Great Quotes

I read two quotes this morning that are just too good not to share. One was posted by Ray Ortlund and the other by Derek Thomas.

"You haven't begun to think seriously unless you have thought profoundly on Genesis 3." --Addison H. Leitch

"It really is a mercy to mankind that God in Scripture is so explicit about hell." --J.I. Packer

Why Church Membership Matters

Why bother with church membership? Kevin DeYoung answered that question in a great post yesterday on "Why Membership Matters."

The Priority of Preaching

You may remember my post a while back on Christopher Ash's little booklet, Listen Up: A Practical Guide to Listening to Sermons. This past week, one of my undergraduate professors, Greg Thornbury, gave me a copy of Ash's book on preaching - The Priority of Preaching. It is a quick but worthwhile read, one which I would certainly encourage preachers to consider. I thoroughly enjoyed it (reading most of it in one sitting).

Here are just a few of the things I appreciated about the book:

1) It is a book on preaching that is based on texts from Deuteronomy (which is both rare and refreshing)

2) It begins with a word "for discouraged preachers" (which always seems an appropriate way to begin a book on preaching, considering that preachers are often discouraged)

3) It clearly (and rightly, in my opinion) fleshes out the authority of the preached Word (oh, that more preachers and more churches believed this!)

4) It encourages gospel-centered and grace-filled preaching

5) It articulates the significance of our gathering to hear the Word preached (this was one of my favorite parts of the book and a concept that seems underdeveloped in the minds of too many pastors)

Pastors - get this book and read it. Both you and your church will benefit from it!

Reminder: Gerald Bray at Union University

Just a reminder to those of you in and around Jackson, TN:

Gerald Bray, who is serving as the Scholar in Residence at Union University this Fall, will begin his series of four lectures on the love of God this week.

See my post from a few weeks ago for the details and for more information about Dr. Bray.

The Late Great Rich Mullins

Creed (from A Liturgy, A Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band)
Rich Mullins, 1955-1997

To listen to this song, click here. To watch the video, click here.

I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit
Born of the virgin Mary
Suffered under Pontius Pilate
He was crucified and dead and buried

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe that He who suffered was crucified buried and dead
He descended into hell and on the third day rose again
He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God's mighty right hand
I believe that He's returning
To judge the quick and the dead of the sons of men

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

I believe it I believe it
I believe it
I believe it I believe it

I believe in God the Father
Almighty Maker of Heaven and Maker of Earth
And in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son our Lord
I believe in the Holy Spirit
One Holy Church
The communion of Saints
The forgiveness of sin
I believe in the resurrection
I believe in a life that never ends

And I believe what I believe is what makes me what I am
I did not make it no it is making me
I did not make it no it is making me
I said I did not make it no it is making me
It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man

9Marks Interview with Darryl Hart

Yesterday I had the opportunity to catch up on a few things I have been really wanting to do, one of which was listening to Mark Dever's recent interview with Darryl Hart. It was, as is always the case when Darryl Hart is involved, entertaining and provocative. I would certainly recommend it - not just because we both share an admiration for J. Gresham Machen and Wendell Berry, but because Hart is extremely thoughtful and quite often a different voice than many evangelicals regularly hear.

Here are a few of the books Hart has written (that are mentioned in the interview):

A Secular Faith: Why Christianity Favors the Separation of Church and State

That Old-Time Religion in Modern America: Evangelical Protestantism in the Twentieth Century

The Lost Soul of American Protestantism

Deconstructing Evangelicalism: Conservative Protestantism in the Age of Billy Graham

Selected Shorter Writings: J. Gresham Machen

Defending the Faith: J. Gresham Machen and the Crisis of Conservative Protestantism in Modern America

John Williamson Nevin: High Church Calvinist (American Reformed Biographies)

Loved and Saved Freely

From Hart's Hymns
Joseph Hart, 1712-1768

Come, ye Christians, sing the praises
Of your condescending God;
Come and hymn the holy Jesus,
Who has washed us in his blood.
We are poor, and weak, and silly,
And to every evil prone;
Yet our Jesus loves us freely,
And receives us for his own.

Though we're mean in man's opinion,
He has made us priests and kings;
Power, glory, and dominion,
To the Lamb the sinner sings.
Leprous souls, unsound and filthy,
Come before him as you are:
'Tis the sick man, not the healthy,
Needs the good Physician's care.

O beware of fondly thinking
God accepts thee for thy tears;
Are the shipwrecked saved by sinking?
Can the ruined rise by fears?
O beware of trust ill-grounded;
'Tis but fancied faith at most,
To be cured, and not be wounded;
To be saved before you're lost.

No big words of ready talkers,
No dry doctrine will suffice;
Broken hearts, and humble walkers,
These are dear in Jesus' eyes.
Tinkling sounds of disputation,
Naked knowledge, all are vain;
Every soul that gains salvation
Must and shall be born again.

The Difficulty with Sound Doctrine

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Over the weekend, I picked up a copy of Joseph J. Ellis's Pulitzer Prize winning book, Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. It has been a fascinating read thus far and offers an insightful look into the most significant people and moments in American history.



Here are a few random quotes (just from the Preface alone) that will give you an idea of the kind of thing you'll find in this book:

No event in American history which was so improbable at the time has seemed so inevitable in retrospect as the American Revolution.

The Civil War, for example, was a direct consequence of the decision to evade and delay the slavery question during the early years of the republic.

With the American Revolution, as with all revolutions, different factions came together in common cause to overthrow the reigning regime, then discovered in the aftermath of their triumph that they had fundamentally different and politically incompatible notions of what they intended.

Lincoln once said that America was founded on a proposition that was written by Jefferson in 1776. We are really founded on an argument about what that proposition means.

Why is it that there is a core of truth to the distinctive iconography of the American Revolution, which does not depict dramatic scenes of mass slaughter, but, instead, a gallery of well-dressed personalities in classical poses?

Politics, even at the highest level in the early republic, remained a face-to-face affair in which the contestants, even those who were locked in political battles to the death, were forced to negotiate the emotional affinities and shared intimacies produced by frequent personal interaction.

All the vanguard members of the revolutionary generation developed a keen sense of their historical significance even while they were still making the history on which their reputations would rest. They began posing for posterity, writing letters to us as much as to one another, especially toward the end of their respective careers. If they sometimes look like marble statues, that is how they wanted to look....If they sometimes behave like actors in a historical drama, that is often how they regarded themselves. In a very real sense, we are complicitous in their achievement, since we are the audience for which they were performing; knowing we would be watching helped to keep them on their best behavior.

B.B. Warfield on "The Religious Life of Theological Students"

Third Millenium Ministries has re-printed an excellent article by B.B. Warfield on "The Reilgious Life of Theological Students" (first delivered as an address at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1911). It is lengthy, but it is well worth the time of all seminary students and pastors (and even undergraduate theological students desiring to attend seminary). Here is a brief excerpt:

A minister must be both learned and religious. It is not a matter of choosing between the two. He must study, but he must study as in the presence of God and not in a secular spirit. He must recognize the privilege of pursuing his studies in the environment where God and salvation from sin are the air he breathes. He must also take advantage of every opportunity for corporate worship, particularly while he trains in the Theological Seminary. Christ Himself leads in setting the example of the importance of participating in corporate expressions of the religious life of the community. Ministerial work without taking time to pray is a tragic mistake. The two must combine if the servant of God is to give a pure, clear, and strong message.

Read the whole thing here.

Horton's Sequel to Christless Christianity

You may remember me mentioning a few months ago that Michael Horton was working on a sequel to Christless Christianity to be published this October. Well, that sequel, The Gospel-Driven Life, can now be pre-ordered through Westminster Bookstore for only $10.99 (45% off).

Here is the publisher's description of the book:

In his well-received Christless Christianity Michael Horton offered a prophetic wake-up call for a self-centered American church. With The Gospel-Driven Life he turns from the crisis to the solutions, offering his recommendations for a new reformation in the faith, practice, and witness of contemporary Christianity. This insightful book will guide readers in reorienting their faith and the church's purpose toward the good news of the gospel. The first six chapters explore that breaking news from heaven, while the rest of the book focuses on the kind of community that the gospel generates and the surprising ways in which God is at work in the world. Here is fresh news for Christians who are burned out on hype and are looking for hope.

To read a few sample pages, click here.

The Late Great Rich Mullins

Bound To Come Some Trouble (from Never Picture Perfect)
Rich Mullins, 1955-1997

To listen to this song, click here.

There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of
There's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But reach out to Jesus, hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

There's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't nothing to be ashamed of
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
Reach out to Jesus, hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

Now, People say maybe things will get better
People say maybe it won't be long
And people say maybe you'll wake up tomorrow
And it'll all be gone
Well I only know that maybes just ain't enough
When you need something to hold on
There's only one thing that's clear

I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
But that ain't nothing to be afraid of
I know there's bound to come some tears up in your eyes
That ain't no reason to fear
I know there's bound to come some trouble to your life
Reach out to Jesus, hold on tight
He's been there before and He knows what it's like
You'll find He's there

Mosaic Taskmasters

The "Quodlibet" section of Touchstone is always full of little gems. I particularly appreciated this one by Peter J. Leithart in the September/October 2009 issue. It is an excellent reminder to those of us who labor in pastoral ministry.

Surprisingly, Jesus begins his litany of woe (Matthew 23) by commending the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees. They sit in the seat of Moses, and Jesus' disciples are to "do and observe" what they say.

They may sit in Moses' seat, but they are not Mosaic in their conduct. Moses came to break the yoke of oppression and free slaves, but the scribes and Pharisees "tie up heavy loads and lay them on men's shoulders" and refuse to lift a finger to help. Despite their teaching, they are more Pharaoh than Moses.

These are sobering words for pastors. We, too, "sit in the seat of Moses," but we are capable of turning the gospel of freedom into an instrument of oppression. We must beware the hypocrisy of announcing "Let my people go" with our lips while saying "bricks without straw" with our lives.

I know I have said it several times before on this blog, but I can't say it enough. I encourage you to subscribe to Touchstone if you don't already. To do so, click here.

A Long Journey in Church Discipline

Yesterday, Thabiti Anyabwile posted the links to a three-part story of redemptive church discipline practiced by Tom Ascol and Grace Baptist Church. May the Lord give us more stories like this of his redeeming grace!

Read this incredible story here.

What Constitutes a Sound Education for Children?

Regardless of the kind of education you prefer for children (public, private, homeschool), Mark Mitchell's call for cultivating moral imagination and emphasizing a logocentric view of reality in the most recent issue of Touchstone is one that should be heard. You may not agree with all his particulars, but the heart of his argument should be appreciated by all Christian parents.

Here is an excerpt from one of my favorite parts of the article:

But setting the content of the books aside (for only a moment), those whose minds are shaped by an ongoing encounter with language will develop mental habits that include patience, perseverance, the ability to think abstractly, and an imagination that does not require the constant stimulation of external images. The imagination of the reader (guided by the author) creates the images, whereas the child raised on television merely imbibes what has already been fully rendered by the camera.

Read the entire article here.

Carl Trueman on the White Horse Inn

Has American Christianity become more concerned with success than fidelity? Has it chosen style over substance? On the most recent edition of the White Horse Inn, Michael Horton spoke about these issues with Carl Trueman, professor of Historical Theology and Church History at Westminster Theological Seminary (Philadelphia), and author of The Wages of Spin.

The Late Great Rich Mullins

Hard to Get (from the Jesus Record)
Rich Mullins, 1955-1997

To listen to this song, click here (I would recommend the demo version, which is Rich sitting down to play it in front of a tape recorder ten days before his death...the LP version of the album was recorded after his death).

You who live in heaven
Hear the prayers of those of us who live on earth
Who are afraid of being left by those we love
And who get hardened by the hurt
Do you remember when You lived down here where we all scrape
To find the faith to ask for daily bread?
Did You forget about us after You had flown away?
Well I memorized every word You said
Still I'm so scared, I'm holding my breath
While You're up there just playing hard to get

You who live in radiance
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in skin
We have a love that's not as patient as Yours was
Still we do love now and then
Did You ever know loneliness? Did You ever know need?
Do You remember just how long a night can get
When You were barely holding on
And Your friends fall asleep
And don't see the blood that's running in Your sweat?
Will those who mourn be left uncomforted
While You're up there just playing hard to get?

And I know you bore our sorrows
And I know you feel our pain
And I know it would not hurt any less
Even if it could be explained
And I know that I am only lashing out
At the One who loves me most
And after I figured this, somehow
All I really need to know

Is if You who live in eternity
Hear the prayers of those of us who live in time?
We can't see what's ahead
And we cannot get free of what we've left behind
I'm reeling from these voices that keep screaming in my ears
All the words of shame and doubt, blame and regret
I can't see how You're leading me unless You've led me here
Where I'm lost enough to let myself be led
And so You've been here all along I guess
It's just Your ways and You are just plain hard to get

Dockery's Fall '09 Recommended Reading List

Ray Van Neste recently posted David Dockery's Fall '09 Recommended Reading List, which can be seen here.

J.C. Ryle on the Need for Knowing Christ as Redeemer

I have already mentioned on this blog the site devoted to J.C. Ryles Quotes. All the quotes are excellent, but there was one last week that has really stuck with me.

“The story of Christ’s moral teaching, self-sacrifice, example, and the need of being earnest and sincere like Him, will never smooth down a dying pillow. Christ the Teacher, Christ the great Pattern, Christ the Prophet, will not suffice.”

“We want something more than this! We want the old, old story of Christ dying for our sins and rising again for our justification. We want Christ the Mediator, Christ the Substitute, Christ the Intercessor, Christ the Redeemer, in order to meet with confidence the King of Terrors and say, ‘Oh death, where is your sting? Oh grave, where is your victory?’”

Gerald Bray at Union University

One of my primary professors from seminary, Dr. Gerald Bray, will be the Scholar in Residence this Fall at Union University. He will be giving four lectures related to his forthcoming systematic theology, God Is Love. Dr. Bray is one of the brightest and most respected scholars in the evangelical world, and it was a true privilege for me to study under him and to serve as his research assistant during my seminary years.

Here is the schedule for the four lectures he will be giving:

Tuesday, September 29 at 12:15 - God's Love for Himself
Thursday, October 1 at 12:15 - God's Love for His Creation
Friday, October 2 at 12:00 - The Rejection of God's Love
Monday, October 5 at 12:00 - God's Response to the Rejection of His Love

The lectures are all free, 40 minutes in length, and will be held in the Coburn Dining Room located in the Barefoot Student Union Building at Union University. For those in and around Jackson, TN, you will certainly want to take advantage of this opportunity to hear Dr. Bray.

Here is a little more information on Dr. Bray:

Gerald L. Bray
Research Professor of Samford University
B.A., McGill University
M.Litt., D. Litt, University of Paris-Sorbonne

Gerald Bray taught full-time at Beeson Divinity School in the areas of church history, historical theology, and Latin from 1993-2006. Prior to his work at Beeson, he served as lecturer in theology and philosophy at Oak Hill College in London. In 2006, he was named research professor, and is currently engaged in writing and speaking on a variety of theological issues. He still teaches specialized short courses for Beeson Divinity School. A prolific author, Bray has published many scholarly articles and books, including The Doctrine of God in the Contours of Christian Theology series (of which he is also the general editor) and Biblical Interpretation: Past and Present. He served as editor for The Anglican Canons 1529-1947 and Tudor Church Reform, which contains the Henrician Canons of 1535 and the Reformatio Legum Ecclesiasticarum, and for three volumes in the Ancient Christian Commentary Series. His most recent books, We Believe in One God (editor) in the Ancient Christian Doctrine Series and Ambrosiaster's Commentaries on Romans and 1-2 Corinthians (translator and editor), were published by IVP Academic in 2009. Bray is an ordained minister in the Church of England.

A New Site Devoted to the Puritans

There is a new website devoted to the Puritans, Meet the Puritans. I encourage you to check it out.

The purpose of this website is to promote the seventeenth century English Puritans. We intend to do this by means of original research, theological and devotional commentary upon the writings of the Puritans, reviews of books about the Puritans, recommendations of books about the Puritans, and by providing Recommended Reading of helpful materials in your study of the Puritans.

I would begin with Joel Beeke's excellent article, "Why You Should Read the Puritans," which can be read here.

Audio from the Edinburgh Expositors Conference

The Unashamed Workman blog recently posted the audio from the Edinburgh Expositors Conference, featuring Steve Lawson, Peter Grainger, Craig Dyer, Iain Murray, and Ian Shaw. Since I have been reading Iain Murray's Lloyd-Jones: Messenger of Grace, I am particularly eager to hear his addresses on "The Expository Ministry of Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones."

The Late Great Rich Mullins

It was back in September of 1997 that Rich Mullins was killed in a car accident. The Church lost a great poet and songwriter when he died. Therefore, in an effort to honor his memory, I will be posting a different Rich Mullins' song every Friday during the month of September.

By the way, if you are unfamiliar with his music, I would strongly encourage you to listen to it.


Hold Me Jesus (from A Liturgy, A Legacy, and a Ragamuffin Band)
Rich Mullins, 1955-1997

Well, sometimes my life just don't make sense at all
When the mountains look so big
And my faith just seems so small

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

And I wake up in the night and feel the dark
It's so hot inside my soul
I swear there must be blisters on my heart

So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
Surrender don't come natural to me
I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want
Than to take what You give that I need
And I've beat my head against so many walls
Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees

And this Salvation Army band is playing this hymn
And Your grace rings out so deep
It makes my resistance seem so thin

I'm singing hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace

To see a video of Rich Mullins performing "Hold Me Jesus," click here.

Mohler on Why Moralism Is Not the Gospel

Al Mohler has a great article on his website today on "Why Moralism Is Not the Gospel."

The deadly danger of moralism has been a constant temptation to the church and an ever-convenient substitute for the Gospel. Clearly, millions of our neighbors believe that moralism is our message. Nothing less than the boldest preaching of the Gospel will suffice to correct this impression and to lead sinners to salvation in Christ.

Hell will be highly populated with those who were "raised right." The citizens of heaven will be those who, by the sheer grace and mercy of God, are there solely because of the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ.

Moralism is not the gospel.

Read the whole thing here.

Why Churchless Christianity Doesn't Work

Christianity Today recently interviewed Kevin DeYoung about churchless Christianity and why it doesn't work. Read the interview here.

In Honor of the Bach of Baptists

I have had the privilege of collaborating on several hymns with Dr. Ron Boud, the Bach of Baptists. Dr. Boud is a skilled and accomplished musician, composer, and arranger. He taught at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for 20 years and has been teaching at Union University for the last 14 years. He is an absolute joy to be around and a real gift to God's church. There is no one I would rather hear play the organ than Dr. Boud.

My most recent hymn was written in his honor.

Sweet, Melodious Praise
M. Justin Wainscott ©2009

In honor of Ronald E. Boud

Creation sings its Maker’s praise,
And echoes all around;
Its songs pour forth in countless ways,
In symphonies of sound.

Let us whom Christ by blood redeemed
Sound forth our praises too;
For, we’ve more reason to esteem
The songs our God is due.

So let our music ring with joy,
Let ev’ry note be praise;
No greater theme can songs employ
Than God’s redeeming grace.

Now tune we all our joyous cries
Into one grateful song;
And let our voices harmonize
With music loud and strong.

And oh the music that abounds
When sinners saved rejoice,
When ev’ry instrument resounds
In union with each voice.

Now may our God be glorified
As we our voices raise;
May He receive this swelling tide
Of sweet, melod’ous praise.

Dockery on the Call for a Great Commission Resurgence

Dr. David Dockery, the president of my alma mater (Union University), has written an excellent, balanced, and helpful article on "Examining the Call for a Great Commission Resurgence." If you are a Southern Baptist (or interested in Southern Baptist life), you would do well to read this article. It will help you understand where we have been and (hopefully) where we are going.

And I've mentioned it before on this blog, but I would remind you of the upcoming conference in October at Union University on "Southern Baptists, Evangelicals, and the Future of Denominationalism."

Here is the schedule.

And here are the speakers.