(1) The resources in this week’s ‘What’s So Great About the Doctrines of Grace?’ (eBook), the ‘St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary on Mark’ (eBook), and ‘The Truth of the Cross’ (audiobook CD) for $5 each until 11:59 p.m. ET, all found here.
(1) The resources in this week’s as well as the Economics for Everybody: Applying Biblical Principles to Work, Wealth, and the World teaching series download by Dr. R.C. Sproul Jr., all found here.
(1) The resources in this week’s the Mystery of the Trinity series and the Christian Evidences teaching series, all found here.
(1) For some reason, Jehovah’s Witnesses go to great lengths to try to say that Jesus was not crucified on a cross but impailed on a stake, with one nail going through both hands that were held above His head. However, if that was the case, in speaking of the hands of Christ, Thomas, who was all too aware of the facts concerning the death of Christ, would have used the singular word “nail” and not the plural “nails” in this text in John 20:25:
So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see IN HIS HANDS THE MARK OF THE NAILS, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”
I believe there are two reasons why the JW’s speak so much on this. They want to try to show that Christians get it wrong on the most basic of issues (and therefore show how superior their knowledge is) as well as they see the two beamed cross as a symbol of idolatry. This article sheds much light: http://www.jwfacts.com/watchtower/cross-or-stake.php
(2) 4 Truths about Hell
(3) The resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale are very well worth considering. Especially recommended are R. C. Sproul’s DVD series on Psalm 51, By Grace Alone: How the Grace of God Amazes Me book by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson, The Five Dilemmas of Calvinism book by Craig Brown, and The Promise Keeper: God of the Covenants teaching series, all found here
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(1) I am not at all sure about the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin but it was certainly interesting to but its still worth getting the gist of – the bottom line is that its more than ok to use the term “Easter” and we are not worshipping pagan gods when we do so.
(3) If you would like to watch something online, but obviously still relevant regarding the evidence for the resurrection of Christ:
(4) The resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale are very well worth considering, found here
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I am praying that this is the most blessed Easter weekend in your life so far!
(1) The resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale are very well worth considering. In light of the current media fascination concerning the stepping down of one Pope and the choosing of a new one, pharmacy I especially recommend the Roman Catholicism series download as well as the newly released “Are We Together? A Protestant Analyzes Roman Catholicism” Audio Book by Dr. R. C. Sproul found here
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(1) “Remember those who are in prison, and those who are mistreated, since you also are in the body.” – Hebrews 13:3
Persecution of Christians is growing at an alarming rate around the world – here are three reports this week from Fox News:
In Saudi Arabia, Ethiopian Christians are being arrested simply for practicing their faith – report here.
Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings “patriotic” assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report. Read more here.
Egyptian Christians are told to convert to Islam or face death – report here.
Lets continue to be praying for our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world.
(2) Yesterday, Dr. James White responded to Michael Brown’s Monday edition of The Line of Fire where he played audience clips and had callers on the subject of predestination and election, etc. Dr. White sought to focus in upon the same issues as the Protestant Reformation, spelling out not merely the necessity of grace, but its total sufficiency. Here’s the program.
(3) Speaking of Dr. James White, here is a very fast paced and informative lecture he gave just recently at Reformed Theological Seminary, Charlotte, on the subject of “Why Muslims reject the Gospel.”
(4) There’s a variety of resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale worth considering.
(5) Hymn by John Newton:
Alas! by nature how depraved,
How prone to every ill!
Our lives, to Satan, how enslaved,
How obstinate our will!
And can such sinners be restored,
Such rebels reconciled?
Can grace itself the means afford
To make a foe a child?
Yes, grace has found the wondrous means
Which shall effectual prove;
To cleanse us from our countless sins,
And teach our hearts to love.
Jesus for sinners undertakes,
And died that we may live;
His blood a full atonement makes,
And cries aloud, Forgive.
Yet one thing more must grace provide,
To bring us home to God;
Or we shall slight the Lord, who died,
And trample on His blood.
The Holy Spirit must reveal
The Savior’s work and worth;
Then the hard heart begins to feel
A new and heavenly birth.
Thus bought with blood, and born again,
Redeemed, and saved, by grace
Rebels, in God’s own house obtain
A son’s and daughter’s place.
(1) There’s a variety of resources in this week’s including such topics as preaching, Charles Spurgeon, free will, church history, the church, music, faith, and more.
(2) There are two books which outline where the American culture is and where it is heading in no uncertain terms. This review by Starr Meade introduces them.
(3) Its important for all parents to think about what the movies children watch are teaching about gender roles in society. Colin Stokes asks some pertinent questions in this recent TED Talks video (approx. 13 minutes):
(4) Is a belief in particles-to-people evolution really necessary to understand biology and other sciences? Get answers here.
(1) “Reader, would you have more faith? Then seek to become more acquainted with Jesus Christ. Study your blessed Savior more and more, and strive to know more of the length and breadth and height of His love. Study Him in all His offices, as the Priest, the Physician, the Redeemer, the Advocate, the Friend, the Teacher, the Shepherd of His believing people. Study Him as one who not only died for you—but is also living for you at the right hand of God; as one who not only shed His blood for you—but daily intercedes for you at the right hand of God; as one who is soon coming again for you, and will stand once more on this earth. The miner who is fully persuaded that the rope which draws him up from the pit will not break, is drawn up without anxiety and alarm. The believer who is thoroughly acquainted with the fullness of Jesus Christ, is the believer who travels from grace to glory with the greatest comfort and peace.” – J. C. Ryle, Faith in Christ
(2) Dr. Al Mohler responds to a very chilling article by Mary Elizabeth Williams who had written, “When we on the pro-choice side get cagey around the life question, it makes us illogically contradictory. I have friends who have referred to their abortions in terms of ‘scraping out a bunch of cells’ and then a few years later were exultant over the pregnancies that they unhesitatingly described in terms of ‘the baby’ and ‘this kid.’ I know women who have been relieved at their abortions and grieved over their miscarriages. Why can’t we agree that how they felt about their pregnancies was vastly different, but that it’s pretty silly to pretend that what was growing inside of them wasn’t the same? Fetuses aren’t selective like that. They don’t qualify as human life only if they’re intended to be born.”
She goes on, “Here’s the complicated reality in which we live: All life is not equal. That’s a difficult thing for liberals like me to talk about, lest we wind up looking like death-panel-loving, kill-your-grandma-and-your-precious-baby storm troopers. Yet a fetus can be a human life without having the same rights as the woman in whose body it resides. She’s the boss. Her life and what is right for her circumstances and her health should automatically trump the rights of the non-autonomous entity inside of her. Always.” Here is Mohler’s response.
(3) In the Ligonier Friday Ligonier $5 sale the resources cover such topics as John Calvin, repentance, the Apostles’ Creed, forgiveness, marriage, Joseph, the church, masculinity, and more.
(1) The theological website of Monergism.com continues to house some amazing online resources. I encourage you to bookmark there’s a variety of resources in this week’s Friday Ligonier $5 sale worth considering. This week’s resources cover such topics as worship, parenting, the arts, a Christian conscience, apologetics, the book of Joshua, the Apostles’ Creed, and more.