“Everything in the Hebrew worldview militated against the idea that a human being could be God. Jews would not even pronounce the name ‘Yahweh’ nor spell it. And yet Jesus Christ—by his life, by his claims, and by his resurrection—convinced his closest Jewish followers that he was not just a prophet telling them how to find God, but God himself come to find us.” (Tim Keller, Hidden Christmas: The Surprising Truth Behind the Birth of Christ)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! As we are two days away from celebrating the greatest birthday ever, I have sought to bring links that direct us upward in focusing our thoughts to the one birth that will matter for all eternity. Merry Christmas!

• As Christmas is quickly approaching, the media continues their consistent reporting bias against the reality of Christ’s birth, as Jason Engwer points out. Last month, he collected all that he and the Triabloggers wrote on the issue of Christmas this year, which you can access here. I hope this can be a source of great conversations this Christmas!
• Christian apologist and detective J. Warner Wallace reminds us that the reason Christmas is Christmas is because Jesus is God.
• Al Mohler discusses the persistence of Christmas with historian Gerry Bowler. You will learn a lot about our cherished holiday!
• Pastor Conrad Mbewe ponders why missionaries take such embarrassing photos in Africa. It’s worth reading, especially if you ever decide to take photos on your next missionary trip.
• Ravi Zacharias writes on Oxford Dictionary’s 2016 word of the year, and the importance of it in proclaiming Christ today.
• As the day draws near, there’s at least 10 things you should know about Christmas, and 10 things you should know about the Incarnation.
• James Anderson simply lays out the three mysteries of Christmas that we are quick to forget or ignore out of familiarity. May it never be!

That’s all for this week! We hope you enjoy this Christmas holiday remembering the glorious, yet humble birth of our Lord and Savior! See you at church this Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“A local church is a gathering of baptized, born-again Christians who covenant together in love to meet regularly under the authority of the Scriptures and the leadership of the elders to worship God, be a visible image of the gospel, and, ultimately, to give God glory (John 3:1–8; 13:34–35; Acts 2:41; 14:23; Eph. 3:10; Col. 3:16; 2 Tim. 3:16–17; Heb. 10:24–25).” (Mack Stiles, Evangelism: How the Whole Church Speaks of Jesus)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! For many, Christmas season has led to break, but there is much to still learn and grow in our understanding of our Lord and Savior, even during the holidays. With that said, I hope this week’s links will be of service to you!

• Tim Challies has been working through a series on what he calls the forgotten commandment of honoring your parents. Though he’s a few posts in, he recently wrote an article highlighting two kinds of cultures that seem prevalent not only in our country, but also in our church. This may make you go back and start at the beginning!
• This week is the week of new journal issues! Make sure you check out the fall issue The Masters Seminary Journal on “Christ-Centered Preaching,” 9Marks journal on the state of nations regarding healthy churches, and Credo’s issue on Sola Scriptura.
• How do we deal with bitterness in our hearts? Heath Lambert discusses overcoming bitterness in this week’s Truth in Love podcast. Earlier this week, Lambert spoke with Dr. Stuart Scott on how to deal with sadness during the Christmas season.
• Last week, I mentioned Christian philosophy professor Tim McGrew’s interview on his contribution to the Four Views on Christianity and Philosophy. Now, Dr. Scott Oliphint provides a presuppositional perspective in the following broadcast, noting that Christianity trumps philosophy. As a philosophy major, I actually agree, so make sure you give some time for this interview.
• Parents, how have you instructed your kids in listening to a sermon? If you haven’t, you may find some wisdom in David Prince’s piece on training your kids to listen to sermons well.
• Andy Naselli highlights The Bible Project and their amazing work in summarizing each book of the Bible in a video or two. Click the link to find all videos of each book in one post! This could be a fun series of videos to watch with your roommates, friends, and family.
• The Associates of Biblical Research blog created a fascinating video establishing the truth of Micah’s prophecy concerning Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem with amazing views of the location uncovered by archaeologists. Praise God, for His Word is true.
• Alan Shlemon, of Stand to Reason, answers a question that calls the apostle Paul’s view of sexual ethics outdated. Greg Koukl interviewed Rosaria Butterfield on her conversion to Christ from her life of rebellion against God in her previous life as a lesbian and English professor at a secular university. Very helpful in learning how to be gracious and loving towards those who identify as LBGTQ.
• It’s never tiring to hear testimony of how God brought a sinner to saving faith. This time, listen to Jean as she shares her life story, from abortion to Christ.

That’s all for this week! Please keep the SDSU collegians in prayer as they finish up finals and head home for Christmas break, and represent Christ to their families. Also pray for the youth, as they will be having their Christmas party tonight. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“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

“God is in his Word. He is in it not only when the Bible is read, but also when it is truly preached, or witnessed to, or reflected on in the mind; we meet him in it, and so his Word brings both knowledge and fellowship.” (Broughton Knox, The Everlasting God)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Thanksgiving has come and gone, but giving thanks to God is a daily joy and responsibility! I pray these links will continue to point you to thank God for all He has done. With that said, here are this week’s links!

• Earlier this week was the anniversary of the death of C.S. Lewis. If you don’t know much about him, here’s at least nine things you should know. David Mathis at Desiring God writes some reflections on the influence he had on him, which is a good place to get a taste of Lewis’ writing.
• With Thanksgiving Day having come and gone, there’s still some articles worth spending time on. First, Pastor Eric Davis shares memories with his grandfather, including an opportunity to share the gospel with him. Second, Kevin DeYoung gives a short meditation on thankfulness that extends past Thanksgiving.   Third, R.C. Sproul offers a two-part message on Thanksgiving for all to enjoy. Lastly, here is a great article to share with believer and non-believer alike: give thanks!
• Professor and Christian philosopher James Anderson recently gave a talk on how to address the issue of transgender biblically, giving eight theses to build his case. This is definitely worth giving time and attention, for the sake of loving people.
• Pastor and biblical counselor Paul Tautges offers us his notes on how to have a quiet time with God. If you have no idea how to start, or need a refresher, this will point you in the right direction!
• Philosopher and homeschool mom Lydia McGrew writes of some of the current issues taking place within evangelicalism: IVCF vs. SBL, and the recent ETS meeting concerning four resolutions passed last year in response to the Obergefell ruling.
• Justin Taylor seeks to think through the logic of abortion rights, which turns out to be quite informative. Whether pro-life or pro-choice, this will be a great push forward in dialoging with one another. Lives truly are at stake.
• Why do kids who profess to be Christians later abandon the faith? Tim Challies discusses four reasons and possible solutions for parents and youth workers to consider. May we all seek to be faithful to faithfully point the next generation to Christ by teaching and example.
• New Testament professor Thomas Schreiner explains commonly misunderstood phrases in Scripture: faith as a mustard seed, and faith that moves mountains. What do they mean, and can we actually move mountains by our faith? Schreiner is very helpful here in dealing with this.
• How can we encourage one another, in season and out of season? Dane Ortlund provides some much-needed encouragement for us (see what I did there?).

That’s all for this week! Don’t forget that this Sunday is the first Sunday of Advent, so make sure you prepare to anticipate our celebration of Christ coming to earth! See you all then!

Soli Deo Gloria

“To be a good leader, you’ve got to know how to follow first. If you want others to submit to your leadership, you’ve got to learn how to submit to the authorities in your life…Biblically great people don’t want to draw attention to themselves, but want to lay down their own lives for other people. You should be willing to serve other people because you should really believe they’re more significant than you.” (Dan Dumas, Live Smart: Preparing for the Future God Wants for You)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! With Thanksgiving a week away, there’s already much to be thankful for, including this week’s links! Here they are!

• The ’10 things you should know’ series continues, this time about physician assisted suicide.
• Tim Challies gives a clear tactic in handling conflicts biblically: asking two specific questions that gets to the heart of forgiveness. For the sake of the unity of the church body, read this!
• TMS Professor Dr. Greg Harris is coming out with a new book, The Bible Expositor’s Handbook sometime next year, but has made available of the first two chapters here. Enjoy!
• ACBC has made available one of their sessions from this year’s annual conference. This one is titled, “The Doctrine of the Church and Biblical Counseling” by Steve Viars. Praise God for His faithfulness to His people in the care of souls!
• Colleen Chao invites us into her life (and Joseph) to see the hand of God in bringing a proud person to compassion. Heath Lambert gives counsel on the Truth in Love podcast on how to break through to the heart of a prideful person.
• Challies mentions and challenges three parenting myths we are all tempted to believe.
• Professor David Murray, with assistance of his students in counseling, has created a counselor’s checklist, based on Paul Tripp’s Love-Know-Speak-Do structure, to gauge how one is doing in providing biblical counsel. I hope this is of help to everyone who offers counsel from the Scriptures.
• What’s at stake in the creation-evolution debate? Center for Science and Culture associate director John West reports on a new study that quantifies the effects of evolutionary ideas on faith and ethics of the general public. There’s some valuable information, so take a look!
• Pastor Jeremy Yong explains why grace seems hard for him as an Asian-American. Very appreciative of his perspective!

That’s all for this week! Please keep the youth and collegians in prayer, as they meet tonight. Hope to see you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“We need revival, a reformation of our hearts and minds. We don’t need more self-help books, we don’t need more welfare programs or feel-good efforts: we need more of Jesus Christ. Our battleground is not marriage, sexuality, sanctity of life, justice, or hunger. Our battleground is the gospel. Jesus is enough.” [Sheldon Nord (foreword) in David Steele, Bold Reformer: Celebrating the Gospel-Centered Convictions of Martin Luther]

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Quite the week, to say the least. Here’s hoping that this week’s links will provide some encouragement to you, wherever you are in your walk with Christ today.

• What do you do when your pastor begins sharing the gospel in his sermon? Do you start packing up? Thinking about what to eat for lunch? Pastor Jordan Standridge calls you, believer, not to shut off your brain when your pastor preaches the gospel. This is probably the best post I’ve read this week.
• Ok, the election has come and gone. Anything worth reading out there? Well, Andy Naselli has a great post-election roundup of articles. Jonathan Leeman reminds us of our responsibility as a church body, Hunter Baker tells us 10 things we should know about the election, Heath Lambert provides timely counsel on how believers on either political side can love one another, and Mark Dever a few years back preached on the relationship between Christians and politics that has been helpful to me personally over the years.
• Nancy Guthrie recently gave a talk at RTS Charlotte on how to struggle with grief, a very needed subject in the Christian community. RTS President Michael Kruger interviews her and her husband David in light of their new book, What Grieving People Wish You Knew about What Really Helps (and What Really Hurts).
• What are some of the fruits of the Reformation? Sinclair Ferguson provides four implications of Martin Luther’s theology, while Joel Beeke provides a picture of Luther’s family as a picture of cultivating Christian discipleship in the family.
• Brad Hambrick discusses the difference between the noun counsel and the verb counseling, and the perceptions people have about both. Trust me, it’s worth the read.

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for the youth and collegians, as they meet tonight, as well as our members’ meeting this Sunday night. See you all Sunday morning!

Soli Deo Gloria

“To move from religion to secularism is not so much a loss of faith as a shift into a new set of beliefs and into a new community of faith, one that draws the lines between orthodoxy and heresy in different places.” (Tim Keller, Making Sense of God: An Invitation to the Skeptical)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Well, the weekend is here, and there’s a lot to catch up on, so here are this week’s links!

• How thick is your Bible? This is a question Biblical counselor Jim Newheiser asks to those interested in counseling the Scriptures to one another, and gets to the heart of that question in his recent contribution to the Biblical Counseling Coalition blog. As in his teaching, he provides some practical counsel that will be of great help in this endeavor! In case you want to check out his list of 100 go-to Scripture passages on counseling topics, go here.
• Parents, in case you were wondering about the new book The Radical Book for Kids: Exploring the a Roots and Shoots of Faith by Champ Thornton, here’s Tim Challies’ review.
• Jack Chick, famously known for his Chick tracts, died this past Sunday. Christianity Today has a brief story of his life. Fred Butler gives a personal take on his tracts.
• Andy Stanley, considered pastor of one of the largest church in America, recently gave a series of messages at his church that sought to draw those who have left the church to come back. Since then, he has received criticism from some influential Christian leaders, most recent of which is John Piper. This one is a definite must-read.
• Ken Sande shares a story, and some biblical principles, of how to show care to those who aren’t sure whether to open themselves up to you or not.
• Jason Engwer has written a nine-part series of posts responding to New Testament scholar Annette Merz’s doubts about the reliability of Jesus’ infancy narratives, claiming Nazareth is more likely his birthplace, not Bethlehem. This is very informative, so I hope you give some time for this series about the birthplace of our Lord.
• Though I have yet to see the whole video, many have anticipated Ray Comfort’s new film, The Atheist Delusion, which is a response to Richard Dawkins’ best-seller, The God Delusion. Jordan Standridge at The Cripplegate gives his reasons to watch the film, providing the video at the bottom of the post.
• With the coming of Reformation Day on the 31st (and that other event people celebrate), John Piper answers a question about why Christians should affirm the Reformation principle of Sola Scriptura, and why Roman Catholicism is in the wrong on this issue. Tim Chester writes 10 things you should know about the Reformation. Gregg Allison and Chris Castaldo were recently interviewed about their new book The Unfinished Reformation: What Unites and Divides Catholics and Protestants After 500 Years.

That’s all for this week! This week is flocks week, so please keep them in prayer as they review this past Sunday’s sermon, and don’t forget to pray for all the ladies who will be attending Table for 6 tomorrow! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“The only necessary key to understanding the Bible is to approach it with a humble and contrite heart softened by the Holy Spirit, ready to listen to what God says, and just as ready to obey him.” (David Helm, One-to-One Bible Reading)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Seems like this week has flown by, but not fast enough to not have links for you all. There is much that is taking place, and I hope this week’s links will bring about thanksgiving and prayer to God.

• Rick Pearcey writes of an actress’ recent comment that abortion is a human right, noting the utter incoherence of that claim.
• To catch you up with all things Planned Parenthood, a total of 15 states have sought to defund the organization in light of the undercover videos put out by the Center for Medical Progress earlier this year.
• The Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC) recently had their 40th annual conference, approving a new Standards of Conduct that was accepted by 99% of their members. If anyone plans on becoming certified in biblical counseling, or wants to grow in their understanding of how to do biblical counseling, this would be a good place to start.
• Recently, InterVarsity has made a bold move in affirming a biblical view of marriage, asking their employees to do the same. One of the results from this has been the call of the executive director of the Society of Biblical Literature (SBL) to prevent InterVarsity Press (IVP) from having a booth at SBL’s conference, thereby removing member access to some of their many good books. Michael Kruger, who has published though IVP, reports on the matter.
• Regarding the recent outburst from members of the Society of Christian Philosophers (SCP) towards Christian philosopher Richard Swinburne concerning his remarks about homosexuality, Swinburne posted a statement since the controversy began. Be sure to read the concerns made by the author of the post, Edward Feser, linked at the beginning.
• Do you struggle with anxiety? Biblical counselor Paul Tautges recently preached on remedies for anxiety from Scripture, and posted his notes in three parts. Hopefully, this will be a blessing to you and those around you.
• Many have heard of the importance of Martin Luther and John Calvin with respect to the Protestant Reformation, but not many know about the contributions of Ulrich Zwingli. Zwingli biographer William Boekestein was interviewed about this neglected reformer, and I think you will learn a lot about him in this podcast.
• With the recent publication of the special report on sexuality and gender from two professors at the John Hopkins School of Medicine, the Human Rights Campaign, the biggest LGBT organization, has threatened John Hopkins University if they do not publicly renounce the conclusions that this report came to. We will keep an eye out for upcoming developments.

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for Lumos and College Life, as they meet tonight. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“No suffering, affliction, or evil is inflicted on us by God as punishment. Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ (Rom. 8:31–39). God’s children may experience pain and suffering because we still live in a fallen world that God controls, but he redeems our pain and suffering for his glory and our good. Sometimes he takes our pain away, and at other times he asks us to endure it. But he never brings it upon us capriciously or for some ill purpose.” (Scott Christensen, What about Free Will?: Reconciling Our Choices with God’s Sovereignty)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Praise God for another week of sustaining us! Amongst many other things to be thankful for, let’s thank Him for this week’s links!

• Over the years, Jay Adams, pioneer of the biblical counseling movement, has been asked multiple times how to counsel an unbeliever. Hopefully, this video will be a great resource in your witness to those who are in need of Christ as Lord and Savior.
• In case you may have missed some of the links from the summer, there was a discussion amongst theologians about how to understand the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son. Over at the Alliance of Comfessing Evangelicals blog is a “best-of” post that links to the relevant articles on the subject. Hopefully, this discussion will be of service to the church.
• Kevin DeYoung has some clear thoughts concerning the upcoming election, and we would do well to listen to wisdom from this pastor.
• What is the future of Christian hedonism, as articulated in the writings of John Piper? Well, Piper himself, along with others, held a conference recently that focused on this issue. If you wonder what the term means, and what Piper hopes this will lead the church toward, check out what they have to say.
• Sadly, Planned Parenthood is celebrating their 100th anniversary this Sunday. Genevieve Wood nails it on the head with this sentence: “It’s and odd, and frankly grotesque, commemoration for an organization that is responsible itself for ensuring over 7 million babies will never have the opportunity to celebrate even one birthday.”
• How do we evaluate claims of supernatural events in other religions? Dominic Tennant gives a quick but very informative response.
• Have you ever wanted to take a short course on the New Testament? Well, Dr. Keith Essex, from The Master’s Seminary, taught a ten-part series surveying the New Testament that would be of great benefit to the believer. Check it out!
• How do we make sense of the media narrative that there are no differences between same-sex households and opposite-sex households? Sociologist Mark Regnerus provides a brief, but helpful, analysis that provides clarity on the issue.
• What would be some danger signs of an unhealthy dating relationship? Tim Challies gives some much-needed wisdom in this area.

That’s all for this week! Please be in prayer for Lumos and College Life, who meet tonight at church. See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

“The upshot is that Christianity is founded on the Bible, and so the Christian worldview is none other than the worldview of the Bible, which is a worldview centered on Jesus Christ.” (James Anderson, Why Should I Believe Christianity?)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Another week comes and goes, but the links (tentatively) stay! Here are some of this week’s links!

• The Ask Pastor John (Piper) podcast continues to deliver solid content this week, focusing on how he, and by extension we, should test our interpretations of Scripture, as well as how students can minister to their other classmates this year. Make sure you give it a listen, and then pass it on to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
• A recent announcement from Crossway stated that the ESV Bible would no longer be updated, yet have come to see it as a mistake. Joe Carter gives a summary of the statement, and provides eight other facts about the ESV translation.
• Associates for Biblical Research Executive Director Scott Lanser gives a refreshing reminder to not only love God with all our hearts, but also to love Him with our minds!
• Back in 2014, Ligonier Ministries worked with LifeWay Research to conduct a study that would provide a deeper understanding of where our culture is in their knowledge of theology. They have decided to conduct another study this year, and have published their results. Ligonier reps Stephen Nichols and Chris Larson were interviewed about this survey, which also provides links to the study. There is much to be gleaned from this, and much to pray for concerning our nation.
• In light of this past week’s message on forgiveness, this week’s ACBC Truth in Love podcast has Heath Lambert discussing the issue, “Should I forgive someone who’s not sorry they sinned?“
• James Silberman at The Federalist reveals a chilling truth when it comes to the pro-life issue: those who are pro-abortion acknowledge the unborn are human, yet will kill them anyway. This is a serious matter for prayer, and engagement for the believer. May we be found faithful to represent Christ in this crucial area.
• Dan DeWitt reminds us that science does not make statements; scientists do. And therein lies the rub.
• ACBC certified counselor Paula Higuchi addresses fear in the life of a single woman (of which she is). You can also learn a little more about her counseling background in the video at the end of the post.
• Keith Mathison continues his series on top five books of the five solas with his top five on sola Scriptura. Time to get reading!

That’s all for this week! Tonight Lumos and College Life will be meeting, so make it out if you can, but always keep them in prayer. See you next time!

Soli Deo Gloria