A La Carte (December 11)

Westminster Books has discounts on some Puritan books, including the ever-popular The Valley of Vision.

Today’s Kindle deals include a good one on friendship along with a couple of pocket guides.

The Surprising Ministry of Encouragement

Ray Ortlund: “Encouragement is what the gospel feels like as it moves from one believer to another. The ministry of encouragement, therefore, isn’t optional or just for people with a knack for it. Real encouragement has authority over us all. It deserves nothing less than to set the predominant tone of our churches, our homes, our ministries. So, let’s think it through. And then, let’s get after it.”

The Triumph of the Modern Self: A Conversation with Theologian Carl Trueman

I thoroughly enjoyed this discussion between Al Mohler and Carl Trueman on the subject of Trueman’s latest book.

The Sad Irony Of Celebrity Pastors

This article is written by a non-Christian which is exactly what makes it so interesting and challenging. “I am not religious, so it is not my place to dictate to Christians what they should and should believe. Still, if someone has a faith worth following, I feel that their beliefs should make me feel uncomfortable for not doing so. If they share 90 percent of my lifestyle and values, then there is nothing especially inspiring about them. Instead of making me want to become more like them, it looks very much as if they want to become more like me. That, sadly, appears to have been true of Lentz and his celebrity acquaintances.”

Tudor Networks

If you, like me, are convinced that the Tudors are about the most fascinating family in history, you may enjoy this amazing visualization that traces correspondence during the Tudor period.

Core Convictions about Prayer

Here’s an article that will help you brush up on the basics of prayer.

Hungry

“We sat cross-legged, in soft pajamas, hair upswept and faces washed clean, before our hall meeting. I had only been in college for a few weeks. I glanced at the girls around me, surprised at our fast-deepening friendships. The personalities on our floor were an exquisite blend, and we were getting along famously.”

Who Are the 7 Spirits in Revelation?

“Who are the seven spirits in Revelation? This question arises in the opening lines of John’s vision in which he refers to ‘the seven spirits who are before [God’s] throne’. The seven spirits are named again in Jesus’s message to Sardis, as well as twice in the throne-room scenes. Some scholars have argued that the seven spirits are borrowed from Jewish ideas about Yahweh’s seven chief angels, or perhaps the Greco-Roman idea of a plurality of spirits that bring wisdom and knowledge. However, I will argue that the seven spirits represent the Holy Spirit, for three main reasons.”