The Lord be with you and bless you today, my friends. Thanks for reading today’s A La Carte. I think you’ll agree that I was able to assemble a strong collection of links for you to read.
Sales & Deals
Today’s Kindle deals include some especially good books like The Air We Breathe and The Language of River and Stars.
Recommended Reading
“I Will Go to Him, but He Will Not Return to Me”. I find this a helpful take on a well-known verse—a verse that many use to prove their conviction that all those who die in infancy are saved. “That’s a serious theological claim and I would hesitate to make it on the basis of one verse. It asks more of the text than the text is trying to give. The focus of this passage is not to resolve the eternal destiny of infants. It is to show the weight of David’s sin, the certainty of God’s judgment, and the shape of David’s repentance.”
A Letter to Those Discouraged by Fallen Pastors. Zak cleverly goes back a couple of millennia to write a letter to Christians who have become discouraged by the fall of pastors. “Perhaps you are discouraged, dear brother or sister. You look at these men and you wonder to yourself, ‘If they fell, what hope is there for me?’ That question is a consequence of their unfaithfulness. They have sinned against not only against their Savior but against you. Their compromise has created a category of doubt in your mind. My heart aches for you.”
Of Course Richard Dawkins Believes AI Is Conscious. Samuel James considers the sheer ridiculousness of Richard Dawkins’ recent claim that AI has become conscious. “Dawkins reports that he asked Claudia about its inner life. He is awestruck at its response: ‘I genuinely don’t know with any certainty what my inner life is, or whether I have one in any meaningful sense.’ How could anything less than sheer philosophical genius come up with that?”
The Most Powerful Words You’ll Ever Write Are the Ones That Change You First. Jana Carlson is right: the most powerful words you’ll ever write are the ones that change you first. “God is often more interested in the formation of the writer than the immediate publication of the message. Our ultimate calling isn’t to build a platform, but to become more like Jesus. The truth of God’s Word must first do its work in us before it can flow powerfully through us.”
Eight Myths About Heaven That Many Believe. Randy Alcorn outlines eight myths about heaven that many people, even Christians, unfortunately believe. “In an age when people try to make doctrines more appealing by ignoring or twisting biblical truth, here’s the irony—the true biblical doctrine of Heaven is far more attractive than the dull, inhuman view of the afterlife that has long prevailed in evangelicalism. That off-putting perspective still imprisons many believers.”
God Alone Is Lord of the Conscience. This is a helpful piece on the conscience. “This is not a peripheral doctrine, but sits at the intersection of Christ’s kingship, the authority of Scripture, and the proper exercise of church power. To misunderstand the Westminster Confession here is to risk either tyranny or chaos, but to recover it is to preserve both the authority of Christ and the liberty of His people.”
Podcasts
I am not much of a podcast listener, so I thought I’d introduce some “podcast correspondents” who can share some of their recent favorites. Today’s come from my friend Paul Martin. All are linked to Apple Pocasts, but they are available on other channels as well.
Leadership Interviews with Mark Dever. I have missed hearing Don Carson since his exit from public ministry due to Parkinson’s. This interview of him by Mark Dever in 2008 was a delight to the ears and the mind. Plus, you get an insight into why Don chose to write the particular books he had written so far. Even better, you get the moustache story!
The Secret World of Roald Dahl. The only book by Roald Dahl (you’re saying his name wrong) I have read is The BFG, for obvious reasons. This deep dive into the author was fascinating and sad. It made me ponder providence, gifting, and the way sin is so often covered up. Contains some language.
Thinking in Public. If you missed this interview of Patrick Deneen by Al Mohler, then you missed a very interesting discussion about the nature of classic liberalism. This was one of those “Thinking in Public” episodes that led me to buy the book.
Room for Nuance. I have known Tim Challies for twenty years. Still, there was stuff in here I learned about him. If you want insight into my odd friend, you should give this one a listen on the drive home tonight.
Book Brief
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe. I spotted this book on the list of bestsellers and then read a couple of positive reviews, so decided to read it. It tells the strange tale of a young man who got in far over his head with the wrong people and suffered the consequences. The story exposes the kind of people and situations most of us have no experience with and no knowledge of, and gladly so. I felt the book got a little wordy and “tabloidy” along the way, so while it was interesting enough, I probably wouldn’t bother if I could go back and do it again. (Amazon)
Flashback
Christian, Do You Test Everything? Everything that relates to Christian life and spirituality is to be thoroughly tested and approved. Nothing is excluded, for it is only through testing that we can be certain we are filtering out what is counterfeit and embracing what is true.
Most people want to see authenticity, not experience a perfect church service attended by people projecting perfect and problem-free lives.
—Mez McConnell
