Weekly Links (3/1/2013)

Love begets a likeness between the mind loving and the object beloved. A mind filled with the love of Christ as crucified will be changed into his image and likeness. (John Owen)

by Richard Shin

Another edition of weekly links is here. Enjoy!

  • With all the hype about being gospel-centered, it’s easy to neglect or even question the power of the Holy Spirit. Tim Brister tackles this idea and shares how one is indispensable without the other.  
  • Dr. Al Mohler, Jr. writes in Christianity Today about the recent announcement Tim Tebow made that he will not speak at the First Baptist Church of Dallas. It is a sobering reminder, and perhaps a wake-up call for some, that this is not an issue that only he faces.
  • Addiction to pornography is becoming a rampant issue, even among many Christians. In light of this, Zach Nielsen shares some ways on how parents can raise their kids in a pornified culture.
  • Over in Thom Rainier’s blog, Chuck Lawless shares seven steps to moving members into being involved in the life of the local church.
  • David Powlison writes for the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) and says that the local church is the natural place for face-to-face biblical counseling.
  • Last but definitely not least, over at the Theology Network, Kevin Vanhoozer shares a primer on the doctrine of biblical inerrancy. It’s a tad long, but well worth the read.

That it, folks. Have a great weekend!

Coram Deo

Lumos and Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Kristen Lim

Recently I have embarked on the quest to find the perfect chocolate chip recipe. Chocolate chip cookies are a classic and have been around for quite some time now, but I was surprised to find so many variations and websites that claimed to have the BEST recipe. As I did more research about the different types of chocolate chip cookies there were, the main categories were soft, Keebler style cookies, others a crispy-on-the-outside-chewy-in-the-middle texture, and yet others with special ingredients to enhance the flavor. But all in all, the recipes were generally the same with minor adjustments of ingredient ratios, and they all produced the same end result: a chocolate chip cookie. What does all of this have to with the Lumos Youth Ministry, you may ask? Read on to find out!

I am privileged and blessed to have been shepherded by the Lumos staff since I moved to San Diego, a total of 5 years. Back then the youth group was very small with just myself and four other youth, and the staff-to-youth ratio was at one point 1:1! My memories of high school are mostly filled with the times I spent at church on Friday nights during Bible study, Sunday school, the crazy events the staff planned for us, and most importantly the biblical sermons delivered by faithful men. Since graduating from Lumos about two years ago, I joined the Lumos staff at the end of this past summer and am humbled and overjoyed to take part in continuing this ministry of passing down God’s greatness to the current youth.

Currently the youth ministry is walking through the books of 1 John and Romans on Friday nights, and during our monthly Saturday seminars we address different topics that would be helpful in their stage of life. In previous seminars we have covered worldviews, modesty, hermeneutics, and will be starting a series on the Bible. Interspersed, Lumos has Gospel nights once a quarter, retreats, game nights, and random hangouts. As the staff plans these events, we are prayerful that these activities and times of instruction would be profitable for their souls, that we would have the same mindset as Paul in Colossians 1:28, which states, “We proclaim Him, admonishing every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.” Our goal is not merely just entertainment, but to be intentional in the limited time we get to teach the youth about Christ both in our words and deeds, praying to God that He would soften their hearts to submit to Him as Lord and Savior, and all the while knowing that God is the one who causes the growth and we are just called to be faithful. I hope and pray that Lumos would never deviate from this mission.

From my perspective, I’ve seen the dynamics of Lumos change over the years, from staffers joining and leaving, new youth coming and others graduating, and the logistics of how the ministry was structured based on who the leader was at that particular time. Truly, ministry is about the people and not the program. During our last staff meeting, Josh reminded us about the analogy of the trellis and the vine and how the purpose of the trellis (youth programs) was to support the vine (the youth). It didn’t matter if we had an intricate and ornate trellis if the vine was dying. Since ministry involves people, it makes sense that the details and programs could change based on the needs of the current people. That’s why it’s so imperative to be flexible and ready to make adjustments, not in theology or foundations of faith, but in how we minister to them.

Now, going back to my chocolate chip cookie illustration: just as there are many different textures and variations of chocolate chip cookies, essentially they are all the same at the core. Youth group has undergone many “textures” and “variations” throughout the years, yet I’m so thankful to say that the core of the Lumos ministry has remained constant: to glorify God through teaching young men and women about our glorious savior, Jesus Christ, and to disciple them to be bright lights in this dark world. May the youth group, as well as the church body, seek to be faithful chocolate chip cookies, whether it be soft or crispy!

Let the Little Children Come

Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” (Luke 18:15-17)

by Abe Kim

Here is a short, yet well-known encounter by Jesus. Many paintings have depicted this Jesus that welcomes little children, even infants. This is the Jesus many people like. People are not so fond of the one who rebuked the religious leaders of the day or the one that overturned merchants’ tables at the Temple out of zeal for the Father or the one that said, “Follow me” and then willingly went to the cross. Is the Jesus who did and said these radical things the same Jesus in this Luke 18 passage that seems so loving and gentle? And what can we learn about God’s view of children from this passage?

Let’s start this brief study by considering the context of all three versions of this story and then observing the three accounts together (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, and Luke 18:15-17). All three accounts confirm that Jesus came from Galilee and was somewhere in Judea, en route to Jerusalem (Matthew 19:1, Mark 10:1, Luke 17:11). This was the final approach into Jerusalem before the cross. In the Matthew and Mark accounts, Jesus taught the crowd about divorce just before the children were brought to Him. Jesus clarified that God’s intent for marriage never included divorce but the Mosaic law included it because of the hardness of men’s hearts (Matthew 19:1-12 and Mark 10:1-12). Luke includes Jesus’ teaching on divorce several passages earlier in Luke 16:18. Luke precedes Jesus’ welcoming of the children with His parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector (Luke 18:9-14). Both characters went up to the temple to pray, but only the tax collector left justified because of his humility and repentance.

The events after Jesus greeting the children are the same in all three accounts. The rich young man asks Jesus what he must do to inherit eternal life (Matthew 19:16-30, Mark 10:17-31, Luke 18:18-30). He appears to be genuine in his religious pursuits, and is more than just knowledgeable of the law and its requirements. He has kept all the commandments in God’s Word from his youth, yet he did not understand the requirements for eternal life. And as it turns out, he did not want eternal life on Jesus’ terms. Jesus promised the young man treasures in heaven, but this also meant forsaking his riches in this world. The young man was sorrowful and did not follow Jesus. Jesus teaches that it is impossible for the rich to be saved, yet with God all things are possible, and confirms that Peter and the disciples who have forsaken this world to follow Him will indeed gain riches, not only in the life to come but in this life as well. Soon after, Jesus foretells His death to His disciples for the third and final time before the Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. Keep this particular story in mind as we now explore the text.

Let’s first compare all three accounts and consider the sequence of events, with differences noted in parentheses:

  • Those in the crowd brought children to Jesus so that He might touch them (and Matthew adds to pray for them).
  • The disciples saw this happening and rebuked them and the crowd.
  • Jesus responds by telling the crowd to let the children come to Him (Luke adds that Jesus was indignant).
  • Jesus further instructs to not hinder the children because to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.
  • (Mark and Luke add Jesus saying, “whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.”)
  • (Matthew and Mark state that Jesus then laid His hands on the children.)
  • (Mark also adds that Jesus took the children in His arms and blessed them.)

Jesus’ ministry attracted huge crowds. He miraculously fed over 5,000 and over 4,000 on two different occasions. This account makes it clear that children were in the crowds that followed Jesus all over the Near East. As Jesus approached Jerusalem, some adults, presumably the parents, brought children and infants to Jesus to ask for his blessing.

Jesus had two main teaching points in this account. He rebuked his disciples and instructed them to not hinder children to come to Him. He further taught that if you do not receive the kingdom of God like a child, you will not enter it at all. Jesus provides an amazing object lesson that provides a contrast to the rich young ruler who sought eternal life but was unwilling to relinquish his treasures on earth for treasures in heaven. There is a lot to be said about these two points, but for the sake of this article, I would like to focus our attention briefly on not hindering children to come to Him.

Children, by nature, have no faculties or abilities to come to Jesus on their own. But those that love the little ones brought them to the foot of Jesus and asked for His blessings and acceptance. Christian parents understand this concept well, and ought to do this continually. And those that have discipled anyone also understands this well. As sinners, we have no faculties or abilities to seek after God, for our sinful state drives us in the opposite direction at all times. But God, in His mercy, calls sinners to Himself through the means of faithful men and women proclaiming the gospel.

The children that were brought to Jesus had one obstacle before reaching their goal. This hurdle was well-meaning disciples, men who left house and family and job to follow Jesus the Rabbi for nearly 3 years. There were many needs surrounding Jesus and the disciples. The sick, lame, deaf, demon-possessed, and many more demanded Jesus’ attention. And in other instances, He gave them their due attention and healed them. But this time, the children took front stage amongst the crowd. It is not that the other needs deserved less attention this time, or that Jesus no longer cared. But Jesus wanted to make it clear to everyone, especially His disciples, that children were warranted His attention just as much as any other need. Children can be brought to Jesus, even as babes. In so doing, we discover a grave warning for those that might impede anyone from coming to Jesus.

It is not clear the exact reasons the disciples rebuked the crowd for bringing children to Jesus. Perhaps it was all the crying. Maybe it was their dirty diapers. Or more probable is that the disciples didn’t deem children to receive Jesus’ attention, especially when there are male adults who are also seeking the wisdom of the Rabbi. Children cannot fully communicate yet, so there is no way they could understand the deep truths of God or religion Jesus was trying to teach them. But Jesus didn’t care about those things. He wanted the little children to come, with no such impedances. Jesus’ rebuke was clear: don’t be the ones to hinder child-like souls from approaching the throne of grace.

There are many souls around us that have a childlike approach to Jesus, whether they are actual children or adults. For those more mature in faith, let’s remember Jesus’ teaching here and not cast doubt or fear or other hindrances upon those simply seeking Christ with a childlike faith. There is no place for troubling them in coming to Jesus. Let’s simply encourage them to continue to pursue Jesus, to forsake the riches of this world and to pursue a treasure that is heavenly and wonderful and eternal. For to such belong the kingdom of God.

Have Faith in God

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

from Mark 11:22

Faith is the foot of the soul by which it can march along the road of the commandments. Love can make the feet move more swiftly; but faith is the foot which carries the soul. Faith is the oil enabling the wheels of holy devotion and of earnest piety to move well; and without faith the wheels are taken from the chariot, and we drag heavily. With faith I can do all things; without faith I shall neither have the inclination nor the power to do anything in the service of God. If you would find the men who serve God the best, you must look for the men of the most faith. Little faith will save a man, but little faith cannot do great things for God.

Poor Little-faith could not have fought ‘Apollyon;’ it needed ‘Christian’ to do that. Poor Little-faith could not have slain ‘Giant Despair;’ it required ‘Great-heart’s’ arm to knock that monster down. Little faith will go to heaven most certainly, but it often has to hide itself in a nut-shell, and it frequently loses all but its jewels. Little-faith says, ‘It is a rough road, beset with sharp thorns, and full of dangers; I am afraid to go;’ but Great-faith remembers the promise, ‘Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; as thy days, so shall thy strength be:’ and so she boldly ventures. Little-faith stands desponding, mingling her tears with the flood; but Great-faith sings, ‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee:’ and she fords the stream at once.

Would you be comfortable and happy? Would you enjoy religion? Would you have the religion of cheerfulness and not that of gloom? Then ‘have faith in God.’ If you love darkness, and are satisfied to dwell in gloom and misery, then be content with little faith; but if you love the sunshine, and would sing songs of rejoicing, covet earnestly this best gift, ‘great faith.’

3.7a

Weekly Links (2/22/2013)

When God poured out his justice on Christ, he was not only destroying his Son, but destroying the barrier between himself and us. How amazing! The more God vented his holiness on Jesus, the more he was venting his love for us.

On the cross, the holiness and love of God, otherwise in tension, were in complete, brilliant cooperation. The more his holiness expressed itself, the more his love was satisfied; the more his love expressed itself, the more his holiness was satisfied. (Tim Keller)

by Richard Shin

 

Coram Deo

LBC Weekly SPARK – February 21, 2013

by Pastor Patrick Cho

Dear Lighthouse family and friends,

I hope you are doing well and walking in the Lord. This email is just to remind you of some of the things that are happening in the coming weeks at LBC. As a church family, we should always look to grow together in faith encouraging one another and stimulating each other to love and good deeds. Let’s be involved in each other’s lives and share in the love of Christ.

In His grace,

Pastor Patrick

Here are the announcements for this week:

  1. LKC and Grace Life. Kids’ Club and Grace Life meet again tonight at 6:30pm at the church. What a great way for the whole family to enjoy an evening of fellowship at the church!
  2. College Life Retreat. Please pray for the college ministry as they have their retreat this weekend (2/22-2/24) at Pine Valley Bible Conference Center! Their speaker is Pastor J. R. Cuevas of LBC San Jose!
  3. Lumos/Single Life Fellowship Night. The Lumos Youth Group and Single Life will be gathering together tomorrow evening (2/22) at 7:00pm at the church for some fun activities and fellowship. Singles, please sign up with Eugene Park if you would like to attend (e1park@gmail.com)!
  4. Flocks. Next week (2/27-3/2) is flocks week! All regularly scheduled Bible studies will be cancelled. For more information about regional flocks, please check out the church website.
  5. Argentina Missions Info Meeting. If you are interested to hear what is going on with our ministry with IBM Tucuman this summer, come out to the info meeting on Sunday, March 3, at 6:00pm. Bring your dinner!
  6. Shepherds’ Conference. If you are attending the upcoming Shepherds’ Conference, please contact Peter Lim ASAP if you are in need of housing (peterlim@yahoo.com).
  7. Parent/Child Dedication. Our next parent/child dedication will be on Sunday, March 10 during the morning worship service. If you would like to participate, for each child please send Pastor Patrick 1) parents’ names, 2) child’s full name, and 3) child’s birth date.
  8. LBC Los Angeles. There will be a church planting interest meeting on Sunday, March 10 at 6:00pm at the church. For more information, contact Pastor John Kim (pastorjohnkimlbc@gmail.com).
  9. Single Life Retreat. The singles ministry annual retreat will be on March 15-17. Our speaker this year is Pastor Jim Kang of LBC East Bay. The theme is “How We’re Made: Our Origin and Purpose by God’s Design.” The cost is only $135/person. Sign up with Brian Song with a $50 non-refundable deposit.
  10. Good Friday Service. On Friday, March 29, we will be having our annual Good Friday service to remember Christ’s work on the cross. Please invite your family and friends to join us for this special communion service!
  11. Resurrection Sunday Service. Sunday, March 31 is Resurrection Sunday! We will be celebrating with a special breakfast and morning service. Breakfast will begin at 7:30am! Please invite your family and friends to come hear the message of Christ!

Sparklers Update

by Danica Chu

Ever since I was in high school, God gave me a heart for kids of all ages. When I first started going to LBC, I wanted to serve in the children’s ministry because I wanted to serve in an area where I could meet families of the church. I prayed and asked God to place me where He saw fit for my life and where I would grow the most. I kept looking out for opportunities to serve, knowing that wherever I am placed, it is where God wanted me to be and that was His plan for my life. When I saw that there were opportunities available in the Sparklers’ ministry, I prayed and asked God if this was where He wanted me to be. After much praying and consideration, I went ahead and filled out the application and sent it in to Mike Hasegawa.

During the application and observation process, I noticed that whoever was in the classroom, they really took time to prepare their lessons and made sure that God’s Word was being preached every week. I noticed how all the teachers were gentle with the kids, caring for them and loving them the way God had loved the staff. One thing that really stood out to me was how the lesson was presented. At the end of each lesson, the conclusion always came back to the Gospel. Even at such a young age, the teachers were trying to instill in each Sparkler what Jesus Christ has done for them on the cross, dying for their sins.

Each lesson taught is divided into three parts: the hook, the actual lesson and the conclusion. The hook is an attention getter for the kids. It usually involves one of the staff or an everyday illustration, something that they can relate to. The actual lesson is the part when the teacher teaches from a passage of Scripture. We (the Sparklers’ staff) know when we are teaching and what passage of Scripture we are teaching from. Therefore, we are able to study and prepare it in advance. This is because we want to make sure that we are handling God’s truth accurately and not adding or removing anything from it. The last part of the lesson is the conclusion. The conclusion is when the teacher tells the Sparklers’ what the main point of the lesson is, how it ties into the hook and the lesson itself and we try to present the Gospel to them as well. Usually, we try to repeat what our main point is throughout the entire lesson. I think preparing and studying for the lesson take the most time because of how much time is being spent on reading the passage, meditating on it and studying it.

Mike always told us that we should give ourselves plenty of time to study, read and meditate on it. It’s something that I have been learning and attempting to do in my own devotionals. Instead of just glancing over the passage and checking the box to show that I did my reading for the day, I learned that I need to slow down and take it all in. Read the passage slowly, make notes, question things that I don’t understand and research it. This is what God has called us to do as believers, to meditate on God’s Word and search for ways to apply it to our daily lives. I started to apply this process to my own quiet times. I’ll admit, I’m not perfect. This isn’t the easiest process for me to do. But I ask God everyday to give me the discipline to sit down and study God’s Word, the way I normally would study God’s Word to teach the lesson. This should be an integral part of our daily routine as believers, to study God’s Word, meditate on it and always refer to it.

Ever since joining Sparklers, I’ve learned a lot from just sitting in and listening to the lessons being taught. I’m always reminded of one of God’s characteristics: His humility that led Him to the cross, His continual faithfulness from the Old Testament to the New Testament and many more of His characteristics. I have learned so much from serving in the Sparklers’ Ministry, for my own spiritual growth, seeing where I fall short in my walk with God. God has been so faithful to the Sparkers’ Ministry in providing faithful men and women who have a willing heart to serve one of the youngest affinity groups at LBC. I’m excited to see where God takes the Sparklers Ministry next!

FOF #9: The Church – Fellowship and Worship

“And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:24-25)

by Pastor Patrick Cho

The Bible uses several different metaphors to describe the church. In 1 Corinthians 3:9-10, Paul calls the church God’s field and God’s building. In Revelation 19:7-8, the church is pictured as the bride of Christ (cf. Eph. 5:22-33). But there is one metaphor that helps illustrate the way the church functions perhaps better than any other. In Colossians 1:18 and Ephesians 5:23, the church is referred to as the body of Christ, and Christ is called her head.

This is a fitting picture for the church because it illustrates how different people with different gifts and abilities can gather and work together in unity. Just as the human body has various members with varying functions, so the spiritual body of Christ possesses many different members with different personalities, backgrounds, skills, and interests. No two members are exactly the same, and yet with Christ as the head, all the members can work together to build up the body to maturity (Eph. 4:11-13).

Every person who trusts in Christ as their Lord and Savior is baptized in the Spirit and made a part of the body (cf. Mark 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:13). This is one of the great blessings and benefits of becoming a follower of Jesus. He not only forgives our sin, but He gives us the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us to live for His glory. The Spirit serves as our seal and guarantee that we are His and that He will come again for us (2 Cor. 1:22; 5:5).

Baptism in the Spirit is not only reserved for some believers, as some churches might teach, but is an experience that is common to everyone who trusts in Christ as Lord. This is why Paul writes that we were “all” baptized into one body (1 Cor. 12:13). The baptism of the Spirit occurs at the moment of conversion when a person is saved by God’s grace. Since all believers share in this common experience and are led by the same Spirit and trust in the same Lord, they are called together into one body (Eph. 4:4-6). This is the church – the body of Christ saved by one Lord through the one true gospel message by the work of the one Spirit in their lives.

We gather together as believers because of our common confession of faith that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins and was raised again on the third day. We come to worship God together because of our common understanding that He alone is worthy of all our praise. We study the Scriptures together because we know that it gives life and reveals to us the will of God. We do this corporately because of our shared experience of God’s grace to forgive us and rescue us from the punishment of hell.

Because of these truths, there is a fitting major emphasis on unity in the New Testament. As a result of what we know about the gospel, God calls us to live at peace with one another. We are to be humble and forbearing in our dealings with each other because God has called us as one body. When we persist in our personal conflicts, we live not as though there is one God, but two – the God you serve and the God of the other person you don’t want anything to do with. We live not as though there is one gospel, but two – the gospel that saves you and the gospel that saves the person with whom you are in conflict. We live as though there are two bodies – the one you belong to and the one for your rival. While we might profess orthodoxy, when we stubbornly hate our brothers and sisters, our practice is blasphemy.

The church in Corinth was riddled with all sorts of issues. There were people abusing spiritual gifts. Some members were abusing communion and even getting drunk at their feasts. There was an incestuous relationship that even the immoral pagan citizens of Corinth frowned upon. Believers were taking each other to court in order to defraud each other. But with all these problems, isn’t it interesting that Paul opens the letter by addressing the issue of divisions and disunity? It was the first thing on his mind.

Positively, in the Book of Ephesians, the first three chapters are devoted to explaining our position in Christ. God has saved us and made us alive with Christ even though we were dead in our sins and trespasses. The last three chapters are devoted to our practice in Christ – how are we supposed to live in light of who we are in Him? Again, isn’t it interesting that the section on the Christian’s practice begins with the issue of maintaining unity in the church?

This is how important a matter the unity of the church is to God! Our conflicts and divisions are no small things in God’s sight. Since we are Christ’s representatives on earth, His name is at stake in the way we behave. Any pagan society and organization can have conflicts and divisions. It is our unity as a church body that really causes us to stand out. When people come together to worship God, who have absolutely no business congregating for any other reason, it demonstrates that God is doing something in that assembly.

There is so much emphasis in the church today on our personal walk with Jesus. We speak about a personal relationship with our personal Lord and Savior. We pursue personal growth and develop our personal disciplines. But the Bible’s overwhelming emphasis is on our corporate identity in Christ. God saved us to be a part of the body.

When we gather to worship on Sunday mornings, it isn’t about our personal time and experience. We sing together. We fellowship together. We pray together. We study God’s Word together. What we do, we do as a body in unity because that is what God has called us to do. It isn’t just about having an uplifting time for yourself. It is about worshiping God with one voice and one heart in the unity of the Spirit. We are there for the Lord, but we are also there for one another, to be a blessing and encouragement to our brothers and sisters through our speech and service. This is something to keep in mind the next time we gather for corporate worship. Take a moment to look around and appreciate why we are gathering and what God is doing through us.

Before Destruction the Heart of Man Is Haughty

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

From Proverbs 18:12

It is an old and common saying, that ‘coming events cast their shadows before them;’ the wise man teaches us that a haughty heart is the prophetic prelude of evil. Pride is as safely the sign of destruction as the change of mercury in the weather-glass is the sign of rain; and far more infallibly so than that. When men have ridden the high horse, destruction has always overtaken them.

  • Let David’s aching heart show that there is an eclipse of a man’s glory when he dotes upon his own greatness. 2 Sam. 24:10.
  • See Nebuchadnezzar, the mighty builder of Babylon, creeping on the earth, devouring grass like oxen, until his nails had grown like bird’s claws, and his hair like eagle’s feathers. Dan. 4:33.

Pride made the boaster a beast, as once before it made an angel a devil. God hates high looks, and never fails to bring them down., All the arrows of God are aimed at proud hearts.

O Christian, is thine heart haughty this evening? For pride can get into the Christian’s heart as well as into the sinner’s; it can delude him into dreaming that he is ‘rich and increased in goods, and hath need of nothing.’ Art thou glorying in thy graces or thy talents? Art thou proud of thyself, that thou hast had holy frames and sweet experiences? Mark thee, reader, there is a destruction coming to thee also. Thy flaunting poppies of self-conceit will be pulled up by the roots, thy mushroom graces will wither in the burning heat, and thy self-sufficiency shall become as straw for the dunghill. If we forget to live at the foot of the cross in deepest lowliness of spirit, God will not forget to make us smart under His rod. A destruction will come to thee, O unduly exalted believer, the destruction of thy joys and of thy comforts, though there can be no destruction of thy soul. Wherefore, ‘He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.’

3.6p

Weekly Links (2/15/2013)

We are too big in ourselves when we do well, and too little in Christ in our failings. O that we could learn to be nothing in ourselves in our strength, and to be all in Christ in our weakness! (Samuel Bolton)

by Richard Shin

  • This is huge: The Master’s Seminary unveiled their Theological Resource Center, which is their online hub of resources from the seminary, The Master’s College, Grace Community Church, and Grace to You. Everything on the site is also free. So much goodness in there.
  • I imagine we shared this before, but Ligonier Ministries has a weekly $5 sale of various resources, including sermons, books, and lecture series. So even if we don’t necessarily highlight it every week, you should try to head over there on Fridays for anything that might pique your interest.
  • We don’t particularly link to many Christianity Today articles here, but here’s a conversion story that’s worth highlighting. Praise God for the gift of salvation that He grants to those whose hearts of stone are replaced with hearts of flesh.
  • You’ve probably heard many times the problem of evil that atheists pose against Christianity. Nathaniel Schmucker addresses the counterpart, the problem of good.
  • Justin Taylor seeks to answer a tough question, “How could God command genocide in the Old Testament?” His answers are biblical, consistent, and God-glorifying.
  • Here’s an elephant of a topic: giving. John MacArthur shares a word on the Grace to You blog on how we ought to give generously, abundantly, and sacrificially.
  • In case you didn’t hear, the Pope of the Church of Rome announced his plan to resign due to health reasons. Russell Moore offers an evangelical’s perspective on Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation.
  • Justin Taylor has a round-up of a few quotes and articles on how to stop gossip in the church. You can find them here. I particularly thought Dan’s article on the Pyromaniacs blog would be quite effective.

Enjoy the long weekend, everyone. Shalom!

Coram Deo