This is just a reminder that a lot of my articles are professionally translated and made available in Spanish. You can find the complete collection at es.challies.com.

Joe Carter provides one of his helpful FAQs to explain some of what’s going on within the SBC. “The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, is embroiled in a heated intramural debate over the designation of women in ministry.”

That’s a valid question, isn’t it? Is God always pleased with Christians?

Join us on October 16-18 for The Missionary Conference, commemorating the 500th anniversary of William Tyndale’s English Bible translation. Gain a biblical understanding of and involvement in world missions, exploring key questions and challenging the pragmatic mindset that has infiltrated evangelicalism. Hear from John Piper, Brooks Buser, Sinclair Ferguson, and many others. (Sponsored)

“Good growth for a church is slow and steady, the whole body growing together. Sudden influxes of people are like grafting a branch onto a tree. Doable (and as a Gentile I am such a graft onto Israel’s tree: Christ), but difficult and requiring more skill than watching it weather the sun and storms while providing water and pruning.” This principle applies to individuals as well.

Kristin has some sound counsel. “It is profitable to take personal inventory, paying close attention to your life’s surroundings. Are your relationships, systems, and work robust and God-honoring? I am not suggesting that healthy things are easy, but are their roots strong, abiding in Christ and ordered by Scripture? If something seems off, investigate.”

This is both sad and strangely fascinating.

Trevin Wax: “An overemphasis on human worth will make grace expected: Well, of course God sent his Son to save us. We’re so worthy, after all! Go in that direction and repentance is unnecessary. Why wouldn’t God save you? An overemphasis on human depravity will make grace powerless: I’m nothing more than a worm and will never amount to anything. Go in that direction and repentance is impossible. Why would God care?”

In theology we make a study of God—of his works and of his ways…And as we study our God we find there is blessing in the macro and the micro, in the whole and in the parts.

Self-serving needs are not meant to be satisfied; they are meant to be put to death.
—Ed Welch

The bookstore 10ofThose is hosting a flash sale with quite a lot of great titles discounted 60% or even higher. Some good picks include Embracing Complementarianism, Fight Your Fears, Parenting with Hope, and Age of Opportunity.
Meanwhile, Westminster Books is offering a 40% off launch sale on Stephen Wellums’s new Systematic Theology which has gotten accolades from Michael Horton, Tom Schreiner, and others.
I was a bit late adding yesterday’s Kindle deals so check in if you missed them. Meanwhile, I’ll continue searching for more.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Sun Is Blotted from the Sky)

Kevin DeYoung offers four solid reasons why the Bible does not support transgenderism. “We will see that the Bible does not support transgenderism. Instead, God has created each of us as either male or female, and he desires that we live our lives—in appearance, in attitude, and in behavior—according to our biological sex.”

As a long-serving pastor/elder I can assure you that this is true: Your elders will fail you. “My hope from this article is that we, as a Christian community, may give and grow in grace. I’m not giving a pass to sloppy, neglectful, or even sinful shepherding. But, I am advocating that we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep. Why? Because your elders will fail you.”

This is a pretty good collection of questions for young women to consider.

The events that unfold in the book of Job can seem to be unrealistic. Should we believe that it is meant to be historical? Douglas Sean O’Donnell answers here.

This is a noble aspiration. “I want to be the same person in every room. I want to be the same person, at the core of me, whether I’m dressed up in a suit or a tracksuit. I want to be the same person with children and adults. The same person when I’m with powerful and influential people as I am with weak, heartbroken, and desperate people.”

For those who are interested in doing some in-depth reading, there is a new issue of Credo magazine free for the taking. It features articles by, among others, Gavin Ortlund, Keith Mathison, and William Boekestein.

If you aren’t being extravagantly generous with the bit you have now, what makes you think that having more would suddenly make all the difference? 

The reprover should have a lion’s stout heart, or he will not be faithful, and a lady’s soft hand, or he is not like to be successful.
—George Swinnock

Men of great physical strength have sometimes carried outrageously heavy burdens—six hundred pounds, seven hundred pounds, eight hundred. And even then they have said, “I still have not been fully tested. Put on some more weight! Load me up!” With confidence they have gripped the bar and with great straining and groaning they have lifted it clear of the ground. Yet in every case, they have eventually reached a point where they have had to cry out, “Stop! I have hit my limit. I cannot carry any more weight.”
I wonder if you have ever considered that the burden Christ carried for us was without limit. Have you considered the tremendous weight he bore on Calvary?
There was his own burden of hunger and thirst and bereavement, and the burden of the thousand insults and outrages that had been heaped upon him. On top of that was the burden of seeing the sorrows of his mother and friends as they watched him suffer and struggle for breath. On top of even that was the burden of witnessing the crimes of the soldiers who were putting him to death and the mocking of the criminals who hung beside him.
Even as we consider this our hearts begin to cry, “Stop! Surely he cannot bear anymore.”
Yet Christ says, “Add more. Add to me the sins of the people of Israel as they turned and rebelled and chased after false gods. After that, add to me all the sins of all the earth that are being committed at this very moment and then heap on all the sins of the history of humanity to this day—all the sins of all those who are mine. Give me Moses’ rebellion and David’s adultery and Solomon’s philandering. Give me Adam’s complaining and Jacob’s obstinacy and Samson’s lust.”
The angels of heaven seem to shout, “Stop! Surely he has reached his limit!”
But again he speaks to say, “Burden me more! Add to me the weight of all the sins of the next two thousand years, add to me all the sins of all the ages that will follow. Load on the guilt of the blasphemer, the perjurer, the murderer, the adulterer, then the shame of the thief, the gossip, the hater, the idler. Give me the sins of omission and commission, the spontaneous sins and the carefully planned, the sins that were done and the good that was left undone. Give it to me. Give it all to me until not a single one remains. Give until there is no more left to give.”
The earth seems to tremble as he speaks yet again. “Now give me the sorrows, give me the losses, give me the broken hearts. Give me creation itself as it groans under the weight of what humanity has done, of what they have wrought. Heap it on, for I have room left to carry it, I have strength left to bear it.”
Men and angels alike pause in wonder at Christ receiving without grumbling, accepting without complaining, and bearing without limitShare
No wonder, then, that the sun is blotted from the sky, that darkness falls over the land. And as the light fades, men and angels alike pause in wonder at Christ receiving without grumbling, accepting without complaining, and bearing without limit—bearing it until at last it is lifted by the only One who has the right to do so.
And maybe this is just the smallest glimpse at what Isaiah meant when he said, “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows…” (Isaiah 53:4)
Inspired by De Witt Talmage

The God of peace be with you today.

Samuel James considers the rise of sports betting and how it affects our confidence in the games we love. He bridges from there into a discussion of plausibility structures and other interesting matters.

Rebekah Matt tells how marriage is a kind of crucible. She also explains what the Lord means to accomplish through it.

John Piper says: “I hope you’ll be part of this conference and come and learn what God might be pleased to do in your life and our lives—to see His great commission finished and the Bible and the gospel spread to all the peoples of the world.” Join us for The Missionary Conference, October 16-18 in Jacksonville, FL. (Sponsored)

“There is something about me that always wants to be in control. If I am sick, I want to outlearn the disease and overcome it. If relationships start to fail, I want to be able to charm them back to life. We all desire control.”

Garrett Kell considers what temptation is and is not. “Understanding the nature of temptation should sober us. It reminds us that no matter how good temptation makes sin appear, it’s a mirage. … Temptation stokes pride and tells you that you deserve to be at the center of the universe. Indulging in its fleeting offerings only leaves us empty and full of regret.”

“Nothing hurts as badly as the loss of a loved one. We were not created or designed to experience separation from those whom we hold dear. … Our souls cry out to hear the voices of those we love, to feel their arms wrapped around us, to look into their eyes and get lost in their souls once again. The ache is vast, overwhelming, and often indescribable. It’s a raging storm of hurt, fear, sadness, and anger. And if we are not careful, it can overtake us. How can a believer make it through the loss of a loved one well?”

“Society is saturated with apologizers. Every which way we turn, someone is apologizing for something because it offended someone. It’s a vicious cycle. And Christians are, in part, included in this mess. We may not necessarily say, ‘I’m sorry’ for a particular doctrine or Bible verse, but we sometimes may try to downplay it in order to soften its blow. Don’t soften the blow.”

Here are a couple of objects I discovered in my round-the-world Epic journey that help tell the story of Easter.

When God does not give us the things we plead for, he will give us grace to do without them; and if we accept his decision sweetly and trustingly — he will enable us to go on rejoicing.
—J.R. Miller

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Westminster Books is having a big Spring Clearance Sale—reducing their inventory of books that are great, but that they have too many of. Also, if you let them know of a current or future pastor, they’ll send them a free copy of a brand new book by John Currie.
There are a few new Kindle deals this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Sins That Plague Our Souls)

“We need a gospel awakening in Africa. Those of us who labor across Africa must not sacrifice biblical principles for short-term results. Over the past 50 years, this approach has resulted in African churches filled with nominal Christians who believe in a different gospel. We must do the long work of biblical preaching that convicts men of sin and calls men to repentance and faith. We must labor in prayer until Christ is formed in the hearts of men and women who are dead in their trespasses and sin. We must long, pray, and work for the conversion of men and then diligently disciple each one who believes in Jesus into maturity.”

This is a good question to wrestle through. “Don’t be more guarded in your language than the apostles. When you’re more careful than Scripture, it can justify others’ concerns about Calvinism killing evangelism. Peter and Paul may not have told unbelievers ‘Jesus died for you,’ but they did make similar appeals in their evangelism…”

Andrew pleads with wavering Christians not to abandon their faith. “As you consider deconstruction, deconversion or even the moral dereliction of the truth at is in Jesus, may I offer you four facts that might anchor the home of your heart and might help you to stand firm when drifting back or away feel like a foregone conclusion…”

Trevin Wax: “It doesn’t matter how kind or winsome our approach may be. There will be times when our polite refusal to go along will be seen as a threat to societal cohesion. When we refuse to name good evil and evil good, or be complicit in certain forms of injustice, or deny the nature of bodily givenness, or go along with a lie simply because it’s socially acceptable, or say the lesser of two evils is somehow good, or sacrifice key principles as we engage in public and political life, or deny the core teachings of Christianity when they’re unpopular, our quiet ‘no’ will be scandalous.”

Elyse Fitzpatrick imagines some of what we will experience in the new heavens and new earth. “If you believe that this present world is all there is, then you will war and plunder and seek to get rather than give. If, on the other hand, you believe that what you’re seeing now is merely a shadow of what is to come (1 Cor 13:12), then you can live freely, generously, and joyously in this present age.”

“Christians are a Last Days people and will continue to be, until Christ’s return. Let’s not get caught up in the Speculation Industry that promotes confusion, distorts biblical texts, and deceives people far and wide. The Lord Jesus will return in great glory and splendor. But his return isn’t prompted by or connected to a total solar eclipse.”

We all sin in different ways. Some sin loudly and some sin quietly. Some sin in their actions and some in their imaginations. But it’s all sin.

If I could write as I would about the goodness of God to me, the ink would boil in my pen!
—Frances Ridley Havergal

It sometimes happens to all of us that our memories reach back to glimpse some sin or some blunder we committed in the past. And as that memory flashes into our minds, we cringe, we blush, we feel the shame of it wash over us again. This rarely happens with the sins we consider minor—the little ones pass quickly from our memories and are forgotten. Rather, it happens to the sins we consider major. These are the ones that plague our souls, that hurt our hearts, that keep us sleepless through the night. These are the ones that make us wonder whether we have truly been forgiven and whether we truly can be forgiven.
It always amazes me how prone I am to treat God as if he is like me, only bigger. It surprises me how often I think of God as if he is a man, only more so. As men, we see in categories of big and small—rocks that are light enough to lift and rocks that are too heavy, problems simple enough to solve and problems that are intractable, bills cheap enough to pay and bills that are beyond our means.
But we radically misunderstand the very nature of God if we think of him in such terms. God exists outside these categories of capacity and capability. He is neither big nor small, neither heavy nor light, neither impossible nor solvable. In his eyes, no sin is truly big or small. Some may have greater implications or ramifications, some may have more dire consequences and cause much wider ripples. But it is no harder for God to deal with one sin than another, to forgive murder than hatred, to forgive blasphemy than grumbling. It is no harder for him to forgive a sin of omission than commission, a sin of impulse than a sin that was carefully planned and deliberately executed.
Once God has forgiven our sinfulness, it is no struggle for him to forgive our sins. Once he has dealt with our waywardness, our rebellion, our dead and wretched hearts, he does not need to battle to find the will or the strength to forgive our individual transgressions. No sin is bigger than sinfulness, no act of depravity greater than a deadly-depraved heart.
If you think one sin is harder for God to forgive than another, you degrade him. If you think a certain sin is too enormous for God to forgive, you diminish him. If you think you have the ability to do something so serious that God cannot deal with it, you have made yourself too big and God too small. You have reduced him to the image of a man.
So any time you find yourself tempted to look back to those sins you consider major, to wonder if God could possibly fully forgive such transgressions, you would do well to look back a little farther—all the way to the cross. Look back to see the Son of God spanning the gap between earth and heaven, between you and the Father. See him bearing not only the weight of your sins, but the weight of your sinfulness, not just your acts of rebellion but your rebellious heart, your rebellious will, your depraved and fallen nature. Look back to see him forgiving not just what you’ve done but who you are, not just the evil fruit but the rotten root. Look back and see, look back and worship, look back and believe.

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.
There are some great picks in today’s Kindle deals including Kevin DeYoung’s Do Not Be True to Yourself and Kent Hughes’ Disciplines of a Godly Young Man.
(Yesterday on the blog: Enough to Get Rebellious People Into Trouble)

I recently spent a delightful evening with David Zadok, a pastor in Israel, and was glad to read this profile of him at TGC.

Here are 7 useful tips about reading Revelation. “The temptation is to write off the book as impossible to understand and thus keep it closed. But doing so comes with significant loss. We understand why as we read the extraordinary promise in the book’s third verse…”

Come and see how the Lord is building His Church around the world. Join John Piper, Sinclair Ferguson, Conrad Mbewe, Kevin DeYoung, Steven Lawson, and many others October 16-18 in Jacksonville, FL. Early bird pricing ends April 19. (Sponsored)

“A few months ago, I read a blog in which some missionaries were talking about a difficult event that occurred with their children. In the comments on that post, a woman wrote something to the effect of: ‘If you have young children, it is clear: God has not called you to missions.’ I was not really surprised. People have asked us questions about our children throughout the years that belied the same assumption: missionaries are unable to keep their children safe on the mission field.”

“I fear that our cultural understanding of leadership is going further astray from true leadership. We Americans seem to have a bizarre attraction to two types of leaders: celebrities and powerful communicators with bold, brash opinions. We judge leaders by the size of their platform.” True, though it’s not just Americans.

“I’ve heard it said, ‘What doesn’t kill you will probably try again tomorrow.’ That’s just life in a fallen world. The devil prowls around like a roaring Lion seeking those to devour, but GOD! God is stronger than the what ifs of tomorrow where the enemy tries to belittle you and turn you away from the Lover of your soul. God is the One who chases after you all the more. Will suffering try to over take us? Yes.”

This article tells how elders within the local church ought to receive ongoing training—even if they aren’t on staff.

Masculinity has become complicated…The culture has plenty to say about masculinity that is toxic, but far less to say about masculinity that is good and honoring. 

If you have suffered deeply, you are onto something that most people aren’t. You know that this life is flawed. Strangely, that is a good thing! Now allow that to move you toward God, to renew your faith in him and your need of him.
—Tim Lane

God has created a beautiful world that is full of wonders, and these wonders serve a purpose—they are meant to evoke awe, which in turn is meant to provoke worship. This was the experience of King David, who said, “When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3-4).
It is difficult to think great thoughts of ourselves as we gaze into a starlit night sky or stand before the Matterhorn. In this way, David studied God’s creation, marveled at what he saw, and was stirred to worship.
Yet for all the beauty of creation and all it communicates to us, God has deliberately limited its message. Through creation God has revealed “his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20). But through creation, God has not revealed his plan of salvation. He has not revealed how sinful man can be reconciled to a holy God. For that, there must be another kind of revelation.
Hence, Daryl Wingerd can say, “To put it in simple terms, general revelation provides enough knowledge of God to get rebellious people like you and me into trouble, but not enough to get us out of it. We need something more.” Indeed, we do.

My gratitude goes to Moody Publishers who sponsored the blog this week to ensure you know about Overflowing Mercies by Craig Allen Cooper, a book that opens readers to the beautiful, merciful heart of our triune God.
There are a few new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Watchmaker’s Daughter)

This is a bit of a longer article, but a good one. Plus, it’s Saturday—a good day for a longform read. In it, Jason Allen offers some observations about complementarianism and lays down some challenges.

It always strikes me as interesting that we resent when “our guys” get canceled but are completely on board when “their guys” get canceled. But anyway, that’s beside the point. “Cancellation is possible these days for anyone who commits actions or makes statements that one group or another considers beyond the pale. But what happens when cancel culture meets the breathtaking mercy of God’s kingdom?”

Ashley Anthony: “In years following my miscarriage, the Lord has continually sent me to his Word when others’ thoughts about the value of my little one’s life and my own pain have felt loud. For grieving parents, Psalm 139 provides dignity to our babies’ short lives in the womb and comfort for our aching hearts.”

Seth shares a sweet reflection on the sheer beauty of normal life. “Every day seems so similar as it passes that it’s hard to notice how things are changing. It’s only when I look back over the years that I see how different my life has become.”

If you are prone to overthinking, you may find help and challenge here. “It is okay to ask God for wisdom and guidance over our problems and grant us the light we need so that we know the path we ought to take in light of the darkness that we are in. But there are times when I try to put matters in my own hands as if I am the one who can fully and finally solve my problems; as if I am the one who knows it all; as if I am the one who can work with all my might to be able to surpass whatever obstacles I would have in this life.”

“We are approaching a once-every-four-year phenomenon. No, not the Olympics or the pageantry of elections, but the Bitcoin-halving (due in April). Monetary rewards for mining new bitcoins (which happens through computers solving complex math problems) get cut in half.”

When I was a child I was taught that sex and gender are binary—you are male or female, and your gender identity and gender expression will accord with it…Today, though, children are taught that every aspect of sexuality exists on a scale with no either/or.

You don’t get to decide to worship. Everyone worships something. The only choice you get is what to worship.
—Tim Keller

As I travel the world, I love to visit locations that are especially noteworthy within the history of the Christian faith. These may be spots where great events unfolded or spots where great people once lived or labored. Sadly, it is rare that these locations are still in any way consecrated to the Lord and to the spread of the gospel. In many of these places, you’re more likely to hear about the sexual revolution than the Protestant Reformation and more likely to have a guide lead you toward atheism than Christianity. I once found a notable exception, though, in the Netherlands.

The Watchmaker’s Daughter

There are some stories that are just so good and some characters who have accomplished or endured such amazing experiences that it’s only right we learn about them. One such character is Corrie ten Boom. Her story is well known. But by way of reminder, here’s a miniature refresher:
Ten Boom was raised in a devout household by a father who had an especially great love for the Jewish people. When war came to Europe and Germany conquered the Netherlands, the ten Booms quickly began to shelter Jewish refugees and to become involved in the resistance movement. The family was eventually found out and sent first to prison and then to labor camps. Sadly, few of the family members would survive the experience. When Corrie was eventually released, she returned home without her beloved father and sister. She also returned home in a time of extreme deprivation as the nation was slowly starved. After the war finally came to a close, she lived out her life telling about her experience and serving the needy.
Ten Boom’s story has been told a number of times in a number of forms. Most recently, it has been told by Larry Loftis in The Watchmaker’s Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie ten Boom. Loftis is an accomplished writer whose preferred genre is nonfiction thrillers. He tells ten Boom’s story in that stylized form and it makes for an intriguing and fast-paced read. Before he set pen to paper, he did extensive research and includes information that, to my knowledge, has not been shared before and helps close out some open loops. He’s a talented writer and tells the story very well, though I might have preferred a bit more detail on her life after the war.
I mentioned earlier that in my travels I had found a notable exception to all the locations that now tell a story inconsistent with the Christian faith. But that was not the case at Corrie ten Boomhuis in Haarlem. When I visited that location and joined a public tour, the guide showed us around and told us the story of the place and its people. Then, best of all, he shared the gospel that was so important to the ten Boom family—he shared it and encouraged us to believe it. It was a sweet, encouraging, and appropriate moment.
The Watchmaker’s Daughter tells that story and tells it well. If you’re not familiar with Corrie ten Boom, you will appreciate it as an introduction to her life and influence. If you are already familiar with her, you will appreciate the book as a different telling that includes some new facts. Either way, you’ll find it well worth the read.
(As I was writing this review, I noticed that there is also a graphic novel adaption of her story that is releasing next week. It may be worth a look as well.)