Censorious or Pastoral? - “In 1932 Martyn Lloyd-Jones spent the summer preaching in Toronto.  One day he had lunch with T. T. Shields, a prominent pastor in town known for his public critique of theological liberalism.  At one point Shields asked Lloyd-Jones if he read a certain author who shared that passion.” This led to a fascinating exchange.

A Statement on C.J. Mahaney - Al Mohler, Mark Dever and Ligon Duncan have released a statement on C.J. Mahaney and the lawsuits against SGM. “We have stood beside our friend, C. J. Mahaney, and we can speak to his personal integrity. We can make no judgment as to the truthfulness of the horrifying charges of sexual abuse made against some individuals who have been connected, in some way, to Sovereign Grace Ministries and its churches.” (Fixed to add updated link)

$5 Friday - This week’s $5 Friday at Ligonier includes some good items including the audio edition of The Valley of Vision (read by Max McLean). 

When Love Leads - This is a powerful testimony of God’s grace in a marriage. “He can restore what’s broken. He can bring healing to a situation that seems hopeless.”

Moore Prayers - Mike Horton (hang on, when did he become “Mike” instead of “Michael”?) on the Oklahoma tornadoes: “The choice is between placing our confidence in a God who is both good and sovereign despite the moral and natural evils--even when we don't have all the answers, and giving up on any transcendent meaning for love as well as suffering.”

Surviving an Elephant Charge - You may think you don’t need to know how to survive an elephant charge, but some day you’ll thank me for including this link. While we’re on the subject of nature, check out this slow-motion shrimp attack. “Despite its size the pistol shrimp packs a serious punch. One mighty claw shuts so fast it rips apart water, making a stunning implosion and one of the loudest noises in the ocean.”

A fool soon makes up his mind, because there is so very little of it; but a wise man waits and considers. —C.H. Spurgeon

The Big Picture - The Big Picture has a gallery of photos of the devastation in Oklahoma. Also, these before and after pictures are startling and display the power of the storm.

Modern Parables 2 - I have often expressed my appreciation for the Modern Parables series of films. Well, they are now using Kickstarter to try to fund a second series of films. Check it out and consider being part of it! (And if you’ve never checked out the first series, you should.)

The Sensuous Christian - Here’s a quote from R.C. Sproul. It tells about a book he’s almost written several times.

The Case for Man/Woman Marriage - This is a great little video that gives a case for maintaining marriage as a relationship between a man and a woman. If there’s a problem with it, it’s simply that this is an issue won and lost on the emotional, not the logical, level.

King Solomon’s Commencement Address - I read yesterday that not one of the Ivy League schools has a conservative giving the commencement address this year. Well, maybe they should have asked King Solomon. Joe Carter speculates on what Solomon would tell them.

50 Common Misquotations - Here are 50 common misquotations you should stop using.

It must not content us to take our bodies to church if we leave our hearts at home. —J.C. Ryle

Ligonier Ministries has announced that R.C. Sproul’s Crucial Questions series will now be free for Kindle and other e-readers. So have at it! Can I Be Sure I'm Saved?; Can I Have Joy in My Life?; Can I Know God's Will?; Can I Trust the Bible?; Does God Control Everything?; Does Prayer Change Things?; How Should I Live in this World?; What Can I Do with My Guilt?; What Does It Mean to be Born Again?; What Is Baptism?; What Is Faith?; What Is the Trinity?; Who Is Jesus?; Who Is the Holy Spirit?

Pope Francis and the Re-Marianization of the Papacy - “Benedict XVI has been portrayed as a less Marian Pope, although he has always prayed to Mary on a daily basis and has included many Marian elements in all his work. After a short recess, Mary is once again a prominent figure with Pope Francis. His pontificate seems to be significantly shaped by Marian theology and veneration.”

All I Owe - In honor of Robert Murray M’Cheyne’s 200th birthday, Matthew Smith is giving away the hymn “All I Owe” (lyrics by M’Cheyne). It’s a today-only kind of download, so don’t wait too long.

Matthew 5:17 - “The freedom of the Christian is not freedom from the law, but freedom to live out the good life that the law constantly points us to. This end or purpose, for which the law was always intended, and to which it pointed, is the fulfilment that Jesus has come to bring--a fulfilment in which God's people have the law written by the Spirit on their hearts, so that they perceive and love the goodness that the Old Testament law embodies and foreshadows, and long to practise it.”

An Adoption Story - This is a sweet video.

Parents, Do You Think Before You Post? - There is wisdom and a challenge in this article. “Most discussions of children and online protocol center on privacy settings and password safety for school-age children, but my concern starts earlier. Are we parents protecting and preserving the future privacy wishes and best interests of our small children in our own online posting choices?”

What Our Words Tell Us - “About two years ago, the folks at Google released a database of 5.2 million books published between 1500 and 2008. You can type a search word into the database and find out how frequently different words were used at different epochs.” The results tell us about ourselves.

True greatness, true leadership, is found in giving yourself in service to others, not in coaxing or inducing others to serve you. —Oswald Sanders

The Goodness of God and the Reality of Evil - Dr. Mohler reflects on the tornado in Oklahoma: “Every thoughtful person must deal with the problem of evil. Evil acts and tragic events come to us all in this vale of tears known as human life. The problem of evil and suffering is undoubtedly the greatest theological challenge we face.”

The Mystery of Suffering and Sovereignty - Sam Storms, who pastors in Oklahoma City, also reflects on the tragedy.

Christian Adoption - John Piper responds to some recent criticisms of evangelical adoptions with a series of disavowals and affirmations.

14 Ways to Use the Bible - Here is a list of 14 ways to use the Bible.

Complaining to God - R.C. Sproul provides an answer to this question: “Is it Ever Legitimate to Complain to God or to Express Anger to God?”

Sanctification by Time Travel - “The Bible encourages us to spiritual time travel. The believer uses faith to transport herself into the future, a spiritual experience that has significant sanctifying impact on the present (2 Peter 3:11). And in Romans 6, the believer uses faith to transport himself back in time, again with significant present impact.”

The saints are chastened and the sinners are enriched: this is no small trial of faith. —C.H. Spurgeon

Here are the best of the current Kindle deals: Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell ($1.99); the Trailblazers series (biographies for teens) is on sale for just $2.99 each: Helen Roseveare: On His Majesty’s Service, George Whitefield: The Voice that Woke the World, David Brainerd: A Love for the Lost, John Newton: A Slave Set Free, and Joni Eareckson Tada: Swimming Against The Tide. Bruce Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language ($4.99); Luke - Acts in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary set ($7.59); John - Acts in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary ($7.59). The Art of Neighboring by Jay Pathak, Dave Runyon ($4.99); The Holman Bible Atlas ($4.99) and The Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical History ($4.99).

Why Have Babies? - Candice Watters offers a really helpful take on this question: Why have babies? “You may think your reasons for having babies are biblical, but if you’re like me, you’ve absorbed a lot more culture and a lot less Bible than you realize.”

Aiming at Heaven - A missionary seems particularly able to speak to this subject: “If there is one thing this life has taught me, it’s that I must hold loosely to everything. Everything. I can’t put down roots anywhere; I will never find stability.”

An Act of War - Going to church is an act of war. Here’s why.

The Personal Purgatory of Kevin Tunell - “In the early hours of Friday, January 1, 1982 the seventeen year-old Kevin Tunell made the biggest mistake of his life. At a New Year's party near Washington DC, he got very drunk; his friends urged him not to drive but he insisted, ‘Nothing will ever happen to me’.” A tragic and strange story unfolds.

A Biblical and Scientific Adam - “As the battle between Darwinism and the Bible rages, some evangelicals have backed away from maintaining that Adam and Eve were real, historical individuals created in the way Genesis 2 relates.” Vern Poythress recently wrote a long article explaining why such a surrender is wrong biblically and scientifically.

If God should have no more mercy on us than we have charity to one another, what would become of us? —Thomas Fuller

The Kindle edition of one of my favorite books on prayer is on sale for just $1.99: Praying Backwards by Bryan Chapell. Christian Focus has several of their Trailblazers series on sale for just $2.99 each. These are biographies targeted at young teens. Helen Roseveare: On His Majesty’s Service, George Whitefield: The Voice that Woke the World, David Brainerd: A Love for the Lost, John Newton: A Slave Set Free, and Joni Eareckson Tada: Swimming Against The Tide. Remember as well that Bruce Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language is $4.99.

Explore the World - Here’s a fascinating way to pass a few minutes. Using Google Map’s street view, you get dropped somewhere in the world and have to try to guess where you are.

Embarrassing Moments in Ministry - I haven’t been in ministry long enough to have a collection of embarrassing moments like these. Here’s hoping I avoid the worst of them!

Too Important to Outsource - There are many things in life we can outsource, but some are just too important and we have to do them ourselves. This article talks about the importance of parents discipling their own children.

Prepare Children for Times of Doubt - In a similar vein, C Michael Patton writes about how to prepare your children for times of doubt.

The Course of Christian History - Gospel Coalition asked four church historians this question: “After AD 70, what day most changed the course of Christian history?”

Working on a Sermon Saturday Night - There is some wise counsel for pastors in this article. “Many of the pastors that I interact with are frustrated that they are working on their sermons well into the weekend. If this is you consider applying the following principles to help you recapture your Saturdays.” Now, to go work on my sermon a bit…

The custom of sinning takes away the sense of it, the course of the world takes away the shame of it. —John Owen

There are a few new Kindle deals for you: Which Bible Translation Should I Use? by Andreas Kostenberger ($4.74); How We Got the Bible ($3.47); Luke - Acts in the Expositor’s Bible Commentary set ($7.59); John - Acts in the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary ($7.59). The Art of Neighboring, a book I really enjoyed, is $4.99.

Daily Slogging - Ray Ortlund with a great blog post: “I am not impressed by young pastors who seem too eager to publish books and speak at big events and get noticed.  They are doing the work of the Lord, and that's good.  But what impresses me is my dad's daily slogging, year after year, in the power of the Spirit, with no big-deal-ness as the payoff.”

What’s In a Name? - I wrote a couple of days ago about hearing God speak through his Word. Here’s another article on that very thing.

Legalize Polygamy - It’s just a matter of time. Society’s got no foundation left to battle this: “The definition of marriage is plastic. Just like heterosexual marriage is no better or worse than homosexual marriage, marriage between two consenting adults is not inherently more or less ‘correct’ than marriage among three (or four, or six) consenting adults.”

One Ministry, Two Kingdoms - Here’s a helpful one from Paul Tripp: “It took God employing hardship for me to embrace the inescapable reality that everything I did in ministry was done in allegiance to, and in pursuit of, either the kingdom of self or the kingdom of God.”

$5 Friday - Ligonier’s $5 Friday has a few good items including electronic editions of Anthony Carter’s Blood Work and the print edition of R.C. Sproul’s Abortion.

The Psalms - I grew up singing a lot of the Psalms, often unaccompanied by instruments. So I feel right at home with these recordings (HT Carl Trueman). Also be sure to check out this fascinating video of Gaelic psalms.

Till men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins. —Thomas Brooks

Every morning I sort through mounds of recently discounted Kindle books to find the few that are of interest. Today’s list includes two: The Holman Bible Atlas and The Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical History, both of which are down to $4.99.

How Do Fortune Cookies Get Written? - You’ve probably wondered at one time or another how fortune cookies get written. Now you know. (I have previously suggested some possible connection to Joel Osteen sermons.)

Religious Liberty in America - Denny Burk commends this article on the changing face of religious liberty in America. 

Idle of the Heart - “I continually run into young men who are frustrated at their stage in life in part because of a lack of clarity about their calling, or a lack of opportunity to do what they really want to do.  This frustration leads many to become idle. Inactive if not aimless.”

Apps to Help Share the Gospel - Apps are the new tracts. Here are 5 smartphone or tablet apps that can help you share the gospel.

Original Autographs and Original Texts - Michael Kruger addresses a contemporary challenge to the Bible: “At the core of this challenge is the fact that we only have handwritten copies of these books we treasure. And, in reality, we only have copies of copies of copies. And given that scribes made mistakes, and that the transmission process was imperfect, how can we be sure that these texts have been preserved? How can we be sure we actually have the words of Scripture?”

He who is a stranger to wonder is a stranger to God, for God is wonderful everyway, and everywhere, and everyhow. —C.H. Spurgeon

There are lots of new Kindle deals today. Here are four books by J.I. Packer: Taking God Seriously ($5.99); A Passion for Faithfulness ($4.99); Growing in Christ ($3.99); Affirming the Apostle’s Creed ($2.99). You may also be interested in: James, a 12-week study by Greg Gilbert and part of Crossway’s new “Knowing the Bible” series ($2.99) or Signature in the Cell by Stephen Meyer ($2.99).

Kermit Gosnell's America - Dr. Mohler writes about what Kermit Gosnell’s trial really reveals about America. “While the trial was not an open debate about the morality of abortion, that issue is what every thoughtful person recognizes is at stake -- which is precisely why the pro-abortion movement had to insist, over and over again, that the morality of abortion is not the issue. Here is a clue: When you have to argue at every turn that the issue is not abortion, the issue is abortion.”

Arrows Out - “The mark of a true Christian is someone who has embraced, by faith, love's ultimate expression in Christ's death for us. By God's design, this love in us becomes God's love through us. That's just the way he's made it. Is it so hard to believe God would engineer it that way? The God who made water turn into ice and larvae turn into butterflies and winter turn into spring, can't he engineer his love to turn haters into lovers? Turn takers into givers?”

The Legacy of Keith Green - I really enjoyed this conversation between Trevin Wax and Matt Papa on the life and legacy of Keith Green.

Tragic Worship - Here is a thought-provoking article from Carl Trueman: “The problem with much Christian worship in the contemporary world, Catholic and Protestant alike, is not that it is too entertaining but that it is not entertaining enough.”

Online Safety - We are probably all getting a little weary of reading articles like this one, but the takeaway remains important and too-often overlooked: Little kids are going online and behaving like adults.

The fruit of the Spirit is not excitement or orthodoxy; it is character. —G.B. Duncan

The Bible Miniseries - Andy Naselli offers “3 Reasons I Don't Enthusiastically Recommend the History Channel's ‘The Bible: The Epic Miniseries’.” He brings some good reflections on both the strengths and weaknesses of the series.

Americans and Germans Fought Together - “Days after Hitler's suicide a group of American soldiers, French prisoners, and, yes, German soldiers defended an Austrian castle against an SS division--the only time Germans and Allies fought together in World War II. Andrew Roberts on a story so wild that it has to be made into a movie.”

Long-Lost Sisters - Here’s the feel-good story du jour. You can click through to the USA Today video if you prefer.

The (Im)perfect Marriage - “Depending on how well we do in our own eyes, perfectionism can play out in a variety of negative responses: feelings of worthlessness, inordinate preoccupation with the opinions of other people, paralyzing fear, impatience with others, and a sense of superiority. While I've recognized my perfectionist tendencies for some time now and while I am confident that God is changing me, the reality is that I tend to carry that disposition into my relationships, not least of which is my marriage.”

The Plastic Fruit of Online Living - Lindsey Carlson writes about online living and some of the temptation it brings.

Heaven Is Hot, Hell Is Cold - Macleans magazine, Canada’s answer to Time, had a recent cover story about the phenomenon of all the “I went to heaven” books. The author ends up sharing some interesting reflections.

I believe every Christian man has a choice between being humble and being humbled. —C.H. Spurgeon