The Essential Edwards Collection is 50% Off

For the thinkers and theologians: What if you could know the most important theologian in evangelical history?

Or as a pastor or parachurch leader, what if you could know the most important pastor in American history?

Now, at least in some way, you can. Owen Strachan, PhD student at Trinity and professor at Boice College, and Edwards scholar Doug Sweeney have released a five book set called The Essential Edwards Collection. Pastors and lay persons alike are privileged to have this perfect introduction to one of the most influential minds in all of history and a clear window into the heart of a man who deeply loved God and sought to enjoy Him in all aspects of life.

From Tuesday, July 27th until August 2nd, Westminster Books is offering a discount of 50% off the cover price ($44.95), making them $22.50, which is equivalent to getting one book free at the current Amazon price.


Many people don't know this, but Jonathan Edwards did not become a Christian until late into his teen years. Scholars note that although he grew up in the Puritan era, exposed to the church and the gospel of Christ, it was not until age 19 before he had "a sense of the glory of the divine being" while reading 1 Tim. 1:17 over and over again.

Though brilliant beyond his years, Edwards still grappled with many of the same struggles of teenagers these days. Yet when convicted so deeply of his own sin and the magnificent beauty of God's grace through Christ, Edwards was freed by God to explore the countless questions in his heart as well as God's matchless beauty, for pastors, theologians, lay persons, and others have benefited from centuries since.

This essential collection taps into various aspects of Edwards thought and life. Much will be new and uncharted territory for those who have only been exposed to the five minutes Edwards receives in high school American histor reading out-of-context excerpts of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.

My personal favorite is Jonathan Edwards on Beauty, which explores Edwards' meditation on the subject and how we can have a Christian framework for understanding and experiencing the beauty God has planted in His world. Commenting on Edwards words concerning God and beauty, Strachan writes,

Beauty was not a concept one could abstract from God, but was the very essence of God. Thus the realm God created displayed His beauty. Creation derived not from pragmatics, from a mere desire by the Creator to create. Creation existed because God desired to put His glory, His beauty, before a celestial audience.

Other titles include Edwards on the love of God, the good life, true Christianity, and Heaven and Hell. Endorsed by pastors such as John Piper and theologians like D.A. Carson, this Edwards collection is essential in every sense of the term. At 50% off it's both a can't miss and a must buy.

By His Grace.

Blow Up Some of Your Memorial Stones

The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. -Joshua 4:19-20

The Story
This was such a momentous occasion in the life of Israel. In a fashion that resonates with their escape from Egypt, the Israelites were able to cross the Jordan River with the help of God alone who "dried up the waters" so that the entire nation could cross over and into the land He had promised them 40 years earlier. Though much work and fighting still needed to be done, they were finally in their land. The closest contemporary example is the Cubs' finally winning the World Series.

After they all had passed, God commanded Joshua to get a man from each tribe - twelve in all - to gather twelve stones "from here out of the midst of the Jordan" (v. 3). Once they had done this, they took those stones and set them up at Gilgal. These twelve stones were a memorial for the people of Israel forever (v. 7). It was for that generation and all the generations to follow to remind them what God had done and to ensure that they feared the Lord their God forever (vv. 21-24). The purpose was to keep the nation's eyes on God, going beyond mere acknowledgment of a past event, but to actually evoke an sincere, sober response toward Him. This was the first, and most prominent, of seven such stone memorials established throughout the book of Joshua (7:26; 8:28-29; 8:30-32; 10:27; 22:34; 24:26-27).

My Own Stone Memorials
My first reaction was awe and excitement because I got a great idea, which doesn't happen too often. Though I don't have kids yet...well I don't even have a wife yet...or a girlfriend (minor details), I thought how amazing it would be to go back to places in my life where the Lord has worked so mightily and place my own stones there. I could go back to the church near Tampa where I heard the gospel for the first time when I was 11 and put a stone there. I could go back to the University of Florida and place a stone where I knew God was speaking to me so powerfully with the simple words, "help people." I could go back to my apartment in Italy and place a stone where God had brought me to a place of repentance and biblical community such as I had never known before, which led to much deeper understanding of the gospel. And then, one day, instead of taking a road trip to Canton or Springfield or Cooperstown or Disneyland, I could take my children on the "stone memorial tour" and show them the story of my life through the Lens of the Triune God's work in it. It's amazing in my head now, but by that point in my life my kids may ask why I didn't just show them pictures or a hologram of these places.

Stones in the Wrong Places
Something strange happened just the day after I came up with this idea. I was slapped in the face by reality, sin, and the fallen world we live in. I realized something I had never really thought of before. I have spent much of my life putting stones in the wrong places. Honestly, when times get difficult, metaphorically speaking, instead of going back to all those stones where I can recall and rejoice in God's work in my life to lead me back to a healthy fear of him, I go to the stones where I've experienced painful rejection and loss, utter discouragement and abandonment. I go to those stones and I sit there, resting by them, taking in those moments that have passed years ago, but haunt me to this day and affect the man that I am. These stones are not there to remember what God has done and the purpose for which I exist; they are there out of bitterness, a lack of forgiveness, anger and self-pity.

And I know I'm not the only one. Many people, though they wouldn't word it this way, have lodged these destructive memorial stones so deeply into their minds and hearts, smoothing them out over the years to make them as comfortable and "nice" as they can be as they try to rest near restless places.

Blow Them Up
I think everyone has a memorial stone or two that's in the wrong place. On the day that I realized this I began praying that God would blow them to pieces. I began praying for their complete destruction, knowing that if they remained they could destroy me. I am the first to admit that those experiences in my life helped shape who I am and I firmly believe in a sovereign God whose guiding hand is present even in the most difficult of circumstances. But unlike the twelve stone memorial in Gilgal, mine are not in places of celebration. When I go back to these spots I do not rejoice in what God has done. These places are real, and they are places to pass through. But they are not places I should stop at.

So where are your memorial stones? Which ones have you set up that you would want to take your children to and show in order to tell God's story for your life? Which ones are those that haunt you when you experience your own rejection, loss, discouragement or abandonment? Which are the stones that define your life?

Now that I think about it more, maybe our children just need to go on the whole journey so they can see the ones that were or need to be blown up and the ones they can rest by with us.

By His Grace.

Which Offering Really Matters?

And when anyone offers a sacrifice of peace offerings to the LORD to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering from the herd or from the flock, to be accepted it must be perfect; there shall be no blemish in it. -Leviticus 22:21

For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. -Hebrews 9:13-14

As part of my read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year plan I must read Leviticus. It seems to me that whenever people talk about not understanding the OT they always say, “I just don’t get Leviticus.” I think that might be the only book of the OT most know about. I know plenty of Christians who have never read it and never really plan to. If the biblical world is foreign then Leviticus is Turkmenistan.

But as I was reading through today I came across Lev. 22:21 and immediately saw one of the countless threads rooted in that book of the Bible that’s woven throughout Scripture. In Leviticus the perfect animal sacrifice is called for. The demand is not for just any animal. It couldn’t be deformed or defected in any way. I can only imagine the “Best in Show” of all animals. This also seems to go against everything our modern minds consider, especially our Darwinian-informed minds. This is a “sacrificing of the fittest.”

What is on view here is the reality that God deserves the very best offering for our sin, the very worst in us. More than that – he demands it. The blood of the sacrifice is what makes peace and purifies us. But even the blood of the very best bulls, goats, rams, etc. could not actually make peace with God for humans (Heb 10:11). The Hebrews passage above shows that what was required for our peace in essence was the blood of the very best human being to ever live, the blood of the God-man, Jesus Christ. Unlike Leviticus, we did not offer up Christ to God; he offered himself! This was his willing sacrifice, unblemished on behalf of all of us who are so severely blemished.

Finally, I’m challenged to ask myself how I may still be trying to offer up meaningless sacrifices attempting to make peace with God when peace has already been made in Christ. It is so easy to feel indebted to God for all that He has done even though I know the debt’s been paid!

So which offering really matters in your life? What, if anything, can we actually bring to God?

By His Grace.

How Do You Get From Herman to Heather?

Reading theology can be one of most fruitful activities I do with my time. I am grateful for how the Word of God is put together by world-class theologians who are able to see the strands in the text I most likely could not see even after 40 years of reading the Bible. When these strands pop out at me I am led to worship God because it exposes a faith so tiny, a sight so short.

Such has been the case while reading Herman Ridderbos' Paul: An Outline of His Theology. A few weeks ago I read of what actually occurs with salvation, how Christ's Cross-work justifies us and reconciles us to God. The depth in which he explains these truths is amazing. What I found particularly beautiful was how he explains Paul's theology in light of a redemptive-historical context. This is why Ridderbos is known so well as one of the great biblical theologians of the 20th centuries.

Yet even as I am edified by his words I also notice what I typed above. I notice that the average Christian has no idea what justification means with its forensic perspective or even reconciliation with its familial perspective. Nor would I really expect any of them to know about the term "redemptive-historical," even though it is so vital for how we put our bibles together. Maybe we should be expecting more for the so-called "average" Christian...

But what I am troubled by more is that the non-Christian has absolutely no idea what I am talking about when I use those terms. Yes, justification and reconciliation are used in our language today, but this is not the case for the average person. Moreover, the terms theologians use carry unique biblical and theological weight, even creating more terms that are helpful to the scholar or pastor, but confusing to nearly everyone else.

I am never more aware of this than when I finish reading a text like Ridderbos and then move to do every day normal person stuff, like going to Panera or getting a haircut. I had just finished reading his section on reconciliation, deeply edified by his explanation of Jesus' gracious work, when I went to the barber shop to chop off the locks. My barber was a woman by the name of Heather (yes, it was a barber shop and not a salon). On top of doing a wonderful job with the hair, Heather and I had a pretty solid conversation. I learned a little of her home life and she learned a little of my life in the city planting a church. There was something inside of me that truly wanted to share with her all God had taught me that morning through my reading of Ridderbos, but I kept wondering how I would actually communicate it. For me, it wasn't merely the terms, but the themes, the Scripture passages, the overall theology of Paul, the storyline of the Bible--all of these were running through my head! I was able to fumble over a little of the theological foundation of our church's vision, but I left most of what was going on through my head out.

Sadly, this is often the case when I have conversations with people who do not think in the same categories I do. This is both the blessing and the curse of seminary. On the one hand, I am learning new categories that provide such a robust view of Scripture. But on the other hand these categories create a specialized language that is kept between a very few. Yes, the lunch conversations at seminary can be insightful, but this is not the type of talk in a barber shop.

I believe the great task of any Christian--from early believer to seasoned theologian or pastor--is to take the unique language of Scripture and theology and make it accessible to those who have not be exposed to any of it without losing the essence of what God is communicating in His Word. I am constantly learning how difficult of a task it really is, especially because I also believe we must retain the clear language of the Bible. This lesson I am learning was reinforced that day. Walking home clean cut I realized that my conversation with Heather provided me a clear question that I will continue to ask myself for the rest of my life whenever I preach, teach or share Scripture at any time:

"How do you get from Herman to Heather?"

By His Grace.

Save Yourself!

And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” -Luke 23:35-39

Three distinct movements. Three different sets of people. Three different mocking accusations. One angry command. One gracious response.

He was who they said he was
The rulers "scoffed."
The soldiers "mocked."
The criminal "railed."

The venom poured out in every word that was spoken. They hissed as they accused him, challenging all that was said about him and all that he had done. They threw the titles out there, wholeheartedly believing that he was not who they said he was.

"If he is the Christ of God, His Chosen One..."
"If you are the King of the Jews..."
"Are you not the Christ?"

Come on, Jesus, if you are who we say you are, then prove it!

"He saved others
let him save himself.
Save yourself!
save yourself
and us."

They knew he wouldn't do it. They knew he couldn't do it. They thought they knew why. They thought it was because he wasn't who they said he was. But their "why" was wrong. He was exactly who they said he was. And more.

We try to save ourselves, but can't
How much are we like the rulers, the soldiers, the criminals? Probably a lot more than we are willing to admit. How often do we hurl up thoughts and prayers that are based on our notion of who Jesus is, a notion that is mixed with both truth and lie. We might get the phrases right, some of the theological foundation may be correct, but as we shout our words to God, they come off as accusations. We cry out "prove yourself to me!" I have had countless conversations with non-believers about this very thing. It boils down to God not doing what they want him to do. They then conclude that he does not exist. The doubting, unbelieving heart wants Jesus to come down off the Cross. And if he did, however miraculous an event it would have been, he would not have been who they said he was. The Christ had to suffer and die (Lk 24:26, 46; Acts 3:8; 17:3).

In our doubts and unbelief we do not want Jesus to be God. We want to be gods. We want to be like him. We want the power to save ourselves. We want to prove that we are worthy of the greatest titles of the world--even if it's our own little world.

"Best dad ever."
"World's greatest preacher."
"Entertainer of the century."
"Most humble person on the face of the earth."
"Savior of the world."

We desperately try to save ourselves, but can't.

He could have saved himself, but didn't try
He was exactly who they said he was. He had the power to save others and he did. He had the power to save himself and he didn't. I am blown away by this. The thought is not profound, but Jesus' action, or rather inaction, is. By his unwillingness to save himself, I am saved. To put it positively, by his willingness to die, I am alive. The criminal's words echo through my head: "Save yourself and us." Little did he know that if Jesus had, all would be destroyed. Jesus proved himself to be exactly who they said he was not by succumbing to their spiteful commands, but by remaining silent, fulfilling the will of His Father.

He could have saved himself, but didn't try. Now, by his grace, I don't have to either.

By His Grace.

Slaughtered With Machetes

Please check out this post from Mike Pohlman of The Gospel Coalition. He begins sharing about the winner of last night's live documentary Oscar, The Cove and moves to point out the tragic events that occurred this weekend in Nigeria.

By His Grace.

Semester in the Seminary of Suffering

Your suffering will show you that the timing of teaching and touching is crucial...When you walk through your own valley of darkness you learn these things. This is your lifelong seminary. If you are called to counsel others, I entreat you, do not begrudge the seminary of suffering. -John Piper

Many factors over the course of the past two months play into the unmistakable truth that I am in a semester in the seminary of suffering. Academically, I just finished an extensive study of 1 Peter in my Greek Exegesis class, where one major theme is suffering. I also recently took an intro to counseling course that exposed me, albeit briefly, to the reality of the vast suffering experienced throughout local churches all over the world. For work, I am helping to prepare a sermon series on suffering. Personally, I have heard several sermons as of late on the theme of suffering and I have begun to explore my life and the painful losses that occurred in my past. Finally, my time in the Word has opened up my eyes to the consistent message of suffering presented after Genesis 3.

However, I’m also learning that we balk at that word in America--suffering. We want to avoid it at all cost. We medicate ourselves with all society offers as means for comfort, security, and safety. Even when we know it is okay to suffer-—whether it be the loss of a loved one, experiencing rejection, being abused or neglected—-we don’t want to embrace the pain and the hurt. Instead I know so many people who just suppress it all, burying it deep within their hearts. But it never actually goes away; it never heals. And if it never gets dealt with it destroys them. They either become violent and angry, bitter at everyone or, and maybe even more frightening, they become numb to life and to God. He or she is a shell of a human being, an illusion of who they once were.

As I journey through this semester in the seminary of suffering, I am realizing that I have sought too long to avoid suffering in my life. Furthermore, my eyes are opening to the plain truth that I know too many people--Christians--like me. We do not have a proper theology of suffering. We do not get trained in a proper theology of suffering that incorporates both the mind and the heart. As a result, we do not know how to minister to others in their suffering, providing trite, cliché, theologically and emotionally hollow answers to questions we're unwilling to wrestle with before the Living, Triune God.

My journey has brought me to several conclusions I wish to develop over the coming weeks and months. The two major ones that constantly come to the surface are here, but I believe there are many more.

1. Suffering in Light of Eternity
"But rejoice insofar as you are sharing Christ’s sufferings, so that you may also be glad and shout for joy when his glory is revealed" (1 Pet 4:13). This verse sums up the tone of the entire letter (1:7, 11, 21; 4:11, 13, 14; 5:1; 5:10). Peter is writing specifically about suffering because of persecution, but the principle of rejoicing in the midst of suffering as we look to Jesus' return can be extended to all areas of life. Moreover, we must realize that each and every person in this world has experienced some level of suffering. Their experience is unique and valuable because they are created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27). C.S. Lewis states it poignantly:

There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations--these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But is is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub and exploit--immortal horrors or everlasting splendors. -C.S. Lewis

In light of eternity, how are we approaching suffering in our lives and the lives of others, both believer and unbeliever?

2. The Language of Lament

We do not need to be taught how to lament. What we need is simply the assurance that we can lament. -Michael Card

Put simply, our theology does not allow for the category of lamenting in our suffering. Somewhere we lost it and I for one grew up in a generation that knew little to nothing about it's place in the Christian's life. Yet we can look to Scripture--more specifically the lives of Job, David, Jeremiah and Jesus--not only to see that lament is possible for us, but that it even produces a stronger dependence on God than ever before.

Have you ever been taught about lamenting? If so, what did you learn? Have you ever seriously lamented? Is this a foreign concept to you?

I plan on expanding each of these a bit further because we have to ask why the necessity for eternity and lamenting is important for a proper theology of suffering and practice of it as we and others in our lives will undoubtedly suffer.

For now I must ask, are you too walking through a semester in the seminary of suffering?

By His Grace.