“The most impressive things on earth are ruins,” he said. “The four greatest structures ever built have now been reduced to a state of decay.” The Parthenon rising above the city of Athens is in ruins; the temple of Artemis in Ephesus is in ruins; the temple of Jerusalem is in ruins; the Colosseum in Rome may have been partially restored, but will never regain its former glory, for it, too, is in ruins. The splendor of the ancient world has decayed and disintegrated.

And as he speaks I ponder how we are drawn to ruins, how we are fascinated by these artifacts of what was once so beautiful, so splendid, so powerful a display of human power, opulence, and ingenuity.
Today we travel far and wide to visit the ruined remains of great buildings. No trip to Peru can ignore Machu Picchu, no trip to England can ignore Stonehenge, no trip to Cairo can ignore the Pyramids and the Sphinx. We stand and gaze and try to imagine what these buildings must have looked like in their prime. And like Percy Bysshe Shelley as he stood before the ruined remains of a statue of Ozymandias, we ponder the futility of enshrining our name and our reputation in something as flimsy as stone.
And it isn’t just buildings that fascinate us. As we study history we ponder the rise and fall of nations and entire civilizations. There was a time when the world’s greatest empire was Greece, though now the nation is mostly an afterthought in world affairs. The same is true of Egypt, Italy, and so many others. They were dominant for a time and ruled by fear, domination, and intimidation. And then they fell as quickly as they had risen, passed into obscurity as quickly as they had ascended to supremacy. We study them today to consider what caused their downfall. We visit them today to explore the remnants of their power, the ruins of their might.
And beyond buildings and civilizations, we study the ruins of human beings. We remain fascinated with figures like Napoleon who rose from relative obscurity to become the dominant figure in world affairs. Yet he died when he was still relatively young and generations of historians have been fascinated with what led to so catastrophic a downfall. Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra—all had lives that were reduced to rubble, all died in ignominy rather than splendor and no study of ancient history is complete without considering their rise and fall, their ascendancy and ruin.
Truly, the most impressive things on earth are ruins. The most impressive civilizations are ruins. The greatest people are ruins. This is a world of ruins. And this teaches us that today’s most breathtaking buildings will also someday be ruins; the most powerful civilizations today will eventually be ruins; the greatest people today will inevitably be reduced to ruins. That’s just the way it is in this broken, beaten, battered world.
And then I ponder this: We are going to a city where there will be no ruins. The gates of pearl will never come unhinged. The streets of gold will never be torn up. The walls of jasper will never fall. The great temple will never lose its opulence. The many mansions will never crumble, never burn, never be destroyed. To the contrary, what is built there will last forever. The nation of God’s people will ascend without challenge and without interruption, and they will never be conquered, never be surpassed. No individual there will rise only to fall and then be remembered to history for his ignominious collapse.
As we ponder the rot and wreckage of this earth, let us remember, let us believe, and let us joyfully anticipate: We will leave this world of woe for a world of bliss, this world of ruins for a world without ruins.

Inspired by De Witt Talmage

God bless you as you serve him today and worship him tomorrow!

There’s a nice combination of older and newer books in today’s list of Kindle deals.
(Yesterday on the blog: Hymns in Hard Places)
Is Disability Normal?
“We … can sometimes be confused about how disability impacts life in this world. But it’s only when we understand how Western society views disability, and how this contrasts with the Bible’s view, that we can begin to better understand the experience of disability and more effectively include people with disabilities in the church.”
What Should We Make of Healing Ministries?
John Piper considers healing ministries in this episode of Ask Pastor John.
Nothing is Too Hard for God
Lauren Washer: “I turn to the last page in my prayer journal for the assigned day, and continue praying. Friends, family, the world, my own heart—there are so many burdens to carry to the Lord. My heart feels heavy, my mind and soul are weak. As I pour out my heart and intercede for the needs of others, the Spirit whispers to my soul: Nothing is too difficult for me.”
The Presence of Joy, Even in the Midst of Tears
“A common thought is that joy and happiness are one in the same. And it’s true that there are several places in the Bible where the word joy is used as a synonym for happiness or gladness. But there is a deeper meaning to biblical joy that is different from happiness because joy is not dependent on our circumstances.”
Are You Principled or Just a Contentious Jerk?
“The apostle Paul says ‘an overseer must be . . . not quarrelsome’ (1 Tim. 3:2–3). Yet in my experience, quarrelsome people often hide behind the excuse, ‘I’m just principled’ or ‘I’m standing up for the truth when no one else will.’”
What does it mean to have free will?
Here’s an answer from Stephen Nichols and Robert Godfrey.
Flashback: To Be Looked Through, Not Looked At
In all areas of life the Christian is to be that set of spectacles that allows people to see something beyond, something better, something greater. The Christian is to point to Christ and do to this he needs to be looked through, not at.

They that know God will be humble. They that know themselves cannot be proud. —John Flavel

Good morning! Grace and peace to you.

Westminster Books has a heavy-duty new set of books on sale.
(Yesterday on the blog: The God Who Counts the Cost)
Music And Lyrics
“The world is a symphony: exquisite and detailed and beautiful. But for all of its music, there is one thing that the world cannot supply on its own. The world has music—but it doesn’t have lyrics. That’s where we come in.”
Coming Home (Video)
You’ll enjoy this catchy new song from Drew & Ellie Holcomb.
Redemptive Force
Those who preach may appreciate the terminology of “redemptive force” that Peter Mead uses here.
What About the “Lost” Books of the Bible?
“In modern studies of the NT canon, there is a lot of discussion (maybe even obsession!) with so-called ‘lost’ books of the Bible.” Michael Kruger explains why they may not be quite as lost as we are so often told.
High Schoolers Can Be Church Members, Too
“Student ministries like other age-based ministries tend to help students value Jesus but fail when it comes to helping students value the local church.” This article is meant to address that failure.
Adversity Anniversaries
Aimee Joseph: “It does not surprise me that calendars don’t include ‘Adversity Anniversary’ among their Hair Appointment and Birthday reminder stickers, as there is not much cute or marketable about remembering devastating days.”
Flashback: Should Young Pastors Prefer a Large or Small Church?
Are you willing to minister in obscurity where you can come to know what it is to pastor precious souls, where you can lay a firm foundation of knowledge and skill, where you can finish the preparation that seminary merely began?

If a man is ready and prepared to die, sudden death is in effect no death, but a quick and speedy entrance to eternal life. —William Perkins