Review: The Dawning of Indestructible Joy: Daily Readings for Advent

 

John Piper. The Dawning of Indestructible Joy.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, August 31st 2014.  94 pp.

4 out of 5

Free: Desiring God

Purchase: Amazon

Looking for a devotional book on the Advent Season that would make you love Christ more and increase your joy meditating on Christ’s incarnation?  This book is by John Piper will flame your passion for Jesus.  As the subtitle states the book is a “Daily Readings for Advent.”

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Free PDF and Review: Coronavirus and Christ by John Piper

John Piper. Coronavirus and Christ.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, April 28th 2020.  112 pp.

5 out of 5

Free: PDF and other format at Desiring God

Purchase: Amazon

According to the Bible what are the possible things God is doing with the Coronavirus?  In this book by pastor and theologian John Piper the author looks at the issue from a Gospel driven perspective.  Piper is nuanced in the beginning to say that no doubt readers will know more about what will happen with the virus situation than the book is able to capture at the moment he wrote this book; instead Piper is going to focus on God’s work in crisis and also look at the issue of death and suffering from an eternal perspective.  I am grateful that Piper wrote this book.

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Review: What’s the Difference?: Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible

John Piper. What’s the Difference?: Manhood and Womanhood Defined According to the Bible.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, June 29th 2001.  91 pp.

4 out of 5

Purchase: Amazon

The author John Piper is one of the editors along with Wayne Grudem of the massive Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.  In fact this present book was originally written as a chapter for the larger work and while Recovering Biblical Manhood and Womanhood.  While that work is more detailed in providing exegetical support and the reasons for why Piper and company takes the position they take yet Piper published What’s the Difference? as a stand-alone book is to present “a Biblical vision of manhood and womanhood as clearly and concisely as possible, and to leave the comprehensive technical discussion for other publications” (14).  Piper also wrote in chapter one that he wanted to have What’s the Difference? as a “portrayal of the vision that satisfies the head as well as the heart” (16).  In other words Piper’s second purpose is his desire to show how a biblical view of manhood and womanhood is “deeply satisfying gift of grace from a loving God” (16).

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Review: Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas

Nancy Guthrie. Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus: Experiencing the Peace and Promise of Christmas.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway, August 1^st, 2008.  142 pp.

5 out of 5!

First let me say that I have a hard time with devotional books; I prefer heavier theology books since I find most devotionals to be rather shallow.  But I enjoyed this particular collection of devotional readings for the Advent.  So if I enjoyed this book in light of my bias against devotionals, I think that this work might be something worthwhile for others too.

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Video: Piper Responds to the Insider Movement

Our series on “Missions, Culture and Being Biblical” have featured some articles written against the Insider Movement and if you need a short summary of the problem in video form here is a short video by John Piper responding to the Insider Movement:

Even thought it was two years ago it is still good and have been shared around on Twitter again this month.  Speaking of twitter, in light of our series you might also want to check out our Twitter @Domainfortruth where we are tweeting and re-tweeting other resources against the Insider Movement.

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Philippe Paul-Luc Viguier’s Thesis: “A Biblical Theology of the Glory of God”

John Piper had this on his facebook (and I presume this was on his twitter as well):

It was posted in response to Andy Naselli’s post on his blog about Viguier’s Thesis for his Master of Divinity and the definition of God’s Glory.

The glory of God for me is not something easy to define but something I finally felt I had a better handle on as the result of seeing it unfold in Redemptive History as the flow and outworking of the Old and New Testament.

I have asked Andy Naselli where he found the thesis and he said on TREN which is where I typically go to survey what thesis are on there of works of others.  I saw his comment section others have asked the same thing.

Apparently the author of the thesis, Philippe Paul-Luc Viguier, has made the PDF of his thesis available online!

You can download it by clicking HERE.

Thank you Philippe Paul-Luc Viguier for writing this thesis and also for making it available online!

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Update on John Piper’s Transition

Please see the link regarding John Piper’s transition from pastoral ministry.

John Piper

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Book Review: Think by John Piper

Purchase: Amazon

The topic of this book is the relationship of thinking and the Christian life. As the beginning of the book admits, there have been other Christian works on the topic of the relationship of the intellect and the faith, with each having it’s different emphasis (such as the cultural aspect, role of faith and science, etc). This work emphasized more of thinking in terms of reading, and is more driven by biblical exposition and not a defense higher institution learning per se. I enjoyed the fact that the author is a preacher of the Bible first, who also began his career orignally in academic ministry. The author John Piper devotes two semi-biographical chapters to explain his own intellectual Christian life, including a discussion about the influence of Jonathan Edward’s Trinitarian approach to the relationship of the intellect and action. This gives the readers an honest picture of where Piper is coming from. The book is not a textbook on logic but comes across as a book giving a summarized Christian theology of the relationship of the mind to the faith and I would even say with enough devotional flavor. Piper covers the relationship of the mind to coming Christ and also in sanctification, and presents a balanced approach of both/and when it comes to the life of the mind and living faith. Piper underscores the need for the faculty of the mind to be used to treasure Christ, and that just thinking about the things of God is not loving God with all our minds if we don’t end us savoring him. To use an analogy in the book, the intellect provides the wood to stir our passion in loving Jesus. This works also refutes relativism and also dealt with the issue of anti-intellectualism and autonomous intellectualism, with the call to submit all reasoning in the service towards Christ and helping others and ourselves love Jesus more. Good work–readers might find it a treat to read Mark Noll’s preface, and the fact that Piper and Noll were both roomates at one time during the college days in Wheaton. Of course, Noll’s view on things are not views I would totally agree with (especially in terms of his stance on evolution).

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Free John Piper’s “Think” Audio Book, only on October 2011!

Christian Audio is a neat place to purchase Christian audio books.  Each month they give out one free copy of a book.

This month it’s a book by John Piper titled, “Think.”

Here’s a trailer for the book:

Here’s the description from the Christian audio website:

John Piper’s newest book will help Christians think about thinking. Focusing on the life of the mind helps us to know God better, love him more, and care for the world. Along with an emphasis on emotions and the experience of God, we also need to practice careful thinking about God. Piper contends that “thinking is indispensable on the path to passion for God.” So how are we to maintain a healthy balance of mind and heart, thinking and feeling?

Piper urges us to think for the glory of God. He demonstrates from Scripture that glorifying God with our minds and hearts is not either-or, but both-and. Thinking carefully about God fuels passion and affections for God. Likewise, Christ-exalting emotion leads to disciplined thinking.

Readers will be reminded that “the mind serves to know the truth that fuels the fires of the heart.”

Here’s the link to the book HERE.

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Rick Warren: For the Ecumenical Common Good?

Rick Warren said to Piper that he is a Calvinist believer of the Gospel…

And if clothes tells us anything, what he wears on his head show’s his favor of Apostate Judiasm

And what he says shows his Ecumenicalism

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1.) Rick Warren: “I think we have to work together, I think it pleases God we work together…you can work hand with hand without seeing eye to eye” (9:33-9:47)

RESPONSE: “Do not be bound together with ^(AJ)unbelievers; for what ^(AK)partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?Or what ^(AL)harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a ^(AM)believer in common with an ^(AN)unbeliever?” (2nd Corinthians 6:14-15)

2.) Rick Warren: “And I don’t demonize you.  Not all differences have to be demonized.” (10:26-30)

RESPONSE: Note Apostle John’s “demonizing” of Apostate Judiasm: “⁹‘Behold, I will cause those of ^(A)the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie–I will make them ^(B)come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that ^(C)I have loved you” (Revelation 3:9)

3.) Rick Warren: “Every religion, whether it’s Islam, Judaism, Christianity, has been caricaturized many, many, many times falsely.  And I like, I like to start a society for the..ending of stereotyping….that’s all I got to say “(10:32-11:00)

RESPONSE: “Do not be bound together with ^(AJ)unbelievers; for what ^(AK)partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?Or what ^(AL)harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a ^(AM)believer in common with an ^(AN)unbeliever?” (2nd Corinthians 6:14-15)

*********************

See what else you can spot

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Persecution Not Too Far Off

I believe the legalization of homosexual marriage and future laws pushing the homosexual agenda will be the tell-tale signs. Hate speech criteria and freedom of speech restrictions will mark just the beginning.

I thought I’d bookmark what certainly won’t be last hostile attack against the Christian faith:
“Burning Man suspect held in Grace Cathedral arson attempt”
“Another Church Under Attack In San Francisco”

Some good sermons to listen to:

• By John MacArthur
  • “A Nation Abandoned by God” Part 1 Part 2
  • “God’s Word to An Ungodly Society”
    • “Isaiah: A Godly Man in a Nation of Crisis” Part 1 Part 2 Part 3
    • “Warning to An Apostate Nation” Part 1 Part 2
• By John Piper
  • “Discerning the Will of God” Part 1 Part 2 – Concerning Homosexuality and Marriage
• Al Mohler
  • Homosexual “Marriage”: A Tragic Oxymoron–Biblical and Cultural Reflections

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RESOLVED CONFERENCE: NOTES IN PICTURE FORM

THere’s an interesting website with a Brother in the Lord who took notes from this year’s Resolved Conference by illustrating (stick figures!) it here:

http://oscarchu.com/biblenotes/albums.php?albumfolder=./resolved2007

I thought this was a good Gospel presentation (its six pages long):

http://oscarchu.com/biblenotes/albums.php?albumfolder=./resolved2007/01-Pierced%20Hands

Example of the notes can be seen by clicking here:

http://oscarchu.com/biblenotes/resolved2007/01-Pierced%20Hands/image005.jpg

When I preach, I want this guy to take notes!

Quite amusing yet edifying!

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Conference for Children Ministry

Children Desiring God and Bethlem Baptist Church are hosting a conference for leaders of Children’s minstries:

“We have planned a number of seminars designed to provide practical help and encouragement that we trust will benefit parents, teachers, leaders, and all who are invested in ministry to children.”

For full details, check out their website, which includes a PDF brochure and mp3/video by John Piper.

April 26th to 28th, 2007 – Children Desiring God 2007 Conference
Topic: Standing on the Truth: How Great a Salvation
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Speakers: John Piper, Wayne Grudem, C.J. Mahaney, David Michael, and “a number of gifted seminar leaders”

Seminars on date of posting:

• Vision-Driven Children’s Ministry Leadership
• Recruiting & Retaining Volunteers
• Partnering with Parents
• Nursery Ministry & Teaching Toddlers
• Preparing & Teaching Preschool Lessons
• Introduction to CDG Curriculum & Sequence
• Lesson Preparation & Presentation
• Preparing & Leading Application Time
• Leading Children in Worship
• Teaching Youth: Watch Out for Your Method
• Presenting the Gospel to Children
• Theology of Salvation Q&A
• Preparing Children to Hear the Gospel

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Teaching Imputation to Children

Yesterday, DesiringGod.org had an article by John Piper titled, “Teaching Doctrine to a Six-Year-Old.” The article was about teaching the meaning of imputation to Piper’s daughter, Talitha, using a story.

What I really like about John Piper is that he desires to teach the deep and important doctrines of the bible to children, which I noticed listening to some of his sermons on Romans.

This is reflected in Children Desiring God’s, “Philosophy and Distinctives“:

“Depth

We believe that children can handle deep truth at a young age. We want to fill them with solid Bible truth that will give them a foundation to fall back on when they go through deep waters. For this reason, the curriculum continually refers children to the Word of God; Bibles are an essential tool for children studying Children Desiring God curriculum. We believe that the Bible must be taught in depth, yet in a child-friendly, interesting manner. For this reason, much attention has been devoted to the development of creative presentation of essential Bible truths.”

Children Desiring God’s website is mainly a portal to purchase the resources developed and used at Bethelem Baptist Church.

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2007 Desiring God Conferences

On Thursday, I listened to DesiringGod.org’s podcast for January 1st to 3rd. They announced the upcoming conferences for 2007:

February 5th to 7th, 2007 – Annual Pastor’s Conference
Topic: Holiness of God
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Speakers: R. C. Sproul, Thabiti Anyabwile, William Mackenzie, John Piper

April 21st, 2007 – Regional Conference
Topic: Seeing and Savoring Jesus Christ
Location: Portland, Orgeon @ Good Sheperd Community Church
Speaker: John Piper

Septemeber 28th to 30th, 2007 – Desiring God National Conference
Topic: Stand: A Call for the Endurance of the Saints
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Speakers: John MacArthur, Jerry Bridges, Randy Alcorn, Helen Roseveare, and John Piper

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