Author: Josh King

Tolle Lege: Get Outta My Face!

Readability:  1

Length: 171

Author: Rick Horne

If you are the parent of or work with angry, difficult teenagers I highly commend Rick Horne’s Get Outta My Face! Biblical wisdom and practical experience combine to make this a most useful and God-glorifying resource. Here is how Horne opens the book:

Here’s a fact.

Angry, unmotivated, and disinterested teens, whether Christian or not, are confused, insecure, and often blind to everything except what they want right now. Their desires and actions have been corrupted and polluted by sin. That’s why they have a problem.

Here’s another fact.

Angry, unmotivated, and disinterested teens, whether Christian or not, are made in the image of God. This means that beneath their corrupted desires and actions the image of God remains. That’s the key to solving their problem.

Far from dismissing or sugar-coating sin, this approach opens wide the door to evangelizing the unsaved teen and to helping the Christian teen grow in holiness and wisdom. This book will teach you how to build a bridge to young adults on the basis of the ways in which their desires and actions reflect the image of God and the blessing of common grace.

The Sweet Dropper: Against Transubstantiation, for Ascension

The sun doth more good being in heaven, than he could do if he were on the earth. If the sun were lower, what would become of the earth? But being so remote, and so far above, he hath opportunity to shine over the greatest part of the earth at once; being greater than the earth, he shineth over more than half the earth at once. Christ being in heaven, as the ‘Sun of righteousness,’ he shines more gloriously over all; and we have more comfort, and benefit, and influence from Christ, now in heaven, than we could if he were on earth. –Richard Sibbes in The Fountain Opened

Easter Preparation, Easter Joy

Alex: “Connor, this is a tomb (building with Lincoln Logs). After Jesus died they took him off the cross and put Him in a tomb. And then what happened?

Connor: “Back alive!”

Alex: “Connor, good job! Give me high five.”

[Review] Hipster Christianity

Readability:  1

Length: 247

Author: Brett McCracken

Can cool and Christianity survive together? Brett McCracken does an excellent job answering this question in Hipster Christianity. First after giving us a definition of cool McCracken does an excellent job of journalism in tracking the origins and development of cool. Then McCracken turns to consider the sad history of Christian cool. While this initial work was fascinating in many way I most enjoyed McCracken’s theological analysis of the marrying of cool and Christianity, that is after all why he laid such extensive groundwork. For those who are annoyed or confused by the first two sections you really must read all the way through. In the end McCracken basically says that such a marriage is unholy, but then goes on to give a very nuanced explanation of how they can coexist.

Let’s think for a minute about what Christianity is and why it doesn’t make a good “product.” For one thing, products must be subject to markets, yet God is not subject to the consumer needs or wants of any market. God only and ever deals on his own terms. His grace comes from within him and is bestowed on us as he pleases. It doesn’t come when we are ready for it or when we long for it. We struggle to fathom something that can’t be purchased “on demand” in this day and age, but Christianity is one such thing. God saves at his discretion and on his watch.

Another reason why Christianity doesn’t make a good product is that it doesn’t lend itself to an easy commercial sale. Sure, there are appealing things about it, but there are also not-so-appealing things about it (um… taking up one’s cross, avoiding sin and worldliness, etc.). And although the Gospel is wonderfully simple in the sense that even a child can recognize its truth, it is also mind-blowingly complex in a way that doesn’t lend itself to thirty-second jingles. Marketing requires simplifying, cutting out all friction and obstacles to a sale, and focusing solely on the beneficial, feel-good aspects of a product. To market something is to empty it of all potentially controversial or difficult elements, which is maybe not the best method of communicating the gospel…

http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=glo-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0801072220&ref=tf_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr

The Sweet Dropper: His Abasement, Our Advancement

Was our nature advanced in his incarnation? Much more was it glorified in his exaltation, when he carried it to heaven with him. Here was the mystery of the exaltation of our nature. God was as much abased as he could be, being born and dying for us. Our human nature was as much advanced as it could be, when God raised it up to heaven. God could be no more abased, remaining God; and man’s nature can be no more advanced, remaining the true nature of man. This is a ‘great mystery,’ the  advancement of our nature in Christ, that was made ‘lower than the angels ;’ he was ‘a worm, and no man.’ Now our nature in Christ is advanced above the angels. Now this nature of ours in Christ, it is next to the nature of God in dignity; here is a mystery.  –Richard Sibbes in The Fountain Opened

The Sweet Dropper: Christ the Jewel of the Ring of Faith

How is Christ to be believed on?

 1. We must rest upon no other thing, either in ourselves or out of ourselves, but Christ only.… They dishonour Christ to join anything in the world with him….

 2. And whole Christ must be received. ‘Believing’ is nothing but a taking or receiving of Christ as a Lord and as a Saviour; as a priest, to redeem us by his blood; and Christ as a king, to govern us. We must take whole Christ. We see what manner of faith is in most men, that snatch out of Christ what they list, to serve their own turn. As he died for their sins, so they are glad of him; but as he is a lord and king to rule and govern them, so they will have none of him… But Christ, as we must rest and rely on him only, so we must receive him and believe on him wholly.

 Now faith looks upon Christ as the main object of it, as it justifieth. The same faith it looks upon the whole word of God as a divine truth revealed; but for the main work of it, it looks upon Christ. Christ is the jewel that this ring of faith doth enclose; and as the ring hath the value from the jewel, so hath faith from Christ. In the main point of justification and comfort, faith lays hold upon Christ for mercy; for the distressed afflicted soul it looks first of all to comfort, and peace, and reconciliation; therefore it looks first to him that wrought it – that is, Christ. Now, the same faith that doth this, it believes all divine truths, the threatenings, and precepts, &c. Faith chooseth not its object to believe what it lists, but it carries the soul to all divine truths revealed. But when we speak of justifying faith, then Christ, and the promises, and the mercy of God in Christ, is the first thing that the soul looks unto.  –Richard Sibbes in The Fountain Opened

Tolle Lege: 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law

Readability:  3

Length: 230

Author: Thomas Schreiner

Have you ever asked one of the following questions?

  • Does the Old Testament teach that salvation is by works?
  • What is the New Perspective on Paul and how should it be assessed?
  • Are Gentiles under the law?
  • What is the “law of Christ”?
  • Do James and Paul contradict one another on justification by works?
  • Is the Sabbath still required for Christians?
  • Should Christians tithe?

If you have then Thomas Scheiner’s 40 Questions About Christians and Biblical Law is very helpful. This is one of the more helpful books that I have read on the relation of the law to Christians today. The format of the book is what makes it so incredibly helpful. While is it not a book that everyone may want to read all the way through, it still would be very valuable for a reference. There is also an annotated bibliography for further reading. For those troubled by the relation of the Old Testament to the New this is a helpful work.

The Sweet Dropper: Preach Nothing But Christ?

Quest. But must nothing be preached but Christ?

Ans. I answer, Nothing but Christ, or that that tends to Christ. If we preach threatenings, it is to cast men down, that we may build them up. If a physician purge, it is that he may give cordials. Whatsoever is done in preaching to humble men, it is to raise them up again in Christ; all makes way for Christ. When men are dejected by the law, we must not leave them there, but raise them up again. Whatever we preach, it is reductive to Christ, that men may walk worthy of Christ. When men have been taught Christ, they must be taught to walk worthy of Christ, and of their calling,’ Col. 1:10, that they may carry themselves fruitfully, and holily, and constantly, every way suitable for so glorious a profession as the profession of Christian religion is. The foundation of all these duties must be from Christ. The graces for these duties must be fetched from Christ; and the reasons and motives of a Christian’s conversation must be from Christ, and from the state that Christ hath advanced us unto. The prevailing reasons of an holy life are fetched from Christ. The grace of God hath appeared’ saith St Paul, ‘ it hath shined gloriously’ – ‘teaching us to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, and righteously, and holily, in this present evil world,’ Titus 2:12. So that Christ is the main object of preaching. This made St Paul, when he was among the Corinthians, to profess no knowledge of anything but of Christ, and him crucified; ‘ to esteem and value nothing else. He had arts and tongues and parts. He was a man excellently qualified, but he made show of nothing in his preaching, and in his value and esteem, but of Christ, and the good things we have by Christ.

Now Christ must be preached wholly and only. We must not take anything from Christ, nor join anything to Christ. …It is a destructive addition, to add anything to Christ. Away with other satisfaction. The satisfaction of Christ is enough. Away with merits. The merits of Christ are all-sufficient. -Richard Sibbes in The Fountain Opened

Poet’s Eyes

I long for poet’s eyes to see God’s truth. That means seeing truth more as it is, not as more than it is. I want to approach closer with my language in describing the majesty of God.

There is a danger of pride here, but if I am truly seeing God’s glory, I will be humbled at how my frail words only fall short. The goal is the adoration of Him and not the admiration of me.