Weekend A La Carte (October 7)
I’d like to express my gratitude to The Good Book Company for sponsoring the blog this week to tell you about Alistair Begg’s new book The Christian Manifesto (which I earlier reviewed here). Sponsors play a key role in keeping this site going, so I am grateful to each and every one.
You’ll find just a few new Kindle deals today if you’re into that sort of thing.
This week I read Going Infinite, Michael Lewis’ biography of the notorious Sam Bankman-Fried—a book timed to be released just as SBF began his trial. While I found the book interesting, I also found the author naive—he seems to absolve his subject of too much blame for the collapse of FTX and the billions of dollars that evaporated with it. I did enjoy his look at the Effective Altruism movement and its obvious shortcomings and failures. It’s a relatively brief book and one that was written before the trial that will determine SBF’s guilt or innocence. Though certainly not Lewis’ best, I still found it worth the read. Next up: Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson.
And now, without any further ado, some links:
What No Eye has Seen…
“Let’s keep going. Christ has already gone to prepare a place for us in going to the cross and bearing the wrath of God against your sins and mine. When all you can see is the fog in front of you, let your heart swell at the thought that ‘no eye has seen , nor ear heard, nor the hear of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him.’”
What Does It Mean That God Is Sovereign?
At least as far as I’m concerned, no one has taught God’s sovereignty better than R.C. Sproul. This article is so good, comforting, and clarifying.
Knowing God as Our Refuge
This article is about the ways in which we can know God as our refuge.
Encircled, Enclosed, Squeezed In
“We don’t always feel that the Lord is near. When life is hard, when grief is deep, when loss is the biggest thing in the room, we quickly wonder where God is. Surely he has left me in the darkness of my pain. Surely he isn’t present when I hurt this much. But Scripture can tell our hearts how to feel when we fear we are alone. Scripture tells us what is real in the depths of sadness and pain.”
The Sin Breaker
Though I’m not part of this church, I enjoy the pastor’s letters to his congregation. This one is about the kingship of Jesus and the battle against sin.
Flashback: Can We Enjoy Heaven Knowing Loved Ones Are in Hell?
We cannot imagine how we could be content in heaven while loved ones are in hell because we think too little of the beauty of glorification. Until we are glorified, our sympathies will rest more easily with human beings than with God—his glory and perfect justice.
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A La Carte (October 17)
Grace and peace to you.
Today’s Kindle deals are all about Francis Schaeffer.
(Yesterday on the blog: What You Can Take With You Into Eternity)
The Case For Kids
Kevin DeYoung makes the case for kids. “The most significant thing happening in the world may very well be a thing that is not happening: Men and women are not having children. The biblical logic has been reversed, and the barren womb has said ‘Enough!’ (Prov. 30:16). The paradigmatic affliction of the Old Testament is now the great desire of nations. If Rachel wanted children more than life itself (Gen. 30:1), our generation seems to have concluded that nothing gets in the way of life more than children.”
Spirit of Light
“The Reformers placed tremendous stress on the gifts of the Spirit to the whole body of Christ. John Calvin himself has rightly been described by B.B. Warfield as ‘the theologian of the Holy Spirit.’ Yet Reformed Christians always have been given a ‘bad press’ for their views on the gifts of the Holy Spirit.” But this should not be!
What Is Eastern Orthodoxy? A Reformed Perspective and Response
This article explains some of the key distinctions between Eastern Orthodoxy and Protestantism.
Are There Many Ways to God? Most “Evangelicals” Say Yes. (Video)
This video from Ligonier explains.
The Birth of Narnia and Why Tolkien Hated It
Here’s why Tolkien hated Narnia. “His criticism went beyond evaluation and suggestion to the level of insult.”
How Is the Trinity Vital for My Christian Life?
Danny Hyde explains why understanding the Trinity is vital for a healthy Christian life.
Flashback: What I Want From the News
It’s gotten so I almost hate the news. I want to know what’s going on in the world, but I’ve lost confidence that there’s as much as a single organization out there communicating it in a trustworthy way.It is not hard to deceive ministers, relatives and friends. But it is impossible to deceive Christ. —J.C. Ryle
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A La Carte (June 8)
Good morning from Brazil. I’m in São Paulo this morning and making my way to Recife this afternoon. We will soon begin filming yet another episode of Worship Round the World.
Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of good options.
(Yesterday on the blog: Your Loved Ones Love You Still)
The Upside-Down Metaphor: A Hermeneutical Critique of Josh Butler’s Beautiful Union
Anne Kennedy reviews Josh Butler’s now-infamous book. “In his provocative book, Beautiful Union: How God’s Vision for Sex Points Us to the Good, Unlocks the True, and (Sort of) Explains Everything,1 Josh Butler articulates a theological picture of God’s union with humanity in Christ that is sexual, rather than sacramental in nature. Butler makes exegetical and categorical errors that lead him to at least two theologically problematic conclusions.”
The Aim of Satan
What does Satan aim at in his engagements with us? This article explains.
How Can Leaders Become Difference Makers?
“Healthy, courageous leaders are humble, fearful followers.” —David M. Cook and Shane W. Parker (Sponsored Link)
Water into Wine?
Shane Rosenthal: “The account of Jesus turning water into wine at the wedding of Cana is a well-known story from the Gospel of John. When commenting upon this passage, many focus on the exceptional quality of the wine that Jesus produced, while others prefer to highlight the enormous quantity … But in my opinion, the most noteworthy aspect of this famous story relates not to the quantity or qualityof the wine, but rather to its historical reality.”
What Is Pride?
Christina Fox explains what pride is all about.
Did the Puritans Agree on Eschatology?
Interesting! “Were the Puritans aligned in their eschatological views? Not quite. This article examines various Puritan theologies of eschatology that emerged between the 17th and 18th centuries, focusing on seven prominent Puritan writers and their unique perspectives.”
3 Ways Our Relationship With Social Media Warps Friendship
Chris Martin explains how social media changes (or warps) our friendships.
Flashback: What If Marriage Isn’t Making Me As Holy As I Had Hoped?
Our pursuits of holiness, whether our own or our spouse’s, are only ever incomplete pursuits. They are real and meaningful, but necessarily limited by the harsh reality that there is no perfection to be had on this side of the grave.The great problem of living is not to escape hard and painful experiences, but in such experiences to keep the heart gentle, loving, and sweet. —J.R. Miller
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A La Carte (March 13)
Good morning. Grace and peace to you.
Today’s Kindle deals include a little list of books on parenting from Crossway.
(Yesterday on the blog: A Pastoral Prayer for Love and Unity)
Authenticating the Fourth Gospel
“When I asked Christians why they trust the Bible in contrast to other holy books, most ended up pointing to their own subjective feelings or experiences, rather than to any objective considerations. Some even described faith as a kind of ‘gut-feeling’ or ‘spiritual sixth sense.’” Shane Rosenthal explains why this is insufficient.
The Many Faces of Islam in Africa
David Fugoyo Baime describes some of the many forms Islam takes. “Islam is one of the largest religions in Africa, making up of over 40% of the African population. To ignore Islam is the greatest mistake practicing Christians in Africa can make.”
The Military’s Best Kept Secret
I enjoyed Kevin’s take on the U.S. military’s best-kept secret.
Men and Emotions
Suggesting that men tend to struggle with expressing their emotions, this article asks, “What does Jesus teach us about emotional expression?”
The Basics — Creation
Kim Riddlebarger describes the basic tenets of a distinctly Christian understanding of creation.
See Me
“We all have a need–a craving–to be noticed. And in the noticing, praised. Esteemed. Wanted.Loved. But too often our parents disappoint us. And our friends become our competition.”
Flashback: The Snows, The Deep Snows, the Awful Snows
Though it is certainly not always the case, very often the people who are particularly used by the Lord are the same people who endure suffering. De Witt Talmage makes this point well in a quote from one of his sermons.God is love, but this is quite different from affirming that our culture’s understanding of love must be God. —Kevin DeYoung
