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

The God of love and peace be with you today.

There is a very substantial list of Kindle deals to explore today.
Westminster Books has a sale this week on a four-volume set of the works of Bavinck.
Am I _____ Enough?
This article addresses the kind of question we all have at one time or another: Am I [fill in the blank] enough?
Repeating the Mistakes of the Past
Alan Shlemon explains how, counter to what we keep hearing, it is the pro-gay advocates who are repeating the mistakes of the past.
A Lifelong Sentence Overturned By Faith: Only God Can Do That!
In one of America’s most notorious prisons, a young man sentenced to life without parole miraculously found faith, forgiveness, redemption, and restoration. In 27 Summers, Ronald Olivier shares his dramatic and powerful story and offers proof that God can bring healing and hope to even the darkest circumstances. Order 27 Summers today. (Sponsored Link)
A More Spontaneous and Genuine Evangelism
“It was not Jesus’ intent to say that the individual Christian must change locations in order to evangelize. But it is most certainly the whole church’s responsibility to see to it that we make disciples where we are, now.” Jim Elliff believes we’ve made evangelism too difficult and confusing.
Debunking Myths About Mentoring
Cindy Matson: “Have you been asked to be a mentor? Have you wondered if you should reach out to that younger believer, but you’re just not sure if you’re qualified to be a mentor? Are you looking for a mentor and wondering how old the person should be? Questions swirl around the topic of mentoring, so let’s take a few minutes today to debunk a few common myths.”
The Religion That Reads (but Doesn’t Respect) the Bible
Sam Emadi explains how Mormonism reads (yet doesn’t respect) the Bible.
The Impact of Social Media on Youth (PDF)
RYM has put together a poster/infographic that shares a summary of the 2023 US Surgeon Report on the impact of social media on youth mental health.
Flashback: The More We Drink, The More We Thirst
We will eat, we will drink, we will feast, and our hearts will be at perfect peace. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Lord, give to me a quiet heart that does not ask to understand but confident steps forward in the darkness guided by Thy hand. —Elisabeth Elliot

Grace and peace to you, my friends.

I have added a couple of Kindle deals with more possibly to come tomorrow.
(Yesterday on the blog: Family Update: An Engagement, a Scholarship, and a Beautiful Bench)
The Failure of Evangelical Elites
Carl Trueman has some extended thoughts on the failure of Evangelical elites. “Let me put it bluntly: Talking in an outraged voice about racism within the boundaries set by the woke culture is an excellent way of not talking about the pressing moral issues on which ­Christianity and the culture are opposed to each other: LGBTQ+ rights and abortion. Even Schleiermacher would cringe. Christian elites try to persuade the secular world that they aren’t so bad—no longer in terms of Enlightenment conceptions of reason, but in terms of the disordered moral preoccupations of the day.”
We All Have the Power of Caligula Now
Meanwhile, Alan Noble has some interesting (and disturbing) thoughts on pornography. “Pornography assumes that we are each our own and belong to ourselves. It’s a tool that promises to give us a kind of personal validation, a sense of identity, a taste of meaningfulness, and a glimpse of intimate belonging. But by its own logic, pornography, like modernity, is an empty promise.”
When Pastors Declare Victory Too Soon
“I used to think that turning a church around was like turning a business around: set a new vision, clean up the mess the old guy left, and get the charts pointing in the right direction.” But now Darryl has realized it’s far different.
Expressive Individualism: Our Twenty-First Century American Ba’al
Bruce Ashford: “Westerners in general, and Americans in particular, have learned to live life without any real reference to God. Because of our relative wealth, we tend not to lean on God for material provisions. Because of modern medicine, we rely on doctors and surgeons when our health is fragile, and don’t see God as the ultimate healer. Because of modern therapy, we tend to ignore the role he should play in the right ordering of our hearts and minds…”
What Is “the Name?”
Terry Johnson: “Were the Jehovah’s Witnesses right? Among their central boasts is that they have revived the covenantal name of God, the Hebrew YHWH, sometimes pronounced Yahweh and sometimes Jehovah, that Jesus came to restore. Ancient Hebrew has no vowels so the precise pronunciation may never be known. Given the growing practice among Evangelicals of referring in sermons and lectures to Yahweh, one would think that the Jehovah’s Witnesses were right.”
Dog Bites Man: Adventures in the Life of a Translation Consultant
How can someone help ensure the quality of a new translation when that person doesn’t speak the language? This article answers.
Pray for Those in Authority
“Authority and institutionalism have become less popular in recent years, but Scripture places emphasis on authority and organized religion is an irrevocable part of God’s plan for the world. We are commanded in Scripture to pray for those in authority (1 Timothy 2:1-2) and this command should be taken seriously.”
Flashback: Do We Care for the Sheep or Do We Use the Sheep?
There is a place for ambitious goals, I’m sure, but they must come after the sheep have been properly cared for, not before.

One of the chief purposes of trial and affliction is to make us send for our Savior. —Theodore Cuyler