There is a sense in which we are less familiar with death than our forebears, more insulated from its horrors. Of course the death rate in the twenty-first century is identical to every century before and every century to come—“it is appointed for [each and every] man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” So perhaps it is better to say we are less familiar with what we consider premature death—the death of infants, children, and young adults.

Because we are less familiar with death, we tend to prepare less for its inevitable encroachment. With the average lifespan now extending well past the promised threescore and ten, it is easy enough to set death alongside retirement, pensions, and inheritances as matters that should concern us sometime in the future, but certainly not right now.
But it was not always so and there are lessons we can and should learn from previous generations of Christians, for they had a heightened understanding of the importance of being ready. They had to. Like first responders, they had to be in a state of constant preparation, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice. Like servants, they had to be dressed and ready for the moment they were summoned into the presence of the king. They did not have the luxury of associating death with a life well-lived to a ripe old age. Death could come quickly and at any time. It commonly did.
In reading the Puritans and their successors, I’ve often come across a captivating little phrase: “knocking at the gates of the grave.” Jeremy Taylor wrote a whole book about Christian dying and said, “He that would die well must always look for death, every day knocking at the gates of the grave; and then the gates of the grave shall never prevail against him to do him mischief.” Theodore Cuyler sometimes recounted strolling through Greenwood cemetery where three of his children had been laid to rest—two as infants and one as a young adult—and using his time there to metaphorically knock at the gates of the grave, “to listen whether any painful echo comes back from within.”
We, too, should make it our habit to knock at the gates of the grave. To knock at the gates of the grave is to ponder the positive marks of grace that are associated with those who love the Lord and will depart this life to be with him forever. It is to ponder the marks of depravity and hypocrisy that are associated with those who hate the Lord and will depart this life to be separated from him forever. It is to heed the admonition of the Apostle who implored Christians to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!”
We knock when we pray, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23-24)! We knock when we cry to God, “Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness” (Psalm 26:2–3). We knock when we prepare to celebrate the Lord’s Supper and examine ourselves, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup (1 Corinthians 11:28). We knock when we consider whether our lives are increasingly marked by those precious evidences of God’s saving and sanctifying grace.
When we knock at the gates of the grave in these ways and many others, we meditatively listen to hear the distant echoes of the choir of angels or the distant echoes of the gavel of judgment. We knock and then listen for echoes that are encouraging or concerning, delightful or painful. We knock and listen so we are prepared for the day—the inevitable day—when the gates will open to receive us to new life or a second death, to the bliss of heaven or the horrors of hell. We knock to ensure we are waiting, to ensure we are ready, to ensure we will go to be with the Lord we love.

Good morning! Grace and peace to you.

(Yesterday on the blog: As if God Had Ever Made an Atlantic Wide Enough…)
An Open Letter to a Distressed Sufferer
Mike Emlet has an open letter to those who are suffering. “Dear friend, I have no definitive answer for why God has permitted this particular tsunami to flood your life. But while we can’t penetrate the mysteries of suffering, we can be sure of this: our gracious and strong Lifeguard will not let us be swept away.”
5 Christian Athletes to Watch in the Winter Olympics
Here’s a small roundup of some of the Christian athletes competing right now. “If you’re looking for athletes to root for, we recommend following these five Christian competitors—and also a specific way you can pray for each of them.”
Don’t Let Truth Become Cliche
This article warns us against allowing truth to become a cliche.
The Hazards of Second Language Sermons
A missionary humorously shares some of the hazards of preaching in a new language.
Innovation Exists by God’s Design
“Many of the sharpest Christians, who rightly celebrate God’s providential governance over all things, tend to wrongly assume (in practice) that his reign ends somewhere around the boundary lines of Silicon Valley.”
The Hope of Renewal for the Sexually Broken
Here’s a word from David Powlison–a word of hope for the sexually broken.
Flashback: It Takes Two
Gossip is not only a sin of the mouth, but also a sin of the ears. It takes two: the one who speaks and the one who listens.

No man can be severe in his judgment who feels that the mild eyes of Christ are fixed upon him. —Charles Hodge

As we go through times of suffering and sorrow, we inevitably come into contact with those who would seek to comfort us. Some offer true help and true hope while others, unfortunately, do not. In this short but sweet quote, Theodore Cuyler reflects on what we need most in our times of affliction.

There are some of us who have known what it is to drink bitter draughts of affliction, and to have the four corners of our house smitten by a terrible sorrow. At such times, how hollow and worthless were many of the stereotyped prescriptions for comfort!
“Time must do its work,” was one of them. As if time could bring back the dead, or cruelly eradicate the beloved image from the memory!
“Travel,” is another of these quack recommendations for a wounded spirit. Just as if God had ever made an Atlantic wide enough to carry us out of the reach of heart-breaking misery!
Wretched comforters are they all. The suffering heart heeds not the voice of such charmers, charm they never so wisely.
Never, never have I been able to gain one ray of genuine consolation until I lifted my eyes unto the hills from whence cometh the Almighty help. As soon as I have begun to taste of God’s exceeding great and precious promises my strength has begun to revive. As soon as His everlasting arm got hold around me the burden grew lighter,—yea, it carried me and the load likewise. God opened to me paths of usefulness which were in the line of His service, and also of blessings to my fellow-men. And so help flowed down to me from the hills like the streams that make music from the precipices to one who climbs the Wenzern Alp.

May God bless you as you serve and worship him this weekend.

My gratitude goes to Radius International for sponsoring the blog this week. Be sure to consider attending their upcoming Missiology Conference virtually or in-person. It includes Alistair Begg, Kevin DeYoung, and others.
Today’s Kindle deals include some newer and older titles.
(Yesterday on the blog: 50 Ethical Questions)
All This Wasted Worry
“I find it strange that I don’t have a problem trusting the Lord with my eternity, but I am loathe to trust him with my day.” You may identify with Glenna’s concern.
What do I do when I can’t seem to get over my grief?
This question is handled sensitively.
Six Things Lament is Not
And, somewhat related: “I want to clarify and develop what this practice is and what it is not. Lament is new for many people, including me, and this short post is intended to clear up confusion and reduce unhelpful caricatures.”
The Bible’s light-bulb hasn’t blown
“Sadly, it’s very easy for Christians to act as though the Bible’s light-bulb has blown! We can treat our Bibles like a faint LED that offers no real guidance for our complicated, advanced modern lives. Our lack of reference to the Bible suggests it emits no light. Our lack of engagement with the Bible suggests we don’t actually think there is a chapter and a verse to shed light on all my decision-making.”
Mind Inventory
“A helpful feature of smartphones is the Screentime notification which tracks the amount of time you spend on your phone and how that time is divided up among the various apps. … What if we had a ‘Mindtime’ app which sent a notification at the end of each week graphing out the various categories of thoughts which occupied our minds? What would it reveal?”
Jared Wilson on Thinking About the Sins of Our Church History Heroes
I’ve heard quite a few responses to questions about the sins of church history heroes, but few, if any, have been better than Jared Wilson’s.
Flashback: The Scariest Book I’ve Ever Read
These little temptations look so small and so harmless. They appear to offer something desirable at a negligible cost. But through Owen, I know better. They want to wreck me. They want my utter destruction.

We don’t have the right to cast off the fruit of the Spirit in the name of standing for truth. —Shai Linne

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Radius International.  They are giving away a conference package that includes: 2 tickets, a Radius pullover, and 2 books.

The winner will receive two free tickets to the Radius Missiology Conference being held June 29-30, 2022, at Christ Covenant Church, Matthews, NC. This event will be live in person or available as a live stream. Kevin DeYoung, Alistair Begg, Ian Hamilton, Wayne Chen, Brooks Buser, Chad Vegas, and others from the Radius world will be live and in-person to teach on the Great Commission in today’s world with free books from 9Marks, Banner of Truth, and others.
The winner will receive a Radius International branded pullover. Size and gender options to be selected by the winner from available stock.
The winners will also receive two books that Radius International highly recommends:
No Shortcut to Success
A Manifesto for Modern Missions
By Matt Rhodes
Avoid “Get-Rich-Quick” Missions Strategies and Invest in Effective, Long-Term Ministry
Trendy new missions strategies are a dime a dozen, promising missionaries monumental results in record time. These strategies report explosive movements of people turning to Christ, but their claims are often dubious and they do little to ensure the health of believers or churches that remain. How can churches and missionaries address the urgent need to reach unreached people without falling for quick fixes?
In No Shortcut to Success, author and missionary Matt Rhodes implores Christians to stop chasing silver-bullet strategies and short-term missions, and instead embrace theologically robust and historically demonstrated methods of evangelism and discipleship—the same ones used by historic figures such as William Carey and Adoniram Judson. These great missionaries didn’t rush evangelism; they spent time studying Scripture, mastering foreign languages, and building long-term relationships. Rhodes explains that modern missionaries’ emphasis on minimal training and quick conversions can result in slipshod evangelism that harms the communities they intend to help. He also warns against underestimating the value of individual skill and effort—under the guise of “getting out of the Lord’s way”—and empowers Christians with practical, biblical steps to proactively engage unreached groups.
Missions By The Book
How Theology and Missions Walk Together
by Chad Vegas and Alex Kocman
Across the church, there is a rift between theology and missions. Bad theology produces bad missions, and bad missions fuel bad theology.
We wrongly think that we must choose between making a global impact and thinking deeply about the things of God. But the relationship between theology and missions is symbiotic—one cannot exist without the other. They walk hand-in-hand.
Enter Here
Again, there is one package to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Sunday, Feb 6th, 2022 at midnight.

These are confusing times, aren’t they? These are confusing times for those who wish to live according to God’s Word and unto God’s glory. There is a host of questions we need to wrestle with, a host of ethical dilemmas we need to consider.

Is abortion permissible? Is it permissible in cases of rape or incest? Is it permissible when a child has been diagnosed in utero with a developmental disability like Down syndrome? What about with a fatal condition like anencephaly? Or what about in cases when there is an ectopic pregnancy?
Is it okay for Christians to sign advance directives that would decline potentially life-saving medical treatment? Is it ever permissible to decline or to halt life support? Can a Christian who has a terminal condition and is in excruciating pain choose to hasten death through physician-assisted suicide?
Should a couple that becomes pregnant while dating get married? Is birth control ever acceptable for Christians? Can Christians use the birth control pill or does it potentially cause abortions? Is the “morning-after pill” a viable option for those who wish to prevent a pregnancy?
These are just a small number of the ethical issues that Christians may need to grapple with over the course of a lifetime. And while some of the answers may be obvious, others may present significant difficulties. This is especially true when ethical dilemmas arise not in the leisurely context of a college classroom but in the urgency of real life and ministry. “My daughter was sexually assaulted last night and asked me if she can take the morning-after pill. What do I tell her?” “My son has just gotten engaged to another man. Should I celebrate?” “The doctors say my husband is being kept alive only by life support. Is it okay if I end it?”
Such dilemmas are the subject of J. Alan Branch’s new book 50 Ethical Questions: Biblical Wisdom for Confusing Times. Each of the 50 questions receives a brief treatment of about four pages—not enough to answer it thoroughly, but enough to provide an overview of the issues and a reasonably solid answer. In each case he briefly defines the issue, suggests the relevant biblical ethical principles, and then offers a suggested moral stance. “This book is written for the Christian who attends church, loves the Lord, and believes the Bible,” he says. “I hope my discussion of these topics will give sincere followers of Christ a good starting point when thinking through very important issues.” And so this is not a survey of ethics as much as a basic guide to current quandaries.
I can see 50 Ethical Questions being helpful in a number of contexts. It can be read by the likes of you and me and equip us with a biblical perspective on contemporary issues. It might also prove a useful text for youth or young adult groups that want to come to firm convictions on ethical dilemmas. And then it may prove a useful resource for a pastor to keep handy so that in those times he is asked a difficult question, he can turn to the appropriate section and find at least a starting point for his answer. In these cases and others, those who read the book will find answers that are reasonable, helpful, and best of all, biblical.
(The paperback and Kindle editions are not yet linked. Click here for the Kindle edition and here for the paperback.)

Buy from Amazon

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

Playboy Makes Perversion Woke
Carl Trueman has some insightful commentary about Playboy and Hugh Hefner. “it seems that Playboy is once again trying to clean up its image and, in the process, contradict its own reasons for existence. This time the move comes in advance of an A&E documentary series that will reveal in detail the perversions and sleaze of its founder, Hugh Hefner.”
Men and Women in Romans 16
Murray Campbell: “Romans 16 isn’t foremost about men and women, it’s about the Apostle Paul commending his ministry team to the church in Rome. It is a team that consists of many people from all kinds of walks of life. Among the number are many men and many women.”
Register Now for RMC22
The Radius Missiology Conference (RMC) is a unique time where the ideas, philosophies, and methodologies of historic and contemporary missions are discussed and taught on over a two-day conference. June 29-30, 2022, with Kevin DeYoung, Alistair Begg & others. (Sponsored Link)
You Might Be a Stingy Forgiver If…
Cindy Matson offers a few ways to know if you might just be a stingy forgiver.
Five Reasons for Wives to Lean In
“I met my future mother-in-law when I was barely 17 years old. Barb was warm and welcoming, and I instantly liked her. As a brand-new Christian, Barb was a mentor to me and someone I looked up to.” Stacy Reaoch gives some counsel to daughters-in-law.
Jesus is Here
Blake Long offers an encouraging reminder: “Jesus is here with us. He is not distant, far off, or lost. He is here and cares for us.”
Flashback: On Living in a Post-Christian Context
So I suppose this is a call for those of us in the West to take comfort and confidence in this: there are Christians who can assist us. There are believers elsewhere who can guide us into this territory that is foreign to us but familiar to them.

Christianity does not think of a man finally submitting to the power of God, it thinks of him as finally surrendering to the love of God. It is not that man’s will is crushed, but that man’s heart is broken. —William Barclay

Good morning! Grace and peace to you.

(Yesterday on the blog: Our Hearts and Minds Turned Outward)
What Is Dispensationalism?
This is a helpful little introduction to dispensationalism courtesy of Keith Mathison. “Dispensationalist theology is perhaps best known for its distinctive eschatological doctrines, particularly the doctrine of the pre-tribulation rapture of the church. According to this doctrine…”
Every Corner Is Crowded
Isn’t this an interesting thought: “Can you imagine knowing the true and full history of even one single spot on this wide world of ours?”
Who Got it Wrong? Was There One Or Two Demoniacs Delivered?
George Sinclair: “The average Canadian does not read the Bible often—if at all. But they do know what ‘everyone knows’ that the Bible is full of contradictions. To many Canadians, this is one of several reasons why you should not take the Bible seriously.”
Defending without Becoming Defensive
“There is a difference between winning an argument and winning a person.” STR offers some tips on defending the faith without becoming defensive (or offensive, for that).
How to Spot Political Manipulation and Give It No Quarter
Bruce Ashford: “In the political sphere, manipulation seems to be the soup du jour. One might even conclude that some political leaders have elevated the logical fallacy to the level of their own literary genre. Thus, it is important for us to be aware of the ways in which our hearts and minds can be ‘stolen’ by political manipulation. Here are twelve of the most common distortion techniques used by political leaders:”
The Rise of the Preacher-Influencer
To be honest, there isn’t a ton that’s original or of particular value in this article. However, I do think the idea of “preacher-influencer” is a valuable one to consider. “It was meant to be a sermon on the importance of having faith in God’s vision, even when that task seems difficult. An object lesson from the book of Mark, in which Jesus heals a blind man by spitting on his eyes. But it’s how Pastor Michael Todd brought this message home that made the sermon unforgettable…”
Flashback: Learn the Lesson of Aaron’s Oily Beard
I’ve always wondered, what does Aaron’s oily head, oily beard, and oily clothing have to do with unity? It’s probably not the metaphor I would turn to—in fact, it’s kind of repulsive to me—, yet it’s the one David used. Why?

Those who understand God’s sovereignty have joy even in the midst of suffering, a joy reflected on their very faces, for they see that their suffering is not without purpose. —R.C. Sproul

Every coin has a head behind a tail, every die a 6 behind a 1, every stamp a sticker behind a face. And in much the same way, every technology has a virtue behind a vice, a benefit behind a drawback, something beneficial behind something sorely detrimental. The television that supplies important news also promotes vile entertainment, the engine that provides propulsion also produces pollution, the nuclear fission that powers a city also risks destroying that city. Such is life and tech in a world marred by sin.

And in just that way, social media can be used for such good and such ill. It can display human beings at their best and worst, their most gracious and most condescending, their most humble and most prideful. The greater part of the blame lies not with the technology itself, but with those who use it, for social media does little more than display who we really are and repeat what we really believe. It is our hearts and minds turned outward in snippets of text, bursts of video, carefully filtered photographs.
Yet we should be careful not to overly-simplify, for social media has been deliberately designed to take advantage of our weaknesses more than our strengths, to reward pride more than humility. It fosters quick skimming more than deep reading, impulsiveness more than thoughtfulness, indignation more than wisdom. Solomon asks, “Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him.” But Facebook prompts every user at every moment, “What’s on your mind?” Solomon warns that “when words are many, transgression is not lacking”, but Twitter suggests at all times and in all occasions, “Tweet your reply.” He says, “The wise will inherit honor,” but on most social media platforms it is the boastful and combatant, the ungracious and lascivious who are seen and heard, who are honored and followed. The one who rules his spirit may be better than he who takes a city, but vice so easily becomes virtue on platforms that reward outrage more than self-control, harshness more than kindness, arrogance more than meekness.
Twitter and Facebook, Instagram and TikTok, a host of lesser and still-to-be-invented technologies—each provides an ideal mechanism for platform-building and self-aggrandizement, for promoting self while disparaging others, for displaying all manner of haughtiness and every kind of foolishness. But though we so easily see the drawbacks of these new technologies, they do still have many benefits. None are so far beyond redemption that they cannot be used in ways that will bless others and glorify God. Behind all the vices are many genuine virtues, for through social media we can say words that dry crying eyes, we can share quotes that raise drooping hands, we can upload videos that strengthen weakened knees. We can graciously engage with the lost and the hurting, we can gently challenge the straying and the wayward, we can carefully shore up the uncertain and the untrained. We can be present and active in these forums where people are taught, where ideas are discussed, where the great concerns of our age are debated. We can be where the people of this world gather so we can speak God’s truth with our mouths while displaying God’s love in our lives.
However, if we want to be humble through social media we will need to be humble before social media. We will need to be aware of its embedded ideologies, aware of the many ways in which it rewards what God despises, aware of its many temptations to promote folly ahead of wisdom. We will need to approach it cautiously, prayerfully, and ever-so-humbly.
There is no time in human history in which it has been easy to display humility and no time in which it has been difficult to display pride. The challenge of social media is new only in the speed through which we can display such folly and only in the extent of the damage we can do through it. Social media has not created pride, but only created new avenues to express it. Yet the God who opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble certainly delights to grant us the humility we lack so we can be light when surrounded by darkness, so we can redeem what has been broken, so we can take advantage of every opportunity to profess the great truths of our great God.

This article was originally published in the January 2022 edition of Tabletalk magazine.

May the Lord bless you and keep you today.

Logos users will want to look at the free and nearly-free books of the month. Also, this month Logos is featuring deals on resource by Eerdmans which includes the amazing NICOT/NICNT and Pillar commentary series.
Today’s Kindle deals include quite a long list of deals from Eerdmans.
The Case for Rearranging the Old Testament Books
It’s interesting to consider that, while the books of the Bible are inerrant, their ordering is not. “The ordering of the books in our English Bible is standard, if not universal―seemingly set in stone, even. But that order actually embodies a break with the wisdom and practice that came before. For many years, the Old Testament was read in a different order.”
Ways to Disagree Without Tearing Each Other Down
Barbara Harper says “I’m no expert, but after 47 or so years of being a Christian and reading God’s word, 40+ years of marriage, and more than that of living and interacting with people, I’ve learned a few things that I’d like to pass along.” A few things, that is, about disagreeing with others without tearing them down.
Is There Such a Thing as Bad Missions?
One of the implicit assumptions that seems to be prevalent in our time is that there is no such thing as “Bad Missions”. As long as the intentions of the missionary are pure and the goal of the church sending them out is Biblical, then there are no grounds to question what is done overseas. But how do pastors evaluate what is good missions, especially when it comes to long-term, church-planting missions? (Sponsored Link)
Jordan Peterson, Kanye West and the homeless man across the street
“Why do we want famous people to be saved?” Jordan Standridge considers the question in light of Jordan Peterson and Kanye West.
Purity: How Artificial Intelligence Impacts Radical Amputation
This is an interesting look at the ways AI (and, more generally, modern technology) impacts the kind of radical amputation Jesus calls for as we battle against sin.
This Is Sacred Space. Please Turn Off Your Phones.
Also on the subject of technology, Trevin Wax calls for Christians to turn off their phones in church (and not just to prevent them from annoying us all with their ringtones).
What Happens When a Believer Dies?
Randy Alcorn considers what happens in the moment a Christian dies.
Flashback: How Much Entertainment Is Too Much?
While we may take a rest from work, we must never take a rest from holiness. What we watch or read or play must further our walk, not hinder it.

I would rather play with the forked lightning, or take in my hands living wires with their fiery current, than speak a reckless word against any servant of Christ. —A. B. Simpson