Christian Books | A People for His Name

"We're Singing" – An Excellent Christian Guitar Resource

March 1, 2012

I have been teaching guitar for more than seven years. In that time, I have used We’re Singing, 7^th ed. (by the Wilds® Christian Association, Inc.) extensively as a supplemental text in teaching believers how to play the guitar.

Features

198 songs in SATB with lyrics and chords

Capo information for songs originally in keys that are difficult to play on the guitar

An extensive chart of standard chords, including diminished chords, and a chart of other chords

A comprehensive index of songs

Evaluation

This book is geared for use by both piano players and guitarists, and the author(s) have done an excellent job overall in supplying the chords for the songs.

The capo information and chords supplied for the many songs that are originally in harder keys for guitar work well toward making strumming or picking the chords for these songs generally straightforward.

The book provides a good number of simpler songs that are in good keys for guitar (with and without the use of a capo), which allows the beginning student to use it effectively to learn most of the important chords in the common keys (F, C, D, G, A, and E) that are used in guitar music.

This has been the most useful book that I have found for guitarists who want to play Christian songs.

In Christian Books, Music

Carson on the Gospel: "The Gospel is Theological"

January 24, 2012

The gospel is theological. This is a short-hand way of affirming two things. First, as 1 Corinthians 15 repeatedly affirms, God raised Christ Jesus from the dead (e.g. [1]5:15). More broadly, New Testament documents insist that God sent the Son into the world, and the Son obediently went to the cross because this was his Father’s will. It makes no sense to pit the mission of the Son against the sovereign purpose of the Father. If the gospel is centrally Christological, it is no less centrally theological.

—D. A. Carson, <em>The Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:1 — 19)</em>, 3

In Gospel, Quotes, Theology

Seven Times a Day!

January 18, 2012

In Psalm 119:64, the Psalmist communicates his remarkable practice of praising the Lord in a statement that deserves closer attention to what it specifically says:

^KJVSeven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments.

^LXESeven times in a day have I praised thee because of the judgments of thy righteousness.

^NAUSeven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous ordinances.

^NETSeven times a day I praise you because of your just regulations.

^NKJSeven times a day I praise You, Because of Your righteous judgments.

^ESVSeven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.

He thus praised God seven times a day for His Word because of His righteous judgments that it reveals.

An article in the New Open Bible: Study Edition helpfully explains the word used by the Psalmist here:

Judgment (mishpāt, v. 7) is derived from the verb shāphat, “judge” or “govern,” and occurs about four hundred times in the Old Testament, sixteen times in Psalm 119 alone. The general idea is one of justice, or specific ordinances to promote justice. There are many distinct usages of the noun in both secular and religious law. Each specific ordinance of the Pentateuch is called a mishpāt (Lev. 9:16; Deut. 33:21, e.g.).

“The LORD is a God judgment” (Is. 30:18) and “loveth judgment” (Ps. 37:28). His “judgments are a great deep” (Ps. 36:6). Because God is just in His judgments, so should we His people be.”

—The Word of the Lord, 690; bold words are in italics in the original

The Psalmist’s statement thus expresses that he would praise the Lord seven times a day for His righteous judgments, which point to His glory as the righteous Lawgiver and Judge. How often, by contrast, do we praise God in a day for His glorious revelation of His righteous judgments?

Let us praise God, the righteous Lawgiver and Judge, daily for His righteous judgments!

In Exhortation, Interpretation, Quotes

Helpful information about "the Angel of Jehovah" in the OT

January 6, 2012

In a section entitled, The Triunity of the Godhead, Fruchtenbaum, a believing Jewish scholar, brings out some helpful points concerning the OT teaching about the Angel of Jehovah:

The Expression Malach YHVH

The second divine personality is the Angel of Jehovah – but who is He? The Angel of Jehovah is not to be taken as a title, but, following Hebrew grammar, it always functions as a proper name. This individual is always considered distinct from all other angels and is unique. It never appears in the plural. Nowhere in Scripture are the phrases “the angels of Jehovah” or “the angels of the God,” but rather there are three, and only three, different expressions which are used:

the Angel of Jehovah – Malach YHVH, always singular.

the Angel of the God – Malach Ha-Elohim, always singular with the definite article.

the angels of God – Malachei Elohim, plural, and is never used with the definite article.

The third of these expressions is used in general terms of ordinary angels. The first two expressions are both used to describe a very special and distinct individual – the Angel of Jehovah. We can see this in Judges 6:20-21, where the same Person is described first, in verse 20, as “the Angel of the God” and then, in verse 21, as “the Angel of Jehovah.” This is also brought out in Judges chapter 13; in verse 3, there is a reference to “the Angel of Jehovah” and later, in verse 9, this same individual is called “the Angel of the God.”

Consistently, throughout the Hebrew text, there is a distinction made between ordinary angels and this unique Person referred to as both “the Angel of YHVH” and “the Angel of the God.” The Angel of Jehovah is clearly revealed as being different in stature, nature, person and essence from ordinary angels.

—Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum, Messianic Christology: A Study of Old Testament Prophecy Concerning the First Coming of the Messiah, 109-110; bold is in italics in the original

In Biblical Languages, Quotes

"Fifty Hours of Eyewitnesses"

January 2, 2012

“Let’s take the more than 500 witnesses who saw Jesus alive after His death and burial and place them in a courtroom. Do you realize that if each of these 500 people were to testify only six minutes each, including cross-examination, you would have an amazing 50 hours of firsthand eyewitness testimony? Add to this the testimony of many other eyewitnesses and you could well have the largest and most lopsided trial in history.”

—Josh McDowell, The Resurrection Factor, 71-72

In Apologetics, Quotes

"Jesus Outside the New Testament"

November 25, 2011

What are the main lines to emerge in this study of Jesus outside the New Testament? The non-Christian evidence uniformly treats Jesus as a historical person. Most non-Christian authors were not interested in the details of his life or teaching, and they saw him through the Christianity they knew. They provide a small but certain corroboration of certain New Testament historical traditions on the family background, time of life, ministry, and death of Jesus. They also provide evidence of the content of Christian preaching that is independent of the New Testament. . . . Our study of Jesus outside the New Testament points at the end of the day to Jesus inside the New Testament.

–Robert E. Van Voorst, Jesus Outside the New Testament: An Introduction to the Ancient Evidence, 217

In Apologetics, Quotes

"More Like His Justice"

October 18, 2011

This truth of the ultimate triumph of God’s justice has some vital applications for the Christian. Since we will someday stand at the judgment seat of Christ, we must live our lives with a daily sense of accountability to our just God. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 bears more than an incidental similarity to II Corinthians 5:10-11. The passage in Ecclesiastes tells us that the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments, because the Lord is going to judge every overt and covert act—determining what is good and evil. The passage in II Corinthians informs us that what we have done, whether good or bad, will be made manifest at the judgment seat of Christ. Since we know what it is to fear the Lord, we must be serious about proclaiming the truth that God invites people to accept the reconciliation He has already provided in Christ. It is possible for Christians to live selfishly, unconcerned that many around us are headed for an appointment with the God of justice at the judgment of the great white throne (Rev. 20: 11-15). . . . It is our vital task to be ambassadors for Christ, beseeching people to be reconciled to God (v. 20). The justice of God demands that we put away our preoccupation with our own selfish pursuits and labor as witnesses for Christ.

—Randy Jaeggli, “More Like His Justice” in More Like the Master, 147-48.

In Quotes

The Matchless Greatness of the Bible from an Information Science Perspective

October 16, 2011

In his fascinating book, In the Beginning was Information, Werner Gitt “describes a new way of understanding creation and the Bible.” He powerfully argues for the matchless greatness of the Bible from an information science perspective:

— The Bible contains the most important information conceivable. It is divine in essence, and indicates the way to our Father’s house.

— The relevance value of the information of the Bible for every person is r = 1, the highest possible value. It comprises the best advice for this life, and is the only compass that guides us to heaven.

— The information of the Bible is always up-to-date (t = 1). Whereas most scientific publications become outdated after ten years, the Bible can never become outdated.

— We can readily access the information of the Bible (a = 1). It can be obtained all over the world, and the contents are easy to understand.

— The information of the Bible is comprehensive and complete (e = 1).

— No false information is contained in the Bible; it is the only Book of Truth (John 17:17).

— We find the highest semantic density of information in the Bible, as well as the best pragmatic information (commandments, rules of living, and our relationship with God and other people). It comprises the highest possible apobetics, namely an invitation to enter heaven!

— 161; bold text is in italics in the original; (r = relevance; t = timeliness; a = accessibility; e = existence)

Praise God for His goodness in giving us His Word! Let us all read our Bibles with a continuous awe of its matchless greatness.

In Apologetics, Bible reading, Christian Books, Quotes

Excellent Children's Book about Jesus

October 11, 2011

Over the years, I have read a number of children’s books about the Bible. One of the best short books that I have read is Jesus by Dan Larsen, published by Barbour in its series, The Young Reader’s Christian Library (ISBN 1-55748-100-8).

This book has 13 chapters that total 201 pages and a 10-page dictionary for young readers. Every other page is illustrated and has a brief caption at the bottom of the page.

I remember finding the book so captivating on one occasion that I read the entire book through in one sitting. The book vividly and powerfully presents Jesus to the reader in an engaging style suitable for both children and adults.

I have found this work to be an excellent book for young believers and have also used it as an evangelistic tool.

In Christian Books

"A Creative Element in Judgment"

September 25, 2011

Whether through the agency of men or not, Yahweh’s judgment is a process which sifts men. It separates the righteous from the wicked and thus makes the ‘remnant’ to appear. This points us to a creative element in judgment. We must not think of it as merely negative and destructive. It has, it is true, negative and punitive aspects. But what emerges as the result of judgment is, so to speak, all clear again. It is the beloved community, and we cannot imagine how this could possibly appear apart from judgment.

Leon Morris, The Biblical Doctrine of Judgment, 23

In Interpretation, Quotes

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