by Stephen Rodgers

I get a lot of questions about Christian resources: books, sermons, blogs, software…even Twitter, Facebook, and magazines. I hope that this article will serve as a helpful introduction to some excellent and trustworthy resources that will help you in your walk with the Lord.  And as always, if you need help with any of these, just find me at church.  They day I’m not happy to talk about the Bible and study-aids is the day I stand before my Maker.

Blogs

Sometimes a Christian just needs something good to read! Any of the blogs below would be a great place to start adding to your diet of Christian writing. And all of them support RSS as well, in case you just want to be notified when there’s an update. (If you don’t know what RSS is, ask Stephen Rodgers at church and he’ll explain it to you).

Shine the Light – This is the official blog of the Pastor’s of LBC. If you’re not reading it already, what are you waiting for?

Al Mohler’s Blog – Al Mohler blogs several times a week with a focus on current events and cultural issues. Just reading him is guaranteed to make you smarter!

Pulpit Magazine – Pulpit Magazine is the official blog of the Shepherd’s Conference at Grace Community Church, and they recently redesigned their website to make it much easier to read. They post several articles every week.

PyroManiacs – Updated daily, this is a Team Blog by Phil Johnson, Dan Phillips, and Frank Turk. They are some of the most outspoken voices (who can actually support their statements Biblically) on the internet today, and you would do well to give them a read.

desiringGod Blog – This is the blog of John Piper and several other folks at his church.

Sovereign Grace Ministries Blog – This is the blog of CJ Mahaney and several other folks at his church.

Twitter

Twitter may be a relatively recent phenomenon, but already several Christians have moved into the space and are working hard to encourage fellow believers and redeem this corner of social networking for the King.

JohnPiper – John Piper takes Twitter to a whole new level. His tweets are frequent, timely, and incredibly Bible-centered.

johnmacarthur – John MacArthur mostly uses Twitter to link to relevant articles at either Pulpit Magazine or Grace to You.

Rick_Holland – Rick Holland tweets often about the Bible, pastoral ministry, and life as a pastor/husband/father.

Kim_S_Holland – Kim Holland (Rick Holland’s wife), may actually be more prolific than her husband, and offers interesting comments and insights as a Christian wife and mother.

iamresolved – Even the Resolved Conference is on Twitter! You’ll want to follow them to get the latest information on resources and scheduling related to Resolved.

Sermons

Didn’t get enough of the Gospel on Sunday? Good for you! Listed below are links to a LARGE libraries of available and trustworthy sermons freely available on the internet.

LBC Sermons – Our first stop is the sermon library at our very own church. Ever wish that you could be in two (or more!) Sunday School classes at the same time? Now you can be! And while it may seem that the sermons only go back to 2008, Kyle and his team are busy getting the rest up there soon!

Grace to You – Another fabulous resource is what GCC affectionately calls “The Vault.” Here you will find 40 years (!) of sermons by John MacArthur, organized by title, scripture, date…if you can’t find something here to help you, then you’re just not looking hard enough. And the vast majority of the sermons have a transcript as well, so you can read them if you prefer that to listening.

Desiring God – John Piper has 20+ years of sermons available here, as well as messages from innumerable conferences. And yes, they are organized, categorized, and have transcripts as well. Honestly, I don’t know what DG feeds their webfolks, but the speed, quality and sheer amount of material that they make available is staggering.

Sovereign Grace – Something happened to the old page, and there’s only 3 of CJ Mahaney’s sermons up here now, but if you poke around a bit you can find many more.

Christ Fellowship Baptist Church – And while he doesn’t blog, another fantastic place to get some sermons is from Steve Lawson’s church. The man has a distinctive voice and a distinctive style that really make his messages come alive. And he’s one of my favorite expositor’s to boot.

Software

While there is a variety of Christian software available, I chose to highlight the following two resources because they’re good, easy to use, and best of all: free!

e-Sword – My personal favorite Bible-study software, e-sword makes the ESV Bible freely available. Other study guides such as commentaries, dictionaries, devotionals, and other translations of the Bible are available as well. Some require a small fee, but many are freely available. For ease of use, price, and value, I honestly believe this is the best software out there.

Libronix – If you have an ESV Bible, then you have qualified to download the ESV demo version of Libronix. It comes with the full ESV text, several other resources, and it is quite common for new resources to be made freely available (you’ll receive email notifications after you’ve registered). For example, last week, they gave away John MacArthur’s Study Guide to the book of Romans. It’s a bit more complicated to use than e-Sword, but it does give you access to material that e-Sword doesn’t. And since it’s free…why not have both?

Websites

Let’s be honest, there are a lot of BAD Christian websites out there. But listed below you’ll find that three are actually quite good, and will help you a LOT as you study the Word.

Bible Bulletin Board – BBB collects a variety of sermons, articles, and notes with an emphasis on John MacArthur, Charles Spurgeon, and Christian classics.

Biblegateway – It’s not fancy, but Biblegateway brings together hundreds of translations of the Bible, makes them available, searchable, and free. If you just want to read a passage in several translations, this is a great place to do it.

Blue Letter Bible – Blue Letter Bible is a fantastic resource for Bible translations, notes, commentaries, study aids, dictionaries, and devotionals online.

NET Bible – The NET Bible is a very interesting site. In addition to being a very credible translation in it’s own right, they also make their footnotes, cross-references, index, and translator notes freely available. You can learn a LOT from checking out their site.

And don’t forget…if you have an ESV Study Bible, then you have a code that you can register to get access to the Bible, notes, and account software online for free as well! Anywhere you have an internet connection, you have your ESV Study Bible.

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

From restaurants to fast-food places for breakfast, lunch and dinner seems to be a daunting task for many of us. Enjoying a multi-hyphenated concoction of coffee at a local Starbucks or perusing the Internet at incredible speed would typically be the norm for many a single adult or collegian wanting to spend a productive day reading God’s Word, while listening to the latest album by Chris Tomlin. This looks like the typical day for a Christian in the comforts of San Diego.

Easily this can lead to a reprimand of all things technological or an issue of having biblical priorities, but this isn’t the road I’m taking. The reality of persecution within the body of Christ seems to be furthest from our minds, especially since its absence in the media never makes mention of the constant attacks from many who seek to dethrone Christ’s authority within their respective countries. In the wake of the Olympics in China this past year, a slight murmur came out over the fact that many believers were, and still are, being pursued to silence from proclaiming Christ, beating, arresting, and threatening many with death. Pastor “Bike” Zhang Mingxuan, his wife and family were arrested and held in captivity in a hotel until the international athletic events had ended. Only then did people respond, as China was, for a small amount of time, under watchful eyes. Not too long after the frenzy and excitement was gone did the son of that pastor received an intense beating by Public Security Officials.

The scope of this brutality is too large for us to consider when we begin to hear some of the stories that come out from lands where to read a Bible openly or to pass tracts could lead to your potential death. Yet, this is the blessing that Jesus Christ Himself gives to anyone who hears: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10).

This is the hope that drew a woman, “Laila,” away from her abusive husband in the Middle East to embrace Christ as her Savior and Lord. She left and returned to her family in the United States, who were Muslims. They threatened her repeatedly to renounce Christ, which she knew she could not do. This is the result of one who truly leaves everything, their familial background and their sins, to follow Christ wholeheartedly.

Life is being given to those who are living for Jesus, cherishing their only Bible, digging into its contents and doing the work of God in countries where people can easily be taken away, and opposition is strong. The Scriptures are clear for us as well: “Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body” (Hebrews 13:3). We must hurt with those who are hurting, with believers who can without difficulty lose heart in worshipping Christ openly, and without fear. We must remember their acts of courage in standing up for the truth even when no one else will, for the sake of honoring God and spreading the aroma of Christ to those who don’t believe and are unrepentent.

Learn the struggles that our brothers and sisters are facing now, at this moment. When guerilla fighters are hunting for you, is not your desire for deliverance? For their hearts to burn for Christ, and also that others would be praying for you? The Word of God has already spoken: “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:29). A biblical view of loving one another must include the sharing of sufferings, theirs as well as our own. Read biographies that display lives of faithfulness in times of faithlessness like that of Esther Ahn Kim and Richard Wurmbrand. Discover ways you can support the universal church through ministries like Compassion and Voice of the Martyrs. We must take action in supporting and truly loving the brethren, as well as ours and their enemies, in ways that show Christ is more significant than our iPods. Persecution is rampant; can our love be as unbounded as Christ’s? Let’s show the world a tiny glimpse of that, and “all people will know that you are my disciples” (John 13:35).

by Garrett Glende

As this article is being written, shoppers around the country are crunching the numbers in their checking accounts, wondering if they will be able to provide the kind of gifts their children are used to receiving this Christmas. The past months have brought a recession to the United States which has not left many unaffected. The decline has been brought about by many factors including the decreasing value of the dollar, the subprime mortgage crisis, and the bankruptcy of many large investment banks. To be certain, these are tough times for the average worker, but the Christian must not cry out “the sky is falling!” But what should be the proper response to this economic crisis? What wisdom does God offer?

In order to develop a biblical attitude toward the current state of the economy, it is necessary to look to Scripture to see how God has told us to handle our finances and the rest of our possessions. First, we must realize that what we have is truly not our own. Everything that is ours has been given to us by the grace of God. Paul reminds the Corinthians, “For who regards you as superior? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did not receive it, why do you boast as if you had not received it?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). We need to recognize that our belongings are God’s and it needs to show through in our actions. Also, we should guard ourselves from any temptation to covet money or material things. The Christian’s first affection is Christ. When we place money and wealth above all else, we have fallen into idolatry and have dethroned Christ as Lord in our hearts. Jesus warns us that “you cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). 1 Timothy 6:9 says that “those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.” It is easy for the man who pursues riches to become blinded by his quest for worldly possessions that he forgets what is most important, ruining his soul in the process. We must store up heavenly treasures, for our treasures are in the same place as our hearts (Matthew 6:19-21). With this in mind, the Christian must also work hard to provide a healthy life for his family, doing all to the glory of God. We aren’t to be lazy and just trust that God will provide, but we should work diligently and with excellence to make a living.

So how are we to respond today? One thing that would be more than appropriate is prayer. We must acknowledge our utter dependence on God, the provider of every gift. Pray for protection from the love of money. Pray for God to provide only what you need. Pray that the poor would be provided for and that our leaders would handle the situation responsibly. Ultimately, we must remind ourselves that God will provide all that we need in life. He does not guarantee wealth, success, or health, but he has given us a promise that He “causes all things to work together for good to those who love [Him]” (Romans 8:28). God will not be unfaithful to this promise. Christians can rejoice in the fact that no matter how difficult circumstances are, we have a God who works all things out for good. Constantly worrying about the falling stock prices is not a healthy attitude to have. Instead, it would be good for us to continually give thanks to God for granting us everything that we do have, while believing that He will continue to sustain us through this period of time.

by Stephen Rodgers

Part 4 of 4: John 20:26-28

We’ve seen that Thomas doubted that Jesus rose from the dead.  But was his doubt so bad?  Did that really distinguish him from the rest of the disciples?  Not at all!  Scripture tells us that the other disciples didn’t believe that Jesus had risen until He appeared to them as well.  The women tried to tell them, but they wouldn’t listen to them either.

Matthew 28:16-17 tells us that “some doubted.”  Mark 16:9-11 tells us that when “they heard that He was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.”  And Luke 24:8-11 states that “their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them.”

It’s almost comical.  The disciples who were so recently sharing in Thomas’ skepticism are now attempting to convert him to their perspective, but they can’t.  One can almost imagine Mary Magdelene in the background shaking her head…”Now you know what it feels like to have the greatest news in the history of the world…and be unable to find an audience.  Good job guys.  Good job.”  Welcome to the role-reversal.

Until finally Christ himself appears to Thomas.  Again, you can almost picture Thomas…he wants to believe so badly.  This is what he wants more than anything else.  He can’t cry anymore, he’s cried until he has no more tears.  He can’t decide whether his friends are preying on his fears or simply have snapped.  He’s probably replayed the events of the past week hundreds of times in his mind…”If only we never went to the garden…if only we’d tossed Judas overboard on the Sea of Galilee…if only we’d defended Him from the mob, at least we could have died with Him!…If only we…If only I…”

Maybe he’s blinking.  Maybe he’s rubbing his eyes.  He probably walking towards Jesus, terrified that when he gets there it will all have been a hallucination or a trick of the light.  And Jesus turns to him.  He looks into the eyes of his teacher, who he never thought to see again.  And then Jesus speaks to him.  He hears the voice of his master, who he never thought to hear again!

Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

Jesus’ words are not mocking.  They don’t repudiate Thomas; they reassure Him.  Thomas had seen his Lord cast out demons, walk on water, heal the sick, give sight to the blind, give speech to the lame, run semantic circles around the intellectual elite of his day, and forgive sins…so a little omniscience is par for the course.  Jesus is reminding Thomas that He knows him; He understands his doubt, which stems not from a hardened heart…but from an utterly broken one.

And so Thomas does the appropriate thing.  He understands.  And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” What a statement!  Even Simon Peter needed divine revelation from God to say those words.  And yet Thomas utters them spontaneously, of his own initiative, out of a belief that comes from love.

“Doubting Thomas” indeed.  I wish I was more like him.

That’s the last time Scripture explicitly mentions Thomas.  Church tradition says that he carried the gospel to India where he was martyred.  The book or Revelation mentions him implicitly when it says that the names of the twelve are written on the gates of Heaven.  But we don’t know anything else about Thomas, which is pretty much the point.  This isn’t his story; he’s just an illustration to show us a greater truth.   That when God gets ahold of the heart of a depressed, pessimistic skeptic and his friends, He can utterly change the world.

by Stephen Rodgers

This is the hub post for Stephen Rodgers’ four-part series on the person of the Apostle Thomas. From this page, you can easily find and refer to all posts in this series.

All posts in the The Apostle Thomas series:

• The Disciple Who Loved Jesus (Part 1)
• Real Men Ask for Directions (Part 2)
• Depression, Not Doubt (Part 3)
• From Despair to Declaration (Part 4)

by Ed Yip

Somewhere in America, a mother loses her son to the war in Iraq, a father’s job ships overseas, an elderly man’s retirement fund has evaporated, a young woman works the night shift after a full day of college but still cannot provide health care for her ailing sister, and each are hoping for a better tomorrow and praying for a brighter day to come. This year, a young senator from Illinois and an old senator from Arizona embody this hope for these people and millions like them. For the past nearly two years, Barack Obama and John McCain have engaged in a historic presidential run, captivated the hearts of Americans, and turned the apathetic into the awed and the bitter into believers.

Regardless of who wins the election, politics as we know it will never be the same. By the time anybody reads this article, the election will probably be over, and history will have been made. Consequently, this article is not an official Beacon endorsement for any candidate but rather an inquisition into how we, as Christians, should view this battle of hope and experience in light of being followers of Christ.

There are essentially three categories that I think most people fall into: the uninformed, the informed, and…everyone else, I guess.

First, the uninformed crowd. Let’s be honest. Some people simply do not care about politics. Especially at a church setting, it seems, being informed about these issues always takes a backseat to the sanctification of your fellow brothers and sisters in Christ and yourself. This is not to say that all those who are not informed do not care for politics at all, but it just does not seem as important as “Christian stuff.” For others, it seems that life goes on no matter who is in office or what happens in Washington and as a result, they find no reason to read up on the news or care who is running for president. Though I would be hard-pressed to find any passage in the Bible that says you have to maintain a steady discipline of CNN and BBC News intake, I would like to submit this smidgen of logic: God is a sovereign God. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent. Fittingly, the scope of God’s power and grace cannot be limited to the local church or in our personal sanctification. Romans 8:28 reminds us, “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” And so, it is not too far a stretch to conclude that God’s handiworks, even in politics, are instruments of carrying out His will and making His glory known. Therefore, as Christians, we cannot turn a blind eye to what happens in Washington or dichotomize issues into God and non-God. In the end, being uninformed is not a sin, but caring about what goes on in the country and being informed can help us gain a better view, understanding, and appreciation for the depth and extent of God’s grace.

And for the informed, I would caution that the close nature of this election has made it easier to polarize fellow brothers and sisters because of their political differences. Experience, albeit little for me, has taught me two lessons. One is that some battles are not worth fighting. For example, trying to convince someone that Obama is the antichrist or that McCain is a warmonger are issues that I consider absolutely trivial and fruitless. The second is that 1 Corinthians 8:1 (Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up) most certainly holds true when it comes to talking about politics. Some who consider themselves informed condescend, some argue, and unfortunately, some get so worked up upon discovering fundamental differences in values and opinions in others that they inadvertently remove love (and consequently God) from their efforts to ostensibly reform the other person. However, just as I mentioned above, because God’s handiworks is in everything, including politics, discussions about it should never be devoid of God and love. In other words, since we are to be united as the body of Christ, political discussions can occur with the intent to educate and encourage, but should never come as a means of division.

For everyone else, make no mistake as the next candidate, regardless of who he is, will succeed a president who has received one of the lowest approval ratings ever, averaged what economists call a “dismal 1.7/5 for economic management,” alienated other parties, and damaged relations with the rest of the world. He will inherit what “The Economist” calls “the most difficult international situation since 1968,” and what Colin Powell describes as a “daunting period” for the nation. Times will inevitably be tough these next few years and in these trials, we invariably find people who believe that a candidate will be the solution to these problems. In this election, perhaps more than ever, we find citizens holding firmly to a hope in these candidates—to what McCain promises as “reform, prosperity, peace” or what Obama calls, “change you can believe in.”

Although it is not wrong to want a better or a more prosperous future for yourself and your family, one must remember to never desire these things more than desiring God—a theme we find in 1 Samuel 12. After God has given the Israelites a king, He reminds them that their ultimate responsibility is to obey His commands:

“Now here is the king you have chosen, the one you asked for; see the Lord has set a king over you. If you fear the Lord and serve and obey him and do not rebel against his commands, and if both you and the king who reigns over you follow the Lord your God – good! But if you do not obey the Lord,…His hand will be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

Similarly, God has blessed us with a democracy where we have the privilege of voting. However, much as the Israelites needed to be reminded, we must also be reminded that our hope in these candidates should never supersede the things of God and our hope in Him, or as Pastor Patrick so aptly put it, “God’s plan was never for our ultimate hope to be established through government or politics.”

In regards to the political makeup of our church, though bipartisanship remains an integral part of our government, it has no place in fellowship. Political conversations can be healthy and educational, but political agendas should never come at the cost of needlessly dividing fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We are all children of God saved by the same grace and imputed the same righteousness, and politics should never make us lose sight of this truth: “Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.” (Eph 2:19)

We now find ourselves either bracing for or embracing the next President of the United States but regardless of party affiliation, we must remember Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:2 to “not be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds.” For people like the mother and her son in Iraq, the father and his unstable job, the elderly man, or the hardworking young woman, every passing election will assuredly bring promises of reform, prosperity, and change they supposedly can believe in. However, as Christians, do these hardships cause us to turn to certain candidates in such a way as to lessen our dependence on the sovereignty and grace of God? Do we get more worked up about the things of politics than the things of God? Are we more eager to spread our political agendas than the Gospel?

Ultimately for all Christians, for the informed and uninformed alike, in light of this election, we must never let these promises and issues make us lose sight of our ultimate Hope—the Hope that has transformed and renewed our minds, the Hope which gives us the change we can and must believe in.

by David Ahn

For those of you who already feel like the presidential election has been decided long ago, it’s easy to lose motivation to actually go out and vote. However, there is one very important issue on the ballot where your vote DOES matter: Prop 8, which places the following 14 words into the California Constitution: “Only marriage between a man and a woman is valid and recognized in California.” Recent polls have shown the percentage difference between No and Yes voters to be less than 5 percent. Both campaigns are readily aware of the closeness of the issue, and have raised staggering levels of fundraising and have been blitzing the airwaves with commercials. This is an issue where every vote, including yours, counts.

Since most of us have a biblical understanding of marriage and homosexuality, we share an understanding that marriage is between one man and one woman. However, opponents of Prop 8 have attempted to stifle our voices and opinions by portraying the issue as one of civil rights and equality. To summarize, one of their television ads states, “Regardless of how you feel about marriage, it’s wrong to treat people differently under the law.” Unfortunately, the public has seemingly bought into this notion. Newspapers and corporations (including AT&T, Apple, and Google) have all publicly come out in support of the No on Prop 8 campaign. Prominent figures such as Governor Schwarzeneggar and Senator Obama have explicitly stated that they believe marriage to be between one man and one woman, but yet have opposed the proposition.

However, most unfortunate of all is the fact that many of us Christians have bought into this lie as well, and we often feel ashamed to let our voice be heard, or fear imposing our views on those who don’t agree with us. However, this is NOT an issue about civil rights. Currently, same-sex civil unions have the EXACT same legal rights and privileges under California law. The issue, then, is in the definition of marriage. If you take the definition provided by opponents of Prop 8 (“marriage as being between two loving and committed individuals”), then surely banning gay marriage is unjust. But what makes THEIR definition any more inherently valid than ours? Also, their definition is equally guilty of being exclusive to certain groups of people: it excludes marriages of more than two people; and, although it doesn’t explicitly state it, I would assume that their definition excludes members of the same family from getting married as well. I know that sounds silly and obvious, but if the issue were truly about equality and fundamental rights, then who has the authority to say that love between one group of people is any lesser than love from another group of people? No one. There could be no definition of marriage at all.

For quite some time now, marriage has consistently been between a man and a woman. The terms “husband” and “wife” go hand in hand. When you see someone wearing a wedding ring, there is no doubt in your mind what the sex of their significant other is. As Christians, that definition of marriage is even more clear, as it is used to portray the church as Christ’s bride, or as it talks about the roles of husbands and wives. For the past thousands of years, across different cultures and generations, the definition of marriage has never been unclear. Why should we let it be now? Vote Yes on Prop 8.

by Stephen Rodgers

Part 3 of 4: John 20:24-25

This is the classic passage that gave Thomas his undeserved nickname.  Even in secular circles, calling someone a “doubting Thomas” implies an unhealthy degree of skepticism and/or pessimism in the face of evidence that should result in the doubter knowing better.  And yet, if we really examine this passage, is such a moniker warranted?

First, it is interesting to note that Thomas was not with the others when Jesus first appeared to them that Sunday afternoon/evening.  Scripture does not record where he might have been, but we can safely assume that he was not off running errands or getting a haircut.  The other disciples had locked themselves into a room (probably the same room that was used for the last supper) because they feared the chief priests and the religious leaders.  They were traumatized by the death of Christ; they feared further persecution.  And in their grief and fear, they turned to one another for comfort and company.

But not Thomas.

I think that Thomas was not among the others because he simply could not bear it.  He certainly knew these men; he probably loved and trusted them.  But it wasn’t for their sakes that he had wandered the countryside for the past three years.  It wasn’t Peter that he followed.  It wasn’t Andrew that he built his life around.  It wasn’t James or John who he feared the loss of most.

This was the lowest point of Thomas’ life.  His absolute worst fear had come to pass: Jesus was gone, and he was left behind.  At least when Jesus had made that cryptic remark earlier that he “knew the way” there was the implication of an eventual reunion.  But no one comes back from death.  Right?  And so Thomas was in no mood for company, and was shunning even the companionship of his closest friends.  You know the personality type: “leave me alone,” they say.  “I just want to be by myself now,” they say.  “I don’t want to be around anyone else…they don’t understand.”  Pessimists.  Loners.  The Broken.

The disciples were not superstitious men, nor were the people of their day.  This is a common fallacy that opponents of the Gospel message often fall into.  We like to think of any people prior to color television as being superstitious, gullible, and stupid.  “Of course those idiots thought that Mary was divinely impregnated,” they scoff.  “They were too stupid to know the difference!”

Then why does it say that Joseph was of a mind to divorce her quietly?  He knew where babies came from.  He didn’t consider divine providence as a likely or even possible solution until Gabriel showed up.  And believe me, there must have been something remarkable about Gabriel’s presence, because Scripture is pretty clear on the subject of home invasion!  If someone calls my name from next to my bed one night, my first reaction in the absence of evidence attesting to their divine messenger status is to come up blasting.  It’s a win-win situation: presumably angels are immune to physical violence, and psychotic home-invaders are not.  Just like the people back then, we reach for a rational answer first.

Thomas was no different.  He knew that dead people didn’t rise again.  Well, to be more specific, he knew that dead people didn’t rise again unless Jesus told them to.  After all, he had a front row seat when Lazarus walked out of the tomb.  But this was different, Jesus Himself was dead now.  And so Thomas reasoned that they others were either deluded, or perhaps playing a cruel joke on him.

So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”

And so he despaired…at least until the following week.  But that’s getting ahead of the story.

by Bach Nguyen

I have been described as many different things: funny, good lucking, loyal, athletic, humble, good looking, and so on. But one characteristic that I’ve never been known for is wise. However, over the course of my four years in college, God has taught me many valuable lessons, many of which would have been especially valuable if I had known them before I entered college as a freshman. Here are eight words of wisdom to help collegians succeed and better enjoy their four years in college.

I. Thou shalt find thy church and thy campus ministry, lest you haveth not accountability. I cannot stress the importance of finding a solid church early in your college experience. You must find a church that will spur you to mature as a believer. The church is the divinely ordained setting where believers are able to gather to develop in their spirituality, serve, and acquire accountability. What is additionally beneficial are the various Christian campus ministries located on your campus. These ministries are profitable because they allow you to find brothers and sisters in the faith on your campus. Campus ministries are valuable means to gain accountability and fellowship amongst fellow peers and believers. Cesar acknowledges the benefit of campus ministries saying, “One of the benefits of being part of a campus ministry is to meet fellow Christians in your proximity and lead you towards a local church”.

II. Thou shalt meet new people and evangelize, lest you geteth no friends. Being popular in high school, I pretty much knew everyone. Captain of the Speech and Debate team, president of the Hacky Sack Club, and varsity All American Athlete in… badminton, I found myself with ample opportunity to get to know the majority of the high school students. My status as popular would instantly disappear the moment I stepped onto my college campus as I became unknown to everyone around me. What I came to learn was the importance of meeting new people and making new friends, both Christian and unbelieving. College offers a very unique experience allowing you to always meet new people every day. As believers, we are called to be the salt and light of the world, and as collegians your responsibility as a believer will be to minister to the students on your campus through the sharing of the gospel so that you can boldly proclaim that you are “not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to all who believes” (Romans 1:16).

III. Thou shalt not date, lest you falleth into impurity. Movies and media depict college as a haven for sexual promiscuity and the overwhelming truth is that there are multiple temptations that the believer will encounter that will test their purity. Worldly thinking would have us believe in the glorification of premarital sex while completely disregarding the benefits of abstinence and purity. Everyday you will be around those of the opposite sex. You will eat together, go to class together, and even live in close proximity with each other. As a believer coming into college, you must have a firm grip on your purity. It is suggested that you abstain from a dating relationship as your first years in college will test your spirituality in greater ways than you expect and being in a dating relationship has the ability to negatively affect your spiritual growth. Kyle Grindley, a member of the LBC singles group, offers valuable advice suggesting, “Freshmen are more likely to not make the wisest decisions with regards to dating. They often seek zero accountability and little advice from older, more experienced Christians and subsequently compose poor decisions within their relationships”. Your first priority will be to set your foundation of purity and, in turn, will help your relationship in the later future.

IV. Thou shalt go to thy class, lest you faileth. I came into college saying to myself, “I went to class everyday from 8am to 2:30pm in high school, how hard can it be to go to a few one hour classes a day?” How wrong I was. No longer are the days where my dad would wake me up, help me out of my ninja turtle jammies, dress me, make me waffles, and drop me off at school. Apart from still wearing my jammies, college was entirely different. I quickly realized that there was no roll call and no sense of requirement to attend class. I had a new sense of freedom and with that freedom, who was I to choose going to class over say, going to the beach, hanging out with friends, or sleeping in? How quickly I regretted my decision to skip class when my grades dropped, placing me on Academic Probation for a quarter. Edward Yip bluntly states, “God didn’t give us disciplines so that we can slack off”. Your attendance in class is a reflection of how you glorify God through your studies. Additionally, for the most of you, it serves to honor your mother and father who financially support your academic studies. Go to class.

V. Thou shalt not play thy Xbox and Warcraft all day, lest you haveth no friends. I know it’s important for you and your guild to level up your experience points to acquire the Sword of a Thousand Truths so that you can enter the Emerald Hills to fight Borlorn, the Orclord of Morclord to save Elflan, your beloved pixel princess. But grow up. Stop wasting your life in front of that useless video game, unless you want friends named Elfton, Orctore, and Dwarfmar to replace friends who, you know, have a pulse. College isn’t meant to be wasted on purposeless hobbies. You should make the most of your time to invest in the people God has placed around you.

VI. Thou shalt not eat poorly, lest you get fat. I’m from the Bay Area and my knowledge of Mexican food was limited to chalupas and gorditas from my beloved Taco Bell. This would soon change when I entered UCSD as I was introduced to what can only be described as “food fit for kings”. No longer were the days when I yearned for, what I believed to be authentic, Mexican food from Taco Bell. Instead, it was replaced by the wonderfully delicious California Burrito and Pollo Asada fries. Better yet, they were available to me twenty-four hours of the day. But how, you ask, can such a tasty meal deem negative in any way? Not only were these foods taking a toll on my wallet, they were also taking a toll on my weight. I entered college at a healthy 135 pounds. After my first quarter in college, I blossomed to 150 pounds and after my first year in college, I ballooned to 185 pounds. I blame my fifty-pound increase on my poor eating habits. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body”. Your eating habits are a reflection of how you glorify your body. Healthy eating leads to healthy lifestyles and, in turn, aid in a healthy relationship with God.

VII. You shalt go to a gym, lest you get fatter. To many of you, the gym is very intimidating. It is full of sweaty, greasy, grunting men who wouldn’t need to be physical to hurt you but could destroy you simply with their stench. Chances are you are a small, frail, weak, incoming freshman and the closest thing to any physical activity you’ve experienced is running away from bullies stealing your lunch money. Exercise is an inexpensive and great habit to pick up in college. You’ll be in a walking distance to a gym and given ample amount of time in your schedule to find time to exercise. So, put down that Xbox controller and pick up a dumbbell, get off your bed and get on a bench press, and stop working out your mind for a bit and work out those underdeveloped biceps.

VIII. Thou shalt have fun. Finally, not to dismiss the absolute importance of going to class and studying, I do believe that college is meant to be fun and enjoyable. My four years in college were the most enjoyable years of my life. It was a great experience to be constantly around my peers, study together, fail Humanities together, and ultimately serve one another. Enjoy your years here. College grants so many new experiences. Enjoy what San Diego has to offer: the beaches, parks, museums, and sparingly, the California burritos. Your four years will be some of the most memorable years of your life. And if you’re lucky enough, you can follow Ed’s example, and make it five years.

by Stephen Rodgers

Part 2 of 4: John 14:1-6

This passage gives us another peak into the perceptions and priorities of Thomas.  Christ is preparing the disciples for His impending death, and for the most part, they’re just not getting the message.  And while it’s very easy for those of us with the benefit of historical context to malign and impugn them for that, it’s probably wiser to simply observe.

In this case, like the others, Thomas is sitting, listening to Jesus.  And he remains silent throughout the entire event…until Jesus announces that He’s leaving and that He presumably expects the disciples to follow Him later, since they “know the way.”

Again, cue Thomas: Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?”

Now most of us guys don’t ask for directions.  We can thank our stupid pride for that.  We don’t need directions, we can find it on our own.  Even if someone directly asks us if we know how to get to someplace that we’ve never been before, we’ll nod confidently and then check Mapquest later.  Or if we’re really desperate, we’ll fabricate some partial assumption of knowledge in order to marginalize our ignorance (“Oh yeah…it’s near the thing right?”)

Not Thomas.  Oh no.

Thomas freaks out.  “Wait!  Where are you going?  How will we get there?  We don’t know the way!  How will we find you again?”  Again, over and over Thomas shows where his priorities lie: in staying as close to Jesus as possible.  He’s not the brightest or the happiest of the disciples, but he’s managed to boil it all down to a working system: just stay close to Christ, and everything will be alright.

At this point, the core element of Thomas life has been threatened.  Jesus might be leaving.  In his mind, Jesus might be leaving him!  And so, he jolts into action like any of us do when a particularly sensitive nerve has been touched.  Should he play it cool?  There’s no time.  What about his pride?  Forget pride!  The central pillar of his life is under assault, and there is no reaction strong enough to be termed an overreaction.  This is not the time for dispassionate reflection; this is the time to completely freak out!  You can almost see the other disciples recoiling as Thomas goes straight to DEFCON 1 with no warning whatsoever.

It bears consideration that Thomas does this in front of his friends.  None of the other disciples asked Jesus what he meant.  None of the others raised an eyebrow at His remarks regarding His impending departure.  Possibly they simply didn’t want to be the first to admit a lack of understanding.  Perhaps Thomas simply never gave anyone a chance because he reacted so quickly.  We don’t know.  But we do know that Thomas wasn’t about to let the opinions of his friends get in the way of his understanding exactly what Jesus meant, or ensuring that regardless of where Christ went, he was right behind Him.  And if that meant humbling himself, risking his ego, and asking for help and direction, then that was a small price to pay to make sure that Jesus didn’t get away from him.

For all his pessimism, Thomas had his priorities straight.