Some trust in chariots, and some trust in horses ... and some trust in lucky charms (and I ain't talkin' 'bout the cereal).

So if you want to really help your candidate, don't waste your time voting.  Dress up as the other guy, walk under ladders, break some mirrors, and kick black cats intentionally across the street (ah, just go kick cats!).

Or ... you can take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ Jesus, pursue righteousness and not self-preservation as you vote, and trust in the Lord (Psalm 20:7, Isaiah 31:1).

We had a brief exodus from Exodus for the months of September (looking at Spiritual Gifts) and October (Mike-toberfest 08 with our guest preachers).  We'll now step back into Exodus as we wrap up the year.

The grand theme of Exodus is that the people of God are freed to worship.  We've looked at the sacred people that God called to serve in worship:  the mediator Moses, the priests, the artisans, and all of the people in their contributions.  We'll not take a look at sacred times of worship (Sabbaths and festivals), and the sacred places of worship (the tabernacle, or tent of God's dwelling, and all of its furnishings). 

We'll make our exodus with Exodus into the Christmas season, as we celebrate the Incarnation of the One Great Mediator, the Great High Priest, the Creator, and Dwelling of God Among Men: Jesus the Christ.

Sunday October 26th we'll be wrapping up our look at spiritual gifts by finishing 1 Corinthians 14.   Paul's exhortation to the Corinthians in the use of gifts was that they be used for building up the body, the church, for the glory of God.  I encourage you to re-read 1 Corinthians 12, 13 and 14 as a unified whole, and see how the Lord continues to shape your understanding of spiritual gifts. 

Notice the two main emphases of chapter 14: intelligibility and order.  Sound like a joy-kill?  We often think that the work of the Spirit should be anything but orderly and intelligible, or at least we see it portrayed as anything but.  Intelligibility and order?  But that means restraint, that means some predictability, that means being careful.  Yes, it means being led by the Spirit, not by our selves.  For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace (1 Cor 14:33).  Be reformed in your understanding of what joy and peace and power the Spirit works through intelligibility and order.

If you're looking for some resources on the spiritual gifts, check out the previous entry titled "Unwrapping Gifts."  There, you'll find a bibliography, both text and audio, that I hope you'll find helpful.

For the month of September, we've been pursuing a biblical understanding of spiritual gifts ... the charismata, or "grace-gifts," as they are called. Below are a few resources that I am using, including books, articles, and even a few sermons.  The listing is by no means exhaustive or extensive.  And just because it's listed does not mean that everything within the book or sermon or article is endorsed or agreed-with.  So keep your Bible open and your brain engaged and be led by the same Spirit you hope to better understand in your study!

Some BOOKS

The best and most thorough treatment of 1 Corinthians 12-14 is D.A. Carson's Showing the Spirit. It's a series of lectures turned into a book, so it reads like classic Carson, but more "listenable."

A great introduction to and explanation of the 'continuationist' position (that the gifts of tongues, miracles, etc continue into our time), along with an overview of all the related issues, is in Wayne Grudem's Systematic Theology.  Check out chapters 52 & 53 especially. Grudem's book is a must have, whether you have a systematic theology or not.

I'm cruising Sam Storms book which is a spiritual gifts primer called The Beginner's Guide to Spiritual Gifts.  He is a "continuationist" and his website is www.enjoyingodministries.com.  Jury is still out on the book and his views, as I haven't finished it yet.

For a 'cessationist' position (that the gifts of tongues, miracles, etc have ceased to continue in our time) there's Richard Gaffin's Perspectives on Pentecost. There's also John MacArthur's Charismatic Chaos which I read some years ago.  MacArthur, a cessationist, exposes the excesses and abuses of the "charismatic movement" (which, if you think about it, isn't too hard to do) but I don't hold with him on why the gifts have ceased.

Some COMMENTARIES

Anthony C. Thiselton, The First Epistle to the Corinthians, New International Greek Testament Commentary

David E. Garland, 1 Corinthians, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament

Craig L. Blomberg, 1 Corinthians, The NIV Application Commentary

Some FREEBIES

Some great sermons are John Piper's on gifts (generally), and here as well, and on Romans 12 and faith (make sure to check out all 3 parts). 

If you have the time for a 6 part series, here's Mark Driscoll's look at the gifts when he preached through 1 Corinthians in 2006, "Christians Gone Wild." Insightful in addressing our Corinthian culture.

Finally, there's an article by Vern Poythress, who is solidly reformed and incredibly detailed.  He deals with the continuation of gifts from a cessassionist position ... a man at war with himself!  This is not for the "faint of heart" readers, but if you read the latter portions of the paper first, it may help, so that you know where he's going.  Poythress is a website buddy with John Frame ("Main Frame"), and their website is A MUST KEEP on your bookmarks for future reading, research and just some downright biblical and building stuff.  Frame's Evangelical Reunion, out of print, is downloadable from here, free!!!  Just follow the link and scroll down to the second book and begin downloading (and remember, always read the preface!).