Category Archives: Weekly Links

Weekly Links (1/30/2015)

I have little doubt that the single greatest obstacle to the impact of the gospel has not been its inability to provide answers, but the failure on our part to live it out. (Ravi Zacharias, Beyond Opinion: Living the Faith We Defend)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! It’s flocks week, and though our various affinity groups may be on break, this week’s links are not! So, without further ado, here they are!

  • Do you know your church history? If not, here’s a recommended list of books that will put you on the right track.
  • How do you deal with emotions when tempted to make decisions based on them? Christina Fox gives some timeless wisdom on this roller-coaster of a topic.
  • How would you counsel a student if their biology teacher teaches evolution, assuming any alternative is false? Here is a concise answer that will be of help to anyone who currently faces this situation or will be facing it soon.
  • What does biblical godliness look like? Many would answer spending time in the Word and in prayer, evangelizing the lost, going on missions, etc. However, if there’s one area that is sorely missing in people’s minds about a true mark of godliness, it’s the practical outworking of loving others. Pastor Sam Byers challenges us to reconsider our priorities in light of what we already agree is essential to true godliness.
  • Desiring God has been producing some quality content of late, and I wanted to point you to only two (there’s more) of their very wonderful articles: John Piper’s reflections on his 69th birthday and the ultimate purposes of God, and a mother’s reflections on her miscarriage, and the goodness of God.
  • Though written for a specific audience in mind, pastor Mark Jones asks some questions that I think everyone needs to grapple with, not just for this upcoming Sunday, but for every Sunday. Will your attention be diverted from Christ on Sunday because of the Super Bowl? Please read and consider before the big game comes on.
  • Confirmation of Scripture coming from God has included His power in fulfilling prophecy, but many doubt that Scripture has fulfilled prophecy within its pages. Nathan Busenitz gives five responses to common objections on prophecy that every believer should be ready to explain to doubters and skeptics. Very informative and faith-affirming.
  • Denny Burk highlights the naive attempt on the part of the Mormon church to support protections for LGBT people with the hope that their religious freedoms will be protected. He provides insightful analysis and links to responses from other Christian leaders.
  • Do you find church to be boring and/or disappointing? Maybe a mind-shift is in order.
  • Should we teach our kids early that life isn’t fair? Candice Watters believes so, not just to make them ready for the real world, but because it can always point us back to what we ultimately deserve: an eternal hell separated from God. Storing this for future reference.

That’s all for this week’s links! I hope and pray that you all continue to pursue God with all your heart, mind, and strength! Let’s worship our Lord with our hearts full of praise together on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Weekly Links (1/23/2015)

 If you invented a religious system, it’s unlikely that you would imagine a god who became like the people he created. But God did even more. He became like his creatures and willingly suffered a horrifying death so that they could be spared. Even the men and women who studied Scripture didn’t anticipate that God would come this close. They never guessed that the Messiah, God himself, would suffer in the way he did. If you think God is far away and indifferent, here is the surprising revelation. From the foundation of the world, God knew your sufferings and declared that he himself would take human form and participate in them (which means that we too could share in his). (Ed Welch, Heart of the Matter: Daily Reflections for Changing Hearts and Lives)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! The weekend has arrived, and so have our links!

  • Alex Malarkey, who suffered from a car accident and claimed to have gone to heaven, has posted a retraction letter concerning the book that bears his name as co-author, The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven. Phil Johnson (whose post includes Alex’s letter) and The Cripplegate have written about the story.
  • In light of the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Christian rap artist Lecrae recently discussed his public confession of encouraging an ex-girlfriend to abort their baby with John Piper and John Ensor, president of Passion Life Ministries. The confession came in the form of a song called, “Good, Bad, Ugly.” Not only do they discuss his past sin, but the power and freedom of confession and forgiveness available to all who have engaged in this act. A powerful testimony to the grace of God. The Cripplegate wrote a post highlighting the number of articles written about abortion on their site. Russell Moore reminds us that not only have many lives been lost in light of Roe v. Wade, but so have the consciences of many men and women, which is where the gospel must be directed.
  • Are we on the wrong side of history when it comes to the issue of marriage and same-sex marriage? Pastor David Murray answers in the negative in light of Time magazine’s foray into evangelicalism’s dividing on this issue. Denny Burk rightly questions the use of the word ‘evangelical’ when it comes to those fully embracing the culture’s revisionist view of marriage.
  • Knowing that there may be some at our church who are currently unemployed, a very helpful post has been written with practical, and biblical instruction, on how to choose a job. If you haven’t looked into it before, this would be a great place to start.
  • News has come out that a New Testament manuscript may date to the 1st century. This may become the oldest fragment/witness to Scripture’s reliability. Not wanting to jump the gun, Justin Taylor gives a measured response which includes links to biblical scholars who have commented thus far.
  • Paul Tripp continues writing about us being glory junkies, adding 5 more signs that would diagnose us in being one. A great help is his recognition, as we all should recognize when discussing this with others, is that we are not doctors looking down on others in diagnosing them, but recovering addicts. Let this post be a mirror into your soul and see where you stand.
  • How do you respond when the words of another stings? Paula Hendricks gives some helpful insight in the words we say after the hurt has come.
  • Here’s a question I’ve heard asked before (along with an answer): “Should I make my daughter have a quiet time?
  • How early are Christian beliefs in the history of the church? Believers would say, since the very beginning, obviously. Many biblical scholars would disagree. How do we settle the issue? One way is to see how early Christians argued or defended the Christian faith. Such an example comes from the pen of Aristides, who wrote a summary statement of the faith in the early second century. Michael Kruger gives some bite-sized commentary.
  • What are the current scientific problems with the theories of biological and chemical evolution? Justin Taylor highlights a succinct response from the Discovery Institute that may just be worth bookmarking for future reference.

That’s all for this week’s links! Looking forward to our study of 2 Samuel this coming Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Weekly Links (1/16/2015)

Healthy relationships have two essential character qualities. First is the humility of approachability. When both people step out from behind protective walls and open up to the perspectives and help of others, each individual— and their relationship— will be given an opportunity to grow and change. The second quality is equally important. In fact, these two qualities cannot live without one another. The second is the courage of loving honesty. Not only do we defend ourselves from the opinion of others, but we avoid uncomfortable moments by failing to say what needs to be said. In the fear of disagreement, tension , and rejection, we choose to be silent about things that, if addressed in love, could be used to bring new insight to one another and a fresh start to the relationship. (Paul Tripp, What Did You Expect?: Redeeming the Realities of Marriage)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! A new year means a new week of links for the blessing of the church. Without further ado, here are this week’s links!

  • Are you a glory junkie? Paul Tripp argues we all are, to some degree. Find out what his diagnosis of a glory junkie is, and give thanks to God for the clarity of seeing yourself as you really are.
  • An upcoming documentary about the archaeological evidence for the Exodus is being shown in selected theaters throughout the U.S. that was made by a Christian, yet gives ample time for both sides to make their case that it either happened or didn’t happen. Joe Carter and Andy Naselli give their thoughts on the film. Creation Ministries International reviewed it as well.
  • How do you approach friendship? Is it based on common interests, common experiences, stage of life, etc.? Is there a biblical aspect of friendship that may be neglected in your life? Nicole Whitacre over at GirlTalk writes about a biblical approach to friendships that focus on bringing glory to God. This is good stuff, even for us guys to consider.
  • Do you love the idea of a healthy church more than you love your own church? Pastor Jonathan Leeman has some kind words of admonishment for you.
  • If you have read The Trellis and the Vine, you have learned about the mind shift that takes place when the focus in ministry is people, not programs. How that shift plays out in day-to-day ministry is a common question the authors received. In response, they have since published a workbook that focuses on what Scripture says we are, and where we’re going. Tim Challies highlighted it on his blog this week, and it looks to be a helpful resource.
  • Al Mohler regularly stays informed of news events in the US and even abroad with insightful analysis from a Christian worldview. You would be much the wiser upon reading his articles on the firing of Atlanta fire chief Kelvin Cochran and the terrorist attack in France of the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.
  • Right before Christmas, a Newsweek article came out attacking the Bible and Bible-believing Christians in an attempt to argue the ‘error-filled’ history of the Bible to circumvent its authority. Many responses have come from the pen of Michael Kruger, James White, and Albert Mohler, but I want to draw your attention to Darrell Bock’s and  Robert Gagnon’s response. Bock thoroughly refutes the article, noting the irony of the author in misrepresenting Scripture when condemning believers who ‘misrepresent Scripture.’ Gagnon lays out the issues clearly and focuses on the issue of homosexuality.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to celebrating the joy of Christ as our mediator as we sing to Him together this Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Weekly Links (1/9/2015)

“Truth is so obscured nowadays and lies so well established that unless we love the truth w shall never recognize it.” (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, #739/864)

“Weaklings are those who know the truth, but maintain it only as far as it is in their interest to do so, and apart from that forsake it.” (Blaise Pascal, Pensees, #740/583)

by Stephen Rodgers

Happy Friday everyone! Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. So even though it is 2015 and we are officially living in the future, here’s another batch of free resources for you this month.

Ok, that’s our usual list of recurring resources…now on to a few of the other ones that have popped up recently:

And…that’s a wrap. Enjoy everyone, and hopefully see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Reading Your Bible in 2015

by Stephen Rodgers

First of all, let me begin by saying that there really is nothing new under the sun, and we’ve covered this topic quite a bit in the past. I’d suggest that you briefly familiarize yourself with the following posts:

From briefly surveying my RSS feed of the fraction of the Christian blogosphere that I refer to, you might also find the following posts on Bible reading plans interesting:

(You can find all of those and more in our Recommended Resources section, linked above).

I’ve said it before,  but I’ll say it again. Bible reading plans are a lot like exercise plans: people love to talk endlessly about which one is “best.” However, the best one (in both cases) is the one you’ll actually do. So to that end, pick one and stick to it!

Weekly Links (Christmas Edition 2014)

“The absolute Truth, the one who fills all things (Eph. 1:23) condescended to a place where He would have to fill his diapers. This — to the refined and philosophical mind — was outrageous, impudent, and even blasphemous . . . The ultimate Truth suckled at His mother’s breast, had ten fingers and ten toes, which His mother counted, and He then grew a bit older and went to Nazareth High. The universal became a particular, and did so without ceasing to be a universal. The universal Truth has a hometown, and a mom, and is a scandal to the Greeks. He is also a scandal to the Kantians and the postmodernists, and all for the same reason.” (Douglas Wilson, God Rest Ye Merry)

by Stephen Rodgers

We’re actually going to be going on hiatus until early next year, but before we did that I wanted to drop a little Christmas cheer on you, Beacon-style, just as we’ve done in past years.

First off, long-time readers (and people who know how to use the search box), will recall that we’ve done special Christmas posts before.  The content therein is still as timely as ever, and I’ll highlight a few articles that you’ll find in each one:

  • 2009 (X-Mas vs. Christmas, the context of Christmas, etc.)
  • 2010 (the importance of the virgin birth, Christmas apologetics, holidays with family, Santa Claus vs. Santa Christ, etc.)
  • 2011 (Jesus’ relatives, alleged pagan elements of Christmas, what to tell kids about Santa, etc.)
  • 2012 (the date of Christmas, the star of Bethlehem, the history of Santa Claus, etc.)
  • 2013 (Christmas apologetics with particular emphasis on the virgin birth, etc.)

Seriously, if you’ve never checked those out, you really should. And there’s always Stoogle as well.

Next, on top of all of that, I’ve got some resources that I’d like to update as well.

And last but not least, here’s a handful of other Christmas-related articles that don’t have quite as much of an apologetics focus, but are still pretty great:

Well, that’s it for the annual Christmas post this year. Merry Christmas, and happy reading!

Pro Rege

Weekly Links (12/19/2014)

To take up your cross does not mean to move forward with courage despite the fact you lost your job or your spouse. It means you are under sentence of death; you are taking up the horizontal cross-member on your way to the place of crucifixion. You have abandoned all hope of life in this world. And then, Jesus says, and only then, are we ready to follow him.

(D.A. Carson, Scandalous: The Cross and Resurrection of Jesus)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Here are your week’s links:

That’s all for this week! May God be honored in the growth of understanding of His Word, and our hearts more and more amazed at His sovereign grace.

Soli Deo Gloria

Weekly Links (12/12/2014)

To the degree that you have based your life on something other than the Lord, to that degree God’s love and the hope of the gospel will not comfort you. You will not be comforted because you are hungry for another kind of bread. You long for a king who will give you the bread you crave. The bread might be a relationship, circumstance, or position. It might be human love and respect, the desire for vengeances, or a certain economic state. It literally can be anything in creation! But there are only two types of bread: Christ, the living bread, and everything else. We set our hearts either on him or something else. (Paul Tripp, War of Words)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! I pray your week has been filled with seeking the Lord in the Word and in prayer. Before the week ends, however, I pray you will be helped by this week’s links.

  • Dallas Theological Seminary professor and textual critic Daniel Wallace writes of lexical fallacies that linguists typically make, which has a lot to do with how we interpret (or misinterpret) Scripture. You might want to bookmark this, so you don’t make the same mistakes.
  • Joe Carter continues his series in apologetics and worldview analysis with an explanation of the moral argument for God’s existence. He highlights a new video from former sociopath, now apologist for the faith, David Wood. This video powerfully and deftly explains the power of the Gospel in turning someone fully and unashamedly rebellious towards God to now a lover and defender of God. WARNING: This video contains gritty details of Mr. Wood’s past, so discretion is advised.
  • What are the moments in parenting that radically change the way you view raising your children? Listen in as three moms explain their paradigm-shifting moments that have caused them to realign their view of motherhood with God’s.
  • Though posted a couple weeks back, Bob Somerville, professor at The Master’s College, wrote a book on the issue of Christians who get depressed. He gives a great interview with ACBC Executive Director, Heath Lambert.
  • Fred Butler has written a short comparison between classical/evidential apologetics (the most popular forms of defending the Christian faith) and presuppositional apologetics (the method advocated by Cornelius Van Til, Greg Bahnsen, James White, and, I would add, Scripture). If you have any interest in learning how to defend the faith, you will gain much from learning the distinctions between these two.
  • From a previous Weekly Links post, I mentioned the current attack on Jesus that was coming out in the form of a documentary from Simcha Jacobovici. New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham has written a thorough response to the claims made in the corresponding book, which can be accessed here. This is certainly an opportunity to speak truth in a culture that is bent on finding reasons to disbelieve. Let’s seize it for God’s glory!
  • Christian theologian and philosopher professor James Anderson wrote an article on worldviews in Ligonier’s monthly magazine, TableTalk. Short, sweet, and to the point.
  • John Piper wrote an insightful post for college students that would do them good: “Don’t Waste Your University Years.
  • When working at a new job, or even if you’ve been at a certain position for a time, usually training is required for you to be more effective at what you do, or to learn new skills for future projects. When it comes to training in Christ, what does that look like? And why do people seem to shy away from it? Phil Colgan believes it to be viewing training as skill development, and not for a life of godliness and service. I really appreciated this article, and think you will too.
  • What are the benefits of sitting under expository preaching (making the point of a passage in Scripture the point of the sermon), the kind of preaching Lighthouse regularly sits under? Eric Davis at The Cripplegate gives us seven reasons, and if you are in any doubt about this type of preaching, let this post influence and encourage you in your time with us.

That’s all for this week! Looking forward to worshiping together as a church family, and continuing to anticipate the celebration of the birth of our Savior!

Soli Deo Gloria

Weekly Links (12/5/2014)

“How could we not be storytellers? We worship God the writer, God the written, and God the reader. How could we not create? We are created in God’s image, and he creates. He created us so that we would do this. He came down into our world to show us how it is done; his name is Immanuel. God loves cliffhangers. He loves nailbiters. On the mount of the Lord it will be provided. Exile and return stories are everywhere. So are death and resurrection stories. So are the elder-shall-serve-the-younger stories. And the whole thing will come together at the last day, as promised in Romans 8:28, with trillions of plot points all resolved and no remainder. And the great throng gathered before the throne will cry out, with a voice like many waters, saying, ‘That was the best story we ever heard’” (Douglas Wilson, The Romantic Rationalist).

by Stephen Rodgers

My apologies for the lateness of the ‘links. The Rodgers’ household has been a comedy of errors the last couple days. But, it’s Friday…and free stuff! So it’s all good.

(I’m going to call this the “how then shall we read?” edition, because I think that’s hilarious.)

  • Christianaudio.com’s free book of the month is The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper. You should get it. ‘Tis the Season.
  • Logos’ free book of the month is Opening Up Genesis by Kurt Strassner. I don’t know much about this one for good or for ill. If you read it before I do, let me know.
  • The December edition of Tabletalk magazine is out, under the title of “Who Do You Say I AM?” Their archive of past issues can be found here, and my own attempt at getting them all in one place can be found here. Either are worth a look; pick whichever you prefer.
  • Credo Magazine has a new issue on the topic of prayer. And if you like their, past issues can be found here.
  • Themelios issue 39.3 is out and available for download. If you still have time to read through their back issues from the last couple decades…you can find the archive here.
  • And last but not least, it looks like the crew at 9Marks is rebranding / redesigning their eJournal website. My attempt at organizing their back issues can be found here.

Alright everyone, see you Sunday!

Pro Rege

Weekly Links (11/28/2014)

Thanksgiving is a moment to express profound, deep, sincere and genuine gratitude to the providence of God for a year’s worth of tender mercies that we have received from the hand of His benevolence. From His care, from His comfort, from His guidance, from His government of our lives, we are to take time to be grateful.
(R.C. Sproul)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Praise God for a holiday on a theme that He commends to all believers, that the world see the shallowness in their giving thanks (to whom do they give thanks?), and that the gospel opens up true thankfulness in our hearts. With that said, let’s get to this week’s links!

  • Dan Wallace recently commented on the New Testament manuscripts, and their portrayal of Christ, which contradicts the Muslim view of Jesus. Muslims claim the NT presents Jesus differently than what Christians believe, and Wallace is the expert to give a great response. Fascinating stuff, in case you get the opportunity to speak with a Muslim concerning this claim.
  • Tim Challies wrote a timely piece on lateness and the strengths and weaknesses that can come from being late, as well as on time. I’m sure we’ve all had to deal with this sometime in the past, and will probably deal with it in the future. Hopefully, this article will bring needed balance, and thoughtful discussion.
  • Fred Butler refutes the objection that the Bible forced women in Old Testament times to marry those who raped them. This is one to bookmark.
  • Time magazine came out with an article a couple years ago called, “Are You Mom Enough?” that erupted anew the mommy war in American culture. In response. Desiring God Ministries published articles to their blog from moms who believe in a sovereign God and expressed a biblical worldview in terms of motherhood, parenting and trials in the trenches. This past week, they put out a new book collecting the best articles from that series, entitled, Mom Enough: The Fearless Mother’s Heart and Hope. Click the link to get the book for free on PDF, EPUB or MOBI.
  • Jay Adams is the pioneer who started the biblical counseling movement with his rejection of modern psychology and call for pastors to return to counseling their flock with the Word of God. He has maintained a program for pastors and laypeople to be trained online in the area of biblical counseling. For a limited time, he is giving access to his first lecture to the first course, “Introduction to Biblical Counseling.” Don’t miss out on this!
  • News concerning the grand jury’s decision to not indict officer Darren Wilson in the death of Michael Brown has led to a lot of protests, riots, and spilled ink. Here are some of the most helpful words I’ve come across thus far: Dan Phillips,  Voddie Baucham, Al Mohler, and Jesse Johnson.
  • In light of the Thanksgiving holiday, R.C. Sproul, Jr. reminds us that as believers, thanksgiving is a lifestyle, not a holiday.  Doug Wilson focuses on thanking God even when trouble has come our way. Also, be sure to pick up R.C. Sproul’s two free messages on Thanksgiving.

That’s all for this week! We hope you have been able to enjoy Thanksgiving by giving ultimate thanks to the Father for His provision, to the Son for His life, death, and resurrection, and the Holy Spirit for illuminating the Word of God and empowering us to battle sin! See you in the Lord’s house this Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria