Bible Code, Barth, Justification, Bavinck, and Kids

Today was a strange but excellent day of receiving mail (email and snail mail).

First, on the strange side, I got a pamphlet (from an inmate with whom I correspond from time to time) that says Jesus is going to return on May 21, 2011.  The brilliant theologian-scholars at Family Radio have (again?) cracked the Bible code – May 21, 2011 corresponds exactly with the beginning date of the flood in Genesis 7.  In their sheer brilliance, these theologians must have forgotten about Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32.

Second (strange and exciting at the same time), the mailman brought a big box that had a stamp on the side: Church Dogmatics.  Yes, my new $99.00 set of Barth came today (thanks to CBD and Hendrickson).  I’ll blog more on this in the future.  For now, I better get reading if I want to finish these babies before the May 21, 2011 parousia.

Third – and this is just plain excellent – in my inbox I got a note from the White Horse Inn that they’ve put out a book on justification sola fide.  It is a collection of some of Modern Reformation’s articles on justification by the likes of R. C. Sproul, Mike Horton, Jerry Bridges, and J. A. O. Preus, just to name a few.  Looks like a great resource!  Click here for more details and to watch a video on this book.

Fourth (more excellent news), RHB sent out an email today with a notice that they were selling Herman Bavinck’s books for 50% off.  His Dogmatics are on sale for $25 each, his excellent work Saved by Grace is on sale for $15 (I refer to this one weekly in my studies – it is that good), and his Essays on Religion, Science, and Society is on sale for $20.  The sale ends Nov. 22 and shipping is only $2.99 online.  If you’ve been wanting to read some Bavinck, now is the chance!

Fifth – good news – my case of Long Story Short: Ten-Minute Devotions to Draw Your Family to God came in.  When WTS books had the sale last week, some friends and parishioners wanted copies too, so I ordered a bunch.  I’ll blog on that in the future.  Speaking of kids’ Christian reading, has anyone seen the ESV Seek-and-Find Bible for kids?  I saw a large portion of it in a preview; the pictures in it are exactly like those freaky pictures you see in Jehovah’s Witness or Mormon pamphlets.  This is one kids’ Bible I’ll stay away from – my wife and I are literally afraid of those soft, cheesy, romantic Bible pictures.  I think my kids would have nightmares of the Adam and Eve pics in this Bible!  I’d stay away from this if I were you – your kids will thank you when they grow up.

I need to go dig into Barth.

shane lems