Those spots which a Christian finds in his own heart can only be washed out in the blood of the Lamb.

‘Oh,’ says such a poor soul, ‘I pray—and yet I sin; I resolve against sin—and yet I sin; I combat against sin—and yet I am carried captive by sin; I have left no outward means unattempted—and yet after all, my sins are too hard for me; after all my sweating, striving, and weeping—I am carried down the stream.’

It is not our strong resolutions or purposes which will be able to overmaster these enemies.

There is nothing now but the actings of faith upon a crucified Christ, which will take off this burden from the soul of man. You must make use of your graces to draw virtue from Christ; now faith must touch the hem of Christ’s garment—or you will never be healed. (Thomas Brooks)

by Richard Shin

• Russel Moore gave his inaugural address as the President of The Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention on September 10, 2013. You can read the full transcript here.
• Jesse Johnson from the Cripplegate shares with us a pastoral letter from Jonathan Edwards to a mourning friend. It balances beautifully the internal, emotional conflict Christians feel from the death of a loved believer.
• I mentioned Nathan Busenitz’s series on church history last week. He continues his third part this week here.
• Tim Challies has an excellent article reviewing John MacArthur’s book and conference Strange Fire. If you’re interested in the charismatic movement debate at all, you should read it here.
• Joe Rigney, with the help of C.S. Lewis and Prince Caspian, pens an article on the lost art of chivalry.
• Here’s an interesting one: Joe Carter from the Gospel Coalition scores a debate on  whether football is too dangerous for Christians.
• Ed Welch from the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF) shares a story of how he went to visit an eighty-five year old man at a nursing home and the conversation that followed. Similarly, Ivan Mesa writes four lessons he learned from nursing home ministry. And, well, Brian Croft shares five reasons Christians do not visit the sick and dying.

Coram Deo