This week’s post is sponsored by The Master’s Academy International (TMAI), a global network of pastoral training centers that specialize in expository preaching.

I love to recommend good and God-honoring books. And with so many insightful resources to point to and so many publishers to print them for us, I think it’s good to reflect on how we as Christians are so extraordinarily blessed to be surrounded by such a vast number of biblical resources. But when we do that, we have to realize that this is hardly the experience of all Christians everywhere. In fact, for most Christians around the world today, it’s rare for theologically sound books to exist at all in their native language, much less their local market.
That’s why I am so enthusiastic about the global publishing initiatives of The Master’s Academy International (TMAI). They are a worldwide non-profit network of pastoral training centers that equip indigenous church leaders to preach the word and shepherd their people. A natural extension of this ministry is publishing. So just like we in the West are blessed to have so many pastors and scholars who preach and write for us here, TMAI is working to raise and equip pastors and scholars to preach and write for Christians there—in the streets of Ukraine, Croatia, India, Japan, and many other places.
To get behind TMAI and their global publishing efforts, check them out here.
Part of why I appreciate TMAI’s work  in drawing attention to the importance of publishing for missions is because I’ve seen the benefits of this myself when I traveled to Germany for the EPIC series. When we look back into the history of our own Reformed traditions, we see that before Germany became “ground zero” for the Reformation, it became the place where God wanted Gutenberg to invent the printing press, and that’s no accident. It was revolutionary for the advancement of the gospel that Luther had the ability to publish sound doctrine and distribute it across Europe en masse. It was this publishing infrastructure that God used to give local pastors like Luther such a tremendous voice in their communities. And to this day, hundreds of years later, a guy like me sitting all the way on the other side of the world can still pick up a book and benefit from the things Luther wrote about our Lord. Publishing is a gift with global potential.
TMAI gets this. Nearly every one of their 18 Training Centers has a growing publishing ministry that is making godly books accessible and affordable for Christians in their various communities and language groups. They want to help make sure that pastors and laypeople around the world are well stocked with theologically reliable commentaries, exegetical tools, systematic theologies, Christian living books, children’s curricula, and so on. Here is just a small sampling of their projects:
Recently Completed Projects:

Portions of The MacArthur New Testament Commentary series (33 vols.; multiple languages)
Basics of Biblical Greek Workbook by Robert Mounce (Russian)
Growing Your Faith by Jerry Bridges (Armenian)

Current Project Highlights:

Grasping God’s Word by J. Scott Duvall and J. Daniel Hays (Arabic)
Romans by Thomas Schreiner (Russian)
Knowing God by J. I. Packer (Vietnamese)
Biblical Doctrine by John MacArthur (Albanian)

For a longer list, go here.
These indigenous publishing houses are not only giving their students and countries much-needed access to English resources (often through translation), but as a long-term goal, TMAI aims to see this infrastructure enable their students to write and lead their local churches into deeper and stronger worship for years to come.
They raise a simple question: “If believers around the world want theologically reliable books, why should they have to get them from people who publish on different continents? Why can’t they get them from pastors and scholars in their own backyards?” That’s a big part of what TMAI trains for and prays for, and Lord willing, with help from believers around the world, I think we’ll see the global church strengthened because of it.
To support the strategic publishing work of TMAI, check them out here.

I trust you enjoyed—as we did—a restful, worshipful, enjoyable Christmas Day. Because this is the week when few people visit blogs, I’ll be posting only A La Carte between now and Saturday. A more normal schedule will resume on January 2.

Today’s Kindle deals include a nice little selection of books from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: Today of All Days, Be of Good Cheer)
Persecution and Kingdom Expansion
We know that persecution tends to go along with kingdom expansion, but this article wants us to consider that “perhaps we miss just how inevitable persecution is in missionary contexts.”
Link by Link, Yard by Yard
Samuel James: “We humans in the modern West are micro-beings living in a macro-society. Every square inch of our news and political culture, our entertainment, and even religion is preoccupied with “big” problems that allegedly demand even bigger solutions. Nothing is more common than to hear people talk about the real issue facing the whole nation, or the problem with the church or Christianity at large. We increasingly attribute our daily angst to systemic troubles and our ordinary frustrations to major dysfunctions with our lives. This is why there is a seeming willingness among many to blow up their lives regularly…”
When Praying Hurts: How to Go to God in Suffering
Vaneetha Rendall Risner: “My desire to pray when I’m suffering can swing wildly in a single day — and sometimes within the hour. Through the severe trials in my life — losing a child, having a debilitating disease, losing my marriage — prayer has been both arduous and exhilarating. Exhausting work and energizing delight.”
God’s Purpose Isn’t Ruined by Unbelief: Don’t Be Discouraged
“The evangelism/missions cause can never be thwarted by the unbelief of the masses who will ‘keep on hearing but will not understand,’ any more than Jesus’ own earthly evangelism was hindered by it. It has always been part of the plan that people will not understand. If a missionary hacks his way through jungle and finds no reception in some villages, it isn’t defeat.”
Does it mean I am not saved yet if I continuously doubt whether I am saved? (Video)
Derek Thomas and Burk Parsons consider questions of doubt, repentance, and assurance.
Remember
Glenna Marshall remembers some difficult times, then says “I don’t want to forget the ways He carried me. Remembering tightens my grip on trust. He’ll carry me through the next season of suffering.”
Flashback: When I Get to the End of the Way
Some of my favorite poems are those that pick up on one particularly important line and then repeat it throughout, thus consistently building upon a theme. This is the case with an old poem titled “When I Get to the End of the Way.”

We should count ourselves happy the day we discover a new fault in our life or character—not happy because the fault is there, but because we have discovered it that we may rid ourselves of it. —J.R. Miller

In my way of thinking, there are two approaches to daily Bible-reading: reading for intimacy or reading for familiarity. Intimacy with the Bible comes by slow, meditative reading that focuses on small portions—deep study of books, chapters, and verses. Familiarity with the Bible comes through faster reading of larger portions—the entire sweep of the biblical narrative. Both are perfectly good approaches to the Bible and Christians thrive on a healthy mixture of the two. There is great benefit in knowing the Bible as a whole (familiarity) and in knowing the most important parts in detail (intimacy). (For more on this, see my article “Intimacy or Familiarity.”)

My favorite daily Bible-reading plan is the 5 Day Bible Reading Program. I have successfully used it for many years and intend to use it again in 2023. I gladly commend it to you.
It has several features I especially appreciate:

It is a familiarity plan that covers the entire text of the Bible over the course of the year. Those who follow it will read every word of the Bible in the year ahead.
It is a pseudo-chronological plan that covers the text of the Bible in the order the events happened (with the exception of Job which comes at the end). Thus, for example, the Psalms come at appropriate moments in the life of David, the books of Kings and Chronicles are read in harmony, and so on. This helps set the events in their historical context. Yet even though it’s chronological, it’s only pseudo-chronological. There are Old Testament and New Testament readings each day and the gospels are interspersed through the year. I find this an ideal compromise over a strictly chronological program in which you read the entire OT before touching the NT.
It is a 5-day plan. A benefit of a 5-day plan (as opposed to a 7-day plan) is that there is less chance of falling far behind. At 5 days per week it is far more doable than at 7 days—there is always a chance to catch up. Also, it allows a day or two of reading something different for those who, for example, like to read and ponder the sermon text on a Sunday morning or for those who don’t do personal devotions on Sunday.
It is a free plan. It’s free for the taking! They’ve got a nice little print-out you can download, print, fold in half, and put inside your Bible. It’s got boxes to tick as you complete each day and each week. Or you can use the ReadingPlan app to organize the plan even while reading through Logos, the ESV app, or a printed Bible. Though it is free, they have launched a Patreon account for those who would like early access, access to more features, or who would just like to offer a bit of support.
(Note: Though it comes with an optional “Reader’s Companion,” I do not recommend that component.)

The 5 Day Bible Reading Program is a free download and will be available on December 26 (with Patrons able to get it before then). I echo their hope for the program: “God’s blessings rest with those who will read, understand, and live by His Word. May this guide help you to that noble end. ‘Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path’ (Psalms 119:105).”
(Parenthetical Note: If you prefer an “intimacy” plan, I recommend the Reading the Bible with John Stott guides and/or the God’s Word for You series. Both are excellent.)

Merry Christmas, my friends. May this day bring you heartfelt worship and tender joys.

On this day, I am pondering a lovely quote I found in one of De Witt Talmage’s sermons—a quote that calls us to not only be joyful at Christmas, but to see in Christmas proof that Christianity is a joyful faith. He means to counter the “delusion that the religion of Christ is dolorous and grief-infusing.” Here is how Christmas counters any such notion:
The music that broke through the midnight heavens was not a dirge, but an anthem. It shook joy over the hills. It not only dropped upon the shepherds, but it sprang upward among the thrones.
The robe of a Saviour’s righteousness is not black.
The Christian life is not made up of weeping and cross-bearing and war-waging.
Through the revelation of that Christmas night I find that religion is not a groan, but a song.
In a world of sin, and sick beds, and sepulchres, we must have trouble; but in the darkest night the heavens part with angelic song. You may, like Paul, be shipwrecked, but I exhort you to be of good cheer, for you who are trusting on Christ shall all escape safe to the land.

May the Lord bless you as you worship him this weekend and as you remember the miraculous birth of our Savior.

(Yesterday on the blog: My Favorite New Songs of 2022)
The Thrilling Reversal of Christmas
Jim McCarthy explains that “thrilling reversal is what Christmas is all about. God insists on showcasing his power through weakness and his wisdom through foolishness so that we would stop and stare, wonder and worship.”
Analysing everything to death and sucking the joy out of life
Stephen Kneale may exaggerate a little bit here, but he’s worth hearing. “Christians are pretty expert at sucking the joy out of everything. You name it, we can find problems with it. Even if we can’t nail a specific issue to make you feel guilty for enjoying something, you can bet we’ll insist on a full introspective analysis of motives before you can even consider enjoying the thing.”
William Borden’s Boyhood of Material Privilege and Spiritual Development
“William Borden (1887-1913) is unknown to most Christians today. But his untimely death at age twenty-five, before he could reach the mission field to which he had been preparing to go for eight years, was mourned by believers in several parts of the world when it occurred. In his short lifetime he blessed many by his inspiring, consecrated service of the Lord Jesus and did much to help advance Christ’s Kingdom work at home and abroad.” Vance Christie reflects on his early days.
Episode 51: Should a Pastor Observe the Billy Graham Rule? (Video) 
I find that Hershael York does quite a good job of answering this question.
While Mortals Sleep
Andrea wants you to “lift your eyes from the dark alleys of Bethlehem to the shining courtyards of heaven, and rejoice.”
Christmas Under the Sun
“Despite the Paul McCartney jingle echoing through our department stores this season, many of us will not be ‘simply having a wonderful Christmastime.’ Much of our Christmas joy will be met, and made to sing, shoulder to shoulder with dissonant sorrows.”
Flashback: May This Be A True Christmas In Your Heart
May this be a true Christmas in my heart. Take away all unbelief, all bitter thought and feeling, all resentment and unforgiveness, all unholy desire and give me love—love that is patient and kind, that is not provoked, that thinks no evil, that seeks not its own.

Look to Jesus this Christmas. Receive the reconciliation that he bought. Don’t put it on the shelf unopened…Open it and enjoy the gift. Rejoice in him. Make him your pleasure. Make him your treasure. —John Piper

I have eclectic tastes in music and will gladly listen to a host of different genres. Apple Music tells me that I listened to an absurd amount of music this year by a vast number of artists. But as I went through them and thought about the ones that resonated most, I narrowed it down to this list of 12—my 12 favorite songs of 2022. And as I look at them, I can see that this was a year of two themes: sorrow and joy—sorrow for the pain that life brings and joy for God’s precious gifts (not the least of which is the hope of an eternity free from all sorrows).

(Note, if you’re reading this through the email newsletter, you may have better success with the formatting by reading the article on my site.)
“On That Day” by CityAlight
I’m quite certain we did not see a finer song in 2022 than CityAlight’s “On That Day” which anticipates the day we go to be with Christ. (Neither did we see a finer album in 2022 than CityAlight’s There Is One Gospel.) “On that day, we will see You / Shining brighter than the sun / On that day, we will know You / As we lift our voice as one / ‘Til that day, we will praise You / For Your never-ending grace / And we will keep on singing on that glorious day.”
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“How Good of God” by Matthew West
There has never been a year in which I’ve been so aware of the goodness of God in my life and for that reason this song really resonated with me. “If someone would’ve told me / How good my life would get / I would have called them crazy / ‘Cause I couldn’t see it yet … How good / How good / How good of God / My heart can’t help but see / How good / How good / How good of God / To be so good to me.”
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“Take Heart” by 20schemes Music
One of my favorite albums of the year was Hymns in Hard Places by 20schemes Music. I especially appreciate how they deal with issues many other songwriters don’t tend to cover—issues like addiction, exploitation, poverty, and longing for an end to injustice. “Take Heart” calls Christians to take heart even in the midst of trouble for Christ will return. “O God of our salvation / We cry out in our pain / While sorrow is abounding / Death’s shadow will remain / O father can you hear us? / O Father are you there? / We’re clinging to your promise / But sinking in despair.”
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“When We Pray” by Citizens
This song simply tells of the power of prayer. “For my brothers and my sisters feeling low / For the orphan longing desperately for home / For the broken ones who don’t know where to go / In Jesus name there is hope.”
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“Almost Home” by Matt Papa, Matt Boswell, Etc.
This song was first released in 2022, but this live version came our way in 2022 on the album Sing! In Christ Alone. It’s a song about persevering with the knowledge that we’re almost home with the Lord. It features Shane & Shane. “Don’t drop a single anchor / We’re almost home / Through every toil and danger / We’re almost home / How many pilgrim saints have before us gone? / No stopping now / We’re almost home.”
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“Take Shelter” by Keith & Kristyn Getty, Skye Peterson
This is a song of hope in times of sorrow, a lovely duet between Kristyn Getty and Skye Peterson. “When my song of hope / Is swallowed by the pain / As the weariness of grief / Floods in again / Will you find me in the valley? / Oh, hear my helpless cry / Hold me as a mother holds her child / And I’ll take shelter / Take shelter / In the loving arms of God.”
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“Thank You” by Ben Rector
This is a single that is best listened to in the context of the whole album which is full of sweet moments celebrating life, marriage, family, children. It’s an album of gratitude for the things we too often take for granted or even disparage. “It’s been too long since we’ve sat down and talked this way / Life is hard sometimes / I don’t know what to say / There are times when it just doesn’t make no sense / But You have been good to me / You have been good to me / Time and again / So thank You.”
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“Still” by Steven Curtis Chapman
In this one SCC declares that, despite life’s terrible pain and hardships, he is going to go on praising the Lord. “I had no way of knowin’ then / Just how hard the rain would fall and how fierce would be the wind / It’s been beautiful and terrible, more painful, more wonderful / Than I ever could have known, but even so / Still, I’m gonna sing / About the One who’s given life to me.”
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“Bless the Lord, O My Soul (Psalm 103)” by Sovereign Grace Music
This is a faithful, upbeat adaptation of Psalm 103. “Our days will fade like flowers and are quickly spent / And like the wind our years will come and go / Everlasting favor is His covenant / Bless the Lord, O my soul.”
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“Great God Above Beheld Below” by Sow and Tether
This song is based on Colossians 1 and celebrates Christ’s power and preeminence. “Oh soul, your Sovereign takes His seat / With rule, reign, and authority / Your Savior raised your low estate / Now draw near to the throne of grace.”
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“In the Valley (Bless the Lord)” by CityAlight
Feel free to call foul on this one since I had a (very small) hand in it, but I’d be remiss if I failed to include “In the Valley (Bless the Lord)” by CityAlight which was written to accompany my book Seasons of Sorrow. “When the path that I feared / Is the way He has se/ And I long to give in and retreat / Still to Jesus I hold / As I face every step / For the Lord He will give me His peace / Bless the Lord! He will give me his peace.”
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“Coming Home” by Drew & Ellie Holcomb
It’s just a simple love song, but one that resonates. “There ain’t nothin like coming home to you / And no matter where I go / And no matter what I do / There ain’t nothin like coming home to you.”
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Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

Christmas Is a Happy Day for Broken Hearts
I was asked to write an article for Christianity Today that would speak to those who are grieving at Christmas. “What we wouldn’t give to worship together as a whole family, intact and reunited. What we wouldn’t give to spend this Christmas as we’ve spent so many others, with all of us sitting, singing, and marveling together at the wonder of the day and all it represents.”
Why Such a Lowly Birth?
Jesus could have been born in a very different time or context or set of circumstances. Why did God choose such a lowly birth?
A Front-Row View of the Incarnation
“Who had the best view of the Incarnation? Mary, the mother of Jesus, is certainly a good nomination. So is Joseph, Jesus’s father. It might seem odd to suggest one of Jesus’s disciples in place of his parents. After all, they only spent three years with him. However, there is (at least) one incident in Jesus’s ministry that shows his disciples had a perspective not available to Mary or Joseph.”
Christmas Amid Chaos
Carl Trueman: “Hopefully 2023 will witness significant levels of interest in The Abolition of Man and provoke useful contributions to the field of theological anthropology. In the interim, Christmas offers Christians everywhere the opportunity to reflect once again on the Incarnation, sing of its glorious mystery, and make connections to a rich understanding of what it means to be human.”
Rethink Female Bravery
This interesting article at TGC considers why female bravery is so often portrayed as necessitating physical strength. “Why is physical dominance our measure for brave women? Why is heroism reserved for the person in charge—or the person with the weapon? Why aren’t there more stories that honor daring in the ordinary?”
Faith Lifts Our Eyes Up
Adam Kareus reflects on the death of his brother. “Faith demands we see beyond the pain of the moment to the One who loves us, who gave His Son for us, and who will wipe every tear away. A faith in Jesus Christ is an eye lifting faith, lifting our eyes to the One who stands above.”
Why Did Jesus Come to Earth?
“‘Because he loves us,’ said my little girl with a big, knowing grin as she fidgeted in her seat, probably wondering why her daddy was asking her another question about Jesus. That wasn’t the answer I was looking for, for the record.” But maybe it’s not such a bad answer.
Flashback: The 2 Kinds of Blog
Broadly speaking, there are two kinds of blog. There are blogs that provide a platform for content creation and there are blogs that provide a platform for content curation…Both kinds of blog can be very successful and both kinds can be very helpful.

My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what he has done, and in what he is doing for me. —Charles Spurgeon

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

I’ve added a collection of Kindle deals that includes some general market historical titles—perhaps a good option for some holiday reading.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Collected Best Books of 2022)
Christmas Music: A Witness For Us or Against Us
This is a thought-provoking reflection on Christmas music. “While this music is everywhere during this season, how many people realize that the words on their lips are serving as a witness against them?”
The Crushing Obligation to Keep Doing More and More
Kevin DeYoung: “Surely there are many Christians who are terribly busy because they sincerely want to be obedient to God. We hear sermons that convict us for not praying more. We read books that convince us to do more for global hunger. We talk to friends who inspire us to give more and read more and witness more. The needs seem so urgent. The workers seem so few. If we don’t do something, who will? We want to be involved. We want to make a difference. We want to do what’s expected of us. But there just doesn’t seem to be the time.”
The Counterintuitive Christ
“Everything about the circumstances of the coming of Christ into the world was counterintuitive. We tend to pride ourselves on the fact that we know this. However, the more we bring the pieces together into focus, the more astonishing it all becomes. Consider…”
Does Jesus Still Sympathize with Sinners? The Compassion of the Risen Christ
Mark Jones considers Jesus’ compassion and whether he still sympathizes with us.
The Rightful Place of Suffering in the Life of the Christian
“There is a rightful place for suffering in the lives of those whom God loves. Expect it, prepare yourself for it, and be faithful through it” says Amy Hall.
Andrew Thorburn Vindicated (and before Jesus returns too!)
“If there’s one thing we know as Christians is that we won’t always get vindicated in this age.” And yet occasionally…
Flashback: No Low Too Low
He came to serve, and there is no service that was too low for him to do. His birth would provide a glimpse of his entire life, and a fitting introduction to the kind of life he would lead.

God’s silences are His answers. If we only take as answers those that are visible to our senses, we are in a very elementary condition of grace. —Oswald Chambers

I probably don’t need to tell you how much I love books in general, and Christian books in particular. One of my favorite times to be a reader is in mid-December when people begin to share their picks for the top books of the year. I usually collect a good number of these lists and scour them to see if there is any consensus. I have done that over the past few weeks and am ready to share the results.

To be honest, though, the results are perhaps a little disappointing because there really wasn’t a single standout book this year. There were, though, several that appeared on a number of lists—the closest we will get to anything like consensus. Here, in alphabetical order, are the five that appeared the most times:

And that’s about the extent of it. Rather than list all of the other books that got a nod (something that would make a very long list), I’ll simply link to all the individuals I follow who compiled a list, so you can run through them yourself:

You may also like to consult these two lists, though it’s worth pointing out that they are done differently: publishers must nominate books and pay a fee in order to have their books considered.

Let me add a word about methodology. The only lists I include are the ones that are published by people I follow anyway. I follow perhaps 250 to 300 blogs and sites, so that provides a significant group to draw from. That said, I tend to follow people with whom I have broad doctrinal alignment, so I suppose there’s a pretty significant bias involved. So be it!