As well as reading a lot of books, I also read a ton of articles every week. Here are some of the articles that I’ve read recently and have found interesting, helpful, challenging and encouraging. I hope that they will be the same for you, my dear readers…
Life in New Jerusalem
“God’s plan of salvation includes, as we have seen, three great renewals: the renewal of our souls in regeneration, the renewal of our bodies in a glorious resurrection, and the renewal of our world in the creation of a new heaven and a new earth; or, if we may combine the language of the two apostles, St Paul and St John, the building of a new and eternal city, New Jerusalem.”
Are Western Christians Facing a Totalitarian Threat from the Left?
An interesting review of a book that I’ve been asked about by a few different people. I have’t read this book myself.
The Christmas that none of us wanted, but all of us needed
“…bemoaning that “Christmas is cancelled” directly undermines the gospel message. Christmas is not cancelled. Jesus is not cancelled. He is born, he saves, and he offers abundant life – far more than the riches of John Lewis. He offers relationship even better than we have with those that we love.”
Transfer growth ≠ growth
Some of the issues related to transfer-growth and traveling a distance, past good churches, to attend a church.
DON’T BE IN A RUSH TO BID THIS YEAR GOODBYE
“Let’s not be in a rush to say goodbye to 2020. Instead, let’s end this year with hearts that are tuned to His grace and mercy. There is so much to be grateful for, even on the hardest days. Will we see it, or will we shove the year out the door and refuse to lift praise to the One who is giving us the very breath in our lungs each moment? This year will be analyzed again and again, by psychology experts, historians, critics of all kinds. Surely God’s own children can take a close look at it, too, realizing anew just how worthy He is of all our worship and praise.”
Why Does It Matter that Jesus Was Born of a Virgin?
“The virgin birth is part of what Christians have believed in all times and in all places, and it is a key element in what it means for the incarnation to be “for us and for salvation.” We ignore the doctrine at our peril; we celebrate it to our benefit and to God’s glory.”
9Marks Journal – Heaven: Rejoicing in Future Glory
I haven’t read every article yet, but I really enjoy the 9Marks journals. I highly recommend you dive into this and marvel at the beauty of the gospel and the wonder of Heaven.
The Lord’s Supper: A Foretaste of the Heavenly Banquet
“The Lord’s Supper is pilgrim food. Like the Passover, it is a meal on the way. The Lord’s Supper directs our attention, by directing our senses, to what Christ has done for us, where he has put us, and where he will take us. In our journey through this wilderness, Christ himself is our manna, and the Lord’s Supper helps sustain us on the way because it signifies him.”
The Two Faces of Self-Centeredness
“Christians, in our sin we need to look to Jesus. In our grief and shock, we have to look away from ourselves and cling to the Savior. Self-centered pride will kill us, and self-centered grief will bring death. Only Christ-centered remorse will bring life.”
The Hardest Time of Year
“We lament. We read the Bible, even when it feels dry, looking for words that express our feelings and for words that declare God’s promises. We pray, even when we don’t feel like it, calling out to God in our distress and not pulling away in anger or indifference. We don’t look away from our suffering or gloss over it with platitudes. We sit with our Lord, sharing our disappointments and heartaches. We grieve what was and embrace what is, while meditating on his great love for us.”
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