God Defeated the Enemy in Jerusalem Psalm 76:1-12 Jerusalem is where he lives; Mount Zion is his home. There he has broken the fiery arrows of the enemy, the shields and swords and weapons of war. Psalm 76:2-3 Psalm 76 celebrates God’s victory over his enemies. Though we don’t know the specific events that inspired Asaph, the writer of this psalm, it surely commemorates some military victory of Israel over an army that sought to invade Jerusalem. Yet God “has broken... Read more
As you may know, south central Texas has been experiencing extreme drought conditions for the last few months (though we did get 3/4s of an inch of rain at Laity Lodge this week!). Nevertheless, there is still plenty of natural beauty in the Frio Canyon, where Laity Lodge is located. I thought I’d share a couple of photos with you. I took these on Wednesday. Read more
Part 20 of series: How Does God Guide Us? In my last post in this series, I told the story of a woman named Eva who tested what she believed to be the Spirit’s guidance by stepping out in faith. Through doing this, she was able to bring God’s grace to a woman who was in a difficult place in her marriage. Eva’s example illustrates another vital truth about spiritual guidance: it often comes, not for our own benefit, but... Read more
Part 19 of series: How Does God Guide Us? A couple of days ago, I suggested that we can confirm (or disconfirm) the Spirit’s guidance in a variety of ways, but principally through stepping out in faith. I also acknowledged that this can be scary, since it may require us to do something that is potentially awkward, difficult, or embarrassing. The following story illustrates this possibility. A woman I’ll call Eva was a grandmother, a gentle woman, and one of... Read more
A story in today’s New York Times got me thinking. In “Ivy League to Limit Full-Contact Football Practices” , Ken Belson reports on the recent rule change in the Ivy League that greatly limits full-contact practices for football players. The Ivy League adopted rules far more stringent than anything else in the NCAA as a way of reducing brain trauma among players. As an Ivy League alum, it doesn’t surprise me that the league has taken this course of action.... Read more
Part 18 of series: How Does God Guide Us? Sometimes we won’t know for sure if we have correctly discerned the Spirit’s voice until we step out in faith. This is surely the scariest part of spiritual guidance because it requires both trust in God and a willingness to be embarrassed. But if you ask people who have risked their pride in order to confirm what they believed to be God’s direction, they’ll tell you that the rewards greatly outweigh... Read more
A recent article in the New York Times provided evidence that E-books have won a decisive victory in their war with print media. “E-Book Revolution Upends a Publishing Course” by Julie Bosman focuses on the Columbia Publishing Course, perhaps the most prestigious short introduction to the publishing world. Many of the leaders of the top publishers are graduates of this six-week course, which costs students over $1,000 a week. This year’s course has been radically reshaped in light of the... Read more
Part 17 of series: How Does God Guide Us? In my opinion, spiritual direction can be a valuable means through which God can guide us. Allow me to explain what I mean and why I think this way. For most Protestant and/or evangelical Christians, the phrase “spiritual direction” is an unfamiliar one. The title of “spiritual director” conveys very little and can in fact be misleading. Those who lack understanding of what a spiritual director does might be apt to... Read more
When God Holds Back Psalm 74:1-23 Arise, O God, and defend your cause. Remember how these fools insult you all day long. Psalm 74:22 Psalm 74 was written after the Babylonians overthrew Jerusalem in 587 B.C. In that year, they destroyed the city, and burnt the temple to the ground. The residents of Jerusalem who were not killed were taken to Babylon, where they remained in exile for decades. In light of the destruction of Jerusalem, Psalm 74 wonders, “O God, why... Read more
Mark D. Roberts
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Borders is Done: Further Evidence of the Impact of the Internet on Book Publishing
On Monday, I blogged on a New York Times article that documented the “victory” of the E-book revolution. Yesterday’s Times has further evidence of the unprecedented changes facing book publishers and sellers because of the Internet. “Calling Off Auction, Borders Plans to Liquidate” reports on the final downfall of Borders, on of the nation’s leading bookstores. Here are some excerpts: The Borders Group said Monday that it would liquidate, shutting down the 40-year-old bookseller after it failed to find a... Read more