Some Christians observe Lent, perhaps observing it
very traditionally. I choose to
celebrate "observe" Lent not by giving up anything, not by keeping strict rules, but by seeking greater intimacy with Jesus Christ. I choose to listen to music that will direct and redirect me to Christ, songs that sing of Christ's life, Christ's death, Christ's resurrection, Christ's sacrificial, substitutionary, atoning work, songs that highlight God's great kindness and mercy in showing grace to sinners. I choose to read books that focus on Christ, on the gospel, on who God is and what God has done. Above all, I choose to dedicate myself to reading more in His Word. Reading the Bible is always, always important, always essential. But to dedicate these weeks to an intense reading of His Word, well, it's something. Trust me.
I recommend
The Biggest Question DVD (Kirk Cameron, RW Glenn, Todd Friel). It's a great evangelism tool focusing on the WHY of the cross. One can know that Christ died, know vaguely the anguish and suffering involved, but still fail to see the WHY of it and how that why applies to them, can apply to them personally. Why did Jesus have to die on the cross? God HATES sin. God is just and holy. Sin is offensive, repulsive, ugly. It has to be dealt with. God can't allow sin to go unpunished. It's a BIG deal to God no matter how little we consider it to be, no matter how we treat it dismissively. But. God LOVES sinners. He loves really bad sinners. He didn't die for those who consider themselves good and righteous. He died for wretched, wicked sinners, those who have broken the law, those who are weighed down with guilt and shame. This is a video that deals with salvation issues, and defines key terms like sin, righteousness, gospel, justification, sanctification, repentance, imputation, etc.
Another DVD recommendation is
The Gospel of John. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this film adaptation of the Gospel of John. Readers are treated to the gospel in its entirety: word by word. And it is beautifully and wonderfully done. I can't recommend this one enough.
Here are a
few praise and worship CDs I'd recommend:
Here's a new book I'm excited about:
One Perfect Life: The Complete Story of the Lord Jesus by John MacArthur, New King James translation. Here's the publisher's description:
In One Perfect Life, Dr. John MacArthur shares with us the
complete story of the Eternal Christ from Genesis to Revelation. Using
Matthew as the base text, Dr. MacArthur blends the gospels and other
biblical material about Jesus into one continuous story that will help
you better understand Scripture and grow stronger in your faith. No
other harmony of the Gospels includes such extensive study notes to help
you unpack the meaning of each verse.
And now for the book (and Bible) recommendations that I am familiar with:
© Becky Laney of
Operation Actually Read Bible
1 comment:
I'm currently using the "Reading God's Story: Chronological Bible" as my Bible through the year for this year. I have the Michael Horton "Putting Amazing Back into Grace" onto my TBR list and I just ordered the Burning Lights Chris Tomlin CD.
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