We got a rare treat today: snow in the desert! Click here for more pictures. Dylan has only seen snow a couple times, and this was Heidi’s very first time (She hasn’t even seen rain much!).
As the snow fell, I was reminded of the promise in Psalm 51:7, “Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” How thankful I am for the cleansing power of Christ’s blood that can make us whiter than fresh snow.
Trevin Wax over at the Kingdom People blog is doing a Christmas Book Giveaway worth over $250. Click here to find out how to enter your name in the drawing.
Thanks, Trevin, for this generous offer.
Journalistic integrity in the mainstream media continues to die a slow and agonizing death. Accuracy, thoroughness, and impartiality are totally absent from the discussion of today’s most controversial issues. Honest reporting has been replaced by its evil twin: secularist propaganda.
Case in point: this week’s issue of Newsweek magazine. The cover article is entitled “The Religious Case for Gay Marriage.” The subtitle of the online article says “Opponents of gay marriage often cite Scripture. But what the Bible teaches about love argues for the other side.”
This is obviously a highly volatile issue, with strong opinions on both sides. Over 70 million dollars were spent either for or against the Proposition 8 campaign in California alone. Yet Lisa Miller of Newsweek has completely misconstrued the evidence, failing to quote a single conservative proponent of the biblical definition of marriage between one man and one woman.
I would encourage you to read Al Mohler’s critique of the article here. His conclusion:
Newsweek could have offered its readers a careful and balanced review of the crucial issues related to this question. It chose another path — and published this cover story. The magazine’s readers and this controversial issue deserved better.
Newsweek has a circulation of over 3 million readers, and this magazine will be appearing on newstands everywhere. The world is grappling with the idea and implications of same sex marriage. Are we prepared to give a gracious and biblical response?
It’s taken me a while, but I’m finally uploading some of my sermons to the internet in a new podcast called “Feed My Sheep.”
Here are three ways you can access them:
1. Look for new sermons to appear in the right column of this blog under the section “My Recent Sermons”
2. Subscribe to my podcast in iTunes by clicking here.
3. Visit my sermon page here, or add my sermon RSS feed to Google Reader by clicking here.
Back in July, I said I would be reading through Religious Affections, by Jonathan Edwards. I don’t know of any readers who planned to follow along with me, so I decided to take my sweet time on this project, reading just a little at a time as devotional reading.
So far, I’ve finished Parts I & II of Edwards’ work and have really enjoyed it. Edwards stretches the mind and the soul, opening up new dimensions of understanding about God and human nature.
The main question he explores in the book is this:
What are the distinguishing qualifications of those that are in favor with God, and entitled to his eternal rewards? Or, which comes to the same thing, What is the nature of true religion? And wherein do lie the distinguishing notes of that virtue and holiness that is acceptable in the sight of God?
In other words, how can we know we are pleasing God? There are certain impulses that should characterize believers and help measure our growth in godliness. But before giving an answer, Edwards explains twelve “unreliable” signs of genuine religious affections in Part II:
I’m looking forward to reading Part III of his book, where Edwards finally addresses what are the distinguishing marks of true religion.
Pinch Of Clay 