Good Websites

I thought I'd share with you websites that I frequent. Below I listed and linked blogs, reference sites, and other websites that interest me and may prove to be something new for you to check out.

Blogs
Challies - Tim Challies is a pastor in Canada that writes solid articles, book reviews, and my favorite an "A-La-Carte" of interesting things from around the web each day.
Pyromaniacs - Not a website about a love for arson. This is a great site with deep thoughts on current theological challenges/debates and cultural commenting.
Dr. R. Albert Mohler - SBTS President and cultural commentator.
Dr. Russell D. Moore - SBTS Dean of Theology and my systematic theology prof from seminary.
Brandishings - A blog from Dr. Chad Brand, another prof of mine from my seminary days.
Practical Shepherding - A good blog for practical advice for Christians; especially pastors.
Helm's Deep - Paul Helm's blog on philosophical theology.
Dr. Michael Haykin - Historical theology. Good stuff.
For His Renown - Biblical theology from Dr. Jim Hamilton.

Bible and Theology Resources
Monergism.com - A great resource for theology, sermon mp3s, both classic and contemporary writings, and links to good articles.
Desiring God Ministries - Resources from John Piper and his ministry through Desiring God.
The Spurgeon Archive - Sermons, writings, and other resources regarding Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Truth for Life - The ministry of Alistair Begg. The mp3's are the best. Oh, to have a Scottish accent!
Grace to You - The incomparable John MacArthur.
Ligonier Ministries - The ministry of Dr. R.C. Sproul and company.
Biblos - Study the Bible in Greek, Hebrew, different translations, atlases, dictionaries, etc.

I do occasionally read other blogs or find myself on other sites. I simply wanted to list and link those sites which I frequent in order to provide resources for you guys as well as to show what influences me. I'd love to hear about sites you guys refer to.

Sharpening Arrows

What subject does your child excel in? What vocation would you like your child to have? What goals do you place for your children? Do you want to see them land a good career? Do you want them to enter college? Parents of children of any age have lofty goals and daydream about their success in the world. These are noble goals for parents to place for their children, and subjects such as math or science help prepare children for an ever-changing economy and workforce. However, the commands of God do not change.

In the Shema, God commands His covenant people to love YHWH with everything they have and do as well as to read and study His Word and meditate on His Word. Then, God commands His people to "teach (the Word) diligently to your children" (Deuteronomy 6:7a). The primary subject commanded by God to teach, and teach diligently, is His Word to our children. The Christian home is a home that excels in the subject of theology above all other subjects.

A Competent Teacher

The Christian parent is commanded to be a competent teacher of the Word of God. The Shema requires the faithful believer to love God with all our desires, intellect, and deed (heart, soul, and strength). This requires reading, studying, meditating, and putting into practice the Word of God. Note what YHWH commands in the Shema regarding the Word of God:

You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 

There is not a square inch of space or a moment of time when you are not to take to heart and mind the Word of God. Any parent that refuses to advance in the wisdom of the Scripture not only places danger in their own lives, but the lives of their entire household.

In modern America, education of our children has been transferred from parents to government. This could lead to tyranny, seeing that a secular government holds a monopoly of worldview and forces children to adhere to secular philosophy and religion. If your children attend school outside the home, allow me as a pastor-theologian to warn you: if the subject of God's Word is not foremost taught in your home, you are setting your children up for destruction. You have reason to be anxious over your children. As Tedd Tripp says, "In the absence of biblical formative instruction, secular formative instructors take over" (Instructing a Child's Heart, 15). Thus, parents must be intentional and knowledgeable in biblical instruction.

Sharpening Arrows

When God commands parents to teach children diligently, the word translated "teach them diligently" is from the root שָׁנַן, or shanan, meaning to sharpen. The dynamic to this word would be best stated to sharpen in preparation for piercing. This is the Hebrew way of expressing careful and constant teaching, to sharpen our children to prepare them to pierce. Hence, the Psalmist plays on this theme by saying, "Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are the children of one's youth" (Psalm 127:4).

The Christian parent is commanded to be knowledgeable in biblical instruction and competent to teach their children like a warrior sharpens arrows (and is blessed to have a "quiver full"). All of life is a classroom meant for biblical instruction. From what your child's teachers are saying to why you save money in the bank to why you attend church and Bible study, your child must be instructed according to the Word of God. Biblical instruction might be a set hour during the week, be fulfilled in that dead time in the car ride to and from school, or taught to a child attending grandma's funeral (a great resource for this is Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware).

The Church a Mighty Fortress

Imagine a church filled with parents devoted to the study and teaching of the Word of God. Imagine a church where there is a pulpit in every home and each member was raised a child fully instructed in the Word of God. Imagine a church where each home had theology as the foremost subject. Imagine a church where each member said, "As for me and my house, we will serve YHWH" (Joshua 24:15b). This church would be a mighty fortress wearing the full armor of God where their shield of faith extinguishes the flaming arrows of Satan (Ephesians 6:16), and has a quiver full of sharpened arrows to attack the enemy.

Do not let this wish remain in your imagination. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Parents, sharpen your mind and heart with the diligent study of the Word of God. Then, as iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17), parents will be able to sharpen other parents and sharpen their arrows in preparation to pierce the armor of the enemy. The church of Jesus Christ would be a mighty fortress, and His arrows a sharp weapon.

To Make Abortions More Rare

In our commonwealth legislature, two bills have been approved by the Senate Committee on Veterans, Military Affairs and Public Protection and have been sent to the full Senate for approval. These two bills aim at making abortion more rare. Senate Bill 102 defines the required counseling of "informed consent" to be in an "individual, private setting," or face-to-face. This bill will eliminate counseling via internet or telephone. Senate Bill 103 adds to the informed consent requirement prior to an abortion that requires an ultrasound.

According to the Center for Vital Statistics in Frankfort, Kentucky, between 1991 and 2009 there were 108,116 reported babies "aborted." That makes 29,616 Kentuckians are absent from the halls of high schools this year due to "abortion." 

This bill will likely pass the Republican majority in the Kentucky Senate. Much like the last time bills such as these arose, the Kentucky House of Representatives with a Democrat majority will be the battle between those on the pro-life and those pro-abortion. The challenge for simple action is to be informed and to communicate with those claiming to represent you.

For most in my flock, Henry County is represented by Rick Rand (D). E-mail him, send him a letter, call his office. He is given a 100% rating from Kentucky Right to Life, but as a Democrat he has influence on the rest of his party to vote in favor of both of these bills. If you do not know who your representative is, click here. 

This is simply an effort to make abortions more rare in the commonwealth of Kentucky. Please take some time out and be informed on the progress of these bills and to communicate to the legislature your attentiveness to these bills.

Tebow's Platform

The Tim Tebow phenomenon has taken captive millions of football fans, both for and against. How might a quarterback with poor throwing motions and runs too high able to lead the pitiful Denver Broncos team into the playoffs? Well, that is a question that merely scratches the surface of the controversy around this Heisman Trophy winner. What makes Tim Tebow the conversation on every talk show each and every day is his public faith in Jesus Christ. Tim Tebow is an outspoken Christian. In a mocking tone, broadcasters laugh at Tebow praying toward God as if he needed a miracle to win football games. In blasphemous words, American football fans remark how God ought to be isolated and contained inside private quarters or that God must be a Broncos fan by divinely intervening on the football field to help Tebow win.

Although the disgusting mess of American football, which is promoted by every vice in this land in TV ads, is controversy enough to discuss in a pastor's blog, quite frankly I am uninterested to shout into the wind and rebuke a scoffer (Proverbs 9:8). However, I have great interest in Tebow's remarks and worldview in regards to football as well as the media attention. Tebow told a reporter, "I want to make a difference with my platform." That's right, platform. Tebow sees football competition as nothing more than numbers, and his own involvement in football is nothing more than a platform to display the glory of God. That is it. God's glory surpasses anything and everything humanity makes to glory in. At the end of the day, sports is just numbers; God's glory is eternal and shines bright.

Tebow's platform is football. He is on display on every TV station, he is asked questions and must respond knowing millions of people will mock him, and he is even discussed on ESPN around the clock! Tebow is not financially suffering and quite frankly has a cool job. Yet, he is constantly mocked and ridiculed, not for his football talents or losses, but his faith in Christ Jesus. Tebow does not simply thank a generic god for his performance or a win, but praises the One, True God for simply giving him a platform to tell others about Jesus. Tebow says he does not pray for a victory on the football field, he simply thanks God for giving him talent and a platform to tell others about Jesus.

We each have a platform given to us by God to display His infinite glory. Perhaps we will not be discussed on talk shows across the world by sharing our faith or mocked and insulted by millions. Perhaps we will simply be laughed at by a co-worker or ridiculed by the hardened heart of our next door neighbor. There are great lessons taught by God through His servant Tim Tebow. We shouldn't be satisfied praying for our well-being or getting a raise at work, but rather pray that God would give us a platform and ability to display His infinite glory no matter how big of stage He gives us. If God can give a faith strong enough to endure the angry mockery of millions such as the faith He gave Tim Tebow, He can give us a faith strong enough to endure the scoffing of a few dozen. Let us share the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ in whatever platform God gives us that we might be found faithful servants displaying God's glory in our lives.

How Then Shall We Strive?

Jesus was asked if only a few people will enter the Kingdom of God. In Luke 13:24, Jesus responds by saying, "strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able to." Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow door, which immediately draws upon the narrow path and gate illustration He uses in His closing on the Sermon on the Mount. How do we strive along the narrow path for the narrow door?

The word translated strive here is from the root word agónizomai, which is where we get the word agonize. To agonizingly contend with something requires an adversary, a focus of something to wrestle with. So, Jesus commands us to struggle with an adversary to enter the narrow door which leads to the Kingdom of God. Jesus tells us many people will seek to enter, but only those who seek and strive for the narrow door with enter.

It is not enough to merely seek. If we hold this idea of seeking up against Paul's lesson in Romans 3 where he informs us that no one seeks for God, we may suggest that this is a group of people seeking many things but none of which is God Himself. People seek for spiritual well-being, personal happiness, a purpose to life, perhaps even religion. Many modern churches in America have adjusted the environment of their congregation to be more "seeker-friendly." We must ask ourselves: what, exactly, are they seeking? Certainly not God. Now, perhaps what they are seeking is an opportunity to share the gospel with them. For example, a woman who lost her husband might seek for what the purpose was. She seeks for emotional healing, for assurance that everything will be okay without him. The gospel heals this wound, yes; more importantly, the gospel is the truth, even if she was NOT seeking God. The danger here is to orient a church around seekers rather than biblical truth. A local church is to be a fellowship of sinners changed by the Spirit of God assisting each other in their efforts of striving for the narrow door through the Word of God, not a group of happy people answering questions of seekers based on personal philosophy and opinion.

What is the adversary we are to agonizingly strive against? Proverbs 28:4 reads:
"Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law strive against them." (emphasis added)
The word for strive here is יִתְגָּ֥רוּ which is from גָּרָה, meaning to stir up strife, or to provoke. This does not mean that believers walk around looking for a fight with the wicked. However, this is a valuable word. This is not a passive walk with God toward the narrow gate. Our contention is with sin, and with the world that teaches lies. Everything in the world is held into question, and we are to strive against wickedness. This is also not about avoiding sin, simply suggesting that sin is only performed in commission. The sin of omission is also in play. We strive against doing the wrong thing, and likewise strive to do the right thing. We strive against wickedness and strive for the keeping of the law. We avoid wickedness, then we turn and love our neighbors as ourselves (see Luke 10:25-37).

To blend this with the previous article on false prophets, how then shall we strive as followers of Christ to avoid wickedness, to keep the Law of God, and to agonizingly struggle down the narrow path toward the narrow door? Does the advice from your friends, co-workers, family members, or other people in your life reflect this constant striving for the narrow door? Does your church and pastor join in more than friendly fellowship and do the hard work along with you striving toward the narrow door?

Ravenous Wolves and the Easy Path

Toward the end of His Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 7, Jesus tells us to enter the narrow gate via the narrow path. This path is in contrast to the wide and easy path toward the gate of destruction. We each walk a path, and we each will enter a gate. Death is unavoidable, and we will each discover which gate we have been walking toward all our life. Sandwiched in between two very similar lessons on final judgment and the two paths is a section on false prophets. Jesus is asserting an important lesson for His hearers, a lesson that demands a response from all who read this.

A grand mistake in hearing Jesus talk about the wide path toward destruction can be made when we make-believe that Jesus is talking about atheists and egregious sinners. Read carefully and understand that Jesus is talking to a crowd that believes in the coming judgment. Both paths Jesus' describes here promise that the gate at the end is heaven. Both paths have teachers. These teachers both appear to be sheep just like any other believer. Yet one path leads toward hell, and this path has teachers that appear attractive and say attractive things yet are inwardly ravenous wolves. These ravenous wolves might quote Scripture, claiming to preach the Bible and the good news. Jesus extends His teaching telling us that at judgment many will come to Him rightly calling Him Lord, and profess to have preached, healed, and cast out demons in His Name. And yet, Jesus tells them He never knew them. These false prophets point toward a future hope down an easy road toward a gate they assure us is the gate of heaven. They show remarkable signs, are effective public speakers, appear gentle and warm on the outside, and quote Scripture with confidence. How then can we be sure that we are listening to prophets of the truth?

The word prophet here I take as one who speaks the revealed Word of God and is pointing toward an event in the future. True prophets know God has completed His revealed Word in the Bible, and point only toward that future hope that is in Christ Jesus according to the Scriptures. The true prophets of old never dared to venture away from stating what God had told them, and only pointed to a future God had revealed to them. We are no different today. This might require a different post at a different time, knowing that this is a point of controversy for many. This is not to take away from the point of this passage in Matthew; namely, discerning true prophets and false prophets.

Jesus tells us we will be able to judge our leaders based on their results. Unregenerate false prophets cannot restrain sin; the power of sin is only restrained by the work of the Holy Spirit in a believer. This has everything to do with the path and gate illustration Jesus introduced this passage with. False prophets place their adherents down an easy and wide path filled with lots of people. They speak empty words of comfort during trials rather than biblical truths. They preach and write books regarding personal happiness (with an exorbitant focus on personal wealth), all with a catchy phraseology and a knack for good illustrations and stories to bolster their sermons which are always human-centered. This path is easy, but the burden is too great to bare.

Which books do you read? What do your friends have to say about things? What does your preacher and Sunday School teacher tell you? What daytime talk show host sounds most wise? What advice do they give? Does what they say glorify God and compliment His Word? Beware of false prophets, and question the information and advice you receive. The choicest wisdom in all the universe is the wisdom of folly (I Corinthians 1:18) that baffles the most wise of humans (I Corinthians 1:25). Listen to the Word of God, and to teachers and advice-givers that are immersed in the Bible.

Be Very Courageous

Studying Joshua this morning, I came across the first chapter and God illuminated a word that previously went unchecked the many times I have read this passage. Joshua is being given leadership after Moses' death from YHWH. YHWH is speaking directly to Joshua about taking command of the Israelites and leading into the promised land in which YHWH is giving them to possess. In His command, YHWH encourages Joshua to be strong and courageous (verses 6, 7, and 9). The Israelites respond to Joshua that they will obey the words of Joshua just as they had Moses' words, then in the final verse of the chapter says that this obedience is dependent on this: "only be strong and courageous."

What struck me this morning is the word translated "very" in verse 7. YHWH says to Joshua, "Only be strong and very courageous" (emphasis mine). The word here is מְאֹ֗ד (me'od). This is a word that emphasis more intensely the adjective command of courageous, which is the word וֶֽאֱמַ֜ץ (weh'eh'matz), which means to be bold or alert. Only verse 7 contains the word "very", which implies the verses that follow this is of the utmost importance.

With all of that said, let us read what YHWH is commanding. YHWH tells Joshua to be strong and courageous because they are about to inherit the promised land and that He will be with Joshua wherever he goes. Yet, YHWH tells Joshua to be very courageous "being careful to do according to all the Law that Moses my servant commanded you." YHWH tells Joshua not to turn away from the Law, and to preach the Law accurately and meditate on the Law day and night. YHWH promises that if Joshua obeys this command, He will make Joshua's "way prosperous, and then you will have good success." Words translated "very courageous" means that YHWH is commanding Joshua to be extra alert and bold when it comes to understanding, preaching, and studying the Word of God. In other words, be strong and courageous and alert as you enter the promised land knowing God is near. Be on extra guard, be extra bold, and be strong when it comes to rightly interpreting, preaching, and studying the Word of God.

Dear Christian, this is what our great God commands for leaders to shepherd His flock to do: be strong, alert, and bold in his administration of the church knowing God is near His faithful. Also, dear pastors, elders, and deacons of the church, be on extra guard, extra alert, extra bold, and be strong in your efforts to study the Word of God, rightly interpreting and understanding the Bible, and to teach and preach the Scriptures. "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."