May the Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.
(Yesterday on the blog: One of the Most Urgent Biblical Commands for Our Day)

Randy Alcorn considers the source of human rights and explains why it is so important that we get the matter correct.

John Benton explains how some of the alarming trends we see within the church can be explained by society’s obsession with individualism.

“How many people does it take to move the hand of God? I believe the answer is one. Anyone extra is icing on the cake.” This matters when it comes to prayer during times of sorrow or distress.

“While we cannot single-handedly be aware of every person and every need in the world, it should be a great encouragement to us to know that God is! And while God is certainly not limited to our meager gift-drops to supply the ocean of worldwide needs, he is able to take our individual, sack-lunch gifts and multiply them into a collective provision for the physically and spiritually hungry and weak and poor.”

This video from SBTS nicely complements the previous article.

Here are some encouraging thoughts for Christians who have the privilege of teaching children.

We need to have confidence that he is doing what’s right and best according to his inscrutable wisdom, that he is doing what most conforms his people to the image of his Son and what most honors and glorifies his holy name. We need to depend upon it, bank all we’ve got on it, go all-in on it.

Real freedom is the deep-seated confidence that God really will provide everything we need. The person who believes this is the freest of all persons on earth, because no matter what situation he finds himself in, he has nothing to fear.
—Jon Bloom

On Monday, July 31 I am going to be in Seoul with nothing much to do (until my flight home in the evening). If anyone would like to meet up and maybe see a museum or some other sites, please let me know!

I’m grateful for this first review of my latest book Understanding and Trusting Our Great God.
Westminster Books is (re)introducing The Westminster Theological Journal and incentivizing your purchase.
Today’s Kindle deals include a number of books on parenting.
Man Cannot Live on Feeds Alone: The Christian Diet for a Digital Age
“Many of us see and hear more information in a day than we can possibly manage. Over time, this consistent overload dulls our senses — in particular, our spiritual senses.” Trevin Wax has a good article about an appropriate Christian “diet” in this digital age.
Through the Valley
Patsy laments the death of her father and tells how the Lord is sustaining her in this time. “I’m not fond of the aging process or the accompanying aches, pains, and infirmities, but one thing I do like about increasing years is that I have more and more examples of God’s goodness and faithfulness to file away in my spiritual memory bank.”
The harassment of Italian evangelical churches
“Perhaps you think the persecution of Christians in the Western world is a matter of the past. There’s no way Christians are still persecuted in the West today, right?” Not quite, as this article explains.
Location, Location, Location
“There is a well-known real estate maxim that lists the three most important characteristics of any property: ‘Location, location, and location.’ This famous real estate maxim holds true in the Bible, as well.”
Only John Witnessed the Ascension Twice
“As far as I can tell, there’s only one apostle that had the privilege of seeing the ascension twice, at two different times in his life, and from two different points of view.” That’s an interesting statement!
A Wrong Prophet Is Not a False Prophet, Right?
“A woman stands before a church congregation, sharing with them how she loves to get together with her friends and practice prophesying. She tells the people that they sometimes ‘get it wrong’, and she proceeds to tell them that this does not make someone a false prophet. She instructs those gathered to close their eyes, think on a word that the Holy Spirit is giving them, and if they do not get anything, they should make up a word.” Here’s why this is such a concern.
Flashback: Prayers To Pray While You Preach, Lead, and Sing
It is wise to pray while you preach and to pray while you lead. In his book On Worship H.B. Charles Jr. writes, “You ask, ‘Can you preach and pray at the same time?’ My answer, ‘You better!’”

Maturity happens when you put yourself in the place God wants you. Don’t run because there’s adversity. Maybe God wants to use the adversity to make you more like Jesus. —Jay Pathak & Dave Runyon

May the God of love and peace be with you today.

Logos users, be sure to check out this month’s free and nearly free books.
(Yesterday on the blog: We Are All Cultists On the Inside)
The Reformation of English
This is a really interesting look at how William Tyndale’s Bible translation helped creation English as we know it.
What is Heaven Like?
“Many people view heaven as some kind of consolation prize for our sorrows here on earth, or as a nebulous default status we attain by being ‘good’ enough. In any case, it doesn’t usually sound like a fun place to spend eternity. Heaven is a place, yes – but it is so much more. It is a place for us. A home. Our home. An end to wondering where we belong, trying to fit in a world seemingly designed against us.”
30 Recommended Books for Reformed Thinkers
Explore church history, study biblical doctrine, or deepen your faith… here are 30 recommended reformed books from Zondervan Academic. (Sponsored Link)
Why Did God Make Me Unattractive?
John Piper takes on a difficult question here. “When I hear a question like this, it makes me groan, partly because I can count on three fingers, maybe less, the people who have ever called me ugly or handsome. In other words, I groan because I know I’m being asked to speak to a sorrow that I’ve never tasted.”
Matt Smethurst on Having a Healthy Relationship with Social Media
Matt Smethurst discusses the way we relate to social media in this brief video.
How to Treat Fellow Christians
“The Bible says a lot about how to treat each other. Here, I organized a host of biblical commands that tell us how we should do so. Can you imagine what your church would be like if every member took these Scriptures to heart?”
The Hidden Gift of Spiritual Amnesia
“The truth is, we’re all victims of spiritual amnesia. How many times have you heard a sermon, read a devotional, sat in on Bible study, or received counsel from a friend in Christ, and thought to yourself, ‘I already knew this, but I had to be reminded of it yet again!’ You might have felt discouraged, surprised, or frustrated that you had forgotten. You might have thought, ‘Why am I always forgetting this about God?’”
Flashback: How To Lead and How To Follow
In the Golden Rule we get a glimpse of the world as it ought to be, a glimpse of the world as God made it to be—a world in which our foremost concern is love for others.

To use the sword of the Spirit effectually, we must be familiar with it, and have it often in our hands. —J.C. Ryle