May the God of love and peace be with you today.
I wanted to prove another reminder that my forthcoming devotional book Knowing and Enjoying God is now available for pre-order. Like all publishers these days, Harvest House is very eager to have people pre-order it since that helps gain the interest of Amazon and other booksellers. So thanks for considering it!
There are a few Kindle deals to look at this morning.
(Yesterday on the blog: I Miss My Son Today)
Fuelling your Joy
“The magi see Jesus and they rejoice. Wonderful! I would too. But they don’t, they rejoice exceedingly. OK, I’d like to think I would too? But in fact they don’t do that either, they rejoice exceedingly with great joy. When did I last react to Jesus with an overflow of joy so manifestly profound that it requires that level of superlative?”
Crisis
“The psalmist cries out to the Lord. And God hears his cry, inclining His ear toward a desperate appeal. For mercy. In the telling of his story, the psalmist goes back and forth. Between relief and alarm. Death and rescue. The way we often do. In the context of crisis.”
Owls—Masters of the Night Sky
I enjoyed this look at (and appreciation of) owls from Creation.com.
The 3 Most Important Truths I Learned at Seminary
Pierce Taylor Hibbs: “Seminary has shaped my heart and head in more ways than I can list. But for those who haven’t been to seminary and are curious, or for those who have been and need a reminder, I thought I’d list the three most important truths I’ve learned there.”
The Ordinary Means of Grace
The new issue of the 9Marks Journal is available and is all about the ordinary means of grace. “For several years now, erstwhile 9Marks editor and now full-time pastor Sam Emadi, with a wink, has summarized our ministry, ‘Yeah, I just tell people, 9Marks exists to tell pastors not to do weird stuff. Just do what’s in the Bible.’ Not a bad summary, that.”
Delicious Despair 201
“My entire backyard burst with the colors of spring. Everything bloomed. It was a perfect, 70-degree day and the landscape showed off. I looked out my window and saw the wicker chairs scattered under the pergola and balloons dotted on the boulders strategically situated throughout the yard. When we invested in landscaping last year, I had visions of hosting joyful events. … We hosted a memorial for the twins (Deacon and Hallie) that day instead.”
Flashback: A Few Humble Suggestions for Reformed Worship Services
Today I want to offer a few humble suggestions to pastors or others involved in planning services that may serve to add an element of freshness to a service, but without adding elements that are desperate, distracting, or flat-out ridiculous.
The greatest thing you can do in this world is to live a saintly, holy, lovely life.
—F.B. Meyer
