No visit to Edinburgh is complete until you’ve walked to the top of the Royal Mile to tour Edinburgh Castle. The castle has been remarkably well maintained and is as splendid now as it was in its heyday. You can stand on the battlements high above the city and see all the landmarks—the Firth of Forth, Arthur’s Seat, the Scott Monument. You can tour the beautiful Great Hall where Scotland’s royal family hosted lavish banquets. You can enter the Royal Palace and see the nation’s crown jewels. It’s a beautiful spot rich with history and all wonderfully preserved.

A few kilometers away, closer to the outskirts of the city, is another historic castle, and one that has fallen on hard times. Where Edinburgh Castle retains most of its splendor, Craigmillar Castle retains little. It may not quite be a ruin, but it’s not far from it. Though parts of the walls still stand, other parts have long since collapsed. Though you can take stairways to some of the battlements, others are tottering and in danger of collapsing. Though you can see the outlines of the different rooms and buildings, they are all in a sad state of disrepair. It’s a mere shell, a mere shadow, of its former self.
In these two castles I see an illustration of humanity. We were created by God to be perfect—unmarred by sin and all of its terrible effects. God’s law was written on our hearts so that we knew what he required and why he required it. God’s blessing was upon us so that we could do all that he required of us out of joyful obedience to him. We were like Edinburgh Castle—whole, complete, splendid, maintained.
Yet through our own obstinacy we fell into sin and thus into a state of decay. We rebelled against God and brought upon ourself the fearsome consequences—suffering and sorrow, warfare and weeping, death and eternal destruction. We were left little more than Craigmillar Castle, a shell of our former selves—broken, incomplete, marred, wrecked.
But what of the law that was written on our hearts? Was it blotted out? Was it destroyed? No, by God’s grace. It has now been distorted, to be certain. It is no longer clear and pristine. But it is still there even in the most rebellious of human beings so that like Craigmillar Castle we can still trace its shape, still fit together the pieces, still gain a distant glimpse of the beauty and the glory of its original design—the beauty and glory for which we were designed.
For as Sinclair Ferguson says,

Paul … says that even in societies where the Law of Moses has not been known, to a certain extent people may still sometimes do ‘by nature’—we might say ‘instinctively’—the things the law of God commands. They thus show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts. The human heart retains a distorted copy, a smudged image of God’s original will. All of us retain some sense that we were created in God’s likeness, made to live for his glory, and hard-wired for obedience to him as it were—although now major distortions and malfunctions have affected our instincts. Were that hard-wiring totally destroyed we would cease to be distinctly human. But, in fact, relics of it remain in us, fragments of our lost destiny. Like a ruined castle it is still possible to discern the glory for which we were created.

And for that we ought to praise God!

Good morning, my friends. Grace and peace to you.

There are several interesting Kindle deals today, most of them related to church history.
(Yesterday on the blog: It Is No More Death, But A Sweet Departure)
Pornography and Church Discipline
“Because of pornography’s seriousness, churches are right to take serious steps to eradicate it from the life of a believer.” Garrett Kell tells if and when church discipline may be necessary for those who are deep into pornography.
A Happy Ending without an End
Randy Alcorn tells how he is doing several weeks after the death of his dear wife. “I do indeed sense His closeness. At the same time, grief and sometimes depression come upon me in waves. But they do not drive out Jesus or the Holy Spirit, both of whom indwell me (Romans 8:8-11). Nor can they separate me from God the Father.”
Living the good life
Andrée Seu Peterson reflects on aging (and Elon Musk).
Is the assurance of our salvation found in our faith or in our works?
The Ligonier Teaching Fellows discuss assurance of salvation.
Reflections On Ukraine, From A Survivor Of Sudan’s Civil War
David Fugoyo: “I lived most of my life in war in Sudan. It is one of the longest running civil wars in Africa (from 1983 to 2005). I faced countless trying moments. I was separated from my mother, siblings, and other relatives. I struggled to sit in class, hearing rumours of war every day. The culture of war and violence invaded daily life.”
Am I An Untouchable?  
And finally, an interesting dispatch from India: “A few years ago, I was looking for a house to rent within my budget.  To find a house within my budget, I thought all I had to do was to negotiate how much rent I could pay.  That seemed logical and reasonable to me. Apparently, not in my town! As I went on a search to find a suitable house for my family, I repeatedly found two questions thrown at me by different house owners. To my utter shock and dismay, they would invariably ask me: ‘what caste do you belong to’? and ‘what do you do for a living’?”
Flashback: The Endearing Conceit of Young Men
I wonder if you have ever thought about the kind of courage—but also the kind of conceit—it takes for a young man to ask a father for the hand of his daughter. De Witt Talmage once considered this in a discourse on marriage and, frankly, his thoughts are hilarious.

Comfort from the Father cascades down into our lives so that comfort may cascade from our lives into the lives of others who are suffering. Comfort flows downhill. —Mike Emlet

Those who have lost a child, or who have lost another loved one, inevitably face the pain of separation and the longing for reunification. In my own sorrows I have often been comforted by some sweet words written by Thomas Smyth, a man who on one day laid two precious children in the very same grave. Though he writes specifically to bereaved parents, his words will resonate with all of those who have loved and lost.

Can we not with David rejoicingly declare, “They cannot come to us, but we can go to them?” Yes, we can go to them. They are not lost, but gone before. There in that world of light, and love, and joy, they await our coming. There do they beckon us to ascend. There do they stand ready to welcome us. There may we meet them, when a few more suns or seasons shall have cast their departing shadows upon our silent grave. Then shall our joy be full and our sorrows ended, and all tears wiped from our eyes.
Death separates, but it can never disunite those who are bound together in Christ Jesus. To them, death in his power of an endless separation, is abolished. It is no more death, but a sweet departure, a journey from earth to heaven. Our children are still ours. We are still their parents. We are yet one family—one in memory, one in hope, one in spirit. Our children are yet with us, and dwell with us in our sweetest, fondest recollections. We too are yet with them in the bright anticipations of our reunion with them, in the glories of the upper sanctuary. We mingle together indeed no more in sorrow and in pain.
Blessed and glorious hope, and blessed and glorious gospel by which it is inspired! I have gloried in thee, but never as I do now. I have found thee precious, but never as precious as now. I have hoped in thy word, and stayed myself on thy promises, and exulted in thy immortal hopes, but never aught as now. When I stood a fond parent, surrounded by my little ones, growing up in their sweet loveliness around me, my future delight, my future helpmates and companions, I rejoiced in the sunshine which this heavenly gospel threw around me.
But when I stood bereft of these loved ones, when I saw them cold in the speechlessness of death—when I put them both together in their clayey bed, there to sleep the sleep that knows no waking—when my heart shuddered to think that there they would lie exposed to winter’s storms and the summer’s torrid heat, then did thy cheerful promise, span as with a bow of hope my dreary darkness, sustain my sinking heart, and enable me, even with death, and its horrid desolations before me, triumphantly to exclaim, “Oh death where is thy sting, oh grave where is thy victory! Thanks be to God who giveth me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
And here let me commend, especially to bereaved parents, this “balm for wounded spirits.” Clasp it, sorrowing mourner, to your bosom. Receive it into your inmost heart. Treasure it as your pearl of greatest price. Seek it as your first and greatest object of pursuit. Buy it at whatever cost. Sell it—no, not for worlds. Heaven is not only our home, our rest. It is now the home of our children. It is our common inheritance. Let it then be the prize of our high calling. Towards it let us press. To it let us continually ascend. For it let us diligently prepare, that when our earthly house of this tabernacle is taken down, we may have a building of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the Heavens.

May the Lord bless and keep you as you serve and worship him this weekend.

Westminster Books has a good number of new and noteworthy releases discounted up to 50%.
There are some newer and older Kindle deals available today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Listen to the Church in China)
Carl Trueman at T4G Warning about Celebrity Pastors
Denny Burk highlights one especially memorable moment from T4G.
My Spouse Died Prematurely — Was It My Fault?
John Piper answers a heartbreaking question in this episode of APJ.
Gospel Movement in Dubai Among Filipinos
I really enjoyed this article which tells how the Lord is at work among Filipino expats in Dubai.
A Kestrel Couple’s First Year (Video)
This is such a neat video that tells the story of a kestrel couple’s first year.
When Will Jesus’s Kingdom Come?
“Eschatology is the study of the last things—the end times. Christians have different views on this topic, but they’re all related to this word, millenium.” Adriel Sanchez explains the three prominent views of the millennium. (For a much more substantial look at the issues, consider this article from Logos.)
Don’t let homophones hamstring your hermeneutics
Jesse Johnson: “For preachers, words are everything. Yet as anyone who has learned English as a second language will tell you, the hardest thing about English is that there are so many words! And many words have meanings that are different than other words that sound just like them. Here are four common theological words that are often confused.”
Flashback: No Squishy Love, No Brutal Truth
…let’s commit amongst ourselves to be as concerned about the journey as the destination. Let’s ensure our discussions and debates are as marked by Christian character as our conclusions are grounded in biblical truth.

The biblical math could not be simpler; if a person who professes to be a Christian lives like the devil, he is of the devil. —Todd Friel

Christians in the West hear a lot about the church in China. We hear of its growth, of its strength, of its suffering, of its perseverance. We admire it and often laud it, yet in truth know very little of it. Though we often hear about the church in China, we rarely hear from the church in China (for at least a couple of reasons: There is a need for many of those believers to keep a low profile and, of course, there is a language barrier).

Faith in the Wilderness: Words of Exhortation from the Chinese Church addresses this sad oversight with a series of exhortations—a series of translated “sermonic letters”—from Chinese Christians meant to teach and encourage. Together, they teach Christians specifically how to endure suffering, trials, and persecution, topics near and dear to the heart of Chinese Christians.
Context matters and the context of Faith in the Wilderness is two-fold: persecution and pandemic. In her introduction, Hannah Nation says that “for the majority of Western Christians, the topics of persecution and pandemic might seem disparate. On the one hand, pandemics have been long removed from our lived experience, so when it is discussed, if it is discussed, we categorize it under natural evil and the suffering we experience living in a broken world. On the other hand, persecution tends to be siloed from other topics of suffering, and neatly tucked into the great theological debates of church and state.” Thus these topics tend to sit apart from one another. Yet this is not the case for the church in China—at least for the “underground” house church movement that sits apart from the state-sanctioned Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

Within the theology and preaching of many of China’s urban house churches, persecution and pandemic have become two sides of the same coin, two parallel points under one familiar topic—suffering. If you had the opportunity to hear a house church pastor preach today, you would likely hear them discuss Christian suffering and you would have a fifty-fifty chance of them focusing on either suffering through persecution or suffering through the pandemic. Often, to your surprise and perhaps confusion, they would interchange these two topics.

The reasons are many and beyond the scope of this brief review, but they do lead to a fascinating collection of exhortations from China’s Christian leaders. These are divided into meditations on brokenness, meditations on redemption, and meditations on hope. And often, as Nation says, these leap seamlessly between pandemic and persecution. Between them they teach a theology of suffering deeply grounded in our union with Christ—a union that reveals the brokenness of the world, that reveals the way of the cross, and that reveals that God’s kingdom is at hand. Between them they minister comfort, encouragement, and perhaps even a measure of rebuke to Christians in the West.
“Marginalized themselves, the house churches understand Christ’s care for the weak and suffering, and rejoice at preaching the good news to anyone who has ears to hear. As the Chinese house church knows, our hope is not in princes and power, but rather in the Savior who unites us to himself, his death and resurrection. Our strength is in bearing his cross, and our joy is in his suffering.”
Faith in the Wilderness is a powerful and moving collection of sermonic letters and I am glad to recommend it. I am quite sure that if you take the time to read it, you will be both blessed and encouraged. Best of all, you will be better equipped to endure pandemic, persecution, and whatever else providence may have in store for you and for all of us.

Buy from Amazon

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for April 2022)
No One Knows My Pain
Vaneetha Rendall Risner writes about a phenomenon common to those who suffer. “Rather than inviting others into my pain and grief, I’ve often pushed them away. I’ve felt a vague sense of self-righteousness, confident that no one could speak into my life except God himself. I’ve dismissed others’ experiences, even the comfort of friends, because they couldn’t fully relate to my suffering.”
In Praise of the Boring, Uncool Church
“Relevance is no substitute for reverence and indeed may compromise it. The Christian life shouldn’t be oriented around being liked; it should be oriented around loving God and loving others. Far less important than being fashionable is being faithful. Far more crucial than keeping up with the Joneses is staying rooted in God’s unchanging Word.”
Baylor University Charters LGBTQ Group
“The news that Baylor University has officially chartered Prism, an LGBT student organization on campus, marks an important moment in Christian higher education in the USA.” Carl Trueman tells why this is so significant.
The most revealing meeting at church
“Martin Buber said: ‘All real meaning in life is in meeting’. What’s the most revealing meeting at church?” This article suggests several possibilities and elevates one above the rest.
Christo et Ecclesiae 
Kristin reflects on the sheer goodness and necessity of the local church despite the pain it can sometimes cause us.
Friendship and Belonging in Middle Age
Alan Noble: “I’m skeptical anyone over age 35 has close friends. That’s an exaggeration, but I’m certainly convinced there’s a dead zone for friendship between ages 35 and 50. It’s difficult to have good friends in middle age. Far more difficult than it should be, especially for men.”
Flashback: Who Does My Body Belong To?
As Christians, we celebrate the beautiful fact that we were each handcrafted by God, we have been bought with a price, and we now have the joyful responsibility and privilege of glorifying God in our bodies.

Confessing that we are sinners in general will not enable us to make lasting headway against our sins in particular. —Sinclair Ferguson

There are lots of new Christian resources being published these days and, as is so often the case, many of them landed in my mailbox. I spent some time going through them and arrived at a list of the ones I thought might be most interesting to you. Here, then, are this month’s new and notable books (including the editorial description for each).

Gospel People: A Call for Evangelical Integrity by Michael Reeves. “A biblical case for the importance and goodness of being evangelical. The term evangelical is often poorly defined and frequently comes with cultural and political baggage. As the label has become more controversial, many Christians have begun to wonder if they should abandon it altogether. Michael Reeves argues from a global, scriptural, and historical perspective that, while it’s not necessary to discard the label altogether, Christians must return to the root of the term—the evangel, or “gospel”—in order to understand what it truly means. He identifies the theology of evangelicalism and its essential doctrine, calling believers to stand with integrity as people of the gospel.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Bible Doctrine, Second Edition: Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith by Wayne Grudem. “How do we know the Bible is God’s Word? What is sin and where did it come from? How is Jesus fully God and fully man? What are spiritual gifts? When and how will Christ return? If you’ve asked questions like these, then systematic theology is no abstract term. It’s an approach to finding answers every Christian needs to know. The second edition of Bible Doctrine takes a widely used upper-level textbook on systematic theology and makes it accessible. Abridged from the second edition of Wayne Grudem’s award-winning Systematic Theology, Bible Doctrine covers the same essentials of the faith, giving you a firm grasp on seven key topics: The Doctrine of the Word of God, The Doctrine of God, The Doctrine of Man, The Doctrine of Christ, The Doctrine of the Application of Redemption, The Doctrine of the Church, The Doctrine of the Future. You don’t need to have had several years of Bible college or seminary training to reap the benefits of Bible Doctrine. It’s easy to understand and packed with biblical answers to your most pressing theological questions.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Overcoming Apathy: Gospel Hope for Those Who Struggle to Care by Uche Anizor. “For many Christians, apathy can feel inescapable. They experience a lack of motivation and a growing indifference to important things, with some even struggling to care about anything at all. In Overcoming Apathy, theology professor Uche Anizor explains what apathy is and gives practical, biblical advice to break the cycle. Inspired by his conversations with young Christians as well as his own experiences with apathy, Anizor takes a fresh look at this widespread problem and its effect on spiritual maturity. This short book is an excellent resource for those struggling with apathy as well as parents, mentors, and friends who want to support someone in need.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
Calls to Worship, Invocations, and Benedictions by Ryan Kelly. “Highly organized and practical, this resource for worship leaders provides hundreds of calls to worship, invocations, and benedictions and over one hundred optional congregational responses, along with seasonal and topical suggestions for worship planning. Each liturgical element is sourced or adapted directly from the Bible and indexed by topic. Quickly find appropriate passages, and draw on a broader range of Scripture in your worship services. This useful handbook also includes an overview of how churches have historically incorporated these elements into worship, with particular attention paid to early Reformation liturgies. Whether you are new to this pattern of worship or have made it a part of your services for years, you will be helped and encouraged.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
A Biblical Case against Theistic Evolution by Wayne Grudem, General Editor. “Even Christians strongly debate Scripture’s account of creation, with some declaring that major events in the book of Genesis—from the origin of Adam and Eve to God’s curse on the world—were purely symbolic. Several respected scholars endorse this theory, but is it consistent with the Bible’s teaching? In A Biblical Case against Theistic Evolution, condensed and adapted from Theistic Evolution, Wayne Grudem and other leading scholars challenge the belief that Genesis is mostly symbolic, rather than a true, historical narrative.” (Buy it at Amazon)
The God Who Hears: How the Story of the Bible Shapes Our Prayers by Sarah Ivill. “Author Sarah Ivill contends, “As we study prayer through the lens of the unfolding story of Scripture, it will teach us how to pray, but more importantly it will reveal the Covenant God to whom we pray.” And just such an endeavor provides the foundation and motivation necessary to enrich our prayer life. See how Old Testament prayers find their fulfillment and transformation in Christ. Discover boldness and joy in prayer because Christ is the high priest who gives us access to the throne of grace. Moreover, look forward to an eternity in which our prayers will consist of unhindered praise.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
R.C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith by Nate Pickowicz. “R.C. Sproul: Defender of the Reformed Faith traces the five decades of R.C.’s public ministry, observing a thematic connection to the five solas of the Reformation. While much has already been written, with much more to come, this book takes a unique look at R.C. Sproul as doctrinal defender. In a cultural climate where doctrinal disagreements can easily descend into personal attacks and division, R.C. models the utmost care for doctrinal precision without sacrificing the love and grace needed to be kind to those with whom we disagree. Even after his passing, R.C. still has much to teach us about what it means to contend earnestly for the faith.” (Buy it at Amazon or Westminster Books)
I also wanted to mention a new series from P&R and Third Millennium Ministries called Christian Essentials. “Produced by Third Millennium Ministries for a global, multilingual, evangelical audience, the books in the Christian Essentials series make highly vetted, master’s-level theology clear, personal, and accessible to a broad spectrum of readers.” The series has begun with three volumes:

Grace and peace to you on this fine day.

Westminster Books has a deal this week on Richard Gaffin’s magnum opus.
(Yesterday on the blog: One Way To Know You’re Being Persecuted)
The Lost Art of Courage
“There appears to be one of two extremes common among the people of God—the extremes of the lion. Either shrinking back when we ought not. Or viciously thundering forth when we ought not. It seems the church may need to regain the lost art of courage, for there are those who shy away from battles that must be taken up, and there are those who don bravado and (seemingly) do nothing but battle. What may be lacking in these two poles is the biblical concept of ‘meekness’—or courage, rightly carried.”
When the Going Gets Tough
“When faced with an option between two paths, one paved with more difficulty than the other, the choice is usually simple: take the easier path. But, the choices aren’t always straightforward.” Erik Raymond applies this to both pastors and church members.
How to get better sermons
Al Gooderham: “Sometimes pastors take themselves too seriously. Sometimes pastors can have a big ego. Sometimes pastors need bringing down a peg or too. Sometimes pastors seem to think we should hang on their every word, as if we’re blessed to have them open God’s word to us Sunday by Sunday. I’m pretty sure those pastors are out there but I wonder how many of them there are because I don’t know many (any?) like that.”
No Blood Money in the Temple Treasury
“Man’s ability for self-deception is astounding, and we get a glimpse of it in the chief priests who gave false counsel to have Jesus executed.” But if we look honestly, we may get a glimpse of it in ourselves as well.
A Strategic Retreat
“There’s a lot to see, above the screen. It is slower, and more subtle, but it is alive with beauty and meaning. And I want to see it, and have the mental space to recognise it for what it really is, and carrying social media around with me in my pocket everywhere didn’t help me do that.” Indeed…
Pastor, You’ll Burnout If Your Idea Of Hard Work Is Worldly
I found a number of thought-provoking applications in this article from TGC Africa: “We project the rhythms of 21st century routines onto the apostolic age. But our the pace and routines of life in the 21st century are entirely different from Paul’s and his friends.”
Flashback: Netflix’s Biggest Competition
It turns out that Netflix doesn’t actually consider Amazon (or HBO or Hulu or any other similar company) its true competition. Netflix’s main competitor is something far more elemental: sleep.

You can be sure of this: If God draws near to the shamed and outcast, he will meet you in the insecurities of daily life. —Ed Welch

One of the most intimidating things Jesus taught was that, as his followers, we should expect to be persecuted. And one of the most surprising things he taught was that, when we encounter such persecution, we should face it with joy. “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” (Matthew 5:12). In Dustin Benge’s book The Loveliest Place, I read a brief explanation of what Jesus means by these words, and in that explanation an interesting application: True persecution will lead to true rejoicing. 

Benge says, “There is a paradoxical mystery within the words ‘Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.’ Rejoice while suffering? Be glad amid ridicule? How can this be? This mystery is unveiled in the depth of our unyielding assurance that being with Jesus in glory will far more than reward us for any suffering we have faced in this life.” This was what Paul meant to communicate to the church in Corinth when he wrote his famous words of assurance: “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17–18).
It is our faith that sustains us in these times of persecution and our faith that gives us joy.

Our rejoicing and gladness proceed from faith in the unseen realm of eternity. The same faith that accepts Jesus Christ as Lord. The same faith that transforms us from one degree of glory to another. The same faith that stares our persecutors in the face and prays, “Father, forgive them; they do not know what they are doing.” These persecutions are “preparing for us” or “bringing about” an “eternal weight of glory.” The reward is out of this world, for Jesus is preparing it. To “be glad” is to enjoy a state of utter happiness and well-being. “Rejoice” is similar in meaning to being glad but is more intense. This denotes extreme gladness and extreme joy. Both these verbs in the Greek are present tense. Jesus is commanding his followers to be consistently and continually joyful and glad amid suffering and persecution.

We can rejoice even in terrible persecution because we have the faith to look ahead—to look ahead to see an eternity that, when compared to the minuscule amount of time we are called to suffer, is vast and boundless. We set our hearts and our hope on what is unseen yet completely certain.
Benge continues with an important application: “Jesus’s command to rejoice in the face of persecution leaves no room for the church to stagger into self-pity and dejection. Far too many of us are known more for our whining and complaining than for our rejoicing and gladness. Self-pity spoils the garments of Christ’s bride and defaces her beauty. The only acceptable responses to persecution are joy and celebration, with the firm assurance that our treasure resides in heaven, not in this temporal world.”
God never permits us to sink into self-pity or to shake our fists to the skies. He does not permit us to whine and complain when we face circumstances that have been decreed by his providence. Rather, he calls us to be joyful even in suffering. “Paul shows us that our joy, as believers yet in this world, is always mingled with sorrow. Believers should be ‘sorrowful, yet always rejoicing’ (2 Corinthians 6:10). We are sorrowful at the condition of the hearts of our persecutors while rejoicing that we are being persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”
Here is what I think we ought to consider: If we are experiencing some kind of trial, we may be able to judge whether we are being persecuted for our Christian faith by our response. If we respond to our trial with whining and griping, we are either facing persecution wrongly or perhaps not actually facing persecution at all. It could be that we are suffering the consequences of sin or being punished because of our rebellion against authority. It could be that we are provoking unbelievers to anger because of our poor behavior. It could be that God is chastising us for our unrepentant sin. It could be that we are not being persecuted at all.
However, if we experience hardship at the hands of men—suffering, trials, injustices—and find our hearts rejoicing rather than embittered, thankful rather than spiteful, satisfied rather than grumbly, we may well take this as evidence that we are suffering persecution and being filled with God’s Spirit to endure it well, to endure it for his glory. In that way, we can know we are being persecuted by our joyful response.

Good day my friends!

Elon Musk Bought Twitter: So What?
Chris Martin ponders Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter. “If you find yourself jumping for joy or drowning in tears amid Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, maybe you should be a bit more concerned about what this says about you than what Musk could mean for Twitter.”
Does God Change His Mind?
Does God change his mind? This article from Ligonier answers the question well.
We Are Still Young
I enjoyed this glimpse of a far-off part of the world. “Gornaya Maevka—Mountain Gathering—is a village neighboring the Tien Shan Mountains. It’s a space where snow almost blinds you and a lack of cars makes you feel deaf, a town far too disorienting for its modest size. It’s mostly made up of vacant summer homes, lined in such a way that only locals can really navigate it.”
At least I’m still good for something
This is a sweet meditation on usefulness in our final years.
Themelios 47.1
The latest issue of Themelios has 229 pages of editorials, articles, and book reviews for you to read for free.
“I’m So Sorry” — “Thank You”
Rebekah Matt writes about thank you notes, but about a lot more as well.
Flashback: The Hottest Thing at Church Today
As Christianity Today says, “Despite a new wave of contemporary church buzzwords like relational, relevant, and intentional, people who show up on Sundays are looking for the same thing that has long anchored most services: preaching centered on the Bible.” Praise God.

Sorrow and tears for sin are never right until they are like floods of water to drive us to Christ. —Christopher Love