I may be late to the party, but I’ve just become aware of a site aggregating the various Reformed Baptist blogs one finds online. It has a great layout and is easy to navigate. I plan on visiting it often, and would recommend taking a look at The Confessing Baptist.
(By: Nicolas Alford)
Ok, first let’s explain the weird photo. That is a picture of my new iPad taking a picture of me taken on my new MacBook (if you read that sentence slowly it actually makes sense). I am grimacing as though in pain for two reasons. 1.) Taking a picture of yourself in that manner in a lot harder than I thought it would be, it actually made me physically ill and 2.) I am grimacing because I am being forced to eat a healthy portion of iCrow. Sometime back I posted on The Decablog what has been described as a bit of a diatribe against a certain company which produces and distributes expensive gleaming white electronics. At the end of that screed I made the offer that if anyone gave me any Apple gear, I would retract everything I had written. Two anonymous Mac-hiavellians have struck a blow for the Kingdom of Jobs and I find myself defenseless.
So if you have no idea what I’m talking about, first read this post.
Now, hear this: I renounce my previous post. I repent of my sarcasm. I both acknowledge and own my foolishness. I was ignorant of the joy that is Apple. I lay down my weapons. I am home.
(By: Nicolas Alford)
It just so happens that two excellent creators of modern Christian music are giving away piles of free records at the same time. First, Page CXVI, a band which Kennicott highlighted in this post, is making their entire catalog available for free download during the month of March.
Exciting news!!! PageCXVI and The Autumn Film are still celebrating 7 years of music by giving away their entire discography from both their projects Page CXVI and The Autumn Film*. Noisetrade has partnered with them for our March Jubilee Giveaway! They are thrilled and honored to work with an outstanding team of people who care deeply about music. If you have not already downloaded their 74 song, 11 album, 2 band giveaway please visit their giveaway on Noisetrade now!
*They had to leave out a few songs due to copyright/royalty issues, but are all available on iTunes.
Also, an artist who has become a favorite of mine over the last year or so is also giving away five albums, with the option of donating to relief efforts in the DR Congo. I haven’t listened to all that he is giving away, but his album Love & War & The Sea In Between is truly a masterpiece. Click on the banner for more info:
Enjoy!
(By: Nicolas Alford)
We’ve added a twitter feed for publishing posts. You can follow the us here: @TheDecablog
gospel: gos.pel often capitalized : the message concerning Christ, the kingdom of God, and salvation
irony: iro.ny a (1) : incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result (2) : an event or result marked by such incongruity
gospel irony: gos.pel iro.ny: the good news of redemption from our sins through the seemingly incongruous events surrounds the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ
Examples:
1. The path for men from hell to heaven was paved by the path of Jesus from heaven to hell.
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8 ESV)
2. Our spiritual redemption was secured through Christ’s spiritual rejection.
And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 ESV)
3. Our humiliation was removed by His humility.
And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:8 ESV)
4. When Barabbas was released a guilty man was exonerated so that an innocent man could be executed.
The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified his servant Jesus, whom you delivered over and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release him. But you denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you (Acts 3:13-14 ESV)
5. Life for men came through the death of the Author of Life
…and you killed the Author of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this we are witnesses. (Acts 3:15 ESV)
6. On the cross the innocent one became cursed so that the cursed ones could be innocent.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” (Galatians 3:13 ESV)
7. Jesus gives us that which purchases redemption in exchange for that which necessitated it.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV)
8. A symbol of brutal torture has become a symbol of loving mercy.
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)
9. The promised King was given a crown of thorns
and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” (Matthew 27:29 ESV)
10. The promised Priest was offered as a sacrifice
But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God. (Hebrews 9:11-14 ESV)
11. The promised Prophet opened not his mouth
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. (Isaiah 53:7 ESV)
12. The death that came out of a Garden was defeated by the life that came out of a grave.
When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Corinthians 15:54-57 ESV)
Got more to add? Leave them in the comment section!
(by: Nicolas Alford)
The Decablog 