God’s Indwelling Presence: Chapter 3 Online

What does the Old Testament have to say about the dwelling of God? Does it indicate that God indwelt members of the old covenant remnant? What about those figures in the OT that we read about having the Spirit? What about passages like Jeremiah 31 (law on the hearts) and Ezekiel 36 (”I will put my Spirit within you”)?

B&H has made the Table of Contents and chapter 3 of God’s Indwelling Presence available on this website. The chapter is titled “Not in but with in the Old Testament.” You can check it out by going to this page, scrolling to the bottom of the page, and clicking “Read a Sample Chapter” (don’t right click and open in a new window or tab, just click it).

Enjoy!

Where Is B&H Going? A Word from the Director of Academic Publishing

Some time back I linked to an interview with Dr. Ray Clendenen at B&H Academic. You can now read a personal, compelling, insightful statement from Ray on what he hopes B&H Academic will provide and why he has those hopes. As some publishing houses seem eager to follow liberal protestantism in the flight from the faith once for all delivered to the saints, this is a very encouraging word.

Romania, Paris, Copper Mountain

If you check this blog regularly, you’ll have noticed that there were no posts through the middle of March. That’s because I was in Romania, then Paris, then Colorado.

My friend Gabriel Ianculovici has posted a video of me preaching at a church plant in Romania with his brother, Chris, translating my English into Romanian. This encouraging church plant has seen 120 people come to faith since the church was planted in the early 1990’s. I also taught at the Baptist Theological Seminary in Bucharest and was heartily encouraged by the brothers there.

Romania is a country that was long abused by communism, but the Lord preserved his people there. We should pray for the Word of God to continue to prosper in Romania.

After Romania, I visited some folks in Paris who are seeking to reach North Africans in that post-Christian place. On the subway in Paris, I listened to this interview with Thabiti Anyabwile on Islam and Muslims. If you know as little about Islam and Muslims as I do, you should avail yourself of this great conversation.

Upon my return to the States, I was blessed by some people obeying 1 Timothy 6:17-19. I won’t steal their reward by revealing their identity, but they blessed my sweet wife and me with an all expense paid ski vacation in Copper Mountain, Colorado. The Lord’s mercy and love through these folks is indescribable.

Powlison on Desire

Justin Taylor is posting important snippets of David Powlison’s book, Seeing with New Eyes.

The first post introduces the lusts of the flesh, and the second explores how the New Testament describes what is wrong with us. You should read these two posts.

This is important material for counseling ourselves and others in the fight of the faith.

The Faithful Preacher

 

The foreword from John Piper is here.

You can browse the table of contents here.

This book is a must read.

Here’s a description, followed by some weighty commendations from the publisher’s website:

The cliché is that those who do not learn from the mistakes of the past are doomed to repeat them. But Thabiti Anyabwile contends that it is not the mistakes we must study; it is the people who have overcome them. So he presents three of the most influential African-American pastors in American history who can teach us what faithful ministry entails.

Lemuel Haynes (1753–1833) reminds pastors that eternity must shape our ministry. Daniel A. Payne (1811–1893) stresses the importance of character and preparation to faithful shepherding. And Francis J. Grimké (1850–1937) provides a vision for engaging the world with the gospel. While they are from the African-American tradition, they, like all true saints, belong to all Christians of every background and era. Distinctive for its use of rare and out-of-print messages, Anaybwile’s work is valuable as a reference as well as a devotional resource.

“Do yourself a favor; read this book, and share it with others.”
Mark Dever, Pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church

“Thabiti Anyabwile introduces us to past African-American voices calling pastors to faithfulness in life and doctrine. This is the kind of book we pastors need.”
C.J. Mahaney, Sovereign Grace Ministries

“Reading The Faithful Preacher is like being introduced to three long-lost spiritual grandfathers and their legacy of pastoral fidelity.”
Ligon Duncan, Senior Minister, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS; Adjunct Professor, Reformed Theological Seminary

“Stories of faithful men of God—puritans of the richest kind. This book is a splendid achievement.”
Derek W. H. Thomas, John E. Richards Professor of Systematic and Practical Theology, Reformed Theological Seminary; Minister of Teaching, First Presbyterian Church, Jackson, MS; Editorial Director, Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals

“As an African-American I welcome this book with great enthusiasm. It reminds the broad evangelical world of the provocative, deeply theological, missional, and culturally engaging tradition of African-American gospel preaching. A must read for all church traditions.”
Anthony Bradley, Assistant Professor of Apologetics and Systematic Theology, Covenant Theological Seminary

“With biblical and historical insight, Thabiti would have us admire and thank God for the labors and lives of three men—clear demonstrations of what the pastoral ministry should be, regardless of race, color, or nationality.”
Anthony Carter, Assistant Pastor of Southwest Christian Fellowship; author of On Being Black and Reformed

“At last a great book that taps the fresh water that flows from the heart of three great African-American preachers of the past! We have much to learn from them.”
Joseph M. Stowell, Teaching Pastor, Harvest Bible Chapel; former President, Moody Bible Institute

Calvin to a Fellow Pastor, and some good sermons on 1 Timothy

When John Calvin was exiled from Geneva in 1538, he wrote back to another Pastor still preaching in Geneva:

Above all, do you seriously consider that you are engaged in the discharge of an office, which, as it excels every other, so it is the most dangerous of all, if you do apply yourself with the utmost diligence and intensity to the duties belonging to it. If you care for my approval, I would forewarn you of this one thing, that I require no more of you than that you devote yourself sincerely and faithfully to the Lord.

From Lester De Koster’s Light for the City: Calvin’s Preaching, Source of Life and Liberty, 14.

1 Timothy has much to say about the church and its pastors, and I commend to you the sermons that Travis Cardwell has preached on Paul’s first letter to Timothy. You can find them here.

Different By Design Audio

You can download some significant addresses on biblical manhood and womanhood from Russ Moore, Lig Duncan, Wayne Grudem, and C. J. Mahaney here. Enjoy!

Are You Ready to Meet God?

John Piper’s account of the last moments of his father, and his response to those moments, is a must read.

HT: JT

With One Voice, by Alex Chediak

Alex Chediak has done a great service for anyone seeking guidance on how to handle singleness, dating, and marriage for the glory of God.

If you’re a parent thinking about how to guide your kids through the dating years or a single person navigating those waters, the one voice of this book speaks with sanity, clarity, and godliness.

The book’s endorsements are here, the author’s blog on the book is here, and Challies’ review is here. This is a short, wise, helpful book. Enjoy!

Prayer of the Month: 2 Corinthians 13:7-9

2 Corinthians 13:7-9 (NAU) Now we pray to God that you do no wrong; not that we ourselves may appear approved, but that you may do what is right, even though we may appear unapproved. 8 For we can do nothing against the truth, but only for the truth. 9 For we rejoice when we ourselves are weak but you are strong; this we also pray for, that you be made complete.