I recently read an article about the countless billions of dollars that have been saved and stored up outside the mainstream financial system. The author explained that many people have lost their confidence in banks and other institutions and have responded by finding alternative ways to protect their wealth. Some have kept it in the form of cash and hidden great stacks of bills in the walls of their homes or in the backs of their closets. Others have converted it to precious metals and locked it in home safes or buried it in the ground. Others have found still more ways to keep it and protect it.

I blame no one for being suspicious of the financial system and for pursuing alternatives. The purpose of the article was not to criticize these people, but to point out that such wealth is often not doing a great deal of good—it is not being traded, it is not being invested, it is not gaining interest, and if it’s in the form of cash, it’s not even keeping up with inflation. But again, that’s for each individual to decide.
I have little interest in what people do with their wealth, for each of us must do what we believe right with the means God has given us. But I do have a much greater interest in a related matter—what people do with their gifts.
It is clear from Scripture that God bestows upon each of us various gifts. Among them are the spiritual gifts he gives to Christians through which they can bless and serve one another, the gifts that come through our natural talents and inclinations, the gifts that come to us through the circumstances arranged by his providence, and undoubtedly many more. We are responsible for them all—responsible to put them to use for the good of others and the glory of God.
To put them to good use means we need to identify them, to foster them, and to deploy them. And that little article about the way people protect their wealth got me thinking about how many of our gifts and talents we have also “protected” without putting them to use. It forced me to consider how many of God’s gifts we have “buried,” how many we have failed to nurture and develop.
God has given you talents—things you may be unusually good at. Are you using these for his glory?
God has given you spiritual gifts he means for you to use in love and service to other believers. Have you identified the ways in which he may have gifted you?
God has bestowed upon you a greater-than-usual enthusiasm for a certain issue or cause. Are you pursuing it enthusiastically?
God has arranged providence to grant you joys and sorrows and he intends that these work themselves out in ministering to others. Have you accepted them as being from his hand and have you deployed them for his glory?
One of my daily prayers is, “I pray that this day I would use my gifts, talents, time, energy, and enthusiasm for the good of others and for your glory.” But I know that praying that I would use the gifts God has granted me is not the same as examining what other gifts God may have given or fostering development in the ones I’m certain he has. But what I do know is that I am responsible for each and every one of them—responsible be a faithful steward of all that God has entrusted to me.

Over the past couple of days I made the very long journey to Fiji where a friend has invited me to minister alongside him at a conference for pastors. Though I’m awfully tired, I’m also glad to be here and thankful for the opportunity. I’d appreciate your prayers that we’d minister faithfully and encourage well.

Today’s Kindle deals include the weekly collection from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: 7 Beautiful Things)
Yelling from the Sidelines
“There are ministers that are in the trenches: preaching, teaching, discipling, counseling, and serving Jesus in the church. And there are those who want to be called ministers, but merely criticize from the sidelines, while always yelling: ‘Reformation! Reformation!’”
Should I Charge Other Christians for My Expertise?
I appreciate John Piper’s handling of this question about whether Christians should allow themselves to be “used” when they have a particularly in-demand skill.
In the End, There Are Yellow Tulips
Madelyn has a lovely piece of writing here. “It was one of the hardest days of my life, but it didn’t offer time to sit and really process the pain I felt and the loss I’d been dealt. There were things to do and people depending on me to do them. I’d put on the dress, the lipstick, and taken an ibuprofen to help ease the headache you get after crying too hard for too long.”
You are the horse: low-bar evangelism strategy
This article grabs a metaphor from show jumping of all places and uses it to discuss evangelism.
Andrew Thorburn is Lawyering Up: I Think That’s the Right Move
Stephen McAlpine tells why he thinks Andrew Thorburn is doing the right thing as he lawyers up and I think I’m inclined to agree. At least, I’m not sure I could say he’s doing the wrong thing. “Essendon’s CEO-for-a-day Andrew Thorburn has engaged with lawyers and is reserving the right to sue the Essendon Football Club.”
How to Glorify God with Professional Accomplishment
“Most Christians are not called to full-time ministry, but each of us is still under the obligation to glorify God in whatever we do. So what do you do when you have personal success in your vocation? How can you glorify God with any professional accomplishment you might have?”
Flashback: Saved By the Quivering Of an Eye-Lid
F.B. Meyer used to tell a story that, while it sounds perhaps just a little far-fetched, makes a great point. He would use it when appealing to unbelievers to repent of their sin and believe the gospel…

In many homes the sorrow over the living is greater far than that for the dead who have passed to sweet rest. —J.R. Miller

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. “Still” by Steven Curtis Chapman. I have been impacted by Steven Curtis Chapman’s music at different points in life, and most recently by his new song “Still.”

You led me high up the mountain to showed me the viewAnd said “Wherever this journey takes youJust trust me, I’m already there”I had no way of knowin’ thenJust how hard the rain would fall and how fierce would be the windIt’s been beautiful and terrible, more painful, more wonderfulThan I ever could have known, but even soStill, I’m gonna singAbout the One who’s given life to me…

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2. This shirt from Westminster Books:

3. Basics Conference. People often ask me what one conference I would most recommend. For pastors, at least, I would almost always say Basics (which is hosted by Alistair Begg at Parkside Church in Chagrin Falls, Ohio). It is a great mix of plenary teaching, breakouts, and meals, all at a relatively relaxed pace. They cap attendance so it also has a smaller feel than some of the events that are otherwise similar. Registration has just opened and will almost certainly sell out.
4. Handel’s Messiah. I used to make an annual pilgrimage to Toronto’s Roy Thompson Hall  to take in a performance of Handel’s Messiah. A couple of years ago, during the pandemic, they chose to create and perform a new and updated version that featured transgender soloists, a gay male baritone (who performed in stilettos while standing on a rainbow) and updated lyrics such as “She was a woman of sorrows, acquainted with grief.” It was horrific (and, thankfully, only shown online). Since then I have been gun-shy and haven’t returned. But I do still listen to many of the best performances through Apple Music and watch them through YouTube, especially this time of year. Messiah gets more wondrous and more beautiful with every passing year. 
5. Love. As we passed the second anniversary of Nick’s death, we found the day easier than we may have expected. As we talked about it later we concluded that it may have been because we felt so well-loved. So many people reached out to express their love and care for us and that was a tremendous encouragement to us. I’m so thankful for love—love expressed from family members, friends, and even strangers. It’s a beautiful thing to be loved.
6. iPad Pro. I try to stick with a three-year plan in which I update my phone and iPad (which is all I take when I travel—I don’t use a laptop) every three years. This was my year to swap out my old iPad for a new one. Doing this every three years (which is relatively seldom by today’s standards) means that every new device is a big leap over the last one. And that was true this year. Even after all these years, I’ve never lost the wonder of the power of these devices we tend to take for granted.
7. Fall colors. I know I mentioned this last time, but the colors were particularly beautiful this year and lasted an unusually long time. Or maybe it just chose to notice them this year—we can be like that, can’t we? Along the way Michaela’s photography class had a little contest to see who could take the best fall photo. She snapped a neat little photo that was eventually selected as the winner. Here it is:

My gratitude goes to Ligonier Ministries for sponsoring the blog this week. They’ve got a free book on Luther, a Reformed theology bundle, and R.C. Sproul’s commentary on Galatians they’d like to tell you about.

Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older titles.
Why Study Church History?
“If church history does not get your blood pumping, you had better check your spiritual pulse.” That’s how Jon Payne begins his article about why you should study church history.
A Grandmother’s Heart for Her Loved Ones
Patsy Kuipers explains how she influences her children and grandchildren.
The Tyranny of Sin
“Seldom do we think about sin with as much seriousness as we should, but its destruction is all around us. Its effects devastate both those we love and those we consider enemies. Quite often, we play with sin as if it were a favored pet that could never turn on us, but in reality, the only reason we think little of it is because it has already sunk its teeth into us and has us under its sway.”
God’s Work and Our Work, Hand in Hand
Ryan uses the illustration of a child learning to walk to explain a spiritual reality.
Six Reasons to Persevere through Pain As We Groan for Glory
“As I was thinking about life and counseling recently, I thought to myself, ‘It’s just not pretty, is it?’ So much sin within and pain without. So many ways to feel lost, stuck, and discouraged. I thought about my own sins and failures, my limitations and clumsiness as a counselor, health issues as I get older, and my struggle to love people well. And since I am privileged as a counselor to share in the struggles of many others, my own list is multiplied exponentially.”
God’s Ministry to the Disappointing
“I loathe disappointment. I really don’t like being disappointed, but I’m a thousand times more averse to causing disappointment in others. The worst is when it hits me by surprise. When this happens, my inner world can come to a halt, and I can easily become fixated on it, analyzing what happened and how to address it.”
Flashback: Solemnity and Celebration, Exclusivity and Inclusivity
With the warning for some to stay beyond the fence is the invitation for others to enjoy the rewards of abiding within it.

God has written a heavenly, perfect story for us that will start the moment our story in this world ends. It’s a story that will never end, and it will be so good we’ll never want it to end. —David Murray

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Ligonier Ministries, who also sponsored the blog this week.

 Sometimes one word is all that stands between the truth and a lie, between life and death. In the Reformation, that word was sola, “alone.” Ligonier Ministries is giving away free copies of the ebook The Heart of the Reformation, a new 90-day devotional on the five solas of the Protestant Reformation. This ebook is available for all Challies readers to download for free, and ten Free Friday winners will receive the paperback edition.
Learn more about the book here.

TO ENTER
Fill out the form below for your chance to win one of 10 free editions of The Heart of the Reformation. This will add you to Ligonier Ministries’ mailing list.

One entry per household. Open to residents of U.S. and Canada only. Giveaway ends November 11th, 2022. Winners will be notified by email.

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Two Years Later: What Aileen Is Thankful For)
The Message of Hurricane Ian
“For with all of the advancements of man, for all our technology and knowledge, weather reminds us that we are small, frail, and weak. We cannot summon the sun to shine. We cannot tame the wind. We cannot command the rain to fall—or command it to stop falling. God can and does.”
Negative World Arrives in Australia
This is an interesting one from Jake Meador. “It didn’t take long, but we can now say that Aaron Renn and James Wood have been vindicated. Their recent analyses of our cultural moment and strategies for Christian cultural engagement have been proven right by recent events in Australia. I refer, here, to Andrew Thorburn and his rapid departure from a high-profile role at one of Australia’s most prestigious professional sporting clubs.”
New: R.C. Sproul’s Commentary on Galatians
When false teachers were creeping into churches and undermining the gospel, the Apostle Paul wrote an unyielding defense of God’s saving grace in Christ. This month, you can receive Galatians: An Expositional Commentary by R.C. Sproul, based on his sermons, for a donation of any amount in support of Ligonier Ministries. This new book guides us through Paul’s letter and encourages us to stand firm for the good news that we are justified by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. (Sponsored Link)
4 Questions about Headship and Head Coverings
Kevin DeYoung takes on a series of tricky questions about headship and head coverings.
Three Lessons on Language from Watching BBC Shows
I am enjoying Mark Ward’s lighthearted but still serious videos about the KJV (and, particularly, about KJV-onlyism).
Uncapturable
This is a helpful reflection. “I’ve taken to walking in the hills below Birmingham for a few hours every month or so. I take myself off to the woods with a notebook, the Psalms, and a travel mug of coffee, and I go on a walk with Jesus. Which in less religious language means that I pray while I walk around and look at the beauty of the forest.”
Letter to a Young Convert
Wes Bredenhof shares a classic letter to a young convert.
Flashback: Four Key Principles of Repentance
While no sin is so small that it brings anything less than condemnation, there is no sin so great that it can bring damnation upon the believer. What a glorious truth, a glorious confidence!

The gospel does not just give purpose to life. The gospel is life itself. —Alistair Begg

I have said a lot about Nick over the past two years. I have written a lot articles and done quite a number of interviews and even published a book. And I have been aware all the while that I can only speak to a small part of our loss, for there were many people who loved Nick and many who lost him. Today is the second anniversary of his death and I asked Aileen if she felt ready to write something. She said she did, and so today I am turning things over to her.

❖
When I was in Nashville for the Seasons of Sorrow book launch, Tim was asked several times “how are your wife and daughters doing?” It was asked often enough that, upon reflection, I think people understand that Tim has been nuancing the way he talks about my experience with grief as well as that of our girls. He has been very careful to only give voice to his experience of the last few years, and to word it in such a way that people don’t assume that the rest of the family’s experience necessarily matches his. I love him for this, and appreciate it very much. After all, Tim’s story is only part of the story. That’s because a dad’s grief is different from a mom’s grief. This makes sense. God has created each person to be unique which means each person’s experience of grief is unique. Each person’s relationship with the deceased is different as well, and this lends itself to differences in how each person grieves him. Adding another layer of complexity, each circumstance of loss is different as well. As we hear from people who have lost loved ones, I am continually struck by how different and unique each situation is, how grief shows differently in each person and each circumstance. This must be another example of how we are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Tim recently asked if for the second anniversary of Nick’s death I would be willing to write something about it—something that may help answer the question of how I am doing.
I was told it would probably take about two years before I felt anything close to back to normal, and it very much feels like the end of year two is the beginning of a new season. Because of this, it feels appropriate to look back and ponder what I am thankful for.
I am thankful for God preparing me.
God has been kind. He gave us one of the hardest things and yet he also gave so much to help us survive. Looking back, I now see how he prepared me years ago to weather such a storm. He blessed me by giving me a bedrock of theology that in my weakest moment I had to simply deploy. I can see how he gave us what we needed moment by moment to continue to walk in faith through such suffering. When nothing felt true, when God didn’t feel kind, when he didn’t feel good, when he didn’t feel just, I had a choice: I could choose to believe what my heart and my emotions were telling me—that God was cruel, unkind and unjust—or I could choose to believe what my mind knew to be true of God’s character and trust that eventually my emotions would catch up to my brain. There are days when this is still a struggle, but I have learned not to trust my feelings. Emotions cannot inform truth. Rather, truth must inform emotions. God didn’t abandon us, he walked with us and prepared us.  I had to choose to see his presence, but he was there.  I am so thankful in his mercy he prepared me.
I am thankful for God’s sovereignty.
God’s sovereignty is both comforting and terrifying at the same time. I think in the abstract I knew the Lord could choose to do anything he wanted in our lives. But suddenly, on November 3, I learned dramatically that he actually will do anything. Even so, I am so thankful God is in control. This situation would be only worse if God had no control over it. God had every right to chose this for us. I may not much like it, but I know he has purpose in it. As humans we seem to have a driving need to understand why things are happening. It makes us feel better if we can attribute a specific purpose to the hardships we are experiencing. But the reality is that in our human weakness and frailty, God has not given us that ability. We can guess, we can suspect, but we cannot know. God instead gives us knowledge of his sovereignty, and asks us to trust, by faith, that all things work together for our good and his glory. How this is true in Nick’s death I do not know. I don’t expect to ever know, on this earth, the full purpose of this suffering in our lives. But, I do know one day it will all make sense. I can wait, patiently, trusting in God’s character. I am thankful he sees the big picture, that he is in control of all things, and that nothing happens outside his will. I am thankful that God is sovereign.
I am thankful this is temporary.
I also know that as hard as this is, it is all temporary. Initially we divided the days up by doing the next hard thing. That might have been the call to the coroner or the call to the funeral home. It might have been picking out clothing or packing up belongings. But for a long while our life was divided into segments, defined by the next hard thing we had to do. As time has gone on those hard things have grown further apart. Even so, the reality is we will always have the next hard thing we have to do. Life in this fallen world dictates it. But one day, there will no longer be the next hard thing. I am so thankful that this world is not our home. Until that day, when the Lord calls me home, my job on this earth is not yet done. So I will wait patiently, enduring what I need to until one day there will be no more mourning, no more crying or pain, and every tear will be wiped away and death shall be no more. I am so thankful this is temporary.
Lastly, I am thankful I got to be Nick’s mom.
I have wanted to tell you all about Nick, but as I began to write this out I found that I still can’t. Another time perhaps, when the pain is a little less raw, when my heart hurts just little bit less, I’ll be able to share a bit more about my firstborn, the one who first made me a mom. God in his mercy gave me a son who brought light and joy to my life for 20 years. Despite all the sadness, I am so very thankful I got to be a mom to my Nick.
A few days after Nick’s death I wrote to a friend of mine and I expressed my longing for the day joy would return. I knew logically that one day it would come, but looking forward all I could see was heartache and sorrow. These have been hard, hard days. But God in his kindness and mercy has sustained us. We have grieved and mourned and wept. But as the two-year mark draws to a close, I am seeing that joy return—joy that is less tainted by sorrow. I am thankful. God has been present. And I think I will end here as I have ended every note I have written in the last two years: God is still good.
This is a special photo as it captured the first moment Nick began to respond to Aileen and ‘talk’ back to her.

Grace and peace to you, my friends.

Westminster Books is having an Advent Sale on books related to Christmas. There are lots of good choices there.
(Yesterday on the blog: If God Is Not Sovereign…)
How Christians can think about the epidemic of online gambling and sports betting
I guess I’m not the only one who has noticed sports betting suddenly showing up everywhere! “Given the ubiquity of sports betting in our digital society, it is likely that you or someone you know well is gambling or is struggling with addictive behavior. In light of the addictive and predatory nature of gambling, how should the Church respond to this growing epidemic in light of the biblical ethic?”
Don’t let fear of a social gospel put you off doing good works socially
This is important: “Most people don’t actively hate us, they broadly nothing us. But what they do know about us, or think they know about us, is often not positive. Which means we are starting from behind with many people. They aren’t chomping at the bit to hear our gospel message of salvation. Some think they’ve heard it all before (but we know they haven’t) or think they know what we’re about already and aren’t that keen.”
5 Things You Should Know about Justification
William Godfrey: “While this doctrine is of tremendous theological importance and can be a subject of deep scholarly study, here are five truths all God’s people should know about the doctrine of justification.”
Do Paul and Jesus disagree? (Video)
Some people are sure they see disagreements between the teaching of Jesus and Paul. Guy Waters explains why that’s not the case.
Why Do the Theologians Rage?
“We watch Paul’s warning in Galatians 5:15 unfold: ‘But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.’ Hyperbole, straw-manning, and intellectual suspicion poison the tongues of some of our most popular theologians. Why have theological leaders given in to cultural division? What can we do about it?”
Plugged In?
This article employs a metaphor to help us understand why we so desperately need the Holy Spirit.
Flashback: Do You Have the Faith to be Faithful?
Today I want to consider what it means to have an exemplary faith, the kind of faith that, if imitated by others, will lead them to become more like Christ. Do you have that kind of faith? If people imitate you, will they in fact be imitating Jesus? This is no small challenge!

The will of God is always good; but the fact is, his will remains always inscrutable to us mere mortals. —Harold Senkbeil

Christians speak often of God’s sovereignty. Reformed Christians speak very often of God’s sovereignty. God’s sovereignty refers to his presence in this world, his authority over this world, and his control within this world. God owns and oversees his creation to such a degree that nothing happens apart from his knowledge, apart from his will, apart from his wisdom. There is nothing we are given that does not in some way pass through his hands.

As we speak of God’s sovereignty we have to ensure that we do not speak of it only theoretically, that we do not relegate it purely to the realm of the intellectual, for it is no mere abstract doctrine but one that is sweet and precious and ought to be close to the heart of every Christian. This is a doctrine that gives us hope in every sorrow, that lends meaning to every pain, that gives confidence in every circumstance.
Perhaps it is good to consider some of what would be true if God is not sovereign.
If God is not sovereign we cannot be confident in our salvation. We cannot trust that his gospel is the only true gospel, that his salvation is effective, that his way is the right way. For if he is not sovereign, the will of another being may supersede his, the plan of another may outrival his, the word of another may take precedence over his. Unless God is sovereign, our very salvation is in doubt.
If God is not sovereign we cannot be confident that there is meaning in our suffering. We have no assurance that the difficulties we endure are actually consistent with his will and that he is actually bringing good from bad, light from darkness, laughter from tears. Unless God is sovereign we have no reason for hope as we look to the future and no reason for trust that God will prove that all we’ve endured is but a light and momentary affliction when compared to the great weight of glory to come.
If God is not sovereign we cannot be confident in evangelism. We will be prone to take credit when others believe the message and prone to take blame when others fail to believe it. We will be prone even to take credit for our own salvation, for if God is not sovereign, than perhaps we are.
If God is not sovereign we cannot be confident that we will remain in the faith. We have no assurance that we will not be swayed by another teaching, that we will not be drawn away by another faith. We have no assurance that God will be proven true when he says, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Unless God is sovereign, another powerful being may compel us to reject the faith and be lost forever.
If God is not sovereign we cannot be confident that Christ will return. Though God has promised that Christ will be revealed from heaven and the mighty angels with him, what if another being with greater authority can shut down God’s plan or deny God’s desire? Unless God is sovereign we look to the future with uncertainty rather than confidence, with hope that is shaky and trepidatious rather than firmly fixed.
But if God is sovereign, we can be confident in our salvation, confident that there is meaning in our suffering, confident that our evangelism will be effective, confident that we will remain in the faith, confident that Christ will return, confident in all God is, in all he does, in all he says, in all he has promised. Our faith is rightly fixed in the God who, in the majestic words of the Heidelberg Catechism, “upholds, as with his hand, heaven and earth and all creatures, and so rules them that leaf and blade, rain and drought, fruitful and lean years, food and drink, health and sickness, prosperity and poverty—all things, in fact, come to us not by chance but from his fatherly hand.”

The Lord be with you and bless you today.

There is once again a very significant list of Kindle deals. We are spoiled.
Logos users, you’ll want to look at this long list of commentaries for only $7.99 each. And, of course, you can look at the free and nearly-free books of the month.
I’m very thankful for Benjamin Vrbicek’s review of Seasons of Sorrow: “Well Done, Good and Faithful Dad.” And by way of reminder, if you have read and enjoyed the book, it would mean a lot if you’d leave a review or star-rating at Amazon.
Satan Hates Him
“Some years ago, I wrote about a blind spot in contemporary theology. In our church, we have just enjoyed a series about the Holy Spirit. In preaching this series, my mind has returned to this apparent blind spot. Yes, we know that Satan hates Jesus, marriage, and evangelism. But perhaps we should also consider his hatred for the Holy Spirit.”
A Christian audiobook narrator
I appreciated this brief tribute to a man whose voice I’ve heard more than just about any other–the voice of David Heath, who read the ESV. There’s a free audiobook to download at the end.
Reformed Theology eBook Bundle
What is Reformed theology, and how does it affect our lives as Christians? This week, you can request four ebooks by R.C. Sproul for a donation of any amount in support of Ligonier Ministries’ gospel outreach. Together, these ebooks present you with a faith that is centered on God’s grace, based in His inerrant Word, and committed to the saving work of His Son, Jesus Christ. (Sponsored Link)
Sometimes, We Need to Read Graciously: 3 Pieces of Counsel for the Christian Reader
“Having been recipients of God’s grace, we sometimes need to show more grace as Christians. Perhaps I should rephrase that comment to say as a recipient of God’s grace, I need to show more grace. Without a doubt, I am not near as gracious as I ought to be.” This leads to a helpful discussion about reading graciously.
New patterns
Susan recounts the days of moving into a new country and establishing new patterns.
Hymn of the Day
If you enjoy hymns, you might want to make this site a daily visit. It shares a hymn, its story, and a recording each day.
Flashback: How To Lead and How To Follow
Each of us is called to lead and to follow in a distinctly Christian way. According to Jesus’s Golden Rule, that must look something like this: Lead in the way you’d want to be led; follow in the way you’d want to be followed.

Sin is a boring routine, not a fresh excitement. The fast lane becomes an old rut. Evil never lends itself to originality. —Dale Ralph Davis