May you enjoy the Lord’s rich blessings as you serve and worship him this weekend.

My gratitude goes to Burke Care for sponsoring the blog this week to invite you to schedule a session with their certified biblical counselors.
Today’s Kindle deals include some newer books and some older ones.
(Yesterday on the blog: My Top Books of 2022)
Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin?
“For many people, the question of whether or not a virgin can give birth is in the same category as questions about whether or not pigs can fly or time can be reversed or the sun can be stopped from shining. But in each of these circumstances, we must remember that all it takes for these ‘supernatural’ events to be possible is for a ‘supernatural’ God to exist.” Guy Richard explains.
2023 Reading Challenge
Visual Theology has its annual reading challenge ready to go. (Click here for the poster.)
Annual Reading Challenge for Kids and Teens
And while we’re on the subject of reading challenges, Redeemer Reader also has theirs ready to go. It is designed for kids.
Silent Nights
“One December evening, while home alone eating dinner, I suddenly became aware of how quiet the house was. I hadn’t been by myself much for 25 years because I had four kids, a husband, and a dog to fill my home with noise and activity. But my kids were grown, my youngest was away at college, my husband was on a business trip, and our dog had recently passed away. And although I had experienced quiet moments before, this silence seemed different – louder and longer. It had a new quality I hadn’t sensed before – a permanence. It rattled me a little bit.”
The Church’s Ministries
If you’d like to do some good reading over the weekend, the new issue of the 9Marks Journal is available and it covers “The Church’s Ministries.”
Bell Curve of Life

This article reflects on those well-known words of Job: “Naked I was born from my mother’s womb and naked I will return.”

The longer you wait to confess, the more likely it becomes that you never will… Sin is a cancer—it must be rooted out as quickly as possible before it spreads. —Garrett Kell

I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that I’m the only person in the world who reads through back issues of the Ann Arbor Baptist, a periodical from the late 1800s. But periodicals like that were the blogs of their era and within their pages I find such interesting articles and poems. One that I spotted recently (though I’ve spotted it in other works as well, sometimes adapted into a hymn) is Mary Brainard’s “I Know Not What Shall Befall Me,” a poem of trust in God’s character and his providence. It is well worth a read—aloud, of course, as poems are meant to be read.

I know not what shall befall me,God hangs a mist o’er my eyes,And each step in my onward pathHe makes new scenes to rise,And every joy He sends to meComes as a sweet surprise.
I see not a step before meAs I tread on another year,But the past is still in God’s keeping,The future His mercy shall clear,And what looks dark in the distanceMay brighten as I draw near.
For perhaps the dreaded futureHas less bitter than I think;The Lord may sweeten the watersBefore I stoop to drink;Or, if Marah must be Marah,He will stand beside its brink.
It may be He has, waitingFor the coming of my feet,Some gift of such rare value,Some joy so strangely sweet,That my lips shall only trembleWith the thanks they cannot speak.
O, restful blissful ignorance!’Tis blessed not to know:It keeps me still in those armsWhich will not let me go,And hushes my soul to restIn the bosom that loved me so!
So I go on—not knowing;I would not if I might,Rather walking with God in the darkThan going alone in the light;Rather walking with Him by faithThan walking alone by sight.
My heart shrinks back from trialsWhich the future may disclose,Yet I never had a sorrowBut what the dear Lord chose;So I send the coming tears backWith the whispered word, “He knows!”
(It’s also fun to come across old advertisements like this one, which you find in the old periodicals. Between you and me, I kind of think this cure is over-promising…)

This week the blog is sponsored by Thomas Nelson Bibles. This post is adapted from the introduction of the Timeless Truths Bible by Matthew Z. Capps, Sr. Pastor of Fairview Baptist Church (Apex, NC), who served as its general editor.
What is the most important thing you need to know about the Bible? In my opinion, it is crucial to understand that Scripture is God’s perfect treasure, a revelation of himself to humankind. Christianity is dependent upon the belief that God has graciously, intentionally, and lovingly chosen to reveal himself and his will to humanity. If God has revealed himself to us, our desire should be that as we study God’s Word, we do so in a way that seeks to understand every passage accurately in light of his divine self-disclosure.
Christianity is dependent upon the belief that God has graciously, intentionally, and lovingly chosen to reveal himself and his will to humanity.Matthew Z. CappsShare
That doesn’t mean it is always easy, though. There are times when the historical distance between the modern reader and ancient text makes it difficult to understand certain parts of scripture. But the good news is that when you read the Bible you are not alone. Because the Bible is one of the most printed books in human history, it also has one of the deepest wells of insightful commentary that we as modern readers can draw from.
Enrich your journey with wisdom from the past
In a modern world that too often sprints along in what C. S. Lewis called in Surprised by Joy “chronological snobbery,” that is, believing that ancient resources are obstacles to our progress, retrieving the past can help clarify our historical shortsightedness and cultural biases. In short, we cannot ignore the contributions of the past or over-exaggerate the wisdom of the present. We must approach the Bible with the humble belief that every generation in the church has unique contributions to offer. The wisest of Christians in history have always drawn from the past to understand how to live in the present.
When you study the Bible, you are welcomed into an ancient conversation, an interpretive community that stretches across time and knows no geographical boundaries. It is a community that includes people from the very earliest disciples of Jesus living in Jerusalem, the second-century converts in Roman-ruled Africa and Europe, medieval monastics, the Reformers, English Puritans, American revivalists, and many more. This rich history affords us the opportunity to cultivate theological instincts and values from trusted guides.
A Bible designed with history in mind
The Timeless Truths Bible is designed with this history in mind. It will remind you that, as you read the Word of God, you’re a part of a sacred communion made up of believers past and present. Not only is this particular Bible beautifully designed, it has also been carefully crafted with selected features to help you in your journey through the text.

Regardless of your spiritual journey, if you are new to the Bible or a seasoned saint, hearing from voices of the past will deeply enrich your understanding of God’s Word. The church in every generation has gathered around the Bible to read, study, ponder, debate, and meditate on the scriptures. Through personal study and communal discussion on the Bible, God has shaped his people, setting them apart to love him and each other, to worship, and to work toward advancing his good news to the whole world.
Dig deeper with trusted guides
My prayer is that the Timeless Truths Bible will encourage and strengthen you, and that your own study of this incomparable book will be enriched by the reflections and insights of faithful saints from across the centuries who, just like you, came to scripture to learn from the Author of life. As you read, do so with an open mind and heart. There is a sense in which we do not simply read the Bible, the Bible also reads us. As Charles Spurgeon once said, “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture! The Book widens and deepens with our years! It is true, it cannot really grow, for it is perfect, but it does so to our apprehension. The deeper you dig into Scripture, the more you find that it is a great abyss of truth.”