tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61566668248001270782024-02-07T09:07:43.510-05:00Baker Book House Church ConnectionA Resource for Christian MinistryLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.comBlogger541125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-60346240367790111202010-08-29T23:50:00.001-04:002010-09-04T23:44:04.166-04:00I'm Moving to WordPressI'm really excited to tell you that I've decided to move this blog to WordPress. You can find the new URL here. Thanks to Paul Adams for all the help he gave to help me make the transition. I've got a little more tweaking to do but I'm very happy with the results. Also, thanks to Jeff from Scripture Zealot for the final push to make the move. If you're a follower of Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-16161148054627106862010-08-28T15:00:00.001-04:002010-08-29T12:41:54.077-04:00Have You Heard of the 17:18 Series?A friend of mine at Reformation Heritage Books recently gave me a copy of something new called a "Journible." It is part of the "17:18 Series" which is based off of the verse in Deuteronomy 17 where the king is commanded to write out a copy of the law. Each Journible is a blank journal with space to write out a book of the Bible. I chose the Gospel of John. I would Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-32377471424187285882010-08-28T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-28T09:00:07.208-04:00Law vs. Gospel: What's the Distinction?A number of years ago I did a book table for a group of Lutheran pastors. I had the pleasure of sharing a table with some of them over dinner and was just sitting back and enjoying the conversation. Rick Warren’s The Purpose Drive Life was reaching its peak in sales and came up in one of the discussions. I remember one of the pastors leaning over to another pastor and said “I’m surprised how manyLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-86853709007603589952010-08-27T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-27T09:00:00.184-04:00Annual Used Book Sale - August 31 - September 11, 2010Our annual used book sale is quickly approaching. From August 31 - September 11 all used books will be 30% off. You don't want to miss it. With more than 90,000 volumes in stock we might just have that book you've been looking for. If you call be sure to mention the sale in order to get the discount. Our toll free number is 1-866-241-6733.
Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-82441444502459227972010-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-26T09:00:02.069-04:00In Store Now - A Place for TruthI've been reading bits and pieces of a new book from IVP called A Place for Truth edited by Dallas Willard and it is very good. Here's the catalog description:
Many today pursue knowledge and even wisdom. But what about truth? In an age that disputes whether truth can be universalized beyond one's own personal experience, it seems quaint to speak of finding truth. But whether in the ivory Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-90833334469917099122010-08-25T09:00:00.011-04:002010-08-25T09:00:04.898-04:00Free Study Notes by Craig Keener on Biblical InterpretationThanks to the Boston Bible Geeks for bringing to our attention the availability of study notes by Craig Keener for a beginner's class he did in Africa on Biblical Interpretation. They are made available through The Pneuma Foundation. The notes are in pdf form and, if printed, come to 88 pages. It is also available in a zip file (link is available at Boston Bible Geeks).&Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-7218499176500079102010-08-24T09:00:00.016-04:002010-08-25T16:29:28.680-04:00"Islamophobic," "Rhetorical McCarthyism" and "Christophobic": When Labels Replace DialogueFrancis Beckwith has written an excellent response to Time magazine's latest issue where it asks if America is Islamophobic. Here's part of what he wrote:
"There is, of course, no actual ailment called 'Islamophobia,' as there is with claustrophobia and arachnophobia. The latter two are diagnosable irrational fears that people acquire for a variety of reasons. The first is a rhetorical Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-62490049140582051802010-08-23T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-23T09:00:06.240-04:00The Wisdom of Don CarsonHere's three great video clips of Don Carson (aka D. A. Carson). I enjoyed all three. I hope you do too.
How do I know God exists? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.
How can God allow suffering and evil in the world? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.
How can God be loving yet send people to hell? from A Passion for Life on Vimeo.Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-20572564646205604202010-08-22T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-22T09:00:02.718-04:00Keeping Your Church Legal With Its ContributionsI subscribe to a monthly newsletter from the Christian Law Association (CLA). In the August issue they had a “Ministry Q & A” which I found very interesting. Here’s what it said:
Q: Why does my church need to put the phrase ‘All donations are non-binding suggestions’ on their giving envelopes?
A: Alerting contributors that their designated offerings are considered by the church to be Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-60769367093540641572010-08-21T09:00:00.004-04:002010-08-21T09:00:03.536-04:00John Dickson on the Spanish Inquisition and the North Ireland ConflictJohn Dickson is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. I just finished Life of Jesus which is due out any day now. In one of the chapters he covers the now common complaint from the New Atheists that Christianity inherently perpetuates violence. He looks at two events in particular: the Spanish Inquisition and the North Ireland conflict. Here’s how he puts it:
“The Spanish Inquisition is Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-70697262493538595512010-08-20T09:00:00.001-04:002010-08-20T09:00:06.850-04:00Translating Words with PunctuationEarlier this week I told you about a book I'm reading on the subject of Bible translation. And God Said is written by a linguist and expert in Hebrew, Dr. Joel Hoffman. Last time we looked at the issue of italics and Hoffman explained how it was not only not necessary but misleading to the reader. This time the issue is how the advancement of punctuation affects translations.
"Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-69361441209543616592010-08-19T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-19T09:00:07.212-04:00Conversations on Being a HereticEver wondered what Brian McLaren believes? You're not alone. Here's a interview between him and Scot McKnight.
Q | Conversations on Being a Heretic from Q Ideas on Vimeo.Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-49615421805416994142010-08-18T09:00:00.003-04:002010-08-18T19:44:16.669-04:00Were There Guards at Jesus’ Tomb?I’ve always been intrigued by Matthew’s account of the guards at the tomb of Jesus (Matthew 27:62-66). In this clip we have an interview by John Ankerberg of William Lane Craig on the issue. It’s interesting that Craig begins by saying this question would probably be “best left out of the program since the vast, vast majority of New Testament scholars would regard Matthew’s guard story as Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-84024286784045500372010-08-17T12:03:00.000-04:002010-08-17T12:03:00.799-04:00Clark Pinnock (1937 - 2010)Noted theologian Clark Pinnock passed away this past Sunday. See here for more details and some thoughtful and endearing comments. We will keep his family and friends in prayer.
Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-18320269573396219392010-08-17T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-17T09:00:00.541-04:00July 2010 Best SellersHere are the top ten best sellers for my department. We'll start with number ten and work up to number one.
#10 - Rage Against God by Peter Hitchens (Zondervan)
#9 - Doctrine: What Christians Should Believe by Mark Driscoll (Crossway)
#8 - Reason for God by Tim Keller (Dutton)
#7 - Jesus: Tthe Only Way to God - Must You Hear the Gospel to be Saved? by John Piper (Baker Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-85992102708760252102010-08-16T09:00:00.003-04:002010-08-16T09:00:00.233-04:00On the Use of Italics in Bible TranslationsI’m reading a book by Joel H. Hoffman called And God Said: How Translations Conceal the Bible’s Original Meaning. Hoffman holds a Ph.D. in linguistics and has served on the faculties of Brandeis University and Hebrew Union College. One of the issues he discusses is the use of italics in translations to indicate words that are not in the original text. This is not a common feature in modern Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-5139423624164871942010-08-15T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-15T09:00:02.242-04:00Be Still and Know That I Am God - What Does it Really Mean?For as long as I can remember I've heard this verse cited with the encouragement that God is telling us to be still and make ourselves aware of who he really is. In that time of "stillness" we will experience God in ways that could not be done apart from being still. I came across this again in something I read recently so I thought I would look up what John Goldingay Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-69332610908008549592010-08-14T15:59:00.000-04:002010-08-14T15:59:58.340-04:00When the Church is All About YouThis may be a parody but there is probably a little bit of truth in it for some churches.
Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-17277871296295839912010-08-12T22:42:00.000-04:002010-08-12T22:42:26.788-04:00Small Group Workshop - ReflectionsToday was our small group workshop and I was very happy with it. We had a little over twenty people attend and they took copious notes which is always good to see. Andrew Rogers presented materials from Zondervan and I highlighted some others from various other publishers. The one that seemed to draw the most attention was a forthcoming Zondervan book by John Dickson calledLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-71236198018893113212010-08-11T21:38:00.000-04:002010-08-11T21:38:28.234-04:00Small Group Workshop TomorrowHere's a final reminder that our Small Group Workshop will be tomorrow in the store at 10:00 a.m. If your a small group leader, member of a small group or are looking for that next study guide to do on your own this could be just what your looking for. We have prepared a packet featuring over 30 of the newest study guides that have come out in the past year and some that are Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-63969754969749182632010-08-09T22:40:00.000-04:002010-08-09T22:40:18.222-04:00Can You Distinguish God From the Devil?: Roger Olson and the Problem with CalvinismRoger E. Olson, a Christian theologian, has recently entered the blog world. Olson describes himself as "theologian of the evangelical Baptist persuasion." But he also is a proud Arminian. So on my maiden voyage to his blog I read his post on "The Problem with Calvinism is . . ." As difficult as this was to read here's part of what he wrote
"Second, I am not a Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-79503914510192855642010-08-08T12:19:00.000-04:002010-08-08T12:19:19.695-04:00Vacation Reading with Terrance TiessenThis past week, while on vacation, I read Who Can Be Saved? By Terrance Tiessen. My week was much more involved with activities than usual so I wasn’t able to finish it. I am almost done with it but not quite. Let me give some general impressions and then I’ll talk about some specifics.
Who Can Be Saved? was published in 2004 and as of then Tiessen had read every one of any significance onLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-77268700658476389132010-08-06T22:47:00.000-04:002010-08-06T22:47:43.986-04:00Baker Publishing Group Acquires Academic Titles from Hendrickson PublishersHere's some exciting news from Baker Publishing Group. Baker has acquired about 300 titles of existing and forthcoming academic titles from Hendrickson. Congratulations to both Baker and Hendrickson. I've seen the list and let me just say that Baker has significantly enhanced it's academic line. I've long admired much of what Hendrickson has produced I'm very excited aboutLouishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-68159484012530773092010-08-05T09:00:00.000-04:002010-08-05T09:00:01.322-04:00Coming Soon from Baker Books - A Visual History of the King James BibleNext year is the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible. Just as we saw last year with John Calvin's 500th birthday we can expect a lot on the King James Bible. Coming in February from Baker Books is A Visual History of the King James Bible by Donald Brake and Shelly Beach. If this sounds familiar to some of you it's because Brake had a previous book Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6156666824800127078.post-1519635388782354602010-08-04T09:00:00.002-04:002010-08-04T09:00:00.102-04:00John Dickson on the New AtheistsIn the following two videos John Dickson provides some important observations about the quality of the scholarship he's seen from some of the New Atheists. His question becomes "If in areas where I can check there scholarship and it proves wrong or they are misrepresenting things then how can I really trust them in other areas?" The first video focuses on minor problems while the Louishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01117735618503943520noreply@blogger.com0