For All It's Worth

A Commentary on Exodus (Kregel Exegetical Library) by Duane A. Garrett With an onslaught of movies coming out covering the first few books of the Bible, our culture is immersed in the stories of the early people of God.  Yet, there is much that is not good and/or misleading about Hollywood’s portrayal of the Pentateuch.  What we need is able scholars to make sense of the Pentateuch.  In steps Duane A. Garrett, Professor of OT Interpretation at SBTS, to provide readers with a clear and commendable commentary on the book of Exodus.  With careful handling of the Hebrew text and an eye toward the theological trajectory of Exodus, Garrett’s commentary is top-notch and not to be missed. With a 130 page Introduction, Duane leads us through such issues as the date of the Exodus, the structure of the entire book and the history of Ancient Egyptian kings to give us a snapshot of the background of Exodus.  Yet, Duane guides us through the historicity...

Paul Tautges over at Books at a Glance has an excellent review of Zach Eswine's new book entitled Spurgeon's Sorrows on depression. http://booksataglance.com/book-reviews/spurgeons-sorrows-realistic-hope-for-those-who-suffer-from-depression-by-zack-eswine

Is Sunday School Destroying Our Kids? How Moralism Suffocates Grace by Samuel C. Williamson With such a provocative title, this little book by Samuel Williamson is sure to interest those who invest their lives in Sunday school and in raising children for the Lord.  The premise of the book is that until we understand the amazing grace of God in every part of the Christian life, our children will succumb to a lethal injection of moralism that will cause much ruin in their lives.  Sam writes in the beginning, “Grace means we are both unworthy of God’s love yet profoundly loved by him nevertheless, both at the same time” (v).  Some preachers tend to focus on the unworthiness of humans, thus squashing any hope of adequately seeing God’s love, whereas some miss the sin part to focus on the love aspect.  Yet, both elements are essential to the gospel message. The problem with many Bible curriculums for kids is that they bring to bear an unbiblical basis...

This weekend on Friday and Saturday our local Presbytery (Mid-America in the EPC) met at Central Presbyterian church for a time of worship, praise, and business on Saturday.  Overall, there was much to thankful for, including the way God is working in the midst of churches in Hannibal, Kansas City, Joplin, and right here in St. Louis.  The dedicated time of prayer where each church shared their own challenges and times of thanks was extraordinary.  Brothers and sisters in Christ met at this gathering from all over Missouri.  Times like these where people are able to laugh, encourage, become vulnerable, and pray with one another really are times of refreshing for the body of Christ. If you are interested in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church, what we believe and who we are visit:    http://www.epc.org/ Here are a few thoughts I had about the time this weekend: The Mighty Work of the Lord Rehabbing, reshaping, removing, and renaming, the Lord...

Roger Olson, theologian and author has some timely and trenchant words on objectivity, critical realism, and the world we live in.  Here are a few quotes from his blog piece: " Unlike many of my contemporaries, whether religious or irreligious, I always assume a very real distinction between what is  objectively real and true  and what is  merely subjectively felt and perceived . I do not claim that the line between them is clearly visible; it often is not. And the “objectively real and true” is often inaccessible to me and to everyone. I admit that there is no “view from nowhere”—a basic axiom of postmodernity. I am a perspectivalist; we all, without exception, observe and interpret reality through a “blik” or “worldview lens.”  However, that does not mean there is no objective reality “out there” and that we have no access to it and cannot talk about it . Let’s take an example from Christian theology: atonement doctrine. I don’t have a dogma about...

Dear Anxiety, The last time we talked you droned on and on about the beauty of black.  Like the wearing of tight fitting pants that appear to make one slimmer, this blackness is supposed to shield me from the outside world.  But isn’t it true that for all your sleek postures, you are an insidious threat to my comfort.  The way you elevate the few things that I enjoy in life and turn them into shields against the tough edges of life makes me ill.  Yet, what would I do without you to coat my insecurity with false hope? The unknowingness of life zaps the confidence I have in relationships at times.  One husband, one father dies in a gruesome wreck, what will happen next?  Will many die upon that same road?  The shock of feeling unable to help but feeling overwhelmed at the pain is raw and acute.  Yet, what am I to do with the razor sharp anxiousness of the unknowing next?  A spiritual pill, a modicum of faith, will this do the trick an...

Flunking Sainthood: A Daily Devotional for the rest of us by Jana Riess The same author of Flunking Sainthood , who tried 12 spiritual practices but failed at all them, comes to us with a similar and yet different book here.  This new book, Flunking Sainthood: a daily devotional for the rest of us is Jana Riess’ quirky wisdom in the midst of Scripture and another author’s wisdom.  What really makes this devotional a treat is Jana’s careful selections from the pen of other authors and her very practical action points at the end of each day.  Although you will find yourself disagreeing and agreeing with some of the selections in the book, this book will push you toward a more satisfying relationship with God and with others. Jana points to the contentment we seek in having our house in order, free of cobwebs all the time.  After quoting from Elizabeth Andrew, Jana writes, “Is it possible for you to find God in the process in creating a welcoming p...

Can I really trust the Bible ?  By Barry Cooper This little booklet on the trustworthiness of the Bible is a rich resource devoted toward helping people stand squarely on the Bible as truth.  Barry Cooper, author and speaks, gets into the heart of the issue of the Bible’s reliability by looking at its contents, what it says about God, and how the canon came about.  This little booklet turns out to be a wise work in discerning the truth of the Bible amidst scholar’s claims that the canon is riddled with errors, inconsistencies, and aberrations. Barry gets started by giving us a picture of God’s world as revelation but seeing in this revelation not a full picture of God’s truth.  The Scriptures from the very beginning claim that they are written by God, just as he claimed also to make the world (14).  Secondly, Jesus rested on the Scriptures, he quoted them, he fulfilled them, and he also speaks to the truthfulness of the Bible’ characters ...