The Lord be with you and bless you today.

(Yesterday on the blog: Rest Takes Work)
The Wise Man Is In Town
“Where did we get the idea that the wisest among us dwell in seclusion in hard to reach places?” That’s a simple question and receives a great answer.
7 Reasons Guests Don’t Return
“It is encouraging to see visitors come into the church, but it can be discouraging when the vast majority seem to only be one-time visitors. Here is a list of possible reasons that may be helpful as you evaluate what is happening in your church.”
When Were Christians First Regarded as Intolerant “Haters”?
“In the midst of the high octane culture wars of the last ten years, Christians have been labelled all sorts of things: intolerant, bigoted, arrogant, narrow, dogmatic, just to name a few.” And how about “haters?” When did people first begin making that charge?
The 50 Countries Where It’s Hardest to Follow Jesus in 2023
“Sub-Saharan Africa—the epicenter of global Christianity—is now also the epicenter of violence against Christians, as Islamist extremism has spread well beyond Nigeria.” But, unsurprisingly, North Korea takes top spot.
What Does God Want Us to Continue?
Resolutions are great, but “sometimes we need to set our faces and purposes once again to continue something we’ve already started, to stay the course, to keep going.”
Should We Call God Mother?
Denny Burk carefully analyzes the argument of a new book.
Flashback: You Just Can’t Have It All
Though we know perfection is impossible, don’t we all sometimes still grow frustrated at the sheer messiness of Christian individuals and Christian churches? Don’t we all sometimes face the temptation to pack up and move on when our fellow believers act like the sinners they are?

In the Western mind, we work five days to earn the right to rest and play on the weekend. But God tells believers to start the week with rest before we work. In Scripture, rest is a gift, not a reward. —Dan Doriani

Good morning! Here’s a little collection of links that I thought you might enjoy.

There are a few Kindle deals you may want to look at.
(Yesterday on the blog: Laying Ambushes — A Family Update on a Special Weekend)
How does Reformed theology view the future of Israel compared to dispensationalism?
Obviously not everyone who reads this site will agree with the take presented in this video from Ligonier Ministries. Yet it’s a good explanation of how Reformed folk have traditionally understand the future of Israel.
5 Ways Pastors Can Care for Those Struggling with Sexual Identity
“It’s easy to talk about LGBTQ+ stuff in the abstract. It’s hard for a pastor to sit in his study and look somebody in the eye, while being engaged, and talk to somebody for whom this is their agonizing struggle.” This is very true.
Your Money Will Trick You
Trevin Wax: “Jesus says ‘Watch out!’ and ‘Be on guard’ as if there’s a silent, stealthy enemy creeping up on an unsuspecting person, ready to pounce. We like to think of wealth and possessions as inanimate objects, helpful to us if we use them correctly, but basically neutral. And so, in our churches, we warn against the abuse or misuse of wealth, and we teach on good stewardship so we can maximize and increase our wealth. But rarely do we sound the alarming note of Jesus and the apostles in this matter.”
A Biblical Case for Surrogacy?
Is there a biblical case to be made for surrogacy? This article says there is not.
Two Temptations for the Post-Covid Church
“After two years of the coronavirus, Christians are facing two temptations in relationship to the body of Christ. You might experience one or even both of these tendancies in your own life. I call them ‘a failure of heart’ and ‘a failure of nerve.’”
Suffering Is No Accident
Randy Alcorn reflects on the fact that suffering, while still very difficult, is never an accident.
Flashback: Satisfaction at the Cost of Obedience
Temptation is not a kidnapper who drags you into his van kicking and screaming and takes you where you don’t want to go. You climb in all on your own! You are a willing participant in your own kidnapping, in your own temptation.

Through the grace shown to us in the gospel, there is something distinctly Christlike about a mother’s love for her child. —Gloria Furman

I’m thankful to Reformation Heritage Books for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about Paul Washer’s new book The Preeminent Christ. They’ve also marked down its price for you.

There are, indeed, some new Kindle deals today.
(Yesterday on the blog: Memorable Loss)
Light into Darkness: The Sound of Freedom movie
Jesse Johnson reviews (and recommends) Sound of Freedom. “Sound of Freedom has an express goal: not to leave you in darkness. Darkness thrives when the lights are off, and this movie wants to shine the light in the darkest places imaginable. To that end, Sound of Freedom has succeeded in making two major points…”
Is ‘Sound of Freedom’ the Next ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’?
Writing for TGC, Cap Stewart also reviews and commends the film. He especially praises it for telling about exploitation in such a way that it doesn’t exploit its actors. And then he offers one critique (that has more to do with the credits than the film itself).
The Church in a Time of Gender War
Samuel James tries to make sense of something many have observed: That there seem to be plenty of single men and women in many churches who wish to get married, but not to one another.
Why I Became an American Citizen
I quite enjoyed reading Carl Trueman’s account of why he decided to become an American citizen.
Bowing to Ungodly Pressures in the Name of Wisdom
“I am concerned that some churches and Christian institutions have grown timid in their stand for truth and are using wisdom as their excuse. Doing this may help them avoid social pressure for now, but in the end, they are merely kicking the can down the road, and it will likely be worse later.”
Churches Continue to Sing Hillsong and Bethel Despite Controversies
This is really interesting. Despite scandals at Hillsong and Bethel, churches continue to sing their music. The article explores how worship leaders find their music and why they choose it.
Flashback: A Sober Warning from the Earliest Christians
…we are free to continue to worship Jesus, to sing our songs, and to preach our Scriptures, as long as we accept these new definitions of marriage, gender, and so on. We don’t need to abandon our faith, but just modify it slightly to better fit the times.

In the outside world we may seem to have religion when we have it not; but the home tests whether our religion is genuine or a sham. —De Witt Talmage