Nauvoo Pastor

A Commentary on 1 Kings - Review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:21:00 +0000

Cross Focused Reviews has provided me with a copy of this commentary in exchange for a review. I realize that I am a bit late, but I needed the time to ponder upon what I have read in the commentary and my personal convictions regarding Bible translations. The following review in given in light of this time spent in pray and meditation.

John A. Davis has written a commentary on the book of 1 Kings which has been published by Evangelical Press. As I read through this commentary I became very concerned about the translation used. You can not find it in any bookstore because it is the authors own translation. What really brought this to the forefront of my thoughts was that I could not find any place where the author gave any hint of what Hebrew text he was using for his translation’s basis. This becomes disconcerting when you realize that there is no one Hebrew text available. Since I can judge the accuracy of the translation, how can I come to any true appreciation for the commentary that follows without some solid foundation upon which to build?

I have always found this to be the issue with commentaries that use the author’s own translation instead of basing the commentary on a standard text. I f I expect his translation as authoritative, then I have surrendered myself to an authority that 1) I do not know, 2) the authors academic standard, and 3) an openness to totally disregard all other translations in favor of his. This would only serve to set him up as a final authority on 1 Kings. With this being the case, I can not recommend this commentary, no matter how many good and deep insights the author may present between its covers.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Christmas Uncut

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 18:37:00 +0000

Well, Carl Laferton has done all of us a great favor. It is not often that I can say that about a book that is contemporary, but this one desires its place on that very short list. Why? I have been teaching and preaching Christmas Uncut for thirty plus years. My failure, was that I never committed it to book format, but thankfully someone else has.

This is a very delightful short read that intertwines the Christmas story with the plays that we all worked on as kids and have watched as parents, aunts, uncles, and (Dare I say It?) grandparents. Many of the scenes he presents from various plays are ones that I can relate to personally, and there is no doubt that most people can. But this book is not all fun and games or fond reminders of past glory or embarrassment in my case. It is a concise straightforward look at the real scenes surrounding the first Christmas.

Carl weaves the text beautifully from personal narrative to Biblical narrative. Along the way he prods us to stop and think about the contrast between our annual view and the reality of Christmas. When you take a hard look at these various notions that have been conjured up for our entertainment, the disparity is tragic.

Do yourself a favor and read this book, give this book away, share it with friends, however or whatever you do with it you will be sharing the true story of Christmas with a world that is in desperate need of its message and meaning.

You can get this book here or here.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

An Important Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:43:00 +0000

There is a video that has taken many by storm. It is a reminder of what Ephesians 5 teaches us about marriage. In verses 23 – 27 we read;

For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body. Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. (KJV)

In this video you will see and hear endorsements for This Momentary Marriage, a book by John Piper. I have not read this book so do not think of this as an endorsement of it. What I am promoting is the demonstration of the love between this couple that is an example of the passage quoted from the Scripture.

So without further ado I give you a love story.

The Story of Ian & Larissa from Desiring God on Vimeo.

No Matter The Cost–Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Tue, 08 May 2012 15:04:00 +0000

This book is one that I enjoyed reading. It is a very useful and convicting book. As I read through it, I found myself portrayed in it, in many areas. Whither good or bad, this book will create in you a desire to reassess who you are as a man. Get the book here.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Technorati Tags: manhood,father,husband,Vance Brown

Your Church is too Safe–Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 19:07:00 +0000

Okay…..I have read through this book twice and have found it rather fluffy. It is the same old tried way of saying that the church has become so relevant that it has become irrelevant, not only to the culture at large, but to those in attendance as well.

Although I appreciate the author’s intent and intention to awaken the church from its laize faire, it will have little to no impact within the current culture of Christianity and its soft sell ideas of sin, death, reprobation, and God’s judgment upon all.

I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for the following review.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Religiosity According to Gallup

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:24:00 +0000

Well, as with everything else in life, we get our annual statistics of religious life in America. The folks at Gallop Polls have been at it again and you can view the state by state findings here.

I have always found polls interesting, especially in how they define average within their reports. For example looks at this line from the results Gallup report. ”Gallup classifies 40% of Americans nationwide as very religious -- based on their statement that religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week.” When I was in school, anything less than 50% was considered below average. This kind of math would have resulted in an “F”, a long lecture on stupidity, and a beating at home.

But since it is statistics, and they can define average any way they want to validate their findings, I would like to just that a look at one state. Illinois!

The map that is provided at the site is interactive, so all you have to do is move your mouse over the state you want and there you will see the findings pop out at you.

(The first thing you need to notice is that the map itself does not tell you what “average” is in this study. So when you see those states that are average, you may assume that they are somewhere around the 50 percentile.)

So here is what Illinois looks like on the map.

Notice that Illinois is in the average category with 39% of the population being very religious. Now I am not a statistician, but there is something seriously wrong with this kind of math. Since when does 39% come anywhere close to average? It does when 40% is the '”new average”. But that aside, 39 % is still below this new average, so now we see that we are dealing with a range of average.

Since we are looking at a range of average, let us take Gallop a bit further in thought shall we? Why not have fun with these guys! Again, looking at the statement from earlier, “Gallup classifies 40% of Americans nationwide as very religious -- based on their statement that religion is an important part of their daily life and that they attend religious services every week or almost every week.” I am sure that somewhere they have defined religious as well, but for my purposes, I want to be a bit more discriminatory. I want to see if I can come closer to the number of Scriptural saved, Bible-believing Christian

If we remove all the Eastern religions and cults of Christianity from this, it could total 5% of this finding. Then remove all those who baptize babies, now that number is will be at approximately 60%. We have reduced the this percentage by a whopping 65% of the total of religious people down to a more reasonable total of true Biblical Christian. You can see that on a generous level we come up with 16% of the total population.

So how is any of that average when average is 50%?

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

What’s Wrong With The Geneva Bible?

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:03:00 +0000

As anyone who has visited this blog can see, I love to read. I enjoy biographies, history, theology, sermons, etc. etc. But some of my favorite books to read outside of the Scriptures are the Puritans. I enjoy reading about them and reading their works. We are very fortunate to have so many in print now. I remember when I got my very first Puritan work, it was, Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices by Thomas Brooks. I sat down and devoured it as if I had not eaten for days. I read through that book three times in the first month I had it, and have read it several more times since then. I was hooked, and I continue to purchase every Puritan Paperback book as it comes out.

But these are not the only books that are on the market that contain works of the Puritans. Today we have numerous publishers releasing Puritan books. Many are now updated for the modern reader. This is wonderful. In such books in my digital and physical library. But I have noticed a disturbing trend within these recent updated books. They have inserted modern translation into the text. In many cases it is a strain to understand how or what the original author said when compared to the text that is presented. In fact, it can leave you scratching your head.

Hello? Publishers? What is wrong with the Geneva Bible. This is the Bible that the Puritans used. It is still in printed. In fact there is and updated edition the the 1599 edition available for any one who wishes to search for it on Amazon.

Why do you feel the need to change the version to the one you like instead of using the one that the author used. This isn’t just happening to the Puritans, but they are doing it with Spurgeon as well. What is the reasoning for this?

So let me help those of you who want to read these authors. Get a KJV and a Updated 1599 Geneva Bible and put them on a shelf. Also get a good English dictionary and put it right next to them. Because, we should read these precious works within the context of their writings. We expect no less from Quotes from the Bible, then why would we settle for less when we read these blessed volumes?

Technorati Tags: Puritans,Puritan Paperback,Spurgeon,Thomas Brooks,Geneva Bible,KJV

D. A. Carson–From Resurrection to His Return

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:45:00 +0000

I was excited to be able to get this book and to do a review of it for Christian Focus Publications (who provided it in exchange for this review). So as I waited to receive this book, I had come up with several preconceived notions as to what I would find as I read. I respect Dr. Carson’s scholarship and readability, but when I got the book and started reading it, I had found myself gravely disappointed.

Kindle edition

Mass-market paperback

First, this book is not something that a seasoned studier of the Scriptures will want to spend time reading. The fact of the matter is that this tome is directed to the Biblically illiterate within the Christian community. It is unfortunate that we have to use our scholars to educate the infants in the general populace of the church. This in itself bears testimony to the failure of pastors to educate their congregations on the basics of the faith.

Secondly, this is a short book (I read it twice in twenty minutes). So anyone can read this in one sitting and still look up the Scripture references in about an hour.

Finally, this book would best service the Christian community as a series of lessons for junior or senior high school students. Two years ago, I covered the same material with high school students. They were enthusiastic about the topic and eager to learn more. This book would suit them well.

So my recommendation would be to buy it if you are going to use it for teaching a series, but don’t rely on it as a permanent volume for future reference, because that is not what this book is intended to be used for. It is a read it and give it away book.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Technorati Tags: D.A. Carson,Book Review,Resurrection,Christ Return

B&H series Studies in Baptist Life and Thought 01

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 12:56:00 +0000

I was thrilled when I found out about this series of studies that was going to be edited by Michael A. G. Haykin; there were numerous reasons why, but I will only share two. First, is because I have a deep love for Baptist Theology. Second is that I have a deep respect for the series editor.

The first book off the presses was John A. Broadus: A Living Legacy. This book is a series of essays edited by David S. Dockery and Roger D. Duke. I had the good fortune of meeting and talking with Dr. Dockery a few years ago and have found his own writings of value, so when this book came to my attention, I grabbed a copy. Unfortunately, it has set on my bookshelves unread for to long. But that has now been remedied as I finished reading it two days ago.

This book was delightful and filled with nuggets from Broadus’ life. What is more important though, is the focus that each author placed upon his work Treatise on the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons and also his Commentary on Matthew. This book is divided into ten chapters (essays) by the following authors in order:

Timothy George; David S, Dockery; A. James Fuller; Roger D. Duke; Richard Melick; Craig C, Christina; Mark M. Overstreet; Thomas J. Nettles; Beecher L. Johnson; and James Patterson.

As stated in the introduction to this book, there is some repetition of the facts of the life of John Broadus, but this is not cumbersome as each new author gives a detail that the others do not allowing you to get a good picture of who John Broadus was. Most importantly is the view of his legacy with Baptist thought, especially when it comes to A. T. Robertson.

The reason that Dr. Robertson is mentioned is two-fold. He was a student of Broadus’, yes, but he was also his son-in-law. Because of this closeness, Dr. Robertson provides insights into John Broadus and his work that no else could. We are the benefactors of his keen sense of John Broadus.

If you have not read the book, you need to. It is engrossing, and takes you into Southern Baptist Seminary and it founding faculty. There are copious footnotes and many of the older books can be found on Google Books. You can download a sample chapter here and the table of contents as well.

Next in the series is Andrew Fuller: Model Pastor-Theologian by Paul Brewster

Technorati Tags: David Dockery,B&H,John Broadus,Baptists,Southern Baptist Seminary,A. T. Robertson

Resolved to Dissolve?

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 02:17:00 +0000

Today I am broken-hearted at some things that I have read on two SBC blogs that I have come to respect and value for their contribution to the discussion of what it is to be Southern Baptist. The first thing that came to my attention was this article by Dave Miller at SBC Voices. I was stunned and thought it to be a bad joke until I read the article that he linked to on the SBC Impact blog.

It is unfortunate about what happened with the resolution regarding the 2011 NIV at this years annual convention, I was not there so I can only depend on reports from those who were. It is my understanding that this resolution was brought before the convention from the floor with two messengers speaking out against this translation and no one speaking out in support of it. I am also under the impression that it was approved by what appeared to be 90% of those voting. So I went to Denny Burk’s blog and watched the process to confirm what I had been told and found the information to be accurate. I am in no way defending this translation, but making a point about how it was handled at this years convention.

It is disheartening to read the wording of the proposed resolution that is found at the SBC Impact blog. I find it outrageous that because someone does not want to learn the English language, they wish to state that the KJV “alters the meaning of hundreds of verses, most significantly by using archaic language.” Excuse me, but did you not learn how to use a dictionary? The alterations that are referred to appear as a result of someone’s lack of self-education. Then you have the gall to state, “Resolved: That the messengers of the Southern Baptist Convention meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, June 19-20, 2012 express profound disappointment with King James I for this inaccurate translation of God’s inspired Scripture.” On what planet did you drop in from? Because you are to busy to study English, that makes the KJV inaccurate?

I spent fifteen years and hundreds of dollars studying this very debate. If my library couldn’t get a book, I searched it out through rare book dealers. I even have an 1881 edition of the critical text as well as an 1881 English translation of that text. My concern is not with the idolized original autographs, but with the preservation of the words of God. Because that is what this debate is truly about. Did God preserve His words or not. If so, where are they and who has been hiding them from us. I have the latest and greatest UBS and NA critical text. I have the Majority text of Peirpont/Robinson. I have the Ecclesiastical/ Byzantine/Textus Receptus. I have the Beza Text. I have every major, and the majority of the minor, translations of the New Testament starting with Wycliff through to The Voice. I have read them. I have studied, wept, and poured out my heart over this issue.

My conclusion is not yours, and yours is not mine. I preach and teach from the KJV. I do not expect others to use it just because I do. I do expect people to be intellectually honest with themselves about the translation they use and ask themselves why they use it. If a man believes that the ESV is the best translation, I expect him to preach and teach from it. If he doesn’t because his church has always used the NIV, then he needs to educate his people about the translation he uses and why he uses it. If he doesn’t he is being dishonest with his people and himself.

This kind of uneducated, narrow-minded thinking is what makes KJV-only people salivate. You see, I recognize scholarship when I see it. I appreciate the work done on the Apologetic Study Bible, the ESV Study Bible, and the NKJV Study Bible. I read the notes. I digest what is there and I increase in my knowledge where I once was naïve. I appreciate Bill Mounce and especially Daniel Wallace and all the efforts that these men have put forth. Biblical scholarship and textual criticism have come a long way, but the issue is still the same, has God preserved His words or not? Dan Wallace will even tell you that current scholars are agreed on 90% of what the original reading was. Well, what about the 10%? Either God preserved His words or He didn’t. It is that plain of an issue.

If the purposed resolution does go to the floor of the convention, I will leave the SBC. I would even call on the twenty-three percent of pastors in the convention, who use the KJV, to do the same.

But why stop with the KJV? Why not go all the way and remove Calvin’s writings and Luther’s works. Oh and lets not forget the Puritans and their Geneva Bible. They are all over four hundred years old and still include archaic words in newer translations and editions of their works. The best solution to the resolution is to just say out loud what translation you do want instead of the one’s you don’t.

Resolved: That all of the churches associated with the Southern Baptist Convention will only use the Holman Christian Standard Bible and that Lifeway will not advertise, use, purchase, nor sell any other translation. Bible burning to be held in the parking lot after the meeting.

Technorati Tags: SBC Voices,SBC Impact,Dave Miller,KJV,NIV,Bill Mounce,Dan Wallace,original autographs

Christian Focus Book Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Mon, 29 Aug 2011 14:42:00 +0000

Here is another great book that is being offered as this month’s giveaway.

http://blog.christianfocus.com/index.php/2011/08/29/august-book-giveaway-the-trials-of-theology/

Please enter and keep up with Christian Focus, as they provide some really great books for our personal and spiritual growth.

Technorati Tags: Giveaway,Theology,Christian Focus

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Dare To Enter

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 03:33:00 +0000

Christian Focus Booknotes, the blog for Christian Focus Publishing, is sponsoring a give-away this month. You can enter HERE.

One of the ways to enter is by answering the question: How can the challenges of the protestant reformation equip us to deal with the challenges we face in the church today?

My answer follows.

We have come to rest upon our laurels in the last 40 years or so. Although our course is clearly laid out before us in Scripture, we have found our success a potent drug that keeps our eyes on grandeur instead of our focus on Christ. We need to forget our celebrity and give people what they need, the Gospel; instead of the entertainment they want. A renewed hunger for the WORD IN THE STUDY; will always lead to a renewed PASSION FROM THE PULPIT. Where are the fires that burned so brightly five hundred years ago? They have become embers on our dusty bookshelves. And right next to them sits the neglected truth of the Reformation, swaddled with care, lest we disturb the sacredness of the printed page.

Oh we have been warned to "quench not the Spirit." (1 Thes. 5:19) Instead, we drown Him out with bright lights and amps. The Americanization of not only the world, but in particular, the church has lead us down the path of falsely called revivals and sexually defrocked ministers. Emotions and feelings have replaced, Holy Spirit moves on the condemned and convicted. Many are praying for revival, but what is dearly needed is resurrection of a dead church that just can't stop being socially acceptable. Stop scratching your ears (see 2 Tim 4:3-4) and admit that you are so shallow, a gnat couldn't drown in your knowledge of Biblical doctrine. People are buying fire insurance from Satan, instead of investing in the full assurance of the Gospel.

Some here will say that I am being harsh, unkind, unloving.... Yet I say, NO. I am being honest about how we ALL are. Instead of asking, "what would the reformers do?" We should be DOING WHAT THE REFORMERS DID! Taking up the cross of Christ and beating the dead horse with it until resurrection happened, at all cost. Life.. limb.. and liberty are nothing compared to total surrender to the Sovereign Who gave His all for us.

Gave me the Christ!!! Give them the Christ!!!

Technorati Tags: Reformers,Giveaway

Why Baptist?

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Have you ever been asked, “Why Baptist?” and the person have a quizzical expression? I find that question to be most entertaining, especially the facial expression. But should that question be asked? I will have to be biographical in order to answer that question. In fact, I learn best by doing it for myself whether through reading, praying, or action.

I live in a very small, rural community that is just like every other one. You can drive straight through town, because we don’t have any stop signs or traffic lights on the main drag. Everyone and everything moves a little slower here. It is much quieter during the day and pitch black at night. Yet this small town (pop. 1100 according to the sign, less according to the mayor) is a bit different. We have many churches here.

The typical town of our size usually has one or two churches. In fat, you can drive through them one after the other and find a Methodist church in one town then the next will have a Christian church and then the next a Methodist church and so on from there with an occasional Catholic church thrown in for good measure. Here, we have a Methodist church we also have a Catholic Church. In fact the Catholic church is the largest in our area. We also have a Lutheran church, a Charismatic group, a Presbyterian church, a Baptist church (SBC), an Independent Baptist house church, a non-Sectarian congregation, and three different congregations that meet who use the Mormon scriptures (Community of Christ (formerly RLDS), the Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (LDS) and Restoration Latter Day Saints. As you can see, we do have a lot to offer when it comes to the spiritual life of the individual.

With all of these different religious bodies present in such a confined area you can expect tension, and boy do we have it here. Most of it is directed at the LDS church and the hundreds of missionaries that they have here. There is also so hard feelings toward the SBC church in town because of the lack of community involvement and because people think they are a cult of some kind. I personally find this to be amusing because I pastored the local SBC church for two years and we made a personal commitment to this community by buying a home and staying here after we resigned from the church. My wife Wendy, and I have continued to work with the people here because we love them all. What breaks our hearts is the inability of people to work together because of all the religious tension. But where does one start? Let me just say that we fumbled the ball many times before we found something that opened the door to dialogue.

The one thing that has consistently worked is the Baptist Faith and Message. Now I know how some feel about using it as an evangelistic tool, but here it works. Why? Because every church in town teaches their people to educate themselves about the different faith groups that are here. This tract has been gladly received and studied by someone from each group. The one thing that they come away with is how much we agree doctrinally with each other. This has really been helpful with the LDS folks, because we meet with some of the leadership on a monthly basis.

In fact, one of these groups asked the very question that I stated out with in the first paragraph, “Why Baptist?” And this got me started down memory lane. I have my fortieth spiritual birthday coming up and I have been a Baptist the whole time. I was twelve, and the last thing I was considering was, “which church should I go to?” For me the choice was simple. I went to the church that sent the bus, which at that time was First Baptist Church (SBC). I learned a lot from my Sunday School teachers and from the preaching. I thought church rocked and could wait until next Sunday. I just assumed that all churches were the same and didn’t really concern myself with the question of “Why Baptist?”

All that changed when I moved from Ohio to Mississippi. This was the first time I had ever seen so many Baptist churches in my life. I was amazed at how we would come to intersections and you would see three Baptist churches across from each other. Not only that, but there were SBC, Hard Shell, Primitive, Northern, Independent, Fundamental and on the list went. I didn’t know such creatures existed. But I also noticed that there were people who started asking me the question, “Why Baptist?” I didn’t know myself, so how was I to answer them?

So I began to ask my pastor about the differences and he said, “Son, instead of telling you how about you read this book and see if you can’t find out for yourself.” I Looked at the cover and read the following title The Shadow of the Broad Brim: A Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon. I thought, “what has a biography got to do with why I am a Baptist?” I went to hand the book back but he encouraged me to read it and that I would find my answer.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon was a name with which I was very familiar. I had heard it thousands of times in church from the lectern and the pulpit, yet I know little about the man, so I read the book. How utterly fixating. This book captured my imagination and as I read I laughed, cried, and prayed. Finally, I read page 145. On it I had found my answer in clear terms.

His (Spurgeon’s) views made him a staunch Baptist, constantly emphasizing the six Baptist distinctives: the Lordship of Jesus; the Supremacy of the New Testament; Regeneration the basis of church-membership; the Right of private judgment; Separation of civil and religious entities; and Baptism by immersion.

The Shadow of the Broad Brim: A Life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, Day, Richard Ellsworth, 1965, pg. 145

What joy! I had my answer but I also had my homework to do. You see, I learned that having the answer was only a part of the equation. I also needed to learn what each of these six distinctives meant; find the Biblical resource for each one; study out the passages involved; and determine whether or not to be a Baptist. Thus my journey began and continues…and so shall ours as we look at each one together over the coming weeks.

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Technorati Tags: Baptist,doctrine,Spurgeon,SBC

Past Giants–Present Help

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 04:36:00 +0000

Today I got my copy of Preaching magazine and as usual, I was prepared to dive right into it. This month was I little different because I had received another magazine the day before and I wanted to finish it up. At it happened, I put down Preaching on the table face down and was greeted by bold black letters saying: LUTHER, SPURGEON, MOODY. Naturally, I let my eyes fix upon this page and read the whole thing.

It was an ad the Sermon Central had placed on the back cover. Toward the bottom of the page they asked: “Who Inspires Your Preaching?” What a tremendous, pointed question. We all have men who we have heard preach. We may even imitate some of their style, but this ad wasn’t about hearing messages. It was about reading great messages and the writings of great messengers of the past.I would agree that this is something we all should do. Many of my friends read the Puritan Paperbacks. In fact, A couple of years ago Timmy Brister, a brother in the faith and a blogging buddy, put out a challenge to read one of the volumes every month for a year. I gained a new knowledge and appreciation for the Puritan writings and they are now a part of my steady diet of reading. My blogging buddy and friend, Tim Chailles, has a “Reading through the Classics” post on Thursday where he invites people to read a Christian classic at a chapter per week and then interact with the reading with him at his blog. (We are currently reading Gresham Machen’s classic work Christianity & Liberalism.)

But who is it that I read that gets the juices flowing? Many people look at my library and think that it is the Puritans and/or Spurgeon. Although I have a lot of books from those individuals they don’t foot the bill. In fact, I only started reading Spurgeon because I was told at a young age that all good Baptist read Spurgeon. I enjoy his writings and sermons greatly, but there is someone else that I read just as Luther read Augustine. Like Spurgeon reading Luther, And when as Moody read Spurgeon.

Every time I see a book with this man’s name on it, I get goose flesh with anticipation of the treasures and joys that I will find as I pour over every letter of the text, no matter how many times I have read the book, the expectation of blessing is there. Only the Bible brings out more child-like joy.

I have heard recordings of this man preaching and some of the radio messages he presented. But I have never met him. The man? Oliver B. Greene. I have spent two decades in search of any and every thing he has ever had in print. I know that there are still many pamphlets out there to find, but I believe that I now have every hardback book printed by his ministry. He inspires me. His words make me take a deeper harder look at who I am in Christ and how I flesh out the grace that God has given to me.

So who inspires you to greatness in your practice of the faith?

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Technorati Tags: Spurgeon,Moody,Luther,Preaching,Greene

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Every once in a while, a publisher will release a book that is deceptive. Now this can be a challenge for many people, because deception can take many forms. It can be false information. It can be
pure folly in its final analysis. Or it can be something altogether different than one would expect. Zondervan has placed into my hands a book that fits the latter category. What am I writing about? Well, it all started with the title and a certain expectation that I had about the book without having seen a copy of it. Any one who has spent any time looking at resources about New Testament Greek knows that each book comes with a warning about back injuries related to totting such a tome around. We have seen the effects on our Seminary campuses; you know, the students hunched over under the weight of the book bag, or the ones pulling two suitcases on wheels behind them just for Greek courses. So, needless to say, I was a bit taken aback by this particular book.

What is this wonder of publishing magic? It is Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People by Constantine R. Campbell. Now it has been twenty plus years since I have used the Greek that I have learned and the insights that the author gives are timeless. Some of them are some simple that we forget them. The chapter titles are:

Read Every Day
Burn Your Interlinear (I really needed this one.)
Use Software Tools Wisely (This too.)
Make Vocabulary Your Friend (I hate vocabulary.)
Practice Your Parsing (Slave-driver.)
Read Fast
Read Slow (Make up your mind dude.)
Use Your Senses
Get Your Greek Back
Putting It All Together

What got me going was how this all started out on a blog; so the author included some of the comments he received on the different parts. It is a fun read and has got me headed toward getting my Greek back.

On a personal note. I would be remiss in not telling you that not only have I lost my Greek, somewhere, I lost my English grammar as well. I found a resource that has helped with that issue and guess what? Zondervan publishes the book. It is English Grammar to ACE New Testament Greek by Samuel Lamerson. I have decided to go through the first year Greek class taught by Bill Mounce online. There are also many fine resources available on the internet. I would encourage you to check out the links in the book, I have and now I am enjoying Greek once more.

A Barna Survey You Need To Take Notice Of

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 20:13:00 +0000

Today I had the opportunity to do some browsing on the internet. I don’t do that as often as I would like, so I took full advantage of doing so and came across several very interesting items. One caught my attention, a Barna Survey, and demonstrates some of the things that I have been preaching and teaching about at Garden Baptist Mission.

One of my greatest concerns has been the enormous amount of Bible illiteracy that I find within the church. It has long been my fear that the church is turning out Christians who are shallow and very superficial. I true believe that this is a result of the church giving up on discipleship as a part of its ministry.

Today we have a group of people who claim to know God, yet know nothing of His word or the life-changing power that is inherent within its pages. Theology is a buzz word for boring. Doctrine is close-mindedness. And Biblical authority is intolerance. Those who do preach a strong, deep, Biblical message are hate-mongers. Everyone wants to be accepted and acceptable to the world because we do not want to bruise egos or hurt any feelings.

Unfortunately, it is this very type of Christian who ends up drowning in a mud puddle whenever they are challenged about their faith. They have no where to turn and no authority that they can site for their belief. Many end up leaving the church because they are disillusioned about the function of the church within the larger picture of life.

One thing that we have done here, is to start Bible study groups, we currently have two. When we begin these groups, we always start with a series on How to Study the Bible. Each group has appreciated this series and learned how they can actively participate in their own personal study of God’s word. Many are now reading the Bible for the first time and they are learning more with each day. We make sure that the studies are opening to anyone and as a result we have some interesting participants.

What has your church done to increase the knowledge of Scripture?

Blessings,

Bro. Martin

Technorati Tags: Bible,Barna Group,Illiteracy,Discipleship

NAMB and the Future

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Sat, 12 Feb 2011 01:08:00 +0000

Today I read a couple of blogs (here and here) discussing an article published February 9th by Baptist Press about the changes being made in the North American Mission Board (NAMB). So I went back over the article, found here. I was thrilled by what is transpiring under the leadership of president Kevin Ezell and the board members.

I do not know many of the new vice-presidents that have been appointed. I am thankful to Dr. Alvin Reid for giving us a glimpse of these men and his personal knowledge of them.

I have noticed that the NAMB has downsized and reallocated some of its budget and as a result $9 million is heading to the mission field instead of paying salaries, travel, conference and various other expenses. Finally, I see that people are getting a vision of what the SBC started out to be; a people on mission. But I do find it very disturbing that only four percent of our churches are involved in missions.

If this trend continues; we have lost the battle before we started the march. Church leaders need to realize that standing in line does not make you a part of the army. The goal of NAMB is to have ten percent involved in church planting initially. That is a lofty goal given the current numbers.

I am concerned about the focus on metropolitan areas, because we are in a very rural county. I understand that the majority of our population live in these cities, but we should never forget that 66% of SBC churches run less than one hundred on Sunday morning and the vast majority of them are rural in nature. We have forgotten our spiritual roots of being mission oriented, the figures do not lie, but to forget rural ministry could bring down all that has been accomplished.

One thing that I appreciate about this article is the following:

Both sending churches and new church plants will be expected to contribute to Southern Baptists' Cooperative Program and to minister in a manner consistent with the Baptist Faith and Message 2000.

I could not agree more with that particular statement, as my wife and I are planting a church in a very difficult area. We are small, but we have many visitors. Each one receives a copy of the Baptist Faith and Message that first day and they are encouraged to read it, ask questions about it, and are welcome to join us only if they can agree with it. I take some heat for this, but in the area in which we live and minister, we can not have any room for debate about what the church stands for. We are sponsored by and SBC church. I love being a pastor in the SBC and look forward to many years of sharing the gospel as such.

Technorati Tags: Kevin Ezell,NAMB,SBC,Missions

Old Dog; New Gadget

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Recently, I had been having some very disturbing problems with my cell phone. So Wendy and I went to the provider and when everything was said and done, we had new Androids. The price was right and we no longer have to worry about a contract. I love it when things work out and we get something that is far better than what we had previously. One of the first things that I did was to get the Kindle app. I must admit that I was happy to be able to take my books with me and I just finished reading my first book on the phone. So now I have a new toy and boy am I enjoying it.

With all that said, let me update you on the mission. First off, last weeks message was not recorded because I forget to pack the recorder when we left for church. We had a returning visitor with us and what a great time we had looking into Isaiah 60:1: Arise! Shine! What a great time of year for the church to do just that. We have also decided that we want to participate in the January Bible Study, as well as the Lottie Moon Offering. We are very excited about what God has in store for us in the coming weeks. Next month is come to church then have some lunch at the café that is located in the same building we are in.

We had a great time with Moira, as she came home for the Thanksgiving break. We had dinner with Wendy’s family on Wednesday then we spent Thursday with the family of one of Moira’s friend here in Nauvoo. It was delightful to spend this time with family and friends . We look forward to having Moira again during Christmas.

As many of you know, Wendy has been having a lot of medical issues, so I want to update everyone on how things are going. Both her CT scan and ultrasound came back normal. She is feeling better, but still has trouble when she eats meat. Her voice is returning and we finally were able to get her knees injected with the Synvisc (joint lubricant). Know we have to wait and see if this will help. On the positive side, Wendy is not having anywhere near as much pain in her knees when she walks down steps. That is a very positive step in the right direction.

Please continue to pray for us as God is moving in ways we never dreamed of.

Bro. Martin

Yesterday

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:20:00 +0000

What a blessed day we had in worship at Garden Baptist Mission. Our attendance was down a little due to illness. Apparently there is a bug going around that is not so pleasant so be in prayer for my wife and Dr. Allen, both are ill. We did have one of our visitors make a return visit. How wonderful it is to see the Word of God touching the lives of people.

Last Wednesday, I lost a dear “father”, friend, and brother when Rev. Bill Riddick went home to be with the Lord. His funeral is this morning. Please be in prayer for the family.

If you have a Kindle or the software to read the books, you may be interested in a book entitled Jesus the Evangelist which is being offered for free at this time.

Until then,

Bro. Martin

Hebrews 11

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 01:42:00 +0000

Here is the link to the message I preached this morning. Continue to pray for the Riddick family as the funeral is tomorrow morning.

A Tribute

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 14:12:00 +0000

Last night I received a phone that I have been expecting, but it was still devastating when I heard the news; Rev. Bill Riddick had gone home to glory. It broke my heart as I sat on my couch and thought about what he had done during his ministry on the gulf coast of Mississippi. But the wound must be far deeper and greater for his family. So today will be spent praying for them and every life that was touched by this man of God.

I met Bro. Bill in the mid-seventies. I was a troubled, delinquent kid from an abusive home. I had dropped out of school, runaway and was not much account to anyone by the time we met. Bro. Bill had a vision long before I came into the picture though. He believed that God wanted great things from His people. So as pastor of the Ocean Springs Baptist Church, he started a bus ministry, then a Christian School, a Boy’s Home, and finally was asked to run a Children’s Home in nearby Gulfport. It was around this time that we became involved in each others life. Who knew that all these years later, he would be known to me as a mentor and one of two men there that I saw as father figures.

I was an awkward, gangly youth who had one thing going for me. That one thing? God. I can not explain it any other way. My life was a huge mess, my family was and even bigger mess and the only solution that the court saw was to send me to Faith Children’s Home. (Bro. Riddick told me years later, “I didn’t think you would make it.”) Many people remember me as a quiet young man, but I was anything but quiet. I observed, but so did Bro. Bill. The first time we sat and talked was about a week after I got there and he said, “Son just do as you are told and you will make it through this.” Following the rules were not an issue, but what got to me was the clear preaching and teaching of the word of God.

I had never been under the teaching of the Word in any of the few churches I attended. But here, I began to grow spiritually, in ways I had never imagined. It was here that I learned how to actually study the Scriptures. It was through this ministry that I finished high school and started taking college courses. But it was here that I learned what God can do when a man surrenders to His leading.

You see, it wasn’t about Rev. Bill Riddick. It was about Christ's life lived through an individual in total surrender. It was about God above all; the Word as our standard; and submitting to Jesus as Lord.

Let’s just say that God used this man to build the character of hundreds of men and women who are now scattered throughout the world. Many in full-time ministry. The greatest thing he ever said to me was three years ago. I had called him, he sounds frail but jubilant in service to the Lord. At the end of our conversation he said, “I am proud of you.”

We have lost our brother, father, mentor, and friend. Heaven has gained a saint with much to lay at the feet of his King.

Bro. Martin

Yesterday and Today

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 02:24:00 +0000

We had such a blessed day yesterday. The message was from 1 Thessalonians 2:17-3:5. We took a look at the following points:

Paul’s Removal from Thessalonica (verse 2:17)
Satan’s Restraint to Paul’s Returning (verse2:18)
Paul’s Resistance of Satan’s Plan (verses 2:17 & 3:1-5)
The Lord’s Reward at His Return (verses 2:19, 20)

We also had another visitor join us for the service. God continues to bless us every week and we look forward to what God has in store for the coming week ahead. Please be in prayer with us for our Bible Study on Thursday as we continue to look at the kingdom of God in the Scripture.

Today I read an article about Dr. Ezell meeting with some of the state convention execs. Last week, Wendy and I got the privilege of hearing him speak at the annual pastor’s conference. What a heart this man has for the gospel and those who are lost.

We are continually looking for ways to serve the Lord in our community. Recently, Wendy was talking with some friends who were discouraged about not getting enough Bible study where they attend. We had been doing Bible study on Thursday evenings in our home, but moved the study to Ferris to facilitate the need of the church. What we intend is to start a Tuesday evening study group in our home to facilitate these families. Please pray for us as we are looking to get this going in the very near future.

Bro. Martin

The Return of the Missing Blogger

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 05:26:00 +0000

Okay, so I haven’t been blogging much. To be honest, I have been debating about whether or not to continue to do so. After a long break and several conversations on Facebook and e-mails I have determined that I should continue to write my opines and leave them to the viewers in this nether world we call the internet or cloud or whatever new fangled term they are using now.

As you have noticed, the majority of my post have been book reviews, these reviews will continue, but not as frequently as before. I want to take a new direction and try something different. So starting next week look for weekly post relating too… Well, you will see.

My prayer is to do something positive and instructive with this blog, so lets see how that goes, okay?

Bro. Martin

Finding a purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 14:18:00 +0000

Ever since I started blogging, I have struggled with the concept of purpose. Does this blog have a purpose and if so, what is it? Of late, it has been book reviews, but I believe that it needs to be more than that. Unlike many others, I don’t want to rehash SBC politics, or do investigative expose’ s of personalities within Christianity. Living in Nauvoo, IL gives me a certain prospective on Mormon faith and practice, but there are more than enough apologetic ministries out there that are directed by people who have left the LDS church, that do a far better job than I could ever think of.

So, I have had to ask myself some basic questions.

Do I really want to continue blogging?

If so:

What am I interested in?
Who am I interested in?
Will either of these make for interesting reading?

As my readership has increased, due to many factors, these questions have become more important to me. I want to be able to convey something of substance that could possibly help people to grow in the faith which was once delivered unto the saints (Jude 3).

Over the next couple of days, I will be continuing to pray about the future of this blog and I will be making a decision on Reformation Day. Please pray with me about this.

Bro. Martin

The Best Kept Secret–A Book Review

noreply@blogger.com (Martin Pitcher) — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 16:14:00 +0000

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission by John Dickson. This review was made possible because I was entered in a drawing for the book. I was surprised and greatly appreciated the opportunity to receive this book, especially since it is an autographed copy.

Let me start out by saying that it is an easy read at 218 pages, with a font that is very comfortable to read with or without my glasses on. That has become very important to me over the coarse of the last year. Dispersed throughout the text are call-out boxes that give further background, illustration, definitions, or what have you, that give the content an extra lift. Each chapter (with one exception) is short and nicely divided into small sections by subtitles. The flow is wonderful and makes for enjoyable reading. The book itself is a page-turner and I have had trouble putting it down.

The chapter titles are short with an explanatory subtitle; i.e.

The One and the Many: Why Get Involved in Mission?
The Many and the One: The Challenge of Pluralism.
Following the “Friend of Sinners”: The Missionary Mind of the Ordinary Christian.

There is so much that I could say about this book, but I have chosen to limit myself to comment on three chapters in particular.

Let me start with chapter two, The Many and the One: The Challenge of Pluralism. I find that the author does a tremendous job of explaining pluralism in an easy to understand way. Sometimes we get so caught up in definitions that we lose many people along the way. On the other hand, Mr. Dickson does not. He gives a clear, concise, two-part definition of this issue, having divided it into popular and sophisticated pluralism.

In The Hidden Mission: Promoting the Gospel with our Prayer (which is chapter four) you will find sections such as; Compassion and Prayer (Matthew 9:35-10:5), Prayer and Mission Throughout the Bible, Pleading with God, Intercession for Others, Lifting the Gospel Above Our Circumstances, and The Hidden Mission. This chapter alone is worthy of your time to read and re-read.

Finally, I want to spend time speaking to chapter eight, What Is the Gospel? The Message We Promote. It is a rare thing to have someone give a clear focus on exactly what the gospel is. Mr. Dickson does not lets us down, as this is the longest of all the chapters. In this chapter, he takes us to various passages of Scripture in order to give a precise presentation of the Gospel message. Studying this chapter will pay huge dividends as you go forth and present the message of salvation. For those who teach and preach, I would recommend looking carefully at how Mr. Dickson uses the expository method in his writing. There is much fruit to be harvested from the example he has set forth here. If for no other reason, all who preach or teach the Word should learn exposition as the author has. What a delight!

This is a fantastic look at what it means to be on mission, to do mission, to live out our mission. Get the book. Read the book. Study it with your Bible in hand, looking up each passage. Pray as you learn what mission is. You will not find a better book on the subject outside of the Scriptures.

Yours,

Martin