Apologetics And Micah Courses

These are the two upcoming J-term courses offered at Toronto Baptist Seminary & Bible College. I'm planning on auditing Micah with Dr. Dempster and taking Apologetics with Dr. Wellum. Stoked.

You can visit their website here for more details.

Scott's Top 7s: Echoes from Far Far Away #6

I love you.

I know...

Scott's Top 7s: Echoes from Far Far Away #7

Growing up watching Star Wars Ep IV, V, VI does something to how you think. The phrases spoken by its characters become the only way you can functionally express yourself. For me I wasn't old enough yet to hate on episodes I, II, III - so some of their sayings have slipped into my psyche as well. So here, I've decided to share with you my top favourite quotes in George Lucas' Saga from a long time ago in a galaxy far, far, away...

Do or do not...

there is no try.

Call Me Old-Fashioned

I've been digging on this song the past few days.

It describes me pretty well - and it's catchy. 

Here's the Canadian-home-grown High Valley. 

Shout outs to the Albertans on this one. 

I believe in making my money the hard way - so I work for it
And every job I do I do with pride
I believe in keeping a promise that I make - you've got my word on it
When I shake your hand and look you in the eye
I believe in my country and putting your hand over your heart
And taking off your hat when that anthem starts

Call me old fashioned
Call me out of touch for having faith in the way it was
When mom and pop was the place we shopped &
a check was good for cashing
Call me out of style that's who I am
when a neighbor's down I reach out my hand
I just can't turn my head and walk right past 'em
(And open up a ladies door without her asking)
Call me old fashioned

I believe a man should have to ask permission - for a woman's hand
Before he gets down on one knee
I believe in passing down traditions - every chance you can
So children learn what family means
And sitting round the supper table every night at six o'clock
Talking 'bout your day with the TV off

Call me old fashioned,
Call me out of touch for having faith in the way it was
When a golden band on someone's hand meant love was everlasting
Call me out of style that's who I am I believe kids need a mom and a dad
(And) Their worth working out any problems that you're having
Call me old fashioned

Call me out of style - that's who I am - I still say "yes sir and thank you ma'am"
And wish kids still prayed in school before their classes
Sometimes I shake my head and ask myself what happened?
Call me old fashioned

Stott on Spiritual Development

The greatest single secret of spiritual development lies in personal, humble, believing, obedient response to the Word of God. It is as God speaks to us through his Word that his warnings can bring us to conviction of sin, his promises to assurance of forgiveness, and his commands to amendment of life. We live and grow by his Word.

--From "Confess your Sins" (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1964), p. 82. JRW Stott. 

Hebrew Qal Perfect Paradigm of the Strong Verb Song

Getting ready for tomorrow's quiz my fellow TBS'rs?
Let's rock around the Christmas Tree - shall we?

3ms (-- sing as mmm);
3fs (ah);
2ms (Ta);
2fs (Te - its hard to sing the Taw w a silent shewa);
1cs (Tie);
3cp (U);
2mp (Tem);
2fp (Ten);
1cp (Nu).

Stott on the Sons of God

What visions of intimacy with God the word 'sonship' conveys! Access to God and fellowship with God as Father -- these are the privileges of his children. Not all human beings are God's children, however. Verse 14 of Romans 8 definitely and deliberately limits this status to those who are being led by the Spirit, who are being enabled by the Spirit to walk along the narrow path of righteousness. To be led by the Spirit and to be sons of God are virtually convertible terms. All who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God, and therefore all who are sons of God are led by the Spirit of God.

--From "Men Made New" (London: IVF, 1966), p. 93. JRW Stott

On Death

Our pastor John Bell preached on the faux pas topic of "Death" this past week.
Go here to listen.  

Day in the Life of a Seminary Student

Got my Coke...

 Got my Greek homework...

Drink coke...

Do Greek homework...

Come on...

What? We're in Colossians!

... 

Some Good Ol' Countray

This one's for Stauffer...

Paul Brandt - Alberta Bound

Are You Looking For A Real Christian Woman?

I usually don't post other people's blog posts, I just recommend them in passing. This however was one of the most blunt and needed posts I have read all year. To any of my unmarried brothers, you need to read this. Take a study break, and let this reality soak in. It's concerning you're prowling for a mate.

Man Enough to Love a Real Woman by Joshua Rogers Cory, one of my happily married friends, was annoyed with some of his single, male buddies. "Joshua, it's so irritating," he said. "I suggest a woman to them, but they say 'she's not attractive enough,' or she's lacking in some other area. And here's the crazy part: In every case — without exception — the woman is way out of their league." I shook my head. "I know. I used to be like those guys, always finding a problem with every woman I dated. I didn't realize I was the one with the problem." And my problem was pride. I measured women against a vague standard of perfection that eliminated each woman almost as soon as I met her. It was a pageant of sorts, where women were scored in a number of categories. And somehow I had gotten it into my head that I was worthy to be their judge. The Perfect Christian Girl I was like a lot of single, Christian guys. I just wanted to follow God's will in finding a wife — that's all — oh yeah, and I also wanted a modest version of the Cosmo girl. And, well, I didn't want her to be too needy. Oh, and she also needed to be smart — really smart — but not, like, so smart that she made me feel stupid. And, of course, she needed to be spiritually mature (you know, like me). And one more thing: I wanted her to have a cool and fun personality (whatever that meant). In other words, I wanted to date the perfect Christian girl — not a real woman. Of course, I knew what a real woman was like. I grew up in a Christian home with lots of real women around, each of them imperfect in one way or another, yet fully feminine. These women had opinions, unshakable faith, curves, feelings, hormonal surges, weight fluctuations, talents, wrinkles and a regular need for affirmation. It didn't bother me: It was part of who they were, and I loved them for it. But when it came to prospective mates, I wasn't so gracious. I figured I deserved to have the best qualities of every woman wrapped into a nice package, waiting at the end of a rainbow. And yet, despite meeting dozens of women in my quest, I could never find that perfect, Christian girl. But that didn't stop me from looking for her — until I discovered that, in fact, I wasn't the perfect Christian guy. Dealing With Reality Just before meeting my lovely bride, a series of unfortunate circumstances and poor decisions collided, bringing out my worst (seriously, trust me, it was ugly). When the train wreck was over, I felt I would be lucky if any Christian woman would take me. Though it may sound like it, I wasn't suffering from low self-esteem. I was finally dealing with reality. Before, I assumed my future wife should have the perfect intellect, teeth, personality, body type, people skills and past. But in the face of my brokenness, it occurred to me: An imperfect guy can't demand something from a woman that he can't give. Learning Humility Around the time of that revelation, I met my wife at a party on Capitol Hill. Unlike before, I didn't think, I'll consider taking that girl out. I thought, I wonder if she would go out with me. I cautiously introduced myself, and as we talked, I found myself focusing on her qualities, rather than mentally trying to ferret out her deficiencies. We eventually began dating, and I continued humbling myself — indeed,enjoying myself — leaving her feeling comfortable, honored and beautiful. As our relationship progressed, I found myself looking up at her, seeing her as a daughter of the King rather than looking down on her as another prospective contestant. Essentially, I was loving her for who she was, leaving behind my job as a self-appointed judge in an impossible-to-win pageant. I pursued her all the way to the altar, and I'm still pursuing her today. Are You Man Enough? To those single guys out there who are trying to find the ideal woman, do the world a favor and give up. You're not the ideal man — not anywhere close. And you would never get married if women held you to the same standard you apply to them. But maybe you insist that you're not going to settle for a woman who's not everything you're hoping for in a wife. Settle? Whatever the circumstances, believe me, she will be the one who settles for you and all your deficits. And until you realize this — through humbling circumstances or otherwise — maybe you should take a break from dating for a while and spend some time asking God to make you man enough to love a real woman. [H/T Challies] Copyright 2011 Joshua Rogers. All rights reserved. This article was published on Boundless.org on August 3, 2011.

Cold Dust Soul

I'm a sucker for the collaboration of good stories with memorable music. I've been enjoying listening to Bill Mallonee's BandCamp page (the former front man for The Vigilantes of Love; VOL). This is probably one of the more gripping songs that's stuck in my head lately. The end of the chorus is worth a listen... 

Cold Dust Soul - Bill Mallonee

Tell yourself it's only temporary

Just a few years you got to shave off your youth.

But as sure as tomorrow,

with all you had to borrow

the company store won't ever turn you loose.

A miner's world is a dark one

a miner's world is full of ghosts,

a miner's wife I reckon

she prays more than most.

And if I do meet Jesus,

I won't have much to offer,

I won't have much to show,

nothing but this cold dust soul.

There's always one more kid gambling,

there's really no escaping the curse,

when all your measured by down here,

is the veins that you can keep here,

and what you can scratch out of the earth.

A minner's world is a dark one

a minner's world is full of ghosts,

a minner's wife I reckon

she prays more than most.

And if I get to heaven,

I won't have much to show,

nothing but this cold dust soul.

Now to steal the earth's possessions 

surely comes with a cost

And all my friends I know down here

by the sound of their coughs.

I know them by the smile their smiling 

beneath that grimy face.

I know them by those things

they're gonna never say.

Christmas Tuneage!

Since you've been listening to lots of Christmas music lately, knowing the necessity of Christmas music to be started long before December, I have some tracks for you to add to your playlist. Sufjan's official streaming site - made available by his recording company: Asthmatic Kitty. There's 42 tracks and over 90 minutes of Christmas and gospel jams there. Pretty sweet - here are a selection of my current favourites:

O Come O Come Emmanuel
Holy, Holy, Holy
Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day?
Once in David's Royal City
Put the Lights on the Tree
Joy To the World
That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!

Great to play while doing some of that final paper jamming - lately, however, this seems to only be happening with the library photocopier : |

Hebrew Number Song

Wanna get ready for that Monday Hebrew Mid-term?

Let's do some numbers! (And in my best form - Absolute Masculine!)

Sing-a-long!

Adorning the Gospel

There are many pastors today who, for fear of being branded 'legalists', give their congregation no ethical teaching. How far we have strayed from the apostles! 'Legalism' is the misguided attempt to earn our salvation by obedience to the law. 'Pharisaism' is a preoccupation with the externals and the minutiae of religious duty. To teach the standards of moral conduct which adorn the gospel is neither legalism not pharisaism but plain apostolic Christianity.

-From "I Believe in Preaching" (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1982), p. 158. JRW STOTT

Lectures to My Students by Charles Spurgeon: A Review

Lectures to My Students is a collection of lectures delivered to the students of The Pastor’s College in London, England by the “Master Pulpiteer”, Charles Haddon Spurgeon. Lectures has become an essential collection of practical advice for the pastorate. God has continued to use Spurgeon mightily for the spread of the gospel long after his forty-year ministry; as exemplified in this compendium. These twenty-eight lectures cover a range of disciplines within the pastorate. Spurgeon is not bland nor imprecise, he speaks with personableness and brevity. The pastor who has little formal training will receive stimulant from Spurgeon’s admonitions on preaching, prayer, sermonizing, and one’s self-conduct. I am surprised that there is little said about the minister’s family life concerning his children and wife. As well, a couple arguments could be brought up to speed. Such as "on the voice", since the invention of microphones, and his comments on the pastor’s library, since the all-pervasive online libraries. His speech occasionally contains archaisms and uncommon colloquialisms common to the KJV but is to be expected in the 1800s; it then being the primary translation of English speakers. If a pastor doesn’t mind checking his dictionary and Bible translation on occasion for clarity, he will benefit from the use of the Lectures within his own ministrations. Spurgeon’s wisdom from the pastorate is worth the divulgence.

Have a Profitable Study Break With Walter on Dignity

This is just great. Take a study break and listen to this letter on the Christian's dignity here. The story behind these letters is odd yet the content is intriguing. It's all encompassing in applicability. Listen and laugh with a friend or roommate. About 20 minutes you won't regret.

The Botany of Friendship

To see friendship blossom in beauty 

a seed must be dug deep in trust,

packed down with selflessness,

and watered with gallons of time.