Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

(Yesterday on the blog: Saved By the Quivering Of an Eye-Lid)
We Can’t Talk About Purity Culture without Talking About the 1990s
I really enjoy Samuel James’s reflections, whether on the past or the contemporary world. This new one is about purity culture.
Every Day I Climb The Mountain
“What if this momentary affliction that I experience every year is actually- in my weakness- giving God the opportunity to prepare me for something better? Maybe the darkness I face, part of the turmoil of this world, is the very thing that pushes me to seek God’s light and strength in ways that I otherwise wouldn’t have bothered.”
Resurrection Somehow
You will appreciate this reflection on the resurrection. “Not once in all his writings does he vacillate on the certainty of resurrection – in the experience of our Lord and, therefore, in that of his people. The principle is as firmly-tied to the person and work of the Saviour as it is possible to be, but the process, the actualising of resurrection for the believer, remains shrouded in a mystery that Paul is content to live with.”
What Does the Bible Say about Marriage?
Christoper Ash has a quick rundown on what the Bible says about marriage.
Continuance in Ministry
“I had a mentor who once told me, ‘It’s easy to start something in ministry, but it is very difficult to follow it through to the end.’ This is so very true.” Isn’t it, though?
Science Can’t Answer Transgenderism’s Deepest Questions
“Scientific studies can offer answers on outcomes and physiology. But they cannot tell us what it means to be male, female, or even human.” This article shows how science cannot answer the deepest (and, really, most important) questions about transgenderism.
Flashback: Taking Up a Collection in a Cashless World
…how do our churches make giving to the Lord an act of worship when, rather than being done corporately and manually, it is done electronically and automatically?

We have only to leave off watching and praying, and a noxious crop of unbelief will soon spring up. —J.C. Ryle

Good morning from Mexico City! I am here to film the final episode of Worship Round the World. I’ll also be speaking at an event for pastors on Saturday and preaching on Sunday, so it is shaping up to be a full weekend.
This week’s deal at Westminster Books is a devotional book that looks interesting. You will also still find last year’s bestselling kids books on sale.

As the son of Quebecers, I really appreciated Sarah Eekhoff Zylstra’s fascinating account of the recent history of the church in la belle provence. Amazingly, Quebec represents the largest unreached people group in North America.

This is a good an appropriate question. “Brothers, are we peaceable presbyters? If our church members read our Tweets, would they recognize us? Would they be shocked at the derision we lob at one another? Would they see Christ glorified in our hasty judgments of others motives? The ridicule and scorn we seem to revel in? Let’s be honest are we Tweeting to win a brother or slam him?”

Hopefully you still have one of your monthly free articles from CT so you can read this one about IVF and evangelicals. “As record numbers of Americans grow their families through in vitro fertilization (IVF), Christians who believe that life begins at conception—even if that’s in a petri dish—face new questions and challenges. In response to expanding reproductive technology, pro-life evangelicals are reexamining the theological and ethical concerns around creating and caring for life at its earliest stages.”

“We all want the treasure of friendship. Of course we do. It’s treasure! We just don’t all want the process that makes the treasure look like treasure. We want to discover a hoard somewhere that someone else worked and fought for, that someone else mined and minted, and we want it all for ourselves to spend and enjoy as we see fit. Maybe that’s why we’re so lonely.”

Don’t miss Vanessa Li’s sweet call for us to be like little children. “Let us become like little children, singing freely to the King of Kings. Faces lifted, voices ringing, unconcerned with notes and rhythm, twisting melodies in swirls of wonder, joy in every note they sing. There’s no embarrassed silence, self-conscious mumbling or comparing of their voice to others. The joy within is echoed in the voice without and warms the hearts of those who listen.”

Anne Kennedy asks and answers the question.

…it falls to us to tend to names carefully, to respect what others hold most dear. We might justify carelessness with another man’s trifles and trinkets, but most certainly not with his good name.

No man is a believer, no matter what else he may do, except he give his will, his life to the Master. No man is a believer who does not obey God.
—George MacDonald

This week the blog is sponsored by The Missionary Conference (October 2024, Jacksonville, FL). Plan to attend it to hear from John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Kevin DeYoung, Conrad Mbewe, and many others. 

There are many, many Christian conferences, all with varying values. Why another conference? And why put missions front and center? Here are four reasons why the Missionary Conference is worth attending:
1. This conference celebrates the 500-year anniversary of William Tyndale translating the Scriptures into English.
In 1524, William Tyndale began the task of bringing the word of God into his native tongue, and in the process changed the world. Good missions have always been rooted in the Scriptures no matter the day and age. For English speakers, this achievement is worth remembering, pondering, and celebrating.
2. It is united by missions and speaks pointedly and practically.
While we remember and celebrate the work of Tyndale, the burning question remains, what of those who still have no gospel, no church, and no translation in their language? Sponsors like Desiring God, Crossway, Radius International, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and many more are united by the spread of the gospel to tongues that still live in darkness. This conference will speak to that task and how churches and individuals can be tangibly involved inthe Commission that still is binding on the church today.
3. It has a strong group of speakers who are passionate about biblical missions.
Hear from renowned preachers and teachers including John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Steven Lawson, Kevin DeYoung, Conrad Mbewe, Brooks Buser, Harshit Singh, and many others.
4. It features the premiere of the documentary film Missionary: Obeying the Great Commission.
The Missionary Project is a 5-year in-the-making film that focuses on six pioneer missionaries and a timeless theme exemplified in each of their lives. Each lesson is 35-45 minutes and will feature a study guide for Sunday Schools, Small Groups, and any group interested in diving deeper into missions. Each clip is shot on location where they grew up, went to church, where they served overseas, and many where their bodies were laid to rest.
The six missionaries are:

William Tyndale—The Primacy of Scripture
William Carey—Perseverance
Amy Carmichael—Singleness and the Sufficiency of God
Adoniram Judson—Suffering and the Sufficiency of God
Hudson Taylor—Culture and Language Fluency
John Paton—The Primacy of the Church

Join us for this remarkable one-time conference that will bring together hearts of thankfulness for what our God has done, and if He tarries, hopefulness in what He will do—even to the ends of the earth.
Register for the conference today: https://missionary.net/conference
[embedded content]