostility between people based on racial differences (Ephesians 2:13-15). 
4. White supremacy (or any other type) is not compatible with the gospel because it is a form of self-righteousness and pride. 

As Christians, as people shaped by the gospel, we must  clearly articulate that all people are created equal.

A Younger Generation Will Sit in Judgement on Our's

It should be clear to us that future generations do sit in judgment on those that preceded them. We do it with the horrific issues of slavery, racism, and the holocaust. We do it when we look back on generations that did amazing things as evidenced by books like The Greatest Generation.

How might future generations reflect on ours when it comes to the issue of abortion? I don't know the immediate future. I know that ultimately God is our judge, and, so, we must fear him and not what others think. Popular opinion in our generation or future generations is not our benchmark. That being said, I found this quote from Frederica Matthewes - Green to be thought provoking.

The pro-life cause is perennially unpopular, and pro-lifers get used to being misrepresented and wrongly accused. There are only a limited number of people who are going to be brave enough to stand up on the side of an unpopular cause. But sometimes a cause is so urgent, is so dramatically clear, that it’s worth it. What cause could be more outrageous than violence — fatal violence — against the most helpless members of our human community? If that doesn’t move us, how hard are our hearts? If that doesn’t move us, what will ever move us? 

In time, it’s going to be impossible to deny that abortion is violence against children. Future generations, as they look back, are not necessarily going to go easy on ours. Our bland acceptance of abortion is not going to look like an understandable goof. In fact, the kind of hatred that people now level at Nazis and slave-owners may well fall upon our era. Future generations can accurately say, “It’s not like they didn’t know.” They can say, “After all, they had sonograms.” They may consider this bloodshed to be a form of genocide. They might judge our generation to be monsters. 

One day, the tide is going to turn. With that Supreme Court decision 43 years ago, one of the sides in the abortion debate won the day. But sooner or later, that day will end. No generation can rule from the grave. The time is coming when a younger generation will sit in judgment of ours. And they are not obligated to be kind. 

The quote is from an article published at the National Review on January 22, 2016. It is entitled "Roe v. Wade -- Abortion Won the Day, but Sooner or Later That Day Will End." I came across it while listening to a Gospel Coalition Podcast message by Justin Taylor entitled  How Should we Think about Abortion? 

"6 Ways to Avoid Delayed Adulthood"

Here is a helpful article at The Gospel Coalition by 'Gunner' Gundersen. He offers some good challenges to college age men and women (though it can apply to all of us). The whole thing is worth a read. Here is a quote to get entice you

"You can’t lead if you’re not around. You can’t serve if you don’t come. You can’t help if you’re not here. So if you want to mature, start by making wise commitments, and then follow through on those commitments." 

Below is his outline:

1. Desire
2. Commitment 
3. Faithfulness
4. Humility
5. Courage
6. Resilience 

Read his article to find out more... 

Get a Handle on the Canon: Is the Canon Closed?

My series, "Get a Handle on the Canon" is coming to a close. So it is fitting to think about whether the canon is closed. That is, should we expect more inspired writings to come to us from God? 

Should we Expect More Writings from God?

No. There are at least two reasons we can say this is the case. The first is practical and the second is theological. 

First, 

“[a]ccording to the church’s categories for canonicity (apostolic, catholic [wide use by the church], orthodox…), it would be impossible to have any additions to the canon. For example, even if a genuine and orthodox letter of the apostle Paul were discovered, that letter would not have had widespread usage in the early church (that is, it could never claim catholicity). The canon of Scripture is closed” (Plummer, 40 Questions about Interpreting the Bible, pg 66).

Second, we expect no new revelation from God since Jesus has come as the final and fullest revelation of God. Hebrews 1:1-2 says, 

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son...

The NT ends with a view of the complete fulfillment of the Kingdom of God. The Old Testament contained many promises, the New Testament contains the fulfillment. The NT gives us a picture of redemptive history that takes us all the way to the New Heaven's and New Earth (the eternal state). Thus, there is nothing more to add. We are waiting for the return of the King, Jesus, who will bring in the fullness of the Kingdom. The only revealing that awaits is the Son of Man returning in the clouds (Mark 13:26, Rev. 1:7). 

Get a Handle on the Canon: How the NT books were recognized and added

Continuing my series on the Canon of Scripture (which books make up the Bible). Today I will briefly describe how the New Testament books were recognized by the church as being part of the canon.  

Did the church decide which books were in?

First, the church did not decide what was “in” and what was “out.” They simply recognized which books came from God. Much like you don't decide who your mother is but learn to recognize her voice even from infancy. You learn that she is your mom because she feeds you and cares for you. In a similar way, there is a recognizing of the books that God had inspired to feed and care for his people.

So what were the character traits of the books that revealed them to be, in fact, God's Word? 

If a book was from God it would be apostolic: written by an apostle or in his company. The word "Apostle," in the Greek, means "An official representative charged with a commission"*). Jesus called the apostles for this purpose- to testify about Him (see John 16:12-15).  This is in keeping with the fact that God had his spokesman or ambassadors (ie. the prophets) in the Old Testament times too. 

A book from God would also be catholic: that is widely, if not universally, recognized by the churches as divine (not Roman Catholic). If it is the Word of the Father, then his children should, in general recognize it. To put it another way, since the churches all had the same shepherd, Jesus, and all his people would all listen for His voice, then they all should recognize it.  

A third characteristic the churches would expect from a God inspired book was orthodoxy: not to be in contradiction to any book that is already in the canon. Since God does not lie and is powerful enough to oversee the writing of His Word, this makes sense.

How did the canonization take place? 

The NT books began circulating** among the churches by A.D. 90 or 100 and were viewed as authoritative (Col. 4:16, 2 Peter 3:16). During the early years of the church that followed (post-NT), it became clear from the writings of the early church fathers that an implicit canon existed (they cited from books we now have in the NT as authoritative sources). By A.D. 367 we have all 27 books of our NT listed together in a letter by Athanasius (lists occur prior to this, but this is the first time the exact 27 we have in our NT are listed together). Two church councils in A.D. 393 and 397 recognized the 27 books as authoritative.

Why not earlier? 

Remember, that travel and communication was hard in the early centuries. Also, it took some time to see which books were accepted widely in the church. Third, remember that these books were all in use from the time they were written, but it was not until the late 300’s that a recognized list is compiled to show which books had proven inspired. Earlier than this, Eusebius (ca. A.D. 260-340) had already mentioned that there were books which were: 1. universally confessed, 2. some which were debated, and 3. others which were spurious (Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica 3.25.1-5).

------
*[Myers, A. C. (1987). In The Eerdmans Bible dictionary (p. 67). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans."]

** They were written prior to that and being read in local churches. But by 90-100 they were actively on the move throughout many churches.

Get a Handle on the Canon: The New Testament

This is a continuation of a short series designed to give a quick look at the canon of Scripture (not the kind that go "boom"). We have briefly looked at the Old Testament and (Why not) the Apocrypha. Today I want to look at the New Testament. 

The New Testament (NT)

As NT times began (around the life of Jesus), there was already a body of authoritative “Scriptures” (the OT) that governed the life of God’s people (Luke 24:27, John 5:39, Acts 17:2, Rom. 5:14). 

When Jesus comes, he comes as an authority (Matt. 7:28-29) and as the one who perfectly reveals God (John 1:1,15; Heb. 1:1-2). He comes to fulfill the promises made in the OT and to bring in the promised New Covenant (or Testament). This was not "out of the blue", but rather had been foretold in the OT. 

The question, then, is, how will those living in Jesus' time and the following generations know this new message of the gospel and how it is to be lived out? The answer is an expansion of the OT canon. God's people expected he will write out his promises and commands just as he had done in the OT. With movement forward in redemptive history comes the need for new Scriptures to be written by God. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit to teach and remind his Apostles of his message (John 14:24-26), and their message serves as the foundation of the church:  

the household of God [ie. the church], built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone (Eph. 2:19-20). 

This foundation is laid as the Apostles, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote new Scripture about the new covenant work Jesus did. 

And I [the Apostle Peter] will make every effort so that after my departure [death] you may be able at any time to recall these things [truth of the gospel see 1:3-14]. For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,”  we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain.  And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:15-21)

Later in that same letter, the Apostle Peter explicitly acknowledges the Apostle Paul’s writings as being Scripture: 

just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures (2 Peter 3:15-16).

So the NT is inspired by God to record the gospel message (the life, death, and resurrection of the Messiah) and how God's people should live while they await his return. 

Next time we will look at how the NT books were recognized by the church and added to the canon of Scripture. 

Get a Handle on the Canon - Why not the Apocrypha?

Continuing our look at the Canon, we will look at a related question. Why not include the Apocrypha in the canon? Remember, canon refers to the books that are recognized as coming from God (and excluding other books that might claim to be from him).  

Why Not The Apocrypha?

The Apocrypha are books written during the “inter-testamental period” (after Malachi but before Matthew) from 430 B.C. to 40 A.D. It includes books of Jewish history (1,2 Maccabees), wisdom (Sirach), and other writings. They were added to the Catholic Church canon during the Council of Trent in 1546 A.D.

So why not accept these as part of the canon? Here are a few reasons:

• First, the Jews did not put these books in the same authoritative category as the OT writings. Philo, (ca. 20 B.C. – 40 A.D.) quoted the OT prolifically but never quoted the Apocrypha as inspired. Josephus (ca. 30 A.D. – 100 A.D.) explicitly excludes the Apocrypha when he lists the OT books.

• Second, Jesus didn’t accept it. In  Luke 11:49-51 Jesus says,

"Therefore also the Wisdom of God said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, some of whom they will kill and persecute,’ so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation."

What is significant about this is the two martyrs he mentions. Zechariah (mentioned in 2 Chronicles 24:20-21), was not the last martyr chronologically in the OT times. But he is the last martyr mentioned canonically (that is, in the Hebrew canon, Chronicles is the last book and he is the last on mentioned in Chronicles). Abel is the first martyr in Genesis. So, Jesus summarizes all the martyrs in a way that does not extend the canon into the apocryphal books, but ends with the last book in the Hebrew OT. Therefore, he did not consider the apocrypha part of the canon.  

• Third, the New Testament authors never cite an Apocryphal book as Scripture (The book of Enoch is cited in Jude 14-15, but it is not said to be “the Word of God” or any other designation for Scripture. It should also be noted that Paul cites a pagan author in Acts 17:28 and Titus 1:12 as saying true things, but he did not recognize them as divinely inspired and authoritative).

Get a Handle on the Canon - The Old Testament

Canon

I want to begin a short series on what books make up the Bible and why? The canon of Scripture refers to the books that truly have come to us from God and are, therefore, included in the Bible. Let's start by looking at the Old Testament (OT).

The Old Testament (OT)

The Hebrew OT [that Jesus had] is made up of 24 books. These are the same as our 39 books in the English OT (several books that comprise one book in the Hebrew OT were divided in the English OT -  such as Samuel, Kings, etc.). 

The Hebrew OT was divided into three sections: Law, Prophets, and Writings. With this in mind, read Luke 24:44 and see what Jesus affirmed about the entire Hebrew OT.

Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms [the largest of the "writings"] must be fulfilled."

So, Jesus said that each part of the Old Testament had things written in it about him! 

Next time we will look at why the canon does not include the Apocrypha. 

Moving from Dullness to Delight in God- Applying Psalm 103

The Delight of Remembering and Responding to the Kindnesses of God 

Here are a few questions I came up with that you might find helpful as you seek the apply the sermon from this past Sunday.

1. What passages of Scripture have you most often found encouraged you in the love, goodness, and mercy of God? (ex. Romans 8:28-ff)
2. When you feel slow of heart in praising God, what practical things can you do to stir your soul up towards God?
3. What gets in the way of your remembering God's benefits towards you?
4. Why should you "talk to yourself"? How can this help you delight in praising God?
5. How have you seen pride kill the joy of praise in your life?
6. Reflect on the 3 comparisons made in Psalm 103:11-14. How do these help you bless the Lord?
7. How is recognizing your frailty something which can actually further (not frustrate) your joy in God? (vv. 15-18)

Hope this helps you. If you missed the sermon it might be good to watch or listen to it prior to trying to answer the application questions (or at least read the Psalm). 

The Difference between the Unconverted and Converted Person

William Arnot:

The difference between an unconverted and a converted man, is not that one has sins and the other has none. But the one takes part with his cherished sins against a dreaded God and the other takes part with his reconciled God against his hated sins.

Is Self-Pity Pride?

Last Sunday evening, while we were discussing the sermon, I mentioned a quote from John Piper that has been painfully helpful in my own life. In his book, Desiring God, he points out how pride is not just a problem the boastful have.

Boasting is the response of pride to success. Self-pity is the response of pride to suffering. Boasting says, ‘I deserve admiration because I have achieved so much.’ Self-pity says, ‘I deserve admiration because I have sacrificed so much.’ Boasting is the voice of pride in the heart of the strong. Self-pity is the voice of pride in the heart of the weak. … The need self-pity feels does not come from a sense of unworthiness, but from a sense of unrecognized worthiness (Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist, pg. 302).

This line of thinking is uncomfortable. When I am in the midst of pitying myself, I don't feel like I am being prideful. However, I am still thinking much of myself. I am just sad others haven't recognized my greatness along with me. Oh, how sinister and deceptive pride is.  But thanks be to God that he is transforming us into the image of his humble Son. Let's keep asking him to reveal our pride and to help us see Jesus more clearly in his Word so that we might be more like him.

Some Good Things from the Shepherd's Conference

A couple of weeks ago I had the joy of attending the Shepherd's Conference in Sun Valley, CA. Here are a few good things from my experience there. The sessions will be available online soon. I particularly enjoyed John MacArthur, Al Mohler, and Conrad Mbewe.

1. So many men's voices singing

We sang and listened to special music quite a bit. Bob Kauflin, Keith and Kristen Getty, and Grace Community Church all took turns leading 4,500 men in singing praise to Christ! Just like at Together for the Gospel conferences, the sound of so many deep voices singing was moving, especially because the content of our songs were about our Lord. The special music was also quite powerful.

2. The international fellowship

I observed that there were many internationals at the conference. There were many there from places like South America, Europe, etc. I chatted with a man who is a pastor of a church in Scotland and was encouraged to hear that in the city of Edinburgh there are several expository preaching, healthy churches. I know that Europe is still in great need of revival, but it was refreshing to meet this sign of God's on going grace in Europe. I also met folks who were on the mission field from the US (two of whom our church supports in the Middle East).

3. Quotes  (Paraphrases)/ good points

 John MacArthur (2 Cor. 4:5)

"Don't overestimate your importance in ministry"
"I don't need the credit of the results of gospel ministry and, thankfully, the responsibility to secure results is not mine."
"Our weakness is not fatal to the gospel"
Concerning Paul, "no one gave him a trophy at the end. He could die knowing his crown of glory, the best, was yet to come."

Michael Reeves (John 1:1-3)

"Don't preach a secular / sacred divide. Preach that all things bear His stamp and glory." 

Ligon Duncan (John 6)

We must not simply think more people [in our ministry] is a sign of revival. In love, we must look to see, do they want the Bread of Life or are they looking for satisfaction in other things." 

Mark Jones (Isaiah 50)

"It seems to me that God often gives you a lot more than you can handle [so that we cry to him],"

Miguel Nunez (John 14:6)

"Error is often OK with taking in the truth too, as long as it isn't exclusive truth." 

HB Charles (Eph. 1:14-23)

"You cannot have a high view of Jesus and low view of the church."

Al Mohler (John 15:18-16:4)

"We are tempted to think we can be at peace with the culture or that the culture is neutral."
"How arrogant of us to think we will be thought of and treated better than Jesus [the perfect one]."

Do Millions of Women Turn to Planned Parenthood for Mammograms?

The Senate minority leader, Schumer, made a claim that is OFTEN repeated. Here is the way he tweeted it:

“#Trumpcare cuts @PPFA funds, hurting millions of women who turn there for mammograms, maternity care, cancer screenings & more.”
— Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), post on Twitter, March 7, 2017

This is in the context of the healthcare debates. I am not at all familiar with the proposed legislation and am not arguing for or against it. I think Christians should care about it, but I have not had the time to read up on it, and I don't get to vote on it.

My point is his claim that PPFA (planned parenthood federation of America) provides millions of women with vital healthcare needs like mammograms.

The Washington Post, which is very much not a conservative national paper, decided to fact check Shumer's claim. Here is the fact from the Washington Post's article:

Planned Parenthood does referrals for mammograms, and some affiliates host free mammography mobile vans for low-income and uninsured women. It does not have mammogram machines at its affiliate clinics. The Food and Drug Administration’s list, updated weekly, of certified mammography facilities does not list any Planned Parenthood clinics.

That's right, they do not have any mammography machines in their offices. Zero. They do have a few mobile vans, but the number served is low - certainly not millions.

Al Mohler's Article on "The Shack"

My assumption is that you have not had a desire to watch the new movie The Shack (based on the novel by William Young). But, perhaps you know friends who have. Here is an article by Al Mohler discussing the theological issues with the novel.

Ask a Friend to Read the Bible with You - Resources to help

In his book One to One Bible Reading: a simple guide for every Christian, David Helm mentions a study from 2009 which asked unchurched young adults (20 somethings) to agree or disagree with this statement: "I'd be willing to study the Bible if a friend asked me to." In that age bracket, 61% said they agreed.

Couple that with the fact that the Bible reminds us that the Word of God is what we and our friends need to hear if we would be saved and grow in godliness (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16, 2 Tim. 3:16, Heb. 4:12, Psalm 19, Rom 1:16, Romans 10).

In light of all this, let me encourage you to invite a friend (especially an unbelieving friend) to read through a Gospel with you to see who Jesus is for themselves. You might be surprised how many would not be willing to come to church but who would like to sit and read through a Gospel with a friend.

Here are two resources to help you get started.

1. One to One Bible Reading: a simple guide for every Christian. You can see the table of contents here. You can buy it form amazon here. It is a short book and very helpful. 
2. Christianity Explained is a 6 meeting study that goes through parts of Mark's Gospel to show who Jesus claimed to be, what he did, and the message of salvation. I have used this with several people and found it helpful. I have a copy of you want to look at it. You can see more info here. 

Praying the Bible

This past Sunday night, during our time of praying together as a church, we prayed through the first few verses of Psalm 103 (which, by the way, was the fighter verse / memory verse for last week...I hope you are trying to memorize Scripture with me this year).

Here are three resources on praying the Bible to help you in your personal times of prayer and in praying in groups.

• John Piper just did an "Ask Pastor John" podcast on how he prays the Bible (about 11 min. long).
• Here is a longer (80 minute) video by Don Whitney on praying the Bible (he did this at our Bible conference a year ago). You can get audio from here.
• Also, Don Whitney has a book on praying the Bible. 

On the topic of praying together, Megan Hill has a book that Beth has told me is encouraging on praying together (it is a fairly short read). 

I hope to see you on Sunday nights for our time of praying as a church family (it is ok if you don't know how to "pray the Bible.")

"If We Are so Burdened then Why Aren't the Prayer Meetings Full?"

A good quote from Erik Raymond to encourage us to not simply be distressed about the problems we see, but to turn our distress into prayer.

If we are so exercised by injustice and depravity, why don’t Christians flood to church prayer meetings to gather with their brothers and sisters and plead with God in prayer? Why aren’t prayer meetings overflowing with burdened and broken people who want God to intervene and act?

We will have a great opportunity to pray together this Sunday night. Join us at 5pm on Sunday to discuss the sermon and pray.

"More Than Hashtags: Fight for Human Dignity"

I thought this article was a good one from the Gospel Coalition. Below is a quote - I hope you can read at the whole thing. He goes on to give 5 things we can do.

We work for justice, the unborn, the immigrant, the refugee, and the forgotten—not because it will catapult us to greatness or out of some misguided sense of guilt, but because we’re bringing the good news of God’s kingdom to bear on the world.

"Pride Poisons Ethnic Harmony"

A good (4 min) video from a sermon by John Piper on how the gospel's pride killing nature is necessary to dealing with racial tensions. His main point begins around the 1:40 mark.



May our church be one marked by the humility of the gospel and a growing diversity which proves to the watching world that the gospel is the power of God of reconciliation to him and to one another.

"Love and the 'Piece of Paper'"

I thought this quote from Tim Keller's book The Meaning of Marriage (pg. 79-80), was very insightful.

I remember some years ago watching a television drama in which a man and a woman who were living together were having and argument over whether to get married. He wanted to go ahead and do it, but she did not. At one point she blew up and said, "Why do we need a piece of paper in order to love one another? I don't need a piece of paper to love you! It only complicates things." 

That statement stuck with me, because as a pastor in New York City, I have heard essentially the same thing from younger adults for years. When the woman said, "I don't need a piece of paper to love you," she was using a very specific definition of "love." She was assuming that love is, in its essence, a particular kind of feeling. She was saying, "I feel romantic passion for you, and the piece of paper doesn't enhance that at all, and it may hurt it." She was measuring love mainly by how emotionally desirous she was for his affection. And she was right that the marital legal "piece of paper" would do little or nothing directly to add to the feeling. 

But when the Bible speaks of love, it measures it primarily not by how much you want to receive but by how much you are willing to give of yourself to someone. How much are you willing to lose for the sake of the person? How much of your freedom are you willing to forsake? How much of your precious time, emotion, and resources are you willing to invest in this person? And for that, the marriage vow is not just helpful but it is even a test. In so many cases, when one person says to another, "I love you, but let's not ruin it by getting married," that person really means, "I don't love you enough to close off all my options. I don't love you enough to give myself to you that thoroughly." 

Memorize Scripture with Me in 2017

If you are like me, you are not strong in the area of memorizing Scripture. I think part of that is a lack of planning and encouragement. So, I'd like to plan to memorize Scripture in 2017. If you would like to join me, we can encourage one another in it too!

The Plan

My plan is to use the "Fighter Verses" app from Desiring God. The website for fighter verses is here, and it has links to find the Android or iPhone apps. The app does cost about $3 if you want it (I like it because it can display the verse on my home screen).

Each week, there is a new verse to memorize. The app allows you to do some memory quizzes on the verse, to listen to the verse, and provides links to articles about the verse from Desiring God (helping you to meditate on its meaning an application).

My plan is to spend some time each day reading / reciting the verse (maybe read / recite it 10 times each day). By the end of each week I hope to be reciting from memory more than reading the verse.

Encouragement

Each week we can work on memorizing the new verse(s) and encourage one another by sharing what we are learning as we think about its meaning and how it applies to us.

If we discipline ourselves to do this, we will have 52 passages memorized by this time next year!

Will you join me? Let me know if you decide to join in so we can encourage one another this year.

This week's verse is Isaiah 40:8 

The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.