What difference does the gospel make? What difference does it make in your life? These are good questions to ask, I think, and good answers to ponder. How does your belief in the gospel of Jesus Christ impact your life? In what way is your life, even your Christian life, distinctly different because of the gospel?

Here is a quote I found somewhere or another, that addresses these questions head-on. It comes from the pen of John Calvin.

Without the gospel everything is useless and vain; without the gospel we are not Christians; without the gospel all riches is poverty, all wisdom folly before God; strength is weakness, and all the justice of man is under the condemnation of God. But by the knowledge of the gospel we are made children of God, brothers of Jesus Christ, fellow townsmen with the saints, citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, heirs of God with Jesus Christ, by whom the poor are made rich, the weak strong, the fools wise, the sinner justified, the desolate comforted, the doubting sure, and slaves free. It is the power of God for the salvation of all those who believe.

It follows that every good thing we could think or desire is to be found in this same Jesus Christ alone. For, he was sold, to buy us back; captive, to deliver us; condemned, to absolve us; he was made a curse for our blessing, sin offering for our righteousness; marred that we may be made fair; he died for our life; so that by him fury is made gentle, wrath appeased, darkness turned into light, fear reassured, despisal despised, debt canceled, labor lightened, sadness made merry, misfortune made fortunate, difficulty easy, disorder ordered, division united, ignominy ennobled, rebellion subjected, intimidation intimidated, ambush uncovered, assaults assailed, force forced back, combat combated, war warred against, vengeance avenged, torment tormented, damnation damned, the abyss sunk into the abyss, hell transfixed, death dead, mortality made immortal. In short, mercy has swallowed up all misery, and goodness all misfortune.

For all these things which were to be the weapons of the devil in his battle against us, and the sting of death to pierce us, are turned for us into exercises which we can turn to our profit. If we are able to boast with the apostle, saying, O hell, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting? it is because by the Spirit of Christ promised to the elect, we live no longer, but Christ lives in us; and we are by the same Spirit seated among those who are in heaven, so that for us the world is no more, even while our conversation [life] is in it; but we are content in all things, whether country, place, condition, clothing, meat, and all such things. And we are comforted in tribulation, joyful in sorrow, glorying under vituperation [verbal abuse], abounding in poverty, warmed in our nakedness, patient amongst evils, living in death.

This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father.

Today is Friday and that means it is time for another Free Stuff Fridays. This week's sponsor is Seeds Family Worship. "Seeds Family Worship was planted when worship leader, Jason Houser, was asked to write some songs to help kids remember the verses from his church's summer Bible school." A few months ago I gave away some sets of their albums. Today I will do that again but with an important addition--they've recently created a DVD.

"Seeds Family Worship has partnered with Igniter Media to create high energy and visually appealing worship tracks for children's and family worship gatherings. Seeds Worship Tracks are visual media vignettes based on Seeds Family Worship's CD "The Power of Encouragement." Each song is taken directly from the Bible using the NIV translation and is excellent in helping aid Scripture memory for all ages."

Included on DVD:

• Full version of track
• Instrumental version of track
• Click track (split) version of track
• easySLIDES

Here is a YouTube clip of just one of the songs.

We have five complete sets to give away (meaning that each winner will receive a copy of all five albums plus a copy of the DVD). Interestingly, each album includes two CDs, one to keep and one to give to a friend (great idea!).

Rules: You may only enter the draw once. Simply fill out your name and email address to enter the draw. As soon as the winners have been chosen, all names and addresses will be immediately and permanently erased. Winners will be notified by email. The giveaway closes Saturday at noon.

Why Are Bloggers Male? - This article from the Globe and Mail asks why most bloggers are male. And more than one person noted that in the list of the Top 100 Church Blogs, almost all the bloggers were male. Unfortunately her answer is somewhat trite, so I appreciate the question more than the answer. "Guys seek thrills and speed. They go for the adrenalin rush. They get pumped by going higher, faster, farther than anyone else. They want lots of action and instant gratification. That's also why guys like blogging – instant opinions, and lots of them."

What Not To Say to the Suffering - Ed Welch blogging at CCEF: "Don’t say 'If you need anything, please call me—anytime.' to anyone. Let’s put it to rest and never let it appear on another 'Not Helpful' list."

The Christianity Map - Here's a rather interesting map showing what kinds of Christianity dominate in different parts of the US.

How Millennial Are You? - Pew Research has a quiz. Turns out I'm not very millennial at all.

What Publishers Don't Know - It turns out they don't know everything. "Many people seem to have a notion that publishers somehow are (or should be) a superior form of human being. It's nice to be so highly thought of--until you find out what they mean. Like the question many of us have heard. 'I thought you guys were smart. Why don't you just publish bestsellers?'"

Paralympics - Boston.com has a round-up of amazing photos from the 2010 Winter Paralympics. "After a separate torch relay and opening ceremony, competitors faced off in five different sports: Sledge hockey, Wheelchair curling, Alpine skiing, Biathlon, and Cross-country skiing - the last three broken into classes of sitting, standing and visually impaired."

Yesterday I received an email from a reader of this site and today I'd like to answer it (with the permission of the person who sent it). Here is what he wrote:

Thank you so much for your booklet, "Sexual Detox." I have read it over and over, and am still very much challenged by it. I was recently married and was under the illusion that marriage would solve all of my lust problems... Even though I had been told numerous times that it would not. Now I feel that everything has come to head, I know what I must do, and I want so very badly to do it, but I feel that the devil knows this is THE deciding point in my life on this issue, and he is working hard against me. I feel more captivated and strangled by my sin than ever before, and I need you to pray for me. If you have any advice or encouragement to offer, please tell me.

Thanks for sending this note. It sounds to me like you are absolutely right when say that this is a deciding point in your life on the issue of lust and the acting out of that lust. Satan will be working hard against you and, in many ways, you will be working hard against yourself. You gave yourself over to your sin and no doubt you've become captivated by it. As sin always seeks to do, it has ensnared you. But take heart. There is hope.

To reiterate what I wrote in Sexual Detox, the fact that you feel sexual desire is a good and noble thing. God has given you that desire so you will pursue your bride. But, like all good gifts, the gift of sex is one that we are prone to pervert, turning it into a means of selfish self-fulfillment. God wants you to pursue your wife, to win her heart not just once but day-by-day; and he wants you to enjoy sex with her. But, of course, you have grown used to indulging the flesh, to giving it its desires, those desires that are perversions of the true gift. And sin rarely just goes away; it is usually a long and difficult process to put it to death.

A few days ago someone asked me, "What difference does it make that Christ is on his throne?" I had to think about that one, but when I did, the answer became clear. It makes all the difference in the world. Just this morning I read from Hebrews 1 where the author says, "After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." There is such glorious truth there.

First, Christ made purification for sins. This is the very heart of the Christian faith. Finally, after those long millenia of human history, the thousands of Old Testament prophecies were fulfilled in Christ. The seed promised all the way back in Genesis 3 had come and had crushed the head of the serpent. What this means is that if you have trusted in Christ, if you have put your faith in him, you have been purified from your sin. God no longer regards you as defiled by sin, but looks at you and sees the sinless perfection of Christ. Your sin has been given to him, his righteousness has been transferred to you.

Purification is an especially important word when we discuss sexual sin, for no sin makes us feel as dirty, as defiled, as impure as sexual sin. Because sex is so deep, so intimate, it touches the body, the soul, the emotions. And so, when we sin sexually, we tend to feel a deep sense of defilement, and particularly so when we sin in spite of a convicted conscience.

And yet Christ died to purify you from even this sin. You have sinned against God and need to seek his forgiveness. I am sure you've already done this, but do go to God, even now, and confess your sin. Be reconciled to God and receive his forgiveness, his purification from sin. Christ is far more willing to forgive you than you are even to pursue your sin.

That Christ has made purification for sin is an amazing truth. But it is only half the truth of this verse. Christ has not just died, but he is risen and now reigns at the right hand of the Father. And what does it mean that Christ is on his throne? It means that Christ is ruling and reigning. It means that Christ is sovereign, that he is King, that he has power. He gives power to his people through the Spirit, his Spirit, that he has sent to be our helper. Christ has given you the power to overcome sin. What a glorious truth this is! He has given you all you need, absolutely everything you need, to overcome sin. The Spirit works with us, in us, through us, to destroy indwelling sin and to make us in practice what we are in position--pure and holy.

So there is no excuse. Christ is reigning over the entire universe; he is reigning over sin. If you are to overcome the sin of lust, if you are to turn from your lust and find sexual desire and fulfillment only in your wife, you will need to fight with his power.

Hold tightly to these two truths and never separate them. Christ has died to destroy sin; Christ has risen to reign.

I have already encouraged you to confess your sin to God and to ask his forgiveness. And as you do that, confess your own inability to overcome this sin and ask God for his strength, his power. Be utterly dependent upon him.

Be a godly man. Immerse yourself in the Word; be faithful in prayer; be committed to your church. Live a life of godliness. Do not approach the sin of lust as an isolated sin, but approach it as one more sin that needs to be overcome as you seek to be conformed to the image of the Savior.

In committing sexual sin, you have sinned against your wife. You need to confess this sin to her, painful thought it may be, and seek her forgiveness. You will also need to seek reconciliation with her. You are much more likely to overcome this sin with her help than without it. Be very careful not to blame her in any way for your sin; do not implicate her in any way. Confess your sin and ask her to fight with you in putting it to death. As a husband you need to lead your wife. And, as you've been sinning against her, you've been leading her poorly. Part of shepherding your wife, and often the most difficult part of all, is leading in the sexual relationship. This is especially difficult when you have committed sexual sin. But lead her nonetheless, gently and kindly. And lead her by being above reproach in every way.

Understand the triggers and the warning signs that tell you that you are particularly prone to sin. And react by fleeing from those rather than waiting for the lustful act itself. Speaking personally, I look for tiny things that may be entirely amoral and seemingly insignificant, but I know that they point to a general relaxing of standards and discipline. When I eat too much junk food or drink too much Coke, I know that I'm relaxing my personal discipline and that I'm only a few steps away from committing a sin I'll regret. So I look for these innocuous things and fight against them. It sounds silly, I know, but I've studied my propensity to sin enough to know where it begins. So find those triggers in your own life, even those amoral things, and react against them. Look for situations that lead you to sin, whether that involves browsing certain web sites or being in certain places or staying up past certain hours.

And finally, seek out an older man who can mentor you. Find a man in your church whom you respect and ask if he will help you fight lust and become a better husband to your wife. Ask him to be not an accountability partner, but a mentor.

And take heart. Many men can testify to God's grace in overcoming sin. Scripture itself testifies that God is eager and willing to put your sin to death. Christ has died to forgive your sin and he has risen and sent his Spirit to give you mastery over it. He reigns and he is on your side. What greater hope could there be?

Three Great Reads for Easter - Earlier this week I suggested a few books that are suitable for Good Friday reading. Here's the natural follow-up: three books to read before Easter. One, two and three.

Son of Hamas - GQ (of all publications) has an interview with Mosab Yousef, the Christian author of Son of Hamas.

Heavenward - Scotty Smith has moved his blog, which is almost entirely prayers, to Gospel Coalition.

Kindle for Mac - At long last, Amazon has released their Kindle for Mac software. Unfortunately it's like the PC version in that you can view notes you've made using your other devices, but you can't actually take notes or highlight using the software.

My Daughter Abby and Me - James MacDonald shares a difficult but joyous occasion from his family. My favorite quote from the article: “Well James, when you pray, ‘whatever it takes,’ you need to take whatever it took.”

ESV App - You'll want to check out the new (and free) ESV app for iPhone.

Top 100 Church Blogs - Church Relevance offers the updated list of the top 100 Church Blogs. (I almost didn't link to this because it seemed somehow arrogant, but I do respect the amount of work CR has put into the list and thought it would be good to acknowledge it)

I am often asked for pointers on writing book reviews and recently realized that, to my recollection, I've never written on the topic. That may be because I consider myself quite a poor book reviewer. I got into writing reviews (over 500 book reviews ago now) by circumstance more than skill; I had a blog, I read a lot, and book reviews just started to happen. Yet I am aware that I am not a great reviewer. Read the Times or a theological journal and you will encounter a completely different skill level in reviewers.

Having said that, I think I am able to write reviews that appeal to a particular audience. And in that way at least, I've been successful. So today let me share just a few pointers for those who are considering writing reviews for a medium similar to this one.

As I said a moment ago, any success I've had owes more to writing for a defined audience than in great skill. I know who reads this site and I try to write about books that will be of interest to that kind of reader. If my IQ was about 100 points higher and if I wrote for Themelios I might read and review Revitalizing Theological Epistemology: Holistic Evangelical Approaches to the Knowledge of God. As it is, though, I know who I am and I know who reads this web site and I try to review books accordingly. Almost by definition, the people who read this site share at least some of my interests and so what is of interest to me is of interest to them. That's part of the beauty of a blog.

So know your audience. Know the kind of book they will want to read and then anticipate the kind of questions they will want answered before they consider reading that book. Here are the types of questions I tend to answer:

An author will typically not wait very long before offering a defense of his book's existence. He will most often say "This is why I have written this book." I seek to communicate that information within my review. So, for example, in my recent review of The Masculine Mandate I quoted the author as he said, "My aim in writing this book is to help men to know and fulfill the Lord's calling as it is presented so clearly to us in God's Word." It's usually just that simple. But that little bit of information is very helpful to the reader. And you'd be surprised how often reviewers neglect to include it.

As an author defines the purpose for his book, he also tends to define his audience. This is not always the case as some books are written for just about anyone (think, for example, of Malcolm Gladwell's books); but most books do have a defined audience. Again, from my review of The Masculine Mandate: "Richard Phillips writes that his new book The Masculine Mandate 'is written for Christian men who not only don't want to lose that precious biblical understanding, but who want to live out the calling to true manliness God has given us.'"

Once I've covered the purpose of the book and its intended audience, I tend to offer a summary of what the author communicates. To do this I sometimes pick out just a few of his more substantial points or I may trace his outline, moving chapter by chapter or part by part. In just a few paragraphs I want to offer a summary of the complete book, giving enough to be interesting but not so much that it becomes burdensome. Two or three paragraphs is often sufficient here.

Before I wrap up the review, I want to help people understand what sets this book apart and what makes it unique. This is often the most important part of the review. In almost every case the book will have some close competition, so it is important to offer evidence of what makes it different from the others. This is a good time to discuss a few of the author's very good or very bad points, to agree with him, to quibble with him or to offer up a wholly different perspective. If he says anything outrageously good or outrageously bad, here is the place to bring that out.

Reviews are, by their very nature, subjective. An author of a review cannot entirely remove himself from it. Ultimately, many readers are looking less for a summation of the book's content than they are looking for the opinion of the reviewer. They simply want to know, "Should I read it or not?" Many readers will do little more than skip to the bottom of the review to find that information (which is one of the reasons I avoid star ratings or other easy tip-offs that would allow people to not bother reading the review). So I generally try to offer my own opinion, saying who should read this book and why (or who should not read it and why). At 10MillionWords I've gotten into the habit of closing each review with "Verdict: Read it if..."

Having said all of this, I find it best not to follow any single structure too rigidly. There are some review styles that call for a kind of stylized rigidity (see PluggedIn's movie reviews as an example) and that is well and good. But unless you have to write within a certain structure, it is probably best to vary things at least occasionally.

There is also value in offering reviews of a variety of kinds of books, a variety of genres. Again, this will depend on the context for those reviews; a theological journal will likely only print reviews of theological books. But often at a blog or in a magazine you will have freedom to try something very different. Know your audience and feel free to tell them about books that are, for some reason, particularly interesting to you, even if they are somewhat unusual.

Finally, just a few words about logistics. In terms of length, go with "just long enough." Communicate what you need to communicate but be wary of going too long. This is particularly true when writing for an online publication where people are accustomed to skimming more than reading. A little too short is probably better than a little too long. Also, it's often a good idea to add a "buy it" link at the end of the review, pointing to Amazon or another relevant bookstore. If you are recommending a book and people are going to buy it anyway, you may as well pocket a few cents for referring them.

The Forsaken Children - I don't know much about this ministry, but I was moved to read a two part story of returning a kidnapped child to his family: Zor-zor and Zor-zor Part 2.

There Is No Overpopulation Problem - Here is an interesting perspective on the supposed overpopulation problem. "Focus on the population 'problem' is essentially a matter of the rich 'downplay[ing] the importance of our own environmental footprint because future generations of poor people might one day have the temerity to get as rich and destructive as us.'"

Jonathan Edwards Center - Jonathan Edwards fanboys will want to take a look at the Jonathan Edwards Center at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School.

Death and Social Media - Ever wondered what would happen to your Facebook, MySpace, Twitter or GMail if you were to die? This article explains.

That Superbowl Commercial - Boundless has an update on that infamous Superbowl commercial."It's been over a month since Focus on the Family's ad appeared in the Super Bowl. From time to time I hear comments that maybe Focus shouldn't have placed the ad, or should have placed a more hard-hitting ad. 'What good has it done?' I hear some ask."

R.C. Sproul on Roman Catholicism - For the past week, Dr. Sproul has been going through the series Roman Catholicism on his radio program, Renewing Your Mind, and will conclude the series on March 19. In this series, R.C. Sproul carefully and respectfully looks at the doctrines that are at the heart of the Catholic-Protestant divide.

From his earliest days, Mosab Hasson Yousef had a view of the inner workings of Hamas. The son of one its founders, from childhood he was immersed in the shadowy world of Middle Eastern terror and politics. Arrested time and again by the Shin Bet, the Israeli internal intelligence service, he eventually made the decision to become a double agent, working for Israel instead of against her. For ten years, from 1997 to 2007, he lived like this, deeply embedded within Hamas, suspected by no one, yet passing vast amounts of information to Israel. In this way he prevented assassinations, stopped suicide attacks and provided information leading to the arrests or killings of many terrorists. He was Shin Bet's most valuable source of information about Hamas.

In 1999 he had a chance encounter with a British visitor who invited Yousef to learn about the Christian faith. Curious and intelligent, Yousef took this opportunity and was immediately struck by the difference between Jesus Christ and Mohammed, between the Christian faith and the Islam he had inherited from his fathers. In the months that followed he made a slow conversion to Christianity and was quietly baptized.

Eventually Yousef grew tired of his double life and convinced the Israelis to release him from his position with them. With some reluctence they agreed and allowed him to move to the United States where he continues to live today. Son of Hamas is the story of his life, "A gripping account of terror, betrayal, political intrigue, and unthinkable choices," according to the rather verbose subtitle.

And it's a good story that is told well. Yousef offers a uniquely interesting perspective on Hamas and on the political background and context in that area of the world. His story involves just enough action and intrigue to keep it interesting. At times it is almost (but not quite) unbelievable.

One thing I found interesting is that Youself reveals the Israelis not as the good guys but as the less-bad guys. He develops some level of respect for them when he sees that they are fighting for their lives against a host of nations bent on their destruction. But still he shows how they are every bit as willing as the surrounding nations to torture and kill to further their own ends. Their respect for life is not much greater than that of their enemies. So the Israelis really are not the good guys in this story.

And of course I enjoyed reading not just of Yousef's conversion to Christianity but also the long process and the inner turmoil that got him there. It was only through much soul-searching that he was able to see Jesus Christ not just as a prophet but as the Son of God who died for the sin of the world. So often I read books like this and am disappointed to see that the author finds joy in everything but Christ. But here Yousef finds rest and joy and peace only when he submits his life to Christ.

Yousef does not want to be a hero to Christians. At the end of the book he admits his own unsuitability for that task. He is a new Christian and one who is unskilled--still a novice. And yet he is one who has now written a book about his conversion that has landed on the New York Times list of bestsellers. His testimony is powerful and I both hope and expect that God will use it to show others the light that can be theirs if they turn to Christ.

This one is well worth reading. Buy a copy and marvel at God's grace. Marvel at how God will go to great lengths to draw his people to himself.

The Elisha Foundation - The Elisha Foundation is a great ministry that works with the families of disabled children (mental or physical disabilities). Their annual retreat is coming up and is a time when parents are given a brief respite from the work of caring for their children. Check out the web site for details.

Three Great Reads for Good Friday - Here are three good books you may want to read before Good Friday: one, two and for advanced studies, three.

The End of Publishing - This is an interesting little video that makes some good points and some not-so-good. An explanation of both would take longer than I'd want to give it in A La Carte.

Where Did John 5:4 Go? - Mounce looks at what happened to John 5:4. "This is a pretty big issue, and a simple blog can’t do it justice. It can also degenerate into a pretty ugly discussion; many of the people involved in the discussion don’t know much Greek (if any), and in the worst case scenarios the discussion is reduced to a matter of salvation. “If you don’t believe what I believe about the text of the Bible, you aren’t a Christian.” Let’s see if we can steer clear of this type of ungodliness."

Spring Swag - My friend Becky is offering some great giveaways over at her blog. My guess is that women will find it significantly more interesting than men.

Deal of the Day: Pastor's Package - RHB is offering to pastors a package containing some great resources.

Creationists and Holocaust Deniers - Richard Dawkins explains why Creationists are like Holcaust deniers.

Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts)

We are pleased to extend an invitation to join for our eleventh annual Basics Conference. As we meet this year, we look forward to God using our time together to encourage us in our work for the Gospel.

In his introduction to the “Priority of Preaching,” Christopher Ash describes how he left a large pastors’ conference feeling like a dog with his tail between his legs. The conference speakers all seemed to be handsome, successful, and strategic and far removed from the ordinary pastor in an ordinary place preaching regularly to ordinary people.

I suspect that many of us can identify with Christopher’s reaction. Our plan hope for this year’s conference is to encourage one another in the essentials of pastoral ministry and particularly to get help with our preaching.

I have invited two very good friends and mentors to join us here at Parkside in May. Sinclair Ferguson is a fellow Scotsman and needs no introduction. John Shearer is well known and loved in his native Scotland and in other parts of the world but will be a new name to many. These men embody the kind of Bible-based, Christ-centered, Spirit-endued ministry that we are seeking to uphold in this conference. I look forward to seeing you in May.

Warmly Yours,
Alistair Begg

Alistair Begg has been in pastoral ministry for over 30 years. He served eight years in Scotland at Charlotte Chapel in Edinburgh and Hamilton Baptist Church. more>

Sinclair Ferguson is the Senior Minister at First Presbyterian Church of Columbia, South Carolina. In addition, Dr. Ferguson is Professor of Systematic Theology at Westminster Theological Seminary. more>

John Shearer is the Senior Minister at Musselburgh Baptist Church in Scotland. He has pastored churches in Northern Ireland and Scotland and has been involved in a pioneering work in the Republic of Ireland. more>

Arrival and registration begins at 12:00pm on Monday, May 10. There are seminars scheduled at 3:00pm with our first conference session at 4:30pm. The conference concludes at 12:30pm on Wednesday, May 12. more>

We have blocked rooms at three local hotels. Please reserve directly with them but ask for the Parkside Church conference rate. more>

Basics is for men: pastors, missionaries, evangelists, and Christian workers or those training for such roles. To the extent that we value male friendship, support and camaraderie, we do not encourage wives to attend. Our brief but meaningful gathering is meant to equip, inspire, and strengthen us in a demanding work.

The conference fee is $140 and $65 for current students. To register online please visit www.parksidechurch.com/basics.

For resources from last year’s conferences please visit http://www.truthforlife.org/resources/series/basics-2009/

Note: This is a sponsored post (click here to learn about sponsored posts)