“There is a legitimate sense in which the fear of God involves being afraid of God, being gripped with terror and dread. Though this is not the dominant thought in Scripture, it is there nonetheless. The second aspect of fear, which is peculiar to the true children of God, is the fear of veneration, honor, and awe with which we regard our God. It is a fear that leads us not to run from Him but to draw near to Him through Jesus Christ and gladly submit to Him in faith, love, and obedience.” (Albert N. Martin, The Forgotten Fear: Where Have All the God-Fearers Gone?)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! The Christmas season is now upon us, and we have much to celebrate. I just hope this week’s links will bring you more towards the truth of Christ and His birth. Here are this week’s links.

• Missionary Helen Roseveare went to be with the Lord on Wednesday at the age of 91. Justin Taylor writes a quick summary of her life and experiences on the mission field. She truly should be considered a woman of whom the world was not worthy.
• Michael Kruger continues his series on Christian cliches that should go the way of the do-do, this time on the saying “all sins are equal in God’s sight.” He wrote a follow-up post to give a sampling of how widespread this idea has become.
• Paul Tripp reminds us that Christmas is all about a tree, but not the tree that we decorate. A powerful way to remember what we are truly celebrating.
• Steve Hays compiled a list of articles, books, and other resources mounting a case for the existence of God, along with responses to objections. Earlier, he linked to another set of theistic arguments for God’s existence that includes a good bibliography that will keep you busy for the next year(s). These are the links to bookmark and visit often.
• Christian philosopher Dr. Timothy McGrew was interviewed on the convergence of philosophy and Christianity, among other issues. A number of resources are linked along with the interview, which would be a great introduction to the writings of Dr. McGrew.
• If you haven’t already read about it, the book The Shack is coming out soon as a movie, which means there may be some opportunities to discuss some of the issues that came as a result of the book. Stand to Reason highlights Tim Challies’ reviews of that book, which would be helpful to brush up on what were some of his concerns.
• Pastor Brian Croft recently spoke at a conference called “Every Member Ministry” on the importance of member involvement in a local church. If you’re seeking to understand what your role in the life of the church is, this looks like a good place to start.
• Every Christmas season, there’s some who will find the idea of the virgin birth of Christ as mythical. Many responses have come from these challenges, but the objections continue to be used past their expiration date. As believers, is the virgin birth essential to our faith? Pastor Kevin DeYoung thinks so, as should we.
• The Gospel Coalition came out with their December issue of Themelios, which has a number of great articles, as well as about 50 book reviews, some of which may be very informative, even for Christmas shopping.

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for the upcoming Christmas concert that will be taking place tomorrow at church! Hope to see you there! And on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria