Rebecca Writes

Ryan Ferguson recites Psalm 22.

The Apostles Preaching the Gospel by Gustav DoreAs Heidi guessed, the theme at Rebecca Writes for the month of October is the gospel. Yep, I’m declaring this whole month a celebration of the good news.

Twice a week, at least, I’ll post something about the gospel, which, in a nutshell is the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sin and was raised from the dead, so that trough faith, we are united with Christ and receive every blessing merited by his work.

As always, you are invited to participate with me. On Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the month, I’ll collect and post links to gospel related posts. 

Still not sure exactly what the gospel is? Here are a few previous posts that might help you.

• Gospel List 1
• Gospel List 2
• Gospel List 3
• What is the Gospel? from D. A. Carson
• Proclaiming the Gospel
  

Post a quote, verse, poem, story, book review, or essay on a subject connected in some way to the gospel, send me an email with your link, and I’ll link back to your post (or posts) on the next Tuesday or Friday. There are no limits, really, on the form or  number of your post, just the subject.

That means I’ll post the first collection of gospel posts next Tuesday, October 7. But you don’t have to wait until Tuesday to post something in celebration of the best news ever!

Here is video of our friends, Terry and Juanita Stauffer, remembering their precious daughter Emily at Emily’s funeral held today.

If it was not for the prayers of God’s people and for the arms of God holding us up, we would be puddles on the floor. God gives strength to the weak, and we are weak.

—-Juanita Stauffer

When Emily’s death was confirmed on Saturday night, I was shocked and bewildered. And when I got on my knees, all I could pray was, ‘Oh Lord, help, help, help.’

But right into that, one of my first thoughts was, ‘If this gospel I’ve been preaching is not true today, it was never true at all.’

We will see Emily again. I said to my daughter, Petra, last night, that this clumsy, self-conscious dad is looking forward to dancing with Emily in heaven as we celebrate God’s glory together.

—-Terry Stauffer

[Source of these quotes: CBC News]

Pray that our heavenly Father will use their witness to the power of the gospel to bring many people to himself. I am watching CTV NewsNet this afternoon, and every half hour, when the Stauffer story comes up, they are quoting different bits from the Stauffers’ words at the funeral, and I stand amazed at their testimony to the truth and hope of the gospel and God’s gift of strength in terrible suffering.

Continue to pray that God will continue to comfort them and give them strength. God is certainly carrying them, but they have much more to be carried through in the days, weeks, and months ahead.

I’ll be announcing this month’s theme tomorrow evening. In the meantime, I’m taking guesses as to what it is.

I’ll send a 2009 calendar with Yukon photos to the first person to guess correctly before 7pm PST tomorrow, October 3.

Have at it!

Photo by Andrew Stark (click for larger view)

ontological Trinity
The Trinity as it is in itself apart from relation to creation. Viewing the Trinity ontologically puts the emphasis on the equality of the nature and attributes of the three persons. Also called the essential or the immanent Trinity.

• From the Athanasian Creed:

  [T]he godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, is all one, the glory equal, the majesty co-eternal.

  Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit. The Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, and the Holy Spirit uncreated. The Father incomprehensible, the Son incomprehensible, and the Holy Spirit incomprehensible.

  The Father eternal, the Son eternal, and the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet they are not three eternals, but one Eternal.

  As also there are not three incomprehensibles, nor three uncreated, but one Uncreated, and one Incomprehensible. So likewise the Father is Almighty, the Son Almighty, and the Holy Spirit Almighty. And yet they are not three almighties, but one Almighty.

  …And in the Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another, but all three Persons are co-eternal together and co-equal. So that in all things, as is aforesaid, the Unity in Trinity and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped.

• From the Westminster Larger Catechism, Question 11:
  

  Q. 11. How doth it appear that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father?
  
  A. The Scriptures manifest that the Son and the Holy Ghost are God equal with the Father, ascribing unto them such names, attributes, works, and worship, as are proper to God only.

• From Salvation Belongs to the Lord by John Frame, page 36:
  

  Ontological Trinity is the Trinity in itself, as it (or rather, he) exists apart from the creation, as he would have existed if he had never created anything. In the ontological Trinity there is no subordination among the persons. Father, Son, and Spirit are equal; that is to say, they are equally God, equally divine.

Learn more:

1. Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry: The Ontological and Economic Trinity
2. R. Scott Clark: The Splendor of the Three-in-One God: The Necessity and Mystery of the Trinity

Do you have a a theological term you’d like to see featured here as a Theological Term of the Week? If you email it to me, I’ll seriously consider using it, giving you credit for the suggestion, and linking back to your blog when I do.

Clicking on the Theological Term graphic at the top of this post will take you to a list of all the previous theological terms in alphabetical order.