The Lord be with you and bless you today.

Eyes to the sky
Janie B. Cheaney: “I’m ashamed to admit it. I know the Bible is true, that all came to pass as it’s recorded, that Jesus Christ walked this earth and changed history forever, and that the Holy Spirit continues to act in my life and others’. Prayers of gratitude come easily when times are good, and prayers of petition when they aren’t. But ‘Come, Lord Jesus’ feels as remote a possibility as mountains melting and stars falling from the sky—because those events are on the schedule too.”
We’re Not in Kansas Anymore: Reflections on the passage of Bill C-4
Paul Carter covers a recently-passed and very concerning bill. “On Tuesday, December 7th the Canadian Senate passed Bill C-4, effectively banning the practice known as conversion therapy. The bill had been introduced to the House of Commons on November 29th and was approved on December 1st without further debate or study. It received Royal Assent today and will become the law of the land in 30 days.”
Does the Holy Spirit speak new words today?
Murray Campbell provides his perspective on a big question. “This view of the Spirit and God’s speech is one that ignores the Spirit’s own testimony through Scripture and it is one that often leads to all manner of pastoral issues. Indeed, when we have a dodgy doctrine of the Bible we shouldn’t be surprised if we take a wrong turn on all kinds of theological and ethical issues.”
The Stories Under the Ground (Part One)
This is a thoroughly enjoyable bit of writing from Central Asia. “The Chuy Valley tells a story of contrasts. On the floor of the valley, the land is flat and cultivated, made up of villages and farmland with occasional pockets of trees the color of gold in mid-October. The surrounding mountains are untamed, protruding whichever way they please. Up high, the paths on the foothills waver and crumble; the farther down you go, the more gridded they become.”
Best Jesus-y, Folky, Singer-songwriter-y, Worship-y, High Quality Music of 2021
This roundup may be of interest to those who are eager to find something new to listen to.
Insecurities, the Fear of People, Regrets, and Failure
Ed Welch: “We all have voices that tell us we are never enough. If we measure up in school, we don’t in sports or attractiveness or anything else. We always have voices, around us and in us, that assure us we are, indeed, substandard—or average, which feels just as bad.”
Flashback: Why God Delays in Answering Prayer
I was blessed to read this short article from Charles Spurgeon. He explains why God sometimes delays in answering prayer.

Satan cannot hold you, sin cannot enchain you, even despair cannot bind you if you will now believe in the Lord Jesus, in the freeness of His grace, and the fullness of His power to save. —Charles Spurgeon

At the beginning of a new month it is good to be reminded: At this very moment God is reigning from his throne, so Christ will soon return and all will be made right.

(Yesterday on the blog: New and Notable Christian Books for February 2023)
The Christian’s Glorious Freedom
Sinclair Ferguson: “You may have been a Christian for some time and yet not grasped your new status in Christ. You may still be intimidated by the domineering character of the tyrant who once ruled over you. Believers sometimes wrongly assume: ‘I have sinned; therefore, sin still has authority over me. I cannot possibly have ‘died’ to sin.’ Paul unambiguously contradicts this thinking.”
A Darker Consumerism
Chris wants us to consider that “our relationship with social media has made us consumers of people.”
Dear Nursery Worker: Thank You For Loving Our Family Like Christ
Here’s some encouragement: “Sister, if you ever feel like your job is useless as a nursery worker, if you ever feel like you’re doing no good for the kingdom, stomp out those lies. You’re loving those children, and you are loving those parents. You’re modeling Jesus…”
Hurt, injustice and dealing with reality
Stephen reflects on some of the ways we can be hurt in church (and how we can hurt others). “As much as I don’t want to diminish the reality of bad experiences, I also think there is some balance needed in how we think about these things. None of what I am about to say is meant to undercut real experience of hurtful things…”
Defining and Defending Liturgy
“What first comes to mind when you hear the word ‘liturgy’? You may believe that ‘liturgy’ is something mechanical or impersonal, not really speaking to the heart. Perhaps you think it a cold, lifeless term, expressing a concept that does not have practical value or promote spiritual worship. Liturgy? Who needs it!”
Should We Cancel Karl Barth, Martin Luther, and Jonathan Edwards?
Trevin considers theologians we may now find troubling in different ways. “We can either look down on past theologians for their sins or we can look deeper. Looking deeper requires us to consider different kinds of sin, how those sins might affect the outlook of the theologian, and what treasures we may still receive, with wisdom and discernment, from flawed forebears.”
Flashback: Which Christian Best Portrays Christ?
Christians are called to be like Jesus, to make a careful study of his life, of his ways, of his character, then to portray him on the canvas of our lives.

To love means loving the unlovable. To forgive means pardoning the unpardonable. Faith means believing the unbelievable. Hope means hoping when everything seems hopeless. —G.K. Chesterton

My gratitude goes to Coram Deo Pastor’s Conference for sponsoring the blog this week. It is coming up soon and will feature the preaching of Kevin DeYoung, John Piper, Carl Trueman, H.B. Charles Jr., and others. You can’t go wrong with a lineup like that!
Today’s Kindle deals include some newer books and some older ones.
(Yesterday on the blog: God’s Goodness in a Cruel World)

Glenna Marshall reflects on youthful promises of obedience. “I liked the idea of promising obedience, of telling the Lord that nothing in this world would be dearer to me than obeying Him. In young, untried faith, I nearly invited him to test me, telling him in a long, journaled prayer that wherever he led, I would most certainly go. I banked on my obedience. I would be stalwart, no matter what came.” But she didn’t know what would come.

“A high-profile new resident arrived in Dumfries and Galloway recently – a ewe once known as ‘Britain’s Loneliest Sheep’. Fiona, as she has been named, was rescued after being stranded for more than two years at the foot of cliffs in the Scottish Highlands. Fiona’s plight hit the headlines after a kayaker photographed her still trapped at the foot of a steep cliff at the Cromarty Firth, two years after a previous sighting.”

This newsletter from CCEF has some great resources for helping teens with porn. Don’t miss this video featuring Todd Stryd.

Andy Naselli explains clearly and helpfully how the Arminian and Calvinist views of election differ from one another. (You can either read or watch what he says.)

“Digital distractions all begin with intentional choice. Once you start checking your phone a few times an hour, intentionally, for the sake of some good thing, you begin to check it unintentionally, regardless of its value.” Yet not all distractions are sinful.

Writing for Club 31 Women, Kelly Tarr says “We can be our own worst enemies. We are often the saboteur of our own lives and it ends up affecting the ones we love, too.”

Rather than following biblical guidance and speaking directly to a person who has offended us, we speak to anyone or everyone else. This invariably erodes relationships in the church and foments disunity.

The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling.
—Jerry Bridges