Around The Web-December 15, 2017

Giveaway: The Complete 16-Volume John Owen Collection

Advent and the Genealogy of Christ by Christy Britton

Five Reasons the Homogeneous Church Is Declining and Dying by Thom Rainer

God is not silent: What the Bible teaches about sexual assault by Katie McCoy

Alan Jacobs on How to Think

Why Discipleship Works with a Plurality of Elders by Josh Buice

What Makes a Good Sermon? Five Questions to Ask by Josh Vincent

5 Most Ridiculous Books to Ever Become Christian Bestsellers by Tim Challies

What Is the ‘Sin Not Leading to Death’ in 1 John 5? from Ask John Piper

Christ in the Old Testament by Thomas R Schreiner

Jesus was born in a barn?

David's Promise Was Fulfilled In Christ

The LORD swore to David a sure oath
from which he will not turn back:
“One of the sons of your body
I will set on your throne.
If your sons keep my covenant
and my testimonies that I shall teach them,
their sons also forever
shall sit on your throne.” (Psalm 132:11-12)

God promised King David that his throne will always be filled by one of his descendants for all time. If you look at the current state of Israel, you will see they do not have a king. So does that mean God did not keep His promise. Not at all.

God was promising a descendant of David to be on the throne, but the descendant God had in mind since the beginning of time was Jesus Christ. Tim Keller wrote, "Jesus, the greater David, has indeed come, and he has brought the presence of God into our lives-making us the dwelling place not because we have worked and earned it but because we were chosen by grace."

The Bible says that God is not slow in keeping His promises. The problem is we want to rush God. We think God should operate on our timetable and that is not always the case. The nation of Israel waited a long time for their Messiah to come and He did. However, He did not come in a way they expected.

The good news of the Christmas story is we see the promise of God fulfilled by Christ taking the throne in heaven. God kept His promise to David. Since God kept His promise, He will keep all the promises He has made as the inspired word has told us.

Advent Reminds Us Of Our Perfect King

When you read the book of Judges, you see that Israel had no king and everyone did what was right in their own eyes. In 1 Samuel, we see the people demanding for a king. Samuel warned the people what would happen if they have a king, but they did not listen.

We see in the Old Testament kings who were honoring God and kings who did wicked things. The people of God did not have a perfect king even those who were obeying God. David was a man after God's own heart yet he committed adultery and murder to cover the affair. As Russ Ramsey wrote, "Israel needed a perfect king."

God sent that perfect King over 2,000 years ago, His Son. Jesus is called the King of Kings in the New Testament and He is the perfect King. He is a better King than all the ones in the Old Testament and those in history.

Jesus is a better King because He will never take advantage of His subjects or go back on His word. He will never change His laws and when we fall short, He forgives us. Jesus is a better King because He does not make empty promises to please a few people. Jesus also died for His subjects in their place for their sins. Kings fight to protect their kingdom, which Jesus does, but Jesus took the punishment of His subjects when other kings would not.

This perfect King has a reign that is not passed down to another. Jesus continues to reign as King even in a world that is full of chaos. He did promise we will have trouble in this world but He has overcome it (John 16:33).

Advent is a time to remember that we have a perfect King that continues to fight for us and even intercedes for us. Advent reminds us that our perfect King one day will consummate His kingdom fully where sin will be eradicated and Satan is vanquished. The first Advent inaugurated the Kingdom and second Advent will bring it into fruition.

Advent Reminds Us We Are Waiting

What separates Christianity from other religions is fulfilled prophecy. The prophets foretold of a Messiah who would redeem His people. That Messiah was Jesus.

The Jewish people had the Old Testament to read about the coming Messiah. I will have to assume that many longed for this coming while others dismissed it because of the long period it has taken for God to act. If you have read the Bible long enough, you know that God's timetable is not ours. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts.

The season of Advent is to remind Christians that the promised Messiah did come. Jesus came to live among His people to fulfill the law of God and to take the penalty for our sin in our place on the cross. Jesus did not stay dead, God raised Him from the dead and later ascended to the Father. Two angels appeared to the Apostles and told them Jesus will come back the same way He left.

These events happened 2,000 years ago. Many things have happened in the last two millennium and some have even wondered if Christ will return. We hold to the promise of Scripture that Jesus will return, however, no man knows the hour (Matthew 24:36) and that day will come like a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). Christ's first Advent came unexpectantly and so will His second Advent. As we celebrate His first coming, let us be reminded that we are waiting for the second coming.

Scripture reminds us we are citizens of heaven "and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself" (Philippians 3:20-21). As we live in this world waiting for the second Advent, we are to live holy and godly lives (2 Peter 3:11) as well as to rest on the grace of God to renounce sin and live self-controlled lives (Titus 2:12-14).

Father, we are waiting for your Son's return when the world will be made right and wickedness will be eradicated from the land. Help us to be reminded of what people we are suppose to be as we wait. While we look forward to celebrate the birth of your Son, help us to remember He is coming back. Amen.

Around The Web-December 4, 2015

What is Doctrine? by Scott Swain

Seven Reasons to Celebrate Advent by Ryan Shelton

How to Pray the News by Joe Carter

6 Principles for Student Ministry by Jonathan Leeman

In case you have not heard, all ESV Bibles from Crossway are 50% off through the month of December

Mark Dever and Tim Keller discuss why Martyn Lloyd-Jones matters today.



Be sure to check out this post on who was Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

If you are on Christian Mingle, they will send an inspector.

Music Monday: My Favorite Christmas Albums

Its about to be Christmas time which means it will be time of Christmas music in the car, office, or Spotify page. There are many Christmas albums out there and some of you maybe looking for some new ones. Here is a list of my favorite Christmas albums that you may want to consider to add to your collection or give it to someone as a gift.

A Child is Born by Sojourn Music

Prepare Him Room by Sovereign Grace Music

A Day of Glory by Austin Stone Music

Glory in the Highest by Chris Tomlin

Advent Songs by Sojourn Music

Joy-An Irish Christmas by Keith and Kristyn Getty

Unto Us by Aaron Shust

Christmas by Michael W Smith

One Christmas Eve by Wayne Watson

The Christmas Project by John Schlitt

The Music of Christmas by Steven Curtis Chapman

Advent Brought Us The Second Adam

It's hard to believe that Christmas is only one week away. By now you have already made plans for your family to get together on Christmas Day while the night before you might be able to attend a Christmas Eve service. Many churches since the beginning of the month has been spending time singing and preaching about the birth of Christ.

Many of these sermons are heartfelt reminders of why the Savior came but a lot of times they forget one important part of the Christmas story. The story of Christmas is not just about our Savior being born of a virgin or being born in a manager so a song about Jesus in the manager can be written centuries later.

Christmas is about the Second Adam coming to do what the first Adam could not do. Romans 5 refers to Christ being the Second Adam. The Apostle Paul reminds us that "just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come" (Romans 5:12-14).

The first Adam brought death into the world because of his disobedience to the Father by eating the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden. Ever since that time, God has promised a Messiah to come to undo what the First Adam did. Paul continues, "But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man's sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:15-17).

Adam's disobedience brought condemnation. Jesus' perfect obedience brought justification for all who believe. Paul once again, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, says, "Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous. Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Romans 5:18-21).

Advent is a reminder that God send us a Second Adam to be our representative to take our place for our sins and die in our place. Praise be to God for His grace and mercy towards us in Christ.

What is Advent?

I was first exposed to Advent during my college days. A family in the church would light a candle leading up to Christmas Day. The only explanation I was given about Advent is that is celebrated the return of Christ. My first thought was, why celebrate His first coming when we should be ready for His Second Coming? After moving to North Texas, I have never been part of a church that celebrated Advent.

For many, Advent seems strange because they don't understand it. Noel Piper, wife of John Piper, has written an explanation on what Advent truly is:

We are a people of promise. For centuries, God prepared people for the coming of his Son, our only hope for life. At Christmas we celebrate the fulfillment of the promises God made—that he would give a way to draw near to him.

Advent is what we call the season leading up to Christmas. It begins four Sundays before December 25, sometimes in the last weekend of November, sometimes on the first Sunday in December. This year it was November 29.

1 Peter 1:10-12 is a clear description of what we look back to during Advent.


Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, inquiring what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. (1 Peter 1:10-12)

For four weeks, it’s as if we’re re-enacting, remembering the thousands of years God’s people were anticipating and longing for the coming of God’s salvation, for Jesus. That’s what advent means—coming. Even God’s men who foretold the grace that was to come didn’t know “what person or time the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating." They were waiting, but they didn’t know what God’s salvation would look like.

In fact, God revealed to them that they were not the ones who would see the sufferings and glory of God’s Christ:


They were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven.

They were serving us. We Christians on this side of Jesus’ birth are a God-blessed, happy people because we know God’s plan. The ancient waiting is over. We have the greatest reason to celebrate.

The Advent of Christ

This is a devotional written by R.C. Sproul from Ligonier's website:

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh” (vv. 1–3).
- Romans 1:1–7

If we were to list the biblical texts that are most frequently read and preached on during the Christmas season, we would not likely include today’s passage. After all, it contains no story of the birth of Christ or details about His mother, Mary, or His adoptive father, Joseph. Still, Romans 1:1–7 includes key information about our Lord’s first advent, information that helps us remember His significance in the plan of God.

First, the Apostle Paul refers to “the gospel of God … concerning his Son” (vv. 1–3). The phrase gospel of God does not mean the “gospel about God,” although the good news indeed tells us something about our Creator, especially regarding His love and mercy for His people. Instead, the phrase is possessive. We could reword the phrase as “God’s gospel.” In other words, God owns the gospel. It is His good news, not a message that was invented by human beings. The story of our Lord’s entrance into this world is not a manmade fable but the truth of God revealed by His Spirit (2 Peter 1:16).

Second, God promised this gospel “beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures” (Rom. 1:2). While the work of Christ represented a new act of God in an important sense, we cannot regard His ministry as something entirely new in the sense of something entirely unexpected. Actually, the Lord prepared His people for millennia before the coming of the Messiah via the ministries of the Old Testament prophets.

To find the first prediction of the Messiah, we must go all the way back to the beginning of human history, to the curse of God upon the Serpent shortly after Adam and Eve fell from grace. Genesis 3:15 features the intriguing and cryptic promise that the Serpent will bruise the heel of the seed of the woman while the seed of the woman will bruise the head of the Serpent. This is often called the protoevangel—“first gospel”—because it contains the heart of the gospel promise that is unfolded throughout the rest of redemptive history. The first gospel tells us that the war between the Serpent and humanity will not last forever, that the “seed” of the woman and representative of God’s people must destroy sin and Satan. But the seed of the woman will not escape unharmed, for He will suffer in the process of defeating the Enemy. This prophecy is fulfilled in Christ, who had to die in order to defeat the Devil, and who rose again from the dead to prove His triumph and secure our justification (Rom. 1:4; Col. 2:13–15).


Coram Deo

Today, we expect the second advent of Christ to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11; 2 Tim. 4:1). Sometimes we are tempted to be discouraged, to doubt that He is coming back, because it has been almost two thousand years since His ascension. But the people of God had to wait millennia for His first advent, and their faith was vindicated when He was born in Bethlehem. Our faith will be vindicated as well when our Savior comes in glory.


Passages for Further Study


Isaiah 16:3–5
Jeremiah 33:17
Luke 24:13–35
Hebrews 11