Five Star Links

Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. 

Persis:

When theologians talk about the doctrine of divine simplicity or God being simple - what do they mean, and is it important? This Tabletalk article by Dr. James Dolezal answers those questions:

All that is in God is God. He, being His own existence and essence, and so not derived from causes as are all other beings, is alone adequate to ultimately account for all that is caused-to-be. He is the One from whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things (Rom. 11:36). This identifies Him as the lone worthy object of all our worship and gratitude. All things look ultimately to Him for their being, but He looks to none.

Kim:

In the article How to Help Someone With Depression, we are given some really sensitive, helpful advice about how to be a support for someone who is struggling with depression.

Rebecca:

Speaking of depression, do you know William Cowper's story? He battled depression for most of his life, but also wrote some truly beautiful hymns. (If you aren't regularly reading—or listening to—Stephen Nichols' 5 Minutes in Church History, you should be.)

Five Star Links

Each Friday, we share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. 

Kim:

I always appreciate the wisdom and teaching of J.I. Packer. In this video clip, he talks about repentance.

J.I. Packer: What Does It Mean to Repent?

Persis:

Melissa Kruger interviewed Rebecca about her book, The Doctrine of God for Every Woman.

Rebecca:

Keep reading aloud to your children (and grandchildren). I know this is an old link, but I saw it for the first time this week. It's message is timeless: Don't stop reading to your kids. Even when they are old enough to read for themselves, don't stop reading to them. 

Need suggestions? Two of my favourites chapter books to read to primary-aged children are Charlotte's Web and Little Pear.

Quotes of Note

Each Monday, we plan to share quotes that were encouraging, convicting, thought-provoking,  or all of the above.

So to start . . .

Kim:

I'm reading J.I. Packer's Concise Theology. Packer is always excellent reading. In his section on Satan, he gives a comforting reminder about the power of Satan. Sometimes, we feel defeated, but he points out that he is the one defeated:

He [Satan] should be taken seriously, for malice and cunning make him fearsome; yet not so seriously as to provoke abject terror of him, for he is a beaten enemy. Satan is stronger than we are, but Christ has triumphed over Satan (Matt. 12:29), and Christians will triumph over him too if they resist him with the resources that Christ supplies (Eph. 6:10-13; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:9-10). . . Satan is a creature, superhuman but not divine; he has much knowledge and power, but he is neither omniscient nor omnipotent; he can move around in ways that humans cannot, but he is not omnipresent; and he is an already defeated rebel, having no more power than God allows him. (p. 70) 

Persis:

When it comes to holiness and sanctification in the Christian life, I spent much of my life wondering if I would measure up to God's perfect standard. Thus assurance was always elusive, and even now, I need to be assured of my assurance. Christ the Lord: The Reformation and Lordship Salvation, Michael Horton, ed. has been very helpful so far.

As Christ is the answer to our guilt and condemnation (through justification), so he is the answer to our bondage and corruption (sanctification). He takes away not only the verdict, but also the slavery. To justify us in the heavenly court without giving us the gifts that, by virtue of that heavenly verdict, belong to us would be cruel and unjust on God's part. No, he does not simply put money into our bank account and then leave us stranded along the side of the road, beaten and bruised, Holiness is not an option for the Christ. But hold on - I can hear the hearts racing: "Holiness, the impossible dream?" To be sure, "but with God all things are possible" (Matt. 19:26). Holiness is not an option; it is a requirement, But this is not a threat. It's a promise. What God began he will finish (Phil. 1:6). In Christ, we already are holy, righteous, sanctified, reconciled (1 Cor. 1:30). Now we are called to live what we are, not to become what we are not yet. (pg. 56)

Rebecca:

In my church, we frequently use the last two verses of Jude for a benediction. You've heard them, I'm sure:

To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy— to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.(Jude 24-25 NIV)

When we hear or repeat bits of scripture regularly, there's a danger the words will become so familiar to us that we stop really hearing them.

I've been using Douglas Moo's NIV Application Commentary on 2 Peter and Jude for a bible study I'm participating in. Moo ends each section of this commentary with a few paragraphs on the contemporary significance of the verses he has just explained. In other words, he writes a bit about how to apply the truths of 2 Peter and Jude to the issues we may face in our lives right now. Of Jude 24, he writes:

Think of the marvelous security promised to us . . . .  God is able to preserve us so that we can stand before him on the last day spotless, forgiven, assured of an eternal "home in the heavens." Doubt and anxiety are constant companions on our earthly pilgrimage. We worry about our health, about money, about our children, about our jobs. In sober moments we perhaps become anxious about death. God does not promise to take away these worries, but he does take away from us our greatest worry: where we will spend eternity. 

Next time these beautiful words of doxology are recited at the end of a service, I want to really hear this promise.

And I want them to make a difference in the way I live. Moo ends his paragraph of application for this verse with these questions to ponder:

Do we reflect this confidence [that we will spend eternity with God] in the way we live? Do we truly value heaven enough so that our earthly worries, while sometimes pressing, fade in importance in light of our eternal destiny?

Deb:

Being immersed in some heady studies this Summer, I've been encouraged regularly by several Puritan devotions. Authors such as Gurnall, Owen, and Baxter have become regulars throughout the week. Recently, I revisited this one by Winslow for encouragement from Grace Gems :

Christ’s heart is a human heart, a sinless heart, a tender heart; a heart once the home of sorrow, once stricken with grief; once an aching, bleeding, mournful heart. Thus disciplined and trained, Jesus knows how to pity and to support those who are sorrowful and solitary. He loves to chase grief from the spirit, to bind up the broken heart, to staunch the bleeding wound, and to dry the weeping eye, to ‘comfort all that mourn.’ It is His delight to visit you in the dark night-season of your sorrow, and to come to you walking upon the tempestuous billows of your grief, breathing music and diffusing calmness over your scene of sadness and gloom. - Octavius Winslow, Evening Thoughts, Jan. 10.

Five Star Links

We have a brand new feature we're introducing today. Each Friday, we plan to share links we found especially interesting or inspiring during the previous week. 

So to start . . .

Horace Underwood - Korea's "Bundle of Fire"
Simonetta Carr writes about one of "the most influential missionaries in Korea." (Persis)

I am afraid of death
Courtney Reissig reminds us that there are legitimate reasons for a faithful Christian to fear death. Yes, it is the "gateway to life everlasting," but it is also a painful reminder that all is not right with our world. (Rebecca)

Made in His Likeness
We all bear the imprint of God by virtue of being made in his image. Jeanie Layne reflects on the implications of this. (Kim)

A Reminder that God's Provision Does Not Equal His Pleasure
Mike Leake's cautious take on God's provision reminds us that it's by His grace alone that He sustains us -- and leads us to passionately pursue His good pleasure. (Deb)   

Have You Begun to Sing?

We at Out of the Ordinary have another author in our ranks! Staci wrote The Organized Heart, and now Rebecca has written The Good Portion - God: The Doctrine of God for Every Woman. I have been looking forward to this book for a while.

In her very first post at Out of the Ordinary, Rebecca talked about how theology makes her heart sing. When I knew that she would be writing a book about the doctrine of God, I hoped that the sentiments she shared in that initial post would find their way into her book. And they did. In the conclusion, she exhorts the reader: "Theology should always result in doxology; the study of God should always lead to praise." Her very last question to the reader is: "Have you begun to sing?"

Becky's purpose in this book is to introduce the reader to God: "Most of all, it is my desire that each reader catch a glimpse of His glory. As you read and consider God's nature and His work, I hope you will see how glorious and delight him"

God is so magnificent, so glorious, and so infinite that as finite creatures, we cannot begin to understand everything about him. However, in this book, we are encouraged to seek the understanding God promises to give should we make the effort. To know God is to know ourselves. It is the beginning of worship:

Unless we know God as He is, we cannot see ourselves as we are. And as painful as it is to see an accurate picture of ourselves, it is also necessary for true worship. True worship comes from a heart that sees how glorious He is, and understands its own unworthiness.

Each chapter explains a different facet of God's character, ending with a prayer. Each chapter also includes a number of questions for thought and further study. I really enjoyed the questions. I could see them generating some deep conversation among a group of people studying together. This would be a great book for group study.

Scripture is the basis for this exploration of God, but Becky does not hesitate to use other resources, such as creeds, systematic theologies, and writings of scholars. The end of the book has a very good selection of resources for further reading, and they are accessible resources. Once the reader has given a glimpse of the greatness and scope of the study of God, she (or he!) will want to look further. I love it when authors give book suggestions.

The first chapter discusses the need to know God, the second on his triune nature. The third chapter emphasizes how God is not like us, followed by chapters on his wisdom and power, his holiness, his goodness, his creative power, sustaining power, and saving power. Becky explains things thoroughly and with clarity. The truths build upon each other. She is not afraid to use theological terms, and when she does, she explains them, giving the reader a vocabulary for this subject. I don't think anyone should be afraid to use theological terminology. All subjects we study, whether cooking, science, or economics have terms which give us a language to understand and explain. Theology has a language as well, and I was glad to see Becky introduce the reader to it.

Many of the principles in the book are illustrated through Becky's own experiences learning about God through the regular events of life. I was especially grateful for her wisdom and maturity; the kind one can only get through time and experience. We need more women like Becky speaking out; women who have raised their children to adulthood; who are grandmothers, and who have had the time to see the difference it makes to know who God is. And her illustrations are ones that both men and women can enjoy. Though this book's subtitle is "The Doctrine of God for Every Woman," it is a book men would find very readable. This is not a book for women alone, but a book by a woman for everyone. Everyone who is called "Christian" needs to understand God's character.

One of the things I found most helpful was the principle of God's aseity:

Aseity comes from the Latin a se, which means 'from or by oneself.' To say God is a se means He exists from himself. Nothing caused Him to exist, but He exists uncaused, 'by the necessity of His own Being.' In other words, God depends on nothing outside of Himself for His existence - and he can't not exist.

This is such a crucial truth to understand. That God is from himself means that he is not affected by external factors. His love is not affected by outside circumstances, because his love comes from himself. God's wisdom is not going to change over time because it comes from himself, and nothing from the outside can diminish it. God's power is from himself, and nothing can reduce that power. This is complete contradiction to humans who are tossed and turned by all manner of external factors. This is not only comforting, but convicting. This eliminates any tendency to see God as simply a bigger version of ourselves. I really believe that as Christians we need to know just how great God is, and how small we are.

Does theology make your heart sing? Do you find yourself so awed and amazed by God that you cannot resist the desire to praise him? If not, why not? Do you know him? If you don't feel you know him well, this book should inspire you to start seeking. Though the book is not yet released in North America, you can pre-order it here at Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. If you just don't want to wait (I didn't!), you can order it from The Book Depository.