Grace and peace to you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: When Pastors Need To Be Extra Cautious)
Never Shop on an Empty Soul
This is a good exhortation. “The next time we find ourselves looking to buy something to relieve the boredom of our lives, remember, we are the ones being consumed. In a consumer culture, even the consumers become a commodity. Never forget, they are preying on your emptiness.”
GAFCON leading the way
Murray Campbell has an interesting article about the Anglican Church in Australia. “GAFCON is responding to what is a tireless intrusion onto Christian Churches by certain bishops and leaders who are trying to change the Gospel beyond recognition. They are not playing the same game as Christians Churches, but something quite different.” (See also this article by TGC Australia.)
When Bots Write Your Love Story
I don’t subscribe to a lot of Substack newsletters, but I do subscribe to Samuel James’. This article is a great example of why. (You may want to consider at least picking up a free 7-day trial subscription to check it out.)
Is New Testament Greek the Most Precise Language Known to Mankind?
“There is an idea which floats around in pulpits and Bible studies, and it goes something like this: ‘Greek is a perfectly precise language which clearly conveys its meaning, and this is the reason why God used Greek for the New Testament.’ I do not pretend to know the mind of God regarding why the New Testament is in Greek. But there are some substantial problems in the assertion that Greek is ‘perfectly precise.’”
The Way You Look
“My grandmother used to have this phrase to describe a particular kind of family resemblance. She’d say something like, ‘He looks out of his eyes the way his dad did when he was a kid’ or ‘The way you look out of your eyes makes me think of your mama.’” Glenna Marshall explains and applies.
What were the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, and the Iron Age?
“Archaeologists are fond of dividing up time into different ‘ages’. This can be quite confusing to the uninitiated, for several reasons.” This article at Creation.com explains what the ages mean and when they happened.
Flashback: We Are Never Without Beauty
We are never without beauty in this world—never without displays of splendor. We are never without beauty because God’s divine fingerprints are impressed on all he has made.

In the sight of God the most menial task is as sacred as that of the highest order, and when well done as greatly meets his approval. —Charles Ebert Orr

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

Good morning. Grace and peace to you on this fine day.

Today’s Kindle deals include some great titles from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Prayer for Our Pastors)
5 Lessons from the Japanese American Internment
What an interesting article. It shares some lessons from the Japanese American internment during the Second World War, focusing on the Christians who were in the camps.
A Sexular Society
“We used to live in a religious world, where your religious belief defined who you were—it was where you got your identity from. Religion flavoured every aspect of life from the cradle to the grave, taking in education, community, family, even work. But things have changed, now we live in a secular world—one, in a sense, stripped of religious input.”
How to make the most of the Parental Settings on your Child’s Phone
There is some valuable help here for parents.
What do you do when you are spiritually dry?
“Do you ever think, ‘I want to desire God more,’ but for whatever reason, you’re just spiritually dry? The things that you know should thrill your soul feel commonplace. Maybe your desire for God’s word, your desire to pray, or your desire for holiness is cold. It’s a miserable thing to know how you ought to feel, and realize that you’re not there. So what do you do? What do you do when you are spiritually dry?”
When We Fear the Worst
This one is for moms in particular, but can apply to us all. “Friend, I don’t know what fears and worries weigh on your soul today. But I do know that they can feel heavy—sometimes debilitatingly so. They can nag at you and trip you up and keep you discouraged and despairing. But there is a sure foundation we stand on, a God who holds us fast even while the winds and waves beat down. And he will not let us go. Not now. Not ever.”
Were Later Versions of Christianity Radically Different than Earlier Ones?
Some false claims get made again and again, don’t they?
Flashback: Rule #5: Ponder the Brevity of Life (8 Rules for Growing in Godliness)
Only God knows whether we have decades remaining or mere moments…With such thoughts fixed firmly in our minds, we must not allow ourselves to waste a moment or to indulge a single sin. 

If Christ was not raised, His death was in vain. Your faith in Him would be pointless, and your sins would still be counted against you with no hope of a spiritual life. —John MacArthur