Heaven, A Prayer

"O my LORD, may I arrive where means of grace cease and I need more more to fast, pray, weep, watch, be tempted, attend preaching and sacrament; where nothing defiles..." ~ "Heaven Desired," The Valley of Vision

In some previous posts I have mentioned that I was taking a class on worship and our professor, Dr. Derek Thomas, had encouraged us to write out prayers on various subjects so that we can think about how we would lead a congregation in prayer before a sermon. This was not so that we would memorize prayers but so that we would engage in the practice of "studied prayers" and be prepared to pray well before a congregation.

Below is one I wrote about Heaven. I hope you find it helpful, perhaps something you can pray through, and perhaps a blessing to your soul.

Father, we lift our praise to You, who are in heaven. We praise You because sit on Your heavenly throne, high and lifted up, with angels all around You singing “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” From there, the earth is Your footstool and You rule the universe in Your sovereignty. Oh, how we long to see You in heaven, Sovereign Lord. We long to see You face-to-face.

Jesus, we lift our praise to You, the King of Kings seated at the right hand of God the Father. From heaven You rule as King by subduing us to Yourself, ruling and defending us, and restraining and conquering all Your and our enemies. From heaven You minister as Prophet, revealing to us by Your Word and the Holy Spirit, the will of God. From heaven You intercede for us as our High Priest who offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice to satisfy divine justice. Jesus, we long to be with You in heaven and see You in Your glory at the right hand of God the Father.

Here on earth, we are just sojourners, wandering through the wilderness of this life. You, Father, have given us Jesus to be our Prophet, Priest, and King. You have given us the Spirit to unite us to Christ and be our comforter in this life. We thank You for those wonderful gifts. Yet, we long for the day when we stand before You united to Christ in heaven. You have given us the means of grace—prayer, Your Word, and the sacraments—to communicate to us the benefits of our redemption in Christ and to sustain us in this life. We thank You for those wonderful gifts. Yet, we long for the day where the means of grace cease because we will stand before You perfected, with our sinful flesh destroyed. We long for the day when we will not need to fast or pray because we will be in perfect communion with You. We long for the day when we will not need to keep watch or fight temptation because You will have defeated the evil one. We long for the day when we will not be able to sin for You will have made us perfect in Christ. We long for heaven where there is no grief, sorrow, sin, death, tears, frail bodies, damaged minds, broken souls, fleeting pleasures, terrible fears, paralyzing worries, or incompleteness. There, we will be near You and stand in Your presence as the bride of Christ, the body of Christ, and one with Him who is with You. There, we will truly understand the joy of our salvation.

Father, here on earth we know You, but we only know You imperfectly, incompletely, and dimly. Your Word is glorious, reveals who You are and Your will, and we are so thankful for it, yet we want to know You even more. We know in part now but in heaven we will know, even as we have been fully known. In heaven we will see You face-to-face and we long to know You with that intimacy. We long to know You as well as You know us.

Father, help us to be so enthralled with the thought of dwelling with You in heaven that we must tell everyone about what awaits they that repent of their sin and put their faith in Jesus. There are many in this world—friends, neighbors, coworkers, and even family members—who do not know Your love, the sacrifice of Christ, and the joy of relationship with You. They do not know forgiveness, imputed righteousness, and freedom from sin. They cannot look forward to the hope of heaven. And, we confess, Father, that many times we do not love them enough to share the gospel with them. Break our hearts for them, Father, so that we cannot help but share Christ with them. Grant us such joy in Christ that they cannot help but see Him in us. Give us the words to express Your gospel clearly and completely. Send the Holy Spirit to regenerate their hearts and renew their wills, so that they can really understand the depths of their sin, see Jesus as He truly is, understand the gift of salvation in Him (in all its glory), and find Your grace in Him irresistible.

Father, thank You for heaven and the hope of glory that we have in it, and we long to be there with You. We pray all these things in the name of Jesus, who has won access to heaven for us, Amen.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Book Review: "Perspectives on Christian Worship: 5 Views"

In the tradition of many recent works on various controversial topics, Perspectives on Christian Worship: 5 Views is a "debate in a book." How do we worship God properly? That is a big question for which there is much disagreement today. This book seeks to contribute to the debate by allowing five traditions to be heard in their own words and responded to in an orderly way.

Pinson sets the stage for the book in the introduction, where he presents a brief sketch of the history of worship. He makes note of the "tension between the need to remain faithful to the gospel and the Christian tradition while at the same time faithfully communicating that Evangel in a changing and complex cultural milieu that presents mammoth challenges to the continued witness of the Christian church." It is, in general, this tension that each contributor addresses in their essay. Five views on worship are presented by leading pastors/theologians in their various traditions: liturgical (Timothy Quill), traditional evangelical (Ligon Duncan), contemporary (Dan Wilt), blended (Michael Lawrence and Mark Dever), and emerging (Dan Kimball). After the presentation of each view, the other contributors are given a chance to respond to the said view. Below is the conclusion of my review followed by a link to the review:

In conclusion, this book is an excellent introduction and addition to the worship debate. There are a few things we would have liked have seen in it. First, while it is admitted that this book is not a complete coverage of the spectrum of worship traditions, a charismatic view would have been an excellent addition, particularly if the chapter included some information about their view of gifts in worship. Second, we would have liked it if each contributor had been given a chance to do one final response to the rebuttals. Of course, both of the previous desires would have added considerable length to the book and probably more time to its construction, so it may not have been feasible. Third, we would have like some kind of wrap up from the editor—something that would pull major strands together and emphasize points of agreement. A final chapter of this sort could have potentially added to the overall contribution of this book to the worship debate. 

Those who would like to read this book might find it helpful first to read H. Richard Niebuhr’s Christ and Culture. Some of the underlying issues of the debate in this book stem from a theology (conscious or not) of how Christians should engage culture. Niebuhr’s five views would be helpful in thinking about the philosophy that drives a representative’s theology of worship. Of course, that adds a lot of extra reading.  

We would recommend this book for pastors, seminary students, or any other believer who wants to thoughtfully consider their worship of God. The views set forth, while not representing the complete spectrum of Protestant worship theologies, give a great introduction to five of the major theologies of worship extant in the Protestant Church. In addition, the endnotes of each chapter provide an excellent resource for further study on a particular topic, if the reader is so inclined.

You can read the whole review here. 

By His Grace,

Taylor

The Sacraments

In a couple of past posts I have written about baptism and the Lord's Supper. Recently, in a worship class I just finished, I had to write six sacramental homilies, three on baptism and three on the Lord's Supper. Since I have already shared some about each sacrament, I figured I would share these homilies. They are designed to be about three minutes long; for use right before the sacrament is celebrated. With such a short time, they can hardly do the doctrine of each sacrament justice, so each homily focuses on an aspect of the sacrament or explains something in a different way.

Lord's Supper:

• Homily One
• Homily Two
• Homily Three

Baptism:

• Homily One
• Homily Two
• Homily Three

By His Grace,
Taylor

What is "New" about the New Covenant?

"There is perhaps no part of divinity attended with so much intricacy, and wherein orthodox divines so much differ, as the stating the precise agreement and difference between the two dispensations of Moses and Christ." ~ Jonathan Edwards, The Works of Jonathan Edwards (vol. 1, p. 160)

Those who have spent significant time in the Reformed tradition are likely aware of covenant theology and that there are not "two covenants of grace, differing in substance, but one and the same, under various dispensations." (WCF, VII.6)  They would probably be able to tell someone that the Church is under the new covenant, which was ushered in by Christ through His work of redemption. But, if one were to ask them what is "new" about the new covenant, one would probably get many different vague answers. Many would be able to point someone Jeremiah 31 as the Old Testament (OT) prophecy about the new covenant, yet the "newness" of it would probably still be hazy. Christians in the Reformed tradition are often taught that OT saints were redeemed on the basis of Christ’s (future) work of redemption just as present-day saints, yet this teaching often leaves the specific details of the old and new covenants under a cloud of confusion. And, as Edward's says (above), the specifics of the "newness" of the new covenant are hotly debated.

I have written a paper on this subject that, hopefully, will help clear up some of the confusion. I do not want to claim that this paper in any way settles the debate because there are many that would disagree with me. However, it gives my take on the issue, which I believe to biblical. Below is a little bit of the introduction:

The question must be asked, then, "What is 'new' about the new covenant?" A quick survey of the New Testament (NT) use of [Jeremiah 31] will show the importance of this question. At least ten NT passages quote from Jeremiah 31:31-34 directly or allude to it.  It is also the longest section of the OT quoted in the NT,  found in Hebrews 8:8-12 where the author uses it to show that Jesus is the mediator of a better covenant. Christ Himself alludes to it in His institutions of the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 26:28; Mk. 14:24; Lk. 22:20; 1 Co. 11:25). The breadth of the impact of this passage on the NT alone shows the importance of this question. It is this question that the author will attempt to answer in this paper. In this paper, the author will show that the "newness" of the new covenant is not a matter of essence but a matter of degree and form: the old expands in the new through a more substantial administration of salvation, greater fellowship with God, particularity giving way to universality, and shadow and promise giving way to substance and fulfillment. To use the Dutch Reformer Herman Bavinck’s illustration, in the old covenant the fruit was still in the husk but with the new covenant the fruit was ripe and broke through the husk.

You can read the rest of the paper here. I pray that it will not only clear up some confusion you may have on this subject, but bring your heart to praise of God's glorious revelation of Himself and His grace to men in His covenants.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Book Review: "Introduction to Biblical Interpretation"

Most evangelical Christians would agree that Scripture was "given by inspiration of God to be the rule of faith and life."  Most would agree that it is the highest rule of faith and life for the Christian. However, the Scriptures are God’s written Word, which means they have to be read, interpreted, and applied for their rule to be more than just empty talk (not to mention, they must be obeyed). This begs many questions like, "How can one learn what the Bible says?" or "How can we read and interpret the Bible faithfully so we can apply it to our lives?" The challenge of these questions is heightened when we remember that the Bible was written down in three different languages, by many different men, in many different genres, in many different life situations, and over the span of about 1,500 years. How do we understand and apply a message that was not written in our language, culture, or time? The task of interpreting the Bible is a challenging one but one that Christians are called, privileged to take up for "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."  Instructing believers in this task is the goal that Klein, Blomberg, and Hubbard (Denver Seminary professors) have taken up in their work Introduction to Biblical Interpretation. They have combined their years of expertise and experience in Old and New Testament studies to provide concise, logical, and practical guide to biblical interpretation. Below is my conclusion followed by a link to the whole review:

This is an extensive introduction to biblical interpretation that methodically covers all the areas necessary for a good biblical hermeneutic. There are a few reservations we have had about a few specific points (mentioned above) but, for the most part, we believe this book is extremely helpful. It is written in such a way that pastors, seminary students, or any other Christian can comprehend and apply. There are several overarching aspects of this book that we believe make it essential to every Christian’s library. First, the hermeneutic is a very good one. Though, we do believe that it would need to be supplemented by another work that gives proper credence to the light of Christ illuminating the OT.  Second, the book is written in such a way as to make it an excellent reference resource. Each chapter can be read on its own and each section and sub-section is full of good examples that show how to apply what the authors teach. Finally, the book is full of great footnotes that can give the eager reader enough supplementary reading to fill many, many hours of study on all the subjects they present. For these reasons, we highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to get a better understanding of how to interpret Scripture. 

You can read the rest of the review here.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Priorities

"There are only two women in the world: my wife and everyone else. I did not make vows to everyone else." ~ Dr. Bruce Lowe

The other day I was in a professor's office with a couple of other students. We were debriefing from our internships and talking about ministry and the future. One of the things my professor, Dr. Bruce Lowe, wanted to stress to each of us was the importance and priority of our wives. He wanted to make sure our wives came first... always. He said the above and I think he is absolutely right. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen pastors, missionaries, seminary professors, etc. sacrifice their relationship with their wives on the altar of ministry. When challenged on it they might say something like, "I am doing God's work." True, you may be, but if you are putting your call to be a pastor before your call to be a husband, you have your priorities out of order.

When Paul quoted from Genesis 2:24 in Ephesians 5:22-32 (the most famous words about marriage in the Bible), he was making an incredibly radical statement to the first century Christians: your wife is more important than any other earthly relationship in your life. There is no other relationship where the two cleave together and become one flesh, none. Often this passage is pointed to when one is discussing roles in marriage, and it has much to tell us about that, but, role arguments aside, I would like to point out that about two-thirds of these verses are about what the husband does for the wife and they show (for both of them) a commitment which supersedes any other earthly commitment. I would also like to point out that it tells us the Church is the bride of Christ, not the bride of a pastor, missionary, or seminary professor. She has one husband, one Savior, one Head, and His name is Jesus Christ.

By His Grace,
Taylor

Book Review: "The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts?"

"There is no book which addresses the crucial issues revolving around the use of the Old Testament in the New in the manner in which this book does." ~ G. K. Beale, The Right Doctrine from the Wrong Texts?

How do the New Testament (NT) authors use the Old Testament (OT)? Were they faithful to it when they used it? Can we reproduce their methodology? Should we reproduce their methodology? These are some of the big questions in the current hermeneutical debate over the NT use of the OT. Much has been written on the subject but nothing like Beale’s volume of essays. Beale writes, "The purpose of this book is to present various perspectives concerning the hermeneutical issue whether or not Jesus and the apostles quoted Old Testament texts with respect for their broader Old Testament context."  Beale also comments that the perspectives are presented with "no editorial evaluation of the essays. They stand on their own, and the reader has the responsibility of evaluation."  So, he wants to present the topic, the issues, and the different perspectives in an honest fashion so the reader can investigate further and make an informed, convicted choice. Beale does admit that "there is more space devoted to the articles arguing in favor of the New Testament’s contextual approach to the Old… than to the opposing perspective."   He gives three reasons but the main reason is that the majority of NT and OT scholars believe the NT uses the OT without any regard for its original meaning, so the "minority view" is given more time to speak. Below is my conclusion of my review of this book and then a link to the whole review, if you are interested:

This is an excellent work. We greatly appreciate Beale’s effort to present the multiple sides of the issue without adding editorial comments. One could perhaps argue that Beale’s closing article is such a comment but even then, he lets the articles stand on their own. Any student of Scripture would benefit from reading this book, however, many of the articles assume a certain scholastic knowledge that the average Christian does not generally have. That does not mean they could not enjoy this work and get a lot out of it but it does mean they might have to put in extra research while reading it. Whichever side of the argument one lands on, the book is very helpful because it presents both views. One can learn about the view they oppose and, if one is so moved, formulate arguments against the position. Furthermore, the handful of articles that are text-specific are excellent examples of the various views applied to the nuts and bolts of Scripture and provide a great resource for teaching or preaching through these texts. Finally, the bibliography is excellent and provides ten pages worth of resources for further study on various topics. All these things combined make this book a resource worthy of any library, especially the student, scholar, and/or pastor. 

 If you want to read the whole review, you can find it here.

By His Grace,
Taylor