Author: Tim Challies

A La Carte (January 15)

A La Carte: We’re all muzzled oxen now / Evangelistic confidence in a cynical age / My wife nags me; what can I do? / You know less than you think / Kindle deals / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (June 27)Weekend A La Carte (October 25)Kindle Deals for Christian Readers

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Because We Are Drawn

It is good to contemplate God’s work in our lives—to contemplate the wonderful reality that we are children of God only because God took the initiative and drew us to himself. F.B. Meyer once considered this in light of Hebrews 7:25 which proclaims that Jesus is “able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him.” Here is how Meyer rejoiced in that fact. We draw near because we are drawn. As the sun is ever exerting a drawing power on each planet and each particle of stardust in the solar system, so God is ever attracting us to Himself. To all eternity we shall be ever drawing nearer to Him, though there will be ever an infinite distance to traverse. When Jesus was lifted up on the Cross He began to draw all men unto Himself, and that magnetic attraction has continued through the centuries. There is no reason for us to be afraid of God. He is Love! He is a consuming fire to our sin, but His Nature is essentially lovely. Moses exceedingly feared when he ascended Sinai, amid the trembling of the mountain and the heavy clouds that enclosed the Divine Light. But, as we learn from the 12th chapter of this Epistle, when we approximate to God, we encounter three circles. The innumerable Hosts of Angels, including the Cherubim and Seraphim, with their burning love and purity! The Church of the First-born, the purest and noblest of elect spirits! The Spirits of the Just made perfect, inclusive of our own beloved ones that have passed over.…See AlsoHow To Draw Near To The Throne of GraceWorshipGod06 – Second SessionBook Review – Wasted Faith

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Weekend A La Carte (January 13)

A La Carte: The dress / In praise of prudence / Will following my heart set me free? / Sustained in the fire / Why we need the bad news of Israelite history / Book allowance / and more.See AlsoA La Carte (February 2)Weekend A La Carte (April 25)A La Carte (11/20)

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Free Stuff Fridays (TMAI)

This week’s Free Stuff Fridays is sponsored by The Master’s Academy International (TMAI). They are giving away ten free tickets to their 2024 international symposium. The Master’s Academy International (TMAI) is a worldwide network of pastoral training centers that equip indigenous church leaders to preach the word and shepherd their people. They have 19 Training Centers around the world, with dozens currently in development. To strengthen the global church in proper missiology, TMAI hosts an annual missions conference with speakers from around the world. This year’s key speakers are Steven Lawson (President of OnePassion Ministries), Paul Washer (Founder of HeartCry Missionary Society), and Mark Tatlock (President of The Master’s Academy International). At this year’s international symposium, they want to help churches and individuals recognize the unlimited, sufficient resource the Bible is for missionaries, supporting missions, and all of life. To help you and your church become more Bible-focused and mission-minded, enter below to win ten free tickets. Giveaway: Ten (10) Tickets to the TMAI 2024 International Symposium To Enter: Giveaway Rules: Entries are limited to 1 per person. By submitting your information, you agree to receive regular updates about the ministry of The Master’s Academy International. The winner will be notified by email. The giveaway closes at midnight on Friday, January 19th, 2023. Enter your information into the form below or HERE. Loading…See AlsoFree Stuff Fridays (TMAI)Free Stuff Fridays (TMAI)Free Stuff Fridays (TMAI)

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Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy

An election year is upon us and with it all the debate, suspicion, and rancor that is sure to accompany the culmination of another four-year cycle. Though the election is still months away, I’m already dreading the inevitable interpersonal struggles that will come with it and even the strains it may bring to the unity of my local church. What’s crazy is that we don’t even live in the country that will be holding the election. Yet because America is so close, so powerful, and so culturally dominant, its debates inevitably extend above the 49th parallel and across the world. Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy Jamie Dunlop My concern is less for the unity of my nation than the unity of my church. An election like this one, or an election like the one Canada will face in 2025, provide a context in which people can easily begin to distrust and antagonize one another. Of course, there are many other issues that can provoke trouble—pandemic regulations, educational decisions, not to mention age-old issues like the discipline of children or the consumption of alcohol. In so many ways Christians are challenged to maintain a strong unity despite deep differences. But I wonder if we often think wrongly about the challenges to our unity, and especially our unity within the local church. In Love the Ones Who Drive You Crazy, Jamie Dunlop insists that our differences are not so much a bug within the local church, but a feature, and not so much a problem…See AlsoThe Essential: ElectionBook Review – Election and Free WillElection Reflections

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