Good morning. May the Lord bless and keep you today.
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Westminster Books has a collection of new and especially noteworthy books on sale.
There is once again a nice little collection of Kindle deals to browse through.
(Yesterday on the blog: My New Book Is Out: Knowing and Enjoying God)
How To Make Sense Of The Conflict In Nigeria
Oyewole Akande provides a helpful guide to the ongoing conflict in Nigeria. “The security situation in Nigeria is complicated to understand, even for those of us living in Nigeria. There are at least five separate but overlapping armed conflicts going on simultaneously in our country. Below I will give a brief overview of each. I’ll also provide a few links for those who wish to do further reading and reflection.”
ABBA: Band of the Boomers
Mary Harrington explains why ABBA kind of stands in for so many in the Boomer generation. “It’s not clear whether the band will perform as themselves at their ‘Voyage’ events. But why should they? They’ve arguably just come closer than Ray Kurzweil has managed yet to achieving boomer apotheosis: eternally perky, fresh, un-dying versions of their youthful selves, able to continue indefinitely doing what those younger selves did, without ever getting tired, ill or divorced.”
No Purpose For Old Folks
I enjoyed this little story and the point it makes.
A Song for All My Days
Cindy Matson: “As the just Lawmaker, God makes no arbitrary rules. Though some of the Laws in the Old Testament may appear foolish to our modern ears (Why can’t we have two types of fabric in one piece of clothing?), each flowed from an upright Lawmaker who made each ordinance in perfect harmony with His character. Even the most abstruse and baffling laws to us are perfectly righteous and just.”
The World Needs Your Story
“‘All dreams deserve to be seen, and all stories deserve to be shared,’ said the Netflix ad. ‘The world needs your story. Show them!’ But that wasn’t the real point—it was an ad, after all—so it ended with ‘Discover the world’s stories.’ On Netflix, of course. But Netflix isn’t showing my story among ‘the world’s stories…'”
Jesus’ Ministry to a Lipreader
“Why did Mark, the gospel writer, use the Aramaic word ‘Ephphatha’ in Mark 7:34? Just sounding out the word is an exercise in oral calisthenics.” Here’s an interesting explanation.
It Is a Terrible Thing for a Sheep to Go Astray
“In Lancefield in Victoria last year, some people found a lost sheep. This sheep had once belonged to someone, but she had obviously been living by herself for several years.” It reminds us why Jesus drew the comparison between sheep and people!
Flashback: What’s the Point? (Alternative Ways to Frame Your Sermon)
I believe there are often better ways of framing a sermon than falling back on “point one,” “point two,” and “point three.”
Is there any reason that a righteous God ought to be loving toward a creature who hates Him and rebels constantly against His divine authority and holiness? —R.C. Sproul