Tuesday, March 31, 2015

My Year with Spurgeon #13

A Faithful Friend
Charles Spurgeon
1857
Proverbs 18:24
First, then, beloved, we assert that CHRIST IS “A FRIEND THAT STICKETH CLOSER THAN A BROTHER.” And in order to prove this from facts, we appeal to such of you as have had him for a friend. Will you not, each of you, at once give your verdict, that this is neither more nor less than an unexaggerated truth? He loved you before all worlds, long ere the day star flung his ray across the darkness, before the wing of angels had flapped the unnavigated ether, before aught of creation had struggled from the womb of nothingness, God, even our God, had set his heart upon all his children. Since that time, has he once swerved, has he once turned aside, once changed? No. ye who have tasted of his love and know his grace will bear me witness, that he has been a certain friend in uncertain circumstances.
You fell in Adam; did he cease to love you? No; he became the second Adam to redeem you. You sinned in practice and brought upon your head the condemnation of God; you deserved his wrath and his utter anger; did he then forsake you? No!
He sent his minister after you — you despised him; he preached the gospel in your ears — you laughed at him; you broke God’s Sabbath, you despised his Word. Did he then forsake you? No!
And at last he arrested you by his grace, he humbled you, he made you penitent, he brought you to his feet and he forgave all your sins. Since then, has he left you? You have often left him, has he ever left you? You have had many trials and troubles, has he ever deserted you? Has he ever turned away his heart, and shut up his bowels of compassion? No, children of God, it is your solemn duty to say “No,” and bear witness to his faithfulness.
True friendship can only be made between true men, whose hearts are the soul of honor.
Faithfulness to us in our faults is a certain sign of fidelity in a friend.
And how long has Christ loved you? That you cannot tell. When the ages were not born he loved you, when this world was an infant, wrapped in the swaddling clothes of mist, he loved you; when the old pyramids had not begun to be builded, his heart was set upon you; and ever since you have been born he has had a strong affection for you. He looked on you in your cradle, and he loved you then, he was affianced to you when you were an infant of a span long, and he has loved you ever since. Some of you I see with grey hairs, some with heads all bald with age, he has loved you up till now, and will he now forsake you? Oh! no, his friendship is so old that it must last; it has been matured by so many tempests, it has been rooted by so many winds of trouble, that it cannot but endure, it must stand.
But our Lord Jesus never can forsake those whom once he loves, because he can discover nothing in us worse than he knew, for he knew all about us beforehand. He saw our leprosy, and yet he loved us; he knew our deceitfulness and unbelief, and yet he did press us to his bosom; he knew what poor fools we were, and yet he said he would never leave us nor forsake us. He knew that we should rebel against him and despise his counsel often times, he knew that even when we loved him our love would be cold and languid; but he loved for his own sake. Surely, then, he will stick closer than a brother.
Oh that you might get Christ for your friend, he will never be your friend while you are self-righteous; he will never be your friend while you live in sin. But do you believe yourselves guilty? Do you desire to leave off sin? Do you want to be saved? Do you desire to be renewed? Then let me tell you, my Master loves you! Poor, weak, and helpless worms, my Master’s heart is full of love to you; his eyes at this moment are looking down with pity on you. “Oh! Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” He now bids me tell you that he died for all of you who confess yourselves to be sinners, and feel it. He bids me say to you, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” He tells me to proclaim salvation full and free — full, needing nothing of yours to help it; free, needing nothing of yours to buy it.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Week in Review: March 22-28

Jesus is my sanctification. Having Him I have obedience, rest, patience and everything I need. He is alive forevermore. If you have Him nothing can be against you. Your temptations will not be against you; your bad temper will not be against you; your hard life, your circumstances, even the devil himself will not be against you. Every time he comes to attack you, he will only root you deeper in Christ. You will become a coward at the thought of being alone; you will be thrown on Jesus every time a trouble assails you. All things henceforth will work together for good to your own soul. Since God is for you nothing can be against you. ~ A.B. Simpson
NIV Rainbow Study Bible (New Testament completed!!)

  • Luke
  • John
  • Acts 

GNT  (Good News Translation)

  • Genesis
  • Romans

HCSB (my next project)

  • Genesis
  • Exodus
  • Leviticus
  • Numbers
  • Deuteronomy
  • Romans
  • Hebrews

1599 Geneva Bible

  • Matthew

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, March 27, 2015

Book Review: Why Believe the Bible?

Why Believe the Bible? John MacArthur. 1980/2015. Baker Books. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]

For the most part, I really enjoyed reading John MacArthur's Why Believe the Bible? For the record, this is not a new book, but a newly reprinted book with a few pages of new material.

Why Believe the Bible? is divided into three sections: "Can We Really Believe the Bible?", "What Does God's Word Do For Us?", and "How To Get The Most From God's Word." I liked the last two sections better than the first. But the book is solidly good from start to finish.

My favorite chapters were: "God's Word: Guide to His Will," "God's Word: The Way to Grow," "God's Word: The Perfect Pruning Knife," "What Does God's Word Say?" and "What Does God's Word Mean (And What Do I Do About It)?"

I love that so much of this one is about why it's important to read the Bible and on how to read the Bible. I also love the first appendix. In it, he provides examples for people who want to read thirty minutes a day, sixty minutes a day, and ninety minutes a day.

Quotes:
When believers aren't growing, it can usually be traced to failure to be in God's Word. They go to church and sit. They take along their cups and fill them up and then spill them on the steps as they leave. They complain of not getting much out of church or the Christian life. They are weak and rundown when it comes to facing temptations, trials, problems and challenges… Their souls are starved for wholesome spiritual food. The Bible refers to itself as milk, bread and meat, but spiritually a lot of Christians are subsisting on French fries, Cokes, and M&Ms. They aren't growing because they have very little to grow on. Ironically, the solution to their problems is in the very thing they refuse to feed upon--God's Word. (115)
There is no magic in memorizing Scripture. (In fact, it can lead you into the driest kind of legalism.) But there is a tremendous blessing and power in knowing where various passages can be found and what kind of help and resources they can provide. (139)
The first step in Bible study is to read the Bible. I can't emphasize too strongly that effective Bible study has to begin with a systematic reading of the Scriptures. Other methods will be of limited benefit unless you get the entire flow and context of what God's Word is saying. (162)
Of course you need a plan for your reading. For the Old Testament I suggest reading through all of it once a year in a narrative manner (from Genesis to Malachi, no skipping around)… The best way to read the Old Testament is straight through, like a story. As you read, keep a pencil and notebook in hand. Put down notes regarding areas you want to come back to and study in depth later, preferably with the inductive method. (163)
With the New Testament I use a little different approach. Instead of reading through the entire New Testament from Matthew to Revelation, I read each book over and over for 30 days. (164)
If you want to know what the Bible says, this method will do the job like no other. Vary the length of the books you tackle. First a short one, then a long one, then back to a couple of short ones. In two-and-a-half years you will cover the entire New Testament 30 times, and somewhere along the way it will all start to come together as never before. (166)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Quotes from the Cloud #12

This year, I hope share weekly posts of quotes. These quotes are from authors I'm reading and enjoying from the Clouds of Witnesses Reading Challenge

For fellow participants, what I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I'd love for you to share quotes occasionally with your readers and let me know about it. If you don't have a blog, you could always leave quotes in the comments here.
Beware of light thoughts of sin. At the time of conversion, the conscience is so tender, that we are afraid of the slightest sin. Young converts have a holy timidity, a godly fear lest they should offend against God. But alas! very soon the fine bloom upon these first ripe fruits is removed by the rough handling of the surrounding world: the sensitive plant of young piety turns into a willow in after life, too pliant, too easily yielding. It is sadly true, that even a Christian may grow by degrees so callous, that the sin which once startled him does not alarm him in the least. By degrees men get familiar with sin. The ear in which the cannon has been booming will not notice slight sounds. ~ Charles Spurgeon, Morning, March 11
If you are Christ's let me advise you to do four things. You belong to Jesus--obey him; let his word be your law; let his wish be your will. You belong to the Beloved, then love him; let your heart embrace him; let your whole soul be filled with him. You belong to the Son of God, then trust him; rest nowhere but on him. You belong to the King of kings, then be decided for him. Thus, without your being branded upon the brow, all will know to whom you belong. ~ Charles Spurgeon, Evening, March 12
Before we can have any right idea of the love of Jesus, we must understand his previous glory in its height of majesty, and his incarnation upon the earth in all its depths of shame. But who can tell us the majesty of Christ? When he was enthroned in the highest heavens he was very God of very God; by him were the heavens made, and all the hosts thereof. His own almighty arm upheld the spheres; the praises of cherubim and seraphim perpetually surrounded him; the full chorus of the hallelujahs of the universe unceasingly flowed to the foot of his throne: he reigned supreme above all his creatures, God over all, blessed forever. Who can tell his height of glory then? And who, on the other hand, can tell how low he descended? To be a man was something, to be a man of sorrows was far more; to bleed, and die, and suffer, these were much for him who was the Son of God; but to suffer such unparalleled agony--to endure a death of shame and desertion by his Father, this is a depth of condescending love which the most inspired mind must utterly fail to fathom. Herein is love! and truly it is love that "passeth knowledge." O let this love fill our hearts with adoring gratitude, and lead us to practical manifestations of its power. ~ Charles Spurgeon, Evening, March 27
Take care that you never doubt your acceptance in Jesus. You cannot be accepted without Christ; but, when you have received his merit, you cannot be unaccepted. ~ Charles Spurgeon, Evening, March 28
God’s laws are like a finger that points to the right road. Fingers are a useful part of the body. However, if you don’t also have feet to take you there, a wagon to ride in, or even a horse to ride on, you’ll never be able to get to the right road. A finger can point you in the right direction, but it can’t get you there. In a similar way, God’s laws tell you what God wants done and how he wants things to be done. They show you that you are unable to obey them. God’s laws show you what human nature is really like—what it can do and what it can’t do. God’s laws were given to you in order to reveal your sins, but they don’t have the power to free you from sin or help you get rid of it. God’s laws hold a mirror in front of you. When you look at God’s laws, you become aware that you don’t have life or God’s approval. What you see in the mirror forces you to cry out, “Come, Lord Jesus Christ, help me and give me your grace so that I can do what your laws demand!” ~ Martin Luther, Faith Alone, March 30

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Book Review: Help My Unbelief

Help My Unbelief: Why Doubt Is Not the Enemy of Faith. Barnabas Piper. Foreword by N.D. Wilson. 2015. [July 2015] David C. Cook. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

Help My Unbelief is one of the best books I've read this year. It is one of the best books I've read in a long time. It's an honest look at doubt: believing doubt and unbelieving doubt. It is about coming to terms with the tension of the Christian life. In part, it is inspired by an encounter found in Mark 9:17-29. I'll share the most relevant verse: I do believe; help my unbelief.

Barnabas Piper shares a bit of his testimony and what he's learned since his big "aha" moment when he realized the vast difference between knowing about God and knowing God.

His story was incredibly easy to relate to. I think many people who have grown up in the church can relate to it as well. The book is honest and straightforward. It isn't a book that promises to have all the answers to all the questions you might have today and in the future. It isn't a book that promises an easy fix to your current faith dilemma.

I should mention that one thing this book is not: it's not an apologetic book seeking to prove anything about God: his existence, his goodness, his perfection.

It is a book that explores questions like: what is faith? what is belief? what is doubt? is there more than one kind of doubt? can doubting ever be a good thing? where do I go with my doubts and questions? what can I know--what can anyone know--about God? Can I have peace even if I don't have all the answers? will I always struggle with sin?

I loved, loved, LOVED this one. I loved it because it was thought-provoking and engaging. I loved it because it was so very honest. I thought Piper made some great points as well. I thought the appendix READING THE BIBLE TO MEET GOD was absolutely wonderful. It should be must-read for every believer.

I want to share a few quotes from the foreword by N.D. Wilson along with a few quotes from the text itself.

From the foreword:
Thank God that our salvation is not dependent on an absence of our own fears. Our failures. Our doubts. In fact, our salvation is not dependent on us at all. It doesn't depend on how we feel. It doesn't depend on how well we answer challenges and questions, and it doesn't depend on how deeply and authentically we really, really feel our answers deep down in our hearts. Our salvation is on the cross. No matter how broken we may be, no matter how much we might struggle and fail to see and to know the truth (every truth) clearly, we can rest in the One who sees all and knows all. When we cannot see, we are still seen. ~ N.D. Wilson
From the introduction:
No amount of belief moves us beyond "help my unbelief." Rather the stronger our belief, the more urgent our plea.
What the Bible reveals of God is precisely what God wanted revealed of Himself, no more and no less. But it isn't everything about Him. Scripture raises as many questions as it answers. It asks the impossible and describes the miraculous. The Bible tells stories that are grotesque and stories that are heartwarming. Parts of it are horrifying and others are befuddling. It is written in multiple genres and has thousands of characters. In short, it is representative of the real world and God's relationship with it, not a book to simplify the world so we can understand it all. And it is just the way God wanted it. 
Questions indicate belief only if you actually want an answer.
God is infinite. While the finite human mind can understand aspects of His character, even those cannot be understood in full. His bigness is too big, His goodness too good, His wrath too terrible, His grace too profound, His knowledge too deep. Because of this, God is inherently mysterious to us. We simply cannot fathom the fullness, or even a portion of the fullness, of who He is or what He does.
The Bible gives everything we need but not every answer; all the necessary truth but plenty of room to wonder.
When we are in relationship with God, His Word becomes more than a book; it becomes alive…It is a window into who God is; one that He gave us to share exactly what we need to know of Him.
Scripture doesn't offer the answers to most mysteries that we want. It offers the ones God wants us to have. And if He wants us to have them, then they are the ones we need.
True belief is that which perpetually, magnetically pulls us toward the "not yet" of Revelation 21. 
Table of Contents

  • Foreword by N.D.Wilson
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1: Tension
  • Chapter 2: What is Belief?
  • Chapter 3: What Can We Know About God?
  • Chapter 4: A Prayer from Where?
  • Chapter 5: Unbelief and Doubt
  • Chapter 6: Belief in Action
  • Chapter 7: How Do We Believe?
  • Chapter 8: So What and What Now?
  • Appendix 1: Reading the Bible to Meet God
  • Appendix 2: Suggested Reading
© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

My Year with Spurgeon #12

Rahab's Faith
Charles Spurgeon
1857
Hebrews 11:31
I shall have some things to say this morning concerning this notable victory of faith over sin, such as I think will lead you to see that this was indeed a super-eminent triumph of faith. I will make my divisions alliterative, that you may recollect them. This woman’s faith was saving faith singular faith, stable faith, self-denying faith, sympathising faith, and sanctifying faith. Let no one run away, when I shall have expounded the first point, and miss the rest, for you cannot apprehend the whole power of her faith unless you remember each of those particulars I am about to mention.
Oh! what a mighty thing faith is, when it saves the soul from going down to the pit! So mighty is the ever-rushing torrent of sin, that no arm but that which is as strong as Deity can ever stop the sinner from being hurried down to the gulf of black despair, and when nearing that gulf so impetuous is the torrent of divine wrath, that nothing can snatch the soul from perdition but an atonement which is as Divine as God himself.
Ah! but you cannot tell what a great thing it is to save a soul. It is only our Lord Jesus Christ who can tell you that, for he is the only one who has ever been the Savior of sinners. And remember, you can only know how great a thing faith is by knowing the infinite value of the salvation of a soul.
Now, “By faith, the harlot Rahab was delivered,” That she was really saved in a gospel sense as well as temporally seems to me to be proved from her reception of the spies which was an emblem of the entrance of the word into the heart, and her hanging out of the scarlet thread was an evidence of faith, not inaptly picturing faith in the blood of Jesus the Redeemer. But who can measure the length and breadth of that word — salvation?
I ask no man to-day to come to Christ, and then continue his sins. If so, I should ask him to do an absurdity.
But mark, Rahab’'s faith was a singular faith. She and she alone was delivered, a solitary one amongst a multitude. Now, have you ever felt that it is a very hard thing to have a singular faith? It is the easiest thing in the world to believe as everybody else believes, but the difficulty is to believe a thing alone, when no one else thinks as you think; to be the solitary champion of a righteous cause when the enemy mustereth his thousands to the battle. Now, this was the faith of Rahab. She had not one who felt as she did, who could enter into her feelings and realize the value of her faith. She stood alone. Oh! it is a noble thing to be the lonely follower of despised truth.
To be good we must be singular. Christians must swim against the stream.
Furthermore, this woman’s faith was a STABLE faith, which stood firm in the midst of trouble.
This woman'’s faith was A SELF-DENYING faith. O men and brethren, trust not your faith, unless it has self-denial with it. Faith and self-denial, like the Siamese twins, are born together, and must live together, and the food that nourisheth one must nourish both.
This woman’'s faith was a SYMPATHISING FAITH. She did not believe for herself only; she desired mercy for her relations.
The spirit of proselyting is the spirit of Christianity, and we ought to be desirous of possessing it.
Unless we desire others to taste the benefits we have enjoyed, we are either inhuman monsters or outrageous hypocrites; I think the last is most likely.
One more head, and then we have done. Rahab'’s faith was a sanctified FAITH. Did Rahab continue a harlot after she had faith? No, she did not. I do not believe she was a harlot at the time the men went to her house, though the name still stuck to her, as such ill names will; but I am sure she was not afterwards, for Salmon the prince of Judah married her, and her name is put down among the ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The faith that will save you is a faith which sanctifies.
The world has been trying all manner of processes to reform men: there is but one thing that ever will reform them, and that is, faith in the preached gospel.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, March 23, 2015

Book Review: To The Glory of God

To The Glory of God: A 40 Day Devotional on the Book of Romans. James Montgomery Boice. 2010. Baker Books. 183 pages. [Source: Bought]

James Montgomery Boice loved to preach from the book of Romans. Marion Clark selected forty excerpts from his works to be used as devotional readings. (Clark had much to choose from: 239 sermons in all.) These readings cover all sixteen chapters of Romans.

The devotional readings are arranged into four sections: Justification by Faith, Romans 1-4; The Reign of Grace, Romans 5-8; God and History, Romans 9-11; The New Humanity, Romans 12-16.

The devotional readings are concise, very reader friendly, perfect for those who have the desire to read theology, but, not the time. The devotions have some depth, but not the depth you might expect from a commentary or heavy theological work.

Favorite quotes:

From the introduction:
At times one teacher or another has been enamored with the so-called simple teachings of Jesus and has rejected the writings of Paul as too doctrinaire, too technical, or too harsh. All we really need to do is tell people God loves them, these instructors have said. Others have maintained that it is not what we believe that matters as much as what we do. According to this perspective, the social teachings of Christianity are the heart of Christianity… Again, the problem is not that we need to know God loves us, though we often doubt that he does. Our hang-up is that we do not love God, as Luther, the pious monk, discovered. We are at war with God. In effect, we hate him; at the very least, we do not want him to rule over our lives and resent any meaningful attempts he makes to do so. Romans shows how God deals with this problem. And because it tells how God deals with this basic dilemma of human life, it necessarily also unveils the true solution to nearly everything else.
From Day 3:
Where do most people begin when making a presentation of Christian truth? Many begin with what is often called “a felt need,” a lack or a longing the listener will acknowledge. The need may involve feelings of inadequacy; a recognition of problems in the individual’s personal relationships, work, or aspirations; moods; fears; or simply bad habits. Here is the way Paul speaks of a felt need in another letter: “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3). “What their itching ears want to hear” is a classic example of a felt need. In this passage the apostle warns Timothy not to cater to it. Another way we present the gospel today is by promises. Through this approach, becoming a Christian is basically presented as a means of getting something. We also commonly offer the gospel by the route of personal experience, stressing what Jesus has done for us and commending the gospel to the other person for that reason. Paul was God-centered rather than man-centered, and he was concerned with that central focus. Most of us are weak, fuzzy, or wrong at this point. Paul knew that what matters in the final analysis is not whether we feel good or have our felt needs met or receive a meaningful experience. What matters is whether we come into a right relationship with God. And to have that happen we need to begin with the truth that we are not in a right relationship with him. On the contrary, we are under God’s wrath and are in danger of everlasting condemnation at his hands. Our hope, then, is in Jesus, the Son of God. His death was for those who deserve God’s wrath. And his death was fully adequate, because Jesus did not need to die for his own sins—he was sinless—and because, being God, his act was of infinite magnitude. The place to begin for salvation is not with your own good works, since you have none, but by knowing that you are an object of God’s wrath and will perish in sin, unless you throw yourself on the mercy of the one who died for sinners, even Jesus Christ.
From Day 8:
I want to tell you that whoever you are or whatever you may or may not have done, the gospel is for you, because it is for everybody. I want you to see that if you come to God in the way he has appointed for you to come—that is, through faith in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for you—he will receive you and will never cast you out. Who may come? The answer is: everybody. All alike are lost in sin, and yet all alike are the objects of Jesus’s saving love. The gospel is for the very great sinner as well as for the apparently moral person. It is for the pagan as well as for the one who considers himself or herself religious. Even if you are a very great sinner, you may come. Even if you are extremely self-righteous, you may come—if you shed your self-righteousness. How may I come? You may come as you are. You are invited to come to Christ in whatever mental or spiritual attire you may find yourself in. Some come running to Jesus. Others come limping along with poor, faltering, hesitating steps. Some people come kicking and screaming. But that is all right. They may come too.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, March 22, 2015

Week in Review: March 15-21

I want deliberately to encourage this mighty longing after God. The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. ~ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
The message is not that God loves us, but that he loves us with a love that cannot be defeated, even by our own stupidity. This is the gospel — the finished work of Christ on the cross, his resurrection and ascension and royal authority over everything. ~ Raymond C. Ortlund, Isaiah: God Saves Sinners
NIV Rainbow Study Bible

  • Matthew

NASB (text only)

  • Romans
  • 1 Corinthians
  • 2 Corinthians
  • Galatians
  • Ephesians
  • Philippians
  • Colossians
  • 1 Thessalonians
  • 2 Thessalonians
  • 1 Timothy
  • 2 Timothy
  • Titus
  • Philemon
  • Hebrews
  • James
  • 1 Peter
  • 2 Peter
  • 1 John
  • 2 John
  • 3 John
  • Jude
  • Revelation

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Focus on Ephesians 2:8-10

One of my March memory verses is Ephesians 2:8-10. Though I've chosen to memorize this passage in the ESV, I thought it would be interesting to see how other versions of the Bible translate this verse. After all, almost more important than memorization is meditation and understanding. And reading in various translations can help with that!
  • For by grace ye be saved by faith, and this not of you [and that not of you]; for it is the gift of God, not of works, that no man have glory. For we be the making of him, made of nought in Christ Jesus, in good works, which God hath ordained, that we go in those works [that God made ready before, that in them we go].  (Wycliffe)
  • For by grace are ye made safe throwe faith, and that not of your selves: For it is the gift of God, and cometh not of works, lest any man should boast himself.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Iesu unto good works, unto the which God ordained us before, that we should walk in them. (Tyndale)
  • For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God, Not of works, lest any man should boast himself. For we are his workmanship created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath ordained, that we should walk in them. (1599 Geneva)
  • For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. (KJV)
  • for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. (ERV)
  • for by grace have ye been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, that no man should glory. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God afore prepared that we should walk in them. (ASV)
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God— not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (RSV)
  • Because of his kindness, you have been saved through trusting Christ. And even trusting is not of yourselves; it too is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good we have done, so none of us can take any credit for it. It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. (Living)
  • For it is by God's grace that you have been saved through faith. It is not the result of your own efforts, but God's gift, so that no one can boast about it. God has made us what we are, and in our union with Christ Jesus he has created us for a life of good deeds, which he has already prepared for us to do. (GNT)
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (NKJV)
  • For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. (NIV)
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. (NASB)
  • You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about. God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to live. That’s why he sent Christ to make us what we are. (CEV)
  • God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)
  • For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but God’s gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast. For we are of God’s making, created in union with the Messiah Yeshua for a life of good actions already prepared by God for us to do. (CJB)
  • For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift— not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them. (HCSB)
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. (ESV)
  • You are saved by God’s grace because of your faith. This salvation is God’s gift. It’s not something you possessed. It’s not something you did that you can be proud of. Instead, we are God’s accomplishment, created in Christ Jesus to do good things. God planned for these good things to be the way that we live our lives. (CEB)
  • For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, so that we should walk in them. (MEV)

Friday, March 20, 2015

Book Review: Poems

Poems. Christina G. Rossetti. 1906. 428 pages. [Source: Bought]

I remembered enjoying Christina Rossetti's "The Goblin Market" when I was in college. Something brought it to mind the other day, and, I decided to seek it out again. I ended up choosing a chunkster volume of poetry. At first, my intentions were just to read "The Goblin Market" and perhaps a few other poems too. Before I knew it, I was halfway through the book! I read the book in three days, and I was loving every minute of it. That isn't to say that I loved each and every poem equally. But for a person who doesn't typically "like" poetry to get swept up and away by a volume of poetry, well, it says something.

The edition I read was divided into five major sections: Goblin Market and Other Poems, Devotional Pieces, The Prince's Progress and Other Poems, Devotional Pieces,  and A Pageant and Other Poems.

I loved the variety of the poems. Some poems told stories. Some were light-hearted. Some were serious. Some were reflective. Some were hopeful. Some were melancholy. Quite a handful were about death.  Some were about love: love lost or love won. Some were about nature and the seasons. One thing that modern readers might not be expecting is the volume of "sacred" or "devotional" pieces. That was a big, big bonus for me.

"Goblin Market" is a great poem, a great story. I loved it very much. I'll include a few excerpts to give you a taste of it. But essentially, it is about two sisters: Laura and Lizzie. One sister, Laura, can't resist temptation. She tastes the forbidden fruit, and it changes her forever. Lizzie slowly watches her sister decline and pine away, and she decides to act...
Morning and evening
Maids heard the goblins cry:
"Come buy our orchard fruits,
Come buy, come buy:
Apples and quinces,
Lemons and oranges,
Plump unpecked cherries,
Melons and raspberries,
Bloom-down-cheecked peaches,
Swart-headed mulberries,
Wild free-born cranberries,
Crab-apples, dewberries,
Pine-apples, blackberries,
Apricots, strawberries;--
and
Leering at each other,
Brother with queer brother;
Signalling each other,
Brother with sly brother.
One set his basket down,
One reared his plate;
One began to weave a crown
Of tendrils, leaves, and rough nuts brown
(Men sell not such in any town);
One heaved the golden weight
Of dish and fruit to offer her:
"Come buy, come buy," was still their cry.
and
One may lead a horse to water,
Twenty cannot make him drink.
Here are excerpts from a few other poems I enjoyed.

From "A Birthday"
My heart is like a singing bird
Whose nest is in a watered shoot;
My heart is like an apple tree
Whose boughs are bent with thick-set fruit;
My heart is like a rainbow shell
That paddles in a halcyon sea;
My heart is gladder than all these
Because my love is come to me. 
From "The Master Is Come, And Calleth For Thee"
Who calleth?--Thy Father calleth,
Run, O Daughter, to wait on Him:
He Who chasteneth but for a season
Trims thy lamp that it burn not dim.
Who calleth?--Thy Master calleth,
Sit, Disciple, and learn of Him:
He Who teacheth wisdom of Angels
Makes thee wise as the Cherubim,
From "Advent"
We weep because the night is long,
We laugh, for day shall rise,
We sing a slow contented song
And knock at Paradise.
From "What Would I Give?"
What would I give for a heart of
flesh to warm me through,
Instead of this heart of stone
ice-cold whatever I do;
Hard and cold and small, of all
hearts the worst of all.
From "Saints and Angels"
The road to death is life, the gate of life is death,
We who wake shall sleep, we shall wax who wane;
From "Who Shall Deliver Me?"
God strengthen me to bear myself;
That heaviest weight of all to bear,
Inalienable weight of care.
All others are outside myself;
I lock my door and bar them out,
The turmoil, tedium, gad-about.
I lock my door upon myself,
And bar them out; but who shall wall
Self from myself, most loathed of all?
and
This coward with pathetic voice
Who craves for ease and rest and joys:
Myself, arch-traitor to myself;
My hollowest friend, my deadliest foe,
My clog whatever road I go. 
From "Dost Thou Not Care?"
I love and love not: Lord, it breaks my heart
To love and not to love. 
From "Good Friday"
Am I a stone and not a sheep
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss,
And yet not weep?
Yet give not o'er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock.
From "For Thine Own Sake, O My God"
Wearied of sinning, wearied of repentance,
Wearied of self, I turn, my God, to Thee;
To Thee, my Judge, on Whose all-righteous sentence
Hangs mine eternity:
I turn to Thee, I plead Thyself with Thee,--
Be pitiful to Me. 
From "Behold the Man!"
Shall Christ hang on the Cross, and we not look?
Heaven, earth, and hell stood gazing at the first,
While Christ for long-cursed man was counted cursed;
Christ, God and Man, Whom God the Father strook
And shamed and sifted and one while forsook:--
Cry shame upon our bodies we have nursed
In sweets, our souls in pride, our spirits immersed
In wilfulness, our steps run all a crook.
Cry shame upon us! for He bore our shame
In agony, and we look on at ease
With neither hearts on flame nor cheeks on flame:

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Focus on Matthew 11:28

One of my March memory verses is Matthew 11:28. Though I've chosen to memorize this verse in the ESV, I thought it would be interesting to see how other versions of the Bible translate this verse. After all, almost more important than memorization is meditation and understanding. And reading in various translations can help with that!

  • All ye that travail, and be charged, come to me, and I shall fulfill you [and I shall refresh, or fulfill, you].  (Wycliffe)
  • Come vnto me all ye that laboure and are laden and I wyll ease you. (Tyndale)
  • Come unto me, all ye that are weary and laden, and I will ease you. (1599 Geneva)
  • Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (KJV)
  • Come to me, all ye that labor, and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Webster's Bible Translation)
  • Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ERV)
  • Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ASV)
  • "Come to me, all you toiling and burdened ones, and *I* will give you rest. (Weymouth)
  • Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (RSV)
  • Come to me and I will give you rest (Living)
  • Come to me, all of you who are weary and over-burdened, and I will give you rest! (Phillips)
  • “Come to me, all of you who are tired from carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest. (GNT)
  • Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (NKJV)
  • “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (NIV)
  • Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. (NASB)
  • Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. (NLT)
  • “Come to me, all of you who are struggling and burdened, and I will give you rest. (CJB)
  • Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. (HCSB)
  • Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (ESV)
  • Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavily burdened, and I will give you rest. (MEV)


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, March 19, 2015

Focus on Psalm 138:8

One of my March memory verses is Psalm 138:8. Though I've chosen to memorize this verse in the ESV, I thought it would be interesting to see how other versions of the Bible translate this verse. After all, almost more important than memorization is meditation and understanding. And reading in various translations can help with that!

  • The Lord will perform his work toward me: O Lord, thy mercy endureth forever: forsake not the works of thine hands. (1599 Geneva)
  • The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. (KJV)
  • The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands. (English Revised Version)
  • Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me: Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; Forsake not the works of thine own hands.  (American Standard Version)
  • The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; thy steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. Do not forsake the work of thy hands. (Revised Standard Version)
  • The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your loving-kindness, Lord, continues forever. Don’t abandon me—for you made me. (Living Bible)
  • You will do everything you have promised; Lord, your love is eternal. Complete the work that you have begun. (Good News Translation)
  • The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. (NKJV)
  • The Lord will vindicate me; your love, Lord, endures foreverdo not abandon the works of your hands. (NIV)
  • The Lord will accomplish what concerns me; Your lovingkindness, O Lord, is everlasting; Do not forsake the works of Your hands. (NASB)
  • The Lord will work out his plans for my life—for your faithful love, O Lord, endures forever. Don’t abandon me, for you made me. (NLT)
  • Adonai will fulfill his purpose for me. Your grace, Adonai, continues forever. Don’t abandon the work of your hands! (Complete Jewish Bible)
  • The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (ESV)
  • The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me. Lord, Your love is eternal; do not abandon the work of Your hands. (HCSB)
  • The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me; Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever; do not forsake the works of Your hands. (MEV)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Quotes from the Cloud #11

This year, I hope share weekly posts of quotes. These quotes are from authors I'm reading and enjoying from the Clouds of Witnesses Reading Challenge

For fellow participants, what I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I'd love for you to share quotes occasionally with your readers and let me know about it. If you don't have a blog, you could always leave quotes in the comments here.

Unless we get hurt right out of every deception about ourselves, the word of God is not having its way with us. The word of God hurts us as no sin can ever hurt, because sin blunts feeling. ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 1
The bedrock of our Christian faith is the unmerited, fathomless marvel of the love of God exhibited on the Cross of Calvary, a love we never can and never shall merit. ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 7
Salvation is not merely deliverance from sin, nor the experience of personal holiness; the salvation of God is deliverance out of self entirely into union with Himself. ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 13
Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves and knows the One Who is leading. ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, March 19
The New Testament has lots to say about self-denial, but not about self-denial as an end in itself. We are told to deny ourselves and to take up our crosses in order that we may follow Christ; and nearly every description of what we shall ultimately find if we do so contains an appeal to desire. If there lurks in most modern minds the notion that to desire our own good and earnestly to hope for the enjoyment of it is a bad thing, I submit that this notion has crept in from Kant and the Stoics and is no part of the Christian faith. Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased. ~ C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory 
There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which every one in the world loathes when he sees it in someone else; and of which hardly any people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. I do not think I have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himself of this vice. And at the same time I have very seldom met anyone, who was not a Christian, who showed the slightest mercy to it in others. There is no fault which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more unconscious of in ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we dislike it in others.
The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit: and the virtue opposite to it, in Christian morals, is called Humility. You may remember, when I was talking about sexual morality, I warned you that the centre of Christian morals did not lie there. Well, now, we have come to the centre. According to Christian teachers, the essential vice, the utmost evil, is Pride. Unchastity, anger, greed, drunkenness, and all that, are mere fleabites in comparison: it was through Pride that the devil became the devil: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind. ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Your patient has become humble; have you drawn his attention to the fact? All virtues are less formidable to us once the man is aware that he has them, but this is specially true of humility. Catch him at the moment when he is really poor in spirit and smuggle into his mind the gratifying reflection, ‘By jove! I’m being humble’, and almost immediately pride—pride at his own humility—will appear. If he awakes to the danger and tries to smother this new form of pride, make him proud of his attempt—and so on, through as many stages as you please. But don’t try this too long, for fear you awake his sense of humour and proportion, in which case he will merely laugh at you and go to bed.But there are other profitable ways of fixing his attention on the virtue of Humility. By this virtue, as by all the others, our Enemy wants to turn the man’s attention away from self to Him, and to the man’s neighbours. All the abjection and self-hatred are designed, in the long run, solely for this end; unless they attain this end they do us little harm; and they may even do us good if they keep the man concerned with himself, and, above all, if self-contempt can be made the starting point for contempt of other selves, and thus for gloom, cynicism, and cruelty. ~ C.S. Lewis, Screwtape Letters

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Book Review: The Pursuit of God

The Pursuit of God: The Human Thirst for the Divine. A.W. Tozer 1948/2006. WingSpread Publishers. 70 pages. [Source: Bought]

Is The Pursuit of God my absolute favorite Tozer book? Not really. Not even close if I'm being honest. I've read quite a few over the past three years.* Would it be my first choice as someone else's first Tozer? Probably not. If not, what would be? Well, I'd have to go with either Knowledge of the Holy OR The Root of the Righteous. (Chances are you've heard of Knowledge of the Holy. I'd guess it's his most well-known work.) All that being said, is it worth reading? Yes, I think so. 

What I loved MOST about The Pursuit of God were the concluding prayers at the end of each chapter. These prayers were well-crafted, beautiful, and inspiring.

The book has ten chapters:
  • Following Hard After God
  • The Blessedness of Possessing Nothing
  • Removing the Veil
  • Apprehending God
  • The Universal Presence
  • The Speaking Voice
  • The Gaze of the Soul
  • Restoring the Creator-Creature Relation
  • Meekness and Rest
  • The Sacrament of Living
As I said, I loved the prayers. How did I feel about the rest of the text? Well, my reaction varied from chapter to chapter, page to page. Some of which I read, I definitely agreed with. Some of which I read, I definitely disagreed with. 

Is this good? Is this bad? I think, overall, it's good. Why? Because I believe it's healthy to engage with a text. To see it as a challenge, a time to think and reflect, a time to test and discern. How does what he's saying line up with the Bible? How does it line up to what I think, what I've assumed to be true, what I've been taught? What biblical proof does he give? None? A little? A lot? Does his interpretation of a biblical text make sense? Or is it off? Has he persuaded me he's right? Or am I convinced that he got it wrong in this area? How important is it that we agree? Is it a BIG deal or a little aside? 

For the most part, I have found more good than bad in his writing. That is, while I have always found paragraphs that I take issue with in most any of his books, I've found much truth as well. I love his passion and zeal. One thing we have in common--or would have had in common--is a PASSION and a DESIRE to read the Word of God; we both LOVE the Bible, and value it as being the very WORD OF GOD. Tozer, I think, above all else, wanted people to LOVE God, to KNOW God, to be in right RELATIONSHIP with God. SEEK HIM WITH YOUR WHOLE HEART, MIND, AND SOUL. He saw people missing out, and, he wanted to wake them up--to shake them up. He does write zealously. He can sound VERY judgmental, I admit it. But he's trying to wake people up to the truth, to the possibilities of what their Christian life could be and should be. His intent is for their good, their well-being. 

So you'll encounter strong, bold, passionate statements. Tozer speaking truth as he sees it, as he's experienced it. He does make very generalized statements about Christians, about nonChristians, about the world, about the church. His observations come from an earlier time in church history--this book, I believe, was published in the late forties. But that does not mean his observations are irrelevant for modern readers. Some things have changed in "the church", and, his statements might not be strong enough in a few cases. (Not in all cases, mind you.)

I want to mention one more thing, before I get to the quotes, there were two chapters--"The Blessing of Possessing Nothing" and "The Sacrament of Living"--that reminded me of  a book I recently read: Joe Rigney's Things of Earth. Rigney's book handles these topics of self-denial and the tension between sacred-versus-secular much better. So if you're confused or unsatisfied with Tozer's ideas, then you might seek out another opinion. 

I encourage you to play true or false with the following quotes: 
The Bible is not an end in itself, but a means to bring men to an intimate and satisfying knowledge of God, that they may enter into Him, that they may delight in His Presence, may taste and know the inner sweetness of the very God Himself in the core and center of their hearts. We Christians are in real danger of losing God amid the wonders of His Word. We have almost forgotten that God is a Person and, as such, can be cultivated as any person can.
We have been snared in the coils of a spurious logic which insists that if we have found Him we need no more seek Him. This is set before us as the last word in orthodoxy, and it is taken for granted that no Bible-taught Christian ever believed otherwise. Thus the whole testimony of the worshipping, seeking, singing Church on that subject is crisply set aside. The experiential heart-theology of a grand army of fragrant saints is rejected in favor of a smug interpretation of Scripture which would certainly have sounded strange to an Augustine, a Rutherford or a Brainerd.**
The simplicity which is in Christ is rarely found among us. In its stead are programs, methods, organizations and a world of nervous activities which occupy time and attention but can never satisfy the longing of the heart. The shallowness of our inner experience, the hollowness of our worship, and that servile imitation of the world which marks our promotional methods all testify that we, in this day, know God only imperfectly, and the peace of God scarcely at all.
There is within the human heart a tough fibrous root of fallen life whose nature is to possess, always to possess. It covets "things" with a deep and fierce passion. The pronouns "my" and "mine" look innocent enough in print, but their constant and universal use is significant.
God formed us for His pleasure, and so formed us that we as well as He can in divine communion enjoy the sweet and mysterious mingling of kindred personalities. He meant us to see Him and live with Him and draw our life from His smile.
The Presence of God is the central fact of Christianity. At the heart of the Christian message is God Himself waiting for His redeemed children to push in to conscious awareness of His Presence. 
The world is perishing for lack of the knowledge of God and the Church is famishing for want of His Presence.
Eternity will not be long enough to learn all He is, or to praise Him for all He has done, but then, that matters not; for we shall be always with Him, and we desire nothing more."
God is so vastly wonderful, so utterly and completely delightful that He can, without anything other than Himself, meet and overflow the deepest demands of our total nature, mysterious and deep as that nature is.
There is something more serious than coldness of heart, something that may be back of that coldness and be the cause of its existence. What is it? What but the presence of a veil in our hearts? It is woven of the fine threads of the self-life, the hyphenated sins of the human spirit. They are not something we do, they are something we are, and therein lies both their subtlety and their power. To be specific, the self-sins are these: self-righteousness, self-pity, self-confidence, self-sufficiency, self-admiration, self-love and a host of others like them. They dwell too deep within us and are too much a part of our natures to come to our attention till the light of God is focused upon them.
A loving Personality dominates the Bible, walking among the trees of the garden and breathing fragrance over every scene. Always a living Person is present, speaking, pleading, loving, working, and manifesting Himself whenever and wherever His people have the receptivity necessary to receive the manifestation.
The spiritual faculties of the unregenerate man lie asleep in his nature, unused and for every purpose dead; that is the stroke which has fallen upon us by sin. They may be quickened to active life again by the operation of the Holy Spirit in regeneration; that is one of the immeasurable benefits which come to us through Christ's atoning work on the cross.
But the very ransomed children of God themselves: why do they know so little of that habitual conscious communion with God which the Scriptures seem to offer? The answer is our chronic unbelief. Faith enables our spiritual sense to function. Where faith is defective the result will be inward insensibility and numbness toward spiritual things.
Important as it is that we recognize God working in us, I would yet warn against a too-great preoccupation with the thought. It is a sure road to sterile passivity. God will not hold us responsible to understand the mysteries of election, predestination and the divine sovereignty. The best and safest way to deal with these truths is to raise our eyes to God and in deepest reverence say, "O Lord, Thou knowest." Those things belong to the deep and mysterious Profound of God's omniscience. Prying into them may make theologians, but it will never make saints.**
The idea of cultivation and exercise, so dear to the saints of old, has now no place in our total religious picture. It is too slow, too common. We now demand glamour and fast flowing dramatic action. A generation of Christians reared among push buttons and automatic machines is impatient of slower and less direct methods of reaching their goals. We have been trying to apply machine-age methods to our relations with God. We read our chapter, have our short devotions and rush away, hoping to make up for our deep inward bankruptcy by attending another gospel meeting or listening to another thrilling story told by a religious adventurer lately returned from afar. The tragic results of this spirit are all about us. Shallow lives, hollow religious philosophies, the preponderance of the element of fun in gospel meetings, the glorification of men, trust in religious externalities, quasi-religious fellowships, salesmanship methods, the mistaking of dynamic personality for the power of the Spirit: these and such as these are the symptoms of an evil disease, a deep and serious malady of the soul.
Let any man turn to God in earnest, let him begin to exercise himself unto godliness, let him seek to develop his powers of spiritual receptivity by trust and obedience and humility, and the results will exceed anything he may have hoped in his leaner and weaker days. Any man who by repentance and a sincere return to God will break himself out of the mold in which he has been held, and will go to the Bible itself for his spiritual standards, will be delighted with what he finds there.
If you would follow on to know the Lord, come at once to the open Bible expecting it to speak to you. Do not come with the notion that it is a thing which you may push around at your convenience. It is more than a thing, it is a voice, a word, the very Word of the living God.
Every soul belongs to God and exists by His pleasure. God being Who and What He is, and we being who and what we are, the only thinkable relation between us is one of full lordship on His part and complete submission on ours. We owe Him every honor that it is in our power to give Him. Our everlasting grief lies in giving Him anything less. The pursuit of God will embrace the labor of bringing our total personality into conformity to His.
The whole course of the life is upset by failure to put God where He belongs.
Let us think of a Christian believer in whose life the twin wonders of repentance and the new birth have been wrought. He is now living according to the will of God as he understands it from the written Word. Of such a one it may be said that every act of his life is or can be as truly sacred as prayer or baptism or the Lord's Supper. To say this is not to bring all acts down to one dead level; it is rather to lift every act up into a living kingdom and turn the whole life into a sacrament.
For other opinions on The Pursuit of God:
Reading to Know, Stray Thoughts, and I'll add more if I come across them.

*Here is a list of all the Tozer books I've read, and, in the order I've read them. "Quite a few" isn't it?!

**These statements I actually strongly disagree with.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible