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What is your knowledge of the Bible?

Filed under Bible by Jerry Nelson on July 12, 2011 at 5:53 pm {2 comments}

Bible and Theology Audit

Over the next few weeks we will provide questions from an audit originally prepared by the Ligonier Study Center. There will be Old Testament questions, New Testament questions and theology questions.

The purpose of this closed-Bible exam is to give you an idea of the breadth and depth of your knowledge of the Bible; it is NOT a test of your relationship with Jesus. Some of the questions may be challenging to you but our ultimate intention is to encourage you in the pursuit of lifelong Christian education. Whatever your audit results indicate, consider them positively as a new beginning point from which you can grow in the knowledge and understanding of the faith.

Marriage – God’s School of Sanctification

Filed under Marriage by Jerry Nelson on May 29, 2011 at 2:59 am {no comments}

Long-married love puts the lie to pop-culture’s glorification of “young love.” How often does divorce truncate one of God’s better methods of sanctification? Susan Andrews’ Illusion beautifully describes one of the potential values of a long marriage.

Love is moonlight,

And marriage is daylight,

And none of us stands the exposure too well;

And most of us long to go back to the moonlight –

Dear nights of moonlight that cast such a spell.

Love is starlight

And marriage is sunlight,

Hurting our eyes with the glare and the heat;

And most of us long to go back to the starlight –

Dear silver starlight when love is so sweet.

Love is dreaming,

But marriage is living,

And tolerance teaches a way to be blind;

And daylight and sunlight seem moonlight and starlight –

After the years teach us how to be kind.

Found on p9 in May/June, 2011 TOUCHSTONE

Worth considering:

“They were not making marriage but being made by it…making them fit together, fit to be together.” (Wendell Berry’s Remembering)

Reading List and Bible Study Resources

Filed under Resources by Jerry Nelson on May 21, 2011 at 2:16 pm {no comments}

Dr. Jerry Nelson

Bible Software: I highly recommend “Logos.” Many software packages come with commentaries and other devotional works as part of the package. A reader should note that the other materials are not necessarily theologically sound. Instead of uncritically reading such commentaries, it is probably better to select authors you are more likely to trust.

Word Study Books: I don’t recommend any particular word-study books. Word studies have limited value because the biblical context is the primary source of meaning. (See Scripture/Interpretation books listed below.) Electronic Bible software will allow you to see how specific words are used elsewhere in the Bible (see Bible Software above).

On-line Sites: Monergism.com (The best site I know for commentary on specific biblical passages and papers on theology, etc. Desiringgod.org (Many good resources but best known for Piper’s sermons on many passages of Scripture). Cyberhymnal.org or Nethymnal.org (trying to find a song that you almost know the words to). thegospelcoalition.org/resources/topic-index/a/221636# (Excellent resource for articles and commentaries on subjects and Bible texts – these are authors and preachers I largely trust). Biblegateway.com (searchable Bible; some commentaries) Brainyquote.com (When you need to find the source of a quote you almost remember). www.soundliving.org (my website of sermons and articles)

Scholarly authors I trust:

Older: Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, J.C. Ryle, A.W. Pink, John Owens,

Contemporary: D.A. Carson, John Piper, Craig Blomberg, Gordon H. Clark, J.I. Packer, James M. Boice, Timothy Keller

Scholarly Commentary Authors:

OT: Derek Kidner, G.J. Wenham, R. K. Harrison, Tremper Longman III, Bruce Waltke, Alec Motyer

NT: C.S. Keener, Robert A. Guelich, Darrell Bock, D.A. Carson, F.F. Bruce, Doug Moo, P.T. Obrien, W.D. Mounce, Craig Blomberg

There are many devotional commentaries and sermons on selected passages of Scripture. But it is best to begin with a scholarly commentary that specifically addresses the text (usually phrase by phrase). With a good understanding of the text first, then devotional material may assist in thinking of application(s). See www.monergism for excellent aids.

Excellent Bible Introductions (one volume each of NT and OT where each book is summarized: A survey of the Old Testament by Hill and Walton 2009, An Introduction of the New Testament by Carson, Moo and Morris 1992

Theological Reading List

Study Bible: I highly recommend the ESV (English Standard Version) Study Bible as a basic Bible study tool. I think it is superior even to the NIV Study Bible. I don’t recommend the Ryrie or Scofield study Bibles.

Apologetics: When Skeptics Ask: A Handbook on Christian Evidences (Geisler and Brooks), Who Made God and Answers to over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith (Zacharias and Geisler), The Reason for God (Tim Keller)

Atonement/Cross of Christ: The Death of Death in the Death of Christ (Owen) Classic work, worth reading, The Cross of Christ (Stott) More popular work, easier to understand; The Future of Justification (Piper) A defense of penal substitution.

Baptism/Lord’s Supper: Christ, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Vanderzee)

Church: The Church (Edmund Clowney)

Church History: Church History in Plain Language (Shelly) A very good and concise history of the church

Commentaries: Matthew Henry, A commentary on the Whole Bible (Old but the best SINGLE AUTHOR source for a commentary on the whole Bible. Other commentaries should probably not be purchased in sets but book-by-book based on who are the best commentators on that particular book. (See Authors above)

Denominations: Dictionary of Christianity in America (IVP) Best single volume source of explanations of who’s who and what’s what in different denominations and movements in religion in America.

Discipleship: Master Plan of Evangelism (Coleman), The Training of the Twelve (A.B. Bruce) Classic, The Cost of Discipleship (Bonhoeffer), Desiring God (Piper)

Doctrine: Systematic Theology by Wayne Grudem, Doctrine by Mark Driscoll and Gerry Breshears

End Times: The Blessed Hope (G.E. Ladd)

Evangelism: Words to the Winners of Souls (Bonar), The Insider (Peterson/Shamy), Mere Christianity (Lewis), Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Packer)

False Religions/World views: The Universe Next Door 2004 ed. (Sire)

Leadership: The Call (Guinness), Spiritual Leadership (Blackaby)

Men/Women: Recovering Biblical Manhood & Womanhood (Piper/Grudem)

Ministry: Five Smooth Stones; Working the Angles; Under the Unpredictable Plant (Trilogy by Eugene Peterson), Brothers We are Not Professionals (Piper), The Unnecessary Pastor (Dawn/Peterson), The Reformed (“Revived”) Pastor (Baxter)

Missions: Let the Nations Be Glad (Piper), Missionary Methods – St Paul’s or Ours (Roland Allen), The Spontaneous Expansion of the Church (Roland Allen)

Prayer: Prayer (J.I. Packer), Daring to Draw Near (White)

Scripture/Interpretation: How to Read the Bible for all it’s Worth (Fee and Stuart), Introduction to Biblical Interpretation (Klein, Blomberg, Hubbard), Knowing Scripture (Sproul)

Speaking: How to Present like a Pro (Aredondo), Biblical Preaching (Robinson), The Supremacy of God in Preaching (Piper), Preach the Word (Ryken &Wilson)

Spiritual Disciplines: The Spirit of the Disciplines (Willard), Celebration of Discipline (Richard Foster), Conformed to His Image (Ken Boa)

Spirituality: A Quest for Holiness (Packer), Holiness (J.C. Ryle ), Disciplines of a Godly Man (Hughes)

Theology: Evangelical Dictionary of Theology (Elwell) Best single volume source of short explanations of theological themes, The Christian Life (Ferguson) a Basic primer in theology.,Doctrine by Driscoll and Breshears, Systematic Theology – An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Grudem), Does God Exist – the Great Debate (Moreland and Neilson), The Supremacy of Jesus (Stephen Neil), Knowing God (Packer), The Holy Spirit (Ferguson)

Worship: In Search of Wonder (Anderson), A Royal Waste of Time (Dawn), Unceasing Worship (Best), Proclamation and Praise (Ron Mann), Christ-Centered Worship by Bryan Chapell, Many more articles on www.soundliving.org

Pacifiers and Trust

Filed under Trust, Uncategorized by Jerry Nelson on May 10, 2011 at 6:12 pm {5 comments}

Pacifiers and Trust

Stephanie Nelson Graybill

I need to take away my daughter’s pacifiers. She’s 3 years old now and still wants those nasty, rubbery things when she goes to bed. The color is even changing to a strange orange-like color, confirming to me that the pacifiers need to go.

She used to have 4. She’d suck on one while holding the other 3 in her little hands. With her pacifier, she settles down to sleep with her blankies. Without them, we’ve had many nights searching the house for the lost “pashers” as she calls them. I admit we’ve even run to the grocery store at 8 PM for replacement pacifiers. Maybe she’s not the only one addicted to her pacifiers.

A year ago, at her 2-year-old appointment, her doctor told me that the pacifiers needed to go. I resisted since she only used them at nap time and bedtime so it’s not like she walks around all day with a pacifier in her mouth. I mean, let’s leave the girl some comfort, right? But, after her 3-year-old party, I found myself on the floor once more, searching frantically for her lost pacifier, while my daughter stood watching and crying, unwilling to go to bed without it. That was a turning point for me: time for change!

So, this week we are slowly removing the pacifiers. I won’t make her go cold turkey; I’ll get rid of one and after a few days, the last one will disappear, too. As she goes through this process, I know she’ll cry and be uncomfortable and miss her normal routine. She will ask me to please go buy new pacifiers. She will lie in bed, pathetically sad and lonely for her little source of self-soothing. But I plan to be there with her. I will lie in bed with her as she cries, trying to soothe her and reassure her that she will be okay. I will wipe her tears and hold her hand. I will probably need to lie with her for a few days until she falls asleep, just to remind her that she’s okay and that I’m near. I will speak to her gently and remind her that the doctor said this was better for her and her teeth. And, she won’t care about any of that – all she’ll want are her pacifiers. Poor baby. But, I’m still going to do it because I know something she doesn’t. I know this is better for her.

As I laid my plans, I was struck with the reminder that God has these sort of plans laid for me. It’s happened in the past so I can only imagine this is part of my future as well. Right now, God could have plans to remove something I thought I needed or add something to my life that I didn’t know I needed. He is always doing something. And, as He does, He won’t do so with malice or glee or a detached attitude toward my pain or discomfort. He, too, will be close, offer comfort, speak gently to me, hold my hand, let me cry and assure me that He is still in control and, even more importantly to me in those moments, that He loves me and has good for me. Poor me. But, He’s still going to do it because He too knows something I don’t.

My daughter trusts me, even when she doesn’t understand. Oh, may I learn that kind of trust once again.

A Mothers’ Day Blessing

Filed under Mothers by Jerry Nelson on May 2, 2011 at 7:47 pm {no comments}

Mothers’ Day Blessing
Dr. Jerry Nelson
www.Soundliving.org

Chinese author Lin Yutang wrote, “Of all the rights of women, the greatest is to be a mother.” Our God has said, “Honor your mother..!”

Today we honor and bless those women who are and who desire to be mothers.

“Almighty and gracious God, we pray to you today for all mothers, who have given life and love; may they may reap the reward of their love; We pray for mothers who have lost a child through death, that you may comfort them and give them hope; We thank you for Christian mothers who have died, knowing they rest in the joy of your presence.

Bless these women, O God, that they may be strengthened as Christian mothers. Let the example of their faith and love shine forth. And grant that their sons and daughters may honor them always with profound respect, love and imitation.

Grant this through Christ our Lord.