Blessings to you on this fine day!

(Yesterday on the blog: Idolatry is Futility)
What Are the Charismatic Gifts?
This is a respectful and charitable (yet also distinctly cessationist) perspective on the charismatic gifts.
Why Do Christians Make Such a Big Deal about Sex?
“Whenever people ask me why Christians are so weird about sex, I first point out that we’re weirder than they think.” Rebecca McLaughlin explains.
The Bitter Splinters of Marburg
Michael Haykin: “When we think of the issues debated during the German Reformation, we think of matters such as justification and the authority of the Scriptures. But as contentious as these primary issues were, the nature of the Lord’s Supper was also heavily debated. Is Christ present at the Table? And if so, how? That’s what Luther and Zwingli came to debate.”
People Pleasing is a Shapeshifter
“Several years ago, it dawned on me that I was no longer obsessed with other people’s approval. I had grown strong enough in my identity as an image-bearer of God that I no longer craved constant affirmation. Of course, it was still nice when I got it, but I didn’t need it to validate my worth. I had attained the unattainable: I was no longer a People Pleaser. It felt freeing. I must be a pretty mature Christian. To God be the glory and all that good stuff.” However…
What Job Titles Should Churches Use? Two Simple Rules
Jonathan Leeman: “In case you missed it, the Southern Baptist Convention got into a bit of a tussle at this year’s annual meeting over the definition of the word ‘pastor.’ What provoked the tussle was the fact that in recent years Saddleback Community Church, a SBC church, installed several women as pastors. This seems to contradict the SBC’s statement of faith, The Baptist Faith & Message 2000.”
A Savior Who Knows What It Is to Weep
Colin Smith wants to assure you that “God is always intimately involved in the grief of His people.”
Flashback: It’s All About the Conscience
Our task as spiritual physicians is to treat bad consciences, continually delivering the healing balm of the living word of God and his life-giving sacraments.

I have given God countless reasons not to love me. None of them have been strong enough to change Him. —Paul Washer

We are all prone to idolatry. We may consider ourselves far too advanced to bow before an idol of wood or stone, to bend the knee to the image of an animal or man. But none of us is immune from bowing before the idols of our dreams and desires, before the idols of our wandering hearts. None of us can forever resist the allure of our illicit longings, of finding hope in mere riches, of finding meaning in mere accolades. In one way or another we are all prone to idolatry. And idolatry is futility.

In the prophecies of Isaiah we hear the voice of God as he rebukes the nation of Israel for its commitment to idols. He challenges the people to consider the cost of turning away from the God who called them, the God who saved them, the God who loves them. “When you cry out,” he says, “let your collection of idols deliver you!”
He knows the day will come when his people will face a great calamity. He knows the day will come when his people will understand that they cannot save themselves. And in that time, he tells them, they ought to be consistent and cry out to their idols for help, for deliverance, for satisfaction. Cry out to those pieces of wood, cry out to those blocks of stone, and let them come to your rescue!
And what will happen? “The wind will carry them all off, a breath will take them away.” In that day when they, in desperation, cry out for deliverance, they will see the futility of their idolatry, for their gods will be unable to stand before the smallest breeze, the merest breath, the tiniest puff of wind.
We may roll our eyes at the Israelites for being so easily swayed by Baal and Asherah and Molech. We may regard them with mockery for thinking these imaginary gods could ever have interceded on their behalf, could ever have come to their rescue, could ever have been worthy of their worship. But with a moment’s honesty we need to admit that we are just as easily swayed. With a moment’s introspection we need to consider the cost of our own idolatry.
“When you cry out, let your collection of idols deliver you!” he said to Israel. And perhaps to us he says:
When you encounter times of deep grief and sore loss and long to be comforted, let the women of your pornography rush to your side. Let them minister to your sorrows.
When you are old and infirm and need someone to care for you or simply care about you, let your career come to your side and nurse you. Let it bring you comfort as you prepare to face eternity.
When you have sinned and transgressed and long for someone to love you and walk with you through repentance and restoration, let the characters in the books or movies or games that so consumed your time be with you. Let them be the friend who sticks closer than a brother.
When you have been treated unjustly, forsaken by those who ought to love you and care for you, let your money hasten to your side. Since you have prioritized wealth ahead of relationships, let your bank account and cars and holiday homes rush your cause and come to your rescue.
But God does not leave his people without hope. There is hope even for the idolater if only he is willing to repent, if only he is willing to turn to the God who saves. “But he who takes refuge in me,” says God, “shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy mountain.” It is never too late to turn to God, never too late to cry out to him for help and deliverance, never too late to flee to the one who is—and will always be—our refuge.

Parents will be glad to know that Westminster Books has launched a new site, Westminster Kids, that’s all about kids’ books.

Today’s Kindle deals include a collection of books for women from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: I Pray That This Sinner May Be Saved)
When “If You Give a Mouse a Cookie” Is All the Logic Left
This is a thought-provoking article. “We don’t want complex syllogisms, but compelling stories. The degree to which gripping narratives embody logical syllogism is the degree to which we are willing to think logically. Our field of reasoning goes only so far as the stories take us, and no further.”
Prioritizing Evangelism
Mez McConnell: “Many Christians behave like the Jews. They keep Jesus to themselves. They want to keep the gospel within their tribe, so they hide it, willingly or unwillingly, from sections of society they either fear or don’t understand.”
Pushing back against barbarism
Carl Trueman: “The recent controversy surrounding Brittany Kerr Aldean’s comments about transgenderism has garnered considerable media attention, culminating in her husband, country star Jason Aldean, parting ways with his public relations firm of seventeen years.”
When Spiritual Routines Get Boring
Barbara writes about those times when spiritual routines get boring.
Mom, Jesus Is Praying for You
“How often do we mother from our own strength and resolve? In other words, how often do we forget that Jesus serves us far beyond our initial conversion?” Kristen asks the questions and offers some encouragement to moms.
Involuntarily Sent
This missionary describes a recent crisis that hit their church particularly hard.
Flashback: The Duties Required by the Ninth Commandment in a Social Media World
With the rise of modern communications technologies, and especially social media, I am convinced we need to diligently apply ourselves to a fresh consideration of all this commandment requires of us.

A sinner does not ‘decide’ for Christ; the sinner ‘flies’ to Christ in utter helplessness and despair. —Martyn Lloyd-Jones

We all know people who don’t know the Lord and, therefore, we all know what it is to plead for their salvation. This prayer by Philip Doddridge is drawn from Tim Chester’s new collection Into His Presence and gives words that can perhaps guide you in your prayers of supplication.

Almighty God, with you all things are possible. To you therefore I humbly apply myself on behalf of this dear immortal soul, this person who is perishing in their sins, and hardening themselves against that everlasting gospel which has been the power of God to the salvation of so many thousands and millions.
Oh, that after all their hardness and impenitence, you would still be pleased, by the sovereign power of your effectual grace, to awaken and convert them! You who made the soul can cause the sword of conviction to enter it. Oh, that in your infinite wisdom and love you would find a way to intervene, and save this sinner from death, from eternal death! You know, O God, they are a dying creature. You see a moment marked in the book of your decrees which will seal them up in an unchangeable state. Oh, that you would lay hold on them while they are still part of the living! Oh, let your sacred Spirit work while they are still within the sphere of his operations.
Work, O God, by whatever method you choose; only have mercy upon them so they do not sink into the depths of damnation and ruin, on the very brink of which they so evidently appear. Oh, that you would bring them, if that be necessary, and seem to you most expedient, into any depths of calamity and distress. Glorify your name, O Lord, and glorify your grace, in the method which your infinite wisdom shall deem most expedient. Only grant, I pray you, with all humble submission to your will, that this sinner may be saved.
To him who has loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and has made us kings and priests to God, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.
Amen.

Also, I think most or all audiobooks on Amazon/Audible are 65% off for a few days. Start here, then search for the audiobook you want. You may just find a good deal on it.

If you’re after something for your daily devotions (in printed, not audio format) perhaps take a look at this new David Powlison devotional.
Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older books.
(Yesterday on the blog: When Church Leadership Goes Wrong)
Be Angry and Do Not Sin
Ed Welch considers what it means to be angry yet not sin. “The problem is that we are happy to exploit what seems to be a legal loophole. Anger, in its very nature, is self-justifying. My anger is righteous; your anger is not. So if we are to find some righteous wiggle room here, we must proceed very carefully.”
Rejoice (Video)
The Gettys released a new album yesterday that is well worth a listen. One of the top tracks on it is “Rejoice” which features Rend Collective.
Uprooting Bitterness
Paul Tautges is doing some writing on bitterness. “Bitterness was taking root, confirming to me that their sin was greater than mine. The wrong they did to us is more serious than my failure to trust God, I thought. For months, I prayed in anger and lacked self-awareness of what was happening inside me.”
What REALLY Happened at Nicaea
I appreciate these Red Pen Logic videos that quickly answer common objections to Christianity, like this one which claims that the canon of Scripture was established at Nicaea.
When You Can’t Meet Every Need
I appreciate what Lauren says here about her inability to meet all the needs of all the people in her family. “‘I can’t meet all of their needs, but I can meet this one.’”
To the “Young and Inexperienced” Counselor
“I am 27 years old. I’m not married and I don’t have children. I’m not a pastor or a deacon. These are usually the first things I tell my counselees because they are surprised at my youth when they walk into my counseling room. I can tell that their first thought is, ‘how can this young man help me with my circumstances when he hasn’t experienced what I’m experiencing?’”
Flashback: Maintaining Confidence in the Process
We overestimate what God will do in us over a year, but underestimate what God will accomplish in us through a lifetime of submitting ourselves to his process, to his great means of sanctification. Though it’s right to be harsh with our sin, it’s also right to be patient with our growth.

I don’t always feel His presence. But God’s promises do not depend upon my feelings; they rest upon His integrity. —R.C. Sproul

Over the past few years we have witnessed quite a number of leadership failures within the church. We have learned of pastors who have used their position to enrich themselves, to use their prominence to run roughshod over others, to use their prestige to feed their flesh. Some of these failures have been shocking, some almost expected. Some of these failures have been public, some very quiet. But each of them has, in its own way, been grievous and harmful. Each of them shows that, at times, leadership can go tragically wrong.

Powerful Leaders? is a book about what happens when Christian leadership goes wrong. “Today’s culture has become deeply sensitive to issues of power imbalance, misuse of authority and manipulation,” says Marcus Honeysett, and this puts an increased onus on faithful Christian leaders to ensure they are leading well—and to ensure they are avoiding the snares that seem to have entrapped so many others. “My aim is modest,” he says. “I hope to sketch a map of the slippery slope of power – the path that runs from good intentions, via lack of accountability and transparency, down into manipulation and self-serving, all the way to the most serious abuses – and put up some ‘turn back’ signs.” In other words, he wants to help leaders identify some of the points at which they may prove to go terribly wrong and to turn them back before it’s too late.
There is little doubt that within the church there are some “wolves in shepherd’s clothing”—leaders who know full well they are not Christians and who are deliberately playing the part in order to serve themselves at the expense of others. But it is my conviction, and Honeysett’s, that the majority of leaders who eventually go wrong set out with good desires and noble motives. Their good intentions were not enough to protect them from eventually abusing their power and misusing their authority. Some of them may have even behaved in abusive ways without knowing they were doing so. Yet “lack of intention doesn’t remove culpability. The heart is deceitful, and we are never fully aware of our own motives.”
Anyone who is in a position of leadership needs to consider whether he is in danger of misusing power and position. That is true whether the position is formal or informal and whether he leads individuals, churches, organizations, or movements. Anyone should humbly consider whether he may be falling for some common traps. And that is exactly what this book is all about.
In part one of Powerful Leaders?, Honeysett provides some biblical patterns of healthy leadership, emphasizing that truly Christian leadership is a form of servanthood that is directed at the good of others. “The heart of leadership is joining with the work of the Holy Spirit in forming Christ-besotted worshippers.” He offers four key features of leadership that can “ensure that leaders remain godly and avoid misuse of position and power.” They are accountability, plurality, transparency, and embodiment in the local church community. Both power (the ability to act) and authority (the right to act) are good gifts of God, but ones that can be wielded poorly and bring about great harm. Hence he writes about a healthy kind of authority that is concerned more for discipleship than for coercion, more for the good of the ones being led than the pride or enrichment of the one who is leading.
In part two he covers the slippery slope that so commonly causes leaders to become manipulative or abusive. “I think few people actively set out to become a wolf or a Matthew 6-type hypocrite (although I have unfortunately met one or two). Nevertheless, some who set out to be servants morph at some point into wolves. Where do they go wrong and how does it happen? Is it possible to take the first steps into misuse of position and power completely unawares?” Through several chapters he introduces and describes a five-stage spectrum of leadership beliefs and practices that proceeds from the legitimate use of authority, to illegitimate use of authority, and eventually to serious abuses of authority. He shows how leaders can subtly slip from stage to stage, often for reasons they themselves would deny and to further causes they believe important to the Lord’s work. Yet bit by bit they can drift into leadership that manipulates, takes advantage of, harms, or even abuses others.
The third and final part asks and answers the “what next?” question for victims and survivors, for whistle-blowers, for leaders, for churches, and for cultures and tribes.
Any good leader should know and admit that he is not above misusing his position. Any good leader should have the self-awareness to know that he is not above the traps that have ensnared so many of his peers. Any good leader should be willing to evaluate his leadership—and have it evaluated by others—to ensure he is leading in the way God calls him to. And for that reason, I highly recommend Powerful Leaders?. “My prayer,” says the author in the afterword, “is that this book has helped you think about biblical, spiritual leadership through the lens of Christ-like servanthood, rather than through a worldly lens of big characters wielding power with their impressive strength, or subtle manipulators wielding power through the warmth of their impressive smiles and personal winsomeness.” It would be a blessing to the church if every leader would read this book and evaluate his leadership by it.
Buy from Amazon

Audible (aka Amazon) is having an End of Summer sale and that means the audiobook of Seasons of Sorrow is 65% off. (Note: you can either use 1 Audible credit or tap on the “buy with one-click button” to purchase it at the discounted price.)

Don’t Let ‘Discernment’ Give Doctrine a Bad Name
“I get frustrated sometimes by the lack of discernment I see from people who fly the ‘discernment’ banner.” So do I! You should read Trevin’s thoughts on discernment and discernment “experts.”
There Are no Slippery Slopes in the Bible
“There is a signifiant difference between seeking to understand God’s word and seeking to undermine God’s word. Undermining God’s word is dangerous. Understanding God’s word is life-giving and powerful.”
Spiritual Abuse: Seeing What We Don’t Want to See
This article provides some current and historical wisdom on spiritual abuse. “As uncomfortable as it is the church needs to do this with the harsh reality of spiritual abuse. Even writing those words — with every key-stroke — is hard. Abuse is one thing but when you add the adjective ‘spiritual’ it becomes something else, something more.”
Am I Called to Ministry? Five Tests
John Piper offers five tests to consider whether you may be called to ministry.
The Day the Bible Became a Bestseller
I enjoyed this account of the day the Bible became a bestseller for the first time (and the context in which it happened).
Just Enough to Keep Going
Darryl means to offer encouragement to ordinary pastors with ordinary pastorates—which is to say, the great majority of pastors.
Flashback: The Depth of My Depravity
You don’t know how deeply sinful you are by your unrighteousness deeds, but by your rejection of God and his grace. That is the most serious, heinous, and damnable sin of them all.

What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? The Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied. —J.C. Ryle

Grace and peace to you on this, the day when summer gives way to fall.

(Yesterday on the blog: A Late Summer Family Update (+ a few more LOTR thoughts))
Sexual Liberation Has Failed Women
I don’t intend to read this book, but was glad to read Andrew Wilson’s review of it. “Louise Perry has written a feminist critique of the sexual revolution, and it’s brave, excoriating, and magnificent.”
Beware the Habits of Controversy
“Writing fifty years ago, Francis Schaeffer made a plea for Christians to watch out for the danger of settling into habits which were formed in times of controversy.” What he said then wouldn’t hurt for us to consider now.
What lessons can we learn from the pandemic? (Video)
I’m glad to see RTS pick up their Wisdom Wednesday videos. In this one James Anderson considers lessons we can learn from the pandemic.
Public Opinion and the Christian Conscience
Denny Burk has an important word about public opinion and the Christian conscience.
From “Wretched” to “Needy”: Changing a Classic Hymn
“Ever since churches began signing hymns, people have been changing the words to hymns. This is often for the purpose of modifying the theological content of the song in question.” I was somehow not aware of this particular example.
The Discipline of Gratitude
“We often hear comments from friends and supporters that they wish their children could come and visit us in Cameroon for a time. What they mean is that their kids have been expressing attitudes of ingratitude or entitlement and they believe that some time spent in an African village will help them to see how much they have to be thankful for. We all chuckle, and sigh, with the recognition that we are not going to fly a child to Cameroon just for an attitude check. However, whether these parents know it or not, there is a greater problem with the plan than just logistics: exposure to poverty will never cure an ungrateful heart.”
Flashback: God Has Found You Faithful
God is the one who has called you to walk this path, and he is the one who has called you to walk it faithfully. Yet he has not judged you wrong or set you up for failure. He has not been flippant in his decisions or reckless in his wisdom. No, he has found you faithful in small things and has now entrusted to you this very large thing.

God never puts a burden on us, without providing us with the strength we need to carry it. —J.R. Miller

We are now two weeks past the launch event for Seasons of Sorrow and one week past the official release date. Overall I think things went well. The Getty Music Sing! Conference, where we held the launch event and where I led a breakout session, was my first conference in more than two years and it was a blessing to meet so many of you there. I can’t say I really missed conferences and travel during the pandemic era, but it was still good to be back to it. I (perhaps inevitably) picked up a pretty good case of Covid there and though that knocked me off my feet for about a week, I then made a reasonably quick recovery. I trust I’ll stop coughing and recover my sense of taste before long!

I am very thankful for all the support and well-wishes related to the book and very grateful to each of you who purchased a copy. The song from CityAlight has also seemed to resonate and I look forward to hearing how you’ve introduced it to your own churches.
CityAlight shared some neat pictures from that launch event in case those are of interest:

I want to remind those of you who may be giving the book to families that have experienced a loss, that I’ve prepared a letter you can consider printing and including with it. It will help explain the background to the book and perhaps guide grieving parents to a couple of the chapters that may prove most helpful in the earliest days of their sorrow.
With the launch of Seasons of Sorrow behind me, I am planning to escape to a quiet location for a few days in October so I can begin to plan out my next writing project. I have what I think is a solid idea and one my publisher is behind, but I still need to tease it out and make sure it can be feasible—and be interesting enough to hold my attention through a year of writing and editing.
On the family front, Aileen recently began a part-time job—essentially a personal assistant in the real estate industry—and is enjoying it a lot. She sometimes works here and sometimes from the office, but considering her boss is a neighbor and has her office in her home, the commute is measured in mere meters. To this point it has been a good fit and a blessing to her.
Michaela did her first solo cross-border travel last weekend, flying down to the US to visit a friend and surprise her for her sweet sixteen. Sixteen is the generally-accepted age where people are allowed to fly without adult supervision and permission (though we still filled out the requisite paperwork just in case). She has traveled with us plenty in the past so had no trouble adapting to doing it on her own. She’s loving her online schooling and benefitting a lot from her classes. These are still early days, but so far she has no regrets in withdrawing from her former school.
While Michaela was going, Abby and Nate were arriving. Nate is a lifelong fan of the Blue Jays (rather convenient, considering the family he married into) but had never been to a game before. We decided a playoff run was the perfect time to remedy that, so he and Abby swung up for the weekend to go with us. I don’t get downtown as often as I could or should, but it sure was nice to take in a game at the Rogers Centre. It wasn’t a tremendously good game of baseball, but the Jays did come away with a solid win over the Orioles.
Finally, a couple of weeks ago I shared some thoughts on the first two episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. I’ll add a few more thoughts today.
There was lots of chatter before the series debuted about whether or not it would be Wokety Woke Woke. We are now four episodes in and I’d say this is still not clear. What is clear is that the show’s creators are just making up their own story. And while the story is loosely based on Tolkien’s world, its characters tend to think, act, and speak like they live in ours. I suppose I could try to enjoy it on its own terms instead of trying to enjoy it as something related to The Lord of the Rings, but, as it happens, The Lord of the Rings is the only fantasy I’ve ever enjoyed. This show only means anything to me because of its connection to Tolkien—a connection that is increasingly tenuous.
To this point I’m finding the series drab. After four hours of television, and midway through the first season, very little has happened and no characters have been introduced that I have come to care about. It’s boring, boring, boring. Perhaps the worst thing of all, though, is that the central character is obnoxious, self-centered, entitled, and unlikeable. Why would you base a whole show around someone who is so brash and grating? And why would you make her so very different from who she was in the books and films? This is absolutely baffling to me! And don’t even get me started on the cringey action scenes where she single-handedly kills a snow troll or somehow shoves five soldiers into a prison cell even though she is unarmed. Galadriel is a beloved character from a beloved story and this adaptation completely eviscerates all that people love about her. I suppose you could say the writers are envisioning some kind of character arc in which she will eventually become the Galadriel we know and love. But I don’t think I’m alone in hoping that she comes across another snow troll soon—I know which of them I’ll be cheering for. (And yet that’s part of the difficulty with the show, isn’t it? We know she is in no great danger because she’s alive and well in the events that take place centuries later. We know she will survive every battle.)
Whatever the case, it’s hard to believe that this is the most expensive show in the history of television, not to mention one of the most hyped. At nearly $60 million per episode, and with some of the greatest intellectual property they could ever hope to work with, the creators have made a show that is, through the early episodes, mediocre at best. It truly could turn into one of the great entertainment disasters of all time. Of course it’s still possible that they can turn it around. But at this point I’m not holding out much hope. And, lest we lose sight of a key fact, let me repeat it: $60 million per episode and this is the best they can do! It’s almost unbelievable.

For those who have been looking for it, the song “In the Valley (Bless the Lord)” which was written to go along with Seasons of Sorrow has now made its way to Spotify, Apple Music, and so on. You should now be able to listen to it wherever you listen to good music!

Speaking of the book, if you have been wondering what it’s all about, there are now a few reviews out there you can read: Donna Evans; The Palest Ink; Lisa LaGeorge.
Westminster Books is celebrating the 30th anniversary of Piper’s classic Let the Nations Be Glad by putting it and other similar titles on sale.
One Last Magnificent Porous Day
This is really good: “For one brief day the world was porous again. For one brief day we recognised that the invisible world still leaks into the visible. For one brief day – perhaps one final day – transcendence was admitted into the public square in the modern Western world, and we all stood and acknowledged it.” (See also Intermission: Last Post for Christian England)
Sharpshooter
The John 10:10 Project has another neat video. “It’s not particularly big, fast, or strong, yet the archerfish is one of the most proficient hunters in all of nature. Inhabiting shallow estuaries from India to Australia, the archer generates powerful jets of fluid that routinely dislodge insects clinging to branches up to six feet above the water line.”
Remembering Rich Mullins
It’s hard to believe it’s been 25 years since Rich Mullins died. Lisa remembers him in this article.
Conservative Theology Marks many new Canadians
I’m so thankful that my church has also been blessed in the ways Clint describes here. “The encouraging feature of many of the new Canadians at my church is the fact that they are bringing their theology with them. And the theology is good.”
Raising Emotional Healthy Ministry Kids
Eliza Huie: “This article is written for parents who are serving in ministry, and it is for the church. We all have a part in raising emotionally healthy ministry kids. Below are three issues ministry kids face and what parents and the church can do.”
Something to Eat
Andrea expresses a matter of caution here that we’d do well to consider.
Flashback: No Hand But His Ever Holds the Shears
If it is our loving gardener who does the pruning, we can be sure there are never any unwise or careless cuts. Though we may not know why this branch has had to be trimmed or that one removed, we do know the one who wields the blade.

A person may not allow us to talk to them about God, but they cannot keep us from talking to God about them. The power of Intercession! —Paul Washer