Weekly Links (Christmas Edition 2015)

“For the words of the Scriptures are our spiritual weapons; but if we know not how to fit those weapons and to arm our scholars rightly, they keep indeed their proper power, but cannot help those who receive them. For let us suppose there to be a strong corselet, and helm, and shield, and spear; and let one take this armor and put the corselet upon his feet, the helmet over his eyes instead of on his head, let him not put the shield before his breast, but perversely tie it to his legs: will he be able to gain any advantage from the armor? will he not rather be harmed? It is plain to any one that he will. Yet not on account of the weakness of the weapons, but on account of the unskillfulness of the man who knows not how to use them well. So with the Scriptures, if we confound their order; they will even so retain their proper force, yet will do us no good. Although I am always telling you this both in private and in public, I effect nothing, but see you all your time nailed to the things of this life, and not so much as dreaming of spiritual matters. Therefore our lives are careless, and we who strive for truth have but little power, and are become a laughing stock to Greeks and Jews and Heretics. Had ye been careless in other matters, and exhibited in this place the same indifference as elsewhere, not even so could your doings have been defended; but now in matters of this life, every one of you, artisan and politician alike, is keener than a sword, while in necessary and spiritual things we are duller than any; making by-work business, and not deeming that which we ought to have esteemed more pressing than any business, to be by-work even.” (John Chrysostom, Homilies On John, 30:2)

by Stephen Rodgers

Merry Christmas!

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. And maybe I’m getting a tad cranky in my advancing age, but you can see I’ve thrown in a quote from John Chrysostom on what happens if we neglect this material entirely.

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 (anyone who clicks a link will quickly notice that it’s hardly an exhaustive listing however):

  • 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.)
  • 2014 (this is getting too long to list, but it’s a little bit of everything)

Seriously, if you’ve never checked those out, you really should. And part of the reason I say that is because I’ve seen roughly the same articles boomerang back around through the Christian blogosphere year after year after year. So before you get bent out of shape that I’m not including any new articles on Nicholas of Myra this year, please, please read the backlog. And there’s always Stoogle as well.

Alright, let’s get on to what’s new this year.

  • First of all, this was a year that included an awful lot of attention on the star of Bethlehem, mostly due to the publication of Colin Nicholl’s book The Great Christ Comet. It first came onto my radar (no pun intended), when Justin Taylor gave it a rather glowing endorsement, which was somewhat lessened when I remembered that he’s an EVP over at Crossway, and they published this book. More recently, the main TGC blog did a Q&A with the author. Not everyone in the conservative evangelical camp has been as enthusiastic, for example, Jason Engwer’s review and subsequent interactions with the author (here and here), where he defends a supernatural interpretation over and against an astronomical interpretation. Steve Hays also takes umbrage with some of Nicholl’s arguments in his book; of particular interest (to me at least) is his response to Nicholl’s claim that the supernatural view is not found in a scholarly commentaries (not true!).
  • I’ve pointed out before that Christmas and Easter are times when the American media is particularly focused on writing articles that are antagonistic to orthodox Christianity. This year, TIME magazine proved to be no exception to that tradition, with an article that begins criticizing aspects of the Christian tradition, and then lurches rather abruptly into a critique of the factual basis of the birth of Christ. The aforementioned Jason Engwer interacts with those claims in greater depth.
  • On the other hand, there are some errors that have gotten associated with the Christmas tradition that I wouldn’t mind seeing get jettisoned. To that end, I very much appreciated this article from Köstenberger and Stewart. In a similar vein, I think this article by Mathewson on common mistakes in preaching the birth of Jesus is also quite helpful.
  • Since I seem to be on a bit of Jason kick this year, here’s one more post that serves as a collection of links related to his interaction with the work of Raymond Brown (who’s name will be familiar to anyone who’s don’t any study of the biblical infancy narratives).
  • I’d be remiss if I didn’t throw in Triablogue’s 2015 post of Christmas articles and resources; it collects many of the issues listed above, along with quite a few others.

That’s about it for this year I’m afraid. Hopefully this gives you something to read until we come back in 2016. See you then!

Pro Rege

God’s Broken Image

by Sean Chen

In the Lord of the Readers book club, we’ve been studying The Christian Life. Upon reading chapter 2, I was struck by the title— “God’s Broken Image.” I initially thought to myself, “God is perfect. How could His image be tarnished?” Sinclair Ferguson clearly illustrates how our sins dishonor the image of God. According to scripture, the effects of our sins disintegrate our relationships with God, our fellows, the world around us and ourselves. Sin is missing the target which God has appointed, and falling short of the glory of God which we were created to enjoy (Romans 3:23). Naturally, we not only deviate from the right path but also rebel against our rightful and loving King. Consequently, we find ourselves as traitors to the goodness of God (Romans 3:10-18), guilty in the presence of the Eternal Judge.

1. The image of God defaced

Genesis 1:26-27 introduces us the image-bearer of God—man. The image of God probably means that God originally made man to reflect his holy character and his position as bearing rightful rule over all his creation. In that respect he is like God. From the first moment of man’s sin (Genesis 3), however, God’s gracious plan is distorted, accompanied by a change in the image of God.

Fallen man is essentially an affront to God. He takes all that God has lavished upon him to enable him to live in free and joyful obedience, and he transforms it into a weapon by which he can oppose his Maker. The magnitude of his sin is also the measure of his need for salvation. The wonder of God’s saving purpose lies in the fact that he longs more than we imagine to restore what has been lost. But the old creation must pass away, and a new one must be established; what was lost in Adam must be restored in Christ if there is to be any hope of sharing the glory of God from which we have fallen.

2. Man under the dominion of sin and death

The threat of sin and death appears early in the narrative of Genesis; Satan came in serpent-guise to destroy the divine-human fellowship. He attacked the promise that man would come under the dominion of death (Genesis 3:4). He also undermined the goodness of God by his suggestion that God grudged their presence in his garden (Genesis 3:4-5). The rest of Genesis 3 narrates the sad tale of man’s yielding to temptation to sin. The same truth appears in the teaching of Jesus (John 8:34). Paul emphasizes the same point in Romans; the references to sin in the Greek are usually to The Sin, as though it had taken on personal characteristics (Romans 5:12-6:23). As a result, men are powerless (Romans 8:6-7), yet “the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing” (Romans 7:19).

3. Man guilty before God

Not only does man suffer the consequences of sin in human misery, but he comes under the condemnation of God. In Romans 2:1-16, Paul outlines the principles which God employs in coming to a verdict on our lives. He shows that God’s judgment is always according to truth and reality (verse 2) that is given in accordance with works (verse 6), and also is tempered by the light of revelation which men have received (verses 12-15). It is a judgment which will be administered through Christ (verse 16) and therefore will take into account all the secrets of men’s hearts. Paul demonstrates the guilt of all men before God. By the standard of Christ’s life we are guilty sinners. Every mouth will be closed and all men will be declared guilty before God (Romans 3:19). Apart from Christ, “the wrath of God remains” (John 3:36).

4. Man in the grip of Satan

The light shows the true nature of the darkness. In the full light of Christ, Satan is drawn out into the open, unmasked and identified. Men are seen not only as living a lifeless death in sin, dominated by the course and fashions of this world, but are described as being under the dominion of the devil (Ephesians 2:1-3). John describes Satan as the “prince of this world,” suggesting that the whole world lies in his power (1 John 5:19). The ultimate tragedy of man’s self-understanding is that he believes himself to be free, has all the feelings of a free agent, but does not realize that he is a slave to sin and serves the will of Satan.

In order to escape the grip of Satan, the gospel exemplifies our needs:

  1. We need re-creation by Christ in order that the image of God, once distorted by sin, may be restored.
  2. We need deliverance from the dominion of sin in order that we may live freely for God.
  3. We need to be rescued from the power of Satan so that our lives may be given to Christ the Lord as his glad bondslaves.
  4. We need to be saved from the wrath of God so that, released from this most terrifying of all prospects, we may live the life of forgiven sinners.

Salvation

We will never properly understand the work of God which takes place in the Christian life unless we first of all have some kind of grasp of why we need the grace of God. It comes to us in our sin and begins to undo what had been wrongly done in our lives in order that God’s image may be restored. But the Bible pronounces us already to be, in Christ, what we will be only when we are transformed into his perfect image (1 John 3:1-3). Our newness does not only reflect what Adam was in the presence of God and what he would have been had he continued in obedience. The gospel does not make us like Adam in his innocence—it makes us like Christ, in all the perfection of his reflection of God.

This is the essence of the salvation Christ provides (Romans 8:29). He came into the world as the Second Man, the Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:45, 47). Out of his perfect reflection of the image of God we may draw by the power of the Holy Spirit. We share in his death the freedom from the dominion of sin (Romans 6:10). Under him we shelter from the wrath of God, knowing that he bore our guilt (Galatians 3:13). He became sin for us although he himself knew no sin, so that in him we might be made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). He died, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God (1 Peter 3:18). On the cross he triumphed over Satan, and exposed him as our enemy (Colossians 2:15). In his name therefore we may also conquer (Revelations 12:10). Christ is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30). All we shall ever need we will find he supplies by his grace.

Theology and Practice of Corporate Worship (Part 6)

by Pastor Jim Kang

This is the final post for the six-part series on Theology and Practice of Corporate Worship. Here’s the brief outline of the series:

  1. Introduction
  2. Who Should Worship?
  3. Why Worship Corporately?
  4. When to Worship Corporately?
  5. Where to Worship Corporately?

How to Worship Corporately?

I can’t speak for every church, but I can explain how we worship where I pastor. Perhaps the best place to begin is to check out the “Order of Service” in our bulletin. There you’ll find full disclosure of our liturgy. By the way, liturgy is not a bad word. Unlike many contemporary churches that have distaste for the past or structure or formality, we actually appreciate the rich heritage and orderliness. Liturgy simply means how worship service is conducted. [1] Every church has its own liturgy and every church is liturgical (I can assure you that even those who say they’re not liturgical have their own liturgy). Perhaps one of the most important questions to ask at this point is: What shapes our liturgy (the way our church conduct our worship service)? That’s because every church is influenced by something and/or someone.

It is helpful not to be confused between style and substance. For us we don’t sacrifice substance for the sake of wanting to be cool or have a cool style. That’s because worship is not about us. It is not about how cool the “worship band” is or how cool and entertaining the worship service is. It’s not about whether visitors would like us or we would be accepted by our non-Christian friends that we invite. The fundamental question is whether God will be pleased with our worship (1 Cor. 10:31). Also, are we faithful to his mandates in how we worship? The focus of worship service is God, not us. In worship service we have an audience of one and that’s God.

We believe corporate worship should be God-centered, not a man-centered production. The first question should be “How does God call us to worship him?” not “What do we like or what are our preferences?” Thus, when we gather on the Lord’s Day we come before a holy Trinitarian God with joyful reverence and awe, aiming to glorify him and to enjoy him. Worshipping God is not a form of entertainment, nor do we craft worship merely to evoke some emotional response. Hence, what shapes our liturgy is the timeless gospel. In fact, the corporate worship is to glorify God by re-presenting the gospel. Thus, our service is divided into five aspects: 1) God Calls His People, 2) God’s People Confess, 3) God’s People Praise, 4) God Nourishes His People, and 5) God Sends His People Forth. And within each section, there are elements of worship that directly or indirectly re-present the gospel. Let me briefly explain each section.

Biblical and Theological Rationales of Our Liturgy

I. God Calls His People

Call to Worship: Just as Genesis 1 and Ephesians 1 teach, it is God who initiated the work of creation and redemption. That is how the gospel begins. The gospel begins with God, not with man nor his needs. Since worship service is shaped by the gospel and ought to re-present the gospel, this is how our worship begins at our congregation.

We don’t drum up noises to get God’s attention or call him to our worship. Rather, the first thing that the people would see and hear at the onset of worship service is to see the minister of word walk to the pulpit and call the congregation to worship by turning their attention to God’s word first and foremost. Rarely the people would hear from the minister’s mouth something about the weather or some news about the local sports team. With the word of God, the Lord through his minister officially summons his people to worship him.

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

II. God’s People Confess

Confession of Sin: When we are reminded of God’s transcendent majesty and holiness at the onset of the service, we cannot help but to see who we really are. That prompts us then to acknowledge and confess our sin. Unlike so many churches today that rarely confess sins together, we actually include confession of sin as part of our liturgy.

Confession of Faith: Not only we confess our sin, but we also confess God’s timeless truths together. Since God is same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, his doctrine is timeless. Hence, in the past we confessed the timeless historic Christian faith together (e.g., the Apostles’ Creed, the Nicene Creed, the Heidelberg Catechism, and the Belgic Confession).

III. God’s People Praise

Songs of Praise: Worship is an expression of our gratitude, adoration, or praise only when we properly understand who God is and what he has done for us. So, it only makes sense that expressions come as a result of recognition of God’s glorious truths.

Offering/Prayer: Not that God needs our money, but giving shows our gratitude and devotion. We give as an expression of our thankful heart and commitment to support the local church.

Offering Song: We offer a song of thanksgiving.

Announcements & Greetings: We want to celebrate what God is doing and what we want to do in glorifying him through informing and announcing. We also want to greet one another with God’s love.

IV. God Nourishes His People

Reading of God’s Word: So often in our performance-driven culture and churches, we’re too caught up with what we say, what we sing, and what we do. But one of the most important aspects of worship service is not so much what we have to say to God, but what God has to say to us. Hence, we give premium to reading God’s word, sometimes a big chunk of the scripture.

Preaching of God’s Word: According to some of the magisterial Reformers like Luther and Calvin, this is perhaps THE most important part of worship service. The centerpiece of the worship service is when Trinitarian God speaks to his redeemed people the word through his ordained minister to nourish his people.

Prayer of Application

Song of Response: After hearing the word of God, we respond to God’s word with a song.

V. God Sends Forth His People

The idea is we gather for worship, and then we scatter to our respective mission fields.

Benediction: God sends us out with his parting blessing and promise of peace. Just as the gospel begins with God and ends with God, the last word we want to hear is God’s blessing and his promise of peace.

Moment of Meditation: We silently reflect what we just heard.

Conclusion

Dr. W.A. Criswell, the famous Baptist preacher at First Baptist Church in Dallas, once said, “To worship is to quicken the conscience by the holiness of God; to feed the mind with the truth of God; to purge the imagination by the beauty of God; to open up the heart to the love of God; to devote the will to the purpose of God.” [2]

[1] R. G. Rayburn, “Worship in the Church” in Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, edited by Walter A. Elwell (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999), 1193-96; “Liturgy” in Dictionary of the Christian Church, edited by F.L. Cross and E.A. Livingstone (Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, 1997), 988.

[2] W. A. Criswell, Criswell’s Guidebook for Pastors (Nashville: Broadman Press, 1980), 29.

Some Helpful Reading on the Subject

Ashton, Mark, R. Kent Hughes and Timothy Keller. Worship by the Book. Edited by D.A. Carson. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2002.

Chapell, Bryan. Christ-Centered Worship: Letting the Gospel Shape Our Practice. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.

Dever, Mark and Sinclair Ferguson. The Westminster Directory of Public Worship. Ross-shire: Christian Heritage Imprint, 2008.

Duncan, Ligon, Dan Kimball, Michael Lawrence and Mark Dever, Timothy Quill, and Dan Wilt. Perspectives on Christian Worship. Edited by J. Matthew Pinson. Nashville: B&H Academic, 2009.

Frame, John M. Worship in Spirit and Truth: A Refreshing Study of the Principles and Practice of Biblical Worship. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 1996.

Hyde, Daniel R. What to Expect in Reformed Worship: A Visitor’s Guide. Eugene: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2013.

MacArthur, John. Worship: The Ultimate Priority. Chicago: Moody, 2012.

Old, Hughes Oliphant. Leading in Prayer: A Workbook for Worship. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995.

_______. Worship: Reformed According to Scripture. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2002.

Ryken, Philip Graham, Derek W. H. Thomas and J. Ligon Duncan. Give Praise to God: A Vision for Reforming Worship. Phillipsburg: P&R Publishing, 2003.

Tozer, A.W. Whatever Happened to Worship: A Call to True Worship. Camp Hill: Christian Publications, 1985.

Fear Not To Go Down Into Egypt…

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Genesis 46:3,4

Jacob must have shuddered at the thought of leaving the land of his father’s sojourning, and dwelling among heathen strangers. It was a new scene, and likely to be a trying one: who shall venture among couriers of a foreign monarch without anxiety? Yet the way was evidently appointed for him, and therefore he resolved to go.

This is frequently the position of believers now-they are called to perils and temptations altogether untried: at such seasons let them imitate Jacob’s example by offering sacrifices of prayer unto God, and seeking His direction; let them not take a step until they have waited upon the Lord for His blessing: then they will have Jacob’s companion to be their friend and helper. How blessed to feel assured that the Lord is with us in all our ways, and condescends to go down into our humiliations and banishments with us! Even beyond the ocean our Father’s love beams like the sun in its strength. We cannot hesitate to go where Jehovah promises His presence; even the valley of deathshade grows bright with the radiance of this assurance.

Marching onwards with faith in their God, believers shall have Jacob’s promise. They shall be brought up again, whether it be from the troubles of life or the chambers of death. Jacob’s seed came out of Egypt in due time, and so shall all the faithful pass unscathed through the tribulation of life, and the terror of death.

Let us exercise Jacob’s confidence. ‘Fear not,’ is the Lord’s command and His divine encouragement to those who at His bidding are launching upon new seas; the divine presence and preservation forbid so much as one unbelieving fear. Without our God we should fear to move; but when He bids us to, it would be dangerous to tarry. Reader, go forward, and fear not.

5.12p

Weekly Links (12/18/2015)

“After reading Scripture, we must ask God for light to scrutinize our hearts and lives, then meditate upon the Word. Disciplined meditation on Scripture helps us focus on God. Meditation helps us view worship as a discipline. It involves our mind and understanding as well as our heart and affections. It works Scripture through the texture of the soul. Meditation helps prevent vain and sinful thoughts (Matt. 12:35), and provides inner resources on which to draw (Ps. 77:10-12), including direction for daily life (Prov. 6:21-22). Meditation fights temptation (Ps. 119:11, 15), provides relief in afflictions (Isa. 49:15-17), benefits others (Ps. 145:7), and glorifies God (Ps. 49:3).” (Joel Beeke, Feed My Sheep)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! Another week closer to celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior! And another week or providing links that will hopefully draw you closer to Christ. So let’s jump right in!

That’s all for this week! Be in prayer this weekend for our Lumos Christmas Party / Lock-In! See you all on Sunday!

Soli Deo Gloria

Reflections on the CollegeLife Praise Ministry

by Samuel Chung

I’ve been a part of the music ministry since my second year of college and God has definitely matured me in many ways throughout these years. The deeper understanding of Scripture and theology has helped to bring greater meaning to the songs that we sing. The memorable melodies have helped to remind me of specific and necessary truths about our God. It is evidence for me to reflect on John 4:23-24, where it says “But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” This account with Jesus and the woman at the well shows that worshiping God requires an intricate balance of both spirit and truth, where a greater emphasis on either will offset the scale. If we focus too much on truth without the spirit, we can easily become Pharisees or intellectual robots who merely give assent to the truths without a change of heart. If we focus too much on spirit without the truth, we may very well be worshiping something other than the one true God (although it may even feel like we are) because of the lack of a clear definition of who He is.

A question I want us to consider is: What is worship? I believe that it’s a term that we use so often that we don’t consider the context in which we use it as much as we do. For example, I hear people say, “That worship set was ____.” or “How is the worship team doing?” We also have songs that say “I will worship with all of my heart” and “Worship His holy name.” In each of those statements, what did it mean to worship? To clarify, I am not saying that the examples above are incorrect, but I am saying that we often use them without thinking very deeply about it, which is something we need to do more. Depending on the context of conversation, the definition ranges from a person’s overall heart attitude to something specific as the time of singing at church. More often than not, I’ve noticed that we utilize only the latter definition of worship. Once again, the statements above are not necessarily wrong, but I believe that the focus has become too narrow when it comes to our understanding of worship.

In the Bible, we see that the word worship often incorporates both ideas of an inward adoration and an outward expression of the adoration such as falling prostrate in humility (Genesis 24:26, Job 1:20, Psalm 95:6), singing (Psalm 29:2, Psalm 96:1), and paying homage (Matthew 2:11). Worship is not just about the music or a feeling. As stated before, it requires a combination of truth and spirit as well as a combination of inward and outward adoration to God.

Why am I being so nitpicky about one word? Isn’t it just semantics? It’s important for us to consider how we are using this term because proper usage of it displays a stronger understanding of the meaning of that word. Worshiping God is so much more than the singing. It should be our lifelong commitment to acknowledge and adore God in whatever we do. We worship with our whole life, and not just a part of it. It isn’t confined to a specific action such as singing, but should be a characteristic of who we are. As we gather as a church, we are engaging in corporate worship from the moment you step into the doors until you leave. We can worship through corporate reading of Scripture, singing songs of praise, hearing the Word of God preached, giving of offerings, praying in meditation, and even interacting with the people next to us. It all comes down to our hearts being prepared to acknowledge our need of God’s grace and give Him the adoration that He deserves for Christ’s death and resurrection!

In conclusion, let’s consider the common Christian term of worship and find ways to portray its full definition when we use it. Let us worship our God in spirit and in truth from our hearts, leading to our external displays of affection to Him!

And Will Manifest Myself To Him

by Charles Haddon Spurgeon

John 14:21

The Lord Jesus gives special revelations of Himself to His people. Even if Scripture did not declare this, there are many of the children of God who could testify the truth of it from their own experience. They have had manifestations of their Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in a peculiar manner, such as no mere reading or hearing could afford. In the biographies of eminent saints, you will find many instances recorded in which Jesus has been pleased, in a very special manner to speak to their souls, and to unfold the wonders of His person; yea, so have their souls been steeped in happiness that they have thought themselves to be in heaven, whereas they were not there, though they were well nigh on the threshold of it-for when Jesus manifests Himself to His people, it is heaven on earth; it is paradise in embryo; it is bliss begun.

Especial manifestations of Christ exercise a holy influence on the believer’s heart.

  • One effect will be humility. If a man says, ‘I have had such-and-such spiritual communications, I am a great man,’ he has never had any communion with Jesus at all; for ‘God hath respect unto the lowly: but the proud He knoweth afar off.’ He does not need to come near them to know them, and will never give them any visits of love.
  • Another effect will be happiness; for in God’s presence there are pleasures for evermore.
  • Holiness will be sure to follow. A man who has no holiness has never had this manifestation. Some men profess a great deal; but we must not believe any one unless we see that his deeds answer to what he says. ‘Be not deceived; God is not mocked.’ He will not bestow His favours upon the wicked: for while He will not cast away a perfect man, neither will He respect an evil doer.

Thus there will be three effects of nearness to Jesus-humility, happiness, and holiness. May God give them to thee, Christian!

5.12a

Weekly Links (12/11/2015)

“The two halves of God’s story pivot around one central point: the coming of Jesus to rescue God’s wrecked and ruined creation — BC and AD.” (Andreas Kostenberger and Alexander Stewart, The First Days of Jesus: The Story of the Incarnation)

by Cesar Vigil-Ruiz

Feliz Friday! My, this week has come and gone! But who can let this week go without your weekly links? Not me! Check it out!

  • IBCD has been a true blessing, particularly with the number of resources that they provide on their website for free (a biblical counseling introductory course, audio from previous conferences, etc.). Now, they have begun a podcast called The Care & Discipleship Podcast. Their first episode focuses on how to counsel someone through anger, and also gives a list of recommended resources for further study. They also put out their Winter Newsletter. See how God is using their ministry for His purposes of restoring biblical counseling to the church in the northern San Diego area!
  • Do you know the story behind who would be later identified as Santa Claus? John Aloisi provides a very short summary of the life of St. Nicholas, and a very interesting little bit of his involvement in church history.
  • In light of the event that occurred in San Bernardino, here is one mother’s response that is worth reading (and having). Justin Taylor provides resources that give a crash course on Islam that is worth watching.
  • Tom Shreiner has written a new book on justification involving texts and church history called Faith Alone: The Doctrine of Justification. SBTS published a post that summarizes Shreiner’s book, as well as give some of his reasons for writing yet another work on justification. It’s more interesting than it sounds, and more relevant than ever. You may end up wanting to pick up a copy after reading this.
  • Professor Michael Kruger informs us that Reformed Theological Seminary provides a weekly video by faculty every Wednesday on topics relevant to Christian faith,called ‘Wisdom Wednesday.’ This week, Professor Kruger answers the question, ‘How Can Seminary Students Keep Their Devotional Life Strong?’ Make sure you bookmark this weekly video series for your edification!
  • Parents, have you wondered how to conduct family devotions with your children? The Glory Books Podcast conducted an interview with Ed Braswell on this very issue. May your home become a beacon of light for your children with this crucial discipline.
  • Randy Alcorn address the consequences of debt in a person’s life. This is particularly relevant for the collegian, and even youth, to consider should they go to college. A must-read.
  • In evangelism, are you confident to express a deeper view of Scripture than, “The Bible says it, I believe it”? If asked specific questions regarding the doctrine of Scripture, would you be able to guide another believer (or unbeliever) through some of the theological terms? Here to help, Kevin Gardner provides a list and succinct definitions of the key terms we use in discussing a full-orbed view of Scripture.
  • Since Christmas is coming up, and gifts are already being considered, here to help with some great books to buy friends and family are Kevin DeYoung’s top ten books of 2015,  Aaron Armstrong’s favorite books published this year, David Murray’s massive list of recommended reading (in 21 categories, no less!), and last but not least, Tim Challies’ list of top books. Get them while you can!
  • If you are in need of resources surrounding the issue of intelligent design and evolution, Casey Luskin gives a very helpful post worth bookmarking for future reference.

That’s all for this week! Please pray for the upcoming Christmas Concert at our church, and please consider coming! See you tomorrow and Sunday, Lord-willing!

Soli Deo Gloria