May the Lord be with you and bless you today.
Westminster Books is offering a deal on a resource on pastoral theology. Kevin DeYoung says it’s “inspiring, challenging, comprehensive, opinionated, practical, and spiritual in the deepest sense of the word.”
Today’s Kindle deals include some top-notch titles for those who are grieving, those who are nearing the end of life, or those who are just looking for a good novel.
(Yesterday on the blog: Nick Would Be 25 Years Old Today)
Mystic at Heart: John Eldredge’s Remedy for the Digital Age
I find it helpful to catch up with popular authors from time to time. I have often expressed concerns with John Eldredge’s books and this article from Caleb Wait does nothing to diminish those concerns.
Brothers, We Are Not Political Pundits
Kevin DeYoung: “Don’t get me wrong, we need some Christians (though, undoubtedly, not as many as we have now) to participate in the maelstrom of cultural commentary, just like we need Christians in every non-sinful area of human activity. Political punditry is a legitimate calling. It’s just not the pastor’s calling. The man who comments constantly on the things ‘everyone is talking about’ is almost assuredly not talking about the things the Bible is most interested in talking about.”
The Word Increased and Multiplied: Grasping the Complexities of Bible Translation
It’s helpful to be reminded of the complexities of Bible translation since it helps us better appreciate Scripture and some of the decisions that have to be made in translating it. This article from Peter Gurry explains some of the complexities involved.
“Virtues Gone Mad”: When Christian Ideals Mutate
“Compassion is a Christian virtue. No one felt compassion like Jesus did. On many occasions, he was “moved with compassion,” meaning that he felt within himself that combination of sorrow, pity, and love. But Jesus’ compassion was not sentimentality. He never merely affirmed the sufferer’s feelings. His compassion was organically connected to truth, love, and justice.”
Time Zoned: Life in the Eastern Hemisphere
Jennifer McPhail explains how Western missionaries serving the Eastern Hemisphere face several key challenges.
The Workism Trap
Bobby Jamieson explains the modern-day (and especially American) obsession with “workism.” “Who does the religion of workism benefit? If you have no dependents or heirs, then, by definition, not them. Your workism may benefit your boss. It might especially benefit your boss’s boss’s boss and the shareholders. But does it benefit your neighbor? Does it benefit you?”
Flashback: The Training Ground of Sound Doctrine
Because Christians are not trained in sound doctrine, they wholeheartedly embrace error, often finding it more satisfying than God’s revealed truth.
I can no longer condemn or hate a brother for whom I pray, no matter how much trouble he causes me.
—Dietrich Bonhoeffer
