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Mike Lawyer does some good work out at the Center for Biblical Counseling in Moscow, Idaho. In this blog post he walks a fictional married couple through some difficult issues. He has already given them good news, now he is giving them good advice. 

Here is a wonderful post from Mrs. Nancy Wilson. And yes, men you should read it too. Many of us know that verse "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." (Proverbs 27:6). We often use this verse to justify confronting those around us. Mrs. Wilson asks, "Are we a faithful friend in the first place?" She gets us to think about the verse instead of just using it to justify whatever we want to say. 

Mark Horne gives us some insight into what the Bible teaches about gluttony. He believes it has more to do with laziness, theft, and squandering money than it has to do with being fat. 

Nate Wilson's writes about his grandfather's eighty-fifth birthday. In doing so, he gives us a vision of a life well lived and of children who are grateful for the life well lived. 

R.C.Sproul Jr. reminds us that we are part of the Kingdom and not part of a particular movement.

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Here are some  wise words from John Calvin via Kevin DeYoung on when schism is a good thing.

Pastor Mark Driscoll gives a simple, but helpful list of principles for interpreting the Bible, although oddly enough he leaves out prayer.

As usual, Carl Trueman has some wise thoughts on the normalization of pornography. He is commenting on how some of his English periodicals responded to the push to make Internet porn an option instead of an automatic. He is right that sexual issues are the greatest pastoral problem with porn leading the way.  His point about Christians sharing every detail of their life was insightful as well.

Toby Sumpter reminds those of us who want to see reformation, especially reformation in worship, that there are dangers and they must be faced head on. We must be careful not to elevate our traditions above Scripture.

Finally, here are some fun links.

First, here is a list of one star reviews given on Amazon to famous books. The review given to Earnest Hemingway's The Sun Also Rises is very funny.

Second, here is a video of people doing some pretty amazing stunts. It reminded me of how amazing the human body and mind is. Their bodies do amazing things, but the mental strength do some of these things is astounding.

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Too often we think for a church to grow we must do radical things. There must be great change happening quickly over a short period of time. But the Spirit does not normally work this way. Instead he works slowly, but deeply, through normal ordinary means, especially worship. This article by Terry Johnson explains the benefits and blessing of this type of view of church.

As usual, Pastor Douglas Wilson has a lot of wisdom in his list of ground level tactics for Christian resistance. Christians would do well to study these and begin implementing some of them.

What did Jephthah do with his daughter in Judges 11? Peter Leithart gives us Jonathan Edwards' answer to that question.

Tim Challies has a  great post  on mistakes we make with email. It was helpful for me. Here is another post of his on six things we should get rid of. Again it is about the internet, phone, email, etc.

In case you missed it the PCUSA decided to leave a hymn out of their new hymnal because talks about God's wrath. Timothy George has a good article on that decision over at First Things.

Finally, Rachel Held Evans, a feminist blogger wrote a post last week on why millennials are leaving the church. Here is one of the many replies to that article. He makes the point that Christianity has endured so much and yet she lives on. All the doom and gloom is really arrogance dressed up as concern.

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Steven Wedgeworth writes about the need for a Christian alternative to Boy Scouts. The last two paragraphs are excellent and give a good description of what Christian boys need in their leaders.

Douglas Wilson addresses whether or not whistleblowing is right or not. He does a great job, as usual, of showing the various levels of thought that need to go into this type of a question. His last paragraphs show that Christians should take their oaths seriously This may mean whistleblowing.

Here are some blog posts on yesterdays Supreme Court decision to strike down the Defense of Marriage Act.

Al Mohler explains that soon all states will be forced to adopt same sex marriage as the law.
Here are some great words from Russell Moore on the church's witness after this decision. He makes the good point that our marriages become a much greater part of our witness.
Marvin Olasky on what the future holds for Christians who oppose same sex marriage.

Finally, Toby Sumpter reminds us that summer is a gift and not a season for grumbling.

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Father's day was last Sunday. Mark Driscoll wrote this excellent post on how dads provoke their children. If you are a father or will be a father one day, it is worth your time.

Another post Father's Day post. Douglas Wilson has an excellent section over at Canonwired where he addresses father hunger. All fathers and fathers to be could profitably spend some time over there.

Here is a very instructional article by Carl Trueman on both the sufficiency and insufficiency of Scripture.

Modesty can be difficult to define. Mrs. Rob Hadding, a pastor's wife, does a good job in this post of giving some guidelines. I especially enjoyed her exhortation to pursue modesty with joy and stop acting like it is a drag.

Here is wonderful little post by R.C. Sproul Jr. on why women cannot preach at abortion mills, but can call people to repent.

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Last year one of the top movies was "Zero Dark Thirty. It was about the 10 year long search for Osama Bin Laden. Here is a critical assessment of the movie's view of torture.

Here is an older article which lists all of John Piper's quotes on why he doesn't watch TV. Two things I liked about this: Piper does not expect everyone to do what he does, yet he still makes you evaluate your TV consumption. Second, he is amazingly consistent over his thirty years of ministry.

33 reasons not to watch porn. 

Hospitality is usually seen as the woman's realm. This article gives some good advice on how men can be involved.

Finally, here are some ways you can profit from an expository sermon. I especially enjoyed the emphasis on prayer.

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R.C. Sproul Jr. reminds us that God often answers our prayers and yet we cease to give thanks.

Along the same lines, David Murray reminds us that thankful people are happy people. He also gives some good practical advice on how to be more thankful.

Lately, Hollywood has promoted their movies more actively in China in a attempt to make more money. This became very clear with the release of Iron Man 3, which adjusted some scenes and dialogue for Chinese audiences and to get past Chinese censors. It had great success in China and will no doubt lead to Hollywood trying to access the billions of dollars in the populous country in the world. That is why it is important to read articles like this, which discuss China's one child policy.  China's government brutally murders millions of babies.  No amount of Hollywood gloss or Chinese money can change that.

(Disclaimer: Be careful with following article. There are some links in the sidebar that include scantily clad women.)Where does feminism end up? With mothers disowning their own daughters in the name of freedom. Here is an interesting article by the daughter of well-known feminist, Alice Walker, who wrote the novel The Color Purple.  She describes the effect her mother's feminism had on her and her eventual rejection of her mother's views.

Finally, if you haven't read Steven Wedgeworth's article on the necessity of a historical Adam, you should. It is longer and more theological dense than most blog posts (that's a compliment), but worth your time. He carefully explains how giving up Adam as a historical figure is giving up Jesus as the one who sets the world right.

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In our worship service we say "Amen" a lot. Kevin DeYoung explains what this doesn't mean, what it does mean, and why it matters.

Peter Leithart gives us some things to remember as we read Revelation. Points 2 and 3 are particularly important. So many Christians consider Revelation almost like a 3rd Testament completely separated from what is happening in the New Testament. They also forget that Revelation is a letter.

C.J. Bowen asks some good questions about praying for our children. The post is a shot in the arm for parents, like me, who trust too much in themselves.

R.C. Sproul Jr.  give some advice about preaching to the sins of the congregation. He warns preachers of being too vague or preaching against other church's sins. But he also warns against doing private discipleship from the pulpit.

In this longer article Carl Trueman takes aim at the Gospel centered movement, celebrity preachers, buzz words, seminaries, etc. The article is witty, harsh, and true. I appreciate many of the men who Trueman slaps down. But his points are valid. This movement is far removed from the local church centered movements of the past. I do not see how it can ultimately lead to healthier bodies.

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Is God good? Toby Sumpter reminds us that he is. And his goodness defines our entire existence.

What do you expect when you hear God's Word preached? Tim Brister gives a good diagnostic test to see if you are coming into worship expecting the right things.

Do you think failing to take risk is a huge parenting mistake? This man does. And I agree with him.

If you don't have a conversion story, do you have a conversion? R.C. Sproul Jr. answers this question.

Raising chickens is only for farmers, right? No. Here is exhibit A. 

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Kevin DeYoung addresses why gay marriage has become popular with young people. He also tells us what Christians can do about it. As usual, a lot of wisdom and balance in this post.

Carl Trueman explains how the church's compromise with gay marriage began with our acceptance of no-fault divorces. This is a good word, but I would go further and say it began with our severing of marriage and fruitfulness. It began when we decided the sexual relationship was primarily about personal pleasure and not about children.

Here is a longer, more difficult article by Robin Phillips on gay marriage and its implications for traditional marriage. It is heady, but good.

Finally, here is an article by Tim Bayly on why he uses the word sodomy instead of gay or homosexual.

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Take up and read has been on vacation since early December. But like all of us he has to get back to work sometime. So here is the latest edition.

Here is great post about why you need to pray from your pastors and elders. We all struggle to do what is right day in and day out. It is easy to become a shell, especially when people have expectations for us that do not involve the word and prayer. But if we do that we become empty with little inside and we lose power. Pray that we would do what is most important, not what everyone thinks we should.

It has been amazing to see the various reactions by Christians to the movie Les Mis. Some have loved it. Some have hated it. Some think it speaks too little of the Gospel. Others think it is a great picture of the Gospel.  Here is Steven Wedgeworth's evaluation of it. I have not seen the movie, but my guess is that Steven gets a lot right in his review.

Randy Alcorn, who continues to do great work in the pro-life movement, explains why a child conceived by rape is still a person and should not be aborted.

Hospitality is something we emphasize at our church. Every Sunday I hear of this family going to that family's house or of our young men hanging out together till the wee hours of the morning. All of this is good. It builds lasting relationships that help people love Jesus and obey his commands. That is why I enjoyed this post about hospitality without grumbling.  I would only add that our greatest temptation is to grumble after they leave, not before they come.

A couple of years ago I preached through the Minor Prophets. I remember being stunned by Zephaniah 3:17. It speaks of the Lord singing over us, his people. That verse is a great one to keep coming back to. Sam Storms talks about the verse here. It is a good reminder that God actually loves us.

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Over the years I have become convinced that children should be included in regular Sunday morning worship. Here are two excellent posts that show why children should be sitting there with us singing, praying and listening: Rob Hadding and Toby Sumpter. Jesus tells us to let the children come to him. If  we preach, pray, and sing about Jesus in worship why would we not want our children there?

My favorite Christmas/Advent song is "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." One of my favorite authors is Keith Mathison. Conveniently, Ligonier has brought two of my favorite things together here. 

Here is a post claiming that everything we were taught about church growth is just old wives tales.  It is worth your time, though you have to click through a couple of pages.

Paul Tripp gives us five signs that we are glorifying ourselves.

I am not a big fan of the Twilight movies or books. So I enjoyed and recommend Mark Driscoll's take on them here. He warns of the dangers of what these types of movies and books can teach our children, especially our teenage daughters.

Finally, Advent began on November 30th. The pastors in our denomination have created an Advent/Christmas devotional. It runs from November 30th through January 6th. You can find it in PDF here. I would encourage you to read the selection for each day. They are an excellent way to direct your heart and mind towards God this Christmas season.

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Peter Leithart writes so many books that one wonders if he isn't a machine in a human body. And he doesn't just write he books. He writes books that can make your head spin and heart skip a beat. Sometimes I agree with him. Other times I don't. But he always makes me think about God and his ways more thoroughly. How does he write all those books? Here is a semi-serious look at the five stages he goes through in writing a non-fiction book.

Kevin DeYoung just took a media fast. He explains the benefits of shutting down for a little while. I noticed that many of his points had to do with fact that the Internet makes us feel more important than we actually are.

I don't know much about this blog or the people who run it nor do I like the picture in the post. But the point they make is excellent. If you need to intimidate to lead you do not have the respect of your people. Fathers should remember this. If the only way we get people to obey is by force there is a problem. I might add that someone can intimidate without being loud or obnoxious. There is a subtle intimidation that many people use to get what they want.

George Grant takes about four sentences to explain what the fiscal cliff is all about. In one brief glance it shows how upside down politicians are financially.

John Piper will pass the baton on Easter 2013 to another minister. This is the final Advent season he will be pastor at Bethlehem Baptist Church. I really enjoyed this excerpt from his newsletter to his flock. Pastor Piper has done many wonderful things during his thirty-three years at Bethlehem. But his most enduring legacy will be his flock.

Here is a sobering post by Carl Trueman. He reminds us that often our legacy is written after we are dead and gone by the people we put in place to follow us.

Book Review: Shepherds After My Own Heart

Shepherds After My Own Heart: Pastoral Traditions and Leadership in the Bible by Timothy S. Laniak
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Shepherds after My own Heart is a wonderful, rich overview of the shepherding tradition in the Scriptures. The author begins by discussing the nature of metaphors and how they work. He then looks at what shepherding was like in the ancient world and how leaders, both human and divine, were described in shepherd language. The rest of the book is spent looking at the shepherding motif in various books of the Bible. He looks at the Pentateuch and David in a broad way. He then looks in depth at Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, the four Gospels, I Peter, and Revelation. Throughout he keeps his eye on the theme of shepherding, but also takes necessary tangents that help the reader. Here were the points I particularly enjoyed.

First, God and His Son Jesus Christ are the ultimate shepherds. It is His flock, not my flock. The repetition of this theme creates a sense of humility and accountability in under shepherds, such as pastors, elders, fathers, mothers, and government officials. We will give account (Hebrews 13:17)

Second, he weaves together the theme of sacrifice and authority very nicely. This is true throughout the book, but is most clear in his look at Revelation. Christ is both sacrificed Lamb and Shepherd. Again those in leadership are called to imitate Him by leading and dying.

Third, his chapters on the New Testament showed the heavy dependence the authors had on the Old Testament. I was particularly struck by his comments on Luke, which I have always taken to be the Gospel least tied to the Old Testament.

Finally, he shows that shepherding is a comprehensive task. He uses the terms “protection, provision, and guidance” to describe the shepherd’s task. A shepherd has to be ready to do anything the sheep need. He must have vision, courage, compassion, skills to find food, skills to heal the sheep, skills to defeat enemies, etc. I am a pastor and I was struck by the enormity of the pastor/shepherd's job. Prayers for strength, faithfulness, and wisdom were uttered often as I read.

There were a couple things I did not like. There is almost no application. I think this is common in “Biblical Theology” studies. I could draw applications as I read, but if he had drawn some himself it would have helped. Second, there are just too many footnotes. A lot of them lead you down wonderful rabbit trails, but they were still too much. Third, I wish he had touched on Paul’s use of shepherding ideas and language. He does not discuss any of the Pauline epistles. Maybe this was for the sake of space, but it was still a drawback.

I would highly recommend the book for any pastor or leader.


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Book Review: The Meaning and Mode of Baptism

The Meaning and Mode of Baptism by Jay E. Adams
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A good solid defense of pouring/sprinkling as the Biblical mode of baptism. I appreciated that he took the mode seriously. So many Presbyterians argue that mode is irrelevant. His exegesis of John's baptism, Jesus' baptism,and Pentecost are excellent. He also forces you to look to the Old Testament to provide some warrant for what John did. I did not agree with him that Romans 6:3 and I Corinthians 12:12-13 could not refer to water baptism. But this mistake has really no effect upon the immersionist vs. pouring/sprinkling argument. My trek towards pouring as the primary mode continues.

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Take Up and Read: Post Election Special

Well, as you know President Obama was reelected on Tuesday. He did not just win, but he won handily.  Many Christians have commented on the election. Here are some of the blog posts I appreciated. They all come from Christians except for the American Conservative piece.  

Pastor Douglas Wilson gives his two cents on the election and where Christians can go from here. I especially enjoyed his statement about removing children from public education.

The CREC (my denomination) is big on local, parish ministry and being involved in the city where you are located. Pastor Uri Brito gives us a list of ways we can work for change as the local level.    

The Bayly Brothers posted an encouraging sermon from Psalm 11. It reminds us not to despair, but to get back to doing the work of rebuilding the walls.

Here is Pastor Kevin Swanson’s podcast following the election results.  Again, there is good mix of reality with encouragement.

Albert Mohler explains how the election shows a shift in America’s moral landscape and a shift in the Electoral College.  

Denny Burk points out that our job is not just to pray for the President but also to oppose him. This quote from the post struck me.  “Last night’s election is a disaster for social conservatives not so much because of the President’s views, but because the President’s views appear to be a reflection of the nation’s views.”

R.C. Sproul reminds us that Jesus rules, even over the White House.  

Finally, the americanconservative.com wrote a piece before the election results on how to explain things if Governor Romney lost. There is nothing distinctly Christian about the article. But since Governor Romney did lose it seems especially apropos. 

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Pastors and professors often battle over which is more important when reading the Bible: the big picture or the details. The answer of course is that both of these perspectives matter. They fit into one another. Without an understanding of the big picture the details will be misinterpreted. Without understanding the details the big picture will be fuzzy. In this short blog post  Pastor John Piper does a great job of showing how the details and the big picture fit together.

Ligonier has created a 24/7 reformed internet radio. It is called Refnet and you can find it at Refnet.fm. The include R.C. Sproul's Renewing Your Mind, Desiring God. Al Mohler, White Horse Inn and now they will be airing The Basement Tapes every Saturday and Sunday at 6:30 pm. It looks like a great resource for growing in your understanding of the reformed faith. You can find some information about it here or at refnet.fm.

My friend and fellow pastor Steve Hemmekke gives his perspective on why it is okay to vote for Mitt Romney. Throughout he explains why you shouldn't vote for President Obama or any of the smaller parties. You may not agree with all he says, but he does challenge you to think through why you are voting how you are voting.

Another fellow pastor Uri Brito explains how a win by Governor Romney would require pastors to understand Mormonism better, teach their congregations more clearly on why Mormonism is a cult, and teach Trinitarian theology with better precision.

I enjoy the articles over at theresurgence.com.  Mark Driscoll and his comrades keep the posts short and on point. The visual presentation is also excellent and the content is varied. Here is a blog post on six signs you might be becoming a Pharisee. I see all of these in my life from time and time.

Stephen Witmer explains why he likes living across from a graveyard.

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My first link is probably my favorite. Trevin Wax lists ten questions pro-choice candidates never get asked but should. While he limited it to candidates, I think this list would be great to keep in  mind when talking to anyone who is pro-choice. Make the pro-choice person answer the hard questions.

In case you missed it a Republican candidate for Senator in Indiana said that a child conceived by rape is a gift from God. The liberals promptly tarred and feathered him. My favorite lumberjack disguised as a pastor, Douglas Wilson, give some insight into how to a handle situations like this. He also explains the difference between abortion and killing people with drones.

Here is a wonderful quote from Dietrich Bonhoeffer about true leadership. He notes that a leader's job is to disillusion his followers. He must tear himself down as an idol and point to the ultimate authority, which is God. How many pastors and politicians fail to do this? How many voters and congregants want to make idols out of their leaders?

Tim Woody alerted me to this article on how pornography can be answered by the Gospel.  Tim Chester shows how porn, like all idols, is a lie that leaves you dead and empty. He shows that the answer is God.

Most of us assume we shouldn't vote for President Obama. Jared Wilson gives some concrete reasons for why he cannot vote for him. There are certainly reasons that I would add to his list, but this is a good place to start.

Finally, my friend Brian Nolder, a fellow CREC pastor in Pella, Iowa, had this article printed in his local newspaper. It is a good, sane, biblical view on the upcoming election. Men who trust in princes always think the next election is either Armageddon or the Promise Land. Pastor Nolder reminds us it is neither.

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Michael Kelley has a wonderful post on how to engage your children. His suggestions were practical and creative. My kids are home schooled, so his applications do not fit my situation perfectly. But it did encourage me to ask more questions at the dinner table.

There are parts of the Bible that we are all tempted to skim or not read at all. The beginning of I Chronicles comes to mind, as does the numerous chapters in Exodus devoted to the Tabernacle. Daniel Hyde gives us six good reasons to study all the minute details about the Tabernacle that we find in Exodus. 

This past Sunday I prayed for the continent of Africa during morning worship. Read Pastor Conrad Mbewe's account of evangelical Christianity there and you will see why that continent needs our prayers. You will also the effect that lack of church discipline and love of money has upon the church. 

Here is brief recap of Vatican II, which happened 50 years ago. The author also includes some ways to pray for Roman Catholics. 

Kevin DeYoung gives a great list of debate lines you will never hear. It is quite funny.

Finally, Michael McKinley addresses "preaching for the home run." While the article is addressed to preachers, there is a lot of application for the congregation as well. Too often, especially in our world, we assume that if something dramatic isn't happening then nothing is happening at all. Too often we come to church expecting God to work in amazing ways instead of normal ways.  He lists some of the dangers of this type of thinking. He is right, most sermons are a base hit and that is fine. God uses base hits to build up his people and glorify his Son. 

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Here are ten myths about premarital sex from the book Premarital Sex in America. 

Paul Tripp talks about four ways pastors can be deceived into thinking they are holier than they actually are. While he is speaking to pastors, most of it can be easily applied to Christians who are not in ministry.

Halloween, Reformation Day, and All Saints Day are coming up at the end of October. C.J. Bowen gives a great list of links which discuss all of these holidays and how we as Christians should view them.

One of the best young sport writers in America is a home schooled charismatic Christian whose dad was a pastor. Who would of thunk that? Owen Strachan has a two part interview with him: Part I and Part II. It is an insightful read and shows how sports can teach morality through the stories of the players.

I am always looking for help in leading. General David Petraues has four major rules he follows in leading. These create a good for any leader to work through so that he can have impact.