A La Carte (August 12)

Sales & Deals

Today’s Kindle deals include several good books like Show Them Jesus (for parents), Grandparenting with Grace (for grandparents), The Five Points of Calvinism (for everyone).

Recommended Reading

Are World Religions Halfway to God? Some people suggest that world religions can get their adherents halfway to God. Jon Hoglund explains why that is not the case. “The Christian gospel asserts that every other religion comes up short. But how do the errors in world religions affect their integrity? Are these shortcomings disposable elements that can be replaced, or are they integral parts of a system in danger of collapse? Paul’s choice to engage the Athenians on the altar to the ‘unknown god’ indicates the latter. By paying attention to his approach, we learn how best to engage with friends and neighbors of other religions.”

The Ruinous Hatred of Flattery. Zak Mellgren helps us understand the sheer ugliness of the sin of flattery. “‘Subtle’ sins of speech like flattery can be more dangerous than the obvious ones because they don’t tend to register on our radars like other sins do. A temper tantrum explodes on the screen, blinding us with its white-hot intensity. We know it’s there. But flattery? It shows up as a tiny, barely noticeable dot. A blip. If you’re not paying attention, you’ll hardly notice its there.”

Blades of Eternity and the Curse of the Black Saber. In book two of the Blades of Eternity series, Prince Mel and his brave band of allies embark on a dangerous quest to thwart the evil plans of the King of Winter and restore order to the Realm. (Sponsored)

Beware the New Thieves. Marty VanDriel warns about some of the new thieves that are running rampant in our world. He explains how to protect yourself and how to protect others.

Starving in Silence. Writing for TGC, Emily Keller explains how the church can play a key role in helping those with eating disorders. “For months, my eating disorder interrupted Communion. I sat in the pew quietly trying to calculate how I’d work the calories of my bread and cup into my increasingly restricted diet, which was, in fact, doing the job I’d given it. But as my body shrank, so did my capacity for joy, fellowship, and meaningful relationships.”

Do I Resent the Life God Gave Me? Sarah Walton considers resentment toward God. “When we are suffering and feel resentment towards those who are not, or when we resent others for having something that we don’t have, our feelings are rooted in some form of unbelief towards God. We are either believing that he’s not good (‘If he was truly good, he would not deny me what I want’), or that he’s not in control (‘If he was truly sovereign, he could have prevented this or given me what I think I need’), or that he’s not trustworthy (‘This can’t be what’s best for me’). The battle begins at the level of our thoughts”

When God’s Plans Seem Inconsistent With His Promises. Meanwhile, on a somewhat similar note, Kirsten Black considers those times when God’s plans seem inconsistent with his promises. “Times of testing can act like a press, squeezing out belief, character, or doubt that exist below the surface; things which are easily managed or ignored when life is comfortable. In his faithfulness, God walks us into seasons of testing, both to strengthen us and also to expose falsely held beliefs and ideologies. In his kindness, God also gives us examples from his word of those who endured difficulty yet remained faithful.”

Headlines

Here are a couple of recent headlines from Christian news outlets that caught my eye.

Canadian Family Claim Christian Grandmother Was Euthanised Against Her Wishes. This is yet another warning about what happens when euthanasia is allowed to run rampant. “A family in Canada has alleged that their 83-year-old grandmother was euthanised despite her stated Christian beliefs and lack of mental capacity to consent to the procedure.”

US Announces $2 Billion for Christian Groups. I don’t have the context to know how this will play out, but it’s certainly interesting to see Christian groups entrusted with this degree of funding. May they use it well and direct it to the best purposes!

Flashback

Unqualified and Unwilling. Not every man can or should be an elder, but every man can and should aspire to have the character of an elder, for this is simply the character of Christ. If you are already willing, then strive to become qualified.