I Don't Get It?

What is up with this huge affection for the "Church Fathers"? I appreciate John Calvin, Jonathan Edwards and many others. They are out of this world I wish I could be like that kind of a guy. However, they had their time. We have ours! I was not born in 1509 like John Calvin. I was born in 1977. I live in a world that is so not like John Calvin and Jonathan Edwards. My fear is that we are developing an unhealthy admiration for these men. I do not believe that Jonathan Edwards is the greatest American mind in the history of evangelicalism. My thought is this. Instead of reading his giant two-volume work. I did read it, and it took me two years to work through it. Get your nose into the Text. The reformation is over. We live in an anti-doctrinal age, more importantly an anti-Biblical age. So instead of reading 1500's let us live in 2008.

I want to challenge you. Do a word search in the Bible, and I guarantee you will not find the name John Calvins or Jonathan Edwards in the Bible. I am not against "Reformed Theology" or "Calvinism". Why do we have to label ourselves as "Reformed" or "Calvinistic". I heard John Piper say that the value of being a Reformed person is that, "Not a bird falls from the sky without your heavenly father knowing it". That is a value that is achieved from being a student of God's word. I believe that everything is ordained by a Sovereign God! That does not make me Reformed, but Exegetical.

In conclusion, I am so thankful for John Calvin, Edwards and others. I am just concerned for a lot today that hold too tightly to their words, and not the Holy Text. My aim is to help us question our love for the Text. Let us be better students of the Word and not man!

Michael Jackson is gone, and so are some Christians!!!

We have all heard that Michael Jackson has died. The King of Pop is gone. America has lost another icon. One of the thoughts that I cannot get out of my mind is where will he be for eternity. Amy and I put on our facebook status to pray for the Jackson family. That comment brought out a lot of comments and most were very sinful because they lacked love. The scripture is clear that when we lack love sin is our motivation. The comments made me ashamed of the statements of these Christians. A lot of pious comments like, "Good, the child molester deserved to die." I was appalled by those comments. I thought, "Without the grace of God we would all be finished!" The only difference between Michael Jackson and the follower of Jesus Christ is grace. Not only that... We don't know if he ever gave his life to Jesus Christ. Only Jesus Christ knows, and we need to pray for his family. That maybe by his death, that Jesus Christ would draw some of them to Himself.

Michael Jackson is arguably one of the most well know figures in the history of the world. He was also a very troubled individual. He had very few people in his life that actually cared for him. When I watched him, I noticed that he seemed a lot like a child. There seemed to be a lot of layers to his personhood. He seemed different from your average Joe. He was creative, talented, gifted and a world icon. However, he died at 50 years old. He has not lived a day longer or shorter according to the sovereign plan of Jesus Christ. He has gone on into eternity.

To us Christians who are cheering about his death... Shame on us, period! He is just like us, and he desperately needed the grace of Jesus Christ. Have we left our reason for why we were saved? Grace! Read Ephesians 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." That is the reason why we are Christians or followers of Jesus Christ. Do not judge Michael Jackson. The key between a follower of Jesus Christ and Michael Jackson... GRACE! So let us get over ourselves, and if we can't then we are gone, period!

Temple Worship! Redemptively Speaking! Questions That I am thinking of from the Gospel of John.

What is temple worship? How does temple worship flow in the metanarrative in the Bible? How does temple worship flow from the Father to the Son? How does the Spirit make the disciples the new locus of temple worship? Lastly, what are the applicable truths of the believers being the locus of temple worship?  If you have any thoughts, PLEASE COMMENT!!! THE TEXT IS TOO IMPORTANT TO NOT QUERY IT!!! AMEN!?

Remember The Rowboats

Your marriage, like two rowboats meant to be together, will slowly and subtly drift apart unless you are well anchored. Tying your boats together with the bonds of commitment, togetherness, and well planned love will also help to drift proof your marriage. Please join us! Become one of the Lord's marriages that will go the distance and make a difference in the lives of those who know you. This book includes both small group discussion questions after each chapter and a personal journal at the end of the book. The book and its format are excellent for small group friendship building and growth, for couple to couple mentoring, for pastoral counseling, and pre-marital training.

"Jim and Barbara are seasoned in their love for God and how that translates to their marriage relationship. Remember the Rowboats book is a living testament to their passion and calling to deepen and enrich Godly marriages." 
- Josh McDowell

"If you're looking for a book on building your marriage that is forged out of the fire of personal experience, Remember the Rowboats is for you. It's solid, helpful, practical, biblical advice on keeping it all together when everything is falling apart. The chapter "Oars and Life Jackets" is worth the whole book."
- Dr. Woodrow Kroll 
President and senior bible teacher of Back to the Bible 

"If you're looking for an authentic book about marriage and family, you've found it. Jim and Barbara peal back the veneer and give it to you straight - real people living real life, but with real solutions.
- Dennis Rainey, President of Family Life 

Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God by Dr. Bruce Ware

Big Truths for Young Hearts is a needful book for the Christian Parent that wants to raise his/her child with some depth in the Word of God. This book is also great for anyone who wants to get the basics down for Christian Theology.  Dr. Bruce Ware loved to hunt when he was younger. He and his wife had two daughters and no sons. So he decided to sell his guns to give his daughter what matters most. A theological foundation! He would teach his daughters in the car, at bedtime and whenever he found time to teach them what he loved most. This should infuse in each of us to look at our priorities to see what is most valuable. The Word of Jesus Christ or our hobbies? With that in mind, I want to wholeheartedly recommend this book to you.

This is what the website at Crossway states about this new book by Dr. Bruce Ware and also some endorsements:

Equips parents to guide their young children through all major doctrines in an understandable, chapter-a-day format.

Sure, it’s easy to teach your children the essentials of Christian theology when you’re a theology professor. But what about the rest of us?

With Big Truths for Little Hearts, Bruce Ware, (you guessed it!) a theology professor, encourages and enables parents of children 6–14 years of age to teach through the whole of systematic theology at a level their children can understand. Parents can teach their children the great truths of the faith and shape their worldviews early, based on these truths.

The book covers ten topics of systematic theology, devoting several brief chapters to each subject, making it possible for parents to read one chapter per day with their children. With this non-intimidating format, parents will be emboldened to be their children’s primary faith trainers—and perhaps learn a few things themselves along the way.

---

“A theologically rich resource to aid parents in training their children. Anyone who wants to help children grow in their love for Jesus and understanding of the Bible needs this book.”
Mark Driscoll, Pastor of Mars Hill Church, Seattle; President of Acts 29 and The Resurgence

“This is a great book for children and their parents on the classic doctrines of the faith. I heartily recommend it to every parent!”
Dennis Rainey, President, FamilyLife 

“My conversion and discipleship as a young girl were significantly influenced by my parents reading to our family a book that taught biblical doctrine to children in a systematic way. The church today must be intentional in passing on to the next generation the core and precious beliefs on which our Christian faith rests. To neglect that responsibility is to leave those who come behind us vulnerable to every wind of (false) doctrine and to risk their rejecting our faith altogether. Big Truths for Young Hearts is a rich resource for parents, teachers, and others who care about helping the next generation know and love God and his ways. In addition to being a theology course for children and young people, it is also a great refresher course for adults.”
Nancy Leigh DeMoss, author; host of Revive Our Hearts radio broadcast

“Imagine a respected theologian devoting himself to training a new generation of pastors and scholars in the seminary classroom. Now imagine him driving home at night to teach that profound theology in simple terms to his children at their bedsides. Now imagine this father compiling those bedside conversations into a book available to all pastors, parents, and children alike. Imagine no more. My friend Dr. Bruce Ware has done it.”
C. J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries 

“I praise God that this book has been written and that a person of Bruce Ware’s theological stature has taken seriously the potential of theological training in the first two decades of life. Although this tool can serve different instructional venues, I cannot help but see the gift this is to Christian parents and to dads in particular who are charged with the spiritual instruction of their children. The foreword alone is worth the price of this book and more than enough inspiration to follow Bruce’s example in the faithful instruction of his two daughters. What Christian father would not want to be remembered by his adult children as a man who loved the gospel and who faithfully imparted the truth on which they now firmly stand. Dear brothers, imagine the impact on future generations if our children could grasp what has taken some of us decades to understand. Take this beautifully written, Bible-saturated, God-centered, theologically comprehensive summary of the truth and teach it diligently to your children, and until your children leave your home talk of it when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”
David Michael, Pastor for Parenting and Family Discipleship, Bethlehem Baptist Church, Minneapolis

The Pack is Back!

Just a thought about my favorite sport and my favorite team. The Packers! Last year they lost a lot of close games that were very close. It was not because of the offense. They 2008 Green Bay Packers had an incredible offense. The defense couldn't stop anyone. This year they have transition from a 4-3 defense to a 3-4 defense. I think that they will be vastly improved from last year. First they have 2 of the best shut-down corners, very solid safeties and a linebacker group that is getting deeper. They also drafted 2 first-rounders for the defensive side of the team. I believe that they will win the division, and if they can get this new 3-4 defensive scheme work. They can be a pretty tough team in the playoffs. 

Read Philip Graham Ryken's Commentaries!!!

I have to recommend these five commentaries. They are all written by Philip Graham Ryken. Two of them are in R. Kent Hughes series, Preaching the Word, and the other three are in the Reformed Expository Commentary series.  

1. Exodus (Preaching the Word)

     -Ryken does an incredible job of connecting the Passover to Jesus Christ. You can't help but t        to fall in love with Jesus Christ in this commentary. It is clear and easy to follow

2. Jeremiah and Lamentations (Preaching the Word)

     -In his commentary, Ryken show the connection of the book of Jeremiah and the book of             John. You can't help but to see the Old Testament Shepherd VS. the New Testament                     Shepherd.

3. Luke 2 Volumes (Reformed Expository Commentary)-Great Literary Themes!

4. Galatians (Reformed Expository Commentary)-Theologically Solid.

5. I Timothy (Reformed Expository Commentary)-Very Pastoral

*I may be biased! But I find his commentaries very helpful for a pastor who love the Word and has a Theological mind. Also for the student of God's Word, who wants to see how the Bible connects to everyday life.

Some More Book Recommendations!!!

1. Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ, By John Piper.

-This is a must read! Especially the chapter on the Lion-Lamb aspects of the Person of Jesus Christ! This book will take you profoundly into the excellencies of Jesus Christ. 

Influential books

Casey O'Dell's Top Books:

A. Theology

1. Systematic Theology, Wayne Grudem

2. Abraham's Four Seeds, John Reisinger

3. Christ in the Shadow of the Law of Moses, Vern S. Poythress

4. New Covenant Theology, Steve Lehrer

5. Christ For Real, Charles Price

6. Gripped by the Greatness of God, James MacDonald

7. Knowing God, J.I. Packer

8. The Holiness of God, R.C. Sproul

9. Foundations of The Christian Faith, James M. Boice

10. Concise Theology, J.I. Packer

11. The Unfolding Mystery, Edmund Clowney

12. According to Plan, Graeme Goldsworthy

13. The Doctrines That Divide, Erwin Lutzer

14. The Doctrine of God, John Frame

15. Symphonic Theology, Vern Poythress

16. Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility, D.A. Carson

17. Chosen For Life, Sam Storms

18. Interpreting the Pauline Epistles, Thomas Schreiner

19. Now That's a Good Question, R.C. Sproul

20. The Cross and Salvation, Bruce Demarest

21. Christian Theology, Millard Erickson

22. The Holy Spirit, Donald Bloesch

23. Father, Son, & Holy Spirit, Bruce Ware

24. Him We Proclaim, Dennis Johnson

25. The Doctrines of Grace, Ryken and Boice

B. Christian Living

1. Don't Waste Your Life, John Piper

2. I am not but I know I Am, Louie Giglio

3. I Really Want to Change...So Help Me God, James MacDonald

4. Jesus on Trial, Boice and Ryken

5. Loving Christ, Joseph Stowell

6. The Great Work of The Gospel, John Ensor

7. Holiness By Grace, Bryan Chapell

8. The Gospel for Real Life, Jerry Bridges

9. Can God Bless America, John MacArthur

10. Simply Jesus And You, Joseph Stowell

11. In Light of Eternity, Randy Alcorn

12. Life is a Vapor, John Piper

13. The Cross Centered Life, C.J. Mahaney

14. Christ Our Mediator, C.J. Mahaney

15. Saved From What?, R.C. Sproul

16. The Grace and Truth Paradox, Randy Alcorn

17. Convergence, Sam Storms

18. The Singing of God, Sam Storms

19. What Angels Wish They Knew, Alistair Begg

20. Credo, Ray Pritchard

21. Trusting God, Jerry Bridges

22. Our Sufficiency In Christ, John MacArthur

23. The Weight of Your Words, Joseph Stowell

24. Too Good To Be True, Michael S. Horton

25. Classic Christianity, Bob George

C. Commentaries

1. NINCT The Epistles To The Romans, Douglas Moo

2. Preaching The Word Commentary on Exodus, Philip Graham Ryken

3. Triumph of the Lamb, Dennis Johnson

4. Preaching The Word Commentary on Genesis, R. Kent Hughes

5. The Gospel According To John, D.A. Carson

6. The Justification of God, John Piper

7. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries Colossians and Philemon, N.T. Wright

8. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries I Peter, Wayne Grudem

9. The NIV Application Commentary, 2 Peter and Jude, Douglas Moo

10. The Cross and the Christian Ministry, D.A. Carson

11. Commentary On The New Testament Use Of The Old Testament, Leale & Carson

12. Reformed Expositor's Commentary, Galatians, Philip Graham Ryken

13. The Letter of James, Douglas Moo

14. Basic for Believers, D.A. Carson

15. Holman Old Testament Commentary on Job, Steven J. Lawson

16. Holman Old Testament Commentary on Psalms (2 Volumes), Steven J. Lawson

17. That You May Believe, Skip Ryan

18. The Battle for The Beginning, John MacArthur

19. The Hope of Glory (A Devotional Commentary on Colossians), Sam Storms

20. The Message of The Old Testament, Mark Dever

21. The Message of The New Testament, Mark Dever

22. Studies In The Sermon On The Mount, Martin Lloyed Jones

23. Poet & Peasant And Through Peasant Eyes (A Literary- Cultural Approach to The Parables in Luke)Kenneth E. Bailey

24. The Expositor's Bible Commentary on Matthew, D.A. Carson

25. Reformed Expositor's Commentary on Hebrews, Richard D. Philips

E. Preaching and Pastoral Ministry

1. Brothers, We Are Not Professionals, John Piper

2. Pastoral Ministry, John MacArthur

3. Preaching, John MacArthur

4. Counseling, John MacArthur

5. Preach the Word, Leland Ryken

6. Shepherding the Church in the 21st Century, Joseph Stowell

7. Christ-Centered Preaching, Bryan Chapell

8. Biblical Preaching, Haddon Robinson

9. The Expository Genius of John Calvin, Steven J. Lawson

10. Famine In The Land, Steven J. Lawson

11. The Supremacy of God in Preaching, John Piper

12. Feed my Sheep, Various authors

13. On Being a Pastor, Alistair Begg

14. Preaching the Cross, Mark Dever and various authors

15. From the Front Lines, Joseph Stowell

F. Books on Marriage and the Family

1. Courageous Parenting, Jack Graham

2. Shepherding a Child's Heart, Tedd Tripp

3. Never Walk Away, Crawford Loritts

4. Building Strong Families, Dennis Rainey

5. Seven Words to Change Family... Before it is Too Late, James MacDonald

6. Family Driven Faith, Voddie Bauchman Jr.

7. The Legacy, Steven J. Lawson

8. Family Survival In An X-Rated World, Adrian Rogers

9. The Most Important Place on Earth, Robert Wolgemuth

10. Lasting Love, Alistair Begg

11. Different by Design, John MacArthur

12. Love that Lasts, Gary & Betsy Ricucci

13. Each For The Other, Bryan Chapell

14. Marriage Connection, Greg Laurie

15. Doing Things Right in Matters of the Heart, John Ensor

16. Sex God, Rob Bell

17. Intimate Marriage, R.C. Sproul

18. Love, Sex, and lasting Relationships, Chip Ingram

19. I, Isaac, Take Thee, Rebekah, Ravi Zacharias

20. The Purity Principle, Randy Alcorn

G. Hermeneutics

1. God Wrote a Book, James MacDonald

2. Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics, Graeme Goldsworthy

3. The Cannon of Scripture, F.F. Bruce

4. Scripture and Truth, Carson and Woodbridge

5. God's Word, J.I. Packer

6. Interpreting the New Testament, Darrel Bock

7. Can We Trust The Gospels, Mark D. Roberts

8. Exegetical Fallacies, D.A. Carson

9. Translating Truth, Wayne Grudem

10. Pierced by the Word, John Piper

11. How To Study The Bible, John MacArthur

H. Books on the Church

1. The Deliberate Church, Mark Dever

2. Nine Marks of a Healthy Church, Mark Dever

3. Stop Dating the Church, Joshua Harris

4. The Church, Edmund Clowney

5. City on a Hill, Philip Graham Ryken

6. From Sabbath to Lord's Day, D.A. Carson

7. The Master's Plan for The Church, John MacArthur

8. Recruiting Volunteers in Church, Mark Senter

9. Fan the Flame, Joseph Stowell

10. The Church: One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic, Philip Graham Ryken and Mark Dever

I. Apologetics and Culture

1. Think Biblically, John MacArthur

2. The Gagging of God, D.A. Carson

3. Culture Shift, R. Albert Mohler

4. Beyond Opinion, Ravi Zacharias

5. The Trouble with Jesus, Joseph M. Stowell

6. How should We Then Live, Francis Schaeffer

7. No Place for Truth, David Wells

8. God in The Wastelands, David Wells

9. Losing our Virtues, David Wells

10. Above All Earthly Pow'rs, David Wells

11. Truth War, John MacArthur

12. Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell
J. Top Study Bibles and Translations
----Study Bibles:
1. The ESV Study Bible
2. The Reformation Study Bible
3. The MacArthur Study Bible
4. The Literary Study Bible

----Bible Translations:
1. The English Standard Version of the Bible
2. The New American Standard Version of the Bible
3. The New King James Version of the Bible
4. The King James Version of the Bible
5. The Holman Christian Standard Version of the Bible

ESV Translation Principles

Translation Philosophy

The ESV is an “essentially literal” translation that seeks as far as possible to capture the precise wording of the original text and the personal style of each Bible writer. As such, its emphasis is on “word-for-word” correspondence, at the same time taking into account differences of grammar, syntax, and idiom between current literary English and the original languages. Thus it seeks to betransparent to the original text, letting the reader see as directly as possible the structure and meaning of the original.

In contrast to the ESV, some Bible versions have followed a “thought-for-thought” rather than “word-for-word” translation philosophy, emphasizing “dynamic equivalence” rather than the “essentially literal” meaning of the original. A “thought-for-thought” translation is of necessity more inclined to reflect the interpretive opinions of the translator and the influences of contemporary culture.

Every translation is at many points a trade-off between literal precision and readability, between “formal equivalence” in expression and “functional equivalence” in communication, and the ESV is no exception. Within this framework we have sought to be “as literal as possible” while maintaining clarity of expression and literary excellence.

Therefore, to the extent that plain English permits and the meaning in each case allows, we have sought to use the same English word for important recurring words in the original; and, as far as grammar and syntax allow, we have rendered Old Testament passages cited in the New in ways that show their correspondence. Thus in each of these areas, as well as throughout the Bible as a whole, we have sought to capture the echoes and overtones of meaning that are so abundantly present in the original texts.

As an essentially literal translation, then, the ESV seeks to carry over every possible nuance of meaning in the original words of Scripture into our own language. As such, it is ideally suited for in-depth study of the Bible. Indeed, with its emphasis on literary excellence, the ESV is equally suited for public reading and preaching, for private reading and reflection, for both academic and devotional study, and for Scripture memorization.