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

(Yesterday on the blog: A Pastoral Prayer for Unity Amid Pandemic)
Unmaking the Patriarchy
Neil Shenvi has posted an interesting review of a popular and influential book. “Beth Allison Barr’s The Making of Biblical Womanhood belongs to a growing genre of (post)evangelical social scholarship. Using a combination of history, sociology, and political analysis, books like [these books] aim to show that conservative evangelicalism has been built on the foundation of racism, or sexism, or nationalism such that it needs to be substantially reformed if not outright dismantled.”
Is Complementarity Merely Functional?
Speaking of that subject, here’s Piper answering a question on complementarity. “I suppose it’s inevitable that the longer a label is used — like complementarianism or complementarity — the easier it is for the label to replace the reality. The label complementarian, as a designation for how men and women relate to each other, has been around for about 35 years. I would want to stress that labels are only valuable if they capture and communicate reality. It’s the biblical reality that we really care about, not so much the label.”
Beware Evangelical Talk
“When I was a brand new missions pastor, I was given a great piece of advice from the lead pastors that I reported to. ‘Beware Evangelical talk,’ they said.” Here’s an explanation of that…
Should the Church Have Authority over Me?
“If we were to put together ten rules for constructing a moral society, it is doubtful that many would emphasize parental respect. Why then does God bother to put in a commandment about honoring your parents? What’s the big deal?”
Don’t Reject God Because of His People
This is true and important: “We shouldn’t reject the whole body of God’s truth because some of His people, or those who professed to be His people, fell so far from His ideal. They’re accountable for their sins and failures, but what they do doesn’t void the truth they taught. We’re accountable for the truth we’ve heard despite the vessels it sometimes came through.”
The Songs We Sing Say a Lot About What We Believe
There are some interesting observations here. “As a worship pastor in Canada, I have observed that our liturgical database, though full of songs of praise and the experience of salvation, lacks other important theological themes. Songs of lament? None. Songs of Christian fellowship? Few and far between. Another thin theological theme in our songs is biblical eschatology.”
The Beauty and Dangers of Familiarity with God
“Familiarity, which means having a close acquaintance with or knowledge of something, can be good and bad. In the Bible, we are called to respond to God’s everlasting love and draw close to Him. We are invited to love Him, treasure Him, revere Him and know Him intimately. Yet, familiarity lacking these can lead to casualness.”
Flashback: 18 Prayers to Pray for Unbelievers
God loves to hear us pray and God loves to respond to our prayers. So as you pray for unbelievers, pray with confidence that God hears your prayers.

Why do we love to read the Scriptures daily? Because they speak to us of home. Why do we live differently from those around us? Because we remember that we are soon going home. —Iain Duguid

Every now and again I like to share one of the pastoral prayers from Grace Fellowship Church. This particular one was prayed by Paul Martin on a recent Sunday. The context, as is obvious from the prayer, is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and, perhaps more specifically, the vaccine mandates that are taking root in our city and country. This context provides many opportunities for Christians to disagree with one another and, therefore, to become disunited. This, then, is a prayer for unity in our local church.

O God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, our one true God, this is a prayer for unity, a prayer on behalf of Grace Fellowship Church of Toronto.Please hear our prayer and answer it.
We are aware of athletes who run hard for 25 miles, only to falter before the finish line. Jesus told of those who started to build towers, but only got part way done. We don’t want to get nearly through this pandemic, only to falter before the end. So, our triune God, make us one. Father, remember the prayer of your Son on our behalf, “Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one” (John 17:11).
This season of life has shown us ways we are different from each other in categories we rarely considered before. Some of us think the government has acted in folly, others think it has done well. Some of us think vaccines are dangerous, others think they are a gift. Some of us fear coming to church, others wish we could sit shoulder to shoulder when we do. And these strong differences of opinion on important matters could lead us to grow suspicious of one another; to avoid fellow members we disagree with; or even to judge them in our hearts. O Lord, fill this church with people who value your Word over their opinions. Make it so the most important thing in the world to us is to do what we are certain is absolutely true. Settle our eyes on the simplest of your commands and send your Holy Spirit to empower our faithful obedience to them.
By your grace, let us: love one another with brotherly affection and outdo one another in showing honor (Romans 12:10); keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 4:8); live in harmony with one another (Romans 12:16); agree with one another and live in peace so that the God of love and peace will be with us (2 Corinthians 13:11); greet one another with true love (2 Corinthians 13:12); welcome one another as Christ has welcomed us (Romans 15:7); bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2); behave with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:2); be kind to one another and tenderhearted (Ephesians 4:32); encourage one another and build one another up (1 Thessalonians 5:11); submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21); if one has a complaint against another, forgive the other (Colossians 3:13); consider how to stir up one another to love and good works (Hebrews 10:24); not neglect to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as we see the Day drawing near (Hebrews 10:25); confess our sins to one another and pray for one another (James 5:16); show hospitality to one another without grumbling (1 Peter 4:9); as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10); clothe ourselveswith humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’ (1 Peter 5:5).
And as we do all these good things, Lord, keep us from doing some other awful things. Let us not: pass judgment on one another (Romans 14:13); become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another (Galatians 5:26); lie to one another, seeing that we have put off the old self with its practices (Colossians 3:9); speak evil against one another (James 4:11); bite and devour one another (Galatians 5:15).
These are good things we know we can do and bad things we know we must not do. The worst thing that could happen to us as a church is if we would let our circumstances provide us an excuse to disobey the clear commands of your Bible. O God, please forgive us for where we have failed to love and properly care for each other. Forgive us for wishing ill on people who see things differently from us. Forgive us for retreating into little like-minded cells where we can grumble about those we disagree with.
You hate those things. But you love unity without any forced uniformity. You love it when your people choose to be one. That is what Satan hates. He hates it when people show off your love and power by standing together in love even when they disagree. So we are sure that the Devil will continue to hound, hassle and harangue us in every way imaginable to get us to pull out of the marathon. To stop building the tower. O Lord, give us the strength of Samson to persevere in this battle.
I pray for every member of this church facing job loss or education disruptions due to vaccine requirements. O God, grant them the strength of their convictions and show them mercy. Help them to stand before you with honest hearts and to trust that you will carry them through. Help our church to be ready to help wherever we can, even if certain ones of us would make different decisions. And Lord, intervene on their behalf. Open up a new way for them.
I pray for every member of this church who feels quite fearful of attending a public worship service. O God, help them and grant them the courage of their convictions. And when they come and gather, let them do so in faith, not compulsion. May they do it with full confidence in you and your grace.
I pray for those who strongly believe our governing authorities are in error. O God, let them express their views carefully, always remembering to honor their leaders, just as much as they fear their God. I pray for those who think our governing authorities are doing an excellent job. O God, keep them from trusting in mere men and women, and help them to settle their greatest confidence on you alone. I pray for all those lost in the middle, those who have a hard time knowing what is best and what is folly. O God, help them to rest on you like a weaned child on her mother’s lap. If matters seem too complex to them, give them the faith of a child in you. You welcome all who come in humility and weakness.
O God, we would have no idea what to do in these days if we did not have our Bibles. And again, Lord, we ask that you would keep our eyes on the clearest and simplest parts of that Book. We will not live wrong if we do what we know is right. And you have given us such clear commands, the greatest of which is for us to love one another. “God is love.” And we are most like You when we are imitating your love. Therefore, may we “be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1–2).
And may the unity that results from this mutual love make Grace Fellowship Church shine like the sun that breaks through the clouds on the most dismal of days, so that all who look over here and see the light will, in turn, worship the light, our thrice Holy God. To whom we pray, Amen.

I have often expressed my fascination with nineteenth century religious poetry. In a time when there were few means through which strangers could engage with one another, poetry periodicals would often print a poem in one issue, then responses or rebuttals in future editions. I found just such a situation with a poem titled “A Mother’s Love” which was penned by a grieving, anonymous poet.

Still she keeps rocking him,Ever caressing him,Brushing his hair from his colorless brow;Softly they’ve whispered her,‘Life has gone out of him;’Gently she answers—‘how still he is now!’
Still she keeps rocking him,As though she would shake from himThe cold hand of death, like the weights from his eyes;Rocking the clay of him,While softly the soul of himAngels are rocking far up in the skies.
A second anonymous poet subsequently replied with a poem of her own, a kind of gentle rebuttal that was meant to bring Scriptural encouragement.
Why does she weep for him,Mourn and lament for him,Craving at mostBut a handful of dust?Cold, lifeless clay at best,Cold on her yearning breastLost is her treasure,But where is her trust?
Let her not cling to him,Striving to fling from him,Death’s chilly hand,With its firm, frozen hold.Death has not made the choice,’Tis but the Shepherd’s voiceCalling the little lambBack to its fold.
Why, then, go sorrowing,All the day borrowingMemory’s mourningAnd memory’s gloom?Rather let hope uniteWith faith’s celestial light,Casting a haloFar over his tomb.

May you know the Lord’s sweet blessings as you serve and worship him this weekend.

(Yesterday on the blog: I recommended the book Man of Sorrows, King of Glory)
In Defense of Something Close to Venting
“Is venting legitimate, constructive, healthy, and faithful? In short, is it ok to ‘vent?’ Scripture offers a nuanced response. It gives permission, admonishes caution, and provides direction. It gives permission for honest expression, caution to avoid harm, and direction to express your heart to God.” Todd Stryd provides an answer here.
Under Pressure
Nick Batzig: “How can I remain calm under pressure? This has to be one of the most significant questions we find ourselves asking throughout our lives. What is the secret to pressing through the challenges and trials of life without fretting or being overwhelmed by constant anxiety?”
Twenty Years and Counting
This isn’t the usual A La Carte fare, but I thought it interesting enough to share: “Today marks the 20th anniversary of the crash of American Airlines flight 587 in New York City. We have now gone twenty full years since the last large-scale crash involving a major U.S. carrier. This is by far the longest such streak ever.” What an amazing thing.
Men, Know Yourselves and Speak
Pierce Taylor Hibbs has a challenge for men. “I want to encourage my brothers across the globe with a simple message: know yourself and speak. But I’m going to show you that this ‘knowing yourself’ means a lot more than casual introspection.”
An Invitation
I second this invitation. “For those of you who find yourself playing with words, turning over sentences, creating mounting paragraphs, carrying index cards in your pocket or on the dashboard or atop your nightstand, texting yourself meaningful phrases or ideas, your mind brimming with childhood memories and stories which spark a seeing of the hand of God in the minutiae, I beckon you to write.”
How To Know Right from Wrong
Here’s a simple look at distinguishing right from wrong.
Flashback: Don’t Waste Your Ambition
Ambition is good, but it needs to be strengthened by at least two other crucial traits: character and self-discipline.

Jesus bases everything on God-realization, while other teachers base everything on self-realization. —Oswald Chambers

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by RHB Publications. 

Everyone who enters the prize draw will get a free eBook of A Habitual Sight of Him: The Christ-Centered Piety of Thomas Goodwin from the RHB Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series.
In addition, three of you who enter will receive a copy of the new hardback set of The Works of Thomas Goodwin – a $480 value! – PLUS the other new titles listed alongside it below.
[Because of problems with the printing supply chain, prize-winning books are not guaranteed to arrive by Christmas]
New Titles from RHB
The Works of Thomas Goodwin
A 12-volume set with an introduction and reading plan by Dr. Joel Beeke
Thomas Goodwin’s works display a pastoral and scholarly zeal that represents the best in Puritanism – combining the vigor of Perkins and Sibbes with the mature thought of Owen.
ISBN 9781601788481 12 volumes 6,600 pages Hardcover $480.00

Charles Haddon Spurgeon
Simonetta Carr
Spurgeon, one of Christianity’s greatest preachers, spoke to thousands, trained pastors, started orphanages, and upheld basic Bible teachings. Simonetta uses colorful illustrations and interesting facts to tell a compelling story.
ISBN 9781601788832 64 pages hardcover $18.00

Nugget and the Refiner
Kerry Tittle, Illustrated by Jim McMurry
An illustrated story for children aged 7-12. Nugget is a hunk of ore wrenched from the ground and refined into a beautiful chalice. He learns that painful things can work for our good.
ISBN 978-1-60178-902-0 40 pages Hardcover $18.00

The Glory of the Redeemer in His Person and Work
Octavius Winslow
Winslow’s warm engagement of biblical truth delivers a devotional Christology that excites the soul—tracing Jesus’s glory from eternity past, through the Old and New Testaments, to His return.
ISBN 978-1-60178-884-9 432 pages p/b $20.00 (Soli Deo Gloria)

The Spiritual Marriage Between Christ and His Church and Every One of the Faithful
Girolamo Zanchi (translated by Patrick O’Brien)
This new translation of the classic draws readers into the rich doctrine of union with Christ, showing how our earthly marriages fulfill their truest purpose when we give attention to the spiritual marriage between Christ and His church.
ISBN 978-1-60178-904-4 152 pages Hardcover $25.00 (Soli Deo Gloria)

God to Us: Covenant Theology in Scripture
Stephen G. Myers
God’s unchanging purpose is securing a people for Himself. God to Us explains the work of this eternal covenant in detail—deepening our knowledge of God and enriching our relationship.
ISBN 978-1-60178-873-3 376 pages Hardcover $30.00

The Poor Man’s Morning and Evening Portions
Robert Hawker
Written specifically for every Christian as a daily meditation for your soul, Hawker’s 730 devotions will let the Word of God come close to your conscience to your eternal gain.
ISBN 978-1-892777-05-8 944 pages Hardcover $40.00
Enter Here
Again, there are three 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.
Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. When you enter, you opt-in to receive marketing emails from RHB. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes on Thursday 18th November 2021 at midnight.

Christians are known for being people of the cross—people who rightly focus a great deal of attention on the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. But while the cross stands at the very center of the gospel, it does not stand alone. Rather, it is surrounded, as it were, by the wider context of Jesus’s humiliation and exaltation—by all he did before and after he was crucified.

The humiliation and exaltation of Jesus Christ are the twin subjects of Jonty Rhodes’s excellent new book Man of Sorrows, King of Glory. He begins by introducing Christ’s threefold office as prophet, priest, and king since “before we can look at the work of Christ, we must be clear on his identity.” We must be equally careful that we do not inadvertently separate him from his works so we receive what Christ did without understanding we must receive Christ himself. “This is the invitation of the gospel. Not so much ‘Receive these gifts: justification, sanctification, adoption, reconciliation,’ but rather ‘Receive Christ.’”
Having introduced Christ’s threefold office, Rhodes turns to his twofold state: humiliation and exaltation. The structure of the book helpfully shows how he explores his topic. One section is dedicated to the humiliation of Christ and it contains four chapters: one that explains what is meant by “humiliation,” then one that covers each of these topics: the humiliation of Christ as our prophet, the humiliation of Christ as our priest, and the humiliation of Christ as our king. The next section repeats the pattern, except with exaltation instead of humiliation.
Rhodes does a number of things especially well: he makes complex topics accessible even to people without postgraduate degrees in theology; he offers precise positions without becoming pedantic; he presents Christ as especially beautiful and the atonement as especially awe-inspiring; he draws from the very best of Christian authors and theologians; and he shows why a gospel that is focused exclusively on the cross neglects the crucial context of Christ’s humiliation and exaltation. And he does all this in only 150 pages.
I’m glad to say that Man of Sorrows, King of Glory is one of the very best and most enjoyable books I’ve read all year. I cannot recommend it too highly.

Buy from Amazon

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

On sale at Westminster Books this week is an excellent new daily devotional from Alistair Begg.
Brothers Indeed
I very much enjoyed this dispatch from afar.
The Middle Years
Melissa often makes me laugh. “The middle years, where any guess about my age is likely to be wrong one way or the other, depending on ridiculous things like how much water I’ve been drinking or how much I spent on my current anti-aging moisturizer.”
The Grief of Finite Joy
“Somehow my oldest child is a freshman in high school. As I’ve experienced those where-did-the-time-go emotions that come with such minor milestones, I’ve started to feel a deep, preemptive loss.”
Public Health After Christendom
This is quite an interesting look at how public health is likely to change in a post-Christian era. “It is my contention that public health should be recognized for what it has become, not what it set out to be.”
How to Spot a Personality Cult
Mark Hampton: “In the modern West the church has an issue with its public image. With the rise of digital media and heightened technophilia, the image we often present to the world is not Christ but ourselves. We build up mini-celebrities in Jesus’s name, calling for the world to follow along. At times, whether Jesus is actually glorified can become negligible.”
Should I Choose a Church for Its Pastor?
Mark Dever says  that “if you are looking for a good church, the role of the preacher of God’s Word is the most important thing to consider. I don’t care how friendly you think the church members are. I don’t care how good you think the music is. Those things can change. But the congregation’s commitment to the centrality of the Word coming from the front, from the preacher, the one specially gifted by God and called to that ministry, is the most important thing you can look for in a church.”
Flashback: Four Categories to “Act the Miracle”
So much of the Christian life comes down to the matter of identity. At heart, who are we? Who or what has the right to define us? What is our deepest identity?

Spiritual work is taxing work, and men are loath to do it. Praying, true praying, costs an outlay of serious attention and of time, which flesh and blood do not relish. —E.M. Bounds

Today is Remembrance Day in Canada, and I’m thinking about my grandmother’s brother who died during the Second World War as a fighter pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force.

(Yesterday on the blog: Life Is Fleeting)
What is conscience and why does it matter?
Stephen Kneale says, “I think many of us have a particularly poor understanding of just what conscience is.” He moves conscience from the realm of feeling to the realm of knowledge.
An Outline for Understanding Issues of Conscience and Legalism
This is another interesting one on conscience. “Most of us have seen the movie ‘Chariots of Fire’ and have been greatly encouraged by the example of Eric Liddell who refused to compete in races on Sunday. But if a Christian held a different position regarding what is allowed on Sunday, could that believer be just as dedicated to Christ with his differing opinion?”
Self-Worship Is the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion
Thaddeus Williams: “In our day, the Westminster Catechism answer has been inverted: ‘the chief end of man is to glorify and enjoy himself forever.’ One could even make a case that self-worship is the world’s fastest-growing religion. It is certainly the world’s oldest (just read Gen. 3). Moreover, this religion lies beneath many of the most hot-button social and political issues of our day.”
Kindness in a World Gone Mad
“I was waiting in line with my sons for a roller coaster when the T-shirt caught my eye: Kindness is free — so sprinkle that stuff everywhere. I’m sympathetic to the message at one level…” If only kindness was so easy…
Pass the Promise
Here’s another nice new song, this one from the Gettys and Sandra McCracken.
Whispers of God’s Greatness
I enjoyed Lauren’s reflection on God’s greatness. “We only get whispers. And yet how powerful these whispers are! Can you even imagine how loudly the fullness of God’s glory must shout?”
Flashback: Keep a Close Watch on Yourself!
God charges every Christian to be vigilant over how you behave and what you believe. Are you keeping a close watch?

All that you learn about God should drive you into His presence. —John MacArthur

I draw a deep breath and put pen to paper. But the words won’t flow. Not yet. I pause for a moment to gather my thoughts. I know I need to prepare an expression of sympathy, to write out a letter of condolence to a friend who has suffered a tragic loss. I want him to know my love, my support, my comfort in this, his hardest hour. I picture the one who lived and then died, who flourished for a time, but who was soon gone like the flowers that fade, like the dust that blows in the wind. And I see once again the fleeting nature of life.

Life is fleeting—fleeting like the dew that settles to the grass in the dark of night, but then burns away with the earliest heat of the morning.
Life is fleeting—fleeting like the leaves of the tree that open in the spring, that catch the light of the sun through the summer, but that fall to the ground in the first cool days of autumn.
Life is fleeting—fleeting like the lily that blooms in the darkness of night, that displays its beauty for a single day, but that by evening fades and wilts away. It is here today but gone tomorrow and its place knows it no more.
Life is fleeting—fleeting like the mist that rises in the cool morning air but is then blown away by the gentlest breeze. It is fleeting like the spring snow that falls from a cold sky but melts the moment it touches the warm ground. It is fleeting like a ship that fades into the distance and sails over the far horizon, fleeting like a train that rushes past with a roar and is gone. Scarcely do we draw our first breath before we draw our last. Scarcely do we open our eyes before we close them once more. Scarcely do we live before we die.
No wonder the Sage says, “If a person lives many years, let him rejoice in them all; but let him remember that the days of darkness will be many. All that comes is vanity”—vapor, smoke, dust. There is a time to live and a time to die. But the time to live seems so short and the time to be dead so long.
Still I must believe that though life is fleeting, life is precious. Though life is over so soon, it matters so much. For though life ends, it continues, for though we sleep in the dust, we rise again. Time is bound to eternity. Hence, “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.” It is through life that we prepare for death and through the life we live in this world that we prepare for the life we will live in the next.
So life is precious—precious like the gold that adorned the temple where God’s people went to bow and to worship, to serve and to sacrifice.
Life is precious—precious like the blood spread hastily on the doorposts, the blood of the passover lamb that distinguished Israelite from Egyptian, objects of mercy from objects of wrath.
Life is precious—precious like the jewels upon the High Priest as he entered the Holy of Holies to sprinkle blood on the Atonement Seat, to seek God’s favor for another year.
Life is precious—precious like the pearl a merchant found that was of such great value that he sold all that he had to acquire it and regarded it as the best of all bargains. It is precious like treasure hidden in a field, precious like the gates of pearl in the New Jerusalem, precious like its streets of gold.
And so both are true and neither diminishes the other. Life is fleeting and fragile but precious and so very meaningful. Though it is short, it is significant. Though it inevitably ends, it matters so much. Though it is but a blip and a dash, it is of the highest worth.
And with that in mind, I can prepare an expression of sympathy that accounts for both the significance of a life lived and the tragedy of a life lost, for both the sorrow of a life that has ended and the joy of a life that will never end.

Good morning. May the Lord bless you and keep you today.

Westminster Books has a deal on a pair of new books meant to help fight addiction to pornography (and to help those who are so struggling).
Are Baptists ‘Reformed’? A Brief History of Baptist Identity
I enjoyed Timothy George’s look at the historical connection between Baptists and Reformed theology.
How Church Membership Gives Us Freedom
“Isn’t it ironic that a high commitment like church membership can bring about a sense of freedom? I’m not exactly sure how that works but I do have some clarity on what I think it’s not.”
I’ve Missed You
Speaking of being part of a church… “I’m so glad that you are pursuing God on your own. But your spiritual life isn’t intended to be lived out alone. It’s not even designed to be lived out with just you and your family. Part of God’s purposes for you are only found in the context of the gathered family of God.”
Look Again (Video)
I enjoyed this new song from 20schemes Music. Its repeated call is to look Christ in all our sorrows and trials.
The dream
Andrée Seu Peterson writes about a dream and what she gleaned from it.
You Are What You Eat
If we are what we eat, then we are also what we watch (or otherwise consume).
Where Doctrine Meets the Desolate
Lara d’Entremont: “As believers, we tend to think suffering should look a certain way. … But that’s not how it will always look. Sometimes, suffering will be a reckoning with our doctrine. It will appear as hopeless laments. Sometimes there may even be questions and doubts. But God is still there.”
Flashback: Set an Example in Your Purity
…one of the challenges of being a young Christian is determining that you will not succumb to the low expectations of those who are older than you.

Sin is deceitful and blinds us to the truth so we need others who will point out that truth to us. A sister-friend in the Lord who spots sin in our life and exhorts us to turn back to God is a good friend. —Christina Fox