Birkdale Baptist Church

Life, Heart and Hope in Jesus

I should say up front that this is an illusion. I may seem to be back from my blogging break over Christmas and the New Year, but the truth is, I am not. I need all my spare time at the moment to work on my book. So I'm planning to share some extracts from a series of posts I wrote previously on preaching. I have set up my blog to do this entirely automatically every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for the next few weeks. I hope you enjoy this series. Please, also, remember to pray for me as I am writing.

This extract comes from a post in which I was exploring whether expository preaching has to always be a part of a very long series working slowly verse by verse through a book of the Bible. Part of the post was to share the following potential dangers found in these types of slower series, which sometimes have gone on for a decade for a single book.

1. Preaching through a book can introduce the very imbalance that it is designed to remove.
   
   Spending a decade in certain biblical books will inevitably mean that the congregation is not going to get the balanced diet we all agree they need. Yes, preaching through books forces preachers to focus on the issues that the book addresses. But there is surely a danger that the preacher will choose a book that is not sufficiently broad enough to give a good diet to the congregation. It might also be a book that reflects his own pet subject; for example, the charismatic might choose 1 Corinthians, the Calvinist Ephesians or Romans, and the eschatology fanatic would head straight for Revelation. So, a very slow preach through a book is not necessarily going to provide a good diet for every church.
   
   
2. Preaching slowly through a book requires a highly skilled preacher in order to remain interesting.
   
   Death by exposition is a real risk when the average preacher tries to emulate a Lloyd-Jones, Boice, or other gifted expositor. Sermons that are nothing more than recycled commentaries are surely boring. It is, of course, possible to preach this way and impart life, if God has gifted you in that way. But as one preacher admitted to me recently, spending even just a few months in one book can—even for the preacher—begin to feel a bit repetitive. Not everyone has the skill-set to be Martyn Lloyd-Jones.
   
   
3. Insistence on a long series may hinder our aim of making visitors feel welcome.
   
   In this era of floating church populations and weekend breaks, we may not have the same people listening each week. In addition, surely we want our visitors to feel welcome. Imagine discovering on visiting a church for the first time that you have some 50 or 60 (or more!) sermons to catch up on to understand where the church is in their series. This is avoidable by making each sermon in the series stand alone and be more or less self-explanatory. But if we do this, then how is that different from a sermon which exposits a verse or paragraph seeking to put it in its context, but outside of a series?
   
   
4. Long series bind the preacher and could quench the Spirit.
   
   Whether we do have long series of sermons or not, I do feel the Doctor is definitely right when he says we must build into them the flexibility to respond to the needs of the congregation and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Read more . . .

The blogger in me is fighting what I know I really should be doing! I MUST basically shut down on blogging and allow some pre-planned posts to take over on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. I really will do this, but not until tomorrow! As I have repeatedly told you, I do need the extra time to focus on my book, and I want to free up my blog editor's time to be able to read and comment on some of my early book drafts, too. So this really is the last post before the big lock-down.

I'd like to mention a parenting course that is coming up in England soon. I would love to have been able to go to this, as it is being run by my friends at the Sovereign Grace Church in Bristol, UK. But it's right on top of my book deadline, so I know I just won't be able to make it.

I will end with a video about the speaker, but the Tedd Tripp Parenting Conference itself will be held on Saturday March 21st, and it is running in Bristol. Follow the link to book-in, or find out more information.

My lovely wife and I were both sitting here on our laptops next to each other in the lounge while the children were quietly doing things upstairs. It was a truly idyllic scene as my darling was editing the latest chapter of my book that I've been working on in some spare time over Christmas. I hope I haven't neglected the family too much this Christmas—we have had some fun. Anyway, I must confess that, perhaps unsurprisingly, the scene hasn't always been this peaceful this holiday, but it was about to get even better. All of a sudden we heard a patter of feet and my second daughter, Charis, presented Andree and me with the following messages, which is certainly the nicest thing I've read so far this year! DAD

My Dad has brown hair, as brown as chocolate that shines like the stars above. He has light blue eyes, as blue as the sky above me. They shine like the shimmering ocean down below me. His teeth are as white as mints. I just wanted to let all of these readers know that I love my Dad and I'm sure that he loves me too!
MUM

My Mum has brown silky hair that shines like the stars up above. Her eyes are as brown as chocolate and they are as delicate as a diamond and they shine like the ocean below. Her smile makes me feel safe and cosy. Her teeth are as white as mints. I just wanted all of you readers to know that my mum is my hero!
— Charis Warnock, age 8

It's the New Year, and maybe you have some Christmas money left. You could do a lot worse than treating yourself to something that will help you in your Bible study. Obviously, at the top of my list would be a Logos Bible Software package, which, as always, is available via that link on my website here offering a 25% discount. Logos now offers the same packages for Mac, and they will also very soon be available by following the above link with the same discount.

I am really enjoying using Logos on my Mac. Admittedly, it is slightly more basic than the PC version, but to be honest, most of the missing features I never used anyway. All you need to do is set up some extra collections, add them to your passage guide, and then you can study a passage easily by simply putting the reference in and hitting "go." If you set your preferred Bible to ESV reverse interlinear (or open the interlinear direct from your library) you can right click a word and do a search of that resource for the lemma and you get a list of verses in English which have the same Greek or Hebrew word in the original. Adding the exegetical guide and the ability to search collections, an open book, or the whole library for a word or phrase makes a Bible geek's joy complete!

Once you have a good selection of commentaries, one way for Logos to really come into its own is for you to buy the Theological Journal Library. Here you have access to a wealth of surprisingly readable articles. Heard of a long complicated book on a subject you're interested in? If it was written by an academic, then chances are they wrote a short punchy paper on the subject first! Puzzled by an obscure verse that the commentary doesn't really address? If you include theological journals in your passage guide (or do "search whole library for passage") then you can find everything written in major journals on that verse. This will give you more geek pleasure than almost anything else you can get your hands on! Pop over to Galaxy now and buy volume 11 and volumes 1-10 right away. You can get over $15,000 worth of journals to carry around on your laptop for a fraction of the cost. I can also confirm that it does work with the Mac version of Logos.

The age of paper is far from over, however. As well as buying yourself any book published by Crossway (they are all fantastic!) why not subscribe to the new Logos Bible Study Magazine? Watch the video introducing it here:



John Barry Introduces Bible Study Magazine from Logos Bible Software on Vimeo.

The magazine is packed full of interesting content, such as interviews with theologians and pastors—the next edition includes an interview with Mark Driscoll. Articles are also included which will help you develop the tools you need to study the Bible well. The layout is modern-looking, and on their website you can see sample articles. At $14.95 for a year's subscription, it's a worthwhile gift for any busy pastor, or indeed any student of the Bible. With the tools that are available to us today, every Christian has the potential to be highly skilled and informed in their Bible study. What a tragedy that we are the most biblically illiterate generation of Christians since the Reformation.

UPDATE
December 24, 2008

Yesterday David learned that his cancer has spread to his liver and lungs. He has surgery scheduled for today and chemotherapy starting thereafter. Not an easy Christmas for the Waynes, but I was able to speak to him on the phone yesterday and he sounded in good heart. He said that since his announcement, he had been consciously aware of the prayers of bloggers upholding him.

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I know I had planned to not write anything further on my blog this Christmas season. But every now and then at Christmas you hear some news that makes you realize just how fortunate you are and appreciate afresh that others are facing tough times. We will all face such difficulties at various points in our lives, so we should stand with those who are suffering right now.

David Wayne is a much loved Presbyterian friend of mine. I met him through his blog, and I believe he was the first Presbie I ever got to meet in the flesh. He and I realized early-on, as did many of our readers, that despite our very different backgrounds, we actually saw eye-to-eye on almost everything. Our connection was so strong at one point that people even accused us of being the same person writing two different blogs! A connection like that helps you to bridge the chasms we foolishly erect between Christian groups and denominations. I have learned much from David.

To hear now that the Jollyblogger has cancer of the colon wrenched at my heart strings. I also have an uncle currently facing the same diagnosis and treatment, and still remember my time as a medical student and junior doctor interacting with patients facing their frailty head on with this diagnosis. It is not easy. Without Christ, I really don't know how anyone handles it at all.

This Christmas time, please spare a thought and a prayer for those facing such challenges. Please join me in spending a moment praying for David Wayne and his family, even as we all look forward to some well-earned relaxation time with our own families. May the peace of God guard them. May the inexplicable joy of God be like shafts of light in the darkness of the sadness and anxiety they will inevitably feel. May faith strengthen, not weaken. May the love of God enfold them in a tangible way. May God bring healing and full recovery so that this servant of God and his lovely family can continue to be a blessing to others. Now is the time for the pastor to be pastored by others, and I trust his church family will be rallying around to serve this family who I know have given so very much to them over many years.

We love you, David! And those of us who have met them, love your wonderful family too. Know that we are here for you in cyberspace, and know, too, that you have those who love you around you now. But know even morel that your God is with you, even in all of this.

Jesus said, "In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

This post is scheduled to publish as soon as the UK date changes into 2009. For many of you, I'm sure this will be your first New Year's greeting, if only because you live in the USA and follow us in the time zone.

May the following verses be true of you this year:
The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.

— Numbers 6:24-25I love the fact that through the Internet I have made friends with many new people I would not have known otherwise. I hope I will get to meet many more of you during this coming year. If you see me at an event, do grab me and say hello. Here are a few notable dates where I may meet some of you:

1. 23rd-25th January
   Together at Butlins. — A Newfrontiers event which is, I think, fully booked. I will do some live-blogging while I'm there.
   
   
2. 1st February
   Hugh Palmer will be visiting Jubilee Church London. If you have always intended to come and visit the North London church I attend, but never got round to it, come and hear the chair of New Word Alive, who currently is Rector of All Souls, a position once held by John Stott.
   
   
3. 6th-8th February
   Lee Abbey Writers Workshop. With my deadline looming, I realized recently that I need to learn how to write. Here's hoping a weekend is long enough, and that it's not too late! If you want to see me looking frantic as I realize how many schoolboy errors I've been making, then why not book in?! I will be staying at the retreat center where the workshop is hosted for a few days afterwards to pray and work on the book more intensively. Josh Harris recently posted about his angst in writing a book. Let's just say I empathize totally!
   
   
4. 30th March - 4th April (Week 1)
   4th-9th April (Week 2)
   New Word Alive. I will be present blogging for part of both weeks. If you are a UK evangelical and are not planning to attend any conferences this year, then shame on you! You could certainly do a lot worse than booking into this one.
   
   
5. 7th-10th July
   Together On a Mission. After last year's conference, who would want to miss it? Not me!

It's possible I may be at one or two other Christian events over the course of the year, but the ones I've listed above are definitely on my schedule.

I really am signing off this time! Have a great break.

Many Christians simplistically believe that when we die we will "go to heaven to be with Jesus forever." The truth is that 1 Corinthians 15 and other Scriptures make clear that we will one day be reunited with our bodies.

From Revelation 21 it is clear that the heavenly city will descend from the skies and remain on earth. God will dwell with us on the new earth. So it would almost seem that heaven itself will invade earth, and that in some way we will be in heaven and earth simultaneously. This is something of a mystery, but one worth pondering. It is also worth noting that although it is true that the Bible begins in a garden, it ends in a city.

Christmas seems like it's just around the corner. In these times of financial pressure, surely we all feel the need to make good choices in our gifts this year and not be wasteful. A new Bible for a loved one (or dare I say for yourself?) is certainly an excellent investment. But what Bible? And what format? In this post I will look at a few examples, some of which I can recommend.

At the top of my list would be the ESV Study Bible. The translation is essentially literal and as close to a word-for-word correspondence with the original inspired text as you can get, while still being able to understand it. Its language is more traditional and readers of the King James version will find the adjustment to this one easy, but will also find that it is much easier to understand than the archaic language found in what is, of course, a classic piece of English literature. I commend the Study Bible, as well as other versions of the ESV, very highly. There are several mp3 audio versions available, and if you fiddle with the preferences on ESV.org you can choose between them. My family tends to prefer the Max McLean version, but your taste may be different to ours.

If you live in the UK, you may be struggling to get a copy of the ESV Study Bible. Your best option is Amazon.co.uk, which is usually the cheapest, but is having some problems with fulfilling orders from what I hear. Certainly many editions are out of stock.

You will be glad to know, therefore, that I have been able to negotiate a special discount from a leading Christian online bookstore. 10ofthose.com is a site that helps fund various Christian ministries. They have access to a stock of these study Bibles, and promised me they can deliver for Christmas. A box of ten will be even cheaper than their special offer, and if you enter adrianwarnock.com as the discount code before checkout, in most cases you will see a further drop in the price you are charged. Explore the following links; I am promised that they can immediately dispatch copies of the Study Bible, at least at the moment.

• Single/buy 2


• Bulk (packs of 10)


• Trutone

You might be surprised to know that if you have already bought an ESV Bible, I would recommend you to get another Bible version as well. No translation is perfect, so I recommend that you own at least two to maximize your understanding. Bibles exist along a spectrum from the essentially literal, such as the King James, ESV, NASB, and NKJV, to the more dynamic versions which aim to capture the meaning and, in some cases, the emotional impact of the Bible and communicate that in a fresh way for modern readers. In choosing your Bible, it's vital to consider where on that spectrum the version you are considering lies.

These days I don't tend to recommend the once ubiquitous NIV or its gender neutral update, the TNIV. That's because it sits in a slightly awkward place on that spectrum. These two versions are sufficiently close to the ESV to mean that switching from them to the ESV is straightforward. But it also means that reading it doesn't usually add much to the understanding you would gather from the ESV itself. As a main Bible, the NIV versions have the major disadvantage, in my view, in that while they tend to be fairly accurate in their attempts to render the actual meaning of the text into English, at times they insert a more dynamic interpretation. Therefore, it's difficult to know with any given phrase whether or not you're getting a literal translation.

Other more dynamic translations can be useful, provided one realizes that the translations often help you to understand the text rather than translating it in a literal sense. For me, chief among such translations is the New Living Translation. I have enjoyed looking at their new study Bible, which I think will complement the ESV Study Bible nicely by providing another perspective in comments on the text.

The NCV translation is also marketed as the International Children's Bible and is worthy of special mention. It's important to introduce children to the Bible from a young age. I find that this translation is very accessible to young children and, as such, have recently given a copy to my 7 year old. She has since developed a voracious appetite for reading it to herself, so I'm very happy. We looked together at the NLT and the ESV, and she explained to me that both of those versions had words in them she could not understand, whereas the NCV/ICB did not. So, as an introductory Bible, I'm obviously quite pleased with it.

I have previously enjoyed paraphrases of the Bible, such as The Message. Providing one understands what one is reading, they can help us feel the emotional impact of the message of the Bible, and at times can function much as a sermon would to help us understand what the Bible really means to us today. I have no hesitation in recommending such works to people, but I think they should only be read in conjunction with a more literal translation as your primary Bible.

Because of my enjoyment of a wide range of translations, I looked forward to getting a copy of The Voice, listed as a brand new translation for a new generation of Bible readers. The website looks nice. The text layout is attractive and modern-looking. The team involved in translation stressed their creative credentials. Clearly a lot of work has gone into engaging with the Bible's text and making it relevant for us today.

The problem, however, is that I simply cannot bring myself to recommend this translation in any way. If you open it up without reading the introduction (as I did) and value the actual words of the Bible itself, you are in for a big shock. In an effort to make the text more accessible to modern readers who allegedly don't like looking at footnotes, explanatory comments have been included in the text of the Bible. Many of these comments are put in the mouths of the writers of the Bible, allowing the ignorant to believe they are intended to be part of the Scriptures themselves. Admittedly, the introduction explains that these additions have been made. It also explains that words added to the text are in italics, and that additional material is contained in boxes throughout the text. If only The Voice had worded its explanatory comments as footnotes and kept them out of the text itself, I probably would have welcomed it.

I am all in favor of helpful explanations, but to present commentary as if it was part of the text itself is very unhelpful. It undermines our respect for the Bible. It can mislead us in our understanding of the Bible. It is in direct disobedience to a command that occurs in the final chapter of the Bible not to add to its words! In fact, not all of their additions to the text have been italicized, as is seen in the final example below.

To give you a flavor for just how disconnected with the Scriptures' original language the italicized sections can become, let me give you a few examples comparing The Voice with the ESV.

MATTHEW 4:1-3
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him . . . (ESV)

Jesus fasted for 40 days and 40 nights. After this fast, he was as you can imagine, hungry. But he was also curiously stronger because of his fast and so he was able to withstand the Devil, the tempter, when he came to Jesus . . . (The Voice)

I find this total fabrication of a scriptural text placed inside the main translation to be shocking, italics or no italics! The appalling ignorance of many believers today about the Bible makes this much more dangerous since many might assume that because a respectable Christian publisher has published this book, the words contained in it will reflect the inspired words of God, not the suppositions of some man.

HEBREWS 13:1
Let brotherly love continue. (ESV)

Let love continue among you. Let it be the air that you take in, that uncurls within you, and extends between you." (The Voice)

This poetic addition is completely unjustifiable, and again has no roots in the actual Bible that God inspired! Unless we think we dare improve upon God's Word, what business do we have in producing such drivel and labeling it as a new Bible translation?

I wanted to close this post with a single verse taken from each of several versions to illustrate their differences. You will see that there is a lot of similarity in how most of the translations handle this verse. The ESV text has almost direct word-for-word correspondence with the underlying Greek. Some of the more interpretative or paraphrase translations do replace the phrase "bearing the sword" with some kind of explanation of an expectation of punishment. This could help an English reader who could not understand that concept. But, shockingly, as we can see merely from looking at the length of the paragraph, The Voice adds a lot of material to the text, only one phrase of which is italicized. This is unnecessary, unhelpful, and examining this verse on its own would be enough to make me disinclined to recommend the purchase of this new translation. Each of the other translations listed below have something to contribute to our understanding of this passage.

ROMANS 13:3-4

ESV
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.

TNIV
For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and you will be commended. For the one in authority is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. They are God's servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.

NLT
For the authorities do not strike fear in people who are doing right, but in those who are doing wrong. Would you like to live without fear of the authorities? Do what is right, and they will honor you. The authorities are God’s servants, sent for your good. But if you are doing wrong, of course you should be afraid, for they have the power to punish you. They are God’s servants, sent for the very purpose of punishing those who do what is wrong.

NCV
Those who do right do not have to fear the rulers; only those who do wrong fear them. Do you want to be unafraid of the rulers? Then do what is right, and they will praise you. The ruler is God’s servant to help you. But if you do wrong, then be afraid. He has the power to punish; he is God’s servant to punish those who do wrong.

THE MESSAGE
Duly constituted authorities are only a threat if you’re trying to get by with something. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear. Do you want to be on good terms with the government? Be a responsible citizen and you’ll get on just fine, the government working to your advantage. But if you’re breaking the rules right and left, watch out. The police aren’t there just to be admired in their uniforms. God also has an interest in keeping order, and he uses them to do it.

THE VOICE
You see, if you do the right thing, you have nothing to be worried about from the rulers; but if you do what you know is wrong, the rulers will surely make you pay a price. Would you not rather live with a clear conscience than always have to be looking over your shoulder? Then keep doing what you know to be good and right, and they will publicly honor you. Look at it this way: The ruler is a minister of God called to serve and benefit you. But he is also a minister of God executing wrath upon those who practice evil. If you do what is wrong, then you better be afraid because he wields the power of the sword and doesn't make empty threats.

This is the third part in my short series on multiculturalism. The first two in the series can be found here:

1. Multiculturalism—You Are What You Eat?
   
   
2. Does Multiculturalism Mean I Have To Eat Blood?

When you mix with a number of different nationalities, you begin to realize that cultural differences are more complicated than you appreciated. They can also extend to quite surprising areas of life. One such area is that of whether or not it's a good idea to circumcise baby boys.

In the UK this practice is definitely on the decline. Articles in the Guardian and Times have sought to further discourage it, although, even by 1975, fewer than 6 per cent of boys born in the UK were circumcised, whereas in the USA this figure was more like 60 per cent, even today. Christianity Today has an article about the decision-making process on whether to chop or not that stays neutral and lists additional links that provide helpful information.

I was raised within a tradition that was not in any way convinced by the arguments of some that circumcision is good for "hygienic reasons." It was not all that uncommon during sermons to hear throw away comments about how glad we men were that circumcision was no longer required under the New Covenant. In fact, some would have gone further still and argued that circumcision was not permissible for Christians at all. They would have pointed to verses like the following to state that no Christian should allow themselves or their sons to be circumcised. "Look out for the dogs, look out for the evildoers, look out for those who mutilate the flesh. For we are the circumcision, who worship by the Spirit of God and glory in Christ Jesus and put no confidence in the flesh" (Philippians 3:2-3, emphasis mine).

"For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace . . .

You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves! (Galatians 5:7-12).At first glance these verses would indeed seem pretty conclusive. A bit like the eating blood question, I would, in many ways, love to find biblical support to buttress my prejudices. But not so fast! There are, however, two cardinal rules of biblical interpretation that I must not break. The first is to always consider the context of the passage. The second is to consider the difference between the situation that the words are spoken into and our own situation today, and the implications of this, if any, for our understanding of what the Bible means for us.

So, to the context. Those three dots should be a clue. Let's have a look at what I deliberately excised from the second passage: "For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." Paul here seems to be stating that circumcision itself is not the issue. It would seem that, to Paul, being intact or otherwise is not what's at stake here. In fact, in Acts we learn that Paul actually circumcised one of his helpers—Timothy (Acts 16:3), and yet on another occasion he strongly resisted doing so for another of his helpers—Titus Galatians 2:3. Can you imagine the locker-room conversations between those two?!

Therefore, it does seem to Paul that whether to agree to a circumcision or not is a circumstantial decision that would perhaps hinge around what meaning is going to be given to it. Modern Christians who do circumcise their children are doing so, not for religious grounds, but for what they believe to be health benefits, or just because, unlike me, they have grown up in an environment where the tradition is that you are expected to do it.

I have yet to meet a modern Christian who believes that to carry out an operation on their son will make him more acceptable to God and in any way contribute to justification. Therefore, it would seem wrong to apply these strong warnings against circumcision to the many thousands who do this as a cultural practice. I should be gracious and accepting of such people, and ensure that if the conversation ever comes up, I don't appear incredulous that people still carry out this ancient practice. But, equally, I hope that those who do this will not consider those of us on the other side of the fence to be somehow "unclean."

Of course, this can all seem very irrelevant, and by now some of you may be wondering why I have even taken the time to bring this up. I do so because, if we are building churches together, and even marrying across clear cultural divides, these issues can cause division if we are not careful. The truth is, being circumcised or not can certainly be very important in forging your sense of belonging to a group—your "identity." Even without a conscious rejection of others who are different, there can easily be a feeling of dislocation and disconnection. For example, a careless joke made by someone from "the other side" about remaining intact (or not!) might go flat and leave people feeling unwelcome.

When two people from groups with different perspectives on this issue marry, they may find that it is best to have the conversation about which way their new family decides to go on this issue before any sons are born.

Should Christians circumcise their sons? If you're looking for a legalistic answer, I'm not at all sorry that I have to disappoint. Like so many of these issues, while there are some biblical guidelines, the answer is—at least on this occasion—it all depends on why you want to do it.

John Piper is a great preacher—not just to listen to, but also to watch. I find God stirring my heart through him every time I play one of his videos. It also reminds me of what I'm aiming for when I preach, which is "logic on fire." I pray that God will draw many into his purposes in the way he has drawn John Piper.

Today I want to highlight one of the sermons in his series on the new birth - Why Do We Need To Be Born Again? (Part 2). Here is an excerpt of this excellent sermon, which serves as a wonderful reminder of how desperately we need GOD to act in saving us. This is one of the sermons that form the basis for his forthcoming book, Finally Alive, which is now available for only $5 on preorder!

No man can make anyone else become a Christian. May God move and bring many into his kingdom.

1. Without the new birth, we won’t have saving faith, but only unbelief. (John 1:11-13; 1 John 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 1:29; 1 Timothy 1:14; 2 Timothy 1:3).
   
   
2. Without the new birth, we won’t have justification, but only condemnation. (Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:17; Philippians 3:9).
   
   
3. Without the new birth, we won’t be the children of God, but the children of the devil. (1 John 3:9-10).
   
   
4. Without the new birth, we won’t bear the fruit of love by the Holy Spirit, but only bear the fruit of death. (Romans 6:20-21; 7:4-6; 15:16; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 5:6; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 3:14).
   
   
5. Without the new birth, we won’t have eternal joy in fellowship with God, but only eternal misery with the devil and his angels. (Matthew 25:41; John 3:3; Romans 6:23; Revelation 2:11; 20:15).

— John Piper, Why Do We Need to Be Born Again? (Part 2)

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One of the things I love most about the group of churches of which I am a part is our worship music. We do use music coming from elsewhere, but God has given us some extraordinarily gifted songwriters, almost all of whom are from Church of Christ The King, Brighton, including Stuart Townend, who wrote In Christ Alone together with Keith Getty. But Stuart is far from the only great musical gift in that church.

The family band called Phatfish have been together for fifteen years, and I have interviewed one of the band members, Nathan Fellingham, here. I love all their music, some of which is designed for worship services, but all of which has the effect of making the truth of God's Word impact me on a deeply emotional and spiritual level.

There is no doubt in my mind that when Paul said, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" (Colossians 3:14), he intended us to understand that one of the key ways we can teach and admonish one another is by singing songs to one another, songs in which the Word richly dwells. You can listen to excerpts of Phatfish songs online, and I'm sure you'll agree that this is music full of truth. You can also watch a video here.



I'm sure that many of my American readers won't be familiar with Phatfish, but I'd be surprised if any of my British readers don't at least know of them. To celebrate their fifteen-year anniversary they have released a two-CD compilation album with remastered tracks covering their entire career. I would encourage you to show your support of this fantastic band and buy a copy at a specially discounted price for readers of this blog. Many of the tracks are worship songs that we sing at Jubilee Church.

Christian musicians rely on our support to pay their bills, and it's only right that we fund them in this way. It might surprise you to know that very few Christian musicians are employed by their churches, so these purchases quite literally put food on the table for members of bands like Phatfish. In this way those of us who are blessed by Christian bands can, in return, help them continue to write and produce new material.

Buying CDs also means that we too will benefit. I'm sure that this double album will be played repeatedly, and if you listen to the lyrics, you will find that God's truth affects you. For centuries Christians have understood that good songs and hymns can educate us in God's Word and help us understand, retain, and be changed by this wonderful gospel we all hold so dear.

Last week Lex Loizides shared this fantastic quote from Martin Luther in his church history series: "I was seized with the conviction that I must understand [Paul’s] letter to the Romans. I did not have a heart of stone, but to that moment one phrase in chapter one stood in my way.

I hated the idea, ‘in it the righteousness of God is revealed’ . . . according to which God is righteous and punishes the unrighteous sinner.

I lived without reproach as a monk, but my conscience was disturbed to its very depths and all I knew about myself was that I was a sinner.

I could not believe that anything I thought or did or prayed satisfied God. I did not love, nay, I hated the righteous God who punishes sinners.

Certainly, and with intense grumbling (perhaps even blasphemy), I was angry with God and said, ‘As if it were indeed not enough that miserable sinners who are eternally lost through original sin and are crushed again by every calamity through the Ten Commandments, God Himself adds pain to pain in the gospel by threatening us with His righteousness and wrath!’

At last, meditating day and night . . . by the mercy of God, I gave heed to the context of the words, ‘In it the righteousness of God is revealed, as it is written, ‘He who through faith is righteous shall live.’

Then I began to understand that the righteousness of God is . . . a gift of God, namely by faith . . .

Here I felt as if I were entirely born again and had entered paradise itself through gates that had been flung open.

An entirely new side of the Scriptures opened itself to me . . . and I extolled my sweetest word with a love as great as the loathing with which before I had hated the term ‘the righteousness of God’.

Thus, that verse in Paul was for me truly the gate of paradise.

My friend, P-J Smyth, is a popular Newfrontiers speaker, and the leader of GodFirst Church Johannesburg. He has recently overseen a rather nice-looking update to his church's website. A number of sermon mp3's and a range of e-books are all available. P-J is a punchy, impactful, and clear communicator. I recommend his material highly. As just one example, the following quote comes from a book on the Bible, available free on his site, entitled The Sword. "The Word will bring you faith. Romans 10:17 makes this one crystal clear. Do you want that kind of faith that pleases God, causes the impossible to become the possible, moves mountains, destroys satanic strongholds, and violently advances the kingdom of God? It comes from hearing and hearing and hearing and hearing the things that God has to say!

You can have faith in your feelings, in which case your feelings will govern your life. You can have faith in your fears, and so be paralyzed into inactivity. You can have faith in others, and often be disappointed. Or you can have faith in God’s Word, and learn that He is utterly trustworthy in every situation. Smith-Wigglesworth said, “Except the word of God, everything else is sand. It’ll stand forever, it’s settled in heaven, not one jot or tittle will fail, it can’t be broken or improved upon, and those who believe in it shall be like Mount Zion that cannot be moved.”

— P-J Smyth, The Sword

If you live in or near Johannesburg in South Africa, you should consider at least a visit to this church which, from what I hear, is a vibrant multicultural place where Jesus is worshiped as Lord and the Word of God is honored. What more could you ask for?

I know, I know — I'm supposed to be on a blogging break! But last night's news about David Wayne was weighing on me this morning, and then I saw in my inbox this from Spurgeon's Faith Checkbook devotion. It lifted me as only God's Word can. May God be immediately present to you this Christmas!God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Psalm 46:1).

A help that is not present when we need it is of small value. The anchor which is left at home is of no use to the seaman in the hour of storm; the money which he used to have is of no worth to the debtor when a writ is out against him. Very few earthly helps could be called "very present": they are usually far in the seeking, far in the using, and farther still when once used. But as for the Lord our God, He is present when we seek Him, present when we need Him, and present when we have already enjoyed His aid.

He is more than "present," He is very present. More present than the nearest friend can be, for He is in us in our trouble; more present than we are to ourselves, for sometimes we lack presence of mind. He is always present, effectually present, sympathetically present, altogether present. He is present now if this is a gloomy season. Let us rest ourselves upon Him. He is our refuge, let us hide in Him; He is our strength, let us array ourselves with Him; He is our help, let us lean upon Him; He is our very present help, let us repose in Him now. We need not have a moment's care or an instant's fear. "The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge."

UPDATE #2
It turns out that unbeknownst to this ignorant Brit, there are TWO Rochesters in the USA. One is Rochester, New York—the 94th largest city in the USA. However, as of now, no Newfrontiers church has been planted in Rochester, New York. The other city of Rochester is located in New Hampshire and while it is NOT the 94th largest city, a thriving Newfrontiers church IS located there, as can be seen by the pictures below.

UPDATE #1
The 94th largest city in the USA is Rochester, New York. In an elementary school boy error, I'm afraid I misread my source of information and convinced myself that there was a Newfrontiers church located there. I was wrong. But it seems a bit unkind to remove all mention from my site of Christ the King Church, Rochester, New Hampshire, in spite of the fact that it's not among the top 100 US cities.

So, there it is. I have finished scouring the list of 100 top US cities for locations where Newfrontiers has planted a church. I have enjoyed looking at the websites of several of the various church plants in the USA. It makes me realize that the challenge of planting reformed charismatic churches across America is a vast one. I thank God that there are other groups doing this, but hope and pray that my brothers across the water in Newfrontiers churches will achieve their goal of planting churches in the 100 largest cities. I trust that I will be able to report the beginnings of churches in many more of these cities as the months and years go on.

It's time for me to begin my annual blogging break over Christmas. I do want to wish you all a Happy Christmas and a very blessed New Year. The year 2009 is going to be an interesting year for me, that's for sure. I look forward to sharing it together with you.

It's amazing how the Internet has become a tool for bringing people together who would otherwise have never met. Thank you for joining me on this incredible journey that blogging has opened up for me. I pray that in 2009 the Lord will grant you favor and success in all that you do, that he will shape you to be more like Jesus, and that therefore your life will glorify God more and more. May it be a year of real progress for you as you grow to know and love Jesus more.

I will be "back" with a post on January 1st. Beginning on January 5th, however, I have set a bunch of posts to start autopublishing on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only during the months of January and February. Please pray for me as I focus my spare time more and more on my book. It seems strange that the efforts I've been making behind the scenes will soon culminate in a completed book.

A big thank you from me to the many of you who have your own blogs and have been kind enough to link to me this year. I can't return thanks to all of you, but this list (complete with the last position in brackets) is my way of thanking those who have sent the most readers.

Here, then, are my top 80 referrers for the whole of 2008, excluding search engines. For the top 20, I have also included their position from the last time I reported this in August. My buddy, Dave Bish, is STILL in fifth place!

1. theologica.blogspot.com (3)
   
2. challies.com (2)
   
3. desiringgod.org (1)
   
4. facebook.com (9)
   
5. thebluefish.org (5)
   
6. Terry Virgo's Blog (7)
   
7. en.wikipedia.org (4)
   
8. teampyro.blogspot.com (6)
   
9. stevenjcamp.blogspot.com (21)
   
10. hughhewitt.townhall.com (10)
    
11. newwordalive.org (8)
    
12. newfrontiersbloggers.blogspot.com (-)
    
13. benwitherington.blogspot.com (11)
    
14. bloglines.com (=)
    
15. albertmohler.com (18)
    
16. fide-o.blogspot.com (12)
    
17. psalm305.blogspot.com (15)
    
18. twitter.com (23)
    
19. unashamedworkman.wordpress.com (13)
    
20. jollyblogger.typepad.com (14)
    
21. lashawnbarber.com
    
22. theopedia.com
    
23. hughbourne.co.uk
    
24. qaya.org
    
25. danhames.blogspot.com
    
26. fotidzo.blogspot.com
    
27. gracechurchblog.com
    
28. theresurgence.com
    
29. firstimportance.org
    
30. Dave Warnock (no relation!)
    
31. solofemininity.blogs.com
    
32. tallskinnykiwi.typepad.com
    
33. stumbleupon.com
    
34. sfpulpit.com
    
35. recycledart.org
    
36. spurgeon.wordpress.com
    
37. blogs.lifeway.com
    
38. netvibes.com
    
39. technorati.com
    
40. esv.org
    
41. creative2567.blogspot.com
    
42. asermonaday.com
    
43. faithbyhearing.wordpress.com
    
44. robrufus.blogspot.com
    
45. blog.togetherforthegospel.org
    
46. piercedforourtransgressions.com
    
47. monergism.com
    
48. edsfalliblethoughts.blogspot.com
    
49. seangreensblog.blogspot.com
    
50. against-heresies.blogspot.com
    
51. discerningreader.com
    
52. danielblanche.blogspot.com
    
53. matthewhosier.blogspot.com
    
54. blews.blogspot.com
    
55. heatlight.wordpress.com
    
56. jasonclark.ws
    
57. phoenixpreacher.com
    
58. christianitytoday.com
    
59. expositorythoughts.wordpress.com
    
60. wordandspirit.co.uk
    
61. dogpile.com
    
62. enjoyinggodministries.com
    
63. garyboalnireland.blogspot.com
    
64. andreesphotoblog.blogspot.com
    
65. thathideousman.blogspot.com
    
66. evangelicaloutpost.com
    
67. prolifeblogs.com
    
68. thesimplepastor.blogspot.com
    
69. del.icio.us
    
70. davidwilliamson.blogspot.com
    
71. tatumweb.com
    
72. bobbysparks.blogspot.com
    
73. fwiwblog.blogspot.com
    
74. parablemania.ektopos.com
    
75. cartoonchurch.com
    
76. mrlauterbach.typepad.com
    
77. acts29network.org
    
78. voicegrace.blogspot.com
    
79. dannyfoulkes.com
    
80. calltorevolution.blogspot.com
    

In many ways, God graciously blessed this blog in 2008. Here are a few of the highlights:

In January I took a break from blogging, but shared my most widely read blog posts each day, which actually continued beyond January. I did interrupt my break to post the following two posts, making January officially the lightest month for blogging new material I had ever had:

• My "Christianity Today" News Debut

• Blog Tour - Day 4: Tim Challies Answers Questions Concerning Discernment

In February I continued my relaxed blogging schedule, but shared photos, videos, and reports from my Florida vacation, taken with my two oldest children. We had a lot of fun!

Other posts I wrote during February included sharing quotes from Mohler and Dever about a call to the ministry in terms which reminded me of charismatic notions of prophecy. I also found a great quote from John Piper which retold a Lloyd-Jones illustration of what happens when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit.

March saw a series of posts in response to some questions from a reader about How to Seek the Spirit and a Chuck Colson Blog Book Tour. It also marked an anniversary as I posted my 3,000th post here. I also posted my first post that I tagged multiculturalism, a topic which has come up several more times this year.

April was dominated by my blogging from the New Word Alive event, which also led to a number of interview posts later in the year. Meeting John Piper and Don Carson, and having the chance to talk to Terry Virgo again, was a great highlight of the year for me, along with seeing Christians coming together from different denominational backgrounds. Later in the year popular UK Christian magazine, Evangelicals Now, published a conversation between Hugh Palmer, Richard Cunningham, and Don Carson which had been recorded at the conference and which is worth a read. I did manage to take time out for a trip down memory lane on my blog's five-year anniversary, and shared some embarassing links to how my blog used to look.

In May, I was thrilled to be able to post an mp3 from my grandfather, who was a tent preacher. I posted several times about Todd Bentley, who exploded onto the Christian scene and would disappear later in the year just as quickly, and of course, in sad circumstances. My pastor, Tope Koleoso, was kind enough to appear in his first video clip on my blog, and he did this again later in the year. I also began to challenge British Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, especially over abortion. This year I have posted more frequently about political issues than ever before.

In June I was thrilled to be able to interview Ed Stetzer by webcam. I also shared transcripts of my New Word Alive interviews with Don Carson, John Piper, and Nathan Fellingham. as well as the video from my interivew with Terry Virgo.

Someone kindly found me a copy of an old mp3 which I shared as C. J. Mahaney on People God Killed - A Sermon That Changed My Life. I also dared to go on record as Disagreeing with Piper Over the Man in Romans 7.

In July, the Together On A Mission conference was the main topic, alongside Dwell London and Mark Driscoll at Jubilee Church London, including a video interview with him. One real highlight I wouldn't want you to miss from this time was Scott Thomas' talk on Should You Be A Church Planter? You can also read a summary of the Together on a Mission conference that I wrote for the Newfrontiers magazine.

In August I shut the blog down, except for posting more material from the conferences, and the most read posts of the first half of the year.

In September, in the post A Fire You Know Nothing About - Lex Loizides Unleashed, I announced to the world that one of Newfrontiers' leading evangelists and an all-around good fellow had started a most interesting blog. I was shocked to be the runner-up for a Christian blog award sposored by many Christian organizations. Apparently this is the second most inspiring leadership blog in the UK, which came as a surprise to me. I was also able to share an interview with Philippa Stroud - Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Sutton and Cheam.

In October, I laid down a challenge that some of us need to consider moving from the village to the city. I also shared a provocative quote by Spurgeon on infant baptism, and demonstrated why the Doctor did not approve of theological degrees.

November saw me reopen The Atonement Debate with an analysis of a chapter from Chalke I had yet to see. I also approached another thorny issue by asking Should Christians Circumcise Their Sons?

This December I'm winding things up here a little earlier than usual. By now few of you will still be reading in any case since this is always a busy week for people! If you are looking for a last minute idea for Christmas presents, special offers on Logos Bible Software and Phatfish's 15-year anniversary CD are still available, and I should also mention Lou Fellingham's album, Promised Land, which has won a "best worship album of 2008" award.

Before I go, I would urge you to consider carefully the post I shared from John Piper a few days ago which spoke of regeneration, and ask yourself again this Christmas — Have I truly been born again?

This blog will be born again early in the New Year, but in common with much of this past year, my attentions are going to be somewhat divided. Obviously, the book writing needs to take priority as my deadline approaches. Accordingly, I have decided to post just three times a week from January until such a time as I have actually completed my first draft of the manuscript (complete, of course, with the corrections and suggestions provided by my kind reviewers). In fact, even those posts will be an automatic re-run of one of my personal favorite series on the blog. I intend, therefore, to write little or nothing new for the blog for now. But, the Warnie Box will keep feeding you, and do feel free to dig and delve around through the archives.

Once my book is closer to being written, I hope that the rest of 2009 will give me more time to write material for this blog. The truth is, I have been diverting most of my writing energies to the book for almost the whole of 2008. Still, you are all kind enough to keep reading, and readership has even increased during 2008, so perhaps in my case, less is more!

All that remains is for me to post a thank you post tomorrow listing the top referrers to this blog. After that, I'll leave the blogosphere alone for awhile.

It's that time of year again. As I have done in previous years, I thought I would take the opportunity to reflect on the year that was. This post will consider personal matters, family matters, and my church.

The year began with my regular tradition of putting the blog onto autopilot to give me time to reflect, pray, and recuperate. I have a tendency to end the year feeling exhausted and drained, and find the discipline of switching off my blog after the holiday period gives me a real lift. This year I am busier than ever, but I don't feel as drained. I still plan on shutting down the blog during the month of January, and probably into February, as my book deadline looms closer, but I have set Blogger to republish some posts three times a week, and, as always, the Warnie Box remains to lead you to other great sites.

I felt like the year got off to a slow start, but then in February, I took a lovely holiday with two of my children. Watching all five of the kids grow has been another great highlight this year, with the baby becoming a toddler and our oldest rapidly on her way to becoming a teenager, having started high school.

It's been a good year for me personally. I found myself thrust into new roles, including writing a book, which wasn't something I ever expected to do. In spite of the business, and the fact that my annual leave was all burned up by the summer, I don't feel as if I'm ending 2008 running on empty as much as I've felt that way in previous years. I praise God for the way he has sustained me.

One joy this year has been that in the latter half of the year I started the Every Day in the Bible reading plan together with my wife (also available as a podcast or printout). We listen to Max McLean, and it has helped my relationship with my wife and my Lord in one fifteen-minute chunk of time every day.

We have enjoyed a stable year as a family. No pregnancies. No births. No house moves. The same job. The same church. No major sickness. We are so grateful to God. We plan on staying right where we are for the forseeable future, still being convinced God has called us to remain here for at least another couple of decades or so. I stay where I've been planted, but I hope I can somehow encourage and support those who do go.

I have been so glad to be part of Jubilee Church this year. Our growth continues, we are often over 400 on Sunday morning now, and are seeing a prolonged period of regular weekly responses to the gospel. God is blessing us in so many ways, and we are all very grateful. The kids love the church too. Over the last year I have preached there eight times, as well as giving other talks to smaller groups of people at different times during the week and continuing to serve in the leadership team. Below are links to the sermons I've preached this year. Tomorrow I will give a brief review of the blog in 2008.

• Comfort Like a Mother (Mother's Day Sermon)


• God's Gift of Life (Thou Shall Not Kill)


• Work Rest and Play (Sabbath-keeping)


• Philippians 1 - Living for the Future


• Philippians 2 - Living for the Good of Others


• Philippians 3 - Living to Know Jesus


• Nehemiah 3 - Building for the Glory of God


• Nehemiah 8 - Back to the Word

This is the last in my short series on Steve Chalke and The Atonement Debate. The previous posts in this series can be found by clicking on the links below:

• Update on Steve Chalke and The Atonement Debate
  
  
• Steve Chalke Confirms He Does Not Believe in Penal Substitution
  
  
• Steve Chalke Argues Against Penal Substitutionary Atonement
  
  
• Steve Chalke and Neglect of the Resurrection

In his chapter of the book, The Atonement Debate, Steve Chalke continues with a classic argument from silence. He claims that Jesus did not teach this doctrine himself and therefore it is questionable. He also argues that before Jesus’ death he would not have had any gospel message to share if PSA is true. The second aspect of this is easy to dispatch since it betrays a very linear view of time. Romans 3 makes clear that it was Jesus’ death that enabled God to overlook sins committed beforehand. In addition, I have often wondered what Chalke believes about hell. Jesus teaches a lot about hell, and a number of his parables refer to eternal suffering. Surely he is describing the problem he is about to solve in doing this. Also, at the climax of his ministry the necessity of his death is very clear to Jesus, and his words describing it as a cup he must drink are poignant. If PSA is not true, it is difficult to see how Jesus’ death was so absolutely necessary. In any case, Jesus did not have to directly teach this doctrine in order for it to be true.

Chalke tries to negate concepts of God’s anger by essentially claiming that God is defined as love, and that fact trumps any mention of God as a God of wrath and anger and presumably holiness. He then devotes an entire section to the cultural implications of PSA, which he says plays into notions of violence and “might is right,” from which the rest of the world is moving away. He also claims it is too individualistic. In fact, in this section he seems to be in danger of removing altogether the importance of the individual’s relationship with God. There is even a statement that he does not like the notion that someone can believe they are saved in an instant, claiming that “separates salvation from discipleship” (page 42). It is vital for us to separate salvation from discipleship, or legalism and justification by works is the result. We do not live good lives in order to be saved. I have long been suspicious that removing the doctrine of penal substitutionary atonement inevitably weakens our belief that it is Jesus who saves us in favor of the notion that we have to do something in order to earn our way to heaven. Without fully expressing this, Chalke certainly seems to be implying it. He does not clearly elucidate his views on justification here, however, so I need to be careful, but remain very curious about the implications of what he is saying.

Finally, and perhaps most helpfully, in his closing section Chalke explains what he has put in the place of PSA. Basically he believes in the Christus Victor model whereby it is the victory won by the death and resurrection of Jesus that is key to our salvation. But before he gets there, he makes a clear statement about attempts to “soften” PSA, some of which he believes are even present in The Atonement Debate, to which he is a contributor. “Since my book was published, and in the serious theological debate that has followed it, some have sought to readdress their definition of penal substitution. I have witnessed various attempts to redraw, redefine, recast, remodel, and rehabilitate the theory as “not really as violent and retributive a concept as The Lost Message of Jesus suggested.” But the problem is simply this: this is not how the situation is perceived either within or beyond the church. So, whilst I applaud these attempts to manufacture a kind of “penal substitution theory lite”—some of which will, no doubt, be presented in other contributions to this book—in my view, what we need is not a reworking but a renunciation” (page 42).Chalke and I do agree on at least one thing. PSA should not be softened. We should either reject it completely as he is calling for, or, as many millions have, accept it as a precious truth despite all its shocking gruesomeness.

If you would like more information about the atonement, I would recommend the book Pierced for Our Transgressions, or you could read through my previous atonement series in the links found in the following posts from my bog,“Atonement Wars” and “More Atonement Wars.”