Pastoral language resource

listening
Originally uploaded by tessa's mom.

For those of you that wish to continue to sharpen your Greek and Hebrew skills and like to have a lecturer walk through passages with you, then maybe you'd like iTunesU put out by Concordia Seminary.

These are a set of podcasts that are offered free of charge and are updated regularly (note: you need iTunes to subscribe to the podcasts). Two that I enjoy are Hebrew Club and Lectionary at Lunch. Both are rather short (~20 to 25 minutes) and walk you through the text in the original language. They include quite a bit of parsing, deal with grammatical issues, etc.

These podcasts are very helpful to me.

Jeremiah 20 - Fire and the sword

Flame 20
Originally uploaded by scrappapervlog.

For whenever I speak, I cry out, I shout, "Violence and destruction!"
For the word of the LORD has become for me a reproach and derision all day long.
If I say, "I will not mention him, or speak any more in his name,"
there is in my heart as it were a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary with holding it in, and I cannot.
For I hear many whispering. Terror is on every side!
"Denounce him! Let us denounce him!" say all my close friends, watching for my fall.
"Perhaps he will be deceived; then we can overcome him and take our revenge on him."
But the LORD is with me as a dread warrior; therefore my persecutors will stumble; they will not overcome me.
- Jeremiah 20:8-11 (ESV)

Jeremiah has the difficult job of preaching a very unpopular and disastrous oracle to Judah. Judah is about to be overtaken by the Babylonians and there are some religious figures, like Pashhur, that don't like hearing that sort of message.

Two points:

1) The message, even if it is one of impending danger, cannot be held in. We must be willing to proclaim the words of God. There is a "burning fire" and we become weary (or eventually immune to the pain) if we withhold the message of God meant for other people.

2) The dangers or sufferings are real. But ultimately God is with us as a "dread warrior." The Lord is battle-hardened soldier; a champion that no one wants to face. Our danger does not come from the armies of men nor the political maneuvering of our opponents. The danger is not aligning ourselves with the One who will win.

Dear friends, do not be weary or afraid. Put your hope in Him who will lead you victory.

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist - review

Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist by John Piper is arguably his most defining work. This is an updated version (from the original 1986 version) containing more robust appendices and refined chapters. Having read The Dangerous Duty of Delight, this book drew out the principles Piper brought out in that smaller work.

Desiring God was excellent. There is much that can be said since Piper touches on many areas. One particular thing that struck me though, was an excerpt from George Muller on prayer and the Word:

"Formerly, when I rose, I began to pray as soon as possible, and generally spent all my time till breakfast in prayer, or almost all the time. At all events I almost invariably began with prayer. ... But what was the result? I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort. encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began to really to pray."

"I scarcely ever suffer now in this way. For my heart being nourished by the truth, being brought into experimental fellowship with God, I speak to my Father and to my Friend (vile though I am, and unworthy of it!) about the things that He has brought before me in his precious Word." (pp 156-7)

I also like his comments on how no one told him this, in book or in person. Well the cycle of secrecy is broken - what a wonderful insight to break distracted praying and turn it into true prayer!

The Best of Jonathan Edwards Sermons (Audio) - review

Inside of Them
Originally uploaded by Ktsia.

The Best of Jonathan Edwards Sermons is a compilation of three of Jonathan Edwards' sermons on audio. This was one of the free audio books that was given out by ChristianAudio.com. The three sermons are: his farewell sermon (June 1750), Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, and A Divine and Supernatural Light. These sermons are excellent, free, and meant to be listened to versus read. The key is to get in a place where you can listen without distraction.

I will give some brief excerpts from two of the sermons.

His farewell sermon (June 1750) (A caution to pastors)

"Ministers, and the people that have been under their care, must be parted in this world, how well soever they have been united. … It often happens, that those who seem most united, in a little time are most disunited, and at the greatest distance. Thus ministers and people, between whom there has been the greatest mutual regard and strictest union, may not only differ in their judgments, and be alienated in affection, but one may rend from the other, and all relation between them be dissolved. The minister may be removed to a distant place, and they may never have any more to do one with another in this world. But if it be so, there is one meeting more that they must have, and that is in the last great day of accounts."


Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

"The subject that very much enrages an arbitary prince, is liable to suffer the most extreme torments, that human art can invent or human power can inflict. But the greatest earthly potentates, in their greatest majesty and strength, and when clothed in their greatest terrors, are but feeble despicable worms of the dust, in comparison of the great and almighty Creator and King of heaven and earth: it is but little that they can do, when most enraged, and when they have exerted the utmost of their fury. All the kings of the earth before God are as grasshoppers, they are nothing and less than nothing: both their love and their hatred is to be despised. The wrath of the great King of Kings is as much more terrible than theirs, as his majesty is greater."

Cora Elizabeth Hessel 07.16.07

On July 16th, 2007 at 8:00pm Cora Elizabeth Hessel came to join the rest of us in the world. She was 11 lbs 3oz and 22 inches long.

Carrie had a rough go of it - a long day of labor and pushing only to end in a C-section. But it was all in the Lord's hands and He was gracious to us.

Here are a few pictures from the hospital:







For a few more pictures visit here.

Safely Home - review

Safely Home by Randy Alcorn is a novel about Christianity in China. While it is fiction, Alcorn does say this novel is a composite of actual accounts by and about believers in mainland China.

This was a page-turner of a book, especially at the beginning. Alcorn is able to present a compelling picture by contrasting a so-called American faith with a genuine Chinese faith. The book often had cut scenes to heaven and the unseen spiritual world, which to me were reminiscent of a Frank Peretti novel (but I have only read one of Peretti's books). This was distracting at times (Alcorn isn't afraid to create a robust picture), but these scenes were helpful in showing the need for God's justice. However, I was humbled and driven to follow Christ more fully. Do I really consider all else rubbish when compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord?

I would certainly recommend this book. Now I really want to know more about following Christ in China - so that I can follow Him better in the US. He gives some helpful resources at epm.org. Plus, the royalties of this book go towards helping the persecuted church.

The Treasure Principle - review

The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn is a short book that seeks to demonstrate the joy that there is to be had in giving. In creating a foundation for joy-filled giving, he brings out six Treasure Principle keys.

1) God owns everything. I'm His money manager.
2) My heart always goes where I put God's money.
3) Heaven, not earth, is my home.
4) I should live not for the dot but for the line. (The dot represents our present life on earth while the line is our home in eternity.)
5) Giving is the only antidote to materialism.
6) God prospers me not to raise my standard of living, but to raise my standard of giving.

Alcorn is short, sweet, and to the point in this book. The highlight of the book was his own personal situation where he was sued by a couple of abortion clinics, so he divested himself of all his assets in order to prevent them from using his money to further their practices. At the time of this book, he does not make more than minimum wage, makes no money from his book royalties, and had to resign from the church he worked at to protect them from the lawsuits as well. God used these events to teach him the joy of giving. This book is a worthwhile read.

Above All Earthly Pow'rs - review

Above All Earthly Pow'rs by David Wells is an assessment of what it means to be a follower of Christ and a part of the Church in a postmodern world. This book is the final volume in a trilogy by Wells.

Wells starts by giving us an overview of what 'modern' and 'postmodern' outlooks to the world. He describes the harsh reality of our time: living in a consumer culture, with no truth and with no purpose. Enter Christ into such a world. Wells lays out Christ in a 'spiritual' world, in a meaningless world, in a decentered world. He wisely critiques church methods that are mere cultural adaptions, but gives some missionary direction for the Church.

This book was one of the books we received at the Desiring God Conference. Wells spoke at the conference and, while he may not be the most flamboyant speaker, his passion for Christ is evident. I know that some who read this blog have been po-mo'd to death and another book assessing the culture will have you looking for a bridge. But this book is excellent and the direction and insight Wells gives is quite incredible. Highly recommended - especially for those in ministry.