A La Carte (January 16)

Today’s Kindle deals include one book for women, a couple of books for men, and an especially good one for writers. I’ll probably add a few more deals in the morning.

(Yesterday on the blog: How To Obtain a Plenary Indulgence in 2025)

Did David Rape Bathsheba?: A Close Reading of the Relevant Texts

There has been lots of discussion over the past few years about whether David raped Bathsheba or whether she willingly participated in adultery. Alastair Roberts makes a close reading of the relevant texts to look for an answer. “My interests are those of a hearer of Scripture, concerned that our ability to listen attentively to the text not be overwhelmed or undermined by concerns of our immediate contexts. I am persuaded that, when we listen to the Scriptures closely and on their own terms, we will understand them much more deeply and, in turn, their voice can speak much more distinctly into our contexts.”

Why Don’t We Read the Bible More? 3 Common Misunderstandings

This is an interesting take on why we don’t read the Bible more than we do. “That we should read the Bible is rarely questioned. Why we should read it is also fairly well-established. What we rarely do is examine why we, as confessing Christians, don’t read the Bible despite saying that we should. In my years of lay and vocational ministry, I’ve known the acceptable answers to this question and what we perceive to be ‘unacceptable’ answers.”

To (Almost) Die Is Gain

Heidi Kellogg reflects on her experience of facing brain surgery and the possibility of death. She came to see that to almost die is gain.

Talk to God in His Own Language: Learning to Pray the Bible

Donald Whitney explains why and how to pray the Bible. “Since the Holy Spirit makes every believer a praying person, then prayer must be both simple and meaningful. God’s people span all ages, educational levels, mental capacities, and degrees of Christian maturity. And yet, if each of us is to pray, then prayer must be fundamentally simple. And could any believer think that God intends prayer to be boring? Of course not. Prayer, since it is talking with God himself, should be deeply meaningful.” (For more, consider his book on the subject which, as it happens, is on sale.)

What to Remember When You’re Close to Burnout

Paul Tautges: “God the Son knows our limitations and burdens, and as we walk closely with him, we learn how and when to say yes and no with courage and clarity. As we experience what it feels like for him to bear our burdens, we learn how to bear others’ burdens in partnership with him. As we’re guided by his wisdom, we’re also better able to discern which burdens are not ours to carry and which responsibilities are not part of the light burden he’s given us. When we are yoked to Jesus, our souls know rest because they know him.”

Called to Freedom

“Today, we have pursued a vision of freedom that is afraid to be tied down by anything—by God, by other people, by human nature itself. The result is increasingly that we find ourselves empty, lonely, and paralyzed—and at the mercy of anyone ready to profit from our restless cravings, as the surging profits of the pornography and sports gambling industries show. It turns out that the political and economic freedom we’ve been taught to value—being able to make up our own minds and choose our own rulers—only makes sense for a people who are actually able to think and to choose, people who have cultivated the moral freedom of governing themselves and restraining their impulses.”

Flashback: Jesus Wins

I trust we can all agree that while Christ’s return is a matter of first importance, the exact details are far less crucial. What’s clear and most essential is this: Jesus wins.