SCOTUS Will Rule

In today’s paper we learn that the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) has decided to rule on gay marriage in the coming session. This should come as no surprise to culture-watchers. It has never been a matter of “if,” but “when.” At issue is the legality of same sex unions in every state. Currently, 36 states have legalized these marriages. If SCOTUS decides in favor of gay marriage, that decision will overturn the ban in the remaining states.

Obviously, this ruling would have serious implications for organizations that seek to uphold marriage as defined scripturally as one in which a “man shall leave his mother and father and cling to his wife” (Gen. 2:24). Jesus repeated this in Matt. 19:5 so that the principle can be located in both Testaments. For example, many Rescue Missions, (the ministry with which I am affiliated), have family units that provide emergency shelter for families. If family is redefined, these shelters will need to decide which definition will prevail.

I predict that SCOTUS will rule in favor of gay marriage, allowing same sex couples across the country to enjoy the legal rights and privileges of any married couple. And when this happens, a lament will be heard throughout the land that we have lost ground in the cultural war. Being a contrarian by nature, I offer these observations:

·         We lost the culture war a long time ago. It is doubtful if we were ever winning. While evangelicals were fighting and protesting against same sex marriages and abortion (which we should have done), heterosexual immorality (an archaic phrase if there ever was one) crept in to the church and has become an accepted practice. I know of individuals who are violently opposed to homosexual immorality, but thought little of their own heterosexual immorality.

·         It seems to me that Christianity thrived and flourished and “turned the world upside down” in a culture that was hostile to faith. That Christians would have even considered that they were losing the culture was foreign to them. They confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims.

Not only do I predict that SCOTUS will rule in favor of gay marriage, I also predict that, when they do:

• The gospel will still be the power of God for salvation.
• Christians will still be called to live counter-culturally
• Truth will still continue to be offensive to a world estranged from God.
• Jesus will still be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. SCOTUS will only be SCOTUS.

Book Review: The Evangelism Study Bible

When I agreed to review the Evangelism Study Bible, I did so out of a sense of curiosity. My perspective is that all of Scripture is about Christ, and therefore it is all evangelistic in the sense that one can get to the gospel all throughout its pages. I was curious to see how the editors would handle something that that is inherently evangelistic and make it more overtly so. I was also curious to see this Bible because it seems to me that the last thing the church needs is another study Bible.

Now that I have perused the Study Bible and read many of the notes, I readily admit my surprise at how much I enjoyed this work. Several features commend the work. Specifically, it aids in showing that the Bible is a “Jesus book.” The notes in the Evangelism Study Bible help the reader to see Christ, especially in the Old Testament.  In many ways, this is a study Bible for apologetics.  The editors address some of the hard questions and apparent contradictions that sometimes become barriers to belief.

Two additional observations are in order; one of which is practical and the second is somewhat theological. First, I would like to see this Bible offered in a variety of translations. I like the NKJV, but it is not my translation of choice. I understand that this may involve publication and copyright issues, but a wider choice would be nice.

Second, the editors continue to promote a perspective that separates salvation from discipleship. The idea that one can become an entry level Christian and later opt to become (or not to become) a committed follower of Christ has a long history and a vast following. In the notes, discipleship is presented as a costly and attractive option (see the notes on Matthew 16:24-27, p. 1070), but an option nonetheless. The goal in this is to emphasize the free grace of God in salvation, denying any mixture of human effort. This, of course is scriptural and right. But the grace that is free is not cheap. It does more than save a sinner; it transforms him. This complete transformation is taught in verses like 2 Corinthians 5:17 and receives scant comment in the notes. Perhaps if we spoke more about conversions as opposed to salvations we might come closer to the truth.

In all, I like this Study Bible. It offers a different perspective that will be useful for those who are committed to follow Christ’s injunction to “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.”

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

Book Review: Not a Chance

If chance exists, God does not. Indeed, He cannot exist as God if there is such a thing as chance. In sum, this is the thesis behind R.C. Sproul’s Not a Chance: God, Science, and the Revolt of Reason. Anything that comes from Sproul’s pen is worth reading (even a grocery list). This is not your typical theology book by R.C.

If he is known as anything, R.C. Sproul is known as a peerless theologian. He even calls himself a theologian. In Not a Chance, Sproul reveals himself to be a philosopher, historian, and theologian who is not a bit uncomfortable entering the domain of theoretical physics, cosmology, and quantum mechanics.  As a master logician, he disarms ideas that have been passed off as scholarly, erudite, and sophisticated.

This book is written for popular consumption, but it will require some thinking to stay on board with the flow of logic.  Keith Mathison’s concluding chapter “Ex Nihilo,

Nihil Fit” is the icing on the cake.

Do not read this book if you do not want to think. Do not read this book if your mind is closed or if you are so enamored with scientific cosmology that you think that matters of faith are contrary to reason. Do read this book if you desire to be more amazed at the power of the sovereign Creator of the universe.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Baker Books as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Urban Apologetics

The gospel is good news for the city. This is the subtitle of Christopher Brooks Urban Apologetics. Much has been written, even from an evangelical perspective, about urban and inner city ministry that tends to default to an emphasis on “social justice,” however defined. In the minds of some people “social justice” is a euphemism for greater supportive services and more federal dollars. This is not to infer that there is no place for funded services. But, important as these may be, this is not the gospel. Brooks departs from this call for governmental intervention and actually takes the gospel seriously.

The author boldly tackles issues that trouble the inner cities. He is taking names. Brooks confronts the issues of sexual immorality, abortion, and ethical behavior, to name a few, from a perspective that is theological, biblical, and emanates from a God-centered worldview. Though he may not make friends with statements like this, he certainly speaks the truth; “There is a growing sentiment in our society that the acceptance of homosexuality is the civil rights movement of our day” (p.76); and; “Far too many Christians have unfortunately made the mistake of exchanging personal evangelism for partisan electoral victories” (p. 79).  

Get this book! It is a quick read, but a valuable one.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: A Commentary on Psalms Vol II

Volume II of Allen P. Ross’ A Commentary on the Psalms is a welcomed addition to his fine work on the on the Psalter.  All of the features that made Volume 1 profitable are continued in this work.

Dr. Ross has written with the pastor/teacher in view. The current volume, like the first, is richly devotional in nature. Likewise, it is scholarly without being academically stuffy. This is not to say that A Commentary on Psalms, Vol. II fails to interact with scholarly works on the Psalms. Quite the contrary, Dr. Ross refers to relevant authors and texts as well as variant readings from other ancient versions and textual traditions.

The goal appears to be one of opening the meaning of this rich body of literature instead of obscuring it in pedantic commentary. Psalms is a worship book. This volume brings that theme to light for the student, teacher, and expositor.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Kregel Publications as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Book Review: Blind Descent

Blind Descent is an exciting story of one man’s attempt to climb to the summit of Mt. Everest. Climbing mountains is a passion for Brian Dickinson. After climbing all the major mountains of the world, Everest was the final feather for his cap. Though not planned as a solo summit, when he did reach the top of the world alone, he soon became snow blind and had to navigate his way down to help using his training, his mental and physical resources, and his faith in God.

Dickinson’s outspoken faith in Christ sets this account apart from others who have chronicled similar stories of the assault on Everest. All along the journey, from his home in Washington to the mountains of Nepal, he acknowledges the presence of God in each step. That someone could be so devoted to climbing mountains, and do so to the glory of God, reminds me of the comment attributed to Eric Lidell to his sister Jennie in the movie “Chariots of Fire” concerning his own love for running; “God has made me fast, and when I run I feel His pleasure.”

For those of us who have no idea about mountain climbing in general and scaling Everest in particular, several bits of information will be of interest. Climbing Everest has become something of an industry in Nepal. Every year, many people from across the world try to reach the summit. While climbing to 29,000+ feet is no minor achievement, it is not the extraordinary feat that it was when Sir Edmund Hillary made his climb.

Additionally, climbing Everest is a lengthy process. Unless one is independently wealthy, funds must be secured for the 3 month project. Upon finally arriving at Everest, there are a series of acclimatization climbs that must be made to condition the body for the altitude. Camps also exist for the climbers during these acclimatization climbs.  Apparently, as Dickinson notes, some people are susceptible to altitude sickness and find out that they are unable to finish the climb.

In several places, ladder bridges have been constructed to cross deep crevices. The first climbers likely had to make do without these aids.

Blind Descent was one of the books that I read in a day. It is written in a way that keeps the reader engaged to the final page. The reader feels that he is right there on Everest with the climbers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Tyndale House Publications as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising

 

Book Review: A Godward Heart

John Piper encourages the heart, stimulates the mind, and renews the spirit with his recent devotional A Godward Heart. Perhaps “devotional” is misleading. When thinking of devotional, one often pictures a single page consisting of 3-4 paragraphs, usually illustrating some well-known Bible verse, and ending with a cheesy poem. Piper’s submissions are more like essays with a devotional flare. He calls them meditations.

This volume consists of 50 meditations that are somewhat random in subject. They represent a set of diverse topics such as, “What Will the Final Judgment Mean to You,” “Abolition and the Roots of Public Justice,” “When Signs and Wonders Go Bad,” and “Coed Combat and Cultural Cowardice,” to name a few.  The subjects are all over the place, but there is a common thread through them all: a desire to display the supremacy of God in all things and to treasure the pleasures of Christ for the glory of God. Piper manages to shine the light of the gospel even when dealing with such topics as the role of women in combat. In addition, his meditations are deeply basted in Scripture. All “opinions” have been sifted through the grid of God’s Word.

A Godward Heart is the latest addition to Piper’s series of heart stirring meditations. My initial exposure to these writings was reading his first book of meditations, A Godward Life. I highly recommend these meditations as part of your devotional reading. John Piper never fails to stimulate deep thinking while at the same time causing the heart to be lifted in worship to our God.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from The Crown Publishing Group as part of their Blogger Review Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising