Around the blogs

I have read some great posts today. Two of them are over at Tom Ascol's Blog.

The first is on Word regulated worship and starts like this:

Does God have an opinion about how His creatures should worship Him? Yes He does. He has expressed Himself repeatedly on the subject. The first commandment tells us who to worship ("You shall have no other gods before Me," Exodus 20:3) and the second tells us how to worship ("You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments" (Exodus 20:4-6).

Read the rest here. What Pastor Ascol is talking about here is the Regulative Principle of Worship, which simply means we worship God in the way he has regulated for us to worship, namely, how the Bible tells us to. This is understood as a consistant way to view worship. God has regulated everything pertaining to godliness, including worship. I agree with his post wholeheartedly.

I'll just give you the title of his next post. Heaven's Gates, Hell's Flames and baptisms called due to rain. Read through the comments here. Good stuff.

A third blog I liked today is over at Tim Challies' blog. Here is a snippet from it.

The Bible continually affirms that women are extraordinary. Women have value and worth that is in every way equal to men. Women are no mere afterthought, but are an integral and equal part of God's design for human beings. The Bible is unique in that it honors women as women, exalting them for their femininity, and encouraging them to seek honor in a uniquely feminine and God-glorifying way.

I guess since I have found out that I am going to be a father to a future woman, my heart has suddenly softened to the beauty and purpose of the highly favored status that the Bible gives to women. I look forward to being taught about this more in the future.

Grace,
Russ