“The reading journal that I kept this past year (below) helped me meet my reading goals. It reflects my reading beyond my daily Bible reading or preparation for preaching and teaching.” - Rooted Thinking

There are a lot of them. A sampling…

“Jesus, whose Hebrew name was Yeshua, was born in Bethlehem of Judea. His mother’s name was Miriam, and His followers were named Yaakov and Shimon and Yehudah, among others. …And when He comes again, He is returning to Jerusalem.” - Michael Brown

“I offer this attempt to clarify what’s meant by ‘nonanxious presence’ and to provide recommendations for how we can help become such people ourselves.” - TGC

There has been no shortage of debate amongst Christians about the relationship between divine sovereignty and human responsibility. Because of our finite perspective —and our insistence on having a theology that logically makes sense to us—we are tempted to downplay, diminish, or even outright reject one of these truths in favor of the other. In his little book, A Defense of Calvinism, Charles Spurgeon cautions us against this error:

“a federal judge in Tennessee dismissed a lawsuit this week that had alleged that the Christian personal finance guru had discriminated against an employee’s religion during the COVID-19 pandemic.” - CLeaders

“FCA uses a Faith Response Tool, a texting system that allows FCA staff, coaches and athletes to share these significant, life-changing decisions” - CPost

“Earlier in December, Bickle admitted some past misconduct but said that many of the allegations against him were false.” - RNS

“Without God and all that His existence implies, there is no solid ground for saying that any knowledge is true for everyone.” - Breakpoint

I was engaging in a bit of year-end reflection the other day. As usual, since reaching age 50 or so, my reflections quickly began to leap back multiple years, and then decades. And also as usual, my old friend Mr. Regret stopped in for a visit.

Don’t get the wrong idea. This is not a “negative” post. I’ve learned that Mr. Regret can only visit for as long as I let him. His visits might be more frequent now, but they’re shorter.

If we had conversations, they would go sort of like this.

Regret: Wow, look at all those great family trips you never went on! No way to do it now.

Me: (Rolls eyes) Do you have anything new to say?

Dean Taylor has served in pastoral ministry for over twenty-five years. He holds degrees from Bob Jones University and Seminary (BA, MA, MDiv) and Northland International University (DSM) and chairs the Division of Christian Ministries and Pastoral Studies Department at Faith Baptist Bible College.

So where is this going to lead? Is this a first step toward abandoning the Biblical concept of marriage, of male and female? Or is it mere a P.R. concession to calm the outcries of the social engineers? Share your thoughts.

“Christ rescues us from our ability to only see our own culture and moment, and pulls us into a new metaphysical reality….Instead of crafting a Christ exactly like me, the Incarnation makes a way for us to become like Him.” - Mere Orthodoxy

“Going My Way in 1944 summed up America at its most endearing. It was accordingly a blockbuster, the biggest hit of that year, and then the year after it became the big Oscar winner, nabbing the seven major awards out of 10 nominations” - Acton

“These spiritual communities discard doctrine, prefer questions over answers and have no intention of converting anybody to anything.” - RNS

“At 33 years of age, Mohler became the youngest president in the school’s history, with the trustees viewing his age as an asset, knowing it could lead to a lengthy tenure and provide important stability and continuity to Southern Seminary.” - BPNews

“Recent survey finds strong support for sometimes conflicting agendas, but also many believers who are still “not sure” what to advocate for.” - C.Today

“even in the midst of a blessed occasion for his family, Zechariah’s first words are about the Rescuer who has come as a horn of salvation for us (Luke 1:69); a Redeemer who is a Dayspring from on high that shatters the darkness (vs. 78-79). The whole Benedictus is vivid and moving.” - Brent Leatherwood

This week, the Western world pauses to remember the birth of the One who divided time, and all of history, by His first coming—our Savior and the Messiah of Israel, Jesus Christ.

As we stop and worship this baby in Bethlehem’s manger once again, let us remember that He, eternal God, came to Earth to become a man, to die for our sins and to rise again. The events of Christmas were an essential step in that process but, of course, they do not tell the full story.

Even a focus on His entire first coming—as vitally important as that is—does not tell us everything about this Jesus, God in human flesh. For, just as He came once, He assured us clearly, “I will come again” (John 14:3).

“On the Incarnation is a beautiful exposition of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It explains why and how he came to save us. The incarnation is the beating heart of orthodoxy, the story at the center of our faith.” - TGC

“These preconceived attitudes, however, don’t translate into public policy. Quite the contrary. Illinois, a reliable blue state, is ranked No. 1, while West Virginia, a red state, is last.” - Religion Unplugged

“…they picked a word that reflected what all of us, right now, seem to most long for.” - James Emery White

(and a very different perspective at Breakpoint)

Across the world, Christmas carols carry deep doctrinal truths where few other witnesses would be allowed. These carols ring out from apostate cathedrals of Europe, through pop music artists online, and even in glitzy Asian malls.

“As far as I can tell, the first Protestant church in America to hold two identical morning services is Temple Baptist Church in Los Angeles, CA…. ‘two elaborate services in the morning’ for Easter 1913.” - 9 Marks

“Whenever you’re reading a Christian nationalist author citing historical sources in support of their modern ethno-nationalist positions, you should be suspicious. You absolutely should track down the footnotes. And then you should read that excerpt in context.” - Mere Orthodoxy

“the date seems already to have been in place by the end of the third and beginning of the fourth century, at a time when Christians were being persecuted, which renders the suggestion of cultural borrowing far less likely.” - Kenneth Berding

“(61%) report having at least some friends whose religion differs from their own….That includes 43% who say only some of their friends have the same religion they do and another 18% who say hardly any or none of their friends do.” -Pew

“As we have seen, Keller did indeed break with Augustine and Calvin here, who held that the doctrine of original sin makes non-Christian virtue impossible.” - London Lyceum