Snippets from the interweb (4th December 2022)

Dog-fights and discernment

I have been in cycles on whether to jump off twitter (and other social media) or not. I have definitely been close to what this writer describes. I think the questions being asked in this one need to be taken more seriously by all of us.

God works witchcraft for our good

I found this one really interesting looking at God’s sovereignty from a worldview very different to our typical Western way of thinking: ‘For the most part, Westerners tend to live materialistic lives, focusing almost exclusively on the physical realm. However, in our time in Cameroon, we have come to realize that the Kwakum worldview is dominated by the spiritual. One area in which this spiritualized worldview is particularly evident is in their suffering.’

8 features (and a few other things) you should know about Divine Providence

Starting with the 1689 London Baptist Confession of Faith, this one takes a look at what it says about divine providence and how that should affect us as believers.

3 misconceptions that many Muslims have about Christianity

If you have spent any time with Muslim people, these things will be familiar to you. If you have not, they are worth being aware of. In either case, this one also provides some helpful responses to these common statements.

What do I do if I don’t like my job?

‘If you’re in a job that you don’t like, recognize you’re probably like most of the world. Every job has its garbage detail. There is no perfect job, but while we’re in Western culture, we tend to live under the myth that our real goal is to get a job where we fulfill all our desires, that matches all our gifts, and where we’re totally fulfilled every day in what we do.’

Church Decline: The Results Of The 2021 Census Reveal The Vital Importance Of Passing Our Faith On To Our Children

‘The point of this post is not to say how we should pass our faith on to our children, but rather to encourage us that this is a vital task and ministry of parents and the church. It is essentially an evangelistic ministry. Churches can be so focused on reaching people outside the church community that they either neglect those within it or take it for granted that they will come to faith. The result is that the labours of parents, Sunday School teachers, and youth group leaders are not seen as the cutting-edge evangelism they are. We need to rejoice not only over the dramatic conversion testimonies of those saved from the world but also over those who come to personal faith from within the church community.’

From the archive: Beware those who hold you to ransom

‘Just as many suggest that those with big bank accounts can do as they say and leave if their attitude is such that they are willing to threaten everybody that way, so it is often best in the church to tell folks that their attitude is ungodly and ought to change or else they can make good on their threat and leave. Just as it is no advantage to the country to be in hoc to would-be plutocrats who favour their own interests over that of the country, so it is no advantage to the church to be in hoc to those who would favour their own interests over that of the gospel.’