Many of you know that John MacArthur publishes a lot of books. The man is so prolific that one wonders where to find time to read them, let alone how John writes them. He does receive assistance from an editor, Phil Johnson. Over the years, people have asked precisely how this editorial relationship works. Here is the explanation, along with a helpful introduction to MacArthur's next major book, The Truth War (due in Spring 2007). Excerpt: "The Truth War is going to be a powerful, and very controversial, book....It is without question the most provocative book John MacArthur has written … [Read more...] about John MacArthur Books & Phil Johnson
Prayer and Fasting
I recently finished reading A Hunger for God by John Piper, an older book (1997) that seems as relevant in our day as ever before. God created bread and hunger "so that we would have some idea of what the Son of God is like when he says, 'I am the bread of life' (John 6:35)." And God also made food taste good because He meant for food to be enjoyed as a gift received from His hand. We glorify God by receiving food with gratitude (I Tim 4:1-5). Eating and not-eating are not ultimately essential (Rom 14: 3-6). So why fast? As an intensification of our hunger for all the fullness of God. We … [Read more...] about Prayer and Fasting
African American Church Leadership
Thabiti Anyabwile (an African American converted to Christ out of Islam) persuasively argues that "it's well past time to reform the model of black pastoral leadership at play at the national and local church levels." Anyabwile describes the morphing of Black pastoral leadership from the days of Lemuel Haynes: "Since the earliest days of an independent Black church, Black church pastors have played the role of community leader, organizer, and public intellectual. Historically, those roles were necessarily played by pastors because the church was the one institution controlled by African … [Read more...] about African American Church Leadership
Liberal Christianity — A Dying Breed
In a recent (July 9, 2006) issue of the Los Angeles Times, Charlotte Allen, a Catholic, published a scathing analysis of the moral and doctrinal decline of American mainline evangelical denominations. The Episcopal Church USA and Presbyterians receive the brunt of the attack. An overview: 1. Liberal Christianity was embraced in the 1960s by the leadership of many mainline Protestant denominations as the future of the Christian church. However, each of the denominations who embraced liberal doctrinal positions (e.g., wincing at the exclusivity of Christ) are now in steep demographic … [Read more...] about Liberal Christianity — A Dying Breed
Newsweek, Feminism, and the Disrespect of Women
The June 19, 2006 issue of Newsweek had a periscope called "Managing Mommies" in which Linda Hirshman discussed her book Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World. Hirshman informs stay at home mom's that they "should have work that brings influence, honor, compensation, a way of being political, and a hand in shaping the world around you." It was incredible that Newsweek could be so foolish as to promote such an overt expression of feminism -- and one that, ironically, demeans millions of women who are shaping the next generation and society in many significant ways. Not … [Read more...] about Newsweek, Feminism, and the Disrespect of Women
Anticipated Blog Topics – An Overview
I thought I'd take a moment to give readers an overview of the sort of topics on which I'll be posting. Barring the occasional post when I just write on something that's on my mind, the following are the sorts of topics you can expect to be discussed regularly: 1. Cultural issues impacting marriage and singleness. Such matters overlap with my most recent book, With One Voice (reviewed here), which deals with singleness and the relevance of complementarianism in premarital relationships & deliberations regarding marriage. It also discusses the biblical normality of marriage for adults … [Read more...] about Anticipated Blog Topics – An Overview