Thoughts on Scripture and life
for the glory of Jesus Christ
Article Roundup: April 2016, Part 1
Article roundup for April 2016 part 1. Life in light of death, holy joy, zeal in parenting, gospel, and possessions.
Article Roundup: March 2016, Part 2
Article roundup for March 2016, part 2. Spurgeon on sovereignty, which Jesus do you worship, what is God?, and more.
Article Roundup: March 2016, Part 1
Radical Christianity, persuasive apologetics, bad youth groups, and characteristics of a good church.
Article Roundup: February 2016, Part 2
Article Roundup for Feb 2016, part 2. Zeal, defending date nights, creedal Christology, and more.
Article Roundup: February 2016, Part 1
Article Roundup: February 2016, Part 1
Rain
The drops danced across the glass in gleeful disarray, slipping and sliding in every which way, hurrying to go everywhere and yet with nowhere to go. An ever-morphing constellation, spheres of crystal bending and shattering across the canvas of the window, they were at one moment companions of many, and the next rogue wanderers alone; their number was impossible to count, their pattern indecipherable, their beauty incomprehensible.
Article Roundup: January 2016, Part 2
I think all of the pastors and bloggers saved up all their writing for after the holidays. There was a plethora of great stuff these past two weeks! Round up for the second half of January below.
Article Roundup: January 2016, Part 1
Here's the best articles I've read in the first two weeks of 2016. If you're one of those that follows the Christian blogosphere, you'll notice quite a few of the recent popular articles are missing. That's intentional; I want to give you the crème de la crème, not fading fads.
Article Roundup: December 2015, Part 1
I've always appreciated good resources from others, and so I asked myself, "Why not share them with others?" My goal is to curate the best articles from all of the various Christian blogs I follow, and then share them with you all every two weeks.
[This idea shamelessly copied from Tim Challies at challies.com]
So, here goes the first one! Articles are curated from December 2015.
Let There Be Books! 2016
Happy new year! With a new year often comes new thoughts, and new resolutions. I encourage you to commit your time and mind to theological reading this year (… and every year afterwards!).
I'll even help you out with an idea that I started back in 2013. It's designed to encourage the reading and discussion of good Christian books on theology, philosophy, life, history, biography, etc.
Reflections on Work Life
For me, adjusting from college life to work life was hard. It took me four months to wake up in the morning on a weekday and not immediately think, "Lord, I really don't want to go to work today." And that was with a no-stress training period, an understanding manager, and absolutely nothing to complain about.
Why? Why did I have such a difficult time? It would not be an oversimplification to say my grief was due to my poor theology of work. I didn't think rightly about work because I had a wrong framework for working as a Christian. Sure, I had thought about it a few times in the context of school, but I had not figured out how to glorify God with my life when most of my waking hours are spent doing inherently 'unspiritual' things. I needed a better understanding of Scripture.
The Theory of Relativity
Few other theories in physics come close to the stunning beauty, and revolutionary nature, as Einstein's. We can no longer describe physical phenomenon in absolute terms and call ourselves accurate; instead everything must be described in terms of relativity.
But the idea of relativity didn't stay in the cosmos. It came to Earth. Modern man has brought Einstein's theory of general relativity from the realm of physics into metaphysics, from science into philosophy. The zeitgeist, or spirit of the times, can be summarized in the term "moral relativism."
Satisfied in You - The Sing Team
Why are you downcast, oh my soul?
Why so disturbed within me?
I can remember when You showed Your face to me
As a deer pants for water so my soul thirsts for You
And when I behold Your glory You so faithfully renew
Like a bed of rest for my fainting flesh
I am satisfied in You
Ephesians 2:10 — Saved Unto Good Works
How shall we respond to the gospel of this grace? As those who have been forgiven much, we are to love much! The Lord Jesus Christ said in Luke 7:47, "For this reason I say to you, her sins, which are many, have been forgiven, for she loved much; but he who is forgiven little, loves little.” Indeed, the mark of a Christian is someone who loves God (Eph 6:24). Now then, as those who love God, because God loved us first, what shall we do? How shall we respond to this great love?
Good works. Grace-motived, God-entranced, faith-fueled, Spirit-empowered, good works.
A Philosophy of the Christian Life
What is the Christian life?
Surely, it is more than the activities that fill the time and events that occupy the calendar. Scripture reading, prayer, service, fellowship, and acts of love are of the utmost importance, but being a Christian is more than the sum of those parts.
How To: Read the Bible
God wrote a Book. It is the very Word of God, God's perfect message from His own mouth through His servants for His people. By His Word, God unveils the mystery of the universe, unfolds His plans hidden from before time began, prophecies the end from the beginning, secures His everlasting promises, calls His elect from death unto life, equips His Church for the work of service, damns the unrepentant to their doom, and seals the fate of the world.
Ignorance's False Hope and False Faith
John Bunyan's classic Pilgrim's Progress is a must-read for every Christian. Although Bunyan wrote in the 17th century, his characterization of people within the world is uncannily accurate. Herein is helpful wisdom for every saint navigating to the Heavenly Kingdom.
Below is the story of Ignorance, and his tragically false assurance of salvation. He stands for every religious person too ignorant to know that he is lost. Oh Lord, open the eyes of the blind.
Ephesians 2:8-9 — Sola Gratia, Sola Fide, Soli Deo Gloria
In the 1500s, God brought about a Reformation of the Christian world: the true gospel was set free from the corrupt Catholic religion and the Word of God was unleashed to save and sanctify once again. As the movement developed, the Reformers came to agree on five central tenets, which we now call the Solas of the Reformation:
- Solus Christus: Christ alone. Jesus Christ is the only mediator of salvation between God and man — not the pope, cardinals, bishops, priests, or kings. Christ alone is the head of His Church, and what He says and does trumps the authority of men.
- Sola Scriptura: Scripture alone. God's Word alone is the final and highest authority, trumping church tradition and ecclesiological decree.
- Sola Gratia: By grace alone. Grace alone is the means of salvation. God is not inclined to save because of anything inherent to man; He saves for His purposes, by His mercy, alone.
- Sola Fide: By faith alone. Salvation is through faith alone — not through the works or merit of man. Good deeds contribute nothing to a sinner's justification, and no amount of indulgences (buying certificates to get less time in purgatory) will change that fact.
- Soli Deo Gloria: To the glory to God alone. God alone deserves glory in all things. He alone deserves reverence and worship — not the pope, not the venerable saints, not icons, not relics.
Ephesians 2:7 — The Glorious Grace of God
If you're a Christian who has tasted the depths of God, the wonders of His love, and the glories of His character in the face of Christ, you ain't seen nothing yet.
To Every Man Who Will Die
Let us not have to say in a hesitating way one to another, "I trust he is happy; he talked so nicely one day; and he seemed so pleased with a chapter in the Bible on another occasion; and he liked such a person, who is a good man."