Holiness increases our assurance and joy and usefulness to God...

...so J. I. Packer argues in Rediscovering Holiness: Know the Fullness of Life with God (Revised & Updated ed., Regal Books, 2009).

Publisher: Regal Publishing
ISBN-10: 0830751068 | ISBN-13: 9780830751068
Binding: Paperback
288 Pages
Published September 2009

This morning I stumbled across this title while looking through the Westminster Bookstore website. I immediately went to Amazon.com in order to read whatever preview was available (click here). This looks to be an excellent book. If you haven't seen this title yet, I'd encourage you to consider it. I'm thinking that this would make for an excellent personal study for 2010, and Packer is an able guide for such a study.

A few years back I led a small group of teenagers through a study of Joel Beeke's little pamphlet Holiness (published by Banner of Truth). I enjoyed that study because of Beeke's knowledge of the Puritans and his ability to present the subject of Holiness with clarity, humility and conviction.

Other excellent resources on the topic of Holiness are J. C. Ryle's classic work Holiness and Jerry Bridges' works, The Pursuit of Holiness, and The Discipline of Grace.

What other works on Holiness would you recommend? Or, what are your thoughts on the titles recommended above?

Holiness increases our assurance and joy and usefulness to God...

First Performance of Silent Night, 1818

On Christmas Eve in 1818 the song, "Silent Night" was performed for the first time. The setting was the Christmas Eve service at the Church of St. Nicholas in Oberndorf, Austria. Traditions abound concerning the circumstances of the song's composition. One of the most popular claims that the church's organ broke, so the pastor, Joseph Mohr, wrote something simple that could be played on guitar. However, a manuscript of the song was found in Mohr's handwriting that has 1816 as the year the words were written. Franz Gruber wrote the music probably in 1818, and John Freeman Young translated the original German into English in 1859 or 1863. Wikipedia gives 1859 as the year.

Whatever were the actual circumstances, it is obvious that "Silent Night" has become one of the most popular Christmas carols ever. It's popularity was seen dramatically almost a hundred years later in the trenches of World War I during the Christmas Truce of 1914. On Christmas Eve German troops began singing some of their carols , and the British responded with English carols. Both sides sang "Silent Night" in their own languages because it was one of the few carols that they all knew. It was a time of unofficial cease-fire, peace, and even camaraderie. The opponents shouted greetings to each other, came out of their trenches, and exchanged gifts before the fighting resumed a few days later.

The song's message of "the dawn of redeeming grace" arouses our desire for the noon day, when redeeming grace shines brightest at Christ's return and we have real, lasting peace.

Silent night, holy night,
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon virgin mother and Child.
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar,
Heavenly hosts sing Alleluia!
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love’s pure light;
Radiant beams from Thy holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

Silent night, holy night
Wondrous star, lend thy light;
With the angels let us sing,
Alleluia to our King;
Christ the Savior is born,
Christ the Savior is born!

A good resource on this and other hymns is Treasury of Great Hymns and Their Stories by Mrs. Guye Johnson (appears to be out of print).

First Performance of Silent Night, 1818

Good Deals on Used Puritan and Reformed Books

Reformation Heritage Books is advertising a huge sale on used and out-of-print Puritan and Reformed books. These books are available on a first come, first served basis. The list of books is extensive and includes such rarities as Joseph Caryl's 12-volume exposition of Job and Daniel Neal's 3-volume History of the Puritans. Order by email or phone. See their blog for details.


UPDATE: Reformation Heritage Books says, "We are SOLD OUT of the Books listed on used Puritan and Reformed (many out of print) books."

Good Deals on Used Puritan and Reformed Books

D.A. Carson (December 21, 1946)

Happy birthday to D.A. Carson, born in Ottawa, Canada on this day in 1946. A pastor's son, Dr. Carson is research professor at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois, where he has been since 1978. From the Gospel Coalition website:

Carson came to Trinity from the faculty of Northwest Baptist Theological Seminary in Vancouver, British Columbia, where he also served for two years as academic dean. He has served as assistant pastor and pastor and has done itinerant ministry in Canada and the United Kingdom.

Carson received the Bachelor of Science in chemistry from McGill University, the Master of Divinity from Central Baptist Seminary in Toronto, and the Doctor of Philosophy in New Testament from the University of Cambridge.

Dr. Carson is a biblical scholar with a pastoral heart. For more reflections on this theme see Jason's article on Carson from last December. I have profited from Carson's technical commentaries and from the more popular-level biblical studies he has written. Quite possibly the most helpful books I've read from him so far have been Exegetical Fallacies and A Call to Spiritual Reformation: Priorities from Paul and His Prayers. The former helped me to rightly interpret Scripture better; the latter helped me pray more scripturally-informed prayers.

A bibliography of D.A. Carson's published works can be found here on the Gospel Coalition website. Also available is an extensive collection of mp3 sermons and lectures by Carson, collected by Andy Naselli.

Do you have favorite books or sermons by D.A. Carson? How has he helped you the most? Let us know in the comments.

D.A. Carson (December 21, 1946)

The Triumph of John and Betty Stam

75 years ago today John and Betty Stam, missionaries to the Chinese, were killed by Communist soldiers in a public execution, along with the town doctor, who had pleaded for their lives. The Stams were captured while trying to leave the town of Tsingteh with their 3 month old daughter, Helen. Mrs. Stam managed to hide her baby, who was later found by Christians and returned to America. John and Betty showed the courage of those who know who holds their future. In the words of Mrs. Howard Taylor:

Those who witnessed the tragedy marveled, as they testify, at the calmness with which both John and Betty faced the worst their misguided enemies could do. Theirs was the moral, spiritual triumph in that hour when the very forces of hell seemed to be let loose. Painfully bound with ropes , their hands behind them, stripped of their outer garments and John barefooted (he had given Betty his socks to wear), they passed down the street where he was known to many, while the Reds shouted their ridicule and called the people to come and see the execution.

Like their Master, they were led up a little hill outside the town. There, in a clump of pine trees, the communists harangued the unwilling onlookers, too terror-stricken to utter protest. But one man broke the ranks! The doctor of the place and a Christian expressed the feelings of many when he fell on his knees and pleaded for the life of his friends. Angrily repulsed by the Reds, he still persisted, until he was dragged away as prisoner, to suffer death when it appeared that he too was a follower of Christ.

John had turned to the leader of the band, asking mercy for that man, when he was sharply ordered to kneel - and the look of joy on his face afterward told of the unseen Presence with them as his spirit was released. Betty was seen to quiver, but only for a moment. Bound as she was, she fell on her knees beside him. A quick command, the flash of a sword, which mercifully she did not see - and they were reunited.
--Mrs. Howard Taylor. John and Betty Stam: A Story of Triumph (Chicago: Moody Press, 1982) pp. 119-120

Though they had only a short ministry, John and Betty Stam's faith in Christ encouraged many nationals to continue giving the Gospel and inspired many others to become missionaries. God made the wrath of man to praise Him. He didn't forget or forsake His suffering servants; He honored them.

Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— of whom the world was not worthy.
--Hebrews 11:36-38

See also-
Vance Christie. John and Betty Stam: Missionary Martyrs (Christian Focus Publications, 2008)

The Triumph of John and Betty Stam