Guilt Is a Chauffeur - Erik Raymond says that guilt is a chariot meant to drive you to the cross.

My First Arrest - Some of my favorite blogs are those that are written from the mission field. I enjoyed reading this article from a missionary serving in Togo. It describes his first, and hopefully his last, arrest.

Don’t Blame Wayne - “Wayne Dobson doesn’t have your cellphone. Even if it looks like he might. In the past two years the 59-year-old retiree has been pestered by people showing up at all hours of the day and night at his house, demanding their phones. They’ve yelled, shown him evidence, called the police - sworn that their phone is in his house.”

The Rise of Reformed Theology Among African Americans - “Reformed theology is nothing new. So why do more African Americans seem to be adopting it now?” Jemar Tisby offers 5 factors that have contributed.

Blogging Etiquette - This is a worthwhile read for anyone who runs a blog or anyone who comments on one.

Interview with Rosaria Butterfield - Marvin Olasky recently interviewed Rosaria Butterfield, author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert.

If you are idle in Christ’s work, you are active in the devil’s work. —C.H. Spurgeon

John Stott’s Peace Offering - This is a great little story from the life of John Stott. It begins like this: “‘Fie upon you, IVP.’ I’m still shocked, fifteen years later, that John Stott uttered these words at our office gathering during an event in which we honored him in 1998 for fifty years of publishing with us.”

How Do We Know If God Is Disciplining Us? - D.A. Carson takes on this question: “Of course God is sovereign over all things—but when bad things happen to Christians, should these happenings be seen as God’s discipline, or God’s sovereign use of evil for our good, or results of sin and the Fall, or all of the above?”

What a Pastor’s Wife Tells Her - This is quite an important article, I think. “While pastors and their wives are wrestling with the issue of how much and which confidential information to share with one another, the general public is shocked … shocked to find that we share anything.”

Jonah and Which God? - Jamsco provides rather a humorous and imaginative take on one part of the story of Jonah.

Tell the Truth - Westminster Books has some good sales on right now, including Tell the Truth, a book Mark Dever says may well be the single best book on evangelism he’s read. The new book by Piper is also on sale.

Children Teach Themselves - “With 100 million first-grade-aged children worldwide having no access to schooling, the One Laptop Per Child organization is trying something new in two remote Ethiopian villages--simply dropping off tablet computers with preloaded programs and seeing what happens.” The results are amazing.

Those who teach by their doctrine must teach by their life, or else they pull down with one hand what they build up with the other. —Matthew Henry

Tim Tebow’s Life Is a Tragedy - This is an interesting take on Tebow. “Everyone's life is a story, especially the lives of celebrities. But the way our stories get told is often what distinguishes us common folk from celebrities, mostly because celebrities have the media following them around creating a narrative, or drama, that always takes a predictable path.” He argues that Tebow’s life is a tragedy, fabricated by the media.

Adam and Eve and Pinch Me - Carl Trueman looks at the difference between Al Mohler and Tim Keller when it comes to evolution and wonders aloud why it is that many of the leaders of the new Calvinism are making complementarianism a major issue and evolution a minor one. It makes for a good and thought-provoking read.

The Plain Preaching of the Gospel - Justin Taylor shares a great quote from Charles Spurgeon as he argued that the plain preaching of the gospel was (and still is!) sufficient to grow the church.

Why Conservatives Should End the Debt Ceiling Debate - Dr. Mohler’s article on the debt ceiling is worth reading even if you read only long enough to see what he says about it being a “pseudo-event.”

Why We Need Plumbers—and Pastors - You can probably identify with this: “Growing up I knew I could serve God in whatever profession I chose. Providing, of course, I chose to be either a missionary or a pastor. … Sure, a wealthy executive or doctor who lived faithfully for Christ might achieve a modicum of respect in church circles. But spiritually speaking, they were ‘walking wallets,’ useful for funding ministry--the real work of the Lord.”

Believing right doctrine will no more save you than doing good works will save you. —C.H. Spurgeon

Crossway has quite a list of new Kindle deals you may want to look at. What Is the Mission of the Church? by Kevin DeYoung and Greg Gilbert ($3.99); Word vs Deed by Duane Liftin ($3.99); Biblical Theology in the Life of the Church by Michael Lawrence ($3.99); Bryan Liftin’s trilogy of novels: The Sword, The Gift and The Kingdom ($3.99 each); Sex, Dating and Relationships by Hiestand and Thomas ($3.99); Work Matters by Tom Nelson ($3.99); The Liberal Arts by Gene Fant ($2.99); Community by Brad House ($3.99).

And here are a couple more from other publishers: Alistair Begg’s Lasting Love is just $0.99 while Hello, I Love You and The Reason for Sports, both by Ted Kluck, are $1.99. Finally, GLH Publishing has just compiled The Essential Works of Richard Baxter and marked it at $0.99.

Turning It Up to 11 - Here is a good reflection on always looking for those spiritual mountaintop experiences. “Though the Bible is the very history of the ups and downs of God's people, God's people go on thinking themselves immune, and that something is terribly wrong if their passion and joy today is not at the same fever pitch it was on the day they came to faith.”

Cleaning Urine and Praising God - I always benefit from reading Greg’s descriptions of life with a severely disabled child. Here he writes about how he just needs to measure progress differently from most parents.

5 Promises for Reading and Prayer - Steve Fuller outlines five promises that pertain to your Bible reading and prayer.

Andy Stanely and Tim Keller - Trevin Wax does some interesting analysis on books by Andy Stanley and Tim Keller to see what they believe about reaching unbelievers through preaching. You don’t have to agree with it all in order to benefit from reading the article.

Don’t Burn Your Books - I’m not sure that I agree with Nicholas Carr here, but I’d like to. “The e-book had its moment, but sales are slowing. Readers still want to turn those crisp, bound pages”

3801 Lancaster - 3801 Lancaster is a short, powerful documentary you can (and should!) watch for free online. “Through interviews with victims, reporters, neighbors, and footage of Philadelphia District Attorney R. Seth William’s testimony before the Pennsylvania Senate, the film tells the tragic story of Dr. Gosnell, his clinic, the women and children he killed, and the state oversight agencies that turned a blind eye for over twenty years. ”

All the heresies which have arisen in the Christian Church have had a decided tendency to dishonor God and to flatter man. —C.H. Spurgeon

On Louie Giglio - Bob Kelleman has rounded up some of the best and most interesting articles on the Louie Giglio situation. I’ve already linked to a couple of them, but Bob managed to get together a few others that look at it from different angles.

Holiness Day by Day - Holiness Day By Day, a daily devotional from Jerry Bridges, has been marked down to just $1.99 for the Kindle edition.

You Can Never Ask Too Much - John Piper looks at Matthew 7 and offers encouragement for prayer. “This has proved, in my experience, to be one of the most motivating passages in all the Bible to pray with the confidence of being answered.”

National Geographic Photo Contest - There are some stunning photos in National Geographic’s photo contest. A lot of them can be downloaded as wallpapers for your computer or other device.

Not Reading in 2013 - Here’s an interesting take on a new year’s resolution. “Instead of adding things like diet, exercise, and reading, I am cutting stuff out. The most life changing, for me, will be reading. I have decided that in 2013, I will not read any new books. Crazy, right? I know, like most resolutions, I will probably fail at this sometime mid-February but my motivation is centered around changing my personal attitude through an attempt at reading less.”

Bestselling Books of 2012 - This is amazing, and kind of depressing. “Half of the top 20 bestselling books of 2012 in print were either Fifty Shades titles or Hunger Games titles, and only one book not written by E.L. James or Suzanne Collins--Jeff Kinney's latest Wimpy Kid title--cracked the one-million-copies-sold mark for the year, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks 75%-80% of print sales.”

You’ll Find Your Way - Be sure to check out the video for Andrew Peterson’s song “You’ll Find Your Way.” Especially if you’re a dad. (HT)

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

You may have heard that Louie Giglio was invited to pray at the presidential inauguration but then had that invitation retracted when it was discovered that he holds a biblical view of homosexuality. This caused many reactions in the blogosphere. Among the best are Al Mohler’s and Russell Moore’s.

Kindle users may be interested in two books that look at spiritual leadership: D.L. Moody on Spiritual Leadership and C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership.

Why I Changed My Mind About the Millennium - Sam Storms explains how he came to change his view on the end times. “My departure from premillennialism and embrace of amillennialism was gradual and came as a result of two discoveries as I studied Scripture.”

Planting in a Deprived Area - Mez McConnell answers this question: “Can I Plant A Church In A Deprived Area Even If I Don't Come From That Background?” He answers with a resounded “yes.”

Psalm-Sung Galaxy - Iain Campbell writes about one way that technology may be infringing upon the pulpit.

National Debt - Randy Alcorn writes about the national debt, beginning this way: “I have pointed out before that one thing Republican and Democratic administrations have in common is their apparent unwillingness to do what it takes to balance our budget.” Ain’t that the truth!

Credo Magazine - There is a new (free) issue of Credo Magazine available for your reading pleasure.

Bible Reading Plan for Kids - David Murray has packaged up his excellent Bible reading plans for kids so it’s easy to download, print, and use for your children. I want to see a publisher pick this up.

The measure of our love for others can largely be determined by the frequency and earnestness of our prayers for them. —A.W. Pink

333,964 - I felt sick to my stomach when I read that number. “That's the figure proudly released by Planned Parenthood Federation of America in their report delineating how many abortions they performed in fiscal 2011. Doing some simple math reveals that the number of abortions performed equates to one abortion every 94 seconds.” Meanwhile, TIME writes “Growing evidence suggests that in countries like India and China, where the ratio of men to women is unnaturally high due to the selective abortion of female fetuses and neglect of girl children, the rates of violence towards women increase.”

Husbands: Get a Part-Time Job - “There. That's it. Husbands, if you want to save or strengthen your marriage, get a part-time job. I should say right off the bat that I am not talking about a literal job that will pull you away from the home for more hours.” It’s worth reading the article to see what he is referring to.

Dirty-Minded Men - The title of this post just about says it all: “Men Like to Look At Naked Girls On The Internet. Here's Why They Should Stop That.”

Ashamed of the Gospel - Cornell writes about a situation in his life that every Christian can (unfortunately) identify with—being ashamed of the gospel. The article made me reflect on the Savior who loves and forgives us even when we are ashamed of him.

Meditations on Friendship - I really enjoyed this meditation on C.S. Lewis and friendship. “The walks and the ongoing discussions by C.S. Lewis and his friends were instrumental in making him the man that he was and that we honor today.  His thinking and his conversion were not developed in isolation but were cultivated in the warmness of lively conversation. Part of the greatness of C.S. Lewis is found in the fact that he had friends to walk with.”

Why Are Weather Forecasts Wrong So Often? - You know you’ve wondered why weather forecasts are so often so wrong. This article explains why it is so difficult to get it right.

Pride wants to earn divine acceptance; humility simply believes it. —Bob LaForge

There are lots of book and ebook deals to tell you about. The Kindle version of Michael Horton’s book Christless Christianity is down to $2.99 for a limited time. Meanwhile, Crossway has all of their ebooks on sale for $5.99 or less. Also, Westminster Books has discounted their 2012 bestsellers by 50%. Finally, Granted Ministries is selling 10-packs of Paul Washer’s new book The Gospel’s Power and Message for just $80, which is 60% off retail pricing.

A Hundredfold - This is a powerful article on the struggle with homosexuality. “Homosexuality is an issue I have battled with my entire Christian life. It took a long time to admit to myself, longer to admit to others, and even longer to see something of God's good purposes through it all.” (HT)

What Is Heaven Like? - I appreciated reading Ed Welch’s thoughts on what heaven is like, and his growing understanding and appreciation of what awaits him there.

The Wimpy Kid - Parents of pre-teens may be interested in reading Redeemed Reader’s take on Diary of a Wimpy Kid and its growing number of imitators.

The Key to a Strong Marriage - Owen Strachan: “Every marriage is under attack. Marriage is given to humanity by God as, ultimately, an expression and picture of his love for his people. Satan, the anti-aesthete and anti-tutor, wants to tear this living image down. There is much to work on in marriage, but it strikes me that there is a single key that unlocks the door to health: humble repentance.”

What Thieves Cannot Break Through and Steal - “Last Wednesday, the third day of this year, I was working at my desk at school when Christie called me on my cell. She said a jumble of things [in my mind] but also something close to, ‘some men just came into our house...they put a gun to Karsten's head....and put him in the closet.’”

Landscapes - This is just phenomenal timelapse photography. Treat yourself to this four-minute film (full-screen and HD if you can!).

It is difficult to see how Christianity can have a positive effect on society if it cannot transform its own homes. —John MacArthur

Feminism Gone Wrong - Denny Burk shares a sad tale of feminism gone wrong and applies some of the lessons learned. “There is a price to pay when one trades her birthright for a mess of pottage. The trap of feminism is that so few modern people can see it for the mess of pottage that it is. Even Wurtzel misses it, though she feels deeply the pain of it.”

Preaching the Gospel from Every Part of the Bible - This is an excellent article on how every part of the Bible can be used to preach the gospel.

Women of Grace - If you are within striking distance of Toronto, you may be interested in knowing about the Women of Grace conference my church is hosting this April. We’ll feature Mary Kassian and Linda Baartse as keynote speakers. Earlybird registration lasts until the end of January.

Famine in the Land is Steve Lawson’s passionate call for expository preaching. The Kindle edition has been marked down to $1.99.

Genocide in Shades of Pink - “What if every female in America suddenly disappeared? It would feel a lot like Asia, where sex-selective abortion has taken 163 million girls. How the gospel is slowly turning the tide on the quiet holocaust.”

Grudem on Bourne - Andy Naselli shares Wayne Grudem’s take on the Jason Bourne series of movies.

CBMW Announces New Executive Director - This is great news for the Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood. “The Council on Biblical Manhood & Womanhood is delighted to announce today that Professor Owen Strachan (pronounced: "Stran") has accepted the position of the Executive Director of CBMW. Strachan, 31, succeeds Dr. Randy Stinson in this important role.”

Has this world been so kind to you that you should leave it with regret?  There are better things ahead than any we leave behind. —C.S. Lewis

The Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer - Baker Books has put the Kindle version of The Complete Works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer on sale at just $2.99. That includes eight volumes exploring prayer from different angles. Other current Kindle deals: Abortion by R.C. Sproul (free); The Law of Perfect Freedom by Michael Horton ($0.99); Pastoring the Pastor by Cooper and Gardiner ($2.99); Ten Boys Who Didn't Give In, Ten Girls Who Used Their Talents, Ten Girls Who Made a Difference and the other books in the series ($2.99); Wednesdays were Pretty Normal by Michael Kelley ($2.99).

Life’s Interruptions - Trevin Wax says that life’s interruptions are divine opportunities. “If you like to be in control of your circumstances, then you know what interruptions are like. They're frustrating. They get in the way of your plan. They need to be avoided or discarded or dealt with as soon as possible so you can get back to being in control, right? Wrong.”

The Art of Pickpocketing - This is an amazing video as a master of pickpocketing shows just how easy it is. Front pocket, back pocket, it doesn’t matter. And, while we’re on a devious subject matter, here’s another video to watch: How to cheat so it looks like you’re solving a Rubic’s Cube. This is the kind of help I need.

Finding the Middle Ground - “In the world of media, two things sell well: good stories and extreme viewpoints. It makes sense that good stories sell, but why are extreme and polarizing stances so popular? Why do the most divisive voices garner the most attention? There is something about bombast and bluster that draw people like moths to a flame--and often with the same results.”

Why Are Things Cute? - Not surprisingly, science has an answer as to why we find things cute, and it’s actually rather interesting.

The Redemptive Power of the Gospel - Randy Alcorn gives an update on Steve Saint who, last year, was badly injured in an accident. (Note, I think he meant to link to this video).

Do not have your concert first and tune your instruments afterward.  Begin the day with God. —Hudson Taylor