I believe the first time I heard Max McLean was when the English Standard Version (ESV) of the Bible had first come out and I got sent a CD of this Max McLean fellow reading the ESV of Hebrews. You can give it a listen too:

I hadn’t heard much about him since then until today when I stumbled upon the Listener’s Bible website. I noticed some videos on the performance section of the site. I hit play on the Mark videos and again found myself mesmerized. Bellow is Max McLean performing the entire book of Mark.

If your experience is like mine then after a few chapters your going to wonder how you can support this. I’m going to pick up the DVD of the performance from Amazon myself.

I’m planning on including this in my family’s devotions starting tomorrow. I can’t wait to ask my kids “Did anything surprise you in that?” or “Why do you think Jesus was so mad at the Pharisees?” or “After seeing that, if someone asked you ‘What’s Jesus like?’ what would you say?”

This is a book of truth. These Sketches are taken from real life. They are facts, not fancies. They are the experiences of some whom the author has known in the course of his ministry. He has not given to them an item of colouring. The only thing about them from which any erroneous impression can possibly arise, is to be found in the fact that they are only sketches, not containing all that could be given in respect to the individuals here mentioned. But they are believed to contain a fair and sufficiently full representation of each case.

The author has made this selection from the materials in his possession, on the principle of avoiding useless repetitions as much as possible, and on the principle of meeting some of the strange difficulties which sometimes trouble inquirers after salvation.

I didn’t know what to expect when I began reading a A Pastor’s Sketches by Ichabod Spencer. Out of the blue I was asked to review the book by a small publisher I had never heard of which was odd for two reasons: 1) I hadn’t updated my blog in months and 2) I would expect a publisher to want well written reviews of their books. I was also worried that if the book was bad I’d have to write a review saying as much, but in the end the lure of a free book was too much for me!

What I found though as I began reading the book was amazing. In fact I was weeping at the end of the first chapter. The book is a collection of conversations that Ichabod Spencer began putting to print in 1851 while pastoring in Brooklyn, New York. This was a time between the Second and Third Great Awakening in America and as such it was a unique period of time. It’s also written in an older, more proper, style of American English. Yet, the relevancy of the book was astonishing to me.

As I attempted to tell my friends of what I was reading three things kept coming to mind:

The Unique Style of the Book
I’ve read other books where there might be a snippet of a conversation here or there, but this book is an entire collection of private conversations between a pastor and his congregants. A quick word about the privacy issue: 1) The author states from the get go that he is fully convinced that he has anonymized the stories enough that no one will know who he is talking about, 2) They’re also dead at this time and 3) the purpose for sharing such conversations is excellent.

Many of us would like to know how to answer the seemingly infinite objections to Christianity or guide a confused soul through the rough waters of doubt. How else can you sit in and watch, what I would consider, a master do just that? It’s been a wonderful learn-by-example experience for me that would be close to impossible to find in another way (unless you bugged your pastor’s office – don’t do it!)

Also, the fact that the book is a collection of short stories is perfect for readers like me who like to jump around and sometimes only have time to read a short section.

The Scriptural Saturation of the Conversations
All great books should draw you to the greatest book of all. Ichabod’s responses are saturated with Scripture. Sometimes the majority of what he says in a conversation is just Scripture quotations. That might sound annoying at first, but well you just have to see him do it yourself. I long to be able to share Scripture as easily, as boldy, as appropriately to the situation as he does.

The Character of the Man
Ichabod Spencer, as far as I can tell, is not an astonishing man. It is just that though, his simplicity, which makes the conversations so amazing. Ichabod does not come to people with eloquent speech or powerful rhetoric. No, he comes boldly and humbly to people with the best that he has to offer: the Word of God. What you see when reading these conversations is the Word of God at work & bearing fruit and Ichabod as simply the vessel for it.

He isn’t brash or pushy. If someone doesn’t wish to speak on the topic of faith then Ichabod doesn’t wish to make them. If they are willing to though, he can’t help but be honest with them, sharing the truths of God in love without shame.

Where to Find It
After looking around I’ve found that the publisher, Solid Ground Christian Books, is the cheapest place to buy this two volume set (even used on Amazon was more expensive!) On their site you can also find additional information about the book and Ichabod himself.

Finally, You can listen to a reading of the book which was the featured mp3 at Sermon Audio just a few days ago:

Shortly thereafter I read the book and loved it. We all need direction in our lives and Total Church provides it in some of the simplest of terms. If you’re a Christian and wondering or not if a book about “the church” would really provide direction for you, then you absolutely need to read it! The first three chapters are worth the $10 by themselves.

It’s also come to my attention that Veritas Community Church has created a free study guide! I’ve only flipped through it, but I can’t wait to dig into it later.

Also, check out the messages of Steves excellent talk at that Seattle boot camp and be sure not to miss the Q&A:

Session 1

Session 2

Session 3

Re:Sound will be launching on June 11th and until then they are giving away a free sampler with tracks from Joe Days Northern Conspiracy, Joel Browns Red Letter and Tim Smiths Ex Nihilo – All Mars Hill bands. They’ve also included all the chord sheets for the songs which I am guessing is great if you know how to read music and play an instrument.

Here’s a few of my favorite tracks:

Red Letter – forthcoming release – Author and Perfector

Northern Conspiracy – forthcoming release – What Have We Done

Ex Nihilo – Rain City Hymnal – I Sing the Mighty Power

Two of my favorite papers that I have ever read are also by Keller: All of Life is Repentance and The Centrality of the Gospel. If you’d like to listen to or watch the other plenary sessions from the conference they are free for the taking!

David Clarkson (1621-1686)

“You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or covetous person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a such a person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world.” Ephesians 5:5

A covetous man is an idolater. Not only the covetous, but the immoral, are idolaters. For the apostle, who here makes covetousness to be idolatry, considers voluptuous people to be idolaters also, where he speaks of some who make their belly their God (Phil. 3:19). Indeed, every reigning lust is an idol—and every person in whom it reigns is an idolater. “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life.” Pleasures, and riches, and honors are the carnal man’s trinity. These are the three great idols of worldly men, to which they prostrate their souls! And giving that to them which is due only to God, they hereby become guilty of idolatry. That this may be more evident—that covetousness, immorality, and other lusts are idolatry—let us consider what it is and the several kinds of it.

Idolatry is to give that honor and worship to ‘the creature’, which is due to the Creator alone. When this worship is communicated to other things, whatever they are, we thereby make them idols, and commit idolatry. Now this worship due to God alone, is not only given by the savage heathen to their stick and stones—and by papists to angels, saints and images—but also by carnal men to their lusts.

1. External, which consists in acts and gestures of the body. When a man bows to or prostrates himself before a thing, this is the worship of the body. And when these gestures of bowing, prostration are used, not out of a civil, but a religious respect, with an intention to testify divine honor, then it is worship due only to God.

2. Internal, which consists in the acts of the soul and actions answerable thereto. When the mind is most taken up with an object and the heart and affections most set upon it, this is ’soul worship’—and this is due only to God. For He being the chief good and the chief end of intelligent creatures, it is His due, proper to Him alone, to be most minded and most loved. It is the honor due only to the Lord to have the first, the highest place, both in our minds and hearts and endeavors.

Now according to this distinction of worship, there are two sorts of idolatry–

1. Open, outward idolatry, when men, out of a religious respect, bow to, or prostrate themselves before anything besides the true God. This is the idolatry of the heathen, and in part, the idolatry of papists.

2. Secret and soul idolatry, when the mind is set on anything more than God; when anything is more valued than God, more desired than God, more sought than God, more loved than God. Then is that soul worship, which is due only to God.

Hence, “secret idolaters” shall have no inheritance in the kingdom of God. Soul idolatry will exclude men out of heaven as well as open idolatry. He who serves his lusts is as incapable of entering heaven, as he who worships idols of wood or stone!

Before we come to confirm and apply this truth, it will be requisite to make a more clear discovery of this secret idolatry. In order thereunto, observe, there are thirteen acts of soul worship–

1. ESTEEM. That which we most highly value, we make our God. For esteem is an act of soul worship. Worship is the mind’s esteem of a thing as most excellent. Now the Lord demands the highest esteem, as an act of honor and worship due only to Himself. Therefore, to have an high esteem of other things, when we have low thoughts of God, is idolatry. To have an high opinion—of ourselves—of our abilities and accomplishments—of our relations and enjoyments—of our riches and honors—or those that are rich and honorable—or anything of like nature, when we have low opinions of God, is to advance these things into the place of God—to make them idols and give them that honor and worship which is due only to the divine Majesty. What we most esteem—we make our god. If you hold other things in higher esteem than the true God, you are idolaters (Job 21:14).

2. MINDFULNESS. That which we are most mindful of—we make our God. For to be most remembered, to be most minded, is an act of worship which is proper to God, and which He requires as due to Himself alone (Ecc. 12:1). Other things may be minded; but if they be more minded than God, it is idolatry—the worship of God is given to the creature. When you mind yourselves, mind your estates and worldly interests, mind your profits or pleasures more than God—you set these up as idols in the place of God.

When that time, which should be taken up with thoughts of God, is spent in thoughts of other things—when God is not in all your thoughts—or if He sometimes is there, yet if other things take a higher place in your thoughts—if when you are called to think of God—as sometimes every day we should do with all seriousness—if ordinarily and willingly you make these thoughts of God give place to other things, it is idolatry.

If either you do not think of God or think otherwise of Him than He is—think Him all mercy, disregarding His justice—think Him all pity and compassion, disregarding His purity and holiness—think of His faithfulness in performing promises, not at all regarding His truth in execution of threatenings—think Him all love, not regarding His sovereignty—this is to set up an idol instead of God. Thinking otherwise of God than He has revealed Himself—or minding other things as much or more than God—is idolatry.

3. INTENTION. That which we most aim at, we make our God. For to be most intended is an act of worship due only to the true God. For He being the chief good—He must be the chief end. Now the chief end must be our chief aim—it must be intended and aimed at for itself; and all other things must be aimed at for its sake in a subserviency to it.

Now, when we make other things our chief aim or main design, we set them up in the stead of God and make them idols. When our chief design is to be rich, or great, or safe, or famous, or powerful—when our great aim is our own ease, or pleasure, or credit, or profit and advantage—when we aim at, or intend anything more, or anything as much, as the glorifying and enjoying of God—this is soul idolatry.

4. RESOLUTION. What we are most resolved for, we worship as God. Resolvedness for God, above all things, is an act of worship which He demands as due to Himself alone. To communicate it to other things is to give the worship of God unto them, and so to make them gods. When we are fully resolved for other things—for our lusts, pleasures, outward advantages—and but faintly resolved for God, His ways, honor, service—this is soul idolatry.

When we resolve presently for other things, but refer our resolves for God to the future—”Let me get enough of the world, of my pleasure, of my lusts, now—I will think of God hereafter, in old age, in sickness, on a deathbed”—these are idolatrous resolutions. God is thrust down—the creatures and your lusts advanced into the place of God—and that honor which is due only to Him, you give unto idols.

5. LOVE. That which we most love—we worship as our God. For love is an act of soul-worship. To love and to adore are sometimes both one. That which one loves—he worships. This is undoubtedly true, if we intend hereby that love which is superlative and transcendent—for to be loved above all things is an act of honor and worship, which the Lord demands as His due in peculiar (Deut. 6:5). In this the Lord Christ summed up all that worship which is required of man (Mat. 22:37). Other things may be loved—but He will be loved above all other things. He is to be loved transcendently, absolutely, and for Himself. All other things are to be loved in Him and for Him. He looks upon us as not worshiping Him at all, not taking Him for a God, when we love other things more or as much as Himself (1 John 2:15). Love to the creature, whenever it is inordinate, it is an idolatrous affection.

6. TRUST. That which we most trust we make our God. For confidence and dependence is an act of worship, which the Lord calls for as due only to Himself. And what act of worship is there which the Lord more requires than this soul-dependence upon Him alone? “Trust in the Lord with all your heart” (Prov. 3:5). He will allow no place for confidence in anything else. Therefore, it is idolatry to trust in ourselves—to rely upon our own wisdom, judgments, abilities, accomplishments. The Lord forbids it (Prov. 3:5).

To trust in wealth or riches—Job disclaims this and reckons it among those idolatrous acts that were punishable by the judge (Job 31:24). And our apostle, who calls covetousness idolatry, dissuades from this ‘confidence in riches’ as inconsistent with confidence in God (1 Tim. 6:17). To trust in friends though many and mighty—He fixes a curse upon this as being a departing from—a renouncing of God—an advancing of that we trust into the room of God (Psalm 136:3). Psalm 118:8, 9—”It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.” The idolatry of this confidence is expressed, in that the true God is laid aside. Trust in the creature is always idolatrous.

7. FEAR. That which we most fear, we worship as our God. For fear is an act of worship. He who fears, worships that which is feared—which is unquestionable when his fear is transcendent. The whole worship of God is frequently in Scripture expressed by this one word “fear” (Mat. 4:10; Deu. 6:13); and the Lord demands this worship, this fear, as due to Him alone (Isa 50:12, 19). That is our god which is our fear and dread (Luke 12:4, 5). If you fear others more than Him, you give that worship to them which is due only to God—and this is plain idolatry.

8. HOPE. That which we make our hope we worship as God. For hope is an act of worship—and worship is due only to God. It is His prerogative to be the hope of His people (Jer. 17:13; Rom. 15:13). When we make other things our hope, we give them the honor due only to God. It is a forsaking of the Lord the ‘Fountain’—and setting up of ‘broken cisterns’ into His place (Jer 2:13), hereby worshiping them as God. Thus do the papists openly, when they call the virgin mother, the wooden cross, and departed saints, their hope. And thus do others among us, who make their prayers, their sorrow for sin, their works of charity, or any acts of religion or righteousness, their hope—when men expect hereby to satisfy God’s justice, to pacify God’s displeasure, and to procure heaven. Nothing can effect this, but that which is infinite—the righteousness of God. And this we have only in and from Christ. He is therefore called our hope (1 Tim. 1:1); “our hope of glory” (Col 1:27). Those who make their own righteousness the foundation of their hope—they exalt it into the place of Christ and honor it as God.

9. DESIRE. That which we most desire—we worship as our God. For that which is chiefly desired, is the chief good, in the estimation of the one who desires it. And what he counts his chief good, that he makes his god. Desire is an act of worship—and to be most desired is that worship, that honor, which is due only to God. To desire anything more, or as much, as the enjoyment of God—is to idolize it, to prostrate the heart to it, and worship it as God alone should be worshiped. He alone should be that one thing desirable to us above all things. “One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after—that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to enquire in his temple.” Psalm 27:4

10. DELIGHT. That which we most delight and rejoice in—that we worship as God. For transcendent delight is an act of worship due to God alone. And this affection in its height and elevation is called glorying. That which is our delight above all things, we glory in it—and this is the prerogative which the Lord demands (1 Cor. 1:31; Jer. 9:23, 24). To rejoice more in our wisdom, strength, riches, than in the Lord—is to idolize them. To take more delight in relations, wife, or children, in outward comforts and accommodations, than in God—is to worship them, as we ought only to worship God. To take more pleasure in any way of sin, uncleanness, intemperance, earthly employments—than in the holy ways of God—than in those spiritual and heavenly services wherein we may enjoy God—is idolatry.

11. ZEAL. That for which we are most zealous, we worship as God. For such a zeal is an act of worship due only to God. Therefore, it is idolatrous to be more zealous for our own things—than for the things of God—to be eager in our own cause; and careless in the cause of God—to be more vehement for our own pleasure, interests, advantages; than for the truths, ways, honor of God—to be fervent in following our own business, promoting our designs; but lukewarm and indifferent in the service of God—to count it intolerable for ourselves to be reproached, slandered, reviled; but manifest no indignation when God is dishonored, His name, Sabbaths, worship, profaned; His truths, ways, people, reviled—this is idolatrous.

12. GRATITUDE. That to which we are most grateful, that we worship as God. For gratitude is an act of worship. We worship that for which we are most thankful. We may be thankful to men, we may acknowledge the helpfulness of means and instruments—but if we rest here and rise not higher in our thanks and acknowledgments—if the Lord is not remembered as Him without whom all these are nothing—it is idolatry. For this the Lord threatens those idolaters (Hos. 2:5, 8). Thus when we ascribe—our plenty and riches to our care and industry—our success to our prudence and diligence—our deliverances to friends, means, instruments—without looking higher—or not so much to God as unto these—we idolize them, sacrifice to them, as the prophet expresses it (Hab. 1:16). To ascribe that, which comes from God unto the creatures, is to set them in the place of God and so to worship them.

13. When our care and industry is more for other things, than for God—this is idolatrous. No man can serve two masters. We cannot serve God and mammon—God and our lusts also—because this service of ourselves and of the world, takes up that care, that industry, those endeavors, which the Lord must have of necessity, if we will serve Him as God. And when our time and endeavors are laid out for the world and our lusts, we serve them as the Lord ought to be served—and so make them our gods. When you are more careful and industrious to please men or yourselves, than to please God—when you are more careful to provide for yourselves and posterity, than to be serviceable unto God—when you are more careful as to what you shall eat, drink, or be clothed, than how you may honor and enjoy God—when you are more careful to make provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, than how to fulfill the will of God—when you are more industrious to promote your own interests, than the designs of God—when you are more careful to be rich, or great, or respected among men, than that God may be honored and advanced in the world—when you are more careful how to get the things of the world, than how to employ them for God—when you rise early, go to bed late, eat the bread of carefulness, that your outward estate may prosper, while the cause, and ways, and interests of Christ have few or none of your endeavors—this is to idolize the world, yourselves, your lusts, your relations, while the God of heaven is neglected! And the worship and service due unto Him alone is hereby idolatrously given to other things!

He who makes Christ his chief aim, if at length he finds Him whom his soul loves—this quiets his heart—whatever he lacks, whatever he loses besides. He counts this a full recompense for all his tears, prayers, inquiries, waitings, endeavors.

“Therefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry!” 1 Corinthians 10:14

Greek & Hebrew Reader’s Bible
John Dyer, who I am not familiar with, created this online Greek and Hebrew Bible . . . for free! It reminds of Zhubert.com, but it also has Hebrew and not just Greek like Zhubert. If you mouse over words you can get a quick dictionary definition of the word and also case information. This site looks perfect for someone getting started in Greek!

Believin’ Stephen
Now I just recently heard Believin’ Stephen for the first time. This is Timothy Brindles little brother. If you aren’t familiar with Tim, you should be. Believin’ Stephen just recently released 19 tracks titled The Perseverance MixTape which you can down for FREE right here. The songs don’t seem to conform to an overarching theme that well, but overall I am liking it and looking forward to what else comes out of Believin’ Stephen.

BestCommentaries.com
I noticed this site floating around in the blogosphere before, but never got around to checking it out until today. The site looks fantastic – content wise that is, the design is another story. ;) The Unashamed Workmen has a short review of the site.

Saint Augustines battle against lust and fight for joy
John Piper speaking about the life and passion of Saint Augustine fighting his failures in lust and killing his sin not by his own strength but with the word of God, and the sheer beauty and joy of knowing Christ..

A Testimony to God’s Grace
In this video C.J. Mahaney shares his story of coming to faith. Our stories are similar in parts and different in others. While we were both slaves to the drug culture, he was loving it while I was internally being crushed by it, but both of our experiences confirmed the Scriptures testimony: You did not choose me, but I chose you . . .

Page CXVI
Not sure who these folks are, but register and get a free album of some good covers of old hymns. While you’re at it (in case you live under a rock) check out all the free music over at Mars Hill. My favorite is a band named Team Strike Force.