The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you on this fine day.

Westminster Books has just discounted a favorite Christmas outreach resource. They’ve also put together an early Christmas gift guide.
There is a strong collection of Kindle deals to consider today.
How Can I Return to Normal Life After Tragedy?
John Piper answers a question from a grieving widow. “I think I can say, with some degree of certainty, that the more your life is embedded in or intertwined with what or whom you’ve lost — whether it’s your spouse, job, health, home, or child — then the more normal it is to feel disoriented and aimless.”
Proximity and Plausibility
“Why do self-described pro-life people still get abortions?” And beyond that, why do people behave in ways that counter their professed beliefs?
Sin in the Christian life
“Many years ago, when I was in seminary, I asked one of my professors what had surprised him most about the church when he had finished his own theological studies and had started serving in ministry. I will never forget his response. He said, ‘Guy, would you believe there is actually sin in the church!’” This leads to a look at Romans 7 and Paul’s statements there.
Don’t Be Like the Ant
“Don’t be like the ant who thought that it was his strong legs that pushed the log down the river. He overestimated.” Jim Elliff wants Christians to be cautious when evaluating the effects of their words and work.
The Temptation We Most Often Overlook
What is a temptation Christians may most often overlook in their own lives? Trevin suggests one here.
The Art of Sermon Illustrations
This is a very helpful article about sermon illustrations. Pastors and other teachers would do well to read and consider it.
Flashback: Life Is Fleeting
Scarcely do we draw our first breath before we draw our last. Scarcely do we open our eyes before we close them once more. Scarcely do we live before we die.

The good that I have received from my sorrows, and pains, and griefs, is altogether incalculable… Affliction is the best bit of furniture in my house. It is the best book in a minister’s library. —Charles Spurgeon

This sponsored post was povided by Reformation Heritage Books, and written by Dr. Joel Beeke, contributor to the Family Worship Bible Guide, to illustrate the call and benefits of studying the Bible in the home each day.

“Lead family worship with a firm, fatherly hand and a soft, penitent heart. Speak with hopeful solemnity. Expect great things from a great, covenant-keeping God.”
Family worship is a daily, intentional, sustained exercise of devotion of reading Scripture, of prayer, of discussing what you read, and singing the Psalms or the hymns of God with your family, with the purpose of training them, day by day, by day.The Family Worship Bible Guide aims to provide invaluable help to fathers (or in the absence of a godly father, mothers) who want to do daily, intentional family worship. The guide presents the two or three major, practical takeaways from each chapter in the Bible. It usually concludes with a question or two to start a conversation in the family. 
The Bible teaches us the whole counsel of God for what we should believe and how we should live. Thus, if you use this Family Worship Bible Guide regularly until you have gone through the whole Bible (an achievable goal over the span of a few years), you will have spoken with your family on nearly every important subject under the sun from a biblical, Reformed, experiential, and practical perspective. 
We are encouraged by the many fathers who have expressed how the Family Worship Bible Guide has transformed their family worship. Written by a team of preachers and pastors, it is like having a library of Bible applications at your fingertips. Even as a husband and father who has served as a gospel minister for decades, I must confess that, after reading certain chapters (such as Ezekiel 44), I do not know what to say in family worship. But this book is so helpful in applying every chapter of the Bible! And it excels in showing how the whole Bible points to Jesus Christ, the Mediator of grace. 
Therefore, I urge you to use the Family Worship Bible Guide as a powerful tool to assist you as you lead your family, by God’s grace, in daily worship, to know the Lord, worship Him together, and walk in His ways. You will also find it helpful for personal devotions or preparing devotional thoughts to share with friends or small groups. By the grace of God, the Family Worship Bible Guide will lead you into a deeper appreciation of the glorious reality that all Scripture is truly inspired of God and is profitable for teaching and training us in the whole Christian life.
Lead your family in worship.
Take responsibility, be a man, and lead your family in daily worship using the best possible guide. Get the Family Worship Bible Guide and start the journey now.

I mentioned yesterday that I’d make my recent “Getting the Most Out of Logos” webinar available for those who were not able to attend on Tuesday evening. We fixed up that portion where my screen went blurry, then uploaded it to Logos. It’s now there for you to view. On that same page, you can find the discount codes for both new purchases and upgrades. Those codes are valid until 11:59 PM on November 14.

I updated the ChristianBook.com deals page. There are lots of Bibles and books currently on sale.
(Yesterday on the blog: How To Draw Near To The Throne of Grace)
Christianity and Functional Liberalism (or How Evangelicalism Denies the Faith)
This is a lengthy and urgent article about what the authors see as a “rapid, cross-denominational apostasy” that has recently swept over the church.
Turning from God does not lead to a better society
This much shorter article considers that turning from God never leads to a better society. “Living according to the rules set by some god seems oppressive. It would be far better to live however we wanted, to worship (or not) as we felt like, and to just do what seemed best to us. Even for those who have grown up in the church, we can feel like those outside the church have a freer, easier life.”
The Church: A Family of Redemption
“The local church paints a picture of a greater reality: God takes broken people and makes them whole through the family of God. He has sent his son Jesus Christ to redeem a people—his people—to himself that they might enjoy him forever. This is an eternal and unfading family, but it’s also a family for the not-yet season that we live in.”
How Do You See People?
Sylvia writes about a topic I have been considering as well: the way we see other people. “I often see people with labels attached, and those tags may either dismiss or enlarge who they are in my esteem.”
Church Growth: The Place of Metrics in Evaluating Ministry
“Attending a conference, denominational synod, or church planting seminar, you do not have to wait long before you are discussing numbers and attendance. It’s not even that people specifically ask how big your church is. It is more that the question, ‘How’s it going?’ either has the implied meaning of ‘how many people are attending your church?’ or we instinctively answer with metrics.”
Church Planting
9Marks has released a new issue of their journal, this one dealing with church planting. There are many articles to read, all for free.
Flashback: Fears and Fleeting Faith
In their troubles they fled to Jesus. In their uncertainty they cried out to their master. But they came to him in fear and doubt, not in faith.

When in doubt, do nothing, but continue to wait on God. When action is needed, light will come. —J.I. Packer

Last week I spent an unexpectedly long time in small-town Alaska—in a town that revolves around commercial fishing. If you’ve seen shows like Deadliest Catch, you’ve seen Amaknak Island which forms part of the sprawling Aleutian chain. You’ve seen the town of Unalaska and its harbor, Dutch Harbor. You’ve seen the fleet that heads into the dangerous Bering Sea to fish for crab. You’ve seen the outsized characters who captain these boats and who man them.

We had the interesting experience of spending a couple of afternoons on one of these boats to see how crab is hauled up from the depths (and, later, how it is cleaned, cut, cooked, and devoured). The owners of the boat, a delightful Christian couple, were eager to show us their trade and to answer all of our questions. On Sunday we worshipped with their church as part of our Worship Round the World project. On Monday morning we prepared to head home. And then everything started to get strange.
As morning broke we saw that a deep, low fog had settled in and we learned that every flight to the mainland had been canceled. No ferries run this time of year and there is no other way off the island except to fly, so we would need to wait it out. The fog remained on Tuesday and flights were canceled again. On Wednesday a volcano that had erupted in Russia blew volcanic ash east over the Aleutians and flights were grounded for that reason. On Thursday a volcano in western Alaska erupted and spewed ash west over the Aleutians, once again grounding flights. How the same wind can blow ash both east and west I’ll never know! On Friday the bad weather returned, until finally Saturday was clear enough that planes could once again come and go.
The entire time we were in Unalaska we were the glad recipients of the very highest of Christian hospitality. We were well cared for and never lacked for anything. We had access to a beautiful house with stunning views out over Captain’s Bay. When the weather cooperated we drove around the island, enjoying and admiring its stark beauty. Yet even while we were content enough, we did spend a good bit of time praying that the weather would clear, that the volcanos would stop, and that we would be able to return to our own place and our own people. This was to be the final journey of many this year and we were all ready to be home.
In that nautical environment, I found myself thinking about an old illustration related to prayer in general and to Hebrews 4:16 in particular: “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” A theologian pondered how we can draw near to the throne of grace and what role prayer plays in this. He thought of a boat that was attached to the shore with a long rope. Once that boat was far out into the sea, the crew began to pull on the line. As the distance closed between land and boat, the sailors might have been tempted to think that they were drawing the land toward themselves. But, of course, the land did not move one inch. Rather, it was the boat that moved as it was steadily pulled toward the land.
And just like that, we are to attach our desires to God’s throne with prayer. We and our desires are the boat and prayer is the rope. And as we pull on the rope, which is to say, as we pray, we do not expect to move the throne toward ourselves. Rather, we expect that we will be drawn closer to the throne. We will not compel God to become more like us—our desires will not overwhelm God’s and our will will not supersede his. Rather, as we draw near, we will become more like him—our desires will become submitted to his and our will will yield to his. We will find ourselves in harmony with God and delight ourselves in his answer to our prayer, no matter what it is.
As we draw closer to God through prayer, as we come into closer conformity to God through earnest prayer, we will find ourselves satisfied with plenty or want, joy or sorrow, peace or turmoil. We will desire for ourselves what God desires for us. We will be at harmony with his will, at harmony with his purposes, and at harmony with his providence. We will have drawn near to his throne—we will have drawn near to him—and we will be content.

Thanks to all who attended last night’s webinar on Logos. Those who had pre-registered should have received a copy of the recording; if not, you will soon. For others, I will upload it to my YouTube channel and let you know when it is there. There are discount codes here for new purchases or for upgrades. (I had a bit of trouble with screen sharing–bear with the blurriness for a few minutes and you will see we work it out.)

Westminster Books has a new resource from John Frame on sale this week. (Note: it’s a revised and enhanced edition of his previous book Salvation Belongs to the Lord.)
You’ll find a nice collection of Christian and general market books over at the Kindle deals page.
Widows: The Untapped Resource in Your Church
I love this article. “Widows aren’t delicate knick-knacks to put on a shelf and dust every now and then; they’re vital ministers to be deployed in the life of the church. They can teach the church a great deal about faith, devotion, service, and prayer.”
Abraham and Abimelech
“I don’t want to alarm you, but the Bible is full of bad people. As I begin my second journey through the Holy Scriptures in a mere ten months, I am once again astonished by how wicked the main characters are.” Anne considers this and how it must impact people who read the Bible through a progressive lens.
Endless, Bottomless, Boundless Grace and Compassion
This is an especially sweet one from Sinclair Ferguson.
From Shadow to Substance: Aaronic Priesthood’s Transformation
“Let’s say you’re reading through Exodus and you get to chapter 40, where the Levitical priesthood is being described. There you read that Aaron and his sons were to be a ‘perpetual priesthood throughout their generations’ (Ex. 40:15). Wait, what? Perpetual? As in, never-ending—the opposite of temporary? If the Levitical priests are supposed to be perpetual, then how come we don’t have them in our churches?”
Will We Know Everything in Heaven or Will We Learn?
Will we know everything in heaven, or will be be constantly growing in knowledge? Randy Alcorn considers the biblical evidence.
Why Do We Get Baptized One Time but Take Communion Many Times?
“One specific point of confusion is whether baptism is a onetime event in the life of the believer and whether anyone—baptized or not—can take the Lord’s Supper. Even if certain Christians affirm that baptism can be received only once, they may not understand why, and they may not know whether the Lord’s Supper should be given to only those who have been baptized.”
Flashback: A Tribute to Those of Simple Faith
People of complex faith are prone to see apathy in those of simple faith, and people of simple faith are prone to see obsessiveness in those of complex faith. Both can grow weary and suspicious of the other.

The fact is, as believers, it is not about us. It is not about my happiness, my joy, my wellbeing. It is about the glory of God and the kingdom of Christ. The only means to real joy and contentment is to make His glory the supreme objective in my life. —Elisabeth Elliot

Good morning. Grace and peace to you today.

Here’s your final reminder that this evening at 6 PM EST I’ll be hosting a webinar called Getting the Most Out of Logos. The signup information is at the link. (Unrelated to that, Logos is having new sales each week this month and you can find this week’s selection here.)
You’ll find a couple of new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: What the Mightiest Man Could Never Do)
May the Force Be Ever In Your Favor
Mitch Chase bridges from a butchered movie quote to an interesting discussion of the way the New Testament quotes the Old Testament.
‘Paedobaptism Hath None’ Why Harvard’s First President Resigned
I was not familiar with Henry Dunster and the story of the big change in his theological convictions that led to all kinds of trouble.
Grow in Contentment through Worship
Colin Smith: “God has given you the ability to choose where you focus your attention. What are the good things about your family? What are the good things about your church, your work, your neighborhood? Bring these to mind, especially when you are inclined to complain, and as you do, you will learn to be content.”
Sometimes, no amount of evidence is enough
“It is not uncommon, nor unreasonable, for people to ask us for evidence of why we believe in Jesus. It is perfectly right and proper to give people a reason for the hope that is in us.” Yet as Stephen points out, sometimes no amount of evidence will ever suffice.
Maturity
Jimmy considers what does and what does not stand as evidence of growing spiritual maturity.
Sit With Your Anxiety
Craig uses a really vivid illustration to help us deal with life’s inevitable anxieties.
Flashback: Why We Can Rejoice that Marriage Will End
Marriage is a wonderful gift and today we thank God for it. But in that day we will praise him for bringing it to an end so we can experience something even better, the very thing it has been pointing us toward all along.

To them that are godly, evil things work for good; to them that are evil, good things work for hurt. —Thomas Watson

Everybody knew the local blacksmith. Everybody knew him because no matter where the townsfolk went, they could hear the sound of his hammer as it beat against the anvil. No matter where they were they could hear the sound of his bellows as it spurred the fire to burn and roar with fresh intensity. Day in and day out his sledge beat against the metal like the ticking of a clock, like the beating of a drum, like the ringing of a bell.

Men, women, and children alike would pause as they passed by his workshop—pause to watch him rain mighty but measured blows upon rods and bands of iron. His shoulders were broad, his arms thick, his hands strong. Villains feared him but good men respected him, for they knew he was honorable, they knew he was committed to using his strength for good. An occasional uppity young man might challenge him and attempt to best him, but he would inevitably make that youngster regret such rashness, for none could ever throw him to the ground or make him beg for mercy.
It happened on one otherwise unremarkable afternoon that a silence settled over that small town and the people soon realized that the blacksmith’s hammer had fallen silent. Slowly it registered in their consciousness that they could no longer hear it ringing out through the streets, no longer use it to measure the hours and the minutes. Those who gazed into his shop saw his hammer resting still beside the anvil, the fire burning low, the workshop devoid of life and activity. The blacksmith was nowhere to be found.
A few walked silently to his home and, gazing through the window, saw a scene they would never forget. The blacksmith was inside, lying on a cot, cradling his sick and feverish child. He held her as gently as could be, carefully dabbing a cloth against her forehead, his calloused hands softly brushing a tear from her eye. He sang her a quiet lullaby, his trembling voice soothing her sorrows and drawing her to sleep. And soon enough she slept, her little head resting comfortably on his mighty chest.
The people understood that this weak little girl had done what the mightiest man could never do—she had brought that blacksmith to the dust. She had taken his mighty hand in her little one and drawn him down, down in her weakness. She alone had caused him to stoop, she alone had brought him down to her level. Her weakness had proven to be her strength and now the strongest of all was soothing and tending the weakest of all.
And isn’t our Jesus just like that? He is the one through whom all things were created and the one through whom all things exist. He is the one who has been given all authority in both earth and heaven and the one who has been crowned King of kings. Yet he is the one who responds to our weakness rather than our strength, to our helplessness rather than our ability. He is the one who came to seek and save the lost, who came to gather to himself the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame, the one who came to respond in strength to those who know themselves weak. When we need his power, when we need his love, when we need his forgiveness, we can approach him weak and broken. Like a little child, we can take his hand and he will gladly be drawn down, he will joyfully stoop to hear us, to lovingly tend to us. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” he will remind us, “for theirs—for yours—is the kingdom of heaven.”

Inspired by F.B. Meyer and H.W. Longfellow

Good morning from Oakville, Ontario! After many days of flight cancelations due to fog and volcanic ash, conditions in Unalaska finally cleared on Saturday and we were able to make our way back to Canada. We are glad to be home.

Today’s Kindle deals include a selection from Crossway (plus a few others).
(Yesterday on the blog: A Day’s Journey)
How the Customer Review Changed the World
“Of all the web’s achievements, one of its greatest is surely the sheer freedom of access to information it has given to billions of people around the world who would probably otherwise have never come near it.” That access to information has given us abilities we didn’t have before (at least in the same way)—abilities like reviewing anything and everything.
The Table of the Lord
I don’t necessarily agree with this argument for celebrating the Lord’s Supper at an actual table—something that was the practice of the churches I grew up in—but I enjoyed reading and considering it nonetheless.
The Unexpected Blessing of a Rural Church
“As I sat on a hard wooden pew in a tiny church listening to the preacher, my heart raced and beads of sweat covered my forehead. I blushed as I looked to and fro like a trapped rabbit before a hound dog, afraid to be seen if I moved, but filled with a panicked desire to flee. Even in my guilt and shame, my ears and eyes fixated on the pastor as every word he spoke resonated with and pierced my soul.”
Mercilessness in the Name of Mercy
Trevin Wax explains how the very notion of “mercy” can be misused and exploited. “Christianity—in holding people responsible for their actions—ennobles the sinner. Christianity affirms the value of human life and the reality of human freedom. Holding someone accountable is an aspect of showing mercy, of saying, You are a man and not a beast.”
The Common Grace of Conscience
This is a bit of a refresher on the common grace that is the human conscience.
Our Prayer-Answering God (when He says wait)
“As we send up our petitions in Jesus’ name, He at times delights to answer ‘yes’ to our prayers. At other times, He chooses to bring Himself glory by asking us to wait for our requests. His timing is perfect, and it’s possible to wait patiently in His strength.”
Flashback: Solemnity and Celebration, Exclusivity and Inclusivity
The Lord’s Supper is an occasion that is both grave and joyful. Part of the solemnity of the Lord’s Supper is related to its exclusivity—some are told to stay away. Part of the celebration of the Lord’s Supper is related to its inclusivity—so many have been invited to join in.

There cannot be a heaven without Christ. He is the sum total of bliss, the fountain from which heaven flows, the element of which heaven is composed. —Charles Spurgeon