Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Music that Can Accurately be called "Christian", that is suitable for teaching one another and for praise in worship

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I had a widget in the blog sidebar and realized that it took a while to load, which slowed down the blog when it is loaded. It's a music widget and since it's worth having I decided to make a separate post devoted to worthwhile Christian music--you know, music that's Christian in Substance and not just in name. Here I've placed not only the widget, but intend to place other examples of genuinely Christian music. Right now this post will have to stay in a somewhat rought state, just dropping things on here (have things to do!), but it's a start.

The point is that, after a few more posts, this one will drop off the front page of the blog, meaning that loading the blog main page won't be slowed by the active content, but the content won't be lost from the blog, either.

Good Shepherd Band's "Wake Up Sleeper"; click the widget below to listen. 


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Matthew Smith's "Goodnight",
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<a href="http://matthewsmith.bandcamp.com/album/goodnight">Goodnight by Matthew Smith</a>


to do:
- see http://www.baylyblog.com/music/

A Refreshing Blog by Some Ladies: Sola Sisters

An excerpt showing the the spirit of the blog, the which, if it remains the same, and its qualities, the which things, if they are kept up, should show a site worth reading, particularly for ladies though, (you know, 1 Timothy 2:12),
It's bad enough that this modern Christian era has brought us the girlified "beggar Jesus," standing at the door of our hearts, hat in hand, just tap-tap-tapping and hoping against hope that we'll let him in to be Lord of our lives.  Now we have Mark Galli, Senior Managing Editor at Christianity Today, presenting us with an even more slanderous, idolatrous view of God:  God as a Divine Drama Queen.  Writes Galli:
"I like a tranquil, even-keeled, self-controlled God. A God who doesn't fly off the handle at the least provocation.....When I read my Bible, though, I keep running into a different God, and I'm not pleased. This God says he "hates" sin. Well, he usually yells it. Read the prophets. It's just one harangue after another, all in loud decibels. And when the shouting is over, then comes the pouting.....This God is like the volatile Italian woman who, upon discovering her husband's unfaithfulness, yells and throws dishes, refuses to sleep in the same bed, and doesn't speak to him for 40 days and 40 nights."
What seems to help Mr. Galli find this "Divine Drama Queen" acceptable as "God," however, is the fact that this "God" only acts this way because he's just so crazy-in-love with this fickle, foolish, unfaithful man that he has created that He just can't help himself. His worshipful love of this man-creature, you see, makes him a little nutty.

No longer standing patiently at the door like the girlified beggar Jesus; according to Mr. Galli, God is now jumping up and down in front of your car like a crazy girlfriend you can't break up with. He/She just won't let go. Our supremely narcissistic, self-absorbed, navel-gazing postmodern era has produced a new version of God that perfectly reveals the nature of the culture from which it has sprung: Crazy Stalker Girlfriend God.

So no more polite God, standing outside of your door knocking.  But hey, at least that "God" didn't require a restraining order. ... --from the Friday, July 16, 2010 post titled ""God" As A Crazy Stalker Girlfriend?"

Sola Sisters by Cathy Mathews & Christine Pack.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Saturday, July 3, 2010

Resources & Food For Sheep

Food for Sheep ()




"Therefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;" (1 Peter 1:13 R-ASV)

(As with much on this blog, the plan is to update and re-organize and expand, etc. etc.: it's shared as a pointer to worthwhile things for fellow sheep, but is certainly is subject to revisions.)

THE GOSPEL ITSELF

The Power of God Unto Salvation by B.B. Warfield.
How surprisingly unwelcome the is gospel among those professing to be Christian in our day; it becomes merely a thing to be heard once, after which to be moved beyond to higher and greater things, rather than the most blessed and greatest of messages, most needful to be reminded and instructed constantly, most eagerly heard of all potential messages or teachings; how sorrowfully lacking are the many gospels presented in our day, either of power or of truth, and especially of Christ, whom to they may allude, or reference, or note in passing, or indeed guise such paucity by offering upon another Christ altogether, a counterfeit posed as the real thing. This book is none of these evils, and it is richly Christological.

Christology (About Christ)

See "The Power of God unto Salvation" above.

Theology (About God)

Discourses on the Existence and Attributes of God - If you don't mind reading old, more-wordy, books, this is a good one, but it is perhaps for those who are accustomed to reading, and maybe looking some things up. Having Latinate terms used, for example, might make people uncomfortable; though so important to our language, both the vernacular and that of the church, it is so far receded from most that it can seem intimidating. Perhaps it's a book for a time more accustomed to a certain way of speaking, not so far as to be another language, but with form of thoughts quite different; appropriate actually to Scripture, whose great theme, God, is its own, and whose thoughts it is to exhibit; but I don't pretend that many are accustomed to reading [GREAT!] books like these.

Sanctification (being made holy), and Mortification (Putting Sin to Death)

Of the Mortification of Sin in Believers (recommendation and excerpt here, "The lust he thought was dead..." (Baylyblog)


VARIOUS RESOURCES/MINISTRIES


* The GraceLife Pulpit (Bible Preaching)
* thefaithfulword.org (Doctrinal Research, discerning.)
* CIC & * SVC : are discerning, however, dispensationalist (though that's lead DeWaay to a very interesting investigation of the word "generation" in the NT!); SVC also perhaps poor on doctrine of Reprobation.
* Founders Ministries
* Eschatology

Blogs

blogs can be great for dealing with specific issues as they arise or become generally discussed, questions asked or that need to be asked by someone, and for seeing and assessing the spirit or spirits of the times, the general trends of thought, and the intereaction thereof with those of the past; they are versatile and typically more informal, accessible, personal (when very good); and the right ones have either authorities worth hearing or else people worth or pleasant for discoursing with.

* Against Heresies by Martin Downes

* Bayly Brothers (Bayly Blog)

* Conrad Mbewe (A Letter from Kabwata)

* Frank Turk (...And His Ministers A Flame of Fire)

* Guy Davies (Exile Preacher)

* Pyromaniacs (discerning, edifying, not afraid to be frank or of the consequences)

* "Reformation Theology" (blog)

* The Sacred Sandwiche (set to a fav') (brilliant, shining satire)

* Shane Trammel's Blog (worthwhile)

* Stand To Reason (thought provoking)

* Victor Edwards (X-Christianity) (thought provoking, unusual stuff I don't see elsewhere)

* WebTruth.org (throught provoking)



Duncan Forbes

Matthew Blair (the foolish galatian)

Tim Challies (Challies.com)




Specifically for Ladies

Sola Sisters (blog)

The Brave Lass (blog)


CONFESSION(S)

1. London Baptist* Confession of Faith"*note; LBCF1689modernized and diagrammed
2. A Brief and Untechnical Statement of the Reformed Faith  by Benjiman B. Warfield

CATECHISM

1. A Puritan Catechism by C.H. Spurgeon.
2. [Linking to the Heidelberg Catechism, hopefully soon]


Genuinely Christian--or Spiritual--Music

(click heading)
Last Rev. 2010/07/20
And do not get drunk with wine, for that is dissipation, but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;--Ephesians 5:18-19

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.--Colossians 3:16
You know, Christian in substance, not in name only; Music truly praising God, not in mere repetitious exclamations of our love for Him, or vague and empty general declarations about Him, but descriptive stuff from which one can actually learn; also numbers on of the Christian experience, yet not centered around man as so much is: it's not about the experience or its feelings, but what He does.


Other

The Bible, βιβλος (online), E-SWORD (free program with many modules)

Theology (much more work needed shortly), HistoricalTheology,Vol. 1, HistoricalTheology,Vol. 2

About Translations, (History, Philosophies, Reviews), Bible Researcher

On the King James Version

Vine's Expository Dictionary of NT Words