Welcome to June! To ring in the new month I’ve got great new desktop wallpaper for you to download. This month’s wallpaper was created by Jeff Nine of Oklahoma City, OK. It comes in two variations—one that includes a calendar for this month and one that does not.

A few notes: Your desktop or laptop may take any of the sizes, depending on your monitor size and a host of other considerations. If you’re not sure of the size, just find one that looks like it would be pretty much the same size as your screen. Generally you set one of these are your wallpaper by clicking on the link to the image, then right-clicking on the image (once it’s open) and selecting “Set as Background,” “Set as Desktop Background,” or something similar. If you aren’t sure, post a comment and we’ll try to help you figure it out.

The Fields Are White

... now all we need are workers to work the fields. John 4:34-38

With Calendar: 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Without Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

This is now the fifth installment in a series that takes a brief look at important theological terms. You can see previous posts on the terms theology, Trinity, creation, and man. Today it continues by looking to the Fall.

What do Christians mean when we talk about “the Fall” (note the capital F)?

“The Fall” refers to a specific, historic event which occured in the lives of the very first human beings in the Garden of Eden. It has forever changed creation and the human race.

The event is described in Genesis 3 and its effects are seen throughout Scripture and the rest of human history. Bruce Waltke provides a helpful summary of what occurred:

Adam and Eve were created in a state of righteousness (accepted with God) and innocence (a state of untested righteousness). They would have continued in a state of blessed sanctity with God and of enjoying life in the garden if they had obeyed God and not eaten the forbidden fruit. … By Adam and Eve’s failure to trust the goodness of God’s character and the truthfulness of his word, they disobey and instantaneously “fall” from their state of bliss in the garden into a tragic state of irreversible sin and death and banishment from the garden.

Much more could be said about how this “fall” introduced the human race to original sin and total depravity, how it led to the cursing of all creation, and how it set the stage for the glorious redemption of all things in Christ Jesus. But in its essence “the Fall” refers to the loss of man’s righteousness and bliss before God, his newfound bondage to sin, the inevitability of death, and banishment from the presence of God. All of this came as a consequence of man’s disobedience and his distrust of both the character and word of God. Fall is a small word with a great depth of meaning.

I know, I know—there’s a certain level of irony when you provide “bullet points” on death. Nevertheless, here are five important things that the Bible tells us about death.

1. Death is the result of sin

Genesis 2:17 -- “but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Romans 6:23a -- ‘For the wages of sin is death”

2. Death is an evil intruder into the world

1 Corinthians 15:26 --”The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”

3. Death is followed by judgment

Hebrews 9:27 -- “it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment”

Revelation 20:12 -- “And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.”

4. Death for unbelievers is the entrance into eternal and terrible punishment

Matthew 25:41, 46 -- “Then [the Son of Man] will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. … And these will go away into eternal punishment …”

Luke 13:28 -- “In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out.”

5. Death for believers is the doorway to eternal life and joy with God

1 Corinthians 15:52, 54-55 -- “For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. … then shall come to pass the saying that is written: ‘Death is swallowed up in victory.’ ‘O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?’”

Revelation 21:4 -- “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”

Philippians 1:21, 23 -- “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. … My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.”

I am in the unique and enjoyable position of receiving copies of most of the latest and greatest Christian books and I like to provide regular roundups of some of the best and brightest of the bunch. Here are some of the notable books that I’ve received in the past week or two.

Lifted by Sam Allberry - “The resurrection is far more than a mere event. It isn’t just for Easter; it has overwhelmingly implications for our lives every day. The resurrection gives us real assurance of forgiveness and salvation, power to live new and transformed lives, and hope for life after death.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Christ-Centered Biblical Theology by Graeme Goldsworthy - “For fifty years Graeme Goldsworthy has been refining his understanding of biblical theology through his experiences as a student, pastor and teacher. In this valuable complement to his Gospel-Centered Hermeneutics, Goldsworthy defends and refines the rationale for his approach, drawing especially on the work of Australian biblical scholar Donald Robinson.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

True Woman 101 by Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss - “Bible teachers Mary A. Kassian and Nancy Leigh DeMoss share the key fundamentals of biblical womanhood in this eight week study. Each week includes five daily individual lessons leading to a group time of sharing and digging deeper into God’s Word…. Visit TrueWoman101.com to view the videos and download additional study resources.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

Church Discipline by Jonathan Leeman - “Here is a contemporary and concise how-to guide that provides a theological framework for understanding and implementing disciplinary measures in the local church, along with several examples of real-life situations. Drawing on both Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5, this brief hardback helps leaders face the endless variety of circumstances and sins for which no exact scriptural case study exists, sins which don’t show up on any list and need a healthy framework to be corrected appropriately in love.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

RetroChristianity by Michael Svigel - “RetroChristianity challenges us to think critically and constructively about those who have come before us and how that informs our current beliefs, values, and practices. This book will adjust our attitudes about evangelicalism, and will lead us along a time-tested path toward a brighter future.”(Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Shame Interrupted by Ed Welch - “We know what shame feels like. The way out, however, is harder to find. Time doesn’t help, neither does confession, because shame is just as often from what others do to you as it is from what you have done. But the Bible is about shame from start to finish, and, if we are willing, God’s beautiful words break through.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

If God Then What by Andrew Wilson - “People encounter truth by sharing stories and asking questions. Andrew Wilson asks nine big questions about truth, origins and redemption, and wonders aloud about the possible answers, representing a new fresh way of communicating the gospel.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon)

Warfield on the Christian Life by Fred Zaspel, et al. - “B. B. Warfield is well-known as one of America's leading theologians, perhaps second only to Jonathan Edwards. But until now the character of his own Christian experience and his understanding of the Christian life have remained unexplored. Fred Zaspel unpacks these for us here, and what we find is that Warfield's profound theological mind is matched only by his passionate heart for Christ. From Warfield we learn truly what it is to live in light of the gospel.” (Learn more and shop at Amazon or Westminster Books)

I trust you are enjoying this Visual Theology series of infographics as much as I am. The series has now visited the ordo salutis, the attributes of God, the books of the Bible, Philippians 4:8, the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Trinity, Philippians 2:5-11, the Old Testament tabernacle, the fruit of the Spirit and Reformed Theology. Today it continues with a look at the “one another” passages of Scripture.

The New Testament contains at least 40 passages that contain the words “one another” and each one points to a way that Christians are to treat, or are not to treat, each other. This graphic seeks to display the whole lot of them.

(Click on the thumbnail image below to see the complete infographic)

If you are after a high-res version, you can have it here in JPG format (9 MB). Please feel free to download, copy, email, share, or print the graphic; I just ask that you don't sell it.

If you have other ideas for theological infographics, please feel free to leave a comment. Several more are already in development.

A few days ago I shared John Bunyan’s wisdom on why some who profess faith in Christ eventually backslide. Today I want to follow him a little bit farther. Having covered the why, I’ve now drawn from Pilgrim’s Progress instruction on the how. In each case I’ve given my short summary followed by Bunyan’s own words. Here is how to backslide in nine easy steps:

1. Stop meditating on the gospel. “They draw off their thoughts, all that they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.”
2. Neglect your devotions and stop battling sin. “Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin, and the like.”
3. Isolate yourself from Christian fellowship. “Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.”
4. Stop going to church. “After that, they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like.”
5. Determine that Christians are hypocrites because they continue to sin. “They then begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly, and that devilishly, that they may have a seeming color to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmities they have espied in them) behind their backs.”
6. Trade Christian community for distinctly unChristian company. “Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and wanton men.”
7. Pursue rebellious conversation and fellowship. “Then they give way to carnal and wanton discourses in secret; and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they may the more boldly do it through their example.”
8. Allow yourself to enjoy some small, sinful pleasures. “After this they begin to play with little sins openly.”
9. Admit what you are and prepare yourself for everlasting torment. “And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are. Thus, being launched again into the gulf of misery, unless a miracle of grace prevent it, they everlastingly perish in their own deceivings.”

This is the fourth installment in a series on theological terms. You can see the previous posts on the terms theology, Trinity, and creation. Today the series moves to man.

Surprisingly, attempting to define man in simple terms is not an easy task. There are many things that could be included in the definition and a line has to be drawn somewhere. I’ve chosen to define man according the very first use of the term in the Bible.

In Genesis 1 we find at least four defining characteristics that teach us what man is:

1) As most English Bibles make clear in their footnotes, the term man in Hebrew (adam) is very closely related to the Hebrew word for earth or ground (adama). This is an intentional and ongoing reminder that God formed man “from the dust of the ground” (Genesis 2:7), which teaches us that man is an integrated, natural member of God’s created world.

2) Man is created “in the image of God” (Genesis 1:27); which means that, along with being a natural member of God’s creation, he is also a supernatural being. Having been made in the image of God, he carries the imprint of the supernatural Creator, the God who exists and operates in ways that exceed the natural order he has created. James 3:9 affirms that this divine image has not been removed even after man’s fall from his original state of sinlessness.

3) Man has dominion over creation. God makes this clear in his original mandate to man: “let them have dominion over [everything else I’ve created]” (Genesis 1:26). One of the main implications of being created in God’s image is that we share in his dominion over other created things. But note how our first point affects this: since we are also a member of creation, we serve ourselves best when we steward the rest of creation well.

4) Man is male and female. “In the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27). This verse teaches us that a central component of what God intended when he made man is that we would exist as two intentionally distinct sexes.

In summary, then, Genesis 1 teaches us that man is the one creature made male and female, from the earth, in the image of God, with dominion over the rest of creation.

I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I publish occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Here are a few notable links I've collected over the past few weeks. (Note: I’ve formerly titled this feature “Reviews I Didn’t Write.”)

David: Man of Prayer, Man of War by Walter Chantry. Review by Joshua Harris: “The last book my mother gave me before she passed away was David: Man of Prayer, Man of War by Walter Chantry. It had been a great encouragement to her during a difficult season … . Chantry does an outstanding job sharing the highs and lows of David’s life and drawing from them spiritual guidance and wisdom for Christians. Even if you consider yourself well acquainted with the story of David’s life I think you’ll benefit from it.” (Shop for this title at Amazon)

Herman Bavinck: Pastor, Churchman, Statesman, and Theologian by Ron Gleason (who happens also to be an old family friend and former pastor of mine). Review by Tony Garbarino: “This was a wonderful read that I would recommend to anyone interested in the history of the Reformed Church, the Netherlands, or Herman Bavinck. Gleason is readable, intelligent and witty.” (Shop for this title at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Lit!: A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke. Review by Jesse Johnson: “Lit is one of those books that pays dividends. Reading it will cause you to read other books more frequently. View it as an investment. If you want to read more, read this, and it will help you not only read more, but read better.” (Shop for this title at Amazon or Westminster Books)

Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward. Review by Kristen Narara: “In her brand new book Carrie Ward shares a refreshingly honest account of her struggle with discipline and consistent Bible study and how the Lord gave her a new hunger for him amidst the chaos of motherhood.” (Shop for this title at Amazon)

A Week in the Life of Corinth by Ben Witherington, III. Review by Michael Haykin: “When I finished reading this novella by the well-known New Testament scholar Ben Witherington III, the first thought I had was that this would be an ideal text for a course I teach on the Ancient Church in its Graeco-Roman context.” (Shop for this title at Amazon)

The Apostle Paul had a lot to say about preaching, but I think the majority of it can be grouped under six main headings or ideas. You could, of course, extract specific teaching points from each one, but I think there’s value in looking at them in a broad sense. Here is what Paul says about the preaching of God’s Word:

1) Preaching Is Not Grand Oratory

• For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles. (1 Corinthians 1:21-23)

2) Preaching Is God’s Appointed Means of Saving His People

• How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)
• Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. (1 Corinthians 15:11)

3) Preaching Exists Because of the Gospel and For the Gospel

• And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. (1 Corinthians 15:14)
• For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)
• But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8-9)

4) Being a Preacher Does Not Make You a Christian (or a Great Christian)

• Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry (Philippians 1:15)
• But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. (1 Corinthians 9:27)

5) Faithful Preaching Is Hard Work, and Many Won’t Value It

• I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. (1 Timothy 4:1-4)

6) Faithful Preachers Should Be Honored and Compensated

• Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages.” (1 Timothy 5:17-18)

Today I've got another batch of books that I didn't review. Life is such that there are lots of great books that I just cannot find the time to read and many other books I'm simply not qualified to review. These books tend to find their way into these round-ups of the ones I received and looked at but for one reason or another just couldn't review. I list them here in the hopes that at least some of them will be of interest to at least some of you!

Redeeming Church Conflicts by Tara Barthel and David Edling - “In this purposeful and practical book, two church-conflict resolution experts take readers through the Acts 15 model of approaching conflict in order to help them understand the intricacies of their church conflict. The book provides a clear, godly way forward into redemptive reconciliation, regardless of how the people involved in the conflict respond or fail to respond.”

The Epistle to the Hebrews by Gareth Lee Cockerill - In this volume from the NICNT series, “Cockerill analyzes the book’s rhetorical, chiastic shape and interprets each passage in light of this overarching structure. He also offers a new analysis of the epistle’s use of the Old Testament — continuity and fulfillment rather than continuity and discontinuity — and shows how this consistent usage is relevant for contemporary biblical interpretation. Written in a clear, engaging, and accessible style, this commentary will benefit pastors, laypeople, students, and scholars alike.”

The Church by Mark Dever - “A church's life, doctrine, worship, and even polity are important issues. Yet they are so rarely addressed. The Church is Mark Dever's primer on the doctrine of the church for all who see Scripture alone as a sufficient authority for the doctrine and life of the local church. He explains to the reader what the Bible says about the nature and purpose of the church--what it is, what it's for, what it does.”

The Roots of the Reformation by G. R. Evans - “Contravening traditional paradigms of interpretation, Evans charts the controversies and challenges that roiled the era of the Reformation and argues that these are really part of a much longer history of discussion and disputation. … She demonstrates that in many ways the Reformation was in considerable continuity with the periods that preceded it, though the consequential outcome of the debates in the sixteenth century was dramatically different.”

The Lectio Continua Expository Commentary on Galatians by J.V. Fesko - “The Lectio Continua Expository Commentary on the New Testament is not meant to be an academic or highly technical series. There are many helpful exegetical commentaries written for that purpose. Rather, the aim is to provide lectio continua sermons which clearly and faithfully communicate the context, meaning, gravity and application of God's inerrant Word. Each volume of expositions aspires to be redemptive-historical, covenantal, Reformed and confessional, trinitarian, person-and-work-of-Christ-centered, and teeming with practical application.” This is the initial volume in what appears to be a promising set.