God usually sends His blessings not singly, but in bunches. Just as His rainbow has many colors, so His grace is manifold. The great privilege of Passover illustrates the variety of blessings all bound up in the blood on the doorposts.

Behind the blood on the doorposts, there was, first of all, safety. The avenging angel would pass by any doors marked with blood. Israel’s firstborn were safe as long as they were behind those doors. Egyptian homes that were not marked with blood on the outside soon saw blood on the inside, as the angel of death claimed their firstborn. But there was safety through the blood.

Behind the blood, there was provision. Israel was not cowering in the corners of their houses, relieved just to be alive. Of all things, they were eating and being nourished. The lamb both saved and supported the people. There was provision behind the blood.

Behind the blood, there was also celebration. God called it “a feast.” The day would be a day of mourning for Egypt, but a day of solemn rejoicing for Israel. The people who had slaved so long without rest would now enjoy a “holy convocation” without any work at all.

Behind the blood, there were families. God chose doorposts for the blood, not chairs or clothes. God appointed a way of salvation that had whole families in view. The children were not left to dig some hole for safety by themselves. The Lord appointed a lamb for every house, and the father protected his family behind the blood in obedience to the Lord’s command.

Behind the blood, there were answers. Clearly, the children would have questioned: “What mean ye by this service?” (v. 26). But, thankfully, behind the blood there were answers. These answers pointed to the Lord, to His grace, and deliverance. “It is the sacrifice of the Lord ’s passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses” (v. 27). The Egyptians had no time for questions, much less answers. All they could say was: “We be all dead men.” It is not surprising, then, that behind the blood there was worship. “The people bowed the head and worshipped” (v. 27). God’s manifold blessings cannot but fill the soul of those who receive them with worship and adoration, as we find it in the Song of Moses and the Lamb: “Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty” (Rev. 15:3).

Are you behind the blood of the Lamb? If so, give thanks to the Lord for all His marvelous works then and now.

- From Milk and Honey

He says:

“Today, I begin a 5-part series interacting with David Murray’s little book, Christians Get Depressed Too, which I have read over the past 8 months not once, not twice, but three times.

Why I Read the Book 3x - The first reading compelled me to make a few immediate, practical changes in my life, the effects of which I wanted time to evaluate, which I did six months later. My second read-through was a closer evaluation of my own faulty thought patterns, which I now understand to be the largest contributor to my occasional struggle with a mild form of depression-anxiety. The third reading was for the purpose of evaluating the accuracy of my previous two assessments toward the goal of writing what I hope is a fair, balanced, and honest review. In this first post, I pass on some of my initial observations. Here’s the plan for the rest of the series:

• 2^nd Post – 5 Possible Factors in Depression
• 3^rd Post – Getting to Know Myself Better (Don’t worry, not morbid navel-gazing, just sanctified common sense.)
• 4^th Post – Cures for Depression and Counsel to Caregivers
• 5^th Post – A Couple Concerns and Unanswered Questions that Remain in My Mind

Read the remainder of this article and others in the series as they are published over the next few days here.

Stanley D. Gale

Somehow there is a myth floating around that when you follow Jesus life has certain tangible perks. When your Father is God and Jesus is the reigning King, you expect that finances won’t be quite as tight, relationships will be easier, and life will be a bit merrier. A little bit of false advertising. Seemingly innocent expectations. But these beliefs are far from innocent. When you expect wine and roses and end up with gruel, your confidence in the Lord wanes. Maybe, you wonder, this relationship with Christ is just a life insurance policy after all. It is good for when you die, but costly for when you live. Life insurance policies are boring, at best. Maybe the Bible has no real-world application.

And what about the many men and women who jettison their faith because they encounter suffering – lots of suffering – and following Christ seems to make absolutely no difference? They have been spared nothing. There is a rule in suffering: the more intense the suffering, the more alone you feel from both other people and the Lord. There are times when life is a painful mess, and if God doesn’t speak to us in the midst of that mess, why bother?

In Ecclesiastes, God speaks into the mess. Ecclesiastes is not about happy thoughts that deny earthly realities. Instead, the Preacher, along with the other voice we hear in Ecclesiastes, open our eyes even wider than normal. They take us to all the hard places. They hear our questions and run further with them until all is laid bare. Every once in a while you might think that Ecclesiastes is written by a dour existentialist, but, somehow, even before you get to the end of the book, you can tell that this examination of life will end in hope and result in more meaning and fullness that we can comprehend.

At the end of Stan’s time with you in Ecclesiastes, you won’t have a formula for wealth, wisdom or beauty, but you will find comfort, hope and meaning as you know your God is worthy of your complete trust.

Endorsement  ‘What do John Bunyan, the Epicurean philosophers, Barack Obama, and all the pop culture icons and materialist idols of our age have in common? The writer of Ecclesiastes, that ancient and sometimes depressing contemplative, knows; and Stan Gale has written an excellent series of reflections on that most timely of Scriptural books. With his usual self-effacing wit and wisdom, Stan takes us behind the curtain of Ecclesiastes and shows us the sense and sensibility, the rhyme and reason, of this anchor of Old Testament wisdom. Truly, as Stan helps us to see, there is nothing new under the sun. But Ecclesiastes, as frustrating, depressing, and dour as it can be, is a book that points us to hope, the only hope that can bring peace and joy to people in every age. Stan Gale masterfully demonstrates how Ecclesiastes turns us away from the vanity of a self-serving, materialistic existence, to the sanity of living all of life to the praise of the glory of God’s grace.’ – T. M. Moore, Dean of the Centurions and Principle of The Fellowship of Ailbe

(1599-1676)

Edward Reynolds, bishop of Norwich, was born in Southampton in 1599. He was educated at Merton College, Oxford, where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1618. He became a fellow in 1620, due to his ability in Greek, debate, and oratory. Later, he received a Master of Arts degree (1624) and a Doctor of Divinity degree (1648) from Cambridge.

Reynolds became a preacher at Lincoln’s Inn, London, and one of the king’s chaplains in 1622. In 1628, he became vicar of All Saints, Northampton; then, in 1631, rector of Braunston, Northamptonshire, where he remained for nearly thirty years. When civil war broke out, he earned a reputation as a voice of moderation willing to accommodate his views on church polity. A Presbyterian by conviction, he nonetheless wanted to maintain the unity of the national church, and argued for a milder form of episcopacy that would accommodate Presbyterian beliefs. He wrote out his convictions in A Sermon Touching the Peace & Edification of the Church (1638).

In 1643, he was appointed to serve as a divine at the Westminster Assembly. Though he spoke little, Reynolds played a
major role in committee work on behalf of the assembly. He was the only divine who was a member of all three major committees for the Confession of Faith: the large committee of nineteen, with four later additions, appointed to set parameters; the drafting committee of seven for the first composition; and the committee of three, with four later additions, for proofing and final editing. More than anyone else, Reynolds provided continuity throughout the twenty-seven months it took to write the Confession.

Reynolds and other Presbyterian conformists became the propagators of a Low Church party, remaining loyal to Puritan
ideals and tolerating dissenters within the Anglican Church. Paul Seaver concludes: “In an age of fierce partisanship his life presents rather an unheroic picture, but the popularity he enjoyed with his London vestrymen suggests that moderation in doctrine and action was regarded as a virtue by many of the laity”.

In 1661, after consulting Calamy, Chalmers, and Baxter, Reynolds accepted the king’s offer of the bishopric of Norwich, a position he retained until his death in 1676. Baxter thought he accepted this position too suddenly, while the historian
Wood attributed it to the political maneuverings of his wife. Whatever the case may be, Reynolds’s acceptance is not inconsistent with his character and his desires for reconciliation. Reynolds died of kidney stones in 1676 while at his bishop’s palace. His wife, Mary, probably the daughter of John Harding, president of Magdalen College, Oxford, survived
him by seven years. They had at least two daughters and one son, Edward, who served nearly forty years as archdeacon of Norfolk.

Reynolds was regarded by his contemporaries as a man of good judgment, a gifted preacher, a scholar of considerable talent, and a clear writer. He authored more than thirty books. Daniel Neal wrote of Reynolds: “He was reckoned one of the most eloquent pulpit men of his age, and a good old Puritan.”

Books By Edward Reynolds

As goes the home, so goes the church, and so goes the nation. Therefore it is of vital importance to us that we, the ministers of the Word, promote family worship in our congregations.

Of course, family worship is not a substitute for other parental responsibilities such as personal prayer, a solid marriage, setting a godly example, and exercising righteous and compassionate discipline in the home. But just as the Word is the foundation of the church (Eph. 2:20), so family worship is the foundation of biblical child-rearing. For in family devotions children regularly hear the sacred words of God from the lips of their own father and mother.

Keep Reading 

Brian G. Najapfour interviews Albert N. Marin about his book Preaching in the Holy Spirit.

1. In the preface of your book, you mention that you were only about 18 years old when you started preaching the gospel (vii). Obviously, at that time you were not yet an ordained preacher of the gospel. How would you then respond to people who say that the ministry of preaching is only for ordained ministers?

It is indeed true that I make reference in the preface of my book to my experience of street preaching when I was not quite yet 18 years of age. However, I did not engage in that act of witness bearing with any thought that I was a proven gift of the ascended Christ to serve within his church as a pastor and teacher. Rather, at the encouragement of some older mature Christian men, I and several others were simply doing what is recorded in Acts chapter 2.

According to Acts 1:12, 14, and Acts 2:1-4, when the Spirit of God came upon the 120 in the upper room, they were “all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak…” This description applies to all 120 – including the women who were in that company. Therefore, when Peter explains to the multitudes what has happened, he directs their attention to the promise in the book of Joel concerning the coming of the Holy Spirit. In that passage we are told that as a result of the coming of the Holy Spirit both “your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.” That is, they would all speak forth the saving truth of God. There is no indication that one needs formal ecclesiastical ordination to engage in this witness bearing to God’s saving action in Christ. Prophesying (preaching) and teaching by women are clearly out of bounds in the context of the gathered church under its God appointed male leadership. However, the kind of witness bearing “to the mighty works of God” recorded in Acts 2, describes a totally different activity and setting. I placed my experience of street preaching at age 18 in the context of this biblical perspective.

Likewise, Acts 8:1 along with Acts 11:19-21 clearly indicates that the “non-ordained believers” who were scattered upon the persecution of Saul of Tarsus, spoke forth the truth of God’s word in all of the places to which they were scattered by God’s providence. It is clear that these “non-ordained preachers” were even instrumental in the establishment of the church in Antioch.

Keep Reading

Robert A. Peterson

Publisher: Crossway

Hardcover, 619

Retail Price: $40.00

RHB Price: $30.00 (You save $10.00)

There are many fine books available on the offices of church leadership. Few, if any, address for a contemporary audience the biblical foundations of the government of the church. But this should be a priority for us, because God emphasizes the government of his church throughout Scripture. Why should we be church members? How do church officers reflect Jesus’ reign over us? Where do the church’s responsibilities begin and end? Where do ours? These, and other important questions, are answered in Guy Prentiss Water’s vital examination of How Jesus Runs the Church. At a time when church authority is treated with contempt, it’s important that we honor God in our churches more than ever.

Author  Guy Prentiss Waters is Associate Professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson MS. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania (B.A., Greek and Latin), Westiminster Theological Seminary (M.Div.), and Duke University (Ph.D. in religion, with concentrations in New Testament, Old Testament, and ancient Judaism). At Duke he studied under Richard B. Hays and E. P. Sanders, two leading expositors of the New Perspectives on Paul. Dr. Waters is the author of Justification and the New Perspective on Paul:A Review and Response.He is an ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church in America. He is also a member of the Society of Biblical Literature and the Institute of Biblical Research

Endorsements “Peterson conducts a full-orbed tour of Christology, particularly highlighting the often neglected role of Christ’s resurrection in our salvation. Peterson writes with a pastor’s heart, as is evident in the biblical fidelity and remarkable clarity that marks this work.” – Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

“Dr. Peterson told me in correspondence, ‘my work is not [systematic theology] as much as laying biblical foundations for systematics.’ Well, people can define terms as they like. But I think Salvation Accomplished by the Son is systematic theology at its very best. It deals with doctrines of systematic theology by bringing them into closest proximity with the biblical texts that justify them. That is the kind of systematics of which we need much more. To explore any question about Jesus’s incarnation, atonement, or resurrection, this is the book to which, after Scripture itself, I would turn first.” – John M. Frame, J. D. Trimble Chair of Systematic Theology and Philosophy, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando

“At the heart of evangelicalism is the simple affirmation ‘Jesus saves.’ Theologian Robert Peterson shows us that this affirmation is both simple enough for a child’s faith and profound enough for a scholar’s erudition. In this sweeping and comprehensive study, Peterson not only unpacks the full scope of Christ’s saving work, from first advent to second; he pastorally applies this to the believer so that the result is not bone-dry theology, but heart-melting doxology. I left this book with a new desire to sing, ‘Jesus saves!’” – Sean Michael Lucas, Senior Minister, The First Presbyterian Church, Hattiesburg, Mississippi

“At the center of Christianity is a crucified and risen Savior—a person, event, and picture so profound and massive, we have the sixty-six books of the Bible to unpack it. In this book, trusted and reliable guide Robert Peterson leads us deep into the rich contours of the atoning work of Christ. This is theology as it’s supposed to be: biblically informed at every turn, historically aware and enriched, culturally engaged, and pastorally presented—all leading us to worship the slain and risen Lamb.” – Stephen J. Nichols, Research Professor of Christianity and Culture, Lancaster Bible College

Anthony Burgess, “a pious, learned, and able scholar, a good disputant, a good tutor, an eminent preacher, a sound and orthodox divine,” was born to the son of a schoolmaster at Watford, Hertfordshire. He entered St. John’s College, Cambridge, in 1623, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1627. He then transferred to Emmanuel College, where he was elected to a fellowship, and earned a Master of Arts degree in 1630.

Burgess joined the Westminster Assembly of Divines, where he became known for his theological astuteness and piety. During his years in London, he preached to Parliament on at least six occasions; these sermons show a thoroughly biblical emphasis, an emphasis on maintaining church discipline, and an abhorrence of antinomian errors. In 1645, he replaced the expelled Thomas Crane as vicar of the Guildhall church of St. Lawrence Jewry, where he established a congregational presbytery. In 1647, he signed the Testimony of the London Presbyterian ministers against the toleration of heresy. Wherever he went, he was esteemed as an eminent preacher as well as a solid divine.

During a fifteen-year span (1646-1661), Burgess wrote at least a dozen books, based mainly on his sermons and lectures. His writings reveal a scholarly acquaintance with Aristotle, Seneca, Augustine, Aquinas, Luther, and Calvin. He made a judicious use of Greek and Latin quotations, while he still reasoned in the plain style of Puritan preaching. In Burgess, cultured scholar and experimental preacher combined to produce astute, warm, devotional writing.

Several of Burgess’s major works have a strong polemic emphasis. His first major treatise, Vindiciae Legis (1646), based on twenty-nine lectures given at Lawrence Jewry, vindicated the Puritan view of the moral law and the covenants of works and grace in opposition to Roman Catholics, Arminians, Socinians, and especially, Antinomians. Two years later,

Burgess was ejected by the Uniformity Act of 1662. He retired to Tamworth, Staffordshire, where he attended the parish church of his friend, Samuel Langley, a godly but conformist minister, until his death in 1664.

Burgess has been seriously underestimated in church history. He is one of only a few of the main Puritan authors who did not have a nineteenth century reprint of their works. Many of his books are worthy of being reprinted today.

Books Authored by Burgess:

Spiritual Refining: The Anatomy of True and False Conversion, Vol. 1

Spiritual Refining: The Anatomy of True and False Conversion, Vol. 2

Dr. Joel R. Beeke

In Parenting by God’s Promises: How to Raise Children in the Covenant of Grace, Dr. Joel R. Beeke explores what this nurture and admonition looks like and offers gems of practical wisdom for parents on topics such as instituting and leading family worship, teaching children, modeling faithful Christian living, and exercising discipline. However, he carefully puts parental responsibilities in their proper perspective and guides mothers and fathers to lean not on their own abilities but to trust more fully in the God who knits children together in the first place. Above all, he affirms, parents must look to the one true God, who promises to provide everything His people need and to bless them and their families.

Prayers of the Bible: Equipping Women to Call on God in Truth 

Susan Hunt

Retail Price $12.99

RHB Price $9.00

“There is nothing more freeing than bowing before the Throne of Grace to present prayers that have been carefully sifted through Scripture. Why? Prayers laced with Scripture and founded on God’s Word enjoy a warm reception from our Father in heaven – such prayers have power and importance. Would you like to be skilled in offering up praises and intercessions that have a welcomed audience with your Maker? Susan Hunt in this remarkable book gives a practical guide to the Christian who desires to bow lower and draw nearer to God in prayer. I happily endorse and heartily recommend Prayers of the Bible.” — Joni Eareckson Tada, Joni and Friends International Disability Center

Gospel Powered Humility

William P. Farley

Retail Price $12.99

RHB Price $9.00

Humility is not a popular concept in our world today. It is seen as weakness in a culture that prizes self-esteem and validation. Unfortunately, these worldly attitudes about humility have leaked into and influenced the church, as well. Far from being weakness, humility is the crucial virtue. Not only is it necessary for conversion and sanctification, but from its soil sprout the fruit of the Spirit. Yet many Christians are unaware of this crucial connection, and do not see the implications of humility in witnessing, counseling, and preaching. Gospel-Powered Humility argues that God has designed the gospel to provoke humility. In this vital book William Farley proves that humility, often the least emphasized virtue, is in reality the chief and most necessary virtue. If humility truly matters, our Christian ministry should aim to not only encourage faith, but to encourage a faith that humbles sinners. Read and learn how much humility does matter . . . and what we can begin to do about it.

See Also:

Prayers of the Bible: Equipping Women to Call on God in Truth (Leader’s Guide) by Susan Hunt

How Jesus Runs the Church by Guy Prentiss Waters (get 5 for $40)

Songs in the Night by Michael A. Milton