Westminster Books has some good Christmas outreach resources discounted this week. They’ve also got a sale on resources related to James.

Thanks to Karen Wade Hayes and Lara d’Entremont for their reviews of Seasons of Sorrow. Thanks also to Christine Chappell who hosts IBCD’s Hope + Help podcast for inviting me to discuss the book.
Today’s Kindle deals include all 5 volumes of the excellent Biblical Theology of the New Testament Series and so many other solid titles.
Canada Euthanized 10,000 People in 2021. Has Death Lost Its Sting?
This month’s cover story at CT was written by my friend Dr. Ewan Goligher and is well worth reading. He says that “the ability to have one’s life ended on short notice is an increasingly acceptable option for Canadian patients—with implications that will reverberate around the globe.” (Though the article is behind a paywall, you should be able to read it for free by registering for an account.)
Peace That Passes All Understanding
Philippians 4:6-7 tells us to be prayerful rather than fretful. “That’s certainly easy enough: prayer + thankfulness = peace. Go through the steps, get to peace. Then why doesn’t the formula work? When I am anxious I pray, but my mind keeps drifting back to the anxious circumstance, and before I know it I am trying to solve the problem. After again confessing my distractibility, I get back to praying, only to have the cycle continue.”
Bella Paper Calendars and Stationery
316 Publishing’s beautiful Bella Paper line features the Legacy Standard Bible and includes 2023 calendars & planners, journals, and greeting cards. Through Sunday, save an extra 10% on the entire Bella Paper line with code CHALLIES. (Sponsored Link)
After the Burning
This is a strong piece of writing. “I walk in the hills every month or so to reflect and to pray. The fire wasn’t on the hill I usually walk with Jesus, but I was curious enough to go looking for it, slightly dreading what I might find.”
Is Narcissism the Problem Behind Pastors’ Moral Failures?
Daniel Doriani examines some of what Chuck DeGroat says about narcissism among pastors. “Has DeGroat found the culprit behind pastoral failures? Given that all men are flawed and sinful, it’s certainly true that the church attracts flawed leaders. But does the churchespecially attract the power-hungry and the narcissistic?”
Is the Gospel Glorious, or is the Gospel about the Glory of Christ? (Video)
I enjoy it when Bill Mounce lets us in on some Bible translation conundrums. “Sometimes translators have to make a decision; sometimes there is no ambiguous option. In 2 Cor 4:6, is the gospel glorious or is the gospel about the glory of Christ? It is one or the other, not both.”
Fall 2022 Eikon
CBMW has released a new issue of their journal Eikon in case you’re looking for some slightly academic reading. “Much of this issue is dedicated to reflection on the history, influence, and continued importance of the Nashville Statement.”
Flashback: When God Put Down a Deposit
Our salvation is proof that God is powerful, that he is effective, that he has a plan, that his plan is progressing, and that he will carry it all to completion.

Anger takes everything personally, as if everything is an intentional act to make your life miserable. —Ed Welch

Good morning. Grace and peace to you.

(Yesterday on the blog: Let’s Hear It For the Failures)
Measure Your Heart of Thanksgiving
“I don’t know what your Thanksgiving season looks like. I sincerely hope you find thankfulness a happy overflow of God’s blessings this year. I hope your home fills with joy and laughter. But there are times in every person’s life when thanksgiving is an act of trust, when the measure with which we are measured tries our hearts.”
American Church, Don’t Listen to Eric Metaxas
This review engages with Eric Metaxas’ latest book. This is quite a group of people Metaxas calls out! “Metaxas doesn’t hesitate to call out pastors he judges to be weak, timid, cowardly, or so ‘theologically fussy’ (44) that they don’t join his movement. Men like Tim Keller, Alistair Begg, John Piper, and John MacArthur are not Bonhoeffer-ish enough for Metaxas (11, 44).”
Where did Satan come from? (Video)
Guy Richard (sort of) answers in this short video. (I say “sort of” because he perhaps discusses the origins of evil a bit more than of Satan.)
The Current State of Complementarity
John Piper discusses the current state of complementarity by discussing two statements: Nashville and Danvers. “Danvers confronts women who intend to be pastors, while Nashville confronts women who intend to be men. Danvers confronts men who are unwilling to lead their wives; Nashville confronts men who can’t lead their wives because they don’t have one — they are ‘married’ to men.”
The Serious Business Of Laughing At Myself
“If I can’t embrace my own smallness, my own humiliations, and my total dependence on the God who made me, then my pride has grown out of control. That’s a serious problem. And sometimes the solution is as simple as having a good, long laugh at my own little self.” Quite right.
The Gospel Never Does Nothing
What’s the one thing the gospel never does? Nothing.
Flashback: 3 Parenting Myths We Are All Tempted To Believe
“Our job is to discharge faithfully the duties God has given to us, leaving the results in God’s hands. Our goal is not ‘successful’ parenting per se, but faithful parenting.” This is a sweet, liberating truth.

The pastor doesn’t know what interventions to provide for a distressed soul until he first listens to that soul. —Harold Senkbeil

I once heard a Christian say that when he arrives in heaven he does not expect not hear “well done, good and faithful servant,” as much as “well tried.” He does not mean that God will be impressed by a reckless succession of rash attempts at self-grandiosity. He does not mean that God will laud him for projects he began with great passion before losing interest and becoming distracted by the next big thing. No, he means only that he believes God will reward him for his constant attempts to seek and do what He commands. He expects that though in the final accounting his accomplishments may add up to little, his attempts at faithfulness will add up to much.

There are many things we begin with great energy and many projects we undertake with great enthusiasm. Convicted by the preaching of the Word or persuaded by our reading of providence, we determine that we will make a substantial change to our lives or embark on a ministry that will bless others. We attempt little things, big things, and things in-between. And though some of them succeed some of the time, many of them do not. Though a few of them grow up to become big things, far more of them remain tiny things or soon enough become former things.
A man longed to create a ministry through his local church that would serve the residents of a long-term care home. This was surely a good and noble desire and he embarked upon it with great gusto. But though he labored diligently, he received few opportunities to meet with people in that home or to care for them. And though he told other believers about it, he learned that few of them had interest in joining him. He pressed on for a time, but eventually surrendered to the inevitable and determined he would invest his time and energy in other forms of service. And though this ministry was by most measures unsuccessful, I am convinced God will proudly say to him, “Well tried.”
A woman who was dedicating her life to raising her children wished to supplement her family’s income, so began a part-time business. Her motives were good and so was her plan. She began to work around the family’s schedule, getting up a few minutes early, staying up an hour late, sending some emails during the kids’ quiet time. The business grew at first but then stagnated. The business generated a bit of income, but only a bit—not enough to help in a substantial way or even to justify her time. And so she folded it up. Was this a failure? In one sense it may have been since the business had to be wound down, but in another sense it was not, for the woman did no wrong and committed no sin. For whatever reason, God’s providence directed that the business would not thrive or succeed. But surely she, too, will hear, “Well tried.”
Missionaries who set out to foreign lands but soon have to return. Pastors who found churches that fail to grow. Authors who pour their hearts out on the page but sell few copies of their books. Young people who start a Christian group on campus but have no one show up. I suspect that with an honest accounting you’d have to admit that your life is much like mine in that it is marked by all manner of failure—failure in the home, failure in the church, failure in the neighborhood, failure in the workplace. And if not full-out failure, just plain mediocrity, a lack of success, a lack of great triumphs. But surely part of the reason we fail much is that we attempt much. Surely part of the reason we see so many mediocre results is that we at least have the courage to try. The only way to guard against all failure is to attempt nothing at all. But that, of course, is its own form of failure.
Our God-given goal in life is not to succeed at all we attempt. It is good to succeed, of course, and we should not laud failure as if it is nobler than success. But it is God who is sovereign over all of our affairs and his concern is not so much that we succeed or fail but that we grow in godly character. What matters to God is not our plaudits and accolades, but our conformity to Christ. And the fact is that though God shapes us through our successes, he often does so even more through our failures. It is through failures that we so often learn our finitude, through our failures that we so often gain humility, through our failures that we so often put off many vices and put on many graces. God is at work in us even when it’s hard to see how he may be at work through us.
The day will come when we will stand before the Lord to give an account of how we used our gifts, talents, time, energy, enthusiasm, and everything else God has graciously bestowed upon us. Failure would be to admit that not only did we do nothing, but that we attempted nothing. Success would be to recount those things we dreamed of and prayed for and attempted, even if they led to no great results. For surely in the mind of God, faithfulness is its own accomplishment, faithfulness marked by attempts to do those things that delight his heart. Surely it is his joy to commend us for successes and failures alike: “Well tried, good and faithful servant.”

May the Lord be with you and bless you today.

It’s a banner day for Kindle deals today. There are tons of good options to pick from (including Seasons of Sorrow, this time below $5).
I’ve also been tracking deals at Christianbook and here are some 2022 hardcover or softcover books at good prices: Reactivity by Paul Tripp; The Men We Need by Brent Hansen; Strange New World by Carl Trueman; Heaven Rules by Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth; Tell Me the Stories of Jesus by Al Mohler; Confronting Jesus by Rebecca McLaughlin. Also, lots of ESVs on sale.
The Shadowy Nature of the Theocracy
“With a burgeoning interest in the idea of Christian Nationalism, the Christian Church in America has seen a renewed interest in modified versions of theonomy.” Nick Batzig explains his concerns with some increasingly popular theology.
Life Is Beautiful
“Don’t let the fact that babies are born all the time dull your awareness of the glory and beauty of it. If it is a wonder and marvel that fruit can grow from a seed that came from a fruit (and it is), then how much more significant it is that a living creature can generate another just like it.”
316 Publishing’s Children’s Resources
316 is home to the comic book format Power Bible and classic Adam Raccoon series. These great resources plus the NASB and LSB Children’s Bibles are all on sale. Save an extra 10% on all Bella Paper stationery too with code CHALLIES. (Sponsored Link)
10 Things You Should Know about Islam
A.S. Ibrahim offers 10 things that it would be helpful for you to know about Islam.
Protecting Your Teenagers Online
This is a tough but relevant issue. “As a dad, I would jump to defend my children from a ‘bad guy’ trying to hurt them physically. I’m sure you would do the same. Does that same intensity translate into protecting the minds and hearts of our children online?”
Shepherding in the Age of Self
There are new challenges to shepherding in this, the age of self, as an article at 9Marks explains.
Evangelism Isn’t Disrespectful
“I was recently told that Christians are disrespectful because they evangelize. The reason is that evangelism requires the Christian to assume he is right and the other person is wrong.” That’s wrong, of course, and here’s why.
Flashback: Have I Sinned Against You?
God is good to instruct us in conflict resolution. We need the instruction and the church needs the peace it brings. But unless an offense can be described in biblical terminology, it is probably not a sin at all.

It’s boring to adapt the Christian faith to better fit people; what’s exciting is to adapt people to better fit the Christian faith. —Trevin Wax

Blessings to you today.

Today’s Kindle deals include a quite long list from a number of different publishers. (Also, every volume of The Story of God Bible Commentary series is on sale at a good discount.)
(Yesterday on the blog: Does Nick Send Me Signs?)
8 Reasons to Rethink the Song of Songs
“The Song of Songs is the most lukewarmly debated book in the Bible. There’s some engagement, but not enough. While the arguments and interpretations of Revelation run red-hot, Song of Songs tends to be entrenched in assumptions. I want you to rethink what you might think about the Song of Songs.” That’s not a bad thing to consider.
Your Tears Have Good Company
“The son of God, the darling of heaven, the eternal word, the shaper of worlds, the sustainer of life, the author of faith, the coming judge, the lamb of God—wept. Take comfort—your tears have good company.”
The Legacy Standard Bible
Learn about the literal beauty of the LSB from the translators at LSBible.org. Free Stuff Friday will include a chance to win one of a dozen prizes totaling over $1000! This week save an extra 10% on all Bella Paper calendars, journals, and greeting cards with code CHALLIES. (Sponsored Link)
In what way is Christ presently reigning over the church? (Video)
“Jesus Christ is the Prophet, Priest, and King of the church. But what does His kingly reign look like right now?” Harry Reeder answers in this video from Ligonier.
The Hardest Question for Pastors and Church Planters
“The hardest question for a pastor and especially a church planter, to answer is: How is your church going? It is a common question. It is akin to: How are you doing? It is also a loaded question. There are so many ways to answer and so many layers depending on the interest level of the listener, the social context you’re in, and if you consumed an oversized burrito for lunch.”
What kind of man finds his enemy yet lets him go unharmed?
This is a good question: what kind of a man tracks down his enemy and has opportunity to harm him, yet lets him go unscathed?
What Does God Want of Me?
Rebekah offers “three questions to ask the next time you’re faced with a difficult situation in life.”
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.

The cup which my Saviour giveth me, can it be any thing but a cup of salvation? —Alexander Maclaren

It’s a question I have been asked many times since Nick went to heaven. It’s a question that has been asked by some who profess faith in Christ and some who do not, by some who believe in the God of the Bible and some who believe in more of an eastern notion of spirituality. It’s a question that is framed in many ways, but usually something like this: Does Nick send you signs?

People most often wonder if Nick sends encouragement in the form of birds—if somehow his presence or his spirit comes through birds that appear at our window or in contexts that would otherwise be difficult to explain. Some wonder if he makes his love known by shining as a star that glitters brightly in the night or his presence as a rainbow that glistens when the sun breaks through the clouds. Some tell of their conviction that their loved ones have been present with them in this way and how this has touched their sorrowful hearts and strengthened their weakened knees.
Though my answer may be disappointing to these people, I must be honest. No, I am not aware of Nick sending me any signs. But neither am I looking for signs and neither do I expect or even want them. I hope you’ll allow me to explain.
I understand the impulse to look for a sign and I understand the comfort that can come when we believe we have received one. Death and all that comes beyond this life is a great mystery. Though we all go that way, none return to describe it, none make their way back to assure us that heaven is real and God’s promises are true. Our loved ones cross the river and are lost to our sight and our hearts burn to know that they have passed over safely. It is natural, then, to hope for some kind of information, to seek some kind of a sign, to know that they are okay.
But even in the absence of a sign, I am convinced that Nick is okay. In fact, I am convinced that he is better than okay—he is the best he has ever been. Though death has for a time separated him from this world, it has transported him to the presence of God. In the moment he left here, he entered there. In the instant he arrived in heaven all trace of sin and its effects were obliterated so that he no longer sins or even wants to and no longer suffers or even can. His faith has become sight. He is in the place we all want to be. And now he awaits the consummation of all things, the reunion of body and soul, the coming of the new heavens and the new earth.
I am convinced that Nick is okay, but not because he has in some way let me know and not because he has sent a sign. I am convinced of all of this because the Bible tells me so. “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Faith allows me to believe even when I do not see, it allows me to have confidence in what I cannot gaze upon with my eyes or hear with my ears or touch with my hands. It allows me to have confidence apart from signs. It allows me to believe that what the Bible says is sure and steady and true.
But it’s important to affirm that such faith is not mere wishing upon a star. It is not hoping against hope or longing against reason. Such faith is not irrational or unrooted. It is ultimately grounded in the factual, historical event of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There is one who has died and returned to life, there is one who has been to heaven and come to earth. His resurrection is the “firstfruits,” the evidence and guarantee that those who are bound to him will rise like him. The faith that guarantees our salvation guarantees our resurrection. The faith that saves our souls from sin is the faith that soothes our souls in sorrow.
I have had to ask: What would it mean to my faith if I doubted Scripture but believed a bird? What would it mean if I professed that Christ rose from the dead but then fixed my confidence in the brightness of a star or the presence of a rainbow? God gives no instruction that I am to look for signs and gives no indication that Nick has the ability or desire to send one. God instructs me instead to look to Christ, to look to his resurrection, and to believe that “as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:22-23).
And then I have had to consider this: What of those who perceive no sign? Should they assume that their loved ones are not okay? Might they be harmed by looking without seeing and longing without receiving? Is there not a better way we can encourage them, a better hope to which we can direct them?
I don’t mean to say that God never provides us special encouragement along the way. A grieving parent recently told of breaking ground on a project meant to honor the memory of her son and just as the project got underway, a rainbow appeared in the skies overhead. She doesn’t believe her son sent a rainbow, but she also knows that God is loving and kind, so took this as the Lord sovereignly arranging circumstances to provide her grieving family some encouragement. I can tell of ways God arranged providence to meet us in meaningful ways in especially dark moments (at least one of which I describe in Seasons of Sorrow). But surely these ought to be understood as God expressing his love and care, not our loved ones intervening in the world. It’s God’s presence that is meant to comfort us, not the possible presence of those we have loved and lost.
I truly do understand why many seek a sign. I truly do understand why many interpret circumstances in a way that grants them encouragement. But I would want to gently persuade them to look beyond these signs and to look instead to God himself, to his Word, to his character, to his promises, to the resurrection of his beloved Son. This is where we must ground our hope. This is where we will find our confidence. This is where our hearts will ultimately be most encouraged.

Grace and peace to you. I have returned from Fiji where I was tremendously blessed to be able to meet and minister to some lovely believers. I may have more to say about that in the future. In the meantime, here are some links and other goodies.

Today’s Kindle deals include a selection of titles from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: The Happiest Christians and the Happiest Missionaries)
HR Goes to Church
I have been meaning to read this article for a while now and am glad I did. It offers lots of very interesting insights.
Did a Prophet Really Lay on His Side for More than a Year?
Did Ezekiel really lay on his side for more than a year? Ian Duguid answers this question and some related ones.
Why Do Chinese People See Christianity as a Cultural Invasion?
Chinese people have long seen Christianity as a cultural invader. This article explains why this is.
Patiently Hearing the Word
“Right or wrong there is a burden placed on many preachers to stay within prescribed time limits. While a long-winded preacher can do a lot to kill a Sunday morning so too can the hurried impatience of a congregation.”
Dig Deeper
This one extols the virtue of digging deep into the scriptures. “Think of the scriptures like a fancy layered dessert — maybe a cake or parfait. There are several layers, and each offers new delights. If you don’t dig down into all the layers, you’re missing out.”
In The World, You Will Have Trouble
Yes, we certainly will.
Flashback: The More We Drink, The More We Thirst
We will eat, we will drink, we will feast, and our hearts will be at perfect peace. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

There is no joy like the divinely joyful sorrow as there is no strength like the divinely strengthened weakness. —J.R. Miller

Who are the happiest Christians? Who are the happiest missionaries? And what is it that makes them so happy? This is a question Daniel Hames and Michael Reeves answer in their book What Fuels the Mission of the Church? Here’s what they say…

If someone were to ask us, “What is God like?” the answer must be “Jesus Christ.” And this is the beating heart of mission. God’s glory—his own naturally overspilling life, seen in his Son—is mission’s rationale and its motor. In whatever sense mission is about our going out into the world to make God known, it is only ever our being caught up in the already gushing tide of blessing that flows from the heart of the Father in the Son.
Those who bask in the sunshine of this loving and generous God are the happiest Christians and the happiest missionaries. Seeing in Jesus what our God is really like causes us to shine like him. We come to share his great heart’s desire that his love, goodness, and righteousness would bless all the world.

I am grateful to my good friends at 20schemes for sponsoring the blog this week as they celebrate 10 years of ministry. It has been a joy to see the Lord working in and through them through this past decade.

Over at Westminster Books you’ve find a “buy one get one free” deal on Tim Keller’s new book on forgiveness.
Today’s Kindle deals include a number of titles.
The Greater Love Declaration
This is a helpful declaration meant to affirm Christian teaching on marriage, sex, and identity.
Calvin University Votes to Allow Faculty to Embrace Heretical Views on Sexuality
Joe Carter: “The trustees of Calvin University voted to keep faculty who reject the Bible’s clear teachings on what constitutes sexual immorality. Will the denomination step in, or will they allow the school to embrace heretical views?”
Pastor, Don’t Forget to Add Personal Evangelism to Your Crazy Schedule
“The rhythms of pastoral ministry can work at cross-purposes with regular evangelism. Sermon preparation, pastoral care, member hospitality, hospital visits, funerals, and weddings, can confine a pastor to a monolithically Christian circle. Furthermore, if their kids are homeschooled or attend Christian school, and their spouse stays home, a pastor can easily go months without speaking to a non-Christian.”
Church History
Simonetta Carr’s Church History provides a thrilling overview of God’s work in His people. Readers young and old will learn from this beautifully illustrated story of our Christian heritage. Check out Free Stuff Fridays this week for a chance to win a free copy of Church History! (Sponsored Link)
Can Cancer Be God’s Servant? What I Saw in My Wife’s Last Years
Randy Alcorn writes about God’s purposes and sovereignty in the death of his dear wife.
When You Feel Overwhelmed
Lauren Washer: “I’m sure there are coping mechanisms and skills to learn which would help in times such as these. But I am not a counselor, or a therapist. And while it is on my to-do list to find a good one for my own well-being, I needed to do something about the stress in my life.”
How Should Christians Speak in Public?
Tim Keller writes out “a proposal for a way to do public engagement now which differs not only from the seeker-sensitive approach but also from the new (and admittedly under-developed) ‘just tell the truth’ approach.”
Flashback: God Actually Spoke To Me
The sufficiency of the Bible means that we can be supremely satisfied in the voice of God as it comes through the Word of God. We don’t need to yearn for anything else.

Most of the grand truths of God have to be learned by trouble. They must be burned into us with the hot iron of affliction; otherwise we will not truly receive them. —C.H. Spurgeon

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Reformation Heritage Books.

For more than 2,000 years, Christ has fulfilled His promise to build His church. Looking back to God’s faithfulness in the past reminds us that He is still faithful today. Reformation Heritage Books is giving away 5 copies of Simonetta Carr’s Church History along with their Coffee Bundle.
5 winners will receive:

Simonetta Carr’s best-selling title, Church History
3-pack RHB Tumbler set (Calvin, Spurgeon & Edwards)
3-pack of their signature Bindery House Coffee (Winter Blend, Jonathan Edwards Blend & John Owen Blend)
The Heroes of Church History postcard set

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TO ENTER
Fill out the form below for your chance to win one of 5 Church History Promotional Bundles. This will add you to Reformation Heritage Books’ mailing list.
One entry per household. Open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. The giveaway ends November 18th, 2022. Winners will be notified by email.