The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you today, my friends.

Today’s the last day for Logos users to save on March Matchups. There are some great deals to be had!
As for Kindle deals, volume one of my favorite church history series is marked way down.
In Your Wake
This one hits hard: “One of my husband’s earliest memories is the day you left your family. Left them to poverty and shame, to insecurity and a weight of bitterness while you transferred the care due them to a new family. You fed your sin silently. Secretly. It crept around the edges of your life, gradually stealing more and more ground from under your second family until you left them too. Left them to despair and struggle while you fed your pleasures.”
The Unexpected Beauty of Babel
What a fascinating article! “It seems as if, as he so often does, God has chosen to bring beauty through judgment, a greater grace and glory than would have existed had the judgment never taken place. After all, this is the logic of the cross and salvation history. Yes, judgment falls. Yet amazingly God’s grace shines even brighter for it. Should we be surprised that God delights to also do this with the arc of language history?”
The Kingdom of God Bible Storybook” Now Available from Lithos Kids
A faithful retelling of the story of God’s kingdom from Genesis to Revelation. Fully illustrated Old and New Testament volumes for ages 2 to 11. (Sponsored Link)
Chinese Christians Adapt Under New Restrictions
“Earlier this month, news broke about a Chinese government requirement that people in the Henan province register before attending worship services. They’re supposed to use a ‘Smart Religion’ app, which records each person’s name, address, date of birth, occupation, and government ID number. The app is the latest in an increasing pile of Chinese restrictions on believers.”
The Basics — God’s Providence
Kim Riddlebarger continues his series on basic Christian doctrine with this look at God’s Providence.
How were people saved in the Old Testament? (Video)
Dr. Bob Cara of RTS answers a common question.
Should Missionaries Join a Local Church?
Yes! They most definitely should whenever possible.
Flashback: 7 Things a Good Dad Says
I have found myself thinking back to the many models of fatherhood I have seen and admired through the years. What made these fathers admirable? What set them apart? What was it that they said to their children?

See everything you do, in all areas of your life, as means of serving God and others. —Matt Perman

Speaking broadly, there are two approaches to daily Bible reading: reading for intimacy or reading for familiarity. Intimacy with the Bible comes by slow, meditative reading that focuses on small portions—deep study of books, chapters, and verses. Familiarity with the Bible comes through faster reading of larger portions—the entire sweep of the biblical narrative. Both are perfectly good approaches to the Bible and Christians thrive on a healthy mixture of the two. There is great benefit in knowing the Bible as a whole (familiarity) and in knowing the most important parts in detail (intimacy). (On this note, see my article “Intimacy or Familiarity.”)
My favorite daily Bible-reading plan is the Five Day Bible Reading Program. I have successfully used it for many years and intend to use it again in 2024. I gladly commend it to you.
It has several features I especially appreciate:

It is a familiarity plan that covers the entire text of the Bible over the course of the year. Those who follow it will read every word of the Bible in the year ahead.
It is a pseudo-chronological plan that covers the text of the Bible in the order the events happened (except Job which comes at the end). Thus, for example, the Psalms come at appropriate moments in the life of David, the books of Kings and Chronicles are read in harmony, and so on. This helps set the events in their historical context. Yet even though it’s chronological, it’s only pseudo-chronological. There are Old Testament and New Testament readings each day and the gospels are interspersed through the year. I find this an ideal compromise over a strictly chronological program in which you read the entire OT before touching the NT.
It is a 5-day plan. A benefit of a 5-day plan (as opposed to a 7-day plan) is that there is less chance of falling far behind. At 5 days per week, it is far more doable than at 7 days—there is always a chance to catch up. Also, it allows a day or two of reading something different for those who, for example, like to read and ponder the sermon text on a Sunday morning or for those who don’t do personal devotions on Sunday. I have followed it for years, have sometimes fallen behind, but have always managed to catch up and finish on schedule.
It is a free plan. It’s free for the taking! They’ve got a nice little print-out you can download, print, fold in half, and put inside your Bible. It’s got boxes to tick as you complete each day and each week. Or you can use the ReadingPlan app to organize the plan even while reading through Logos, the ESV app, or a printed Bible. Though it is free, they have launched a Patreon account for those who would like early access, access to more features, or who would just like to offer a bit of support.
(Note: Though it comes with an optional “Reader’s Companion,” I do not necessarily recommend that component as the theology does not quite line up with my own.)

The Five Day Bible Reading Program is a free download. Just scroll to the bottom of that page to find the download links. I echo their hope for the program: “God’s blessings rest with those who will read, understand, and live by His Word. May this guide help you to that noble end. ‘Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path’ (Psalms 119:105).”
(Parenthetical Note: If you prefer an “intimacy” plan, I recommend the Reading the Bible with John Stott guides and/or the God’s Word for You series. Both are excellent.)

The Spanish edition of Seasons of Sorrow (Estaciones de aflicción) is now available! I’m so thankful for the efforts of the translation team and am praying that the book makes its way to just the right people.

10 Bits of Wisdom from 10 Years of Socials
K.A. Ellis took a social media hiatus and returned with some bits of wisdom to share. They are worth reading, considering, and applying.
The World’s Easiest Theological Question
Michael Kruger: “Sometimes Jesus asks easy theological questions where the answer is obvious. Often he does this to make a point about the hardness of men’s hearts. As an example, he asks the Pharisees what may be the world’s easiest theological question…”
Engineers Make Great Missionaries
You may think that a career in missions means you would need to serve as a church planter or evangelist. This couldn’t be further from the truth. (Sponsored Link)
Pro-Gay Theology, the Film 1946, and the Multiverse
Alan Shlemon carries out a bit of a thought experiment in which he imagines that in 1946 the Bible translation committee for the RSV did not translate arsenokoitai as “homosexuals.” What difference might this have made?
Where Have All The Theologians Gone?
Mark Jones is concerned by the lack of first-class theologians today and suggests some of the possible reasons for this. “By ‘theologians,’ I do not mean it in the sense of ‘everyone’s a theologian’ but rather in the more technical sense concerning someone who is a trained theologian, a person who has distinguished themselves by their education, credentials, publications, and churchmanship.”
Themelios 48.2
Meanwhile, for those who are interested in doing some theological reading, there is a new issue of Themelios free for the taking.
Thirteen Years of Coming Back
Brianna has a sweet reflection on 13 years of marriage—13 years of coming back to one another.
Flashback: We Must, We Can, Bloom for Him
God has saved his people to display his glory and sing his praises in every time, every trial, every situation, every circumstance. No matter our surroundings, no matter our context, no matter our joys or sorrows, we must, and by his grace we can, bloom for him.

The cross is love’s highest human expression and beauty’s ultimate declaration…The cross and resurrection of Jesus shine as supreme demonstrations of beauty. Everything else is a reflection. —Steve DeWitt