A La Carte (January 18)
May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
I continue to add Kindle deals day by day as they become available. That includes a few new ones today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Discerning in Doctrine But Not Discerning in Character)
Jake Meador offers some interesting reflections on the evangelical fracturing that has taken place over the past 10 years. “Not only has reformed evangelicalism lost the steady leadership provided for so long by Piper, Keller, and Don Carson, but it has lost much else besides. Due to the past ten years, reformed evangelicals have also lost the underlying modes of thought and the specific contexts that helped to shape those men in the first place while at the same time losing the men who were the most obvious successors to the Baby Boomer generation of YRR leaders.”
Stephen McAlpine considers the fact that a growing number of Protestants are now following the liturgical calendar and asks, “Is a liturgical calendar the primary how the Scriptures teach us to think about the way we are to live our lives as Christians? Or more to the point, is it something that is offered to us as a means of leaving sin and leaning into righteousness over the course of a year? I mean it seems pretty clear from the New Testament that observing signs and seasons and days is low down the agenda when it comes to faith in Christ.”
Trevin Wax warns against “our generation’s penchant for ‘self-soothing’ on social media by ‘crowdsourcing therapy.’ As people turn to their online ‘community’ for validation, they increasingly turn to ‘therapy-speak’ as a means of understanding and expressing themselves. This tendency is downstream from therapy influencers who may or may not be real practitioners but have gained an audience online.”
Poetry
Over the past couple of days, poetry has been a bit of a theme among the sites I read. Here are a few poems and articles: “After the Storm” by Esther Roth is a poem about God’s sovereignty in trials; “Another Chance” by Seth Lewis is a poem about autumn leaves (and winter leaves); “Progress” by Jacob Crouch is a poetical adaptation of some words by C.S. Lewis. Meanwhile, Jonathan Threlfall explains the poems he has committed to memorizing in the year ahead.
Writing for TGC Africa, Oyewole Akande laments the terrible story of the late T.B. Joshua, a Nigerian pastor and televangelist who, in a recent BBC investigation, has been credibly accused of raping, torturing, and abusing his followers. Akande says that “one of the greatest tragedies from this saga is that countless similar scandals have happened before in the African church. More so, they’re almost certainly going to happen again.”
Jennifer Brogdon writes movingly about her mentor going to heaven. “I don’t think God will heal me—he said after we finished praying. My heart broke a bit then, but I didn’t rebuke him. I knew God doesn’t always heal us or others when we ask him to. And I didn’t assume his comment came from doubt but from contentment—a trait someone further along in the faith learns.”
I messed up over the Christmas holidays. I made a simple but silly mistake…It was a failure to plan, a failure to remember a simple truth about work and rest.
Was His head crowned with thorns, and do we think to be crowned with roses? It is good to be like Christ, though it be by sufferings.
—Thomas Watson
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A La Carte (June 30)
With 2023 already half over, I thought I’d put together a list of my top books from 2023 (so far). 10ofThose is offering a 40% discount on all of them. Use coupon code 40CHALLIES23.
Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good picks.
Heresy at the Heart of Derek Webb’s ‘Boys Will Be Girls’
“Watching the music video for the new song ‘Boys Will Be Girls’ by former Caedmon’s Call lead singer Derek Webb, I experienced a strange mixture of disgust, pity, and clarity about the appeal of his message.” I did too.
Why Elisabeth Elliot Changed Her Beliefs about Finding God’s Will
I found this article (which is actually an excerpt from a new book) really, really interesting.
Follow Spurgeon’s example; give yourself to mercy ministry.
“Read Spurgeon and the Poor and see how the gospel Spurgeon preached fired his heart with loving zeal for the poor and needy in his own day.”—Conrad Mbewe (Sponsored Link)
Astronomy Photographer of the Year shortlist revealed
There are some stunning photos in this collection.
Celebrating Good Times When Life is Hard
“But (let’s face it), life isn’t always a party, and we don’t always feel like celebrating. Most days are full of routine, even drudgery, with conflicts, irritations, and frustrations sprinkled throughout like ugly confetti. Even worse are the unbearable days or seasons when we wish life were just routine and drudgery.”
How Do I Face the Deaths of Others?
This is a very helpful article that helps instruct Christians in facing the death of those they love.
Rethinking Hospitality in Our Churches
“Hospitality helps discipleship to flourish simply because it requires letting go of our expectations and control. It requires laying aside our agenda and allowing others into our space. Whether it’s our home, sharing a meal, or changing our schedules, it requires putting aside our needs and welcoming the newcomers. It is sacrificial.”Because Jesus has covered all of our offenses, we can be among the least offensive and least offended people in the world. This is the way of the gentle answer. —Scott Sauls
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A La Carte (November 15)
Blessings to you today.
Today’s Kindle deals include a quite long list from a number of different publishers. (Also, every volume of The Story of God Bible Commentary series is on sale at a good discount.)
(Yesterday on the blog: Does Nick Send Me Signs?)
8 Reasons to Rethink the Song of Songs
“The Song of Songs is the most lukewarmly debated book in the Bible. There’s some engagement, but not enough. While the arguments and interpretations of Revelation run red-hot, Song of Songs tends to be entrenched in assumptions. I want you to rethink what you might think about the Song of Songs.” That’s not a bad thing to consider.
Your Tears Have Good Company
“The son of God, the darling of heaven, the eternal word, the shaper of worlds, the sustainer of life, the author of faith, the coming judge, the lamb of God—wept. Take comfort—your tears have good company.”
The Legacy Standard Bible
Learn about the literal beauty of the LSB from the translators at LSBible.org. Free Stuff Friday will include a chance to win one of a dozen prizes totaling over $1000! This week save an extra 10% on all Bella Paper calendars, journals, and greeting cards with code CHALLIES. (Sponsored Link)
In what way is Christ presently reigning over the church? (Video)
“Jesus Christ is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the church. But what does His kingly reign look like right now?” Harry Reeder answers in this video from Ligonier.
The Hardest Question for Pastors and Church Planters
“The hardest question for a pastor and especially a church planter, to answer is: How is your church going? It is a common question. It is akin to: How are you doing? It is also a loaded question. There are so many ways to answer and so many layers depending on the interest level of the listener, the social context you’re in, and if you consumed an oversized burrito for lunch.”
What kind of man finds his enemy yet lets him go unharmed?
This is a good question: what kind of a man tracks down his enemy and has opportunity to harm him, yet lets him go unscathed?
What Does God Want of Me?
Rebekah offers “three questions to ask the next time you’re faced with a difficult situation in life.”
Flashback: Don’t Waste Your Ambition
Ambition is good, but it needs to be strengthened by at least two other crucial traits: character and self-discipline.The cup which my Saviour giveth me, can it be any thing but a cup of salvation? —Alexander Maclaren
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On Helping Your Wife Become Like Christ by Identifying Her Every Fault
Christian husbands are given a particular responsibility—they are to love their wives in such a way that they help them become more like Christ. As Chad and Emily Van Dixhoorn express it in Gospel-Shaped Marriage, “husbands are to love their wives in a Christlike way and to help promote the purposes of Christ, in a Christlike fashion, for the good of their own wives. The love of Christ for his bride—a bride made up of sinful men and women—offers the model disposition that a husband ought to have for his wife, the orientation that should inform all of his thoughts, words, and actions.”
But many of us go about this in a way that is unfair, unwarranted, and ultimately unhelpful. “At their most unimaginative moments, husbands try to help spouses be like Christ’s perfected bride by identifying their wives’ faults with clinical precision.” But there is a better way. The Van Dixhoorns offer some diagnostic questions that will better guide a husband to truly helping his wife:
Are you loving her with all that you are and all that you have? In other words, do you, like Christ, love your wife deeply, sacrificially, purposefully, and faithfully?
Are you praying for her and studying your spouse so that you can pray for her better?
What is your aim in your prayers? Is your prayer really for her? Or for you? What answers to your prayers can be seen?
Are you leading devotions that profit her? Are you trying to study the Bible and Christian doctrine so that what you say will be thoughtful and useful?
Does she know that you love her? Or does every moment with you feel like a teaching or improving moment for her?
Do you ensure that she has time to study God’s word herself or with friends?You should read Gospel-Shaped Marriage to learn more about how a husband can best love his wife (and, of course, vice versa).
