Al Mohler's Response to Matthew Vines; God and The Gay Christian

Al Mohler has an outstanding response to God and The Gay Christian by Matthew Vines and it can be read here. In part Mohler writes

Readers of his book who are looking for an off-ramp from the current cultural predicament will no doubt try to accept his argument. But the real question is whether what Vines claims is true and faithful to the Bible as the Word of God. But his argument is neither true nor faithful to Scripture. It is, nonetheless, a prototype of the kind of argument we can now expect.

...Biblical Christianity cannot endorse same-sex marriage nor accept the claim that a believer can be obedient to Christ and remain or persist in same-sex behaviors. The church is the assembly of the redeemed, saved from our sins and learning obedience in the School of Christ. Every single one of us is a sexual sinner in need of redemption, but we are called to holiness, to obedience, and to honoring marriage as one of God’s most precious gifts and as a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church.

Read the entire post here.

Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism and Liberty by Brett McCracken

Gray Matters: Navigating the Space Between Legalism and Liberty   by Brett McCracken

Although the spells of Harry Potter still cause some Christians to recoil, the millennial generation has become increasingly congenial toward pop culture. Brett McCracken’s Gray Matters examines the gray issues between Christians and culture. The goal of the book is to help believers think about healthy consumption that honors God, enriches life, strengthens community, and advances mission. - Patrick Schreiner

Product Description
Culture is in right now for Christians. Engaging it, embracing it, consuming it, and creating it. Many (younger) evangelicals today are actively cultivating an appreciation for aspects of culture previously stigmatized within the church. Things like alcohol, Hollywood's edgier content, plays, art openings, and concerts have moved from being forbidden to being celebrated by believers. But are evangelicals opening their arms too wide in uncritical embrace of culture? How do they engage with culture in ways that are mature, discerning, and edifying rather than reckless, excessive, and harmful? Can there be a healthy, balanced approach--or is that simply wishful thinking?

With the same insight and acuity found in his popular Hipster Christianity, Brett McCracken examines some of the hot-button gray areas of Christian cultural consumption, helping to lead Christians to adopt a more thoughtful approach to consuming culture in the complicated middle ground between legalism and license. Readers will learn how to both enrich their own lives and honor God--refining their ability to discern truth, goodness, beauty, and enjoy his creation.

I'm currently teaching through this book with a senior high school class, I highly recommend it. Read all of Schreiner's review here at TGC.

Weakness is the Way: Life With Christ is our Strength by J.I. Packer

Weakness is the Way: Life With Christ is our Strength 

by J.I. Packer

This comparatively short book with its strange title delivers a powerful blow to the rampant triumphalism that has infected much of the Bible-believing world. Using Paul’s second epistle to the Corinthians as his principal resource, J. I. Packer has once again provided us with both the theological depth and practical wisdom necessary to live in a way that pleases and honors Christ. - Sam Storms

Product Description

For Christians, weakness should be a way of life. Yet most of us try desperately to be sufficient on our own, and we resent our limitations and our needs.
Renowned theologian and Bible teacher J. I. Packer reflects on his experience of weakness—having been hit by a bread truck at a young age and now facing the realities of aging—in order to teach us the importance of embracing our own frailty, and also to help us look to Christ for strength, affirmation, and contentment. Find here a path from discouragement to freedom in light of our all-sufficient God.

I just purchased and I'm anxiously looking forward to consuming it soon. Any thoughts?

To read the entire review by Sam Storms at TGC click here.

Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John Frame

Named one of World Magazine's Book of the Year, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Christian Belief by John Frame hit the top shelf. With many good reviews already, this one is for the shelf of every pastor, teacher, theological student and armchair theologian. See more below.

Product Description

Systematic Theology is the culmination and creative synthesis of John Frame's writing on, teaching about, and studying of the Word of God. This magisterial opus—at once biblical, clear, cogent, readable, accessible, and practical—summarizes the mature thought of one of the most important and original Reformed theologians of the last hundred years. It will enable you to see clearly how the Bible explains God's great, sweeping plan for mankind.

 Editorial Reviews

"John M. Frame's Systematic Theology is a remarkable achievement. It is simultaneously scholarly yet accessible, sweeping in scope but penetrating in insight, steeped in historic orthodoxy yet fresh in reflection."
—Peter A. Lillback, President, Westminster Theological Seminary

"Systematic Theology . . . is a worthy climax to the life's work of one who has only ever sought to be a faithful servant of Christ, teaching in his church. It is a privilege to celebrate its appearing and to commend it for serious study. I guarantee that the dividends of such study will be uniformly high. Thank you, John Frame, for this superb gift."
—J. I. Packer, Board of Governors' Professor of Theology, Regent College

"This new systematic theology comes from one of the great theological minds of our age. John Frame's contributions to theology are already massive and many, but now he has given the church a systematic theology. This is a very important book, and it represents a lifetime of consecrated theological reflection. This new volume promises to be an enduring contribution to evangelical theology."
—R. Albert Mohler Jr., President, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
"John Frame is one of my favorite theologians, and his Systematic Theology is filled with the deep learning and warranted wisdom of a lifetime. I commend it warmly to the Lord's people everywhere."
—Timothy George, Founding Dean, Beeson Divinity School of Samford University; General Editor, Reformation Commentary on Scripture

Frame has produced what should become required reading in seminary classrooms and pastors studies for years to come.
—Mark Young, President, Denver Seminary
 

Chance and the Sovereignty of God: A God-Centered Approach to Probability and Random Events by Vern Poythress

If you have a chance, check out the latest from Vern Poythress, Chance and the Sovereignty of God: A God-Centered Approach to Probability and Random Events.

Product Description

What if all events—big and small, good and bad—are governed by more than just blind chance? What if they are governed by God?
In this theologically informed and philosophically nuanced introduction to the study of probability and chance, Vern Poythress argues that all events—including the seemingly random or accidental—fall under God’s watchful gaze as part of his eternal plan. Comprehensive in its scope, this book lays the theistic foundation for our scientific assumptions about the world while addressing personal questions about the meaning and significance of everyday events.




Chance and the Sovereignty of God from Westminster Theological Seminary on Vimeo.

More videos of Vern Poythress on the issue of chance can be found here.

What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive Approach to Life's Big Questions

One of two books this year named by World Magazine as Book of the Year, James Anderson's, What's Your Worldview?: An Interactive approach to Life's Big Questions, hit the mark. Check it out.

Product Description

How do you view the world?

It’s a big question. And how you answer is one of the most important things about you.

Not sure what you’d say? Join James Anderson on an interactive journey of discovery aimed at helping you understand and evaluate the options when it comes to identifying your worldview. Cast in the mold of a classic “Choose Your Own Adventure” story, What’s Your Worldview? will guide you toward finding intellectually satisfying answers to life’s biggest questions—equipping you to think carefully about not only what you believe but why you believe it and how it impacts the rest of your life.

Listen here to an author interview by the gents at Reformed Forum.

Book Review: The Unfinished Church: God’s Broken and Redeemed Work-In-Progress by Rob Bentz

Rob Bentz’s book, TheUnfinished Church: God’s Broken and Redeemed Work-In-Progress published by Crossway, is an enjoyable read. Bentz incorporates personal anecdotes with Scripture and insightful examination to provide the reader with a fresh understanding of how the church, Christ’s bride, should operate in today’s world.

The work is broken down into three segments, each worth careful study. In part one he lays the groundwork for his book in The Foundation and offers background and understanding as to what it means to be part of God’s chosen community. In part two Bentz delves deeper into what it means for the church in The Construction. Here he delineates several facets where we, as Christ’s bride, should be toiling. To love one another, encourage, serve, and dwell together in peace are all aspects Bentz, with love for the Church, explicates with great clarity.

Bentz concludes with the heart of the matter in part three, The Completion. Here we read that “Sanctification matters!” Indeed it does and Bentz lays it out for us. He marks out that, “God’s church, is miraculous because it’s his activity.” And “The church is victorious; Jesus said it would be.” Believers, one and all, take part in the glorious, wonderful work though we are broken and sinful. This section was most inspiring and helpful.

The Unfinished Church was indeed and enjoyable and informative book. This would be a great book for a church library or any new believer especially. I rate this 4.5 out of 5. Get it, read it and apply it!

Crossway has provided a complimentary copy of this book through Beyond the Page.   

New Title: The Word of the Lord

Based on Nancy Guthrie's history, The Word of the Lord: Seeing Jesus in the Prophets will be another fine study.

Nancy Guthrie on her newest study, "The Word of the Lord" from Crossway on Vimeo.

Description
In the Old Testament, God spoke to his people through prophets—men specially called to speak God’s Word to his people. The New Testament makes it clear that such prophets, whether chastising or comforting, testified to Israel’s final redemption and ultimate hope: Jesus the Messiah.
Over ten weeks of guided personal Bible study, relevant teaching, and group discussion, Bible teacher Nancy Guthrie will help you see the person and work of Christ in:

• Hosea's willingness to redeem his unfaithful bride from slavery
• Isaiah's divine King and suffering Servant, who will be punished for his people
• Daniel's stone, not hewn by human hands, that will crush every human kingdom
• Ezekiel’s vision of a city where we will enjoy Jesus’s presence forever

Gain a fresh perspective on the message of the Old Testament prophets, a broader understanding of Jesus as the fulfillment of Scripture, and much more when you join Nancy on this incredible journey to see Jesus in the Old Testament!

About the Author
Nancy Guthrie teaches the Bible at conferences around the country and is currently pursuing graduate studies at Covenant Theological Seminary. She and her husband, David, are the co-hosts of the GriefShare video series used in more than 8,500 churches nationwide and they also host Respite Retreats for couples who have experienced the death of a child. Guthrie is the author of numerous books including Holding on to Hope, Hearing Jesus Speak into Your Sorrow, and the five-book Seeing Jesus in the Old Testament Bible study series.

Three Works on Struggling With Sexual Idenity

As we live in a society where everyday is a sexual free-for-all, we need to understand how to minister to the sexually confused. Below are three books that can help us do that.

Washed and Waiting: Reflections on Christian Faithfulness and Homosexuality  By Wesley Hill 

Product Description
'Gay,' 'Christian,' and “celibate” don't often appear in the same sentence. Yet many who sit next to us in the pew at church fit that description, says author Wesley Hill. As a celibate gay Christian, Hill gives us a glimpse of what it looks like to wrestle firsthand with God's 'No' to same-sex relationships. What does it mean for gay Christians to live faithful to God while struggling with the challenge of their homosexuality? What is God's will for believers who experience same-sex desires? Those who choose celibacy are often left to deal with loneliness and the hunger for relationships. How can gay Christians experience God's favor and blessing in the midst of a struggle that for many brings a crippling sense of shame and guilt? Weaving together reflections from his own life and the lives of other Christians, such as Henri Nouwen and Gerard Manley Hopkins, Hill offers a fresh perspective on these questions. He advocates neither unqualified 'healing' for those who struggle, nor their accommodation to temptation, but rather faithfulness in the midst of brokenness. 'I hope this book may encourage other homosexual Christians to take the risky step of opening up their lives to others in the body of Christ,' Hill writes. 'In so doing, they may find, as I have, by grace, that being known is spiritually healthier than remaining behind closed doors, that the light is better than the darkness.' 

Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor's Journey into Christian Faith By Rosaria Champagne Butterfield.

Product Description
Rosaria, by the standards of many, was living a very good life. She had a tenured position at a large university in a field for which she cared deeply. She owned two homes with her partner, in which they provided hospitality to students and activists that were looking to make a difference in the world. There, her partner rehabilitated abandoned and abused dogs. In the community, Rosaria was involved in volunteer work. At the university, she was a respected advisor of students and her department's curriculum. And then, in her late 30s, Rosaria encountered something that turned her world upside down-the idea that Christianity, a religion that she had regarded as problematic and sometimes downright damaging, might be right about who God was, an idea that flew in the face of the people and causes that she most loved. What follows is a story of what she describes as a "train wreck" at the hand of the supernatural. These are her secret thoughts about those events, written as only a reflective English professor could. Conversion put me in a complicated and comprehensive chaos. I sometimes wonder, when I hear other Christians pray for the salvation of the "lost," if they realize that this comprehensive chaos is the desired end of such prayers. Often, people asked me to describe the "lessons" that I learned from this experience. I can't. It was too traumatic. Sometimes in crisis, we don't really learn lessons. Sometimes the result is simpler and more profound: sometimes our character is simply transformed. -Rosaria Butterfield

What is Marriage?: Man and Woman: A Defense by Sherif Girgis, Ryan T. Anderson, Robert P. George

Product Description
Until yesterday, no society had seen marriage as anything other than a conjugal partner­ship: a male-female union. What Is Marriage? identifies and defends the reasons for this historic consensus and shows why redefining civil marriage is unnecessary, unreasonable, and contrary to the common good.

Originally published in the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, this book's core argument quickly became the year's most widely read essay on the most prominent scholarly network in the social sciences. Since then, it has been cited and debated by scholars and activists throughout the world as the most formidable defense of the tradition ever written. Now revamped, expanded, and vastly enhanced, What Is Marriage? stands poised to meet its moment as few books of this generation have.

Rhodes Scholar Sherif Girgis, Heritage Foundation Fellow Ryan T. Anderson, and Princeton Professor Robert P. George offer a devastating critique of the idea that equality requires redefining marriage. They show why both sides must first answer the question of what marriage really is. They defend the principle that marriage, as a comprehensive union of mind and body ordered to family life, unites a man and a woman as husband and wife, and they document the social value of applying this principle in law.

Most compellingly, they show that those who embrace same-sex civil marriage leave no firm ground--none--for not recognizing every relationship describable in polite English, including polyamorous sexual unions, and that enshrining their view would further erode the norms of marriage, and hence the common good.

Finally, What Is Marriage? decisively answers common objections: that the historic view is rooted in bigotry, like laws forbidding interracial marriage; that it is callous to people's needs; that it can't show the harm of recognizing same-sex couplings, or the point of recognizing infertile ones; and that it treats a mere "social construct" as if it were natural, or an unreasoned religious view as if it were rational.

If the marriage debate in America is decided soon, it will be with this book's help or despite its powerful arguments.

Pick Three Numbers Commentaries

Here's our pick three for commentaries on the book of Numbers.

Numbers by Gordon Wenham

Product Description
"Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah" is one of the best-known hymns in the world. Yet the book of numbers, whose story that hymn summarizes, is seldom read. Why? "Its very title puts the modern reader off," writes Gordon Wenham. "In ancient time numbers were seen as mysterious and symbolic, a key to reality and the mind of God himself. Today they are associated with computers and the depersonalization that threatens our society." In his effort to bridge the great gulf between the book and our age, Wenham first explains the background of Numbers, discussing its structure, sources, date and authorship as well as its theology and Christian use. A passage-by-passage analysis follows, which draws useful insights on Old Testament ritual from modern social anthropology. The original, unrevised text of this volume has been completely retypeset and printed in a larger, more attractive format with the new cover design for the series.

Numbers: God's Presence in the Wilderness by Iain Duguid

Product Description
The book of Numbers tells the story of Israel’s experience, ranging from their exodus out of Egypt to their entrance into the Promised Land. The lives of two generations are recorded: the first lacking in faith and receiving their just punishment from God, and the second believing the Word of God and so entering into their inheritance as his children. Like those generations of Israelites, Christians today are also on a journey between events of deepest significance—from the work of Christ that provides our exodus from bondage to sin and death to Jesus’ second coming that ushers his children into the true and final promised land of heaven.
Author Iain Duguid aids both pastors and laypeople on this journey by explaining the profundities of the biblical text, especially its less transparent portions, and communicating the lasting message of God’s devotion to those who follow him in faith.

Numbers: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture by Dennis R. Cole

Product Description

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include: * commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION; * the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary; * sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages; * interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole; * readable and applicable exposition.

 

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