Grace and peace to you today.

Westminster Books is offering 50% off their top sellers from 2021.
There are a couple of new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Squiggly Line of God’s Providence)
Greedy for Gain
“There’s something ugly, something character revealing, about the politician who squeezes absolutely every inch out of their entitlements. Those who make sure that every dollar of those things that they can technically claim is used up, and who spend the time to do so.” And, as Stephen McAlpine points out, it’s not just politicians…
I Must Die
“Death is an enemy, no doubt. It’s seeks to undo everything God intended. Yet, the work of dying to self is a sanctifying work, a work that removes, slowly overtime, what is unlovely in our character and replaces it with true life, light, and love.”
Being Somebody
“At my house growing up, I was somebody. When my mom asked if somebody would bring in firewood, or let the dog out, or fetch the groceries, I knew she was talking to me. As the youngest child, I ended up being the last somebody in the house besides my parents, so I got to be somebody a lot.” Seth bridges from this to an encouragement to press on in the work the Lord has called you to.
Distinguish Details
This is a brief, helpful discussion of the distinction between studying details in sermon preparation and actually telling everyone about details in sermon delivery.
No Creaky Wallet Love
Glenna Marshall: “I used to think that love was something God doled out with miserly resistance. I pictured Jack Arnold, the disgruntled dad of the 1988 television series, ‘The Wonder Years,’ slowly opening his wallet, which creaked with stinginess as he forked out a couple of dollars for Kevin’s allowance. Kevin held his breath, eyes fixed on his dad’s tight-lipped grimace. A raise in allowance hinged upon his ability to either please his father or catch him in a good mood. If his dad was in a bad mood, that wallet would snap shut faster than you could say ‘please.’”
Five 2022 Resolutions for your Consideration
It may be a week late for New Years resolutions, but Chopa Mwanza still has a few you may wish to consider.
Flashback: How Is God Present in Our Pain?
In our pain we know God is not absent, but in our pain we also wonder whether God is present. Or perhaps more correctly we wonder how God is present.

A true Christian does not cloak or excuse his unbelief, but honestly acknowledges it before God. —A.W. Pink

Even in our sorest trials we have the highest confidence: all things work for good. Even in our darkest valleys we have the brightest light: all things work for good. Even in our lowest moments, our hardest days, our most difficult circumstances, this precious promise blesses us, sustains us, gives us hope: all things work for good for those who love God and are called according to his purpose.

As Christians we know that God’s sovereign hand draws a line that leads from suffering to meaning, from pain to purpose, from grief to good. There is no affliction that leads nowhere, no sorrow that is ultimately futile, senseless, or pointless. No, in some way they all work together for good, in some way they all bring blessing, in some way they all display the all-surpassing wisdom of a holy God.
But the line that leads from trials to goodness is not necessarily a straight line that extends unswervingly from one to the other. No, it may be jagged, crooked, squiggly, hard to trace—more like woven tapestry than pure geometry, more like spaghetti cooked and in the pot than spaghetti raw and in the box. Neither is it a single line that exists alone, as if one affliction leads to just one good. No, there may be a hundred lines leading from one sorrow and a thousand lines leading to one good. Our deepest grief may flow into a million goods and our greatest triumph may be downstream of a thousand sorrows.
For this reason we must guard ourselves against being too hasty in interpreting God’s providences. A impatient gardener may wish to see a flower bloom and in his haste pry open the bud. But this would serve only to harm the flower, for it must open in its own time, only when the seasons have changed, only when the spring rains have fallen, only when the sun has warmed the earth and sky.
And in much the same way, we must be careful not to mar God’s purposes through impatience. We must guard ourselves against being too quick to draw straight and easy lines from sorrows to goods and from goods back to sorrows. We must guard ourselves against too easily jumping from the “what” to the “why.” We must be careful not to tritely conflate why an event happened with how God may be using it, as if one great good is sufficient to explain one crushing sorrow. We must have confidence in God, for the same faith that saves us is the faith that is meant to sustain us even when we are afflicted, even when we are bewildered. As we trust God with our souls, we must trust him with our sorrows.
God’s mind is so much greater than ours, his hand so much stronger, his purposes so much vaster. In his grace he may allow us to see the beginnings of his purposes here and now, and in those we can truly rejoice. But all the while we know that we will see the full picture only in the day when his plan is complete and his purposes perfectly fulfilled. Until then we live by faith, not sight. Until then we long for the day that his divine hands will open the bud, the day when the flower will bloom, the day when we will be breathless with the beauty of it.

May the Lord bless and keep you today.

There’s a nice little collection of Kindle deals today, including Rod Dreher’s Live Not By Lies and Mark Vroegop’s Dark Clouds, Deep Mercy.
No False Worship of the True God
Writing about the second commandment, Bruce Ashford says, “it’s an insult to God when we have to reshape him into something else in order for us to love him.” He both illustrates and explains.
‘One Anothers’ I Can’t Find in the New Testament
Ray Ortlund comments on some of the “one another” commands the Bible doesn’t list. “The beautiful ‘one another’ commands of the New Testament are famous. But it is also striking to notice the ‘one anothers’ that do not appear there.”
That’s Not Our Biggest Problem
“I came across another notable Christian last week who was proposing, as so many do these days, that the Christian life, or faith, or whatever it is, should be boiled down to the pithy maxim ‘love God, love your neighbor.’” Anne Kennedy explains why it’s not quite so simple…
3 Ways to Use Social Media More Wisely in 2022
“Social media is at the center of our lives in more ways than we often realize, so I think it would be wise for us to examine the role of social media in our days and do what we can to use it more wisely. How might we do that? I could list a dozen ways, but here are just three, and they all revolve around one principle: intentionality.”
What We Would Be Missing If We Didn’t Have the Book of Acts
Patrick Schreiner tells how we’d be impoverished if we didn’t have the book of Acts.
21 Grams: The Weight of The Soul
This one is weird, but interesting enough from a historical perspective. “What is a soul? Can it be touched? Does it have mass? These questions tormented Duncan MacDougall, a physician from Haverhill, Massachusetts, so much that he devised an experiment to determine whether souls have physical weight. ”
Flashback: 5 Reasons We Eat Together as a Family
I was in sociology class when the teacher asked this: How many people here eat dinner as a family at least twice a week? Two of us put up hands—me and the only other Christian in the class.

To live in light of Christ’s resurrection is to be so heavenly minded that we are of immense earthly good. —Gloria Furman

May the God of love and peace be with you.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Heart That Is Free, A Step That Is Light)
Into the Waves
Andrea Sanborn: “For those of us who take our Christian faith seriously, it feels like an ocean of change is sweeping over us, undermining the ground we stand on, leaving us uncomfortably balancing on the hard knobs of truths that look naive at best, and bigoted at worst, surrounded as we are by the powerful cultural tide.”
Should I Command Healing in Jesus’ Name or Ask for It?
In this bit from Stand To Reason, Greg Koukl answers a timely question: Should I command healing in Jesus’ name or ask for it?
Unwrapping Our Expectations
Amber Thiessen writes about unfair expectations for a new year. “For those of us who take our Christian faith seriously, it feels like an ocean of change is sweeping over us, undermining the ground we stand on, leaving us uncomfortably balancing on the hard knobs of truths that look naive at best, and bigoted at worst, surrounded as we are by the powerful cultural tide.”
Immediate Grace
James Williams is also reflecting on the beginning of a new year. “You’re not sure where the year will take you or what direction you should go. You don’t know what lurks in the darkness ahead or what dangers you’ll face. You can only see immediately in front of you and the choices that need to be made today.”
Book Short: Once Upon a Wardrobe
I stumbled upon the novel Once Upon a Wardrobe—a fictionalized account of the meaning behind C.S. Lewis’ Narnia books—and thoroughly enjoyed it. The theology may be imperfect and the story a wee bit corny at times, but it was still an enjoyable read for anyone who has appreciated The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and the series that followed it. (If you are reading this via the email newsletter, navigate to A La Carte on my blog to find the link.)
Coram Deo
Have you ever wondered what Coram Deo means (as R.C. Sproul often used it)? This wonderful little video from Ligonier explains.
Flashback: Reveling in Wrath
Nothing but his kind and gracious hand of restraint keeps humanity from falling deeper and deeper into the darkest depravity. Without God’s active restraint, humanity would accept, practice, and rejoice in every kind of evil.

The first lesson for a child should be concerning his mother’s God. Teach him what you will, if he learn not the fear of the Lord, he will perish for lack of knowledge. —Charles Spurgeon

The great general had led his troops to a hard-fought but resounding triumph on the field of battle. With the enemy army now vanquished and scattered, he rallied his regiments to press on toward the capital where they would secure the final victory. And though the men marched briskly, he urged them to still greater speed. In their haste, they began to toss aside whatever was superfluous, whatever was redundant, whatever was unnecessary. Soon the road was littered with all that would burden them and slow their progress, for they knew that with their conquest would come honor, home, and rest.

We have left behind one year and entered into another. And with our cries of “happy new year,” with our cheers and hugs, each of us took one more step toward our final victory. We are one hour, one day, one month, one year closer to the end of our days, the end of our march. And the nearer we approach our destination, the more we long to arrive, the more we long to be in that place of triumph, that place of ease.
In the great march that is the Christian life, the passing of the years ought to be marked by what has been laid aside, by what has been taken off and tossed away. As we progress toward our destination, our pathway ought to be strewn with the sins, weights, transgressions, and burdens that slowed our steps, that thwarted our advance. Tossed in the ditch beside the roadway should be the fear of man that tempted us to honor man instead of God. Trodden underfoot should be the lust that tempted us to forsake purity in favor of adultery. Left in the dust should be the love of money that almost swayed our hearts to store up treasures on earth rather than in heaven.
In this way, as the years pass by, our steps become lighter rather than heavier, easier rather than harder. Though the way is narrow, though the way is sometimes rough, though the path forward is sometimes hard to discern, still our march grows more steady, our step more confident, for we have unburdened ourselves of so much of what would hinder us and impede our progress.
And so, as we consider the path that leads through 2022, as we consider the city that lies just beyond the distant horizon, may we resolve to make our step light in the year ahead, may we resolve to make our way as easy as possible, and not by cheating or by shortcuts, but by stripping ourselves of every sin, every weight, every hindrance. May we resolve to divest ourselves even of needless extravagances that might get in the way of our momentum. And may we tread our way with a heart that is free, a step that is light, and a heart that is set on what is true and lasting and eternal. May we walk and jog and run and sprint to our triumph, to our home, to our rest. May we do it all for the great joy that is set before us.

Inspired in part by the works of F.B. Meyer

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

Logos users, there are some free and almost free books for you to look at. You’ll also find some good deals from Crossway commentaries and MacArthur commentaries.
(Yesterday on the blog: The New Year — A Poetic Prayer)
I’ve Never Killed Anyone… Right?
“You don’t hate anybody, do you? That depends. In-person, or online? Are we talking about an individual or a collective identity group? A person’s online digital persona and reputation often comes to represent just as much, if not more, of their identity than their physical presence. How do we handle and interact with the digital holograms of people we touch when we meet their online imprint? I daresay the level of online vitriol the church indulges in goes a step beyond calling your brother ‘you fool’ (Mt 5:22).”
The Galilean Voice
This might be a good approach if you’ve not yet decided on a Bible-reading plan for 2022. “A new year often brings a plethora of articles about a fresh commitment to scripture. Maybe as you start a new year you are looking for something fresh—a fresh Bible reading plan, or a fresh devotional book, something to give a different perspective on God’s word. Here’s something I’ve been doing for the past few months.”
Back to Basics
Here’s an article about getting back to the basics. “The reality is that whether we have been a Christian for decades or for only a short time, the foundation is the place to make adjustments. Whether our struggle is overtly spiritual or seems to be disconnected from our personal spirituality – I am thinking about marital issues, relational struggles, emotional stress, etc. – whatever the problem, we always do well to take a look at our foundations. So what are the foundations of our faith?”
So It Is With Grace
“Christian, if you are experiencing minuscule growth in your walk with Christ, don’t become discouraged, frustrated, or annoyed. There is certainly value in some discouragement simply because you shouldn’t want to be complacent. However, don’t despair. God is still molding you, still shaping you, still forming you into the image of Christ.”
Can We Reshape Ourselves into Whatever We Want?
This article from Carl Truman (which is adapted from one of his books) considers the idea of self-creation that is so prominent in society today.
Roman Catholicism as a “Temptation” for Evangelical Theology
Leonardo De Chirico interacts with some of Al Mohler’s thoughts on Evangelicals and Roman Catholicism.

The pride of a congregation may be awakened by brilliant pulpit displays; but it is personal attention and affectionate sympathy with each individual that bind our congregations to us with hooks of steel. —Theodore Cuyler

A new year is upon us and the occasion affords the perfect opportunity to pause, reflect, and pray. In recent weeks I’ve been exploring the poetry of Marianne Farningham who wrote the bulk of her works in the late 1800s. Among them was this poetic prayer for a new year. Perhaps you’d like to make her prayer your own as you set out into 2022…

Father, who givest usNow the new year,Grant that Thy mercyMay with it appear;Lead us the path alongWhich we must go;Choose Thou our portionOf pleasure or woe.
Father, Thy blessing giveBrightening each day;Be Thou our comforter,Hear when we pray.Let us not go aloneOut in the wild;Let Thy forgiving loveShelter each child.
Whate’er our work shall beLet us have light;What our hands find to doDoing with might;Faithfully serving TheeWhile it is day,So be the happy yearPassing away.
Father, Thy wisdom give,Let us be strong;Keep us from grieving TheeDoing the wrong.Oh, let us hear Thy voiceCalling us near,Oh, let us see the wayClearly appear.
Father, we cannot seeWhat is before,Yet we would sing our songTrusting Thee more;Burdens we have and griefsBitter to bear.But Thou wilt quiet us,Thou who dost care.
So we will meet the monthsLeaning on Thee,Loving and mighty One,Still near us be;Help us to forward goStrong in Thy fear;Father, abide with usAll through the year.
If it should be the last,Happy are we!We in the heavenly homeWith Thee shall be.Guide our feet thither, andBless Thou us still—Father, with us and oursDo Thine own will.

Happy new year, my friends! What a joy it is to know that today, right now, our God is reigning over all of earth and heaven. His purposes will prevail!

Today’s Kindle deals include some classics.
The New Year Starts: Making Plans?
Today I’ve got several articles about the beginning of a new year, beginning with Jim Elliff’s call for humility.
Plans for a New Year
Then Brian Najapfour calls us to a key text. “What are your plans for 2022? Perhaps you plan to get married, or continue your studies, or look for a different job, or buy a house, or travel abroad. Whatever your plans may be, I hope you will consider what God teaches in Proverbs 19:21…”
A Needed Disappointment for the New Year
And here’s one from Eliza Huie: “We are addicted to self-sufficiency. Without even realizing it we are all junkies for independence. The beginning of the new year is often a time when this becomes even more evident. It’s the time when we are bombarded with encouragement to reflect and resolve. The hope is that in the New Year we will reach a greater level of self-improvement or attain a lasting commitment to live better. The turning of a year seems to put us on a quest to become all that we wish we could be.”
Book Short: Truth for Life
I have been enjoying Alistair Begg’s new devotional Truth for Life and want to commend it to you once more. I believe it will prove a helpful, steady companion for the year ahead.
Ten (More) Questions for a New Year
Donald Whitney has ten (more) questions to consider at the outset of a new year.
Should or Can in 2022?
Finally, please do read and consider this call for graciousness from Ray Ortlund.
Flashback: Comforting Quotes for Those Who Are Suffering
We all go through difficult times in these difficult lives in this broken world, and a book like this one delivers comfort rooted in the Comforter.

When it comes to the issue of “race,” we should look to the Bible, rather than the culture, to guide how we think about it… If we are going to make any progress in these discussions, the Bible must have first and final say on this topic. —Shai Linne

Maybe the Lord be with you and bless you on this final day of 2021.

What Is Indwelling Sin?
This article looks at indwelling sin, specifically through the work of John Owen. “My goal will be to show how his doctrine of indwelling sin is deeply influenced by the theology of the Reformation and a Reformed understanding of the Gospel — and why it is essential to us as Christians today.”
Global Missions and the Treason of Conversion
“Throughout Scripture, when individuals convert, their communities often feel betrayed. To embrace the Triune God as Lord is to repudiate all other lords, identities, and systems. This decision, in the eyes of the world, amounts to treason. Treason. If true conversion is indeed a form of communal ‘treason,’ this has inestimable implications for the missionary task.”
Why Do We Count Down to the New Year?
Have you ever wondered why we count down to the new year? This article from Smithsonian explains where the tradition came from.
Did the Pandemic Wreck the Church?
This is America-centric but probably applies far beyond. “What effect will the coronavirus pandemic have on the future of American religion? Our country has not seen such a radical and abrupt shift in behavior in the last hundred years. Suddenly almost all churches, mosques, and synagogues in the U.S. suspended congregational meetings.”
Backing into 2022: Longing for the World-That-Was
“Normal was the way things were before. We knew the parameters, and we were accustomed to them. No one judged others by their medical decisions. When we wanted to go somewhere, we went without consulting the latest guidelines. We were aware that most media was designed to shape public opinion, but we could ignore it without consequence. We just lived.”
They Saw, But They Forgot
“Sometimes, no matter how many times we’ve read a Bible passage, it strikes us and sticks with us as a new revelation. It’s proof that ‘the word of God is living and active’.” Indeed…
Flashback: The Best Way to Begin a New Year
There is no better way to begin a new year than with the knowledge of your freedom and the desire to live for the glory of the one who has extended such grace. Christian, you are free and clear.

From the beginning, Christians have not defended ‘traditional values.’ They have stood for truth against prevailing cultural norms. —Nancy Pearcey

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

9 Things You Should Know About Events and Discoveries in 2021
This is a fun little roundup. “We live in an era of 24-hour news in which we’re constantly bombarded by information from websites, social media, and television. Yet despite this deluge, there are many fascinating news items you are likely to have missed. Here are nine such events and discoveries from 2021 that you may not have heard about.”
What People are Saying about 2022
“Have you noticed what people are saying about 2022? Me neither.” Is that better or worse than what people were saying this time last year?
What Was Paul’s Thorn in the Flesh?
Here’s an explanation of that mysterious thorn in the flesh that was so agonizing to Paul.
Are You Feeling In-Between? 
“The last week of December always feels a little like an in-between to me. It’s between holidays, months and years. Akin to adolescent years, somewhere between child and teenager, life has a lot of uncomfortable in-betweens…”
More Now Than Ever
This is the final part of a series meant to encourage Christians by reflecting on positive cultural trends.
Flashback: Strength = Good, Weakness = Bad
Jesus was weak. Paul rejoiced in his own weakness. And yet we are still afraid and ashamed to be weak. We would rather feign strength than admit weakness.

The eye is made both for seeing and weeping. Sin must first be seen, before it can be wept for. —Thomas Watson