Dan's "5 Books to have on a Deserted Island"
On the The Gospel Forum podcast we’ve been taking time to discuss what books we'd want to have with us if stranded on a deserted island. The only assumption is that you already have a Bible. Here are my top five books:
The Crushed Servant of the Lord
The Servant doesn’t bring a sacrifice; He himself is the sacrifice.
22 things about ministry I wished I had known 22 years ago...
The following is a list of lessons that I have learned in ministry over the last 22 years. Although I wished I would have done some things differently, I know that some of these lessons had to be learned in a difficult way. The most important lessons cannot be taught; they must be experienced. Here are twenty-two lessons (in no particular order of importance) that I wished I would have known twenty-two years ago.
Grace Upon Grace
Grace is not like the water in that bucket. The water in the bucket was only good for a short period. Once the water rose to room temperature it became ineffective. I think most people live as if this were true of grace. However, grace is not like that at all. Grace is not a temporary fix. Grace is for every moment of every day. Grace, then, is like the water from the faucet. It’s fresh and new every moment and sufficient for whatever we may encounter. It is never ineffective. We often live our lives as if we have our hand in the bucket. We love to get our grace fix and then move on to something bigger and better. Grace is much more than that. Grace is like oxygen. We can’t live without it, and there is an inexhaustible supply to breathe in all day long. Grace in its nature is inexhaustible.
The Two Gardens
After Jesus died, and it had been confirmed that He was dead, they removed His body from the cross. Joseph of Arimathea, a follower of Jesus, asked permission from Pilate to receive His body. Matthew tells us that Joseph was a rich man, which makes sense as to why he would have a tomb to give away for Jesus’ burial. This might seem like an insignificant detail, but it is, in fact, fulfilled prophecy. Isaiah prophesied that Messiah’s death and grave would be in association with the rich (Isaiah 53:9), but there was more to this tomb than its belonging to a rich man. Matthew, Luke, and John tell us that it was a new tomb (Matthew 27:60, Luke 23:53, and John 19:41). John even tells us detailed information about the location of the tomb. “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” (John 19:41)
The Two Who Sang Psalm 22
David is known as the “great psalmist of Israel.” He wrote 75 out of the 150 Psalms which were sung as the ancient hymn book of Israel. These songs, which also serve as majestic poetry, are balms to the human soul. They are raw with great expressions of emotion and display the great heartache and praise of the King of Israel. David was a man who loved the Lord and music, and we are blessed that the Holy Spirit has preserved and inspired these words for us today. Some of the Psalms that David wrote were Messianic. That is, they looked forward to what this “Son of David” would do. Some of the Messianic Psalms are Psalms 2, 22, 69, 72, and 100.
The Two Stone Tablets
Israel was called out of Egypt and freed from slavery to be God’s people. God had chosen them based on His covenant with Abraham. As His people, they were to represent God to the world as a “kingdom of priests.” (Exodus 30:6) They were to show the world who God was as His representatives. In order to do this, a new covenant would need to be ratified with Israel. This covenant would be different from the one that God had made with Abraham. Abraham’s covenant was “unconditional.” This meant that there was nothing required of Abraham to bring these promises to completion. God was the covenant maker, and He would be the covenant keeper. However, with this new covenant with Moses, it would be conditional based on their obedience.
The Two Who Were Naked
Have you ever had the “naked dream?” You know that dream in which you find yourself in a public place, and you discover that you have no clothes on!? You might not be surprised to discover that many people have had that dream. You may experience some very strong emotions in that dream such as fear, shame, and exposure. Why is that a common fear among so many people? Perhaps it is because we share the root cause of that dream deep in our soul — sin.
I Voted...So Now What?
At this point we have prayed, voted, stood up for what we believe is right. So, now what? What if the final result isn’t what we wanted? How can we honor God after the results of elections that didn’t go “our way.”
Book Review: The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy and Kathy Keller
The Meaning of Marriage was written by Timothy Keller with his wife Kathy contributing. Timothy Keller served as the pastor for Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City for twenty-eight years. He is an influential pastor, author, and sought-after conference speaker. The Kellers have been married for forty-five years and therefore have the ability to write from the experience of a time-tested marriage.
What Does It Mean To Be A Member Of A Local Church?
Every Christian is to belong in “membership” to a local church. It is impossible to obey the New Testament commands without such a commitment. Unfortunately, we live in a society that abuses the very idea of commitment. The last several decades has shown just how much consumerism has ravaged the local church with narcissistic ideals. Our churches are filled with those who are content to just “date” the church. If we are to follow the example of the New Testament church we must be belong in a covenantal way.
Chosen & Adopted: A Display of Sovereign Grace
He beat her in a violent rage. In his anger, he decided to take fate in his own hands. He was not willing to bear the responsibility of becoming a father. So he violently attempted to force a miscarriage by his anger. This was not the first time that he had beaten her, but it would be his last. The young woman he abused was a runaway that he had just met in a shelter. After a little while, they decided to go back to her parents house. After seeing signs of abuse, her father kicked him out, and called the police, and he was never seen or heard from again. By the grace of God she and her baby would recover from their injuries. Every moment of our lives is left with an undeniable imprint of the grace of God. I know this to be true, for I survived my biological father’s murderous rage.
The Unfailing Mission of God
Jesus, unlike any other King or President, can always declare victory without any possibility of failure. Although the banner on the USS Abraham Lincoln conveyed the “wrong message,” Jesus cannot do the same. These are not well wishes from Jesus hoping that one day he would be successful — it was a promise of his success. Jesus could say this although he knew that in just a matter of minutes he would have many turn from him. Jesus has an unfailing mission and it will prevail without any hint of failure. This is not deterred even when people walk away. Jesus gives a promise in this chapter that God’s redemption of man will succeed.
When God Isn’t Good…
If you were to listen to the way some Christians speak about God, you’d have to wonder if He really were good all the time. Perhaps you have heard someone say, “God has been good to me today!” When someone says that (most likely out of ignorance) it begs the question — when hasn’t God been good? Does God have some quota of goodness to meet before it can be defined as good?
A Critique of Bill Johnson's "The Way of Life"
I had heard much about Bill Johnson and Bethel Church over the years. From what I observed, I knew that there were numerous doctrinal differences that I had with him and his church. Bill Johnson really began to come onto my radar after watching the testimony of Lindsey Davis and the film “American Gospel: Christ Alone” However, I had never read anything written by Bill Johnson prior to reading “The Way of Life.” I had read much about Johnson but had never read anything by Johnson. That all changed when I promised a local pastor (who is friendly with Johnson and Bethel Church) that I would read and discuss the book with him. He graciously purchased the book for me and I kept our promise to meet.
The Immutability of God
So, is Heraclitus, correct? Is the only constant in life change? No, there is a much more and sure constancy. One of God’s attributes, which is foundational to His nature, is His immutability. This means that God does not change. This doctrine is much more important than you might think. How is it that God does not change?
JESUS: THE GREATER DANIEL
God sent a willing Daniel before Nebuchadnezzar to be a mediator and redeemer of his people. God had also given to Daniel all that was needed to appease the wrath of the king. Jesus was sent by God the Father (John 3:16, Romans 8:3) to do for his people what his people could not do on their own (obey God’s commands and satisfy His wrath). Unlike Adam, Jesus fully obeyed God’s law and fulfilled all righteousness. He stood in his people’s place and satisfied the wrath of God the King perfectly. (1 John 2:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21) He saves completely so that his people can go free and are no longer condemned. (Romans 8:1)
WHAT IS SALVATION?
But what is salvation? What does it really mean to be saved? The word “saved” in the Bible is also translated as “delivered.” So a Christian is a person who has been delivered from something or someone, which begs the question - what or who has the Christian been saved from? For these answers we must look to the Scriptures. Let me also add that this subject is far too exhaustive to explore in one article. We will only scratch the surface of what it means to be saved.
THE WRATH AND JUSTICE OF GOD
Is God a God of love? Yes! Is God a God of wrath? Yes, and there is no better place where both of these attributes work together more beautifully than at the cross. The wrath of God is holy justice. I would argue that without an understanding of the wrath and justice of God one can not know the true gospel.
THE MOTIVATION OF GOD
Charles Spurgeon believed that a theology that promoted the supremacy of the glory of God is worthy of “every second of our attention.” In a day and age in which humanism is the prominent worldview, this is the kind of truth that must saturate our souls. Many would strive to make man be the reason God acts, but that is not what the Bible declares. Why does God do what he does? God does everything for the sake of His glory.