Sep 8, 2006 | Ecclesiology, Pastoral Ministry
A healthy review of biblical eldership, especially as a congregational proponent. paleoevangelical: Misconceptions About Plural Elder Led... read more
Sep 8, 2006 | Culture
Oh, Puuhhleeezze! Brad Pitt lecturing the world on what is moral. Brad Pitt: I’ll marry when everyone can – Yahoo! News read more
Sep 8, 2006 | Blogging
Andreas Kostenberger has a few thoughts on interpreting and responding to the blogosphere. Biblical Foundations » Hermeneutics in the Blogosphere: The Genre of... read more
Sep 8, 2006 | Culture, Eschatology, General Theology
Creation care is now a significant part of our Christian calling? Based on which passage? Here it is: “If you believe, as I do, that the ultimate end is not the destruction of the Earth but the healing of the Earth, you will be inclined toward wanting to work with God to see it restored.” Sounds like amillennialism at best, postmillennialism at worst. Christian group encourages recycling – Yahoo!... read more
Sep 8, 2006 | Culture
Al Mohler notes the recent British bent toward criminalizing Christianity. The Criminalizing of Christianity in Great Britain read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Ecclesiology, Pastoral Ministry
Not that the Wall Street Journal is going to fairly represent Christianity or the church, but this report about the splits taking place in churches who are moving to the PD philosophy is the tip of an ice-berg story that needs to be further plumbed and told. WSJ raises criticisms about “ËPurpose-Driven’ model –... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Evangelism
Pastor Jerry Cook has a passion to see the church be more effective Monday through Saturday in the world in which she lives. Such is the stated theme of his book, The Monday Morning Church. Cook defines “the church on Monday” as “the body of Christ at work in the world” (3). This work is a sequel to Cook’s earlier book, Love, Acceptance and Forgiveness (9). Here, in The Monday Morning Church (MMC), Cook wants to call Christians to “make Jesus accessible to people, right where they live” (4), by being “incarnational” in our communities (5). MMC is a book centered on a devotional look at the book of Ephesians, where the author wants to use Ephesians “as an illustration and dramatic guide to becoming the church on Monday” (10). If we understand who we are in Christ and what we possess as believers, we will be more effective in our witness of Christ to the world. I applaud this idea and passion presented by Pastor Cook. Thus, MMC is arranged into four different sections, “Where Is God on Monday,” “Who You Are,” “What You Have” and “How You Live.” The opening section provides the author’s argument for why we need to be more intentional and aware of our Christian witness to the watching world. The majority of the book is a devotional exposition of the book of Ephesians. I would readily commend Pastor Cook for his passion and desire to see Christians and the church to be fervent, intentional and aware of the way we live out our life in Christ before a watching and needy world. His... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Bookreviews, Ecclesiology, Worship
Rick Muchow, the worship leader of the well-known Saddleback Church in Southern California, pastored by best selling author, Rick Warren, has written a short devotional book entitled The Worship Answer Book. The intention of The Worship Answer Book (WAB) is to “stimulate personal discovery and to help [the reader] consistently move into the presence of God” (17). Such is the definition for Muchow of what biblical worship consists. Muchow seeks to make WAB a tool to assist us in “understanding biblical worship – what God says worship is and how we are to worship him” (15). WAB consists of fifty-four chapters arranged in seven different sections. These sections include: “The Basics of Worship,” “Worship in the Bible,” “Personal Worship,” “Music . . . and More,” “Group Worship,” “Leading a Managing Worship,” and “Change & Conflict in Worship.” The book is published in a smally, very colorful and glossy format that one comes to expect from Countryman Publishing. WAB has a number of aspects I can readily commend. Muchow’s discussion of worship in general and references to worship in the Bible are helpful and accurate. He provides a concise chapter reviewing all of the Hebrew and Greek terms in the Bible commonly translated “worship,” along with quick definitions and corresponding passages (76-80). Related “worship-terms” from the Bible are also defined in a following chapter (82-85). His content in the second section, “Worship in the Bible,” is a good overview of biblical terms translated as worship and associated with worship. He has helpful overviews of what Jesus taught about worship and how he expressed worship while on earth. Muchow also notes... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Time/Life Management
I have only recently been made aware of “backpack.” I’m not sure how I can or will integrate it into my present system of work, but this writeboard feature interests me. PastorHacks.Net:... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Time/Life Management
I have two offices, one at church and one at home. I do all of my thinking and studying at home. Here are some good points about maintaining an effective work environment at home. Working Efficiently From Home –... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | Time/Life Management
Good advice here to not be overtaken by the opportunity to be wired 24/7. Five Tricks to Tame Technology – On Balance HT:... read more
Sep 7, 2006 | General Theology
Challies Dot Com: Sinners in the Hands of an Angry Blog A few days ago, a commenter noted some accusations about R.C. Sproul and Ligonier Ministries when I linked to Ligonier’s new site. I had heard nothing about the accusations and assumed is was mere blog-gossip. Tim Challies provides a bit more insight to some of the recent... read more
Sep 5, 2006 | Blogging
Pulpit Magazine The Shepherds’ Fellowship has put up a new blog. How all of this works with PulpitLive and Faith and Practice is yet to be seen. read more
Sep 5, 2006 | Ecclesiology, General Theology
The L.A. Times is reporting on the familial and theological rift between Chuck Smith Sr. and Jr. How unfortunante to have this played out in public. I found it interesting that a Calvary Chapel adherent, quoted in the article, calls for the disfellowshiping of Jr. because of his liberal drift. This may be a good illustration of why membership is important and does matter. Father, Son and Holy Rift – Los Angeles Times HT:... read more
Sep 4, 2006 | Deacons, Ecclesiology
While the articles I have provided do not consider every question that could be raised concerning deacon ministry, I hope that what has been presented provides accurate and adequate help in determining the biblical framework from which a local church’s deacon ministry must flow. It is not enough to simply affirm that the Bible speaks about deacons and then produce one’s own program for deacon selection and ministry. Every church’s deacon ministry should reflect the priorities and principles set forth in what Scripture does state concerning such a ministry. Ministries that do not develop and promote and give adequate attention to the role of deacon leadership do an injustice not merely to the position, but to the Word of God that describes the necessity of the position. As a point of review, I will suggest a number of conclusions that reflect the overall biblical parameters for deacon selection and ministry. 1. A local church should determine the specific needs within its ministry that require the work of deacons, so as to assist the pastors and ensure that they are able to give adequate time and attention to prayer and the ministry of the Word. 2. A local church should then determine the areas of ministry that the diaconate will have charge over. This should be clearly stated so that the congregation, the pastors, and the deacons all understand what the responsibilities will be. Again, Scripture is very general when referencing the specific functions of deacons, allowing each unique ministry to develop servant leaders in accordance to the specific needs among them. 3. A local church could then determine how... read more
Sep 4, 2006 | Deacons, Ecclesiology
Perhaps the most debated and difficult area to interpret in 1 Timothy 3:8-13 is verse eleven and the discussion concerning whether women in general are discussed or wives. It must be noted from the beginning that there is no easy answer and church history from even its early stages has seen both views held.[1] The problem lies within the fact that the term translated “women” (NASB) can also be translated “wives” (KJV, NIV). Greek does not use a distinct word for wives as opposed to women; the context must help one to determine which the author of the passage intended. Knight proposes four prominent viewpoints as to how this has been viewed throughout church history. These four views include: · Women who are part of the deacon body – i.e., women deacons. · A distinct group of leaders from that of Overseers and Deacons known as “Deaconnesses” · Female assistants to the deacons. · Wives of deacons.[2] Arguments for the first view are significant. The use of the word, “likewise” is used in the chapter to denote discussions of new groups of individuals (3:8). Also, the normal manner for Paul to indicate that he is speaking about a wife in contrast to a woman in general is to provide a possessive pronoun so that the phrase would read, “their own wife/wives,” or “your wife,” which he does not do here (cf., Colossians 3:19; Ephesians 5:25). However, the term likewise, while admittedly marking a change in the discussion, does not demand that one see that the verse refer to another leader, but merely that Paul is making a distinction between... read more
Sep 4, 2006 | Bookreviews, Calvinism
Upon receiving a copy of Chosen But Free, I decided I should also read through James White’s response entitled, The Potter’s Freedom. In my estimation, White has done the Christian community a great service in countering Geisler’s less than worthy critique of Calvinism. The Potter’s Freedom (PF) is a direct response to Chosen But Free (CBF). To make the best use of PF, one must also have a coy of CBF handy. White divides PF into fourteen chapters. His aim is to present a biblical response to Geisler’s criticism of Calvinism as well as to offer a biblical primer on the basic tenets of Calvinism in general. White accomplishes in PF what Geisler does not in CBF. White provides lengthy and detailed discussions of biblical passages crucial to the Calvinist-Arminian debate. He anticipates the arguments for and against Calvinism and offers biblical support for his conclusions. While one may reject his conclusions, it will not be because White did not offer cogent and extensive explanations of biblical passages related to the core issues. I found his chapters on Romans 9 and Particular Redemption to be some of the best material in the book. He gives extensive evaluation of the texts expositionally as well as dealing with Geisler’s comments in CBF. The one drawback in reading through PF is that if someone has not read CBF or have a copy nearby, he/she will find it difficult to stay focused on the doctrinal issues evaluated. James White has not only defended the doctrines of grace from a clearly biblical perspective, he has also handily refuted the erroneous claims of Norman Geisler... read more
Sep 4, 2006 | Bookreviews, Calvinism
A few years ago, a loving couple [a retired pastor and his wife] who were members of the church I was pastoring at the time, became quite disturbed because of a particular sermon I had preached from 2 Thessalonians 2:13 on the subject of election. With, what I believe was and is a heart of true affection and genuine concern they gave me a copy of Norman Geisler’s book Chosen But Free. They exhorted me that it was a more balanced view point of the doctrines of grace, commonly called Calvinism. They assured me that my understanding of election was not a balanced one and not only violated man’s free will, but would be a direct hindrance to any real evangelism and missions being enacted in our church; the typical accusations. It has taken me four years to finish the book. Yes, I am a slow reader, but more, Chosen But Free (CBF) is not a well written book. I hate to say that in the beginning of a book review, but it has taken me four years of force feeding to finish the book. Geisler’s aim in the book is to confront what he defines as “Extreme Calvinism” and counter it with his proposal of “Moderate Calvinism.” As one will find if he performs even a quick scan of the book, Geisler’s “Moderate Calvinism” is little more than contemporary Arminianism. Geisler gives what I would term as a stereotypical evangelical (what I was raised in) Arminianism. That is, he trumpets the indiscriminate free will (total self-determination) of man to choose whether he will be saved or not. Man’s... read more
