LSB Audio Bible: John 10

Book Review: Daily Doctrine by Kevin DeYoung

Systematic Theology is a subject most Christians do not study because they think it is only for those in seminary. Sadly, there are some pastors that think it as well. There have been many great theological books over the centuries yet most of them are not read because of their length. A lot of them are not for just the layperson in the pew.

Kevin DeYoung has written a book designed for anyone to pick and read about theological subjects in a simple, devotional format titled, Daily Doctrine. The subtitle of the book says, "A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology." One site has it advertised as a 365-day devotional. One thing that must be pointed is this is not a 365-day devotional. It is a 52-week devotional but there are only five entries per week. 

This book brakes down into different theological subjects such as the doctrine of scripture, the works and being of God, the doctrine of man, Christology including His work and the salvation He offers, the doctrine of the church, and eschatology. DeYoung also covers Covenant Theology, which he does from a paedobaptist point of view, which he does briefly address Baptist Covenant Theology in one entry. 

Writing on the subject of Systematic Theology is not an easy take, but to do in a devotional format is quite another. The print for each entry does not take up a lot of pages so that the devotionals are not lengthy so those who are new to Systematic Theology can follow along easily. Granted I think DeYoung could have written more since he did not write 365 entries in what is supposed to be a year-long devotional book. 

As I mentioned earlier, this devotional is from a paedobaptist covenant theological perspective so those who attend a Baptist church and are new believers might be a little confused to when DeYoung discusses infant baptism rather than believer's baptism. There might be some who are not covenantal who might not agree with everything DeYoung has written but might be blessed by the book. 

One thing that might be confusing for former Roman Catholics is why is a Protestant Minister and writer using material from Thomas Aquinas a Roman Catholic theologian and has been called the Angelic Doctor by Rome. Granted some quote Aquinas to critique him, but DeYoung seems to affirm the writings he uses in the devotional. I know DeYoung is part of the Classical Theism movement also known as Scholasticism that seeks to retrieve Aquinas for the Protestant Church, which John Frame has said he those who are part of this movement head to Rome meaning they become Roman Catholic. 

This devotional would be a good introduction to Systematic Theology, but it was lacking in some areas that more could have been written. DeYoung did do a decent job taking Systematic Theology and make into a devotional.

I received this book from Crossway in exchange for an honest review.

LSB Audio Bible: John 9

Don Green: The Gospel of Atonement

LSB Audio Bible: John 8

Voddie Baucham: God's Design for Men and Women

This message is from the Not of This World Conference: 

LSB Audio Bible: John 7

I Have Decided...

I have decided that from this point forward I am a paedo Baptist. That's right. After much debate and the fact that I have discovered Baptists are not reformed, I am making the switch to having babies be baptized. You can imagine how this conversation went with my wife and my children whom I have baptized. I am officially leaving my Baptist roots behind to the Presbyterian church where hymns are sung, and the preacher might be wearing a robe. Yes, wearing a robe is for preaching. not just for taking after taking a bath. This also means I am truly reformed, and hope R. Scott Clark unblocks me on X so he can rejoice in my conversion and when the Nebraska Cornhuskers return to glory in the College Football world. 

I have also decided after much that Thomas Aquinas is totally misunderstood and that everyone needs to chill out including myself. Yes, he is the angelic doctor, but he means well. He might be wrong about justification, but at least he has the Trinity right. This also means I get to have my place at the seat of the table with those I once considered as intellectual snobs. What a great tradition I have just embraced. This gives me hope that Matthew Barrett will unblock me on X so we can rejoice when the Kansas City Chiefs continue to dominate the NFL with the assistance of the officials all for the love of the Swifties in the world.

I have also decided to put my foot down and have my wife and daughter wear a head covering. Not only this is directly from a passage of scripture that is about headship more than covering, I believe that all women should. I mean feminism is out of control, right? Not to mention, my wife will look cute in one and there might be some boy that want to court my daughter after my blessing followed by an intense integration from me. 

I have also decided to ditch my days of Amillennialism and embrace the view of Postmillennialism. Yes, this means that the world will get better including Wal-Mart bathrooms and ice cream machines at MacDonald's will work all the time in accordance with prophecy. You know what I have just decided as I write this? I have decided that I should start a church with postmil views, woman wear head coverings and may even wear a clerical collar to show this town that I have authority because I am the best we got. Joel Webbon, eat your heart out. 

I have also decided that I have been wrong about the age of the earth. We have been around for millions of years rather than thousands of years and the flood of Noah was actually a local flood rather than a local flood so I can be a better witness to the scientific community. I might as well be more open evolution since I am a monkey's uncle. By the way, this does not make me liberal folks.

Finally, if you are believing every word I am saying without realizing what day this is, then, in the words of R.C. Sproul, WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!?!?!

God bless and have a good day. 

LSB Audio Bible: John 6

Book Review: Theonomy Old and New: A Reformed Baptist Assessment by Sam Waldron and Tom Hicks

I am sure many of you have heard of theonomy. Well, if you have not, do not fear, many in the church has not either. I have to admit the first time I heard this word was when an elder at my former church mentioned he saw in on a bumper sticker. 

Theonomy is not discussed that often in most churches so there is some confusion as to what exactly it is. If you find yourself in not knowing what theonomy is, do not fear for we are going to look at it together in this review of Theonomy Old and New: A Reformed Baptist Assessment from Sam Waldron and Tom Hicks.

This book is divided into two parts looking into old theonomy which is what Sam looks at and new theonomy which is what Tom will address. In part one, Sam Waldron states that theonomy "means God-law. To believe in theonomy is to believe God's law." Theonomy is make God's civil and judicial laws in society. 

Continuing on discussing old theonomy, Sam Waldron goes through the foundations for the nature of a theocratic kingdom and the ethics associated with it. This is followed by a historical look into theonomic ethics along with what theonomists believe the Bible says about which Waldron gives a rebuttal. One thing that Waldron notes is those who to theonomy are postmillennialists which both him and Hicks are not. They are Amillennialists. Sam shows what postmillennial theonomy is followed by a biblical critique of it.

In the next part of the book, Tom Hicks deals with new theonomy. Hicks points out that new theonomy is a continuation of old theonomy although they are not constitutional conservatives saying that the constitution republic that is America is a problem because it does not abide by the judicial law of the Old Testament. Hicks continues with addressing new theonomy in regard to understanding positive and moral law along with the general equity of old covenant judicial law. 

Theonomy is an issue that truly needs to be understood through the lens of Scripture which is what Waldron and Hicks do in this book. Everyone in the church needs to get this book and consider what is being communicated on this subject.

I received this book from G3 Press in exchange for an honest review. 

LSB Audio Bible: John 5

Q&A Session from the 2025 War on Men Conference

LSB Audio Bible: John 4

Voddie Baucham: Do Not Love the World

This message is from the Not of this World Conference: 

 

LSB Audio Bible: John 3

Costi Hinn: What Are You Living For?

This message is from the Not of This World Conference: 

LSB Audio Bible: John 1 and 2

Taking God’s Name in Vain

The third commandment instructs us not to take the name of the Lord in vain. I suppose for most people, that means only one thing: don’t use swear words and especially don’t use God’s name as a swear word. Of course, that is right. But it’s more than that. What God is forbidding here is using His name lightly or thoughtlessly, as though neither God nor His name were of any importance to us. What marks out the true believer is that he or she loves the Lord’s name and exults in Him (see Ps. 5:11). We can think about this in terms of the two Testaments of the Bible, Old and New. In the days of the Old Testament, the high priest was to bless the people. 

The specific blessing, sometimes called the Aaronic benediction, is recorded in Numbers 6:24–26: The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. These are beautiful words, and they describe the wonderful privilege of God shining on His people. Think about it: the face of God turning toward His people in love and smiling at them. But do you remember the words that follow? God says this about the priests: “So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them” (Num. 6:27). When the people of God received this blessing, God was putting His name on them. Therefore, to take the name of the Lord in vain was to accept the Lord’s benediction and then go off and live as if one had never received it. It seems almost impossible that someone would feel the smile of God in His benediction and then live as though it really didn’t mean anything to him or to her. But before we look down our noses at Old Testament believers, let’s remember the other occasion when God’s name is said to be put on people—and this time, it’s referring to people like you and me, New Testament believers. It happened when you were baptized into the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I hope we all understand that this is a bigger blessing than the Aaronic blessing. But here’s the challenge: Am I living as though that never happened? 

Am I living as though my baptism was just an empty sign, or merely a sign of something I did in the past that doesn’t really matter today? If so, I couldn’t be further from the truth or more deluded. I’m no longer on safe ground. In fact, Exodus 20 tells me that I’m on dangerous ground. I’ve emptied the name of God that was put upon me of all its significance. He has pronounced a benediction, but I’ve forfeited the blessing by the way I live. Paul wrote about this in Romans 6 to counteract the idea that because God has been gracious to us, it doesn’t really matter how we live, or even if we dishonor God’s name. He says, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” (Rom. 6:3). In other words, don’t you know the meaning of your baptism? Don’t you know that the name of Christ was placed upon you? 

If the name of the Lord has been put on you in baptism, then the rest of your life should be one in which you give yourself entirely to the Lord, whose name has been placed upon you. Perhaps today you are tempted to take the Lord’s name in vain, to empty your baptism of all its significance. Don’t do that. Remember the family name that has been placed on you and live as a member of the family of God.

Adapted from Things Unseen: One Year of Reflections on the Christian Life by Sinclair Ferguson

Rescued from the Wrath to Come

Though the Bible refers to various types of salvation, when it speaks about salvation in the ultimate sense, it’s speaking of the ultimate escape from the ultimate dire human condition. This brings us back to the question I asked the man in Philadelphia so many years ago: “Saved from what?” And the answer, the Scriptures tell us, is that we must be saved from the wrath that is to come. God’s wrath, as we’re told in Romans 1, is revealed to the whole world, and the Bible makes it abundantly clear that there awaits a judgment. 

The greatest calamity that anybody can ever imagine is to be sentenced to hell. In his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul writes: For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (1 Thess. 1:9–10) 

The ultimate salvation that any human being can ever experience is rescue from the wrath that is to come. Do we believe that there remains a wrath that is to come? I think the greatest point of unbelief in our culture and in our church today is an unbelief in the wrath of God and in His certain promise of judgment for the human race. 

Christians get excited about the return of Jesus. Oh, happy day! Yes, it is a happy day for the saved, but for the unsaved the return of Jesus is the worst of all conceivable calamities. It is a day of desolation, as the prophet Zephaniah foretold. Near is the great day of the Lord. Near, coming very quickly, is that day of wrath, a day of trouble, of distress, destruction, desolation, darkness, gloom. And on the day of the Lord’s wrath, all the earth will be devoured, for He will make a terrifying end to the inhabitants of this world.

Adapted from The Great Rescue: Understanding the Saving Work of Christ by R.C. Sproul

Jim Osman: The Danger of Demon Slayers and Deliverance Ministries

This is from the 2024 Cessationist Conference: