Monday music, Reformation Day Edition: Martin Luther done to the Bangles' "Manic Monday"

Happy Reformation Day!

(Thanks to Paula for the tip)

Day by Day also piles on Romney

Actually, I think the facts pile on Romney. Goodness, hope we can manage a better alternative. Just don't ask me who.

Romney, I say again, is my dead-last electable choice, besides Obama.

Terrific ad on Romney; just wish it wasn't Huntsman's

Two of my dead-last-choice candidates.

Mormon-on-Mormon verbal violence.

UPDATE: another flip? This time on global warming. As I've said, Romney is my last choice among electable candidates.

Except Obama.

Hither and thither 10/28/11

Busy, full week. A lot of traffic with the high-visibility posts here at BibChr! I'm ready for the weekend; howbowchoo?

There were some very cool World-Tilting Gospel developments this past week. Last Friday, Kim Shay put up a delightful (to me!) review of the book, saying she "would recommend this book for anyone, new or old Christian alike." The presence of appropriate Princess Bride quotations ups the "cool" factor to sister Shay. Then Mathew Sims wrapped up his thorough, thoughtful three-part review of the book, concluding that "you should read TWTG. Not because the book in itself has any value but because it so succintly focuses on the gospel and it will deepen your understanding of the thing Paul said was 'of first importance' (1 Cor. 15:3)."

Finally, Dr. David Steele, who pastors a Baptist church in Oregon, gave TWTG a very generous (and humbling, and encouraging) review, in which he ranks it with the works of Pearcey, Nash and Francis Schaeffer as "Among the best" in setting forth a Christian worldview.

God's Wisdom in Proverbs received a full review from our reader Robert Sakovich. By the way, I am scheduled to appear again this coming week on the Janet Mefferd show, this time to talk about that book.

We begin our foray with Yet Another Unmarketable Talent:

• BSIL alerted me to the most amazing Hot Wheel track, ever. I'm not a big Hot Wheel fan. I thought it was a bit boring at the start... but stick with it, it gets amazing pretty quickly.
• YEAH baby, yeah! (Thx Robert)
• The other Robert (Sakovich) aimed me at a post in which Mike Pohlman writes, "There’s something just not right about a religion launching a national advertising campaign. But this is exactly what the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has done." I'm thinking they don't front-load the holy undies, Planet Kolob, and a whole bunch else.
• Wellnow, I guess this is one way to improve your book's sales. Sheesh, and the rest of us are forced to rely on persuasion and word of mouth and stuff. Must be nice.
• Fred Butler humor:

• Fred also indirectly directed me to what I'm pretty sure my Josiah will agree is a pretty profligate waste of coffee. Hope it wasn't Peet's.
• And for a Fred trifecta: some pretty amazing (and, some of them, ghastly) pumpkin carvings.
• How Stupid Do They Think We Are? update. The Obama machine thinks it can get away with a "we can't wait" theme. The GOP-led House unleashes a blistering truth-response. Plus, 900+ days without a budget? Yeah, "can't wait" all right.
• As to how stupid we actually are, ask me again in 11/2012. Jury's out at the moment.
• This is pretty great. Photosho + Harry Potter photos + rock star faces = fun fun fun. I particularly like the choices for Dumbledore and Voldemort.
• Angie found an eloquent illustration:

• Chris Carney notes a step in a scary direction, as an appeals court won't stop a judge from considering Sharia law in a case... in Florida.
• Similarly, Robert Sakovich found PETA suing for constitutional rights for whales.
• Hm. Does Sharia law deal with whales?
• Oh, and then there's this group of Muslim students who is suing to have crosses and such removed, because they offend them. Where? At Catholic University.
• Hel-lo? Amir (or whoever)? When you matriculated, didn't you notice that it was called "Catholic University"? Many people would call that a clue.
• So, back to "scary directions," there's a massive persecution of a woman in New Jersey who committed the heinous crime of existing while Christian — out loud! This is a teacher who expressed disapproval of a particular sexual perversion on her personal Facebook page. Now They are being demanded to fire her.
• You can see Viki Knox's comments here and decide for yourself how radical they are.
• You'll be glad to know that conservative stalwart, Republican Governor Chris Christie has, er, weighted in. Glad, that is, until you learn that he's on the wrong side of the equation, finding it "disturbing" that one soul hasn't been assimilated yet.
• Terry Rayburn showed me a fellow who thinks Amazon is about to destroy all publishers. (Warning: a brief crude expression.)
• A little cautionary picture for Josiah, whose day is coming:

• Let me say this again clearly: coffee — it's a health drink.
• (Goodness knows it's good for my health!)
• Relatedly, in our unending search for The Perfect Food, courtesy of Instapundit, I bring you: banana Nutella wontons. Some of you will want to leave out the banana. Most of you will want to wrap it in bacon.
• The perfect food, that is, as opposed to...

• Staying with food: you know I'm no "healthfood Nazi," but dude — how do you not call this a heart-attack in a bowl?
• Zachary West (and Julie) noted giant Lego men washing up on shore here and there.
• Well, we started with a note from BSIL, and we end with a DAOD doubleheader.
• First, DAOD alerted me to an drive in Mississippi to create a consitutional amendment defining a fertilized human ovum as a person. The article sagely notes that this would jeopardize nearly all abortions, "including those resulting from rape or incest." Imagine that.
• Second: hey, DAOD. Want to see what happens when someone flushes on a jet?

• Then these select morsels:

THE USUALS WILL BE OBSERVED

NIV 2011 translation-philosophy and abortion-logic

M'man Professor Jim Hamilton has a terrific post on the decision by the NIV 2011 translators to take Selah from the printed text, and move it to footnotes. Jim makes a characteristically thorough and solid case that this is a bad and insupportable decision, and should be reversed.

Well, good luck with that. The entire NIV "family" of versions have made a number of bad and insupportable decisions, and not reversed them. It is doubtful that they will reverse this.

But I just want you to focus on the enormity of what they have done. They taken a part of the text which has unimpeachable textual support, and sidelined it. In other words, there is no objective doubt that Selah was part of the canonical text of Psalms, the Bible that our Lord affirmed as God's Word. But because the word is mysterious, and for whatever other corollary reasons, the translators simply decide that its value is up for re-evaluation, and they demote it.

One more time:

1. This is undoubtedly part of the canonical text
2. But we estimate its value to be less than the rest of the text; therefore
3. We are free to demote it

Now, do you see the connection between this apparent reasoning and our discussion of abortion the other day? There, the reasoning we opposed went like this:

1. This is undoubtedly a baby
2. But we estimate its value to be less than other babies; therefore
3. We are free to contract for its termination

In both cases, I see the problem as insufficient fear of God, an issue I develop a little bit at Pyro today, and at great length in the Proverbs book. This is the text of Scripture, the very word of God... yet I feel free to demote part of it. This is a baby, created in God's image and posing no imminent physical threat to the mother's life... yet I feel free to have him killed.

Note too the slope in either case.

In the case of abortion-for-a-parent's-crime, advocates have granted the proposition that we are free to define human value for convenience's sake (emotional convenience, in this case).

In the case of Selah, translators have granted the proposition that a part of the sacred text can be demoted for... cultural or other sake.

In the former case, then in principle all babies' lives (and all children's lives) are in principle forfeit and negotiable.

In the latter case, then in principle all texts (and all text's importance) are in principle forfeit and negotiable.

In the former, you have "it is a baby, and yet..."

In the latter, you have "it is the text of Scripture, and yet..."

Where could it lead? Given the clear yearning on the part of at least some NIV minds to be liked by folks who hate Biblical teaching concerning women, is there any in-principle reason why a future "edition" of the NIV should not similarly decide that 1 Timothy 2:8-15 was not, like Selah, a cultural fixture for which we no longer have any need, and that it should not be read aloud in church, and so it should be relegated to a footnote?

Think about it.

"God's Wisdom in Proverbs": do not miss the 50% deadline

As a reading experience, The World-Tilting Gospel and God's Wisdom in Proverbs are (and should be) a bit different.  The way I would describe it is by using a car metaphor, and a math metaphor. Respectively: in TWTG, a lot of the power is "under the hood." In GWP, I "show my work."

So you might sit down and read through TWTG pretty easily, then come back and study all the verses. But GWP reads like a study, so I would anticipate that it's slower going.

So, though hundreds are (apparently) reading GWP, there aren't too many reviews out yet.

Here's what concerns me:

1. If you are (understandably) hesitating about ordering the Proverbs book because you'd like to see what others say about it, and then...
2. ...if some positive reviews come out after October 31, and...
3. ...if those reviews persuade you to order the book —
4. Then you'll be all sad and blue that you didn't take the 50% off deal, which expires on October 31!

So since it's my goal for everyone to be happy (for the right reasons), I direct you to the reviews that are online thus far in the hope that they'll help:

Casey Lute, author of But God, reviewed God's Wisdom in Proverbs here.

Fred Butler reviewed the book here.

Robert Sakovich reviewed it here.

Kirby Johnson reviewed the appendix on Proverbs 22:6 here.

Also, you can read some of the endorsements here.

Kindle? An odd thing that took me by surprise in this, my maiden-voyage year for publishing, is the folks whose first question is: When will it be on Kindle? I'm told that Kress is working on it. But my advice is to get a hard-copy regardless, if you're at all interested in the book. It is riddled with footnotes, and Kindle isn't the best format for footnotes. Plus I think it's the sort of book you'll want to hold in hand, mark up, etc.

Plus here is the Table of Contents (click to enlarge):

So, go here to get the 50% off before it ends on Reformation Day, next Monday. Get it as a Christmas present. For whom? From the book:

Or if you've any thought of using it in Bible studies, I don't think you're going to beat 50% off.


Finally, perhaps some of you good folks are reading through it, and could make your own recommendations to help the undecided.

UPDATE: I just learned that Kress is extending the sale until November 30! But, rather than say "never mind," I'll leave this up, and maybe repeat it then.

Mixed messages?

Seen on my lunchtime walk yesterday (click to enlarge):

How I wish the abortion-for-rape debate would go

Seeing the terrible dither and fog Herman Cain cast up when asked about abortion, I felt impelled to borrow a page from Trevin Wax and give my dream-version of such an interchange. We'll start where Morgan and Cain started, substitute fantasy-me, and make the rest up:

MORGAN: Abortion. What’s your view of abortion?

PHILLIPS: I believe that life begins at conception. And elective abortion under no circumstances. And here’s why –

MORGAN: No circumstances?

PHILLIPS: No circumstances.

MORGAN: Because many of your fellow candidates — some of them qualify that.

PHILLIPS: They qualify but –

MORGAN: Rape and incest.

PHILLIPS: Rape and incest, maybe more.

MORGAN: Are you honestly saying — again, it’s a tricky question, I know.

PHILLIPS: Ask the tricky question. I ain't 'fraid o' no Q's.

MORGAN: But you’ve had children, grandchildren. If one of your female children, grand children was raped, you would honestly want her to bring up that baby as her own?

PHILLIPS: As opposed to...?

MORGAN: < blinks > As opposed to allowing her freedom of choice.

PHILLIPS: Freedom of choice to...?

MORGAN: Well, to terminate the pregnancy.

PHILLIPS: Well Piers, every pregnancy terminates. You are a terminated pregnancy, I am a ter... I mean, it's not like our moms are still pregnant, right?

MORGAN: Yes, well, of course. That's not what we're talking about.

PHILLIPS: Oh? What are we talking about?

MORGAN: Abortion.

PHILLIPS: Okay, killing a baby before it's born. Or, if you're a Democrat, while it's being born. Or, if you're Senatrix Boxer, after it's born but before it's taken home. Yes, what is your question?

MORGAN: About rape. Would you make an exception for rape?

PHILLIPS: I'm not sure why you won't just say it plainly. Does your position embarrass you?

MORGAN:  No, of course not. This isn't about my position.

PHILLIPS: All right. Well, what is your position?

MORGAN: No no no, this isn't about me. I'm not running for President. What is your position?

PHILLIPS: On abortion? Didn't I already say? I'm pro-life. Innocent children should be protected.

MORGAN: Even in rape?

PHILLIPS: Why? What'd the baby do?

MORGAN: Sorry?

PHILLIPS: What did the baby do? I didn't even know you were pro-death-penalty, and here you're suggesting a death-penalty for the baby. What did the baby do?

MORGAN: It isn't about the baby...

PHILLIPS: < scoff > If they could speak for themselves as the blades get closer, I think they'd beg to differ with you, Piers.

MORGAN: So, the woman is going through this terrible experience, and you would force her to keep that child.

PHILLIPS: The woman is going through a terrible experience, because she is a victim. I don't see how I would help her by turning her into a victimizer, by suggesting that she make her baby a victim. Wouldn't you say that being torn limb from limb or burnt to death is a "terrible experience"? How does having her put an innocent child through a terrible experience help her with her terrible experience — if that is our concern?

MORGAN: But --

PHILLIPS: Hang on a moment. We all agree, I hope: criminals should be punished. I hope we also all agree that only criminals should be punished. Right?

MORGAN: Okay, but --

PHILLIPS: Work with me here, Piers. You'll get your straight answer about the What, plus at no extra charge you'll get the Why. So criminals, and only criminals. OK, there's been a rape. Who's the criminal?

MORGAN: The rapist.

PHILLIPS: The rapist. Not the woman?

MORGAN: Of course not! That kind of thinking...

PHILLIPS: Oh, I agree. The woman is not a criminal, because she did not deserve this. Last question: did the baby deserve it? Did he do something? Should he be punished for his father's crime?

MORGAN: So you would prohibit abortion even in the case of rape.

PHILLIPS: < chuckles > The jury will note that you don't want to think rationally about this issue. But to give you the promised straight answer: a Phillips administration would oppose death penalties for innocent victims, including children of rape.

Monday music: Phil Keaggy and the Sweet Comfort Band jammin'

You read it right. I loved the musicianship of The Sweet Comfort Band, and everybody loves Phil Keaggy. Never knew they played together, yet — lookie here:

Keaggy's guitar skills are legendary, but Sweet Comfort's guitarist Randy Thomas is obviously no slouch. Standing on a stage with Keaggy and dropping some jaws of your own with some dandy licks is pretty eloquent.

Harold Camping and Family Radio: please, please, just shut up

Harold Camping — who is not a false prophet — was wrong (again) about the date of Christ's return. More fundamentally, Camping was wrong to set a date for Christ's return. Still more fundamentally, Camping was wrong to pose, in any way, as a Bible teacher. (Read an account of his sad and shameful story, starting here.)

Harold Camping has been wrong about very much for very many years, as others have documented. He was wrong about how to interpret the Bible, and wrong to reject at least an attempt at correction. But when his local church tried to step in to deal with some of his harmful teaching, he was wrong not to heed it. He was wrong to teach that the church age had ended. He was wrong to set a first date. He was wrong to set a second date. He was wrong to set a third date. He was wrong not to take any responsibility for what he'd said and done. He was wrong to refuse to take responsibility for what people had done and how they'd ruined (or ended) their lives on the basis of his false teaching.

At each and every point, Harold Camping was wrong not to take and accept responsibility, repent, and make restitution as able.

But what of Family Radio? Are they free from responsibility? Now they're saying in effect "Oopsie, well, that was disappointing, but please keep giving us money." Is that a mischaracterization? You tell me. First:

"I know that many of us are deeply disappointed that Christ did not come. And I said something like this back in May," the host said. "But please try to keep in mind that all of us who are believers, all of us who are Christians, are to live in such a way that we are to pray with the apostle John: 'Come quickly Lord Jesus.' "

Then:

"I trust that you too will pray for us often that we can minister in many ways. That God will provide wisdom to those of leadership and that we continue to minister to you, and to teach God's word daily. Please pray for us and pray about continuing to support this totally listener-sponsored Christian radio network. We have a great need for daily operating funds. Without your generous support at this time we might be forced to face some very important decisions. I trust those of you who enjoy some of our programming daily will be able to share generously in the months ahead."

"Deeply disappointed that Christ did not come," and pray "that we continue to minister to  you, and to teach God's word daily."

And please give us money.

So, "disappointed that Christ did not come" — not "horrified that for years and years we at Family Radio provided an international platform to a dangerous and obvious false teacher who, contrary to Scripture, predicted the date of Christ's return repeatedly, shut up the Gospel, told his followers to leave their local churches, and pronounced as heretics millennia of Christians who affirmed that even Jesus had said He could not predict the date during the days of His flesh."

And pray "that we continue to minister to you, and to teach God's word" — not "that we each of us repent for having brought shame and disgrace on the name of God, and ruination to the lives of many, and that we have wisdom as we seek to produce fruits in keeping with repentance, attach ourselves to local churches, and look for sound Christian leadership to take up the ruins of Family Radio's international apparatus."

If you look around right now, you don't see a lot of Christian comment about Camping. Maybe they're worn out, maybe it's already been said, or maybe they're saving it for Monday.

But you do see a lot of non-Christian comment, mocking Camping, but even more mocking Christianity. Because of Camping.

Christians should not give a dime to Family Radio. Should not have been giving a dime for years.

Family Radio once had wonderful music, wonderful programs, wonderful preachers and teachers — and this unqualified oddball named Camping. Over the years, Camping displaced the rest, and continued his wretched trajectory.

I just can't imagine a scenario under which Family Radio continues as-is with sound Christian support.

If it be responded that "Gee, they couldn't do anything, because Camping owned everything" — it's hard to see that as an argument for supporting Family Radio. In fact, it's an eloquent argument that support should have stopped like the throwing of a light switch years and years ago: there was no machinery for shutting up a dangerous false teacher.

Harold Camping has glorified God, but it has been all unwitting. Too much is more than enough. Pray God he shuts up now. Preferably in broken, redemptive repentance. But if not — just shut up (Titus 1:10-14).

Hither and thither 10/21/11

First, I must remind you: Today is The End. Or, if there were any sanity in the world, it would be.

(Of Harold Camping's reign of error, I mean. Link thx to Chris Carney)

With that out of the way... and assuming we're all still here:

• We open with a deep question: how do cats always know when it's feeding time? Ours do. You almost literally could set your watch by them.

• This week has seen some delightful reviews of The World-Tilting Gospel, including (but not necessarily limited to) Jaci's, Mathew's (now also with part two), and Kim's. I so appreciate all of you doing what you can to get the word it; it is immensely meaningful to me. Please pray that those with bigger megaphones than ours will see what you've already seen and shared so well, and will climb aboard and join in.
• By the way, on that topic: I know that some of you have tried to do just that, to catch the attention of a "larger megaphone" or two. I really appreciate it. Be blessed. All you can do is all you can do.
• Our Christmas list, right there. Five of them, please. Two or three might do. Thanks for asking.
• Meme: 0bama won because he's such a great speaker. Really?
• Vast oceans of fine literature available for conversion, and Hollywood picks... Captain Underpants.
• If you follow me on Twitter, you already saw this. Developing the idea: were I a cartoonist, I'd do two Hollywoodites. One says, "Did you hear about that actor coming out?" The other yawns, "As a gay? Yeah. Whatever." The first says, "No, as a Christian!" The second sprays coffee, drops the poodle, and cries "WHAAAT??!"
• For my 'Siah:

• Sigh. Yet another Baptist Tea Party member goes nuts on a jet, shouting death threats and forcing a landing.
• Well, except that he was neither Baptist nor a Tea Party member.
• Oh, heavens. The Episcopilpalpalian Church is effectively putting itself beyond even the joke-horizon. This is not a joke: there is a resolution submitted to recognize and appreciate the contributions of that grand old man o' God... Pelagius. I. Kid. You. Not.
• The good news: using cell phones doesn't give you cancer. The bad news: pretty much everything else still does, though.
• Oh, and because my boys will rebel if there's nothing Lego:

• Kerry Garrett notes that we must give up our cars, or lose chocolate...and coffee! Yuh-huh.
• Do you know where Herman Cain stands on abortion? You do? Cool. Watch this. Now, do you still know?
• Offered another opportunity by Piers Morgan, Cain remained opaque and seemingly clueless.
• Unfortunately, it appears that Mr. Cain lives in a world where you can Tweet that you're 100% pro-life and pronounce it the "end of story." Meanwhile, back here on Planet Earth...

• UPDATE: Can has tried again. Better? or worse? See, I don't for the life of me know how you run for President without being loaded for bear, practiced, rehearsed, and ready on this issue. (And even most pro-lifers wouldn't say "no exceptions," keeping in mind the statistically invisible speck of imminent-physical-threat-to-the-life-of-the-mother situations.)
• Meanwhile, Texas Governor Rick Perry gets high rating from Texas pro-life groups, and signed a pro-life pledge that Cain and Romney refused to sign.
• Fred Butler, always concerned that HT not come short in the "cute" factor, points us to some pretty awesome zoo pix.
• Balancing that, however, also from Fred... two words: banana sculptures.
• Dang, I hate it when this happens:

• Hm. If only they called it how to make a bacon Reformation Day costume, I could get on board.
• Those of you who (unlike me) follow sports might be interested on Denny Burk's reflections on the pressure Tim Tebow lives under.
• I don't... mm, how to say this without causing undue offense? The decision to get a tattoo does not strike me as one of the finer decisions an individual could make. Yeah, that'll do. So, now, having said that... here's an individual who, to say the least and to be as charitable as possible, er...does not challenge my evaluation much.

• Did you hear about rich guy Mitt Romney saying that the private sector is doing just fine? No? It was all over the news!
• Well, except it wasn't rich guy Mitt Romney; it was rich guy Harry Reid. Which explains why it wasn't all over the news. (Also this, from Robert Sakovich)
• Another reason never ever to exercise... especially in South Africa. (Thx Wm Dicks)
• Just to drive the point home, once again:

• Cool pix of a Boulder, CO. Maine Coon and a mountain lion eyeing each other.
• On the subject of Maine Coons, here are Li'l Bit and Hagrid pretty much filling the school table at Logos Christian Academy, helped by the smaller (but fiestier) BG.

• Glenn Reynolds remarks (correctly), "Since it’s a Maine Coon Cat, he was probably surprised to see a bigger feline."
• This week's Perfect Food:

• This great post by Trevin Wax on how the homosexuality debate should go has given me a tangential idea for a post next week. Thanks, Trevin!
• Relatedly, Reason #43509 to eschew state-run indoctrination camps in favor of homeschooling in California. (Thx Kirby Johnson)
• And again, a People Pursuing Perversion Make Perfectly Good Parents update. (Thx, FRiend Tim)
• And yet again, bad news, sorry, but more and more folks at war with who God made them are acquiring and indoctrinating children. Poor kids. (Sakovich tip again)
• Think your ride's a little beat-up? Not this beat-up, I'm guessing. (Thx, Keith)
• I leave you with this thought: attitude is everything.

• And these:

THE USUALS WILL BE OBSERVED

Iraq, then and now: I told you so

So President Bush did a great and good thing for Iraq and the world, in ridding them of the bloody, terrorist-sponsoring Saddam Hussein. America liberated Iraq, they held votes, they had the reins of freedom dropped in their hands thanks to foreign liberators.

America poured billions of dollars and gallons of blood and thousands of lives into this process.

Do you remember I voiced one warning, one misgiving? It was more than five and a half years ago that I voiced my chief worry about Iraq. My chief worry was centered on President Bush's theology, particularly his anthropology and his hamartiology. The President, who attended a liberal/Methodist church, spoke often of the yearning of the human heart for freedom. Folks were good; Iraqis were good. They just needed to be freed from bad people. Then everything would be fine.

At that time I said that this was Biblically unrealistic. I said that Iraq was not analogous to America. I said that, without a Biblical framework of sin and God and man, a free society could not be born. I said that their one hope would be if Christians were free to preach the true gospel of Christ; then maybe Iraq had a hopeful future. Tales of Christian soldiers having to hide their faith were not reassuring, but we prayed and hoped.

Fast-forward to today. What do we see? Five and a half years of growing freedom for Iraqi Christians and for missionaries?

No: instead we read that "Ongoing violence against Christians in Iraq has produced an accelerated exodus of believers..." More and more Christians are leaving Iraq in fear for their lives and freedom; not fewer.

So, barring a reversal, barring an American leadership with any chance of pressing for liberties for Christian Iraqis and missionaries, color me increasingly un-optimistic.

Meanwhile, someone send President Bush a copy of WTG, for a little remedial anthropology, hamartiology, and soteriology.

Two TWTG items: first picture from a Men's Bible Study, and a neat review

The day started rough. I usually wake up before my alarm, but today it dragged me to consciousness. I was clumsy and off-game, and a bunch of little dumb things went wrong. Shirt-buttoning, no remote to listen to news as I shod myself, knocked box of Atkins bars onto floor (upside-down, duh), and so forth.

But one happy thing was that I knew I had this to share with you:

Last night Pastor Andy Chulka of Hope Bible Church in O'Fallon, Missouri Tweeted me this picture:

And here's the accompanying Tweet:

Even on my iPhone, I could make out all those little green books the smiling folks are holding up (there are a couple of Kindles as well, I believe). Gave me a happy chuckle; I hope it does you.

The folks at Kregel and I hashed out exactly what to title the book, and then which of several covers to pick. I'm really glad we settled on what we picked both, since both are distinctive. Google "world-tilting," and you mostly only find one target. Plus, who can miss that green cover in a bookstore?

Andy's picture thrills and warms my heart, as you can easily imagine. I have prayed that God will use The World-Tilting Gospel to instruct, help, encourage and edify individuals. Scores have written, Tweeted, and blogged that God has blessed it to just that effect, and I am very grateful.

But I also hope and pray to see it used to a great degree in church fellowships. I believe that pastors of like faith in the Gospel will be able to use the book as an extension of their ministries, as a way to frame discipleship. It can be the in-depth talk/study that each would like to have with every person in their church, if only there were enough hours in the day. It can supplement and frame their one-on-one discipleship.

If only the word would get out.

God grant that the Scriptural tour these folks at Hope Bible Church are undertaking will instruct, bless and encourage the brothers at Hope Bible Church, and exalt Christ  and His great work of salvation in their hearts and lives.

Now, the second happy thing, from someone doing her best to get the word out: Jaci Greggs, queen of the blog Me and My SoldierMan, has published her review of The World-Tilting Gospel.  It's thoughtful, warm, and very enthusiastic.  She begins:

If you are a Christian looking to grow in your faith and biblical maturity, this book is for you. If you are a new believer trying to figure out what to do next, this book is for you. If you are just curious about what Christianity is really all about, this book is for you.

...and then she concludes:

I could go on and on, but I'll finish by saying I cannot recommend TWTG highly enough. It will make you think, make you laugh, make you cry (or maybe that's just me), and goad you to a deeper understanding of who God is and what He wants for your life and this world. I can see TWTG being on my regular reading rotation for a while.

Thanks, Jaci. That does not harsh my mellow.

(Maybe you and Reformed Redhead can start a club?)