This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Christian Focus Publications. They are giving away five copies of Angels: When Heaven Meets Earth by Tim Chester.

 Nearly eight in ten Americans believe in angels. Even among those who never attend church it’s four out of ten. In the United Kingdom one in three people believe they have a guardian angel. You may well be one of them. Every tenth person in your street or workplace thinks they may have seen or heard an angel in some way. Books telling the story of angelic encounters are best sellers. Despite the widespread rejection of Christianity in our culture, many people are still fascinated by angels.
But what we can know for sure about angels? Are we dependant on second–hand accounts? Are we left with conjecture and guess work? This book goes back to the most reliable source we have for information about angels – God Himself speaking through the Bible.
Tim Chester delves into the mysterious world of angels and shows us what the Bible says about what angels are, what they do, and where they lead us.
From their operations in the redemptive plan of God, to daily interaction in the lives of human beings, angels have held a fascination in the hearts and minds of believers throughout church history. However, over the past century, this captivation with the angelic world has grown cold. In this new primer, Tim Chester answers common questions and helps reawaken our interest in this vast multitude of God’s creation.
Dustin W. Benge, Provost and professor, Union School of Theology, Bridgend, Wales
People are fascinated by angels. Unfortunately, much popular Christian literature, not to mention non–Christian media, gives scant attention to the actual biblical data about angels. With brevity and faithfulness, Tim Chester guides us to a deeper understanding of these ‘ministering spirits who are sent to serve those who will inherit salvation’ (Heb. 1:14).
Robert L. Plummer, Professor of New Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Kentucky
In this illuminating and enthralling book, Tim Chester ranges across scripture to explain this apparently mysterious spiritual realm with remarkable clarity and simplicity, and shows us how understanding the nature and role of angels will impact our worship, our emotions, our prayers and our devotion to the Lord Jesus and His gospel. A wonderful biblical overview which opens our eyes to profound truth.
Jonathan Lamb, Minister–at–large for Keswick Ministries, IFES Vice President, and former Director, Langham Preaching

Enter Here
Again, there are five sets to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below, which will add you to Christian Focus’ mailing list.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on August 31st 2022 at midnight.

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Few people have a sweeter and kinder spirit than Joni Eareckson Tada. Few people have suffered longer and more consistently than Joni Eareckson Tada. These two things—sweetness and suffering—do not necessarily go together, but by God’s grace they can and often do. They most certainly do in Joni’s life which is one of the reasons so many of us admire and honor her.

One of the keys to Joni’s suffering is singing. As she suffers the effects of her paralysis, as she endures chronic pain, as she persists through illness, she sings. And it’s out of her singing-through-suffering that she brings a new book titled Songs of Suffering. This book is a series of devotionals based upon 25 hymns that have proven especially precious to her.
“I have lived with quadriplegia for more than half a century,” she explains, “and have wrestled with chronic pain for much of that time. I struggle with breathing problems and am in an ongoing battle against cancer. All this makes for a perfect storm for discouragement.”

Yet when my hip and back are frozen in pain, or it’s simply another weary day of plain paralysis, I strengthen myself with Jesus’s example in the upper room. My suffering Savior has taught me to always choose a song—a song that fortifies my faith against discouragement and breathes hope into my heart. And so I daily take up my cross to the tune of a hymn.

Yet not just any hymn will do. It must express truth. It must summon hope. It must point to Christ.
Thankfully the church is well served with such hymns. And thankfully we are capable of memorizing them so they are available at our beck and call in the very moment we need them. Hence Joni’s exhortation is not just to be vaguely familiar with these hymns, but to commit them to memory where they are never more than a breath away.
She divides the book into three sections: Songs of Comfort, Songs of Strength, and Songs of Hope. These categories are a bit imprecise, of course, and many of the hymns tick all three boxes. Yet this division helpfully explains which hymns may be best-suited to which purpose. Under each of the headings is a selection of songs, most of which will be familiar to most of her readers. Accompanying each hymn is a 2- or 3-page devotional along with the appropriate sheet music. It’s a simple format, but an effective one.
Several months ago Joni asked if I would write a brief endorsement for her book and I’ll close this review with that commendation: Where would we be without hymns? Where would we be without songs to express our sorest griefs and deepest sorrows? I hope you’ll allow Joni Eareckson Tada to introduce you to some of the best and most powerful of them all, to explain how they have been a blessing and comfort to her―and to encourage you to get to know them, to commit them to memory, and to sing them before the Lord, so they can be a blessing and comfort to you as well.

Buy from Amazon

I wanted to remind you once again that my book Seasons of Sorrow is now available for pre-order (with a release date of September 13). Also do remember the launch event in Nashville on Labor Day! Information here.

Westminster Books is offering a deep discount on the excellent ESV Scripture Journals. It’s the time to stock up!
You’ll find a few new Kindle deals today.
The Antifragile Christian
“Antifragile is different from resiliency or endurance, in that those characteristics only measure the amount of pressure something can repeatedly take. If that something were antifragile, however, it would actually get stronger because of the difficulty.” Though it’s not a biblical word, it’s still a helpful one.
How Dangerous Hermeneutics Can Inform False Teachers
“One sign of a false prophet is when a religious leader invents novel and fanciful interpretations of Scripture, interpretations completely divorced from the original context. Religious charlatans usually engage in such hermeneutical gymnastics in order to bolster their own power.” Here’s an example from the history of Mormonism.
Maturing Towards Childlikeness
It’s an interesting thought this: that we mature toward childlikeness (even as we mature away from childishness).
There’s a Reason We Call Them “The Lost”
This is a good reminder: There’s a reason we call them “the lost.”
The Remnant is Like a Fuse
“Throughout history, we see the church grow and contract not only in size but also in terms of its faithfulness to Jesus Christ and his word. Today, in North America, the visible church as a whole seems to be in a time of decline. Many churches are shrinking or closing, and many others are giving into the spirit of the age. They are salt that is losing its saltiness. A time of decline is never the time for the faithful follower of Jesus Christ to grow fainthearted.”
When Life Doesn’t Turn Out Like I Think It Should
Sylvia Schroeder has a powerful article about those times when life doesn’t turn out the way we think it should.
Flashback: Gray Hair and a Righteous Life
Am I living the kind of life that will allow that gray hair—that proof that I’ve grown old—to also stand as a symbol that I’ve grown wise, that I’ve lived a righteous life?

Scripture does not tell us to “let go and let God”. The Bible never promises any easy, automatic victory over sin and temptation. —John MacArthur

I thought it likely that someone somewhere could use this reminder: That right now, at this very moment, God is reigning from his throne.

(Yesterday on the blog: Teaching Others to Sing Sweetly)
Intersectionality and My Adoptive Family
Trent Hunter has a fascinating look at intersectionality through the lens of a very multi-ethnic family. “My children are at impressionable and tender ages, and they are the battlefield targets of this teaching. If our family took these ideas seriously — as serious proponents intend — they would suffocate our love, steal our joy, and destroy my family. Intersectionality brings the division of mother against child and son against father in very different ways than Christ does.”
Assisted suicide is spiralling out of control in Canada
Proponents of euthanasia like to downplay the slippery slope argument, but as this article makes clear, Canada is a current case study in how that slippery slope is basically inevitable.
Wade In The Water
Seth says that “we are often faced with situations where we must choose if we will trust God’s promises of provision, or turn away from where he is leading us in order to blaze our own path, by our own means.”
Renewal of Work: Mijito Vinito
I enjoyed this interview with Mijito Vinito at TGC India as he “reflects on how the gospel helps him reconcile a pursuit of excellence and awareness of brokenness.”
How to Guard Against Over-Reliant Discernment
Lara d’Entremont helps us guard against a kind of discernment that is over-reliant on so-called discernment experts.
Suffering and the Mission of the Church
Radius International recently held a conference on The Mission of the Church and they’ve posted the various plenaries and breakouts. There’s lots to listen to, including messages from Kevin DeYoung and Alistair Begg and biographies by Ian Hamilton.
Flashback: The Rise of Digital Technologies and the Decline of Reading
You can’t be surprised when bland books can’t hold their own against excellent videos or outstanding podcasts. Perhaps in this way the Internet offers a challenge that will help improve the quality of our books.

The one unique thing that a local church has to offer to people mired in poverty is the gospel of Jesus Christ. —Mez McConnell & Mike McKinley

The story is told of a musician—a particularly skillful musician with a highly-developed ear for pitch, tone, and harmony—who visited a new church for the first time. He arrived a little late and entered the sanctuary just as the congregation was beginning to sing the opening song. To his chagrin, the singing was badly out of tune. It pained him to hear the people attempt to sing one of the great hymns of the Christian faith without the least bit of success.

But as he walked to a pew and took his place, he began to hear one voice that stood apart. Amidst all the dissonance, one woman sang clearly, calmly, and perfectly in tune, her sweet voice rising just above the din around her. She was undistracted by the flat notes and grating tones, undistracted by all the unskilled singers that surrounded her.
As that musician stood and listened, he noticed with fascination that first one voice and then another was drawn to this woman’s. Soon those immediately around her began to follow her lead, to match her melody, to hit the same notes. Then those a little farther away picked up on it as well. Before long the whole congregation was singing the hymn just as its composer had intended. Soon the whole congregation was making a truly joyful, truly lovely, truly beautiful noise to the Lord.
We sometimes wonder what difference one person can make to a church. The man with a heart for evangelism can be discouraged when he observes that the members of his church seem apathetic. The woman who loves to extend hospitality can find it difficult when she sees that so many other people in the church neglect it. The teen with a heart for Bible study can be tempted to move on when the other young folk seem unconcerned with these basic disciplines.
Yet as this woman displayed that morning long ago, one person truly can make all the difference. That woman did not need to stop the congregation and formally instruct them. She did not need to interrupt them to bring a stern reprimand. She did not need to grumble or complain. She simply had to use her gift until one person and then another and finally the whole church had heard her voice, had matched her tone, and had fallen into perfect melody. For “as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace.”

The Lord be with you and bless you on this fine day.

What’s the Deal with BeReal?
You may well have heard of the app BeReal (especially if you have teens). Chris Martin takes a look at it here and tries to help parents better understand its potential strengths and weaknesses.
Saturday Night Lights
“Any Nebraskan can describe the scene to you: It’s a fall Saturday in Lincoln, the state capital. 90,000+ people have descended on city campus at the University of Nebraska to see a football game at Memorial Stadium, the large stadium built in 1923 to honor Nebraskans who died in the Civil War, Spanish American War, and World War I.” I really enjoyed this explanation and appreciation of Nebraska’s fixation on college football.
How can I be sure I’m saved? (Video)
Derek Thomas offers a helpful answer to a very common question.
Praying Down Divine Blessing
“Lately, I have been impressed with the fact that prayer is arguably the most important need for the sustenance, vitality, and continuance of the church. A prayerless church is a powerless church. A prayerless congregation will trend toward becoming a loveless congregation. A prayless people will ultimately become a self-reliant people.”
Why Does Justice Matter?
It’s important that as we dispute matters related to social justice, we don’t throw out the baby with the bathwater and neglect true justice—an issue about which the Bible has much to say.
Does God Actually Get Angry? Why He Reveals Himself in Human Terms
Mark Jones: “What are Christians to make of these declarations of God? Is God eternally unchangeable in his being, or does he, like humans, have the capacity to change? Can God really experience distress or learn something new? What does it mean for God, who is Spirit, to ‘get angry’? Does God really need to ask Adam where he is, as if he can’t find him?”
Flashback: Lessons In Becoming a Better Listener
Good communication and healthy relationships depend upon not only on hearing the words other people say, but on carefully listening to what they mean to communicate. To listen is to love.

If faithfulness to God is not our measure of success, then the world’s expectations will become our standard. —Bryan Chapell

The God of love and peace be with you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Day We Became Homeschoolers)
Church in the Trenches: 6 Months of Wartime Ministry in Ukraine
TGC reports on some of the men who are pastoring through the war in Ukraine. “The most difficult moment of Sergey Nakul’s life unfolded in a packed Kyiv train station not long after Russia invaded Ukraine. The pastor was sending his wife, his two sons, and a group of members from his local church to safety outside of the nation under attack.”
How Long Will it Last?
Sinclair Ferguson: “‘He’s going through a religious phase.’ How often did you overhear that being said about you in your early days as an openly professing follower of Jesus Christ?”
How Do Passions Wage War Against the Soul?
John Piper considers 1 Peter 2:11 which speaks of “passions of the flesh” that “wage war against” the soul.
Roe v. Wade was Overturned and I’m Sad
Andrea has been involved in pro-life work for decades. She has prayed, fasted, donated, advocated, and adopted. Yet even with Roe v. Wade being overturned she’s still sad. Here’s why.
Yes, the Devil is Real
Jared Wilson explains how and why he knows the devil is real.
Why It Matters That Jesus Was and Still Is Human
“One of the doctrines in the area of Christology that is difficult for some Christians to fully grasp is the permanent humanity of Christ. The impression often seems to be that the Son of God came down from heaven in incarnate form, spent three decades or so as a human, and then returned to heaven to revert back to his preincarnate state.” But…
Flashback: When It’s Time To Remember All the Stupid Things You’ve Said
When you hear how others have spoken idly of you, don’t over-react. A moment’s reflection will remind you that you’ve done the very same thing a million times over.

I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God. —Oswald Chambers

We have unexpectedly become homeschoolers. After having two children get all the way through twelfth grade in the public schools, we had expected that the third would follow suit. But over the summer Michaela expressed her interest in making a switch as she heads into her final two years of high school; Aileen and I agreed that it would be for the best. Of course “homeschool” doesn’t seem to mean today what it did years ago. “Online-only Christian school” would perhaps be a better summary of what she is doing as it will be almost entirely hands-off for us as parents. But on this, her first day of being educated at home, I thought I’d ask her to explain why she made the switch and do so by asking roughly the same questions I asked her brother and sister. As with them, I gave her total freedom to answer honestly and without fear of offense. I provide her answers unedited.

What do you think were the benefits of being in public school?
I learned from a very young age that the way my friends lived was unsustainable. I think seeing, especially as we all started growing up, that no matter what they did or who they hung out with, they weren’t happy. Seeing the other side of the coin made me realize that our world is broken, and there isn’t any relief in worldly things. This was one of the big benefits of public school, as well as the daily social interaction with other non-Christians that taught me how to carefully steer around certain situations. (A skill that, at least for me, was important to develop) 
Are there ways in which you think public school may have harmed you or otherwise been a negative force or influence? 
I don’t want to look at just the past two years of my education when considering these questions. While high school has definitely been difficult, it hasn’t been all bad. The reality is that I still made good friends and had positive experiences. However, there will always be negatives. Growing up in such a worldly setting has definitely affected my views on certain matters, but I don’t think I would consider this negative. It’s just different. So, no, I don’t think public school ever necessarily harmed me for life. There were negative situations and experiences, but nothing that negatively changed my character or beliefs. 
Did you find it hard to be a Christian in public school and did you feel pressure to conform to a non-Christian standard?
Yes, to both questions. Being a Christian was always a challenge for me, but it wasn’t really until high school that it became unmanageable for me. I think the public school system in Canada has taken a very sharp turn in the past few years. Suddenly half my day became about the LGBTQ+ community, about racism and various similar topics. While I was willing to listen and learn different opinions and views related to these topics, I think where things have changed are in my ability to have an opinion different from everyone else. I’m not really allowed to be a Christian anymore. I was feeling a constant pressure to conform to these beliefs and lifestyles, not only by my friends but by my teachers as well. I was expected to write essays on topics that I didn’t believe in, but wasn’t allowed to challenge. It exhausted and frustrated me constantly.
Why have you decided to opt out of public school for a homeschool (or online) option?
I think the decision came from a combination of elements. Over the past year, I’ve not only been exhausted by the lack of real education and challenge (largely due to the fact that we were constantly being pushed to learn about things that had no real relation to the courses we had signed up for) but I’ve also had negative experiences with people in my school. While my friends recently ditching me wasn’t the sole reason for my leaving the school, it pushed me into realizing that the public school system had completely exhausted me. I’ve always had a sensitive spirit, and being in that atmosphere was draining me of much of my mental and spiritual energy. Even over the past few months, the relief of simply being free from that atmosphere has overwhelmed me. I don’t want to say that every day was terrible at first, but by the end of the year, I was really struggling to drag myself out of bed and into an atmosphere in which I was treated like a crazy person that believed in a crazy religion.
What are you most excited about with this new option and what do you most fear? Do you think there’s anything you’ll miss about public school?
This new option is something I’m looking forward to. I’m hoping it’ll provide me with some real challenges, especially in English and writing. However, I’ll miss my friends, and the daily in-person social interaction that comes with school. Besides that though, I’m not expecting to miss anything, honestly.
Where do you intend to go to college and what would you like to study?
I believe I want to go to Boyce College for a degree in biblical counseling. However, I’m still looking at other options. I love to write more than anything and would love to continue to develop that skill.
Do you feel like your faith would have been stronger today if you had been homeschooled or Christian schooled in the past?
No. I don’t believe my faith would be the same at all, though. I saw from such a young age what it meant to live in a broken world. From a best friend with a broken family, to friends growing up to lose themselves in drugs and alcohol, I saw the other option. And it terrified me. I think God used this to strengthen my relationship with him. I won’t say I wouldn’t be a Christian without pubic schooling, but it definitely pushed me into realizing how lost I really was.
As much as you can project into an uncertain future, how do you think you’re likely to educate your own children? 
It’s a hard question to answer. As stated, the future is so uncertain. When I started public school ten years ago, it was drastically different from how it is today. Even my brother and sister had a very different education and experience than I did. Similar to what my sister said in her interview, I would have my children repeat the same experience that I had in public school. However, if the system is only going to continue to break down as I’ve seen it, I do not think I could, in good conscience, send my young kids to public schools. I could see sending them when they’re teenagers, if that’s something they want. I can, however, see myself leaning towards more of a Christian school education where I could be more confident in the teaching and the teachers and students they are interacting with. 
Tim again. The reason I have asked each of my children to provide their thoughts on their education is that I wanted to allow them to be honest with their experience—and even hold their parents to account if we harmed them. I find it interesting that each of them has expressed that something significant has changed between when they began and when they ended—a theme each of them arrived at without prompting. That would seem to reflect some of the changes we are all observing in society today. For example, in Michaela’s last English class they read one book (which was a contemporary novel on the subject of racism) and spent much of the rest of the semester dissecting Kendrick Lamar lyrics; yet when Michaela wanted to write about the Christian undertones in the songs, she was told she could only write about his experience as a black American. It struck us along the way that when Nick was in this same high school, he was allowed to stand before his class and present the pro-life argument. This caused some drama, but he was allowed. As far as we can tell, that would simply not be permitted today.
Does all this mean we wouldn’t homeschool if we had to begin again today? As I’ve said before, I just don’t know. The way I think at the age of 45 is so different from how I thought at 25. I just cannot put myself back in that situation of being young, having small children, and having to choose how to educate them. But, as I’ve also said before, I continue to believe different parents can choose differently based on their context and circumstances and expect the Lord to bless them as they go—and expect their church to love and support them whatever they choose. May the Lord give us all the wisdom we need!

I want to remind you that all of the quote graphics I share day-by-day are available to download for free at SquareQuotes. Download them and use them as you see fit!

Today’s Kindle deals include several excellent books on marriage.
(Yesterday on the blog: One String to the Bow)
Why the Reformation Still Matters, Another Example
Jeff provides evidence that the Reformation still really matters.
Complete Series of Dr. W Robert Godfrey on the End of Christendom
I have really been enjoying this series of lectures by Robert Godfrey in which he discusses the end of Christendom (and makes so many Dutch jokes).
Does Rahab Show Us That It’s Sometimes Okay to Lie?
Does the Old Testament story of Rahab tell us that it’s sometimes okay to lie? I am inclined to agree with this author’s perspective.
Time to Bring Out the Fruit
“Every culture, in spite of the fall, retains elements of the image of God. For those with eyes to see, these positive elements of a culture quietly point to the wisdom, beauty, and goodness of God, a remnant witness which can’t help but spill out even in cultures that have been cut off from the truth for centuries.”
Loving Those That the Woke Leaves Broke
This article asks whether we are prepared to love and serve those whom modern ideology has harmed. “While the culture war continues to rage, I would like to very briefly ask my brothers and sisters in Christ to poke our heads above the fray of headlines and to consider the years ahead and how they might impact our actions today.”
Unless Providentially Hindered
Sometimes we are providentially hindered from gathering with God’s people. Far more often, though, we skip for other reasons.
Flashback: Maybe We Need Less Math and More History
We need church historians because we need church history. Few things are more important to the life and health of Christianity than a sound knowledge of our shared past.

The more the soul is conformed to Christ, the more confident it will be of its interest in Christ. —Thomas Brooks

We have been blessed with a number of books that adapt and share the prayers of the Puritans. The Valley of Vision is the most famous of these of course, and Piercing Heaven is another. I was glad to see that we will spoiled yet again, this time with Tim Chester’s Into His Presence which will be released shortly. Here’s a lovely sample prayer from it, drawn from Thomas Lyle.

Lord God, you and you alone should be the sole object of our trust.
May there be but one string to the bow of our faith: that is you, our Lord.
May we not rest in any thing other than you.
Forgive us when we trust in our heads, for our own understanding is an unsafe place to lean.
Forgive us when we trust in our hearts, for they are so deceitful and wicked.
Forgive us when we trust in our vigour, for our hands will soon hang down and faint.
Forgive us when we trust in any excellences, for the best of us in our best state is altogether vanity.
Forgive us when we trust in riches, for riches are fair-faced nothings, taking flight like birds.
Forgive us when we trust in human allies, for they prove not to be staffs but broken reeds.
But on this the arm of trust may safely lean: your almighty arm and power; and your infinite goodness, mercy, and bounty.