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A La Carte (August 18)

wednesday

May the Lord bless and keep you today.

There are a number of Kindle deals to look at today.

Those who prefer printed books may want to look at Westminster Books and their deals on books by J.I. Packer.

How Afghan Pastors Reflect on God’s Sovereignty

Writing for TGC, Mark Morris writes about Afghan pastors. “In early July, Afghan pastors and church leaders made a difficult decision. They decided to formally register their faith with the Afghan government. What an absurdity to register as Christians in an Islamic republic that prohibits a person from converting to Christianity! Against the advice of many, these Afghan church leaders felt compelled, for the sake of future generations, to legally declare their true faith in Christ.”

Take Care About Talking About Things That Don’t Matter Here

This is an important reflection from Darryl Dash. “I love reading theology and about issues and personalities. I read over a hundred blogs and read magazines. I have opinions about many issues that are swirling around evangelicalism and the world. Most of my people don’t care.”

The Real World?

Nick Batzig says that “the sad reality is that while many potificate over fabricated evils on social media in the Western world, the better part of those enduring extreme suffering in the Middle East, North Korea, and Africa never get a voice on social media. Most of what we rant about in our bubble is child’s play compared to the real evils of a fallen world.”

When God Gives Apples

Lauren Washer writes about apples … and discouragement.

The Broken Church Light

This is a well-told story from Doug Eaton.

She Is Broken, and She Is Beautiful

Glenna Marshall’s church, like yours and mine, is both broken and beautiful.

Further Up and Further In

“No matter how long we live or how much we study, we will never come to the end of our knowledge of God. The more we learn, the deeper our relationship with God becomes. We will never know all there is to know, since there is always something greater, something richer, and something more glorious to be experienced.”

Flashback: 3 Keys To a Powerful Prayer Life

Christian, find a quiet place and a quiet time where you can quiet your heart before God. These are the keys to powerful prayer, to effective personal devotions.

People thinking they’re smart because they searched the Internet is like thinking they’re good swimmers because they got wet walking through a rainstorm.

—Tom Nichols

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    Yesterday Abby and Nathan welcomed their first child into the world: Finnegan Safir Nicholas Elfarrah. Because they live just minutes away, Aileen and I were able to be there shortly after his birth to rejoice with them and to meet our first grandchild. We are thrilled beyond measure. And he is cute beyond belief. They…

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    A La Carte: Pray till you pray / Do children need to consent to puberty? / Pleading for Sodom / A thought experiment / 10 mistakes when reading the Bible / Kindle deals / and more.

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    A La Carte: Good night, my son / The longing for justice following sexual assault / Daughter of encouragement / Mistakes I made as a theological student / The dangers of disordered love / Kindle deals / and more.

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    What Grieves the Heart of God?

    What pleases God? What delights his heart? And what displeases God? What grieves his heart? If asked, I think most of us would assume that if we ever grieve the heart of God it will be through denying the gospel or committing a grave moral scandal. Or if we do so as a local church,…