Westminster Books has a couple of deals that may interest you. One is on the Short Studies in Biblical Theology series while the other is on a new systematic theology (plus a few other not-so-new systematic theologies).

Run Your Race—Not Someone Else’s

“Have you ever heard yourself inwardly say, Well, at least I’m doing better than that guy, or, conversely, I’ll never be as good as that girl? In the former, we are provoking others. In arrogance, we look down on others with scorn and wonder why they can’t deliver as well as we can. In the latter, we envy others. With self-loathing, we want their success or abilities.”

4 People Influencing Your Kids You’ve Never Heard of

“Previously, parents felt good if they knew the names of their children’s friends. Student pastors wanted to stay up to date on the top music artists. For those seeking to point the next generation to Christ, they may have some relentless competition from names they’ve never heard of and never even thought to investigate. Do you know who PewDiePie is? What about Jeffree Star or Shane Dawson? How about Markiplier?”

Make Today Count for the Kingdom (SPONSORED LINK)

You only live once—if then. How do we make the most of life and the time we have? In the midst of our harried modern world, speaker and social critic Os Guinness calls us to consequential living in his new book Carpe Diem Redeemed. We can seek to serve God’s purpose for our generation, read the times, and discern our call for this moment in history.

Losing Youth, Gaining Growth

“Sometimes I don’t recognize the girl in the mirror with the lines on her face and the silvery strands springing from her scalp, but as I’ve reflected on the slow vanishing of my physical youth, I’ve watched something else slowly diminish: my spiritual youth. I can’t disentangle the two, really. Alongside the slow fade of physical youth is a similar, bittersweet release of my young years in Christ.”

One of the Best Illustrations I’ve Heard in Years

It’s a good one!

It Is A Terrible Choice

“Because women will do it, therefore they should be able to do it safely, because otherwise we, all of us, don’t care about women. This is always the end of the line, the place where the pro-lifer says, ‘No no, we really do care, and we think that abortion actually makes everything worse. We care very deeply about the woman, and know that her life doesn’t have to be pitted against the life of the child.’ ‘Yes it does,’ says the pro-abortioner. ‘She will only be happy if the baby is no longer there.’”

Dysfunctional Elders Make a Dysfunctional Church

I have seen so many times that this is true!

You May Not Know What to Pray, but the Holy Spirit Does

“Thank God that the Spirit doesn’t meet us in our pain with ‘At least …’ The Spirit knows our pain is real. Jesus knows it’s real. They feel it with you, and the Spirit groans even more deeply than you do. But the Spirit doesn’t just empathize with us. Groaning also indicates the Spirit’s wisdom. The Spirit prays ‘according to the will of God.’ He prays the will of God perfectly over us, that God’s good purpose will be accomplished to the letter.”

Flashback: 18 Prayers to Pray for Unbelievers

How do I pray for unbelievers? …While we can and must pray for matters related to their lives and circumstances, the emphasis of our prayers must always be for their salvation.

It is well to praise the Lord for his mercy when you are in health, but make sure that you do it when you are sick, for then your praise is more likely to be genuine. —Charles Spurgeon

I doubt there are too many people who can honestly say they foresaw the recent revival of interest in Puritans and Puritanism. Yet over the past 10 or 20 years, this is exactly what has happened. Suddenly a whole new generation has begun to pick up works written hundreds of years prior and realized, perhaps to their shock, that these are as relevant today as they’ve ever been.

Chief among the proponents of the Puritans is Joel Beeke of Reformation Heritage Books and Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary. He has been reading and studying the Puritans since he was a young teen. Since then he has co-authored and published, among many other works, Meet the Puritans, a guide to the most important Puritan writers and works and A Puritan Theology, a giant treatment of Puritan perspectives on a wide variety of doctrines. And now he has partnered with Media Gratiae to create a documentary film titled Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God.

Puritan is two-hour presentation narrated by Beeke and directed by Stephen McCaskell (who, incidentally, traveled the world with me last year filming another documentary). As is typical for the genre, it features interviews and commentary from a large number of well-known Christians, some of whom are Puritan scholars and some of whom could perhaps be better classified as Puritan enthusiasts. Among them are Al Mohler, Conrad Mbewe, Gloria Furman, J.I. Packer, John MacArthur, John Piper, Kevin DeYoung, Mark Dever, Steve Lawson, and Rosaria Butterfield. The film follows this self-explanatory “table of contents:” The Dawn of Puritanism; The Marks of Puritanism; The Architects of Puritanism; The Scattering of Puritanism; The Waxing and Waning of Puritanism; The Reawakening of Puritanism; and The Legacy of Puritanism.

Puritan comes with three other discs besides the documentary. One of them contains fairly minor “special features” that, though useful, probably do not add a lot of additional value. The other two, though, are impressive. These two “Lessons on Puritanism” DVDs contain short biographies on 16 different Puritans as well as teaching on 19 different Puritan themes. Each of these is led by a different teacher, many of whom are experts on that particular person or subject (such as Derek Thomas on John Bunyan, Mark Dever on Richard Sibbes, and J.I. Packer on Richard Baxter). It also comes with a softcover workbook that accompanies the “Lessons on Puritanism.” Finally, it comes with Following God Fully, a handsome hardcover book authored by Beeke and Michael Reeves that serves as yet another introduction to the Puritans and Puritanism.

I need to say a word about how to use this film. That may sound odd, but in this case I think it’s necessary. At this time, Puritan is not available as a stand-alone film. You cannot buy it on iTunes or stream it on Netflix. You can only buy it in a “Deluxe Edition” that comes with all of the additional material. The cheapest price for this is currently $115. That is perhaps a little steep for many people when they consider individual or family viewing, and this is exactly why the product is geared toward groups. It seems to be the kind of product churches or small groups may purchase so they can watch the film together, then study all of that additional material while making their way through the workbook.

However you use it, I’m sure you’ll find Puritan both illuminating and challenging. It’s a well-made, interesting film and one I’m glad to recommend.

Puritan is available at Westminster Books and Reformation Heritage Books. (You can also get it at Amazon, but their price is significantly higher.)

This week the blog and the giveaway has been sponsored by InterVarsity Press. They will be giving away five copies of the new book Carpe Diem Redeemed: Seizing the Day, Discerning the Times by Os Guinness.

How do we live with consequence in our modern world?

Life is short, and it can be as easily wasted as lived to the full. In the midst of our harried modern world, how do we make the most of life and the time we have?

In these fast and superficial times, Os Guinness calls us to consequential living in his new book Carpe Diem Redeemed. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, time and history are meaningful, and human beings have agency to live with freedom and consequence in partnership with God. Because of this, we can seek to serve God’s purpose for our generation, read the times, and discern our call for this moment in history. Our time on earth has significance. Live rightly, discern the times, and redeem the day.

What’s it all for? Is there meaning to anything that I do, since it will one day all be forgotten? What does it mean to live well in light of such realities?’ In characteristic fashion, Os Guinness not only explores these searching questions but offers satisfying, proven answers to them. If you are asking similar questions—or even if you’re not—I can’t recommend this book to you highly enough.
—Scott Sauls, author of Befriend

Guinness calls us to faithful and fearless living, with a sense of humility as we walk before God and endeavor to serve his purposes in our generation.
—Trevin Wax, author of This Is Our Time

Enter Here

Again, there are five packages to win. And all you need to do to enter the draw is to drop your name and email address in the form below.

Giveaway Rules: You may enter one time. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon. If you are viewing this through email, click to visit my site and enter there.

Today’s Kindle deals include a couple of books for young adults as well as some classics.

(Yesterday on the blog: Puritan: All of Life to the Glory of God)

Don’t Be Duped

“In any sphere of culture, leaders are trying to sell themselves and their views. In fact, the very reason these leaders often rise to the top is their ability to persuade people of the rightness of their views and decisions. Yet, often they are so charismatic, so persuasive, that we are easily duped by poor reasons leading to flawed conclusions.” Bruce Ashford provides a list to look for.

Some Counsel for Christians Leaving Toxic Church Environments

Lucas O’Neill: “It agonizes me that so many churches with such great resources and strengths go the way of Samson, doing what’s right in their own eyes. In the process, they leave behind heaps of bleeding Christians, leg upon thigh (Judg. 15:8). Recovery for genuine believers who have been damaged by failed churches is a grueling process.”

How the Dumb Design of a WWII Plane Led to the Macintosh

One bad design led to a whole new emphasis on user friendliness. And now it’s difficult to imagine life without it.

4 Principles for the Exercise of Christian Liberty

This is such good and important stuff from Sinclair Ferguson.

Knowing Why We Want Knowledge

“I have met with lots of people who have a deep need for you to know they are right. There is, of course, nothing wrong with being right. Being right is obviously a good thing. It is right, after all. Nor is there anything wrong with gently correcting people who are wrong. That is a loving thing to do. Equally, there is nothing wrong – of itself – disagreeing with somebody if we happen not to agree. There’s no point being dishonest. But there is something wrong with needing people to know we are right.” Interesting…

Millennials Heading Into Middle Age Are Like Baby Boomers Who Never Got a Chance To Boom

I don’t agree with everything here, but I do think it’s an interesting take on the Millennials as they begin to hit middle age.

I’ll Continue to Pray

This was a short but effective reminder that for some people in some circumstances, prayer is very difficult.

Flashback: 3 Parenting Myths We Are All Tempted To Believe

As Christian parents raise their children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, we can be tempted to believe some dangerous myths about what we are doing and how we are to go about it.

Sin is a plague, yea, the greatest and most infectious plague in the world; and yet, ah! how few are there that tremble at it, that keep at a distance from it! —Thomas Brooks

I was recently reading through the new, updated version of Kent Hughes’ Disciplines of a Godly Man and was struck anew by the Bible’s call that we strive and labor for godliness. While his intended audience is primarily men, the message is equally applicable to women.

*****

The statement from Paul to Timothy regarding spiritual discipline in 1 Timothy 4:7—“train yourself for godliness”—takes on not only transcending importance, but personal urgency. There are other passages that teach discipline, but this is the great classic text of Scripture. The word train comes from the word gumnos, which means “naked” and is the word from which we derive our English word gymnasium. In traditional Greek athletic contests, the participants competed without clothing so as not to be encumbered. Therefore, the word train originally carried the literal meaning “to exercise naked.” By New Testament times, it referred to exercise and training in general. But even then it was, as it remains, a word with the smell of the gym in it—the sweat of a good workout. “Train yourselves, exercise, work out (!) for the purpose of godliness” conveys the feel of what Paul is saying.

Spiritual Sweat

In a word, he is calling for some spiritual sweat! Just as the athletes discarded everything and competed gumnos—free from anything that could possibly burden them—so we must get rid of every encumbrance, every association, habit, and tendency that impedes godliness. If we are to excel, we must strip ourselves to a lean, spiritual nakedness. The writer of Hebrews explains it like this: “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1). Men, we will never get anywhere spiritually without a conscious divestment of the things that are holding us back. What things are weighing you down? The call to discipline demands that you throw it off. Are you man enough?

The call to train ourselves for godliness also suggests directing all of our energy toward that goal. Paul pictures this elsewhere: “Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control” (1 Cor. 9:25–27). Intense, energetic sweat! We should singularly note that a little after Paul’s command to “train yourself for godliness,” he comments on the command and the intervening words, saying “for to this end we toil and strive” (1 Tim. 4:10). The word toil means “strenuous work,” and strive comes from the Greek word from which we get “agonize.” Toil and agony are called for if one is to be godly.

When one seriously trains, he willingly undergoes hours of discipline and even pain so as to win the prize—running ten thousand miles to run one hundred meters at one’s best. The successful Christian life is a sweaty affair!

No manliness, no maturity! No discipline, no discipleship! No sweat, no sainthood!

There is an extensive list of Kindle deals today that includes something for just about everyone.

I happened to notice Amazon has Melissa & Doug toys on sale today in case you’re doing early Christmas shopping. They were always a smash with our kids.

(Yesterday on the blog: Working Up a Spiritual Sweat)

Your Listening Habits Are Harming Your Relationship with God

“What do habits have to do with hearing God? Actually, a lot. Habits can be good or bad, distracting or uplifting. They can bring us closer to God and others, or drive us farther away. Their importance is often misunderstood, and we can become easily susceptible to forming destructive habits that hamper our entire lives.”

Wait for the Ending

It’s true, this. “Faith in a sovereign God does not prevent us from sometimes feeling bewildered about what our sovereign God is doing.”

Greet One Another with a Holy Kiss

Or don’t, depending on the context.

Why Spam Calls Are At An All-Time High (Video)

I’m kind of glad to know it’s not just me who is being inundated with these calls.

Putting on Avatars, Putting on Christ: Reflections on “American Democracy in the Internet Age”

That’s a big, long title for an article that offers some good food for thought.

Is God Guilty of Genocide?

“Armenia. Cambodia. Rawanda. Bosnia. Darfur. All well-known modern examples of genocide where entire people groups were wiped out (or almost wiped out). These are awful tragedies, worthy of our sorrow and grief. And yet, ask the critics, is the God of the Bible really any different? When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, was it not God who commanded them to wipe out all the indigenous people (Deut. 20:17)? Is God not guilty of genocide?”

Why Your Youth Group Needs Generational Integration

I’m not sure “needs” is the right word, but will at least agree to “would benefit from.”

Flashback: As Innocent as a Snake

As Christians we need to be aware of evil, aware of its existence, its shape and contours, yet without developing an obsession with it. We need to know enough about evil to discern and resist it, yet without stooping to plug our minds full of it.

Faith in Jesus will not replace your fears. Instead your faith will coexist with your fears and begin to quiet them. You will learn, by faith, to see your life from Jesus’s perspective and to trust that he is our ever-present help in trouble. —Ed Welch

Around fourteen years ago, Aileen and I bought our first home. We had been searching all over our town and all over the other towns nearby, looking for just the right place. We couldn’t find it. They were all too big or too expensive or too far from where we wanted to be. Where we wanted to be, we realized, was right where we were. So when a neighbouring home went on the market, we were quick to check it out.

As happens, we made an offer on that house. After a little back and forth, the offer was accepted, at which point we had to put down a deposit. Even though we had not yet taken possession of the home, we made a payment. That payment, that deposit, was meant to show that we would go all the way. It was the sign that we would not just stop at an offer, but would actually close on the deal. If we were to later decide to not go forward with the transaction, we would lose our deposit and would have wasted that rather substantial sum of money. And, sure enough, we did go forward, we did complete the sale, and we have been living there happily ever since.

In James 1:18, we are told that Christians are essentially God’s deposit on this world. James says of God that “of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” According to the pleasure of his will, God “brought us forth”—he saved us—by “the word of truth,” the gospel. This is the experience of every Christian—being drawn powerfully and effectually to God.

And why does he do this? Why does God draw us to himself? There are many valid ways we could answer that question. He does it out of love. That’s true. He does it for his own glory. That’s true, too. But here James points to yet another reason. God saves us so we can serve as a kind of deposit.

When Aileen and I made an offer on our house, we put down that deposit to show that we intended to go all the way and complete the transaction. In a similar way, you and I are like God’s deposit on this world. Our salvation is a sure sign that God will eventually redeem all of this creation. Just as God brought new life to our souls, he will bring new life to this planet. Just as he accomplished redemption in us, he will accomplish redemption in all of this universe. He will complete in all the cosmos what he has begun in us. If he does not, the suffering and death of Jesus Christ will have been a waste. He will have accomplished only a partial, not a complete, salvation.

We all have those moments of weariness, those moments when we long to see the last of sin, the last of death, the last of decay, the last of destruction. We long for Christ to return, to destroy all evil, to purify all creation. And in the waiting we can sometimes lose confidence that he actually will. But our salvation is proof. If the person from whom we bought our house ever doubted we would go through with it, she would just need to look at our deposit. That would remind her, “They will complete the transaction.” And we, when we long for the end of all evil and the fulfillment of all good, just need to look at our salvation. That should remind us, “God will complete what he has begun.”

In this way 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. Because God has accomplished so great a salvation in us, we can have every confidence he will complete his full and final deliverance of this world.

This sponsored post was prepared by Missional Wear

Somehow, it’s November. Mid-November. Which means you might just be gearing up to begin your holiday shopping. My friends at Missional Wear have been hard at work creating unique gifts for everyone on your list. Here is a currated guide of great ideas to achieve gifting success this holiday season!

Top Gifts For The Season

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“The Spurge” Sweatshirt

John Calvin Sweatshirt

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Decorative bookend-sized statue busts of renown theologians

Limited Edition Marbled Finish

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Get him what he really wants

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T-shirts

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Gifts for Men

Men can be tricky to buy for – these great finds make it easy!

Patch Hats

Neckware

Embroidered Dad Hats

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Ladies love theology too!

Ladies Longsleeve

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Thoughtful, stylish gifts she will love

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Adorable outfits for babies to teens and everything in between

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Whether you eat or drink…do all to the glory of God!

Insulated Tumblers

Coffee Mugs

Insulated Camp Mugs

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Surprise them with unique and personalized gifts!

Coasters

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Still Not Sure?

There are so many great products that it can sometimes be hard to decide. Let them decide with a gift certificate!

You will find a new few Kindle deals if you’re into such things!

(Yesterday on the blog: When God Put Down a Deposit)

Preaching is Worship, Not Performance

That makes all the difference in the world, doesn’t it? “A confession: When it comes to preaching, I used to care far too much about the number of people in the pews. Sure, I passed this off as a concern for the number of people hearing the gospel. My focus, however, was mostly on how many people were hearing me.”

Why C.S. Lewis Wouldn’t Write for Christianity Today

Just like the title says, here’s why C.S. Lewis chose to refuse the invitation to write for Christianity Today.

Who Were the Nephilim? (Video)

That question takes us to one of the most perplexing passages in the Bible. Dr. Peter Gentry of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary provides his answer.

A Pastor in Therapy

It takes courage for a pastor to admit this and tell others about it. “In February of this year I burned out. It was a surprising, disconcerting, and ultimately enlightening experience. The full account of how that happened and how I felt about it can be read here, but in this post I want to share about some follow up treatment I received on the advice of my doctor.”

Where Does Evangelism Fit on Sunday Morning?

I don’t think too many people doubt that Sunday morning services should acknowledge the presence of both believers and unbelievers. But the degree to which each are acknowledged is a matter of some debate. “There is an active debate about the role evangelism should play in Sunday worship services. On any given Sunday should we assume our audience are believers or nonbelievers?”

The Lazy Pastor

This is a really good article! “How can a pastor who is not lazy find himself accused of just that? The accusation, undeserved, arises from two sources: first, from a difference of opinion about what a pastor’s workday should look like, and, second, from an unfortunate but correctable lack of self-awareness on the part the minister. Let’s take each in turn.”

Flashback: Give Me a Man with an Open Bible!

An orphan can teach how to care for aging parents. An unmarried man can teach on marriage. A childless woman can teach on parenting. A poor man can teach about the temptations that come with being rich. God’s Word speaks to every one of these issues and authority in these matters does not flow from experience but from Scripture.

Sincerity is a Christian virtue, as is honesty about our struggles. But my generation needs to realize that Christianity is more than chic fragility, endless self-revelation, and the coolness that comes with authenticity. —Kevin DeYoung

Today’s Kindle deals include a bit of a grab bag (in which you’ll find some Piper, some Eareckson Tada, and more).

Westminster Books has a deal on a new video series from Tim Keesee called Luke’s Dispatches. (Tim and I, as you may remember, are currently fundraising for another journey.)

Chick-fil-A Stops Giving to Salvation Army, FCA Amid LGBT Protests

Christianity Today covers the news. “Chick-fil-A has announced plans to end charitable giving to Christian organizations—including the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA)—amid concern over LGBT backlash as the popular Christian-owned business expands beyond the US.” Unsurprisingly, as Disrn points out, it isn’t enough: GLAAD says Chick-fil-A donation shift not enough. Also, Russell Moore asks, “Should You Be Angry at Chick-Fil-A?”

We Need to Help New Converts from Non-Christian Backgrounds Honor Their Families

I believe I linked to this when it was on the 9Marks site, but it’s worth a second read. “When Youth for Christ (the ministry I work for) first began to see young people coming to Christ from non-Christian backgrounds, we were naturally concerned about the rejection they might face from family members. We tried to ensure them that any rejection they experienced at home would be offset by warm acceptance in the Christian community. Soon, however, we realized that our counsel may have been unwise. Too often, we failed to stress how important it is for new believers to maintain good relationships with their families. In our excitement at seeing conversions, we overlooked the importance of healthy family relationships.”

God Is Growing His Children Not His Carrots

“One of the wonderful things about the church that I pastor is that some people come to it and then come to the faith from very different cultures and backgrounds than my own. They often challenge me about some of my blind spots in what I preach.” That’s George Sinclair writing on TGC Canada.

Hey Christian: It’s Not Ok to Say “Ok Boomer”

“The New Testament Scriptures abound with household codes in which generations are called not only to not razz on each other, but to look to each other with love and a servant attitude. And that’s before we even get into the language of family: brothers and sisters, and stuff like that.  Older men treating younger as sons, younger women looking to older women in the church as mothers.”

Gratefulness and God’s Sovereign Goodness

Eric Alexander: “For the Christian, ingratitude is not just a failure in manners. It is a sin against the God who did not spare even His own Son but delivered Him up for us all.”

On Being An Immigrant

I really appreciated Seth Lewis’s thoughts on being an immigrant.

The Chief Distinguishing Mark of a False Prophet

Here is something to watch out for when evaluating Christian teachers and preachers.

Flashback: How Can We Stay Productive Over the Long-Haul?

During a trip to China , I was invited to spend some time with some friends who live there. They asked me questions that ranged far and wide, but here we talk about productivity and how we can remain productive over the long-haul.

I have held many things in my hands, and have lost them all; but whatever I have placed in God’s hands, that I still possess. —Martin Luther

The early chapters of Proverbs provide a vivid description of an encounter between a pathetic, foolish young man and a wily, adulterous woman. “At the window of my house I have looked out through my lattice, and I have seen among the simple, I have perceived among the youths, a young man lacking sense, passing along the street near her corner, taking the road to her house in the twilight, in the evening, at the time of night and darkness.” First this young man encounters her, then he is led astray by her, then he becomes captive to her, then he is utterly destroyed by her. “With much seductive speech she persuades him; with her smooth talk she compels him. All at once he follows her, as an ox goes to the slaughter, or as a stag is caught fast till an arrow pierces its liver; as a bird rushes into a snare; he does not know that it will cost him his life.”

This foolish young man follows that woman to his own destruction. It’s key to understanding the passage, and the very nature of temptation, to note that the young man is no victim here. Nothing has happened that is against his will or opposed to his desires. As far as Proverbs is concerned, this young man is fully morally culpable. He wanted to be caught! We wanted to be caught because he wanted to indulge.

What did he do that was so evil and so unwise? It was not just falling for the wiles of this woman, but for being near her in the first place. Here is how a concerned father warns his sons about falling for that same sin: “O sons, listen to me, and do not depart from the words of my mouth. Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.” He pleads with young men that they flee this wanton woman, that they refuse to go near her, that they exercise life-preserving, soul-saving wisdom—the wisdom to stay far away from situations or circumstances in which they will knowingly and culpably face such severe temptation.

This proverb describes truth that is universal and timeless. Yet it has often struck me that here in the twenty-first century, the context for such temptation has changed substantially. This man was caught and destroyed because he left the place he should have been to go to a place he should not have been. Instead of being home he was away. Instead of staying where he would safely avoid the opportunity to sin, he went where he would knowingly encounter the opportunity to sin. The father’s solution is both wise and simple: “Keep your way far from her, and do not go near the door of her house.”

That man could avoid sexual temptation by staying home. But today most men who struggle with sexual temptation struggle more within their home than outside of it. It is not a woman on the streets who calls for them, but a woman on a website. For every man who ends up sinning in a brothel, millions more sin by the glare of a screen. The place that once represented safety now represents danger. Today that forbidden woman is always available in the home through our new technologies.

But though the context has changed, the wisdom of Proverbs remains valid. The battle is the same—the battle for sexual purity. The heart is the same—the heart that will so easily fool itself into insisting that it can flirt with temptation but remain resistant. The war is fought in the same way—by assessing the context in which temptation will come and then deliberately, doggedly avoiding it. Solomon’s young man bore all the blame because he refused to take the actions that would keep him far from temptation. Today’s young men bear the blame when they refuse to take actions that will keep them from falling once again for the very same temptations.

Some people have asked me about a 2020 Christian Reading Challenge. I’m hard at work on it and expect it will be ready in very early December. Stay tuned!

Westminster Books has a sale on R.C. Sproul’s commentaries.

(Yesterday on the blog: When the Forbidden Woman Is in Your Home)

Hurdles to Literacy and God’s Grace

What an interesting and exciting report from Cameroon! “When we first moved to Cameroon, I was introduced to the machete which is all so common in daily life here. It is used to kill snakes, cut fingernails, slice vegetables, clear a field in the bush, plant seeds; it is used for absolutely everything. And yet, I had never known life with a machete, so I frankly didn’t see the immediate value of it (that has since changed). If “my people” have survived for generations without a machete, is it really that important? This is exactly the same question that is often asked among illiterate people when being introduced to the idea of reading and writing.”

Is It a Sin to “Swear to God”?

“‘Do not take an oath at all,’ commands Jesus (Matthew 5:34). This prohibition raises quite a few questions. Is Jesus forbidding Christians from things like swearing to tell the truth in court? To understand what Jesus is prohibiting and how to apply it in our lives we must take a closer look at this passage.”

When the Apostle Paul Called Out Two Women in Church

Trevin Wax: “Whatever the disagreement was about, it must not have been a major doctrinal issue. It wasn’t something so serious that it compromised the gospel. What’s happened here is that the intensity of this disagreement is compromising the gospel – not the issue itself. There’s a difference.”

Ask Pastor Charlie – On Congregational Singing

I wish I had thought of this article idea first! Be sure to look to the bottom to see who Pastor Charlie is.

Domesticating Death

Keith Evans wants to make sure we are not domesticating death. “We have essentially taken that which is heinous; that which is abnormal to God’s original design and creation; that which has intruded upon all he has made ‘very good’ and sullied this sphere of life, blessing, and bounty; and we have made that intruder something it is not.”

10 Things You Should Know about Demons and Satan

Graham A. Cole outlines 10 things you should know about demons and Satan.

Yet Not I But Christ Through Me

CCLI has posted to YouTube a couple of excellent acoustic versions of songs by CityAlight. You’ll find “Yet Not I But Christ Through Me” and “Only a Holy God.”

Flashback: Why Christian Kids Leave the Faith

As parents we are to commit ourselves to the task of raising our children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord, to teach them the facts of the faith, to show how it answers our questions and meets our needs, to insist that the good news of the gospel must be personally apprehended.

We need to really hear the law in all its threatening power, and then we will be prepared to flee to Christ for safety. —Michael Horton

There are some solid Kindle deals today from IV Press.

A reminder for those who prefer to listen: Many of my articles go out as an audio blog (i.e. podcast). You can find details here.

(Canadians only: Amazon has finally done a one-day board game sale at their Canadian store.)

There Are No Extraordinary Means

I’ll declare this the article of the day. “When you’re removed from something in this way, removed enough to recognize it as something other and not just swim in it, you probably have a better angle of vision on it than others. And I think one thing that these older Christians saw within ambition was a rule of diminishing return with spiritual side effects. It’s what I’m learning right now in my own life and thinking: There’s always something else.”

Don’t Confuse Spirituality with Righteousness

This is a good warning from R.C. Sproul. “Over the years I’ve had many young Christians ask me how to be more spiritual or more pious. Rare has been the earnest student who said, ‘Teach me how to be righteous.’ Why, I wondered, does anybody want to be spiritual? What is the purpose of spirituality? What use is there in piety?”

The Weird Economics of Apple Upsell

(Note: There are a couple of bad words in this one.) This article explains why people are weird and why Apple offers so many phone options.

“Worthy?”

“Often in our Christian lives when it comes to approaching God’s throne of grace, we see-saw between pride and self-abasement. We come confidently when we’re feeling pretty good about our performance. Or we slink away, guilt ridden and embarrassed to face him when we’ve blown it. Both of these responses reflect  a similar dynamic of self-righteousness—that is, we seek to be right in our own eyes. If we’re successful, we feel worthy. If we’re unsuccessful, we feel unworthy.”

Should Christian Parents Ask for Lobola? (Video)

Pastor Ndaba Mazabane provides an answer that may prove helpful in African churches or other multicultural contexts (like here in Toronto, where this question has come up a number of times).

Mere Complementarianism

Denny Burk does a great job here of getting down to the essence of complementarianism.

Erasing Bad Memories

There is talk recently of new procedures or medications that can help erase memories. Gene Veith reflects on what that might mean.

Flashback: Greatness Awaits

Sony promises that greatness awaits us in their games. But Jesus promises a much better greatness. This greatness comes in being a godly husband or an attentive father or a faithful friend or a humble servant. It comes not by going high, but by going low.

You’ll never celebrate grace as much as you should when you think you’re more righteous than you actually are. —Paul David Tripp

There’s no doubt that the pastor’s calling is unique. It comes with unique blessings and unique challenges. Some of the greatest challenges are related to both preaching and to being a preacher—preaching as the actual task of preparing and delivering a sermon week by week, and being a preacher as the life and character that makes a man worthy of this task. These are the twin subjects of Rick Reed’s new book The Heart of the Preacher.

Reed currently serves as the president of Heritage College and Seminary in nearby Cambridge. Prior to that he was a pastor in both California and Ontario. Both vocations have given him the experience and authority to address this subject. As he begins the book, he explains how his years of preaching launched him on a kind of journey into the heart of the preacher.

I went back to God’s Word for correction and direction; I also listened to wise counsel from seasoned, godly preachers—some I knew personally and others I only knew through their writing.

In this book, I seek to pass along the heart-level lessons God has been teaching me over the past thirty-plus years of preaching. I’ve had the chance to test these findings with other pastors and with students I teach in homiletics courses at Heritage College and Seminary. My heart in writing is to help your heart as a preacher.”

From this tried and experienced position, he has written a book that falls into two parts. In the first, “The Testing of a Preacher’s Heart,” he offers 15 tests that most preachers experience as they proclaim God’s Word. They may not have consciously grappled with each of these things, but as they read them, I expect most will see that they’ve actually faced them at one time or another. Here he deals with the role of ambition, the temptation to unhelpful comparison, the need for necessary comparison, the struggle with laziness, the Monday blues, the fear of failure, the reality of criticism, the problem of disengaged listeners, and so on. Each of these may represent a way the Lord tests the preacher’s heart. “God’s agenda in testing our hearts is not just to expose what’s in them. He already knows that perfectly. His larger purpose goes beyond revealing to refining. He works through the fiery tests that scorch and soften our hearts to reshape us from the inside out. He plans to purify our faith and burnish our character. He molds and makes us into preachers who can better reflect his glory through our lives and preaching.”

In the second part, “The Strengthening of a Pastor’s Heart,” he offers practical guidance on ways pastors can prepare themselves to face these tests as well as others. While pastors cannot avoid all testing, they can prepare themselves to endure it well and benefit from it. Here he looks at the necessity of practicing personal soul care, of a genuine devotion to Word and prayer, of having realistic and appropriate expectations, of remaining focused on expository preaching, of faithfully carrying out the work of an evangelist, of always keeping that first love, and quite a few more. “When we talk about guarding or keeping our hearts, we may only think of playing defense, fending off the temptations that threaten to trip us up or take us down. But keeping our hearts requires more than being reactive; we must also become proactive. We must not only play defense; we need to go on the offense. We must intentionally fortify our hearts, strengthening our souls for the tests that most certainly will come our way.”

While every Christian must carefully guard his heart (see Proverbs 4:23), the preacher must pay extra-close attention to his, for he is called to his task not just because he has the skill to preach but, foremost, because he has the character to be considered an exemplary Christian. In the life and ministry of the pastor, character is king. The Heart of the Preacher is a book that offers both the challenge and the encouragement he needs. I heartily recommend it to any pastor.

This week’s Free Stuff Friday is sponsored by Missional Wear who also sponsored the blog this week.

Missional Wear is your source for amazing and unique gifts this holiday season. Whether you are checking off your list or you are hinting to others what you want to receive, look no further than the 2019 Reformed Gift Guide. These ugly Christmas sweatshirts are very popular this year and are available only for a limited time. Some sizes are already begining to sell out, so go ahead and place your order now! If you win this giveaway you will receive a full refund.

Five winners will be able to choose between either an ugly Christmas sweatshirt or a $50 gift certificate that can be used to purchase anything – including their very popular Theologian Statues.

Enter Here

The format is changing a little this week in order to increase your odds of winning! You will be able to earn extra entries by taking actions such as sharing this giveaway on social media, following our various social media accounts, and even subscribing to my YouTube channel and podcast. You may earn as many entries as you wish! Also, the giveaway will be extended through Monday at noon to allow as many people as possible to participate and share. If you are viewing this through email, click to visit my site and enter there.

Today’s Kindle deals include quite a long list of books that cross all kinds of categories.

(Yesterday on the blog: The Heart of the Preacher)

Gender, Intersectionality, and Critical Theory

If you’re wanting to get caught up on issues related to gender, intersectionality, and critical theory, this article is extremely helpful.

Is It Sinful to Watch Sin on a Screen?

You can probably guess where John Piper goes with his answer. “When we are tired and want to unwind from a good day’s work, we settle in with some series or movie that we hope will be minimally offensive or crass or obscene, and then we’re drawn into a suspenseful or interesting plot. And then scene after scene portrays a God-ignoring, man-exalting, sin-condoning, sex-distorting, marriage-weakening, maleness-mocking, femaleness-trivializing, righteousness-ridiculing, arrogance-admiring worldview. We ordinary, struggling saints, who long for purity of heart and holiness and all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, simply won’t be able not to be entertained by sin and shaped in our minds and hearts by that very entertaining worldview.”

Holding a Grudge Can Make You Sick

This article certainly doesn’t teach a Christian view of forgiveness, but it does share some interesting perspectives on how failing to forgive can bring about extremely negative consequences.

An Honest Abortion Debate

Alexandra DeSanctis responds to a much-discussed article on abortion by Caitlin Flanagan.

How the Bible’s Irony Combats the Prosperity Gospel

“What is irony? Irony is the saying of something or the doing of something that implies its opposite. What is said or done really indicates the reverse of the saying or act. God deals with humans in primarily ironic ways. The Bible is a record of how God has so dealt with humans. There are two kinds of biblical or theological irony. There is retributive irony whereby God punishes people by the very means of their own sin. There is also redemptive irony whereby the faithful appear to be cursed, but as they persevere in faith, they are really in the midst of being blessed.”

11 Levels of Origami (Video)

I found this video on increasing degrees of complexity in origami rather satisfying to watch. It’s always fascinating to me what fascinates others.

How the Crossword Became an American Pastime

Here’s how the crossword puzzle became a favorite American pastime, and why it remains that way.

Flashback: When Was the Last Time You Just Enjoyed Your Money?

There are so many good things we can do with our money. But I think one of the good things we may be prone to miss along the way is just plain enjoying it.

We don’t tend to grow in humility and humanity through our success. Failure can lead us to dependence and trust in our successful and competent God. That is true success. —Ed Welch

From time to time I like to share an example of a Pastoral prayer that was prayed during a Sunday morning service at Grace Fellowship Church. This one comes from pastor Paul Martin and is based loosely on Psalm 27.

***

Promise-keeping, ultra-reliable, fully-engaged God, You are our salvation. You provide nothing but Truth to us.

Who are we supposed to be afraid of if you are ours? We admit we have many enemies. Satan is here. We are not sure how he will attack us, but we know he is in this world and hates us. The world is around us. With all if its selfishness and deception and vainglory tempting us. And our flesh. Oh, our flesh. So much of us is still so drawn to evil. But, even if all three of these enemies and the full complement of wicked demons should rise against us, we will be confident. Because YOU are on our side.

One thing we ask, O God. Let us see more of you. We want cleaner glimpses of the invisible God. We want to spend all of our days gazing upon your beauty and meditating on your ways.

But these enemies distract, discourage and even defeat us. O Lord, hide us in the day of trouble. Place us high upon the rock. Conceal us in your tent. Lift up our heads in the midst of the battle so that we all start singing and shouting for joy, “Our God is our Saviour forever and ever!”

Lord, you command us to seek your face. So here we are, Father, seeking your face. Do not hide your face from us — you told us to come. Do not reject us — where else could we go? Do not forsake us — you are our Father! Everyone else in this life has failed us. Even our best friends have let us down. But you will always take us in. So, Lord, teach us your ways.

Give us, as the members of this church, deep unity in the midst of this spiritual war. Grant us a deepening love and one mind as we meet together at our Members’ Meeting next Sunday.

Do not let our adversaries slow down the advance of your gospel in our province. Not only do we ask you to save Premier Doug Ford, but we pray that you would direct him to lead his government to legislate in a way that allows Gospel-preaching freedom and the ability to lead a peaceful and quiet life.

Give us faith that we will see you work even in our day. Like you already have in churches like West Toronto Baptist. We thank you for your grace to those dear saints. We praise you for the way you have used Pastor Justin to preach the Word and shepherd the flock there. Keep using him, Lord and bless that church.

O God, help us to wait for you. To be strong and courageous in our spiritual battle. To stand our ground in our day and to wait. Then, come quickly, Lord Jesus.

Now we ask you to feed us from your Word. Replenish our spiritual supply so we can fight with faith until the day you come back.

Amen.

Matthias Media, everyone’s favorite Australian Christian publisher, came through with a batch of solid Kindle deals today.

The Worst Time to Plant a Church

This is the neat story of The Falls Church Anglican. “The crisis hit The Episcopal Church in 2003, The Falls Church responded by planting a church among the poor in Washington, D.C. When The Falls Church left The Episcopal Church in 2006 and was sued, they responded by . . . planting another church. Millions of dollars were drained away in litigation before they received a first-round victory in court. Their response . . . was to plant two more churches.”

Beware of Your Mother’s Doilies

This is a question worth asking. “The grand but highly life-disrupting commands of Jesus inspire us in our 20s, but somehow by our 30s and 40s the cost of those commands makes us want to sink into a comfortable armchair and conjure up other less-costly paths of obedience. How does a 22-year-old so passionate about reaching the nations morph into a 48-year-old who cannot imagine living abroad for the King?”

What if the Light at the End of the Tunnel is Just More Tunnel?

“But what if that light at the end of the tunnel is…just more tunnel, or a light shrouded in a veil, or not a light at all. What if the grief never ends? The sense of loss follows you. How do you thank God then?”

The Power of Words

“Each day, you and your spouse decide how you will talk to each other. Will you build each other up with your words, or tear each other down? How will you speak to each other in public, and in private? What words will you use as you work through conflict?”

When There Are No More Volunteers

This is worth considering, and not just in America. “A live and pressing question we face as Americans is this: Will younger citizens be prepared, not to mention willing, to step in and maintain so many of the things we take for granted as Americans who rely on volunteers?”

What the Fight Over Scooters Has in Common With the 19th-Century Battle Over Bicycles

History is strangely cyclical. “The two-wheelers revolutionized personal transport—and led to surprising societal changes.”

Not Just Me and My Bible

“There is profound danger in being disconnected from Christian tradition. Prosperity preaching, bizarre personality cults, rigorous legalism, and freewheeling libertinism are all poisons passed along to unsuspecting Christians in part because of biblical preparation that has abandoned the wisdom of the ancients.”

Flashback: Oh, How I Love the Law!

Do we love the law of God like David did? Do we treasure it as he treasured it? Do we meditate upon it and internalize it and live in light of it as he did? David loved the law of God because he loved the God of the law. Do we?

Right now you might have a line that’s off-limits. If you let sexual sin do its thing, tomorrow you will be closer to that line—and eventually you’ll need to create a new line that’s further away. —Benjamin Vrbicek

It is inevitable that pastors and other church leaders will face criticism. Some critics will be well-intentioned while others will be bent on destruction; some will be attempting to do the right thing (even if in a ham-fisted way) while others will be attempting to wreak havoc. Yet the prideful and troubling temptation can be to treat them all the same. In his book The Heart of the Preacher, Rick Reed lists four common critics and offers appropriate and constructive ways to respond to each of them.

Anonymous critics shoot from the shadows. They place unsigned notes in the offering plate or send letters with no signature or return address. (What to do about them: “If someone is unwilling to own up to his or her critique, I don’t feel obligated to give it much weight. In fact, a scathing, unsigned letter may best remain unread. Another option involves giving the letter to an ally to read. This allows someone you trust to filter the criticism and distill any valid comments.)

Analysts don’t see themselves as critical, just concerned about accuracy. They delight in pointing out areas where a preacher misspoke. They rush up right after the sermon to tell the preacher he gave the wrong month for the moon landing in his opening illustration. Analysts are picky about particulars and tactless in their timing. (What to do about them: I’ve found analysts are normally harmless and genuinely want to help. What they say often has validity; however, their comments can also be relatively unimportant and poorly timed. If their input comes infrequently, pastoral wisdom calls us to graciously hear what they have to say, thank them, and move on. However, if they start making comments on a regular basis, set gracious but firm boundaries.)

Antagonists mean to be critical. For reasons we may or may not know, they’ve become hard and cynical toward us. They no longer give us the benefit of the doubt. They interpret our words in the worst possible way. If they listen closely to our sermons, it’s only to look for ammunition to fire back at us. These folks can break our hearts and boil our blood—at the same time. (What to do about them: When dealing with antagonists, don’t try to go it alone. Alert other leaders to the situation and ask for help. One of the reasons God designed the church to be led by a group of elders was to guard against “fierce wolves” (Acts 20:28-29). Elders and wise allies can help determine how to best respond to antagonists—seeking resolution while providing protection.)

Allies remain on our side even when they get on our case. Their words can hurt but they never mean to be hurtful. Proverbs 27:6 speaks about allies when it says, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy.” If married, your spouse should be your closest ally. (What to do about them: When an ally speaks a word of correction, listen closely and respond gratefully. Wise pastors identify allies in the congregation and invite them to offer constructive feedback on their preaching and other aspects of their pastoral ministry.)

We must always remember the simple but profound wisdom of Proverbs: “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” (Proverbs 15:1).

This week the blog is sponsored by Heritage College & Seminary and the post is written by Dr. Stephen Yuille, Vice President of Academics and Academic Dean of the College.

It’s my joy and privilege to serve at Heritage College & Seminary in Canada. In my role, I get asked lots of questions—inside and outside the classroom. Among them are some good ones and not so good ones, some interesting ones and not so interesting ones. But recently I was asked a question that gave me pause. What is your number one desire for students at Heritage? I quickly said something about cultivating an unshakeable conviction concerning the authority of Scripture, the sufficiency of Christ, and the centrality of the gospel, and followed it up with some remark about training men and women for life and ministry. But I wasn’t very satisfied with my answer, and I’ve since given it some thought. Here’s where I’ve landed: My number one desire for students at Heritage is that they might know the blessed God. That’s it.

We live in a world that’s unable to meet our deepest longing. It offers innumerable gizmos and gadgets and other mind-numbing distractions. It offers extreme sports, virtual reality, and reality TV. It offers amusements upon amusements. Accompanying all of these offers are promises of happiness, but the world fails to deliver on its promises. Why? God “has put eternity into man’s heart” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). We know there’s more to this life than the material, temporal, and trivial. For most people, however, their perception of life never extends beyond their immediate pursuit of earthly comforts. No truth grips them; no cause inspires them, and no purpose motivates them. Their life is one prolonged yawn. Consciously or not, they’ve fallen prey to Macbeth’s delusion: “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player, that struts and frets his hour upon the stage, and then is heard no more; it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”i

In a word, blessedness proves elusive for most people because they don’t know where it’s found. They equate it with externals such as possessions, experiences, or relationships. But here’s what escapes them: blessedness isn’t found in changing conditions and circumstances but in an unchanging God. As the psalmist declares, “Blessed are you, O LORD” (Psalm 119:12). God is His own blessedness because He’s sufficient and satisfied in Himself. Does He need us? Does He gain anything from us? No. Our effect upon God is that of a snowball hurled at the blazing sun.

But here’s the wonder of wonders: although God is sufficient and satisfied in Himself, and stands in no need of us, He willingly imparts His blessedness to us, making us happy in the enjoyment of Him. This is the sum and substance of all the promises: “I will be their God, and they shall be my people” (Jeremiah 31:33). We find in Him all we could ever want. He’s the dearest love, surest friend, highest honour, greatest beauty, and fullest joy. He’s omnipotent in His power, unsearchable in His wisdom and inconceivable in His grace. Our knowledge of this blessed God diffuses into our soul a satisfying peace in this life and a tantalizing taste of what awaits us in glory.

At one point in The Silver Chair, C. S. Lewis describes Jill, parched with thirst, walking in a forest. She hears the bubbling of a stream. As she draws near, she sees a terrifying lion, standing between her and the stream. At that moment, Jill is arrested by holiness. She starts to back away, but the lion beckons her to come forward: “If you’re thirsty, come and drink.” Jill is very thirsty, but the lion is too terrifying. “I dare not come and drink,” she whispers. The lion declares, “Then you will die of thirst.” Jill replies, “I suppose I will go and look for another stream.” To her shock, the lion declares, “There is no other stream!”ii

God alone is blessedness, and this is what Christ has purchased for us. “For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18). When we come to this blessed God through Christ, He becomes ours. His power is ours to protect us; His wisdom to direct us; His mercy to pity us; His grace to pardon us; His love to refresh us; His joy to satisfy us.

“Blessed are the people whose God is the lord” (Psalm 144:15). I can’t think of a greater aim for a Christian college or seminary than seeking to cultivate the knowledge of this God. As a matter of fact, I can’t think of a greater aim for the church. As the catechism expressed it so well centuries ago: “What is man’s chief end? Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”iii

Located in Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, Heritage College & Seminary is devoted to producing a deep knowledge of God for the good of the church and the spread of the gospel from coast to coast to coast in Canada and around the world. To learn more about Heritage or to apply to the college or seminary for Fall 2020 – visit DiscoverHeritage.ca.