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A La Carte (10/18)

A La Carte Collection cover image

John Piper will Vote – “Having read several articles by people who don’t plan to vote in the presidential election, my conclusion is: I’m going to vote. It seems to me that the good that can be done, presumably by the protest of not voting, is mainly done by talking about not voting rather than by not voting. Then it also seems that this same good would be accomplished if those who thought they would not vote did all that talking, but then voted.”

The Burpo-Malarkey Doctrine – Phil Johnson (remember him?): “It’s odd and troubling that the best-selling evangelical book of the past decade is a fanciful account of heaven spun from the imagination of a four-year-old boy. (Believe it or not, The Purpose-Driven Life and The Prayer of Jabez are both now more than a decade old.) Peddling fiction about the afterlife as non-fiction is the current Next Big Thing in the world of evangelical publishing.”

You Can Get In My Face – A good question: “Does anyone in your life have your permission to follow Galatians 6:1–2 when you need it? The text doesn’t read, ‘If anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual get in their face!’ But I’m one who needs strong rebuke occasionally, so I’ve given a few people permission to be tough (in love) when it comes to encouraging me to godliness.”

Of Babies and Beans – From Dr. Mohler: “Adam Gopnik is a gifted essayist and writer whose contributions, often published in The New Yorker, are almost always thoughtful and interesting. Nevertheless, one of his most recent writings is deeply disturbing, and at the deepest level.”

D’Souza Responds – Perhaps against my better judgment I linked to a WORLD article about Dinish D’Souza yesterday. D’Souza has responded and has gone on the offensive. I link to his response only out of a sense of fairness and don’t intend to keep discussing it. Regardless, D’Souza’s response is as troubling in tone as the original accusations. This is not the way to respond!

Non-Exploding Soda Can – This is what I was taught as a kid; it’s nice to see that science backs it up.

If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?

—David Livingstone

  • Weekend A La Carte (November 7)

    The Hutterites’ guide to technology / Searching for jobs, Gen Z feels like it’s staring into ‘the void’ / The gospel according to Peter (Thiel) / Scientism and the allure of control / Can science explain sparkling rivers? / What led to Christianity Today’s crisis?

  • I Regret to Inform You That Heaven Tourism Is Back

    I Regret to Inform You That Heaven Tourism Is Back

    I regret to inform you, dear reader, that heaven tourism is back. The genre possibly never went away entirely, but it did at least disappear from the bestseller lists for several years. Sadly, it has returned in Gabe Poirot’s 18 Days in Heaven.

  • A La Carte (November 6)

    Don’t despise the red flags / Your thoughts are shaping your life / Can’t you just love everyone? / Selfies are not the self: forming embodied youth in a disembodied age / Effective altruists and the spreadsheet gospel / 4 Applications for the order of love—from the home to the ends of the earth /…

  • A La Carte (November 5)

    When you feel guilty about your giving / The missing piece in John Mark Comer’s quiet time / A manifesto for phone-free church / The pull of Rome / 4 Misconceptions about spiritual warfare / Slouching toward Narnia / Kindle deals, and more

  • A Daring Suggestion for Netflix

    A Daring Suggestion for Netflix

    Netflix appears to have fallen on hard times and I have some suggestions that I’d like to think would help it: cut the sex, nudity, and profanity, and gain back the viewers it’s long been alienating.

  • A La Carte (November 4)

    Can I love my enemies while addressing wrongs and protecting myself? / Is missions too costly for kids? / Don’t stock the pantry with temptation / Churches face a shortage of worship leaders / AI brought a mathematician to Ecclesiastes / Discerning between godly and worldly grief / Harvest in fearful times / and more.