Good Friday morning – the weekend is almost here!  I’ve been keeping up on the news and other interesting items so you don’t have to; now you get to catch up on all that matters over a nice cup of coffee! So here are all the interesting stories and videos worth the click:

In international news, Conservatives wiped the floor with the liberal party in England’s elections – now sure how this happened w/Obama strategist David Axelrod was helping the libs…surprisingly I have yet to find a story about his failure when just days ago the media were proclaiming his brilliance.

Here in America, a major federal court ruled that the Obama NSA’s mass gathering of American’s data is illegal. A pretty significant victory for privacy.

And the hits just keep coming…the U.S. Senate handed our Muslim-loving President a defeat by voting 98-1 in favor of legislation that would give them review authority over the Obama-Kerry Iranian deal. It moves to the House now for their vote.

An interesting post by a mommy blogger who is re-thinking her idea of rest. It’s not terribly deep, but a practical perspective about the selflessness necessary for families to function. (h/t Kate)

Brutally honest blog by Tim Challies called ‘I Have Cursed You’ that is some of his best work.

The BBC has an interesting story about the Austrian castle that was liberated in WWII by both German and American soldiers.

And this is just weird…from the left coast – a fake police force got in some trouble this week, (not surprisingly?) some of those involved are aids to top Dems. So is this the liberal equivalent of state militias???

Provocative column with interesting comments section below about two black men who were cuffed after being pulled over for….having a cracked windshield. The story coming out of Colorado Springs on this seems mixed with different conflicting “facts.” I don’t want to jump on the bandwagon and bash those who have faithfully protected our cities, but at the same time, one has to wonder if there’s an endemic problem among police officers.

Israel, a great place to visit, has great restaurants – but now they’ve taken it to a disturbing new level…

Russell Moore has a great column on finding a mentor this week. Definitely worth skimming.

On the wild side, come click bait from the Weather Channel pertaining to an overgrown fish.

Fantastic post from the Kuyperian peeps re: Manny Pacquiao. 

The Wall Street Journal has a piece about Baltimore entitled ‘Baltimore is Not About Race’ arguing that there is a more comprehensive poverty issue behind it. 

Similarly, Alan Dershowitz comments on the Baltimore felony charges leveled against the police officers who were in charge of Freddy Gray. Dershowitz addresses the injustice of the charges. 

And when you run for president, buying the .org is a good idea lest this happen to you…

Along similar lines, Scott Walker had some pretty hip tweets this week, and Mike Huckabee announced his candidacy. 

Well that’s it – go enjoy your Friday!

PJW

Welcome to the weekend! It’s been an exceptionally busy week for me, but I still managed to read and watch some interesting and uplifting stuff. I hope you enjoy!

Bernie Sanders joined the race for President – and raised about $1.5m in 24 hours. Never heard of Bernie Sanders? Where does he stand in the race? Well…

The main news story this week was the rioting in Baltimore. And the most popular story coming out of that mess was related to this mom. 

Interestingly, NASA’s Messenger spacecraft crashed into Mercury this week. It basically ran out of gas. But unlike when your car runs out of gas and coasts into a gas station at 2mph, this craft touched down at over 8,700mph creating a 50ft crater in the planet!

Ravi Zacharias is on a mission trip in Armenia to commemorate the 100yr anniversary of the genocide that took place in 1915. Very interesting historical update in his video. 

John Piper posted the latest in a three part series on ‘Look at the Book’ where he examines Matthew 6. I liked video two, ‘Do Not Be Anxious About Tomorrow’

Ligonier Ministries (R.C. Sproul) decided to publish several teaching series on YouTube this week. It signals a minor departure from a pay-per download model.

Russell Moore wrote an article which was published by Desiring God, discussing how the Prosperity Gospel is equivalent to witchcraft. This comes in the wake of Creflo Dollar asking for donations to pay for  new $65million jet.

What does it mean to be ‘Truly Human”? Jill Carattini gives a thoughtful answer.

Jerry Seinfeld turned 61 this week, and HuffPost has a fun article in honor the comedian. (h/t Katie)

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing – a great article about a great hymn (one of my kids’ favorites!)

This week President George W. Bush was asked about some of Obama’s policies, and his answers were surprisingly blunt. 

Jonathan Parnell has a thoughtful article called ‘Die Well’ that I enjoyed earlier this week.

And this is both creepy and hilarious…probably the PERFECT white elephant gift!

Are there unicorns in the Bible? Maybe so…(h/t Katie)

Samaritan Purse has setup a fund to help persecuted Christians in the U.S. – they’ve added the couple who are being forced to pay $135,000 by lawless judges for not baking a cake for a lesbian wedding. According to Fox News, over $100k was raised very quickly to help the family.

Lastly, the one article I didn’t get to read this week but wanted to: ‘Why God’s Will Isn’t Always Clear’

Have a great weekend!

PJW

Welcome to your weekend! If you’re in my neck of the woods then you have a rainy cold Saturday to look forward to! And if that’s the case grab another cup of coffee and check out what I found most interesting from this past week…

One of the most fascinating stories of the week involved a 90+ year old man on trial for his involvement/complicity in the murder of 300,000 Jews at the Auschwitz death camp. Al Mohler gives a rundown here. 

It was the 67th Anniversary of Israel becoming a nation this week, and Joel C. Rosenberg linked to a new video put out celebrating the country. 

Along those lines, AIPAC, the pro-Isarel lobbying organization, is urging people to well, urge, their Senators to support the Senate effort to check any Iranian “deal” that the Obama flunkies make. Checks and balances? Sounds good to me.

By the way, while we here in ‘Merica celebrate 4th of July, Mother’s Day, and Easter, the Iranians celebrate…War Day! – (my buddy David C. hilariously remarks that a great Letterman top 10 would have been: ‘presents exchanged on War Day!’)

And since he made a great crack on Iran, David’s forwarded story on how Tom Brady skipped the White House photo opp this week with the Obamanator is getting linked for your enjoyment (h/t David Clementson)

CBS did a special report on Keith Getty – check it out! (Tim Challies was right, they really didn’t understand his sense of humor)

Congrats to my buddy Gregg – apparently his tweets are just as influential as Al Fraken’s…I think that’s a good thing? Speaking of Gregg, there’s an interesting piece on his boy Scott Walker re: faith in politics.

Okay, this is a bit on the wacky side…but…I hope it catches on! (h/t my Katie)

Blog Post of the Week comes from Tim Challies, although he doesn’t get too much credit since he’s mostly quoting John MacArthur.

A short, yet grounding, piece of work over at Desiring God this week that you might find worth the read…

Back to foreign policy…it seemed to me that this week saw an abundance of news stories coming out of Syria about the Assad chemical weapons attacks, even though that happened like 4 weeks ago…

In case you’re interested, here’s what happened last week among the GOP Presidential candidates in New Hampshire. 

Finally, the most interesting longer article I didn’t get a chance to read yet is titled, ‘Why Can’t America Have Great Trains?‘ 

That’s really all you need right? Now go enjoy the day!

PJW

Happy weekend to you all!  This was a very light reading week, but there were a few really good articles.  Pour another cup of coffee and enjoy!

Hillary Clinton announced her run for the White House (close that jaw, I know you’re shocked!). Here’s exclusive video...(h/t David Clementson)

TIm Challies has a list of 7 books he “would definitely read”, the catch? These are books that don’t exist (yet).

It’s playoff time in the NBA and SBNation has the rundown…AND, in case you missed it, Jordan Spieth won the 2015 Masters last weekend. 

Denny Burke has some really interesting writing on reparative therapy and why evangelical Christians are not supporting it much anymore. This is definitely worth the read.

And, ISIS is not only pushing Iraqis out of their homes, they’re setting up shop a little closer to home…

This week was the 150 year anniversary of Abe Lincoln’s death.  The anniversary spawned a number of interesting articles and background pieces. Here’s one from the Gospel Coalition that received promotion from Politico’s Mike Allen, and here’s one that shows the original AP article. Cool stuff!

A new organization in Ohio is prepping young conservatives for the leadership and campaign activism. Check out their good work here. 

A chuckle for the road…

Welcome to Masters Weekend! I read a few interesting articles this week, not a ton of items to pass along, but here are a few items worth looking into…

First and foremost, its Masters weekend, so click here for the stream and click here to watch Jack Nicklaus’ par three tourney hole in one!

The Iranian regime is complaining about the framework of the nuclear deal John “Purple heart pitching” Kerry and BHO constructed. Hilariously predictable. These Iranians have a spine of steel, they aren’t going to give up until the Purple Heart Pitcher gives away the store. AIPAC has a new infographic on the framework that might be helpful to you. 

Must-read blog of the week: Rosaria Butterfield on homosexuality. From the perspective of a former Lesbian, this is very powerful and full of helpful insights.

Along similar lines, Mohler talks about sexual orientation. This is longer than it needs to be, but the points he makes are helpful.

Scary article in the WSJ (subscription may be required) called ‘The Hyundaization of the Global Arms Industry’

Joel Beeke had a humbling article on Ligonier’s blog about communication with your kids. 

Along similar lines, Tim Challies blogged about the most important thing his parents did for him. 

How is it exactly that airplanes fly? 

I stumbled on this interesting reading list from respected pastors and theologians. A few insights here.

Lastly, R.C. Sproul, Jr. asks ‘Did Jesus Suffer the Wrath of the Father for All Sinners?’

I hope you enjoy your weekend!

PJW

It is good Friday today, and I’ve gathered some articles from the week for your enjoyment and meditation. There is a heavier balance of Christian-based writing here, which is apropos given the day. But first, a note about today…

Today my kids asked about why we celebrate ‘Good Friday’.  They understood the why but didn’t know the moniker ‘Good Friday’ corresponded to the day Jesus died. Once they made the connection, it was obvious to them, because they are children who 1. aren’t tainted yet with the world’s reasoning and 2. understand their own need of saving.

They understood what we all need to come to grips with once again today: we are sinners who needed a sacrifice, an atonement, a payment for our sins – someone to die in our place. Jesus did that on Good Friday. Believing that this sacrifice alone is sufficient and able to save you, is what God calls us to in His Word. This belief is called “faith” and is what saves you from eternal death – it is what the Christian Gospel is all about. “Gospel” means “good news”, and while on the surface it is odd to think of a man being brutally killed 2000 years ago as “good”, it is good for us because without that death we would not have life. Jesus did this willingly – He surrendered His life on His own terms. If you read the Gospel accounts this becomes evident.

For those of you who wonder how God can allow evil, pain, and suffering in the world, it is profitable for you to wonder why He allowed His Son to bear in His body the greatest evil ever committed. God not only “allowed” it, He ordained it. He used the evil of men to bring about the greatest most glorious good ever known to man – eternal salvation (see Acts 2:23 and Peter’s sermon).

I hope you have come to grips with these great truths on this grim and glorious day. Now, on to your Weekend Reading:

R.C. Sproul on the ‘Curse Motif’ in Scripture. If you haven’t heard this before, it’s worth the listen.

Ligonier Ministries is featuring one of Sproul’s new hymns ‘Heavy is Our Savior’s Cross’ – part of the album he recently released called ‘Glory to the Holy One’ which I’ve really enjoyed recently.

In February John Piper posted this article called ‘How Can You Know the Bible is True?’ and I’ve been meaning to post it here. It’s really good. He deals with the ‘Internal Witness of the Spirit’ and what that means exactly…

My friend Josiah wrote and encouraging blog a few weeks ago aimed at Christians called ‘You Have Been Pre-Qualified‘

Jon Bloom writes ‘Not My Will Be Done’ in a Maundy Thursday Reflection.

But what is Maundy Thursday?  The Kuyperian Commentary guys have a good, mercifully short, post on this. 

Bloom also has a piece that is worth bookmarking and coming back to a few times called ‘Laying Aside the Weight of “I’ll Never Change”‘

From a few months back, I finally read a Gospel Coalition post called ‘3 Ways Not to Use Greek in Bible Study’ and found it helpful.

The 10 year anniversary of Terri Schiavo’s death was this week. I found an old article where R.C. Sproul was quoted as saying that America has entered a new age of barbarism. Kate and I also listened to Sproul’s podcast on throwback Thursday from which the article was drawn.

Interesting BBC article on how scientists are finding cures for modern “super-bugs” in ancient natural remedies. (h/t Matt Ferris).

Trevin Wax laments the inconsistency of Americans who are grappling with the story of Michelle Wilkins this week. 

All the hubbub in the national news has been mainly concentrated on 1. gay people freaking out at Indiana and Arkansas’ protection of religious freedom (their militant behavior has had side effects) and 2. the Obama Administration’s frolicking in the fission filled fields of foolishness and (so to be) failure – this time talking about Iran (in case a hundred other failures came to your mind). AIPAC statement on the “framework” John “purple heart” Kerry has been working on.  Everyone I know is supportive of the administration working toward a solution here, its just their willingness to risk total annihilation by ignoring history and siding with people who’d love to destroy our country – and would do so if they had the capability (only after first obliterating Israel) – that bothers me. No big deal though.

Also this week…Hill-arious statement from RNC chief on Hillary Clinton’s email lawlessness.

Interesting article from the NY Times on how education alone really doesn’t shrink income inequality. This of course is based on the premise that so-called “income inequality” is something we need to fix, or even can fix.  The heart of modern liberalism is that rich people make too much money and need to be gauged of their wealth, which then goes to the government (the only true and fair arbitrator of all good and fairness) who will then re-distribute the wealth to the poor – so long as they vote democrat, are union members, support killing babies and old people, and are cool with homosexuality.

My theory on why Americans don’t value life: our educational system has sold the lie that we are all grown up germs for so long now that young people cannot reconcile this teaching with any motive for living. As you might recall, Brittany Maynard didn’t value her own life, and so decided to end it on “her own terms” a few months back. Well during that controversy, another lady with terminal cancer pleaded with Brittany not to commit suicide, but to enjoy the last days of her life as a testament to its value etc. That brave lady, Kara Tippetts, has now died.  Good luck getting through this article unscathed…Amazingly, Tippetts’ wisdom would have possibly saved Maynard because just this week scientists announced an amazing breakthrough that would have helped Maynard. This is a lesson for mankind. We try to desperately to determine our own destinies, when we cannot possibly do so. There is only One who holds the world in His hands.

Finally, there was a lot of silliness on the web surrounding April Fools day this week, one of my favorites was the front page of Amazon – a through back to 1999! (h/t my Katie):

Welcome to your weekend! Several interesting articles and videos out there this week. Some of the news items are particularly alarming, but not so alarming that an election or two (or the Gospel!) can’t remedy what ails…

Let’s start with the news from overseas. First, things have been heating up between the Obama Administration and Israel. WSJ first to report that here (paywall), the New York Times has a pretty decent look at how Obama’s chiding of Bibi is actually helping him (even among his adversaries). Most seem to think that Obama has overplayed his hand. And now that the President (still confused as to who his allies/enemies are in the world) has pushed an Iranian nuke deal down the road, it has set off a chain reaction (no pun intended).

And remember when the administration released five Taliban terrorists in exchange for Bowe Bergdahl? Ya, me too. Well this week it was announced that “Bergy” (as his friends would call him if he had any) will be formally charged with ‘desertion.’  Dems playing drinking games based on Obama’s foreign policy missteps have been a sloppy mess all week.

Next, in case you went all amish this week and ignored the outside world, the plane that crashed over the French Alps this week was said to have been downed on purpose when the co-pilot locked the pilot out of the cabin. Pretty alarming – this was able to happen because post 9/11 there are locks on those doors etc…

The top article I haven’t read yet but want to: ‘What Lies Beneath’ 

If you have a Wall Street Journal subscription and didn’t see their editorial on Edward Snowden, check it out, you’ll laugh (after you get over your anger).

And in case you missed it John Kasich is testing the waters for a potential run at POTUS.

Off the wall: Ever wanted to know what you get when you cross a seminary professor and a rapper? What? Not even remotely curious?

WaPo says Benny Hinn hospitalized…holding…back…obvious…sarcasm…

Lifeway Christian bookstores aren’t going to sell anymore of those ridiculous ‘I spent 5-10min in heaven and hung out with angels and dead people’ stories anymore…yeah…probably for the best. (h/t Derek Stone).

Speaking of the Post, they had an interesting article on why Americans will likely not elect an Atheist President any time soon.

For your encouragement…

Tim Challies has a post called ‘How to Pray All Day’ that was pretty decent little read.

Christian Audio has Lee Strobel’s work discounted, and one for free.

Steven Lee rightfully says, ‘We Complain Because We Forget’

I wrote a post addressed to leaders in the church based on a devotional I gave last Sunday afternoon.

Paul Maxwell wrote an excellent little post called ‘Put Laziness to Rest’

I just now finally read Jonathon Woodyard’s post about how ordinary Christianity is radical Christianity. You may not agree, but I think he makes some good points here. 

For fun…Your computer color is broken, what a REAL tree house ought to look like, and Jordan Speith’s really really nice house…

This week there were several really good LONG articles. Great for your weekend!  Here they are…

A few weeks back I read this hilarious post from David Murray on his disastrous honeymoon.  This is long, but its worth the read – whatever you’re going through right now, you ain’t got nothin on this!

Speaking of old articles that I just got to this week, this one by Jon Bloom explores the question ‘Did Tolkien Waste His Life?’  It’s a good question. I mean the man spent years and years inventing fake lands and languages, and for what? Was it all to no avail?

Really interesting read by Yahoo Politics about how Presidents book hotel rooms, and all the ins and outs of where they stay and why when they travel.

Quartz takes a look at spaceware...yes, that’s right, the stuff you’ll be wearing when you and Richard Branson team up for a 9 hole match on the Moon…is made in Brooklyn.

If you’ve ever wondered what campaigning in New Hampshire (or other early Presidential contest states) is all about, you’ll enjoy this long read in Politico Magazine about the courting of NH activists. If you are at all political, I recommend this because it gives you an insight on how important grassroots activists are, and how the game works in the early states.

That’s it!  Enjoy your weekend reading!

PJW

It has been a pretty busy week, so my typical article intake is down to a bare minimum. That being said, I did read some interesting and encouraging items this week, and I hope you enjoy!

First off, if you didn’t watch the news this week then you might have missed a huge election in Israel. PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party scored a comfortable victory, and it seems likely that the PM will remain in his current post. This despite Obama campaign alum efforts to oust the conservative leader who has clashed with the White House on numerous occasions.

Also, Amazon got (high restricted) permission to test its package delivery drones…

Manny Pacquiao was on Fox News Sunday back in February, and I never caught it until this week. Pretty cool answer to why he’s continuing to box.

Best Blog of the Week from Jon Bloom: ‘God Loves Good Wine’

And Vox had an eerie, yet inspiring, first hand account of one lady’s survival of Nazi death camp Auschwitz.

And, my mind must be on Judaism this week, because I also happened to run across this Op-Ed from Michael Douglass (yes the actor) about his own Jewish heritage and how his son is facing issues of discrimination etc. Interesting stuff.

Now, on a more encouraging note…sort of…Nancy Guthrie has a blog post that was very insightful called ‘What Not to Ask Someone Suffering’ that deals with how to gently approach friends and family who are going through painful times.

Two upcoming documentaries of interest hit my radar this week…

There’s going to be an interesting documentary released on the life of Martyn Lloyd Jones. If you don’t know who that is, then check it out here. (h/t Lisa Wenzel)

And for those of you who grew up watching Little House on the Prarie, there’s a new documentary on Laura I. Wilder which might interest you. (h/t my kate)

Now two articles that I’ve been meaning to review and finally got to here have to do with worship on Sunday morning. The first is by Bob Kauflin (sovereign grace music) and is addressing the lighting in the sanctuary, and the second is from Marshall Segal and asks the question, “Do you hear the people sing?” Both make some excellent and worthwhile observations.

That’s it!  Have a great weekend!

PJW

Welcome to your weekend (almost)! Here’s what I read this week, and what I hope you’ll find interesting.

Let’s begin overseas. From Foreign Policy Mag: (Russell Moore quoted) Congress sits by as Christians are besieged by the Islamic State. Last August, President Barack Obama signed a bill creating a special envoy charged with helping Iraq’s Christian communities and other minority religious groups targeted by the Islamic State. Seven months later, the post is still vacant, and Congress seems in no rush to fill it.

Along similar lines…a piece I’m just now getting to by Thomas Madden that addresses (and adds perspective) the old trope of “Christians are just as bad as Muslims because, you know, the Crusades and stuff” (h/t Lisa Wenzel).

Meanwhile, Boko Haram has sworn allegiance to ISIS...I don’t think anyone is really clear about how big of a deal this is yet, but both groups seem to have the same affinity for killing Christians, Jews, and Muslim unwilling to be apart of their Charming Caliphate Club.

I assume everyone saw that 47 GOP Senators sent a letter to Iran, which basically undercuts the Obama Administration’s effort to reach a deal with said country re: NUKES. I’m not sure this was the wisest course of action, but when you’re dealing with the worst (and weakest…and I mean, he is a weakling) president in the history of our country (by far), wisdom can become more difficult to discern. I see the GOP leadership trying desperately to pull the country back from the brink of Chamberlain-like appeasement. I, for one, am glad at least some people are willing to stand up to evil in the world.

Closer to Home: Stumbled on this from a few months ago. Jen Wilkin writes about what moms should do when their husbands don’t actively disciple their kids. NOTE: Dads you would also do well to click through.

2 Articles this week from Jon Bloom over at Desiring God that are worth reading. The first is called ‘Don’t Follow Your Heart’ and the second is called ‘Jesus Will Not Leave You Alone.’

Hilarious rant on how Baby Boomers are the ‘Laziest Generation’ – all spurred on by the revelations that many politicians of this generation don’t use email. I don’t know if they are the laziest generation, but the argument has a certain aroma of truth to it…

Of course that boomer story washed up in the wake of hurricane HRC.  Emailgate (has anyone coined that term yet?) has been the obsession of news outlets for the last week (and rightfully so). Assuming you’re not living under a rock I won’t post links on the basics. But here are some fun peripheral links: Did Time Mag give Hillary Horns? And a hilarious line by line edit of Hillary’s disastrous presser put together by the Federalist. Lastly, this is going to be hilarious if they end up doing it…

Back to real life…if you’re visiting a church, Kevin DeYoung makes a few great points about how to get started there on the right foot. This is a perspective we don’t think much about when “church shopping.”

If you’re not a baby boomer and actually interested in technology (JUST KIDDING!), then maybe you’ll enjoy this article on class anxiety that the new Apple Watch might cause. If they’re right, then $100 says Mr. Class Warfare never says a word – namely because 1. Apple’s customers are young, and so are Mr. Class Warfare’s supporters and 2. Tim Cook is gay, and Mr. Class Warfare wouldn’t want to slander a company whose captain likes sleeping w/boys. Frankly, this is just Apple looking to do what all companies aim to do: make money! If you’re against that, then you ought to pickup the Socialist Pig’s memoir. I picked it up this week, read some of it, put it down, and washed my hands thoroughly.

Now a more sobering article. This one is an interesting look inside the decisions that haunt soldiers post-war, and it aims (I think) to give more clarity on the moral dilemmas that soldiers deal with and how they live with those dilemmas the rest of their lives. Secondly, I think the goal here is to more correctly discern these moral struggles instead of lumping them all under the PTSD category. What to do with a conscience seared by war and evil one faces in the midst of it?  I believe the gospel offers the answer – one such example here. (h/t my Kate)

LASTLY….Interesting popular science article…I’m sure this just happens randomly for no apparent reason, and by pure luck actually helps our planet. Right…that’s it…

Have a great weekend!

PJW