It was around 150 years after the birth of Christ that the Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy determined that the earth must be at the center of the universe. If the earth was at the center, then the sun and the moon and the stars and the planets must orbit around it. Though many people had observed and assumed such geocentrism in the centuries prior, it was Ptolemy who standardized the view and who proved it to the satisfaction of very nearly all of humanity.

It was not until nearly 1400 years later that Copernicus first posited and then proved that it is not the earth but the sun that is at the center of our solar system. The sun does not orbit the earth, but the earth and the other planets the sun. This finding was met with a mix of curiosity and censure and, eventually, for Copernicus’ successors, outright persecution. But over time everyone came to understand and admit that it is heliocentrism rather than geocentrism that properly describes the position and the movement of the stars and planets within our solar system.
I once read the words of an old preacher who was indicting Christians for too easily falling into Ptolemaic tendencies when it comes to matters of disputed theology between believers. Christians are prone to take a relatively minor point of doctrine, one we might identify as second- or third-order, and set it like the earth at the pivot point of Ptolemy’s universe. Their love of this doctrine and their conviction that it is key to a right understanding and practice of the Christian faith means that soon everything begins to orbit around it. It becomes the center of their beliefs in such a way that any other point of doctrine is understood only in relation to it. It becomes the measure of their affirmation of faithfulness or their indictment of unfaithfulness. And eventually, it leads them toward legalism and draws them away from Christians who may not set that particular doctrine at the center of their own theological universe.
So it is far better, this preacher argued, to pursue Copernican tendencies by ensuring that we always set Christ himself at the center of all things. In this way, all of our beliefs, all of our convictions, and all of our doctrines will orbit Christ who is himself the pivot point of our faith. As we do this, Christ becomes the center of our beliefs in such a way that any point of doctrine is understood in relation to him—to his life and death, to his resurrection and ascension, to his rule and return. He becomes the measure of our affirmation of faithfulness or our indictment of unfaithfulness. And this leads us away from legalism and draws us toward other Christians—toward everyone else who acknowledges Christ as the center of all things. For we understand that despite our differences, we are all bound together by the One who is the very center.
It became fashionable a few years ago to speak of being “gospel-centered” and to call every Christian to embrace and exhibit it. The term was too abstract and undefined to last for long and it has already largely fallen out of fashion. But perhaps this celestial illustration shows a part of what gospel-centrality was meaning to convey—that there must always be something at the center of our system of beliefs. We are prone to put a favorite doctrine or pet practice in that place and to make it the center of our faith and the basis of our Christian unity. But we can only do this if we shove Jesus out of the way, for he is already there at the center, already upholding all things by the word of his power, already holding all things together in himself, already ruling and reigning from his throne.

And so to have a Copernican conception of our solar system is to simply acknowledge what is proven and true—that the sun is at the center and that all else orbits around it. And to have a Copernican understanding of the faith is, likewise, to simply acknowledge and practice what God tells us to be true—that Christ must be the pivot point of our beliefs and unity, for he is the very Sun of Righteousness.

Good morning from Brazil where I am beginning to make my homeward journey after a successful week recording another episode of Worship Round the World.

Today’s Kindle deals include some high-quality devotional resources.
(Yesterday on the blog: Restful Blissful Ignorance)
Christianity Challenges the (Stoic) Spirit
I’m glad to see this examination of the growing popularity of stoicism. “Joe Rogan, Jordan Peterson, Cameron Hanes, David Goggins, Jocko Willink. What unites them? They’re gurus of a new self-help philosophy and lifestyle: grind yourself to the bone to achieve greatness.”
Scooby Doo, Oxfam and The Sexular Age
Stephen McAlpline: “Let’s call this The Scooby Doo moment. You know the show that started in the 70s? Crazy kids in a van called The Mystery Machine, with a dog called Scooby Doo (Arf-Arf!)? Always turning up at haunted houses or the like, exposing the evil criminals hiding behind scary ghoul masks, or dressed up as werewolves. I’m sure those kids were all on Scooby snacks.”
The Making Of Andy Stanley: Pastors Son, Turned Renegade Preacher (Video)
Honest Youth Pastor has put together a helpful video on Andy Stanley.
Are Things Getting Worse?
It’s easy to believe that the world is getting worse and worse. But is it really?
Nine Ways I’ve Seen Mark Dever Disciple Men and Raise Up Leaders
“What does Mark Dever do to disciple men and raise up pastors in the context of the local church? Here are nine points that Mark has publicly shared are his practices, with some of my own reflections as someone who has benefitted Mark’s discipling and observed its effects on others.”
Death is not fun
Mark Loughridge says “we often make jokes when we are nervous or don’t know how to react to something serious. We’ve probably all done that. That’s what this is. Our society has lost the ability to be serious about serious things. We have elevated the trivial and trivialised the serious.”
Flashback: On Helping Your Wife Become Like Christ by Identifying Her Every Fault
“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.

When a sin is pardoned, it is gone—it is gone out of the books, it is gone out of the memory, it is gone out of existence. —De Witt Talmage

I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I’m the only person in the world who reads through back issues of the Ann Arbor Baptist, a periodical from the late 1800s. But periodicals like that were the blogs of their era and within their pages I find such interesting articles and poems. One that I spotted recently (though I’ve spotted it in other works as well, sometimes adapted into a hymn) is Mary Brainard’s “I Know Not What Shall Befall Me,” a poem of trust in God’s character and his providence. It is well worth a read—aloud, of course, as poems are meant to be read.

I know not what shall befall me,God hangs a mist o’er my eyes,And each step in my onward pathHe makes new scenes to rise,And every joy He sends to meComes as a sweet surprise.
I see not a step before meAs I tread on another year,But the past is still in God’s keeping,The future His mercy shall clear,And what looks dark in the distanceMay brighten as I draw near.
For perhaps the dreaded futureHas less bitter than I think;The Lord may sweeten the watersBefore I stoop to drink;Or, if Marah must be Marah,He will stand beside its brink.
It may be He has, waitingFor the coming of my feet,Some gift of such rare value,Some joy so strangely sweet,That my lips shall only trembleWith the thanks they cannot speak.
O, restful blissful ignorance!’Tis blessed not to know:It keeps me still in those armsWhich will not let me go,And hushes my soul to restIn the bosom that loved me so!
So I go on—not knowing;I would not if I might,Rather walking with God in the darkThan going alone in the light;Rather walking with Him by faithThan walking alone by sight.
My heart shrinks back from trialsWhich the future may disclose,Yet I never had a sorrowBut what the dear Lord chose;So I send the coming tears backWith the whispered word, “He knows!”
(It’s also fun to come across old advertisements like this one, which you find in the old periodicals. Between you and me, I kind of think this cure is over-promising…)

Good morning. May gratitude goes to Zondervan for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about an excellent new book about God’s love for us.

Today’s Kindle deals include some books that are newer and some that are older.
(Yesterday on the blog: Can You Live a Life that’s Worthy of the Gospel?)
Confessions of Faith and the Baptist Tradition
”One of the most-cited arguments against Baptists standards of doctrine and practice is that Baptists have historically opposed confessions of faith. This anti-confessional argument has been used by certain Baptist leaders over the centuries, but it is a false argument.” As it happens, Rick Warren is making a variation of it now.
Who Are the Jehovah’s Witnesses?
Ligonier Ministries provides a brief explanation of the Jehovah’s Witnesses—their history, key beliefs, and so on.
Disappointment as Opportunity
“We know well the saying that life is full of disappointments, and the longer we live, the truer it rings. As fallen humans with largely unreasonable expectations for ourselves and others, we bump into disappointment often. ‘Man makes his plans and the Lord laughs,’ someone has said, and I’m inclined to believe him.”
When Winsome Doesn’t Work
“Christians had better get used to increasing hostility and apathy. Our views are increasingly out of step with society’s, and we’re now the bad guys. We shouldn’t bend the truth, and no matter how kindly we speak, we’re bound to be seen as out of step or worse. We should prepare ourselves and our churches. Short of changing our beliefs, we will be found intolerable by those who preach tolerance.”
Take away the love of sinning
That’s a good prayer, isn’t it? That God would take away our love of sinning.
Young Men with Holy Habits
Bobby Scott reflects on the impact of a classic. “Through Ryle’s pen, God inflamed two desires in me that grew into holy habits in my Christian walk — one desire was for a healthy fear of my sin, and the other was a longing to please God.”
Flashback: When God Interferes With Our Plans
God’s kind providence keeps us from being as sinful as we would otherwise be. So, Christian, thank God for his providence, and prepare to be amazed when, in eternity, God gives you the gift of seeing how often and to what extent he has kept you from sin.

Spiritual stagnancy results from forgetting the very gospel that brought us into the kingdom. Spiritual growth, cultivation of virtue, results from remembering the gospel. —Dane Ortlund

This week Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Zondervan Reflective. They are giving away five copies of The Great Love of God.

There is a Divine Love that heals our hurts, fears, and loneliness, but have we lost sight of it?
Nothing is more obvious about our world than the reality of how far we have slipped from the ideal of divine love. We live in a society that has sunk into the depths of desperation. An avalanche of problems overwhelms us. Hatred and animosity have reached a state of emergency, and a powerful display of infinite love is our only hope. Isolated in a crowded universe, the only rescue from our loneliness is found in the acceptance of the One Person whose great love we most need, but stubbornly reject. Our quest for the perfect human leader has failed, but there is a perfectly trustworthy Leader in heaven who wants to share his love that never fails, never betrays, and never abuses. As we squint through the darkness of chaos and anxiety, our only hope is to see the blazing light of the One whose infinite love alone casts out our fear.
Sharing his own story of an encounter with God’s deep love, pastor and counselor Heath Lambert articulates what the Bible teaches about the love of God, capturing the beauty of this love while helping readers see and experience how the truth that sets us free from the sickness of hatred, loneliness, and fear so prevalent in our world today.
Now more than ever, and more than anything, people need to find their way into the compassionate embrace of their Father in heaven. An embrace that makes us better, stronger, and wiser as he reveals himself to us as the God of great love. The Great Love of God provides an accessible, passionate exploration of how the divine love casts out fear, provides ultimate hope, and never fails.
Enter Here
There are five copies to win. All you need to do to enter the draw is to enter your name and email address in this form, which will add you to Heath Lambert’s mailing list.
Sweepstakes Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email on June 16th, 2023.
Heath Lambert is giving a copy of The Great Love of God to five randomly selected winners who sign up for the mailing list below.

There are some Bible verses that seem to go just a little bit too far. “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children … he cannot be my disciple” comes to mind, or “rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances.” And then there’s this one: “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ…” (Philippians 1:27). We read a verse like that and rightly ask, “Is it actually possible to live a life that’s worthy of the gospel? Is that a realistic goal? And what would it even look like to say ‘my life is worthy of the gospel?’”

Help comes in the form of Sinclair Ferguson’s new book Worthy: Living in Light of the Gospel, which is the second volume in a series by Union School of Theology titled “Growing Gospel Integrity.” This series, edited by Michael Reeves, is meant to explore the Christian’s call to Christlikeness based on Philippians 1:27-2:3.
Ferguson begins the work by explaining why Christians can find the command “live worthy of the gospel” a confusing one. And really, the answer is quite obvious: “the gospel teaches us we are unworthy. We are saved by grace, not by worth.” Besides that, we are rightly attuned to the creep of legalism and can fear that a call to “live worthy” can be a call to emphasize outward actions ahead of an inward posture of the heart. Yet “Paul well knew that emphasizing God’s grace in Christ in reaction to legalism is not necessarily the same thing as understanding the grace of God in Christ.” In fact, “the richer and fuller the exposition of the grace of God in Christ, the safer it is to expound the all-demanding commands that flow from it as a result.” It is when we have the fullest and most confident understanding of the gospel that we will understand what it means to live a worthy life and be most eager to do so.
Those who are familiar with Ferguson’s writing will recognize how he helps the reader understand the way grace relates to obedience. “The basic idea is that a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ expresses in the form of a lifestyle what the gospel teaches in the form of a message. Such a life takes on a character that reflects the character of the Lord Jesus Christ.” With that groundwork in place, he writes about “The Grammar of the Gospel,” explaining the role of moods (focusing on imperatives and indicatives), prepositions (focusing on Paul’s way of speaking about believers as being “in Christ”), tenses (focusing on what the gospel has done in us and what it will do), and then, finally, the role of negatives and positives—what the gospel tells us to do and not to do and what the gospel tells us to be and not to be.
With this in place, he explains the “instruments” God uses to work change within us, to put sin to death and bring righteousness to life. God uses both his Word and his providence to work change within us—a truth displayed powerfully in the life of Joseph. Suffering introduces the “friction” into our lives that shapes us into Christ’s likeness. There is a kind of “productivity” that suffering brings to our lives that produces endurance and character and hope (as per Romans 5). Meanwhile, God’s Word does not just tell us to change, but it actually works change within us as it is preached. “God’s word preached does not merely tell us to work; it does the work. The preached word works on us and in us even while it is being preached, as well as afterward.” Thus “every exposition of Scripture is an extended personal counseling session in which the Holy Spirit shows us the wonder and power of the gospel and also exposes the secrets of our hearts. … The exposition of a passage of Scripture is not intended to be a popular-level commentary in spoken form but an encounter with the God who speaks.”
A final pair of chapters discuss what it looks like to live with “A Worthy Mindset” and how this kind of life actually comes about for people like you and me (and, by illustration, Saul of Tarsus—a section that provides a fascinating explanation of how Stephen’s example was instrumental in the conversion of Saul).
The Bible calls us to the responsibility and the great privilege of living a life that is worthy of the gospel. Ferguson’s book briefly but oh-so-helpfully explains how this is possible and what this should look like. Written briefly and simply, it’s a book I gladly recommend to any Christian.
Buy from Amazon

Good morning, at last, from downtown Recife. I look forward to spending the weekend with Primeira Igreja Presbiteriana do Recife. (I’ll be speaking to a men’s group there this evening at 7; if you’re a man and live in the area, feel free to attend.)

Blasphemy Then and Now
Carl Trueman examines charges of blasphemy against Monty Python then and now. “Opponents of blasphemy then and of blasphemy now share something in common: a concern to protect that which is sacred. But that is where the similarity begins and ends. Old-style blasphemy involved desecrating God because it was God who was sacred. Today’s blasphemy involves suggesting that man is not all-powerful, that he cannot create himself in any way he chooses, that he is subject to limits beyond his choice and beyond his control.”
How to Distinguish the Holy Spirit from the Serpent
Sinclair Ferguson turns to John Owen to explain how to distinguish very different kinds of promptings.
The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of Leadership
“He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” —2 Samuel 2:23 (Sponsored Link)
How Much Should Pastors Make?
John Piper considers pastors and their salaries.
You Can Be Right and Wrong Simultaneously
“I’m sure you can relate to this experience. You’re in a discussion with someone, and they say something incorrect. It’s important enough that it should be set straight. So you begin to interact calmly, identifying their error and offering the correct understanding of the matter. But it’s not that easy.”
No They Can’t and Here’s Why
Anne Kennedy: “Work—meaningful work—which leads to accomplishment produces self-forgetfulness. You get caught up in whatever you’re doing and forget about yourself altogether. It is the common grace of God to give ordinary people momentary relief from the great burden of themselves through the various kinds of work that make life interesting and pleasurable. I think this must be one reason that most kinds of meaningful work have been destroyed, I assume by Satan, who wants you to think about yourself all the live-long day.”
The Rollercoaster
Patsy Kuipers tells about the rollercoaster nature of caring for a declining parent.
Flashback: Could You Use Some Joy Today?
…consider what God has given you, whether wealth, time, talents, or gifts, and consider how you can use them to express generosity to someone else. Consider how you can give to others what God has given you…

In the union of husband and wife their sexual drives are consecrated and directed to the spouse for mutual benefit instead of selfish gratification. —Harold Senkbeil

Good morning from Brazil. I’m in São Paulo this morning and making my way to Recife this afternoon. We will soon begin filming yet another episode of Worship Round the World.

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good options.
(Yesterday on the blog: Your Loved Ones Love You Still)
The Upside-Down Metaphor: A Hermeneutical Critique of Josh Butler’s Beautiful Union
Anne Kennedy reviews Josh Butler’s now-infamous book. “In his provocative book, Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything,1 Josh Butler articulates a theological picture of God’s union with humanity in Christ that is sexual, rather than sacramental in nature. Butler makes exegetical and categorical errors that lead him to at least two theologically problematic conclusions.”
The Aim of Satan
What does Satan aim at in his engagements with us? This article explains.
How Can Leaders Become Difference Makers?
“Healthy, courageous leaders are humble, fearful followers.” —David M. Cook and Shane W. Parker (Sponsored Link)
Water into Wine?
Shane Rosenthal: “The account of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana is a well-known story from the Gospel of John. When commenting upon this passage, many focus on the exceptional quality of the wine that Jesus produced, while others prefer to highlight the enormous quantity … But in my opinion, the most noteworthy aspect of this famous story relates not to the quantity or qualityof the wine, but rather to its historical reality.”
What Is Pride?
Christina Fox explains what pride is all about.
Did the Puritans Agree on Eschatology?
Interesting! “Were the Puritans aligned in their eschatological views? Not quite. This article examines various Puritan theologies of eschatology that emerged between the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on seven prominent Puritan writers and their unique perspectives.”
3 Ways Our Relationship With Social Media Warps Friendship
Chris Martin explains how social media changes (or warps) our friendships.
Flashback: What If Marriage Isn’t Making Me As Holy As I Had Hoped?
Our pursuits of holiness, whether our own or our spouse’s, are only ever incomplete pursuits. They are real and meaningful, but necessarily limited by the harsh reality that there is no perfection to be had on this side of the grave.

The great problem of living is not to escape hard and painful experiences, but in such experiences to keep the heart gentle, loving, and sweet. —J.R. Miller

The old adage may be trite, but that makes it no less true: Absence makes the heart grow fonder. There is something about being apart that stirs our affections, that causes us to understand and articulate what we might otherwise have taken for granted. It is often only through a time of separation that we come to understand how much another person means to us.

“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” is true when our loved ones leave us for extended periods or when they depart for distant lands. But “absence makes the heart grow fonder” is equally true when our loved ones depart this earth altogether. We learn that death does not cause love to die, but that in its own way, it fosters and amplifies love all the more.
And why shouldn’t it? In the distance that death interposes, we come to overlook old vices and delight in former virtues. Offenses begin to fade from our minds, replaced by memories that are sweet and delightful. A loved one was never so virtuous and never so much a Christian as she is in our memory. And then there’s this: our hearts are naturally inclined toward those who are weak. And who could be weaker than one who is drawing his final breath, one who lies in a coffin, one who is buried in the cold ground? Death displays the ultimate weakness and it moves our hearts in pity and love.
And so, though our loved ones are gone, we love them still. Though our loved ones have been taken, we love them all the more. Their absence makes our hearts grow ever-fonder.
But what of their love for us? Do our loved ones continue to love us even when they have gone to that Land of Love, even when they have finally come face to face with the God of Love?
I am convinced that they do love us still and I am convinced that their love, too, grows all the more. I am convinced that absence makes their hearts grow fonder, just as it does ours.
After all, they are still sentient, still conscious, still human, still themselves. The lives they lived are real, the relationships they formed are genuine, the experiences they enjoyed are authentic. Though torn from this world and separated from their bodies for a time, they are not torn from who they were. They are not whitewashed into new beings, not reset into people radically different from the people they were on Earth. The bonds of marriage may be severed by death, but not the sweet friendship of a husband and wife. A man’s son here will still be his son there, a woman’s mother here still her mother there. There is much we wonder about heaven and much we discuss or debate, but not the continuity of relationships, not the continuity of love.
And so, if we treasure all the sweet memories we once made together, wouldn’t they? If our hearts yearn to make new memories with them, wouldn’t theirs? If our mouths are crying out “Come, Lord Jesus,” wouldn’t their mouths sing the same?
It is a beautiful thing to ponder that even as we remember our loved ones with such tender affection, they are remembering us with hearts just as warm. Even as we long for the day when we can throw our arms around them, they long for the day when they can throw theirs around us. Even as we yearn for the time when what was severed will be restored, they are yearning for it too. Their love for us continues and their love for us grows, for absence truly does make the heart grow fonder.

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Westminster Books has a deal on an interesting new academic-level book.
Today’s Kindle deals include a few interesting titles.
The Elephant’s Trunk (Video)
This is a really neat video about the elephant’s trunk—a masterpiece of design.
Problems with Preferred Pronouns
“All we’re being asked to do is change one word. It’s a simple request. Just use a different pronoun. It might seem like a no-brainer for a believer to comply. Why cause unnecessary tension by refusing a request to be courteous?” Alan Shlemon gives a list of problems with ceding to preferred pronouns.
What Happened to the God-fearing Leaders?
In Leading from the Foundation Up, David Cook and Shane Parker offer the only book focused on Christian leadership philosophy and practice rooted in reverential awe. (Sponsored Link)
Delighting in the Trinity
“Love for others, then, cannot go very deep in them if they can go for eternity without it. And so, not being essentially loving, such gods are inevitably less than lovely. They may demand our worship, but they cannot win our hearts. They must be served with gritted teeth. How wonderfully different it is with the triune God.”
Not afraid of bad news
Here’s an explanation of how the righteous do not need to be afraid of bad news.
To Confront or Not to Confront? That Is the Question
“In everyday life, there are interactions with loved ones that are difficult. Issues of life that are impacted by personal sin and hardships create tension in relationships and could directly harm others. The question often asked is, ‘Should I confront this issue or overlook it?’ That is a good question, and as we look to the Bible for God’s revelation on the issue, there seems to be visible tension on how to answer it.”
The Inefficient Church
“I’m all for certain kinds of efficiency. I just placed an online order to save a trip to the store. But I’m for the right kind of inefficiency: the inefficiency of caring enough to slow down and treat people like people, to know their names, and to actually care.” But ministry can’t be efficient…
Flashback: The King Is Within Earshot
If you would simply consider how much God loves that other person, you would never speak ill of him. If you would consider the work God has accomplished for that person and in that person, you would only ever speak words that esteem him.

The righteous are those who are willing to disadvantage themselves for the advantage of others, the wicked are those who are willing to advantage themselves at the disadvantage of others. —Bruce Waltke