I find it tremendously valuable to have my prayers guided by Scripture. As I pray about sharing the gospel with others, or as I pray for those who do not yet know the Lord, there are many passages from the Bible that can give focus and direction. Here are just a few of them.

1. There is work to be done

Matthew 9:37-38
Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."

2. Jesus has commanded you to do it

Matthew 28:18-20
And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

3. Success is guaranteed

John 10:16
And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

Today I've got another batch of books that I didn't review. Life is such that there are lots of great books that I just cannot find the time to read and many other books I'm simply not qualified to review. These books tend to find their way into these round-ups of the ones I received and looked at but for one reason or another just couldn't review. I list them here in the hopes that at least some of them will be of interest to at least some of you!

Defiant Grace by Dane Ortlund. According to Caleb Nelson’s review, “Dane Ortlund's Defiant Grace: The Surprising Mission and Message of Jesus (EP Books, 2011) is a closer look at the overall gospel message of each of the four Gospels as revealed in their literary structure. … If you're a Pharisee by nature--and you are--then this book is for you.”

Work Matters by Tom Nelson. “Striking a balance between theological depth and practical counsel, Tom Nelson outlines God's purposes for work in a way that helps us to make the most of our vocation and to join God in his work in the world. Discover a new perspective on work that will transform your workday and make the majority of your waking hours matter, not only now, but for eternity.”

The Envy of Eve by Melissa Kruger. “The Envy of Eve guides readers to understand how desires grow into covetousness and what happens when this sin takes power in our hearts. Covetousness chokes out the fruit of the Spirit in our lives, allowing discontentment to bloom. The key to overcoming is to get to the root of our problem: unbelief--a mistrust of God's sovereignty and goodness.”

This Visual Theology series of infographics has now visited the ordo salutis, the attributes of God, the books of the Bible, Philippians 4:8 and the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Today’s graphic looks to one of the most fundamental and most difficult areas of Christianity theology—the Trinity. It seeks to show what we must and must not believe about the Godhead while also explaining the complementary roles of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It is free for the download!

While the infographics will always be free for you to download, I have also opened a store where you can buy prints of each of them. They are all professionally printed in a variety of sizes and are suitable for display.

(Click on the thumbnail to see the complete infographic)

If you are after a high-res version, you can have it here in JPG format. Please feel free to download, copy, email, share, or print the graphic; I just ask that you don’t sell it.

If you have other ideas for theological infographics, please feel free to leave a comment. Several more are already in development.

What happens to infants who die? This is an issue almost every Christian faces at some point during his pilgrimage and it is one for which there is no easy answer. What’s more, surveying the writings of the great Christians of the past or present produces no clear consensus. Here are the predominant views found amongst believers:

All children who die in infancy are saved. If one view holds an edge on the others in terms of the quantity of adherents, this would likely be it. While all admit the Bible is not explicit here, they believe it can be deduced from a study of relevant passages in Scripture.

The children of believers are saved. This view, held by a minority of believers, depends on a belief in covenant theology and holds that the children of believers are ushered into heaven; it takes no clear stand on what happens to the children of unbelievers.

We can have no assurance. This view simply states that there is not sufficient evidence in Scripture to make a firm determination. Eventually we must simply state that we do not know and leave it to God to work out.

Unbaptized infants are not saved while baptized infants are (or may be). This is the view of the Roman Catholic church and Protestant denominations which teach some form of baptismal regeneration. Because this view clashes with the beliefs of the vast majority of Protestants I will not address it at this time.

View 1: All Children Who Die In Infancy Are Saved

As mentioned earlier, this seems to be the predominant view in Christian circles, both Evangelical and Reformed. Among those who hold to this view are R.C. Sproul, John MacArthur, John Piper, B.B. Warfield and Charles Spurgeon.

This view teaches that God, in his grace, chooses to save all who die in infancy. While adherents affirm the seriousness of original sin and acknowledge that all infants have inherited a sin nature from Adam, they also teach that God extends special grace to these infants. Sproul says infants who die are given a special dispensation of the grace of God; it is not by their innocence but by God’s grace that they are received into heaven (see Now, That’s a Good Question!). Sinful nature, then, is not sufficient reason for God to condemn the child, for where salvation is by grace, damnation is by works.

John MacArthur, in his book Safe In The Arms of God, points out that the Bible consistently refers to the inhabitants of hell as being those who willfully committ sins and rebellion. He believes God does not condemn infants because: they have no willful rebellion or unbelief; they have never suppressed the truth; they have no understanding of sin’s impact or consequences; they have no debased behavior; and they have no ability to choose salvation. MacArthur concludes there is no place in Scripture in which a person suffers the judgment of damnation on the basis of anything other than sinful deeds, including the sinful deed of disbelief, which is a conscious, willful, intentional choice to disbelieve.

Easter is fast approaching. As Christians begin to turn their gaze towards the death and resurrection of the Savior, it seems appropriate that we should look for resources that will help us meditate on the cross and that will help prepare our hearts. To that end I'd like to suggest five books (plus a few more resources at the end) that you may wish to read as Easter approaches.

The Cross He Bore by Frederick Leahy

There are few books I've recommended more highly and more often than this one. An absolute gem, this book contains a series of beautiful, stirring meditations on the cross. Here is how I concluded my review of the book. "Perhaps part of the beauty and significance of this book, was that it came unannounced. There was no lofty position for it to attain to. And perhaps it is best that way. And so I will leave it with merely my wholehearted recommendation and the knowledge that I will return to it often. This short book is an invaluable treasure and I am certain that the reflections it contains will stay with me and come to heart and mind whenever I meditate upon the cross of Christ."

The Truth of the Cross by R.C. Sproul

From my review: "Is this the best book on the cross I've ever read? Perhaps. I don't know that I would recommend this in place of The Cross He Bore but it certainly would make a wonderful complement to Leahy's title. Less reflective and meditative, but with a greater emphasis on teaching theology, The Truth of the Cross will be a great addition to any library. This and The Cross He Bore could be read together every year and would undoubtedly bring great blessing with each reading. It is good to remember the cross and to come to a greater understanding of what it means and why it matters. The Truth of the Cross will center your thoughts upon the cross and upon the One Who went there willingly so that we could have life."

Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney

From my review: "Mahaney delights in the cross. The reader will only be able to conclude that the cross is what motivates his life and his ministry. His enthusiasm, his desire, his love for the gospel message in infectious. Always focused on the truths of Scripture, Mahaney draws the reader back to the very center and focus of the Christian faith. The reader will be given much grounds for rejoicing and much grounds for deeper, prayerful reflection. The reader will be led near to the cross where he can experience the power of the Son of God. He will learn the need for the cross, the power of the cross and the wonderful benefits that have been extended to us because of the cross. He will learn why this cross stands at the center of our faith and why we must always hold it there."

The Cross of Christ by John Stott

Though I had often read portions of this book, it was only in the past year that I finally read it from cover-to-cover. It is well worth the effort. Regarded as a classic and now in its twentieth-anniversary edition, this book is likely to be regarded as Stott's finest work. It is foundational to many of the other titles I've listed and is probably the most-widely referenced book on the subject.

Pierced for Our Transgressions by Jeffery, Ovey & Sach

Endorsed by a veritable who's who of conservative evangelicals, this book is a strong and biblical defense of the historic Protestant doctrine of the penal substitution of Jesus Christ. It deserves to be widely read, widely studied and widely influential. Jeffery, Ovey and Sach have done the church a service with this volume. I'm grateful for it and commend it to you.

A Few More Resources to Consider

• Spurgeon’s Sermons on Christmas and Easter
• Nancy Guthrie’s book, Jesus, Keep me Near the Cross
• John MacArthur’s, The Murder of Jesus (see my review)
• Easter Sunday sermons by John Piper

I've been at this blogging thing for quite a long time now--a bit over 9 years. I've been at the daily blogging thing for almost as long. This means that I've got an extensive backlist of articles from years gone by. I thought it might be fun to pull out some of the articles I wrote in previous Marchs, stretching all the way back to 2004.

2011

The New Evangelical Virtues - My take on what Rob Bell’s book on hell exposed about what passes for virtue in the Evangelical world.

Facebook Makes Us Miserable - This quickly became one of the more popular articles in the history of this site, a fact that kind of took me by surprise.

What I’d Have to Deny to Deny Hell - I guess this also came out of the Rob Bell controversy, as I thought about what it takes for someone to go from affirming to denying what the Bible makes clear.

2010

Read More, Read Better - This has always been hard to apply.

Of Luddites and iPads - I was working on a book about technology in 2010, and I suppose that fact is reflected in quite a few of my blog posts. This was a reflection on Luddism.

2009

Christians and Accountability - Here is a warning about the Evangelical obsession with accountability.

Endless Choice, Endless Discontent - With more choice comes less contentment; that’s the theme of this article. I followed it up with When Technology Outpaces Morality.

2008

Just Stop It! - This is still funny.

2007

Song of the Year - I still enjoy this song.

Testimony Tuesday (For Bloggers) - Here is a post in which I shared how the Lord saved me all those years ago.

2006

Blogging and the Wisdom of Solomon - An oldie but a goodie.

The Study of History - A few reflections on why we, as Christians, ought to study the history of the church.

2005

Seems So Long Ago, Nancy - This was my first crack at writing about my aunt whom Leonard Cohen immortalized in the song “Seems So Long Ago, Nancy.”

Unity at What Cost? - That is always the question we need to ask when pursuing unity—will this unity be true unity or will it exact an unbearably heavy cost from us?

2004

Spiritual Gift Assessments - These are a few thoughts on spiritual gift assessments. 2004 seems like a really, really long time ago now.

Take This Cup Away from Me! - I remember writing this one; it was as much worship as work.

Welcome to March! To ring in the new month I’ve got a couple of great desktop wallpapers that may interest you. The wallpapers were created by Brent Nelson of Soapbox Studios. Brent is a fantastic designer who was responsible for creating the ordo salutis infographic that I shared a couple of months ago; he is currently hard at work on another one.

A few notes: Your desktop or laptop may take any of the sizes, depending on your monitor size and a host of other considerations. If you’re not sure of the size, just find one that looks like it would be pretty much the same size as your screen. Generally you set one of these are your wallpaper by clicking on the link to the image, then right-clicking on the image (once it’s open) and selecting “Set as Background,” “Set as Desktop Background,” or something similar. If you aren’t sure, post a comment and we’ll try to help you figure it out.

Never Thirsty Again

With Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Without Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

All Things New

With Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

Without Calendar: iPhone, iPad, 1024x768, 1280x1800,1280x1024, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

My Visual Theology series of infographics has now visited the ordo salutis, the attributes of God, the books of the Bible and Philippians 4:8. Today it continues in what is kind of an unexpected direction. This graphic is different in that a) I did all the work myself where the others have all featured hired designers (which may also explain the diminished quality) and b) it arose from my own Bible study. It just kind of happened. I woke up one morning wondering why there is variance between the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 and Luke 3, so I put the two lists side-by-side. Then I drew a timeline. Then realized I was halfway to an infographic, so I just kept going. And here it is—the promise-fulfilling genealogy of Jesus Christ.

But first, I have opened a store where you can buy prints of each of these infographics. They are all professionally printed in a variety of sizes and are suitable for display. Today only you can use the code LEAP25 to get 25% off your order. (Because of the dimensions of this one, you’d only want to order it in a big size!)

If you are after a high-res version, you can have it here in JPG format. That will allow you to print it on your own.

If you have other ideas for theological infographics, please feel free to leave a comment. Several more are already in development.

I love writing book reviews and I love reading them. Since I cannot possibly read and review all of the interesting books out there, I've decided to put together some occasional round-ups of reviews written by other writers. Here are a few notable links I've collected over the past few weeks.

Die Young by Hayley and Michael DiMarco - review by Staci Eastin. “Books on sanctification are prey to two common pitfalls. Either the author can get so caught up in the actions of the Christian walk that they inadvertently add more rules (i.e. if you really love Jesus you'll quit your job and become a missionary), or they portray the Christian life as the key to better relationships (Jesus as life coach, if you will). The DiMarcos avoid both errors.”

Forever by Paul David Tripp - review by Aaron Armstrong. “We might give assent to the idea that there is an afterlife, yet we act as though it doesn't make a difference. … In Forever, Paul Tripp offers readers a practical, helpful, and (most importantly) biblical look at the importance of eternity. I trust that readers will be blessed and challenged by it and will embrace a healthy view of forever.”

Prayers of the Bible by Susan Hunt - review by Aimee Byrd. “This is one of those books that gets better as you read it. The chapters focus on different themes in prayer that are gathered from particular prayers in Scripture. … Each chapter offers Scripture to read, theological exposition, along with practical application.”

It has been more than a year now since I began offering free desktop wallpapers created by some fantastic Christian designers. I recently asked a friend to go through all of those wallpapers and select ten of his favorites. If you are interested in prettying up your computer a little bit, here are some great ways of doing just that.

Free from the Curse

Created by Jeff Nine from Oklahoma City, OK.

320x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1920x1200, 2560x1440

For the Healing of the Nations

Created by Jeff Nine from Oklahoma City, OK.

320x480, 1024x768, 1024x1024, 1280x800, 1280x1024, 1366x768, 1440x900, 1680x1050, 1900x1200, 2560x1440