Blessings to you today!

There are a few new Kindle deals this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: Christian, Do You Expect to Face Persecution?)
Should Women Preach in Our Churches?
Kevin DeYoung: “This is not an article about the case for complementarianism instead of egalitarianism. That matters, of course, but this piece is for self-identified complementarians wondering if their theology can allow, or should allow, for women preaching. Here is the question I want to address: Is there biblical justification, given basic complementarian convictions, for the practice of women preaching sermons in a Sunday worship service?”
Longing, Loss, and the Life to Come
“Out of nowhere, the feeling—soon to be a familiar one—swept over me: a great desire, an aching yearning, a tremendous longing for something I couldn’t name.” You’ve known that feeling too, haven’t you?
Should You Marry Two Unbelievers?
Hershael York talks about marrying two unbelievers and considers a circumstance in which he might even marry a believer and an unbeliever.
Serve Others With Your Books
This article considers how to build a library that will serve others rather than simply yourself.
Reaping God’s Presence
“Everyone’s a farmer. We’re always sowing and reaping, planting and harvesting, putting down seeds and taking up crops. We just do so with our thoughts, words, and actions.”
Rollercoaster ministry isn’t healthy
“There is a danger in the Christian life.  I’ve seen it again and again in young people and families and others; it’s the Christian life lived as a rollercoaster.” I’ve seen that too…
Flashback: My Own Little Paradise in an Ocean of Ugliness
We genuinely do make progress, yet always know that many decades of struggle in this life will be but baby steps compared to the mighty leap we will experience when we are finally perfected in the moment of death.

If error be harmless, then truth must be worthless. —Abraham Booth

Today’s post is sponsored by P&R Publishing and written by Carolyn Whiting. Get your copy of Stephen Charnock’s Divine Providence: A Classic Work for Modern Readers here.

In a letter to his sister, Oswald Chambers wrote, “I believe that Jesus Christ our Lord has all power in heaven and on earth; do you? I find most people believe that He has all power in heaven but are not so sure about the earth.”
Does this describe you? Creation and providence are the two ways God implements his eternal decrees. We live in the majesty and beauty of God’s creation; we can study, touch, smell, and taste it. But how do we experience God’s providence? How can we know that our sovereign Lord manages every detail of our lives? And how do we reconcile his sovereign rule with the seismic shifts taking place in the world today?
Stephen Charnock’s Divine Providence turns to Scripture to leave us without a doubt: God rules the world. Nothing takes place in the world without his knowledge, nothing is done in the world without his will, and nothing exists without his care and power. None other but God touches hearts and turns them to do what pleases him: “In his hand is the life of every living thing and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:10).
Charnock was a Puritan pastor who persevered in a tumultuous era of his own. His classic work is a heart-stirring call to trust in the One who orchestrates all things, past and present, good and bad. He “[teaches] us to take hold of the God of providence with both hands and cling to him with all our might––trusting that . . . God is holding us in his almighty hand,” writes Joel Beeke.
We can trust the providence of God, but can we know his ultimate purpose? The answer is yes! As Charnock demonstrates, God works all things for his eternal glory and the church’s good. In difficult times, what greater comfort can there be than knowing we are under the care of an infallible, unwearied, and righteous ruler of the world! He is constantly working to love, protect, counsel, and provide for his people.
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Eph. 3:20–21 ESV).
Get your copy of Divine Providence A Classic Work for Modern Readers here.

There’s an old story that tells of a missionary—a missionary who became convinced the Lord had called him to go to a foreign land. Obviously, he first needed some training, and as part of that, he collected books about the country and he studied them very closely. He began to learn its language and to speak it; to learn its customs and to adopt them as his own; to learn about its dress and to wear those clothes; to learn about its values and to exemplify them in his life.

Something interesting happened: The more he behaved like a citizen of his future home, the more out-of-step he became with his current home. The people around him would sometimes mock him for acting like the citizen of one country even while he lived in another. But he held firm and over time he became more and more like a citizen of the land he knew God had called him to.
Then, finally, the time came when his preparation was complete and he was ready to depart. When he arrived in that new country and took up his work there, he found that all his preparation had been worth it. His transition was easy and his ministry was effective. Why? Because he was already living like a citizen of his new land.
Just like that missionary, we are to live in this world as citizens of another—to live according to the customs and values of a different kingdom. And just like that missionary, this means we will sometimes be out-of-step with the people around us—we’ll act differently and live differently, we’ll hold different values and set different goals. And what will that do? That will, at times, make people angry. It will at times make them hate us and even persecute us.
Such persecution should not take us by surprise. Jesus, after all, made it clear that this would be part of the cost of following him. He expressed this at the very beginning of his teaching ministry when, in the opening words of his Sermon on the Mount, he said “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Even as he laid out the very basics of kingdom living, he expressed that it would bring about persecution. Then, at the very end of his public ministry, he said something similar when he told his disciples, “Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).
He makes it very clear that those who follow Jesus will be persecuted like Jesus. Those who imitate Jesus will suffer like Jesus. If we live as citizens of the kingdom of heaven—which is to say, if we live like Jesus—we will be out-of-step with the values of the kingdom of this world and people will hate us for it.
It’s worth asking why. Why will living as a Christian bring about persecution? It’s not like we are harming anyone with the way we live. It’s not like we are demanding that others live as Christians. We are just going about our business while living quiet, humble lives. Perhaps an illustration can help.
A few years ago one of my neighbors drank a bit too much and the next day he had a pretty bad hangover. He must have been lying in a darkened room with an icepack on his head outside our kids and the neighbor kids were laughing and playing and enjoying some innocent childish fun. They were being good kids and having a good time. But suddenly the neighbor threw open his window and screamed “Make those kids be quiet!” His condition made their joy painful to him; it made their expressions of happiness intolerable. And something like that happens when we become Christians and begin to live out God’s true design for humanity before other people. Our holiness confronts their sinfulness. They see Christians living as God truly made us to live, living in the joy of the Lord—and it challenges them; it confronts them; it convicts them. And many respond with hatred, with persecution.
This persecution can be shown in attitude and insults; or it can be shown in imprisonment and death. But either way: it is the normal course of normal Christianity that we suffer for our faith. Citizens of the kingdom of heaven should expect to face persecution.
But Jesus does more than tell us that we should expect face persecution. He also tells us how we should face it. But since this article has already gone on plenty long, I’ll turn to that subject in a couple of days.

If you’re a Logos user, be sure to check out the free and nearly-free book of the month. At the very least you’ll get an excellent commentary for free!

Today’s Kindle deals include a long list of titles from Crossway and Zondervan.
(Yesterday on the blog: 7 Beautiful Things)
A Principle for Conversational Prayer
Greg Koukl: “Let me start with a frank admission: Prayer is difficult for me. Some things come easily, but prayer is not one of them. Of course, this does not make prayer optional in the least. It simply means I have to work harder at it to be consistent and effective.”
Surgeons of the Soul
“We have such good news in our possession of grace, truth, beauty, and everlasting Paradise offered to all who anchor their trust in the life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Is it because we don’t think it will be received as good news? Are we afraid it will offend someone and rock the boat?”
Can We Overemphasize the Cross?
“Is it possible to undervalue Christ’s sufferings by overemphasizing the cross?” I suppose so if we underemphasize Jesus’ life.
New Cardinals for the Future Conclave
“When the reigning Pope creates new cardinals, it is because he is thinking not only of the Roman Catholic Church of today but, above all, that of tomorrow.” Leonardo De Chirico considers some of pope Francis’ choices and suggests what they may say about the future of Catholicism.
Covering Up Our Weaknesses
“We all have weaknesses and insecurities. Where are your weaknesses? How are you compensating for them? How are you closing yourself off relationally or spiritually from having those insecurities addressed?” These are good questions.
An Open Letter to Governor Newsom
John MacArthur was trending on Twitter last week after sharing this strongly-worded open letter to Governor Newsom (who used the Bible to defend abortion).
Flashback: 3 Quick Questions Before Quitting Your Church
Under many circumstances we have freedom before God to move from one church to another…Before you make such a move, do consider the questions: Have you been praying for the people of the church? Have you been serving the people of the church? Have you been with the people of the church?

Biblical preaching is the vibrant heartbeat that pumps spiritual life into the body of Christ. —Steven Lawson

As another week drew to a close, I found myself pondering beauty and wanting to reflect on some of the beautiful things I had encountered in the previous 7 days. Here are the ones that came to mind.

1. Fall Colors. Autumn in Ontario is almost breathtakingly beautiful during those few weeks when the leaves still remain on the trees and are turning from green to vibrant reds and yellows. Yesterday I made a long drive from the city to the countryside where I’m settling in for a while to focus on some writing projects. Along the way I got to admire so much beauty and to praise God for it. I’m thankful for the beauty of fall even though it precedes the cold austerity of winter.
2. Christ Our Hope in Life and Death. The Gettys have released a new album titled “Christ Our Hope in Life and Death” that contains a number of lovely songs. Beside the title track which may already be familiar to you, the songs “Rejoice,” “The Lord Almighty Reigns,” and “Take Shelter” are also wonderful, as is their recording of the classic “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks.” I’ve been listening to the album all week long. (Parents may also want to give a listen to J.J. Heller’s “I Dream of You: JOY” which is sweet.)
3. Ulysses. There was a time when I was adding new apps to my phone or computer on almost a weekly basis. But over time my list of apps stabilized and now I probably add a new one only once a year. One of the ones that has remained constant and which I grow to appreciate all the more as time goes on is Ulysses—a minimalist, full-screen, writing app. There is, to my mind, no app that makes writing easier, more pleasurable, or more beautiful. I never get tired of it and never grow weary of its sheer simplicity.
4. Good Books. I like to read a book or two a week and this week thoroughly enjoyed Al Stewart’s The Manual, an excellent book for men. He confronts unhealthy forms of masculinity and goes to the Bible to show what God says about being a man who is godly, upright, honorable, and distinctly masculine. I highly recommend it! (Ladies, buy it for your husbands and feel free to tell them I said they should read it.)
5. Normal Borders. At long last, Canada has revoked the requirement for non-Canadians to be vaccinated before entering the country and for non-vaccinated Canadians to serve out a 14-day quarantine after entering. They have also removed the requirement to wear masks aboard planes and random testing upon arrival. This means that American friends and family members are finally making their plans to come and visit us. We have missed them! (Strangely, the United States still mandates that foreigners entering the US must be vaccinated in order to cross the border; here’s hoping that long-in-the-tooth requirement will be removed soon as well.)
6. Friends. My small group has just begun to meet again and it was a joy to sit with them on Wednesday evening to talk about life and godliness. I’m so thankful for the gift of friends.
7. Long-exposure photography. Michaela is taking a photography class this year and each week has an assignment meant to display skill in a different aspect of the craft. This week’s assignment was all about shutter speed and long exposures—my favorite kind of photography. She decided she wanted to capture light trails, so we drove downtown to a bridge near Union Station where we could capture trails set against a skyline. Here’s the lovely shot she took:

(For those not familiar with photography, the light trails are the red lines along the tracks—a train’s rear lights that were captured as it passed from the foreground to the background over a 20-second exposure.)

Blessings to you as you work, serve, and/or worship this weekend.

(Yesterday on the blog: Getting Masculinity Right)
Be Obedient Even When You Don’t Understand the Command
“Between our own sinfulness, our lack of knowledge about God and his world, and the influence of the culture, we’re all susceptible to thinking we’re a better judge of what is good than God is.” And this means that we need to obey God, even when we don’t fully understand.
Since Scripture is sufficient, should we avoid using creeds, confessions, and catechisms? (Video)
This is a good question. I have seen it go two ways: some deprioritizing Scripture in favor of creeds, confessions, and catechisms and some thinking they have no place at all. Robert Godfrey’s answer is a good one.
The Pastor and Church Administration
This new issue of the 9Marks Journal may prove helpful to pastors and others.
The Problem of Gospel-less Gospel-Centered Sermons
J.A. Medders: “We are in an era of wonderful gospel-centered seminaries, gospel-centered books, gospel-centered ministries, and gospel-centered preaching. But we have a problem.”
Christianity and Indigenous Peoples in Canada
This interesting article traces some of the history of Christianity among Canada’s Indigenous people. “In the 2011 Canadian census, which is the most recent one to give us information on religion, 63% of Indigenous respondents self-identified as Christian, compared to 67% of non-Indigenous respondents.”
Joy in the Morning
“‘How do you feel joy in the middle of suffering?’ I’m still working it out. As much as I want to tell people that I have happy emotions in the night, that’s just not always the case. But I do have certainty that the Lord will not fail me. That He keeps me. And with time, that certainty unfurls in my heart with gladness of the soul. Joy. She stretches out and takes up residence with her neighbor—suffering.”
Flashback: Two Habits of Successful Parents
It is an incredible honor that God allows us to create, birth, and raise other human beings made in his image. With this incredible honor comes great responsibility. You’re unlikely to fulfill this task well, or as well as you could have, without the input of the community God has given you. So take advantage of it!

He who has the Holy Spirit in his heart and the Scriptures in his hands has all he needs. —Alexander Maclaren

Earlier this year I was in Sydney, Australia over a weekend. I wanted to go to church of course, so visited TGC’s site to scour its handy church directory. I found that within walking distance was a little Anglican church that worshipped in a nearby college of the arts. I arrived to find that the church was welcoming a guest speaker that day—one who was formerly a priest and bishop in the Anglican Church but was now director of a fellowship of independent churches. I thoroughly enjoyed the sermon he preached that morning and benefited from it. Then church was over and I went my way and that was that.

I didn’t think much more about it until recently when I was browsing new books, saw an author’s photo, and found myself racking my brain to try to figure out why he looked familiar. Then I remembered: it was the guy who preached that morning in Sydney. Al Stewart’s The Manual is a book to men, for men, and about men—a book about masculinity. And it’s a really good one.
It is well-documented that masculinity has fallen on hard times. In fact, when we hear it spoken of at all, it is most often with the word “toxic” preceding it. If not that, it is presenting a new form of masculinity that looks suspiciously like femininity. Society has many ways of disparaging masculinity but almost no good or healthy vision for it. Little wonder, then, that men are confused about what it means to be a man, to be manly, to be masculine.
Into this void steps Stewart with his attempt to bring his self-described “crusty-old-bloke perspectives.” And, better, his drawn-from-the-Bible and good-old-fashioned-common-sense perspectives.

Wading into the gender wars between progressives and conservatives, between feminists and men’s rights groups, is about as inviting as sticking your head into a bag full of angry cats. But my goal isn’t to fight that battle, or to resolve the gender, transgender, and no-gender problems. My goal is more concrete than that and, I think, more achievable. I want to talk to you, the man reading this book, about what it means to live a life that is spiritually healthy, filled with strength and power and purpose. I want to talk about what it means to ‘man up’.

When he speaks of “power” he means “the ability or opportunity to care for those around you,” which means he calls upon men to be aware of the power they have and then to use it to be a blessing to others. When he speaks of “manning up” he means “to be brave and strong” but in a way that is loving and self-sacrificial. “Real love involves caring for the people around you, and that takes effort. It will cost you time, money, sleep and a thousand other things. It will require discipline, self-control and self-denial. Yet it will be a life in which you know who you are, and what matters to you. You’ll live like a man who’s worked out what matters and who matters, and you’ll put that knowledge into practice in well-thought-out ways every day.” As for “purpose,” he simply wants men to live in the way God wishes for them to live.
The Manual is comprised of 12 chapters or, better, two pairs of six chapters that together are meant to provide a picture of healthy masculinity and to shape men into people “who understand God’s idea of manhood as presented in the Bible, and to help [them] grab hold of God’s wisdom for living as men.” In the first six chapters he looks at masculinity, first to show how society offers a broken form of it, and then to show how the Bible redeems it. He leads his readers toward a distinctly healthy form of it. In the following six chapters he looks at the specifics of living out a healthy masculinity through a man’s different roles: son, husband, workmate, single man, husband, and father. A concluding chapter is evangelistic in tone, calling upon men to follow the greatest man who ever lived.
The book has many strengths and few weaknesses. Stewart writes from a seasoned perspective as one who has plenty of life experience and ministry experience to draw from. He pulls from a wide variety of sources, some of which are fellow Christians and some of which are not. He helpfully distinguishes between edict and advice, between what God commands for all people in all places and what he, as the author, merely recommends based on his own wisdom and understanding. He writes with a tone that varies appropriately between humorous and serious, between gentle pats on the back and swift kicks in the backside (for men need a good measure of both). He writes always with an evident love for God and a sincere, compassionate desire to help men live lives of meaning and purpose.
Stewart’s call to men is to live in a truly masculine way—a way shaped by the Bible. He is convinced that “when men behave badly, it isn’t their masculinity that’s toxic; it’s their humanity.” And so “we need men who are not less masculine, but who are properly masculine; the sort of men who will step up to protect the vulnerable,” for “healthy masculinity is a willingness to take responsibility and use the power you have to care for and nurture those around you.” The Manual is an excellent book and I hope many men will read it (individually or, maybe even better, in groups) and apply its wisdom to their lives. The world, the church, and their families will be better for it.
(It’s a bit difficult to purchase the book in North America. You can try Westminster Books or Amazon; you’ll definitely find it at Matthias Media.)

Buy from Amazon