Weekend A La Carte (4/14)

Fixing the TSA [2] - “Air travel would be safer if we allowed knives, lighters and liquids and focused on disrupting new terror plots. A former head of the Transportation Security Administration, Kip Hawley, on embracing risk.”

Represent! [3] - “What an awesome thought - Christ represents us in heaven! The perfect, spotless, Lamb of God pleads his own blood and righteousness on our behalf at the Father's right hand. He's the perfect representative! He doesn't forget a single need. He never takes a break. He knows exactly what it's like for us. He knows just what to say and ask for on our behalf. What's amazing is that he chooses us to represent him on earth.”

Universalism, Pastors and People [4] - “We released some new research yesterday at LifeWay Research showing 84% of Protestant pastors disagree that eternal life can be obtained through religions other than Christianity. That view is generally called “universalism” or “pluralism.” So, based on this data, Protestant pastors are overwhelmingly not universalists. However, the same cannot be said of their church members.”

Pray for Jerry Bridges [5] - From Desiring God: Jerry Bridges is recovering from a serious, scheduled surgery. You can read an update at the link.

31 Days [6] - Here’s a helpful resource from Frontline Missions: “This prayer calendar, which focuses on many countries known for having the worst persecution and the least Gospel light, is now available for download. Use this calendar as a resource for your daily prayer time--and share it with others.”

I Met a Celebrity Pastor [7] - David Murray: “I met a "celebrity" pastor at T4G yesterday. I can confidently report that he was normal. In fact, he was more normal than many "normal" pastors I've met. He was warm, friendly, engaged in our conversation, didn't try to get away after the initial pleasantries, and wasn't continually looking over my shoulder for someone more interesting or important to talk to. And I have to say that most of the well-known pastors and preachers I've met have been similar.”

Your Children Want You [8] - This blog post went viral last week and, having read it, I can see why. Though it’s from a secular blog, it touches nicely on some important themes.

We often talk of unbelief as if it were an affliction to be pitied instead of a crime to be condemned. —C.H. Spurgeon