REVIEW: Songs of a Suffering King, by J.V. Fesko

I became acquainted with J.V. Fesko through his work on baptism from a Reformed perspective (Word, Water, & Spirit, Reformation Heritage Books, 2010). As I began working through that monograph, I could tell I had come across a man who was a rigorous theologian, careful biblical exegete, and a pastor at heart. Since then, I have read several of Dr. Fesko’s books and have never failed to come away edified and challenged to dig more deeply into the Holy Scriptures.

Dr. Fesko’s most recent offering is a short book on the first 8 psalms entitled, Songs of a Suffering King: The Grand Christ Hymn of Psalms 1-8 (Reformation Heritage Books, 2014). As one would expect, from the outset, the book is characterized by careful biblical exposition, a steady focus on the centrality of the person and work of Christ in biblical interpretation, and a pastoral emphasis on sanctification through savoring Christ Jesus.

After a brief introduction which covers the ordering and overall structure of the Psalter as well as a brief rationale for the Christ-centered interpretation of the Psalms, the book is divided into 8 brief chapters addressing each psalm respectively. While the chapters are brief, and read quite devotionally, they don’t fail to provide a good deal of information pertaining to historical and literary context, a clear explanation of how the Psalm relates to the person and work of Christ, and a brief, yet powerful application for the reader. The chapters also end with a metrical version of the psalm for signing and questions for further study. Given the style, structure, and substance of the book it would be an excellent resource for personal or group study (high school through adult).

As I read through Dr. Fesko’s devotional commentary on Psalms 1-8, I quickly realized that—really—I was reading a book about Jesus. The Christ-connections that Dr. Fesko made, especially in chapter 1, identifying Christ at the true Righteous Man of Psalm 1, brought a significant amount of insight and perspective to my reading of the Psalms that I had not seen before. It certainly minimized the tendency I had developed to read Psalm 1 (and others for that matter) as a mere moral imperative. In doing so, I was able to see that, just as Jesus taught in John 15:4-5, apart from resting in him as the true Righteous Man, I am hopeless to fruitfully grow in the instruction of Psalm 1.

As Dr. Fesko worked through these Psalms, I got the sense that he was not forcing a Christ-centered hermeneutic as will inevitably be the critique of some. Rather, he demonstrated that the Psalms “provide a divinely inspired window into the heart of Christ” (8). It is clear that Psalms 1-8, while echoing many of the emotions King David felt during his earthly reign, certainly fore-signify the life and ministry of Messiah.

While I could critique the book in several places, simply because I desired thoroughness a bit more, those critiques would be unfair due to the very nature of the book. As stated, this book is largely an expanded devotional study of Psalms 1-8. Yet, don’t let that dissuade you from including it on your bookshelf as a valuable pastoral commentary on Psalms 1-8. As with all of Dr. Fesko’s work, you will greatly benefit in heart and mind from his devoted study and gift of writing. I sincerely recommend it.

*A copy of the book was provided by the publisher, at no charge, for the purpose of review. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Book Details

123 Pages
Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Publication Date: April 2014
ISBN 10: 1601783108
ISBN 13: 9781601783103

BUY NOW at WTSBooks.com – $9.00

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OTHER RESOURCES FROM J.V. FESKO

• REVIEW: Galatians (LCECNT) by J.V. Fesko
• “Talking Galatians” with J.V. Fesko (Interview)
• “J.V. on Baptism”

REVIEW| The Gospel Call & True Conversion, by Paul Washer

When a particular work is accurate in the way it explains the truth, there is something refreshing, something sturdy, something even exhilarating about that particular work. Rather than attempting to win the ears of men through overworked “creativity”, a simple, straightforward, and crystal clear explanation of the gospel in all its weight and glory can edify the soul of a man quite unlike anything else. Without fear of overstatement, I can say that the aforementioned descriptions are true of Paul Washer’s “Recovering the Gospel” series, and in particular, his recent book The Gospel Call and True Conversion (Reformation Heritage Books, 2013).

Washer is a man who understands so well the urgency with which the gospel must be preached that he has no desire to waste his hearer’s time with that which would not further his proclamation of the Good News. In that proclamation, there shines through the heart of a man who is truly a pastor, truly a missionary. Washer has served as a missionary in some exceedingly hostile environments, knowing full well that his life is not his own and that he has been called to proclaim the gospel to the uttermost regions of the earth.

In terms of content, the passion with which Washer communicates rich grace and yet lovingly warns of the reality of false conversion and watered down truth cuts against the grain of many evangelists today. Washer, in his sermons now edited for publication, is concerned that his discourse may be used by God to produce real and lasting fruit, not simply a large following. In reading it, you will encounter a prophetic boldness that is uncommon of many writers today.

The book, divided into three sections, examines:

• The Gospel Call
• New Hearts and the Nature of True Conversion
• New People and the Nature of True Conversion

In each section, and in fact on every page, the reader will find footnotes loaded with Scriptural references that have not been cited as mere prooftexts, but have carefully been selected because of the way in which they support each assertion after careful examination. I find in Washer a rare mix of rigorous textual study and the ability to communicate in profoundly clear terms.

Whether you are a new believer or someone who has walked with the Lord for many years, you will be discipled through the writings of Washer. You will be stirred with passion for the grace of God displayed in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And, you will be graciously convicted toward holiness to the praise of God’s glorious grace. That being said, I not only strongly recommend The Gospel Call and True Conversion, but all of Paul Washer’s work as well.

*A copy of the book was provided by the publisher, at no charge, for the purpose of review. I was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

Purchase The Gospel Call & True Conversion | Amazon.com | Reformation Heritage Books

REVIEW | “Prepared by Grace, For Grace” by Beeke and Smalley

I appreciate books that seek to clarify misunderstanding and misconception. So often, in the biblical-theological world and otherwise, the proverbial pendulum is swung to the far right or left and a valuable topic and/or perspective is terribly misconstrued, or even lost, in the process. The matter of “preparatory grace” is no stranger to the aforementioned. In their new volume, Prepared by Grace, for Grace: The Puritans on God’s Ordinary Way of Leading Sinners to Christ (Reformation Heritage Books, 2013), Joel R. Beeke and Paul M. Smalley offer a thorough look at this important subject among an array of Reformed and Puritan theologians.

Table of Contents:

Introduction: The Question of Preparationism

1. Preparation and Modern Scholarship
2. Precedents to Puritan Preparation: Augustine to Calvin
3. Preparation and Early English Puritans: Perkins, Sibbes, and Preston
4. Preparation for Conversion: William Ames
5. Preparation in Early New England (I): Thomas Hooker
6. Preparation in Early New England (II): Shepard and Pemble
7. Preparation and the Antinomian Controversy: John Cotton
8. Preparation at the Pinnacle of Puritanism: Westminster, Burroughs, and Guthrie
9. Preparation under a Scholastic Lens: Norton
10. Preparation and Later Puritan Critiques: Goodwin and Firmin
11. Later Puritan Preparation: Flavel and Bunyan
12. Jonathan Edwards and Seeking God
13. Continental Reformed Perspectives: Zwingli to Witsius
14. The Grace of Preparation for Faith

Appendix: William Ames’s Theological Disputation on Preparation

I must say at the outset that which is duly noted by Sinclair Ferguson in the foreword, that the authors examining the topic at hand may be characterized as both meticulous scholar and gifted pastor.  Thus their writing is not only academically thorough, but also readable and edifying.

In terms of the book’s content and structure, Beeke and Smalley begin with a chapter entitled “The Question of Preparation.” This chapter lays the groundwork of defining terms and paving the way for the remainder of the book. In their foundational chapter, the authors note that their study will be conducted from the perspective of those that believe firmly that “a righteous and holy God saves sinners “by grace through faith” (Eph. 2:8)” (p. 1). Thus, the book is designed to address the question of “how God ordinarily brings sinners to the point of trusting in Christ alone for salvation” (p. 1).  Being a work that examines God’s work in saving sinners, the authors are careful to avoid the terms of “preparationism” or “preparationist” so as to not confuse their subject with those that would argue for the notion that the human being prepares himself for God’s saving activity.

The book then moves through Puritan history making mention of a handful of Puritans who both advocated and critiqued certain aspects of “preparatory grace”.  Notably, the authors deal with Augustine and Calvin who held a high view of God’s sovereignty in salvation and how they understood preparatory grace. Additionally, in terms of the Puritan figures who posited a sort of separation from sin via human effort, prior to salvation, the authors expose their errors.

For me, while this book is thoroughly readable, for many, much of the content may be quite tedious to work through. The highlights would be the chapters on Calvin/Augustine and particularly “Jonathan Edwards and Seeking God”.  The final chapter that summarizes the book’s findings is immensely helpful as well.  The authors note 8 ways in which the doctrine of Puritan preparation is helpful for the believer to consider:

1.) Puritan preparation assists the free offer of the gospel.

2.) Puritan preparation is thoroughly Reformed, not Roman Catholic or Arminian.

3.) Puritan preparation highlights the common work of the Holy Spirit.

4.) Puritan preparation engages sinners with the law but not legalism.

5.) Puritan preparation respects the mystery of regeneration in its timing.

6.) Puritan preparation honors God as Creator and Savior.

7.) Puritan preparation reveals the sufficiency of Christ.

8.) Puritan preparation is biblical.

In sum, the Puritans were those who sought to know the Lord with great fervor. Their desire to understand the way in which a holy God saves sinners was far from casual. Studying the way the Puritans understood God’s saving activity ought to lead the believer to a greater sense of God’s rich grace, a great humility, and a response of praise and worship for God’s immense kindness in revealing His Son to underserving sinners. Whenever I read a book by Joel Beeke, I come away with a greater desire to know God in Christ Jesus with the same depth, ardor and sincerity as the Puritans did. Encountering this book was no exception. I recommend it!

*A copy of the book was provided by the publisher, at no charge, for the purpose of review.  I was under no obligation to offer a positive review.

PRAY FOR YOUR PASTOR OFTEN…ESPECIALLY THIS MORNING.

I was reading through a section of Joanne J. Jung’s Godly Conversation: Rediscovering the Puritan practice of conference (Reformation Heritage Books, 2011).  As she was noting the primacy of the Word preached/proclaimed in the corporate worship service among the Puritans, she cited the words of Richard Baxter on the task the pastor must assume as he brings the Word of God before the congregation.

Jung writes:

Richard Baxter gave perhaps the finest definition of the purpose and position of preaching expressed by the Puritans:

It is no small matter to stand up in the face of a congregation, and deliver a message of salvation or damnation, as from the living God, in the name of our Redeemer.  It is no easy matter to speak so plain, that the ignorant may understand us; and so seriously that the deadest hearts may feel us; and so convincingly, that contradicting cavillers may be silenced.

The sermon carried the weight of being the God-ordained vehicle for salvation and sanctification, serving as the chief means for conversion and growth in godliness. (p. 72)

The responsibility your pastor has before himself today, and each Lord’s Day, is massive!  Pray hard for him.  Seek to encourage him.  Strive to support him as he labors to clearly preach the gospel.  For, “It is no small matter to stand up in the face of a congregation, and deliver a message of salvation or damnation, as from the living God, in the name of our Redeemer” (emphasis mine).

The 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway!

It’s been quite a while since I’ve posted to the blog, and there have been a number of reasons that have contributed to that.  However, I hope in the very near future to begin posting more regularly.

Alright, on to the important stuff.  Bob Hayton and Shaun Tabatt have teamed up with some great sponsors/publishers and put together an amazing string of giveaways.  The 4th Annual 12 Days Before Christmas Book Giveaway is featuring scores of resources from such publishers as Reformation Heritage Books, P & R, New Growth Press, IVP, and many more.

I’m particularly excited about today’s giveaway as it features some outstanding gospel-centered books for children.  Why  does that excite me?  Because, Lord willing, my wife will give birth to our first child on Monday!  So, after you head over to Fundamentally Reformed to enter today’s giveaway, please say a prayer for us as we look forward to Monday!

CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED TO THE GIVEAWAY!

REVIEW: Preaching in the Holy Spirit

“Homiletics.”  What is it?  One educator defined “homiletics” as, “the art and science of saying the same thing that the text of Scripture says. The study of sermon preparation is technically called homiletics.”  At its most basic level, homiletics is the study of the preparation and delivery of a sermon.  Truly, books on the subject of homiletics abound.  While they are undoubtedly helpful to the preacher in his preparation, there is still a vital need for something (or, perhaps, Someone) else to be addressed!  What of the Holy Spirit in relation to homiletics?  

One may spend hours diligently studying the Scriptures, desiring to clearly communicate God’s Word to the gathered church, but without the agency of the Holy Spirit illuminating the text, empowering the preacher, and giving spiritual life to the congregation, the words spoken by the preacher may be no more than a loud gong or a clanging cymbal in the ears of God’s people.  Albert N. Martin, in his book Preaching in the Holy Spirit (Reformation Heritage Books, 2011), has done preachers a great service in zeroing in on “the agency and operations of the Holy Spirit in and on the preacher himself in the very act of preaching” (p. 3).  Brief and pointed, Martin explores, in 67 pages, the agency and operations, indispensable necessity, specific manifestations, and restrained or diminished measure of the person of the Spirit in preaching.

Beginning with “The Agency and Operations of the Spirit in Preaching” Martin seeks “to demonstrate that [the Spirit’s] agency (His active power) and His operations (the effects of that power) are direct and immediate in and on the preacher in the act of preaching” (p. 3).  His brief introductory chapter clearly and concisely establishes 3 fundamental presuppositions about the Spirit’s person and work that will serve as the foundation for the subsequent chapters.  Martin notes that the Holy Spirit is:

1. a person.
2. a divine person. (emphasis mine)
3. a sovereign, divine person. (emphasis mine)

Taking up his study, Martin addresses “The Indispensable Necessity of the Spirit in Preaching.”  Not being relegated to a “fanatical fringe of preachers” the experience and operations of the Holy Spirit in preaching, Martin notes, “are an indispensable necessity for every preacher of the Word of God if his ministry would meet the biblical standard of what preaching ought to be” (p. 7).  Surveying the indispensable necessity of the Holy Spirit in the ministries of Christ and the Apostles, Martin notes the that, in light of 2 Corinthians 2:14-4:18, “to be made a minister of the new covenant is to be a constituted a minister of the Spirit” (p.15).  If the Spirit was necessary for the efficacious nature of the preaching of Christ and the Apostles, we cannot conclude any differently as those who preach the Word upon the foundation of the apostles and Christ, the cornerstone.

Moving forward, Martin examines the “Specific Manifestations of the Spirit in Preaching.”  One of these manifestations is a “heightened sense” of the spiritual realities we aim to preach.  Martin describes this as a “genuine emotional as well as intellectual engagement with the truth you are preparing to preach” (p. 18).  After study, and in the act of preaching itself, Martin says the Spirit manifests himself in giving the preacher an heightened energy, passion, degree of experience regarding the glory of Christ that he would not care if everyone left the building.  Martin says, at times, while preaching the glory of Christ, the preacher’s preaching may become a, “sacred soliloquy about your Savior–an internal rapture in the act of preaching” (p. 20).  Though these descriptions may largely be subjective in nature, Martin summarizes his aim by quoting Whitefield when he said, “I would not for one thousand words preach an unfelt Christ.”  Martin is pointing to the work of the Spirit which manifests itself in an increased passion for, confidence and freedom in, the truth, person, and glory of Christ in the act of preaching.

Regarding the reality which every preacher faces at some point, “The Restrained or Diminished Measure of the Spirit in Preaching” may be experienced for several reasons.  The measure of the Spirit may be “held back” Martin notes for no other reason than, “the reality of the inscrutable and absolute sovereignty of God.” Other restraints may be caused by a disregarding of the necessity of the Spirit, a grieving of the Spirit, a quenching of the Spirit.  Martin says, and I agree, “the Holy Spirit, who is a divine person, generally does not provide gracious and copious measures of His agency and operation where His presence and power are not treasured, earnestly sought, believingly expected, and jealously guarded” (p. 42). 

Martin aptly concludes his work writing, “God has chosen preaching as His grand weapon to dismantle the kingdom of darkness and to establish the kingdom of His dear Son.  But not just any kind of preaching will serve.  God’s grand weapon is preaching with the powerful agency and operation of the Holy Spirit” (p. 67).

Overall, I appreciate the brevity with which Martin takes up his topic.  He provides a much need primer on the agency and operation of the Spirit in and on the preacher in the act of preaching.  I would welcome a volume that addresses the topic in more depth, but that does not take away from the nature of Martin’s work.  Preachers often give themselves to “the what” of preaching, or “the how” of preaching, even perhaps “new and improved methods of communication.”  O, that preachers would give themselves to the Spirit Himself that they would be empowered to preach, with holy power, Christ and him crucified to the glory of God!  Martin’s Preaching in the Holy Spirit is a welcomed voice and a needed work in exhorting preachers to that end.  I recommend it!

Read inside (PDFs): Sample Pages

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Author: Martin, Albert N.
ISBN-13: 9781601781192
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $8.00
PURCHASE at Westminster Bookstore: $6.00 – 25% Off

*The publisher, at no charge, for the purpose of review, provided a copy of this book.  I was under no obligation to write a favorable review.

The Holy Spirit & Preaching Christ

I’m almost finished with Al Martin’s recent book, Preaching in the Holy Spirit (Reformation Heritage Books, 2011).  I came across the following section about 15 pages before the book’s end, and found it insightful, challenging, and worth noting here on my blog.

In Martin’s chapter entitled, “Restrained or Diminished Measure,” he writes of different areas of the preacher’s life and study that could, in some measure, grieve the Spirit, stifling his powerful work in the act of preaching.  Martin writes, “The Holy Spirit is grieved when there is an insufficient measure of preaching Christ in our sermonic endeavors” (p. 49).

Noting that it is the Spirit’s delight, “To make the person and work of Christ understood, cherished, and believingly embraced in the hearts of men,” Martin offers the following questions to aid in evaluating whether one’s sermon was centralized on, and saturated with, Christ:

• “Where was the person and work of Christ in [my] sermon?
• “Have I traced back to Christ, the source of all grace and power for sufficiency to perform the duty, all the duties I have articulated?
• Have I drawn motives for obedience from our hearers’ relationship to Christ?
• Have I traced back to Christ, who is the great fountainhead of all redemptive privilege, the privileges of grace I have expounded?

Martin concludes this section stating, “When we move away from the nerve center of all truth, namely the person and work of the Lord Jesus, we grieve the Spirit of Christ.  While it is neither biblical nor realistic to expect that Christ must be the explicit focus of every sermon we preach, it is biblical and realistic to expect that every sermon we preach will something of the savor of the person and work of Christ” (pp. 51-52, emphasis mine).

Do you make it a regular practice in your preaching and teaching to ensure that Christ be at the center?  How do you go about this?  Or, if you disagree with this emphasis, why?

I’ll be posting a full review of Preaching in the Holy Spirit in the days to come.

BOOK INFO:

Read inside (PDFs): Sample Pages

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Author: Martin, Albert N.
ISBN-13: 9781601781192
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $8.00
BUY NOW at Westminster Bookstore: $6.00 – 25% Off

Toward Prayerful Praying: A Review of Taking Hold of God

“Prayerful praying.”  Far from a mere redundancy, it is what Joel Beeke and Brian Najapfour hope to encourage within the body of Christ through the devout prayer lives of the Reformers and the Puritans in, Taking Hold of God: Reformed and Puritan Perspectives on Prayer (Reformation Heritage Books, 2011).  Taking Hold of God compiles some of the richest theological meditations on prayer from Luther, Calvin, Edwards, Knox, Henry, and other “giants of the faith” within the Reformed and Puritan traditions. Beeke, Najapfour, and others have sifted through the weighty primary sources to leave the reader with the pure gold and potent perspectives of these men for whom “prayer was a priority.”  Beeke notes:

These giants of church history dwarf us in true prayer.  Is that because they were more educated, were less distracted by cares and duties, or lived in more pious times?  No; undoubtedly, what most separates them from us in is that prayer was their priority; they devoted considerable time and energy to it.  They were prayerful men who knew how to take hold of God in prayer (Isa. 64:7) [p. 224].

Focusing in on the theologies of prayer among 9 influential Purtians and Reformers (along with the aforementioned, also include: Perkins, Burgess, Bunyan, Boston), together with some additional men along the way, Beeke and Najapfour aim to guide the reader in allowing this treasure of theology, practice, and experience to make our prayer lives “more informed, more extensive, more fervent, and more effectual” (p. xiii).  I would say that they accomplish their task quite well.  With the amount of significant theology and testimony in each of the essays on prayer, it would be a book the reader would do well to read more than once.

Additionally, Taking Hold of God aims to develop a robust theology of prayer as it addresses how other theological aspects relate to and inform one’s prayer life and experience.  My favorite bits included Beeke’s chapters on Calvin (Prayer as Communion with God), Matthew Henry (a Practical Method of Daily Prayer), and Thomas Boston (Praying to Our Father), and Prayerful Praying Today.  Also, Peter Beck’s chapter on Jonathan Edwards (Prayer and the Triune God) proved to be edifying and informative as well.

Particularly worth noting within these chapters was Calvin’s perspective on the purpose of prayer in light of the sovereignty of God.  Calvin taught that prayer was “not primarily instituted for God, but rather for man.  Prayer is a means given to man so that he might, by faith, “reach those riches which are laid up for us with the Heavenly Father” (p. 29).  Calvin’s theology of prayer was such that, “Prayer is a way in which believers seek and receive what God has determined to do for them from eternity” (p. 30).

Furthermore, I found Matthew Henry’s remarks on prayer and the importance, practice and purpose of family worship to be convicting and encouraging.  “[Henry] considered family worship as a time for the whole family to come to God in prayer, seeking His blessing, thanking Him for His mercies, and bringing Him fractures in our relationships so He might heal them” (p. 148).

Henry also favored format in daily prayer. Though a Christian can occasionally be caught up with the greatness of God in such a way that methods may hinder, those times are likely quite rare.  Utilizing the Westminster Directory for Public Worship (1645) Henry outlined effective ways to keep prayer focused and substantive so as to “not be ‘rash with our mouth; and let not our heart be hasty to utter any thing before God;’ but let every word be well weighed, because ‘God is in heaven, and we are upon the earth,’ Eccl. 5:2” (p. 154).  Beeke includes one such helpful outline from Henry on adoration within our prayers.

As well, within Beeke’s chapter on Thomas Boston, Boston’s theology of prayer in light of the doctrine of adoption and the Trinity was immensely heartening and enlightening.  Boston taught that, “adoption is the foundation of prayer, and prayer is the fruition of adoption” (p. 161, emphasis mine).  Moreover, in light of Boston’s theology of prayer/adoption, “Prayer is not just a privilege of adoption; it is a sign of the adoption, for it is the fruit of the Spirit of adoption” (p. 168).

All together, Taking Hold of God demonstrates that what seems to have characterized the prayer of these men, and the others within the book, was their focus and dependence upon God’s Word to shape, sustain, and give substance to their prayers to the glory and enjoyment of God.  Beeke fittingly concludes with a chapter aimed at helping the reader practically move in the direction of the Puritans and Reformers so that we, by God’s grace, may achieve a life of “prayerful praying” that “clings with one hand to heaven’s footstool and with the other to Calvary’s cross, stirring itself “to take hold” of God (Isa. 64:7).”

I wholeheartedly commend this book!

BOOK INFORMATION|

Publisher: Reformation Heritage Books
Author: Beeke, Joel; Najapfour, Brian G.
ISBN-13: 9781601781208
Binding: Paperback
List Price: $16.00
BUY NOW at Westminster Bookstore: $12.00 – 25% Off**

CLICK HERE to read sample pages. (PDF)

*The publisher, at no charge, for the purpose of review, provided a copy of this book.  I was under no obligation to write a favorable review.

**Prices subject to change without notice.