Monday, January 30, 2023

10. Another Gospel?


Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth In Response to Progressive Christianity. Alisa Childers. 2020. [October] 288 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: The curve of the rocking chair arm dug into my hip as I held my restless toddler, singing a hymn into the darkness--darkness so thick it felt as if it were made of physical matter, choking the cries right out of my throat as I prayed to a God I wasn't sure was even there. "God, I know you're real," I whispered. "Please let me feel your presence. Please."

Premise/plot: Alisa Childers writes of her experiences with progressive Christianity. She was encouraged to "deconstruct" by her pastor. There was a class and everything. But she held onto her faith even if she couldn't put into words why. His false teachings encouraged her to do anything and everything to 'prove' the WHY of her faith. She began digging deep, using all the resources, reading theology, studying church history. This battle with the false strengthened her faith and emboldened her message. She's been sounding off warning messages against progressive Christianity and deconstructing ever since. In this one she is showing readers that the "God" the "Jesus" of progressive Christianity is NOT the God of the Bible. That they are in fact preaching another Jesus, another gospel. 

My thoughts: I first became familiar with the author through a documentary I was watching a couple years ago. I then began watching her YouTube videos on her channel. I've not watched every one, certainly, but I've watched quite a handful. If you have seen every single video, then there isn't much new here in the book. Her testimony is good--something I believe the Holy Spirit can use--but it isn't exclusive to this book. She tells her story in several places.

I definitely enjoyed reading her story. I liked following her journey. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, January 29, 2023

Sunday Salon #5


Current Bible plans and projects:


ESV Church History Bible (Daily Offices from the Book of Common Prayer).
 This week I read Psalms 107 - 138; Proverbs 22-28; Joshua 13-24; Judges 1-21; Ruth 1-4; 1 Samuel 1-20; Galatians 1-6; Mark 1-16; Ephesians 1-6. I am continuing to love this one.


ESV Large Print Thinline Reference Bible. I finished this one this week and reviewed it. The books I read this week were Psalms 90-150. 1 Peter. 2 Peter. Proverbs. Gospel of John. 1 John. 2 John. 3 John. Jude. Revelation. 

NRSV XL (Anglicized Catholic). This is the Bible I am now reading with the Be Thou My Vision devotional. (I was reading ESV Large Print Thinline). This one has a unique layout/size/design. I am liking it so far. This week I read 1 Chronicles. 2 Chronicles. Job. Ezra. Nehemiah. Song of Solomon. Wisdom of Solomon. Genesis. Exodus 1-15. (For the record, I am neither British nor Catholic. I just like the design/size of the Bible).

BSB M'Cheyne. I am reading this on the YouVersion app. Genesis 23-29; Matthew 22-28; Nehemiah 12-13; Esther 1-5; Acts 22-28. This week's plan saw the finishing up of Nehemiah, Matthew, and Acts! Sometimes this plan seems so slow...and then you get several 'accomplishments' all at once.

Growing 4 Life, January, Mark 1-4. I'm not sure if this week the FB group will be starting the next section of Mark or not? We'll see. Regardless, this past week I read Mark 1-4 in these translations: BSB, NASB 95, 1611 KJV, NASB 77, NLT, LSB, BSB. 

Current plans for other books:

I reviewed one Bible and two books this week! I also finished two books. I'll be reviewing them soon!

Questions:

Do you ever have trouble deciding what Bible to read or what Bible to read next? 
Have you read any good books lately?


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, January 28, 2023

9. Come, Lord Jesus


Come, Lord Jesus: Meditations on the Second Coming of Christ. John Piper. 2023. [January] 322 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: The aim of this book is to help you love the second coming of Jesus Christ. The contents and title were inspired partly by the biblical prayers "Come, Lord Jesus!" (Revelation 22:20) and "Our Lord, come! (1 Corinthians 16:22). But mainly the book was inspired by the heart affection beneath these prayers which Paul expressed in 2 Timothy 4:8: There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing. A crown of righteousness is promised to those who love the second coming of Christ. We pray for his appearing, because we love his appearing. 

Come, Lord Jesus is a weighty book. Perhaps I have misunderstood the word 'meditation' for most of my life--possible, for sure. I was expecting meaty devotions themed around the second coming, end times, last days, final judgment, heaven, new heaven and earth. I was not expecting a scholarly work packed--stuffed--with footnotes. I wasn't expecting Greek, Greek, and more Greek. There is a LOT for readers to unpack. This is no 5-minute-rice theology. 

The theme is right on target. I would say it covers--end times, signs of the the last days, final judgment, tribulation, second coming, rapture, new heaven and earth, etc. It spans the teachings of the New Testament (New Testament authors). It seeks to reconcile the teachings of Jesus and Paul, to name an example. 

I would say it challenges readers from the start. It asks much. And that's not a bad thing. To read without engaging this one would be a disservice. It asks you to think, to consider, to ponder, to wrestle with your own views and traditions. It holds the Bible in highest esteem. It lays out the Bible for you--chapter and verse. It unpacks all the angles. Piper has his views, but he is 'showing his work' if you will and not asking you to take his word for it on blind faith. 

I found it thought-provoking. Even when I wanted to stop thinking about it, I couldn't. The end times, like it or not, can make you squirm a bit, be a bit uncomfortable. There are some subjects where I tend to be a little like Scarlett O'Hara, I'll think about that tomorrow. For me, the end times is that subject I'm always pushing to tomorrow. I think because it is so easy to get confused and stay confused. Perhaps because it is a subject that can feel extra-heated. Sometimes people have very STRONG feelings on what they think will happen, how it all unfolds. Trigger warning: Piper doesn't hold to a separate rapture of believers occurring pre-tribulation (or mid-tribulation for that matter). He believes in ONE second coming--the verses that speak of believers meeting him in the air is the same second coming where he's coming to judge the world.

I can honestly say that I've never asked myself the question do I [actively] love the second coming of Christ. Passively sure I think many Christians fall into that camp. But actively--desiring, longing, hoping, loving--that's a BIG, bold statement. Piper, especially at the beginning and perhaps again towards the end, makes the argument that "the test of our love for the Christ who HAS appeared is our longing for the Christ who WILL appear." He argues that it is our LOVE for his appearing that enables us to ENDURE through anything/everything. It is our LOVE for his appearing, so Piper claims Paul writes, that protects our hearts and minds from loving this world too much, from becoming too entangled with worldly-world influences. It is our LOVE for his appearing that will encourage and promote holy living--sanctification. It is our LOVE for his appearing that will keep us gathering together as believers and encouraging one another. 

Piper further writes that it isn't enough to love certain things about his second coming [loving the gifts more than the giver] but our love for the second coming needs to fit into Christ's purpose for coming again. Here Piper does what Piper does best--talk about GLORY and delighting in the GLORY of the Lord. (Christian hedonism is Piper's default mode.) Here in this one it does make sense though.

He writes, "Absolutely crucial to God's ultimate purpose in the second coming is not only that the glory of Christ be revealed, but that it be loved. Rightly loved." 

I am glad I read this one. It may be worth revisiting again. For being a book about the end of times or "day of the Lord" it covers SO much theological territory. 

One of my favorite quotes:

Our hope is that the joy we have tasted in this life (1 Peter 2:3) will be given an injection of supernatural capacity beyond imagination. This is what Jesus prayed for. This is what will happen. God will pour his own love for Christ into us. We will enjoy Christ with the very enjoyment of God. It is true that our joy in Jesus even now is a work of God--God the Holy Spirit. Our joy in God and his Son is owing to the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives, creating the capacity to delight in God and Christ (Romans 14:17; 15:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:6)... Jesus promises that he will go further: he will make God known in new and unimagined ways, with the result that God's own love for the Son will become more fully our own love for the Son, so that we will be able to enjoy Christ with the purity and intensity we ought. We will not be lamed by our present worldliness and remaining corruptions, and by the constrains of a fallen body.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, January 26, 2023

8. Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms


Seeking the Face of God: Nine Reflections on the Psalms. 1957/1991/2005. 172 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: There can be no doubt at all but that the greatest matter confronting every man and woman born into this world is that which is put before us by this statement in Psalm 14. [Psalm 14:1] Nothing surely, can be more important than this question of our relationship to God.

The book is a collection of nine sermons originally preached in 1957 by D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones. It was published in the UK in 1991 and the first American edition of this book was published in 2005. All nine sermons are expository sermons expositing verses and chapters from Psalms. Some chapters are linked closely together--same Psalm, different verses. Other chapters are more loosely connected. All have something vital/relevant to say to the church. 

These are *some* of the verses he discusses. I am missing one, sadly, and I thought I was doing such a good job of taking notes. Oh well. 

Psalm 14:1
Psalm 50:21 
Psalm 84:5-7
Psalm 78:41
Psalm 63:1-3
Psalm 63:1-3
Psalm 16:8
Psalm 27:1,3

Early chapters discuss what it is to be a fool, what makes one a fool, what is the greatest folly, etc. He surprised me a bit--in a good way--by then going on to say what is the SECOND greatest folly. That was a thought-provoking chapter. The answer--to spoil the surprise--is Christians who profess to believe but then live as if there were no God. In the past few decades--2005 or later--this wouldn't be a big surprise. This has been stated in various books. But in 1957, this might have been a jolt to those sitting in the pew. [I don't think this message would be preached from the pulpit these days--unless you are Paul Washer.] 

Quote: Is there any greater folly than the folly of saying there is no God? It is the folly of people who say they believe in God but who in the tenor of their lives and in the whole of their conduct daily forget God and live exactly as if He did not exist.

All of the chapters focus on man's relationship with God and God's relationship with man. 

I definitely enjoyed reading this one. I decided to read it now [it's been in my tbr pile probably for a decade] because Martyn Lloyd-Jones is quoted frequently in the ESV Church History Study Bible. 

Truth doesn't change. Absolute truth doesn't change. So these sermons are relevant and beneficial. Some of his observations and conclusions do seem a tiny bit dated. He argues, for example, that anyone who does not believe in God [aka unbeliever, the lost, unsaved] is lacking a worldview. He insists that they don't have "any path" or "a path" and that mentally they are just lacking a [systematic] way of viewing the world or making sense of the world. I would disagree with that. I think there are MANY, MANY, MANY worldviews prevalent today, actively being promoted today. There are a lot of "isms" if you will. 

Favorite quotes:

Some say, "It's unthinkable that God should ever show what the Bible calls the wrath of God. My whole conception of God excludes the very possibility of wrath. I could not believe in a God who shows this anger against sin and the sinner." So they cut it out, and they do that on the grounds that they cannot believe it, because to them it is unthinkable. So you see, it is their thought that determines everything: "Thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself." They are making God in their own image. So they do not hesitate to lay down their ideas as to what God is like and what He ought to do and what He ought not to do. They give their ideas of the love of God, the wrath and the justice of God, and His righteousness. The whole thing is determined by their own thoughts. So they speak about these things, but their whole attitude toward God and toward religion has no basis and no authority whatsoever apart from their own postulates.

Ten times worse than being outside and saying, "There is no God at all" is going to God and to His house in a formal manner only, and indeed almost with the idea that we are conferring some benefit upon Him. How nice of us! How good of us to have gone to a place of worship! We preen and pride ourselves on it.

You will never make yourself feel that you are a sinner, because there is a mechanism in you as a result of sin that will always be defending you against every accusation. We are all on very good terms with ourselves, and we can always put up a good case for ourselves. Even if we try to make ourselves feel that we are sinners, we will never do it. There is only one way to know that we are sinners, and that is to have some dim, glimmering conception of God.

Christ came into the world and died. Why? To bring us to God. It is all about God. It is not some comfortable feeling that you and I have to strive for; it is not having your body healed or a thousand and one other things. The whole object of Christ and His death upon the cross, His burial, and His resurrection is to bring us to God. And the ultimate test of our profession of the Christian faith is our thoughts about God, our attitude in His presence, our reverence and godly fear because our God is a consuming fire.

There is nothing more awful and reprehensible than to talk about Him and then to forget all about Him, and to live as if He were not there at all. Are you calling upon God for salvation? Have you seen your desperate need of Him? Do you know that you will have to face Him in the Judgment?

Perhaps there will be, as it were, a tape-recording played back to you of all you have said about God and how you have spoken about Him and His laws and declared His statutes. And then it will be read out to you-the things that you have done, the life you have lived, your self-centeredness, your selfishness, the fact that your whole life was not surrendered to God and lived to His glory and to His praise.
It is a tremendous thing to say you believe in God, but look at the implications.

Christian truth is a kind of ellipse, and there is one focus-God; but there is also another focus-man. And if we are to enjoy the experience of this writer, we must be as right about man as we are about God.

Men and women must realize their need, and the only people who know what it is to enjoy the blessings of Christian salvation are those who have already discovered that need. The tragedy, ultimately, of so many, indeed of all outside Christ, is that they have never really seen their need. That is why they have never seen their need of Christ; that is why they do not fly to Him as Savior; they have never seen themselves as they really are.

There is no knowledge of God except in Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He is the sacrifice that is placed upon the altar: He has made "his soul an offering for sin" (Isa. 53:10). "I am the way, the truth, and the life," He says of Himself. "No man cometh unto the Father, but by me" (John 14:6).

We are God's people, and we are meant to show forth His praises, His excellencies, His virtues. So the question that we must ask ourselves is, are we doing that? Are we individually enjoying the blessings of the Christian life as we should? What do we find as we look back and review the past year?

If we are uncertain about our forgiveness, we are definitely limiting God, and we have no right to be like that. God is our Father, and a father never wants his children to be unhappy, to be uncertain about the relationship-such a thing is inconceivable. So we have this abundant teaching in the Bible to give us certainty and assurance. And if we do not have it, we are guilty of putting a limit upon what is possible.

So if you want to set the Lord always before you, spend much time in regular, daily reading of the Bible. And let it be systematic reading, not just picking it up at random and turning to a favorite psalm and then to somewhere in the Gospels. No; it must be Genesis to Revelation! Go through the Book year by year. I think any Christian should be ashamed who does not go through the entire Bible once a year. Go through it systematically.

God's Word speaks to you-listen to Him, and you will come into His presence. Set Him before you by reading the Bible. You can do this also in prayer-talking to God and listening to Him.

Set the Lord always before you-the Lord Himself, not merely activities in His kingdom-because if you do not do this, you will become very dry in all your activism. Your heart will become cold, and in the time of need and trouble and trial you will not know where you are, and you will be a poor witness to the faith and to the grace that you have received and that you hold.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

7. Stop Calling Me Beautiful


Stop Calling Me Beautiful: Finding Soul-Deep Strength in a Skin-Deep World. Phylicia Masonheimer. 2020. [February] Harvest House. 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]


First sentence: I attended my first Bible study when I was 16 years old. I came into the house clutching my copy of Beth Moore’s Believing God and spent the next sixteen weeknights glued to my pastor’s TV screen.

ETA: While most of my review (below) will be reprinting my first review, I just have to add several things. I really loved this book the first time around. I am surprised (should I be???) that this is the review that consistently gets a lot of likes on GoodReads. So I've always meant to reread this one at some point. When I saw it was available at the library, I decided to give it another read. 

Original review: I have a confession to make. I may do a decent job of not judging a book by its cover. Most of the time. But. When it comes to christian books--especially nonfiction books--I tend to judge a book by its publisher. Stop Calling Me Beautiful is published by Harvest House. Yet the description of this one sounded GREAT. Like the author and I would get along well. For she too opposes "pink fluff" theology written by women, for women, that consists of little real substance.

She addresses three problems that she sees in typical women's ministries: 1) Christian women are being taught a message that is theologically deficient. Modern women’s ministry’s framework for presenting and understanding God contains pieces of truth, but these pieces do not present an accurate picture of God and the gospel. 2) The message we’re hearing is self-focused. Flawed theology always turns attention away from God and onto ourselves, and that’s exactly what has happened with women’s ministry today. 3) The message is superficial, watered-down.

She concludes, "Theological education—learning about God, the Bible, and how these truths apply to life—is not just for men or for those called to ministry. Women must be spiritually equipped with the knowledge of God through His Word so they can minister to the people around them...The true gospel is available to all of us through God’s Word. We must learn to study it. We must know it well enough to rightly divide the truth and check teachings against the Word of God as the Bereans did (Acts 17:11). In other words, we must cultivate a holy curiosity." I couldn't agree with her more!

The book doesn't focus, however, on how everyone else is doing it wrong. Far from it. Most of the book serves either as a first introduction or a refresher course on the Christian faith, on how to live the life and walk the walk daily.

I found myself highlighting passage after passage. I guess you could say I was nodding my head and going, YES.

Here are some of my favorites:

  • Desire and delight become an endless circle in the presence of the living God. 
  • Our self-discovery is not God’s goal. We are meant to know God and make Him known. This is the great adventure for which our hearts long!
  • We don’t go deeper with God by reflecting more on ourselves, or even by reading God’s Word to look for insight about ourselves. Roots of spiritual growth develop as we seek God for who He is and allow Him to do the transforming work in our hearts that we can never do on our own. He is the one who plants the desire to seek Him. He is the one who meets us when we apply diligence in faith.
  • Bible study is as simple as actually reading the Bible. You don’t need to know everything up front to learn and appreciate what God says in His Word. But you do have to be willing to start. From that heart of willingness, you can add resources for deeper study. These will add depth to the places, people, and terms you read in the Bible, transforming what used to be drab and gray into the living color of God’s redemption story.
  • We need the full gospel—the gospel that began in Genesis and runs to Revelation like a “scarlet thread”, a continual story written in blood—in order to find a deeper spiritual life in this shallow world. Finding this life is not easy. It takes diligence. But diligence is what a student of any kind must cultivate in order to gain knowledge. And that’s what we, as believers, need to do.
  • God insists on our involvement in Christian community. We are called to vulnerability, transparency, and the sharing of our burdens. Without this, we cannot grow as believers.
  • We can’t draw near if we don’t open our Bibles and read them ourselves, if we don’t put ourselves into godly community, and if we don’t receive discipleship and accountability. We live abundantly when we regularly expose ourselves to the work and Spirit of God. When we do, the things that used to bore us take on the color of abundant life.
  • Your brokenness is real, but it is not your identity. It is not an excuse, and it is not your future.
  • The goal of time with God is worship of God.
  • God is the most valuable, worthy person we will ever know. Yet we often attribute more worth and value to sleep, social media, and friends than we do to Him. Our worship is naturally revealed through our daily habits and behaviors. The things we think, say, read, watch, and do reveal what we’re worshipping.
  • There is no quick fix for a soul-deep struggle. Though it’s not easy and certainly not quick, Jesus never makes a promise He won’t bring to fruition. 
  • Overcoming anxiety is the daily choice to come. When we feel weary, burdened, and overwhelmed, changing our schedules and habits will help, but these will not bring us lasting victory. Being present and letting go of perfectionism will help us make great strides, but these actions will not cut to the spiritual root of anxiety. Anxiety is overcome when we make the choice to trust God more than we trust our emotions.
  • Victory is not defined by never feeling anxious. 
  • You don’t have to like your circumstances to depend on God in the midst of them. 
  • Our grief is known and carried. Our loss is not pointless. 
  • You can’t love someone and condemn them at the same time! 
  • In one of life’s great dichotomies, we fear losing what we value most—even when the thing we value is destroying us.
  • Repentance does not entail rehearsing our unworthiness (to ourselves and others) over and over again for the purpose of glorifying God. We glorify God best when we turn from our sinful ways, embrace the worthiness He has given us in Christ, and live out that worthiness by the Holy Spirit’s power.
  • Without grounding ourselves in the Word of God we can’t live by the truth of God. Without living by the truth of God we can’t live out the freedom of God. An overcoming life is the product of consistent exposure to God through His Word. This isn’t another reminder to do your devotions. This is war! Abundant life doesn’t happen apart from God, and God has revealed Himself in Scripture.
  • We think in terms of the big picture, but our lives are actually lived in the mundane moments, and our legacy is less about the world at large and more about our immediate communities. But here’s the kicker: We can’t impact our communities if we’re constantly playing whack-a-mole with our sinfulness. And we can’t overcome our sinfulness—or the difficulties of this world—apart from Jesus. To truly make a difference in the world, we have to know the Creator and Redeemer of the world on an intimate level. We have to be women of spiritual depth.
  • We change our communities by letting Jesus change our lives in front of, alongside, and within our communities. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

1. ESV Large Print Thinline (Brown, Top Grain)


ESV Large Print Thinline Reference Bible. 2001/2016. God. 1232 pages. [Source: Gift] (ISBN: 9781433532788)

First sentence: In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Truth For Life Ministries offered this Bible recently for $35. It is a "top grain leather" thinline reference bible. If you can still get this Bible for that price, I highly recommend it. 

I started this Bible on November 19, 2022 and finished it on January 24, 2023. 

I love, love, love, love, love, crazy love and adore this Bible. I love the raised Bible hubs. I love the happy brown cover. I love the feel of the leather. I love the floppiness of the cover. It is double column (as opposed to single column). It is black letter (as opposed to words of Christ in red). I love that the font size is 10.5. I love that the text is so dark/bold. (I am not saying it is technically all in "bold.") This Bible is easy on the eyes, for the most part. It is also relatively light weight (being a thinline Bible). 

I love reading text-only Bibles. This one does have cross references, though I've never used cross references in my own reading.

The ESV translation is definitely in my top five. (Somedays I'd say it is in my top three.) 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, January 22, 2023

Sunday Salon #4


Current Bible plans and projects:

ESV Church History Bible (Daily Offices from the Book of Common Prayer). This week I read Psalm 75-106. Proverbs 15-21. Deuteronomy 1-34. Joshua 1-12. Romans 14-16. 1 Corinthians 1-16. 2 Corinthians 1-13. I am still loving the ESV Church History Bible. However, I am sad to have discovered page creases in 2 Corinthians that go through Ephesians. On one hand, any Bible I read is going to look used and loved eventually. You'll be able to spot on a glance "read" and "not read." On the other hand, page creases aren't quite natural looking either. No natural use of mine would lead to creases like that. Still, I'm going to try to relax about it. 

ESV Large Print Reference BibleI am (currently) reading this one alongside the Be Thou My Vision devotional. This week, I read Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. Hebrews. James. Psalms 1-89. I am so close to finishing the Old Testament. I have Psalms and Proverbs. I am relatively close to finishing the New Testament too: John, 1 Peter through Revelation.

BSB M'CheyneUsing the BSB in the YouVersion app. This week I read Genesis 16-22. Nehemiah 5-11. Matthew 15-21. Acts 15-21. Nehemiah is interesting. I've found the chapters either to be amazingly interesting and FULL of things to ponder. Or extremely dull. 

BSB Audio -- I listened Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs this week. 

Growing 4 Life, January, Mark 1-4I have lost track of how many years I've participated in this Facebook group. I know I've been participating since 2020 at least. Anyway, it's now become habit to read portions of Scripture for thirty days in a row. This month--January 2023--is Mark 1-4. I read it seven times this week: 1611 KJV, ESV, NIV 78, NKJV, NASB 77, NIV 84, Coverdale 1535


I won't be keeping track here--probably won't anyway. But SINGING THE PSALMS just became a lot easier. Now, this wasn't anything I was planning on for 2023, but mom made this her goal. And in being a 'good daughter' I discovered this awesome, amazing website, Seedbed Psalter by Timothy and Julie Tennent. 

Current plans for other books:

I read two books this week! Both were library books. I am currently reading John Piper's Come, Lord Jesus and Alisa Childers' Another Gospel? A Lifelong Christian Seeks Truth In Response to Progressive Christianity. 

Questions:

How many Christian books does your local library have? book-books? e-books? Is it a good selection or poor?

Have you ever sung Psalms? Have you ever considered it? What do you see as the pros or cons of being purposeful in singing Psalms?


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, January 20, 2023

6. Piercing Heaven


Piercing Heaven: Prayers of the Puritans. Robert Elmer. 2019. 321 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: What does it take to pray like a Puritan? And why would we want to? 

Robert Elmer has collected 'prayers' from the works of over thirty Puritans for his prayer book, Piercing Heaven. These prayers seem to be arranged mostly topically. There are titled chapter headings: "Teach Me to Pray," "Help Me Ask for Help!," "Help Me Through My Doubts," "Help Me Through My Time of Sadness and Suffering," "Help Me Endure Temptation," "Help Me Rest in God's Love," "I Believe--Help My Unbelief!," "Prepare My Heart for the Lord's Day and the Lord's Table," "Take My Life and Let It Be Consecrated," "Help Me Give the Gospel to Others," "Forgive My Sins," "Help Me Praise and Thank the Lord," "Help Me Begin the Day," "Help Me Live the Day," "Help Me Close the Day," "Your Kingdom Come." Prayers vary from a few sentences--one paragraph--to a full page(s)--many, many paragraphs. Each prayer is attributed to a specific Puritan. (Brief biographies are included for all authors. And there's an index for each author.)

Perhaps you are seeking out Piercing Heaven because you love, love, love, love Valley of Vision. Confession, that is why I checked this one out from the library. I really crazy love and adore that poetry collection. So how do the two compare???

The [only] weakness of Valley of Vision is that it lacks all attribution of authors. Readers almost have to take it on faith that the author/editor Arthur Bennett is using the actual words of actual Puritans. Readers don't know how many Puritans are represented within Valley of Vision. Readers don't know how crafted/manipulated the original texts were to get them into poetic form. Readers certainly don't know which Puritan wrote which poem. Everything about Valley of Vision is a complete mystery. 

As I mentioned above, every author is attributed in Piercing Heaven. There are even author biographies and an author index. 

But is that enough to make it better than Valley of Vision????? 

I found Piercing Heaven to be a bit of a busy layout, a bit cluttered. Perhaps I am just too set in my ways. But the white space of Valley of Vision is super-helpful. It blocks out distractions. It aids meditation and prayer. 

While Piercing Heaven may be a true(r) representation of the Puritans' actual words/works, the Valley of Vision is a thing of BEAUTY in terms of language and literary style. 

Now, to be completely fair: I did not read Piercing Heaven the way it was intended. The fact that it was a library book with a definite due date didn't help matters. But also I was more curious than prayerful. I wanted to read it cover-to-cover in a week. I didn't have time (or opportunity) to use it as a topical prayer book...or even a legitimate prayer book. For those that do pray individual prayers--over weeks, months, years--that use this book as a devotional/spiritual aid, I'm sure it would prove more beneficial. 

I was reading with one thing in mind: do I love it enough to buy myself a copy of this to have on hand????? And the answer was, I can probably make do with the Valley of Vision for my Puritan needs. 



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

5. Rembrandt is In the Wind


Rembrandt Is In the Wind: Learning to Love Art Through the Eyes of Faith. Russ Ramsey. 2022. 272 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Henri Nouwen wrote in The Return of the Prodigal Son, "Our brokenness has no other beauty but the beauty that comes from the compassion that surrounds it." Our wounds are not beautiful in themselves; the story behind their healing is. But how can we tell the story of our healing if we hide the wounds that need it? This book is about beauty. To get at it, the book is filled with stories of brokenness. 

Art history through a Christian perspective--that's how I'd sum up Rembrandt is in the Wind. Ramsey looks at art through the lens of goodness, truth, and beauty. He argues that beauty is the glue that holds the three together. And those three are communal (universal)--not only shared by all humans everywhere, but also shared by God. (For these three are attributes of God). 

Ramsey writes, "The pursuit of goodness, the pursuit of truth, and the pursuit of beauty are, in fact, foundational to the health of any community." He argues that beauty is essential and should actively be sought. 

He has selected a handful of artists--around nine or ten--and is sharing their stories through their works. (Not all their works, mind you, but selected works. He is choosing artists and stories (and works) to make his argument. I am sure these stories are just the tip of the iceberg. That there would be even more stories, more lessons, more wisdom if the book was longer.

My personal favorite chapter was chapter one, "Beautifying Eden: Why Pursuing Goodness, Truth, and Beauty Matters." I found all the chapters interesting to a certain degree. But some chapters were "extra" good for me. Other chapters were perhaps a little less so. 

Table of contents:

Beautifying Eden: Why Pursuing Goodness, Truth, and Beauty Matters
Pursuing Perfection: Michelangelo's David and Our Hunger for Glory
The Sacred and the Profane: Caravaggio and the Paradox of Corruption and Grace
Rembrandt is In the Wind: The Tragedy of Desecration and the Hope of Redemption
Borrowed Light: Johannes Vermeer and the Mystery of Creation
Creating in Community: Jean Frederic Bazille, the Impressionists, and the Importance of Belonging
The Striving Artist: Vincent Van Gogh's The Red Vineyard and the Elusive Nature of Contentment
Beyond Imagination: Henry O Tanner, Race, and the Humble Power of Curiosity
What Remains Unsaid: Edward Hopper, Loneliness and Our Longing for Connection
Measuring a Life: Lilias Trotter and the Joys and Sorrows of Sacrificial Obedience

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, January 15, 2023

Sunday Salon #3


Current Bible plans and projects:

BSB Audio Bible. Psalm 120-150. Ruth 1-4. I don't know why I'm listing this one first. It's not my top priority. This is a side-project for me. I mentioned last week that my goal is to try to be more balanced in how I spend my computer work time. If I can have something like an audio bible, a sermon, praise music on in the background instead of more junky-junk, then maybe it will be more of a blessing and less a waste of time/distraction. Psalms was an automatic first choice for me, a way to 'dip my toes' if you will. Ruth I chose because it was short and sweet. (There is something LOVELY and sweet about the book of Ruth.) What book should I tackle next????

ESV Church History Bible. Psalms 38-74. Proverbs 8-14. Leviticus 3-27. Numbers 1-36. Acts 10-28. Romans 1-13. I am using the ESV Church History Bible as my main Bible for the Daily Offices of the Book of Common Prayer. I cannot begin to tell you how much I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this one. This study Bible is so incredibly wonderful. True, in a perfectly perfect world, the study notes would not be in a light gray color and they'd be slightly bigger. But every squint is worth it. I have also started noticing authors. There are authors and books now that I'm eager to add to my wishlist. There are some authors/books on my wishlist already that I am all the more ready to read now, now, now. 

ESV Large Print Reference Bible. I am (currently) reading this one alongside the Be Thou My Vision devotional. This week, I read Ezekiel 14-48. Hosea 1-14. Joel 1-3. Amos 1-9. Obadiah 1. Jonah 1-4. Micah 1-7. Nahum 1-3. Luke 4-24. 

BSB M'Cheyne. Using the BSB in the YouVersion app. This week I read Genesis 8-15. Matthew 8-15. Ezra 8-10. Nehemiah 1-4. Acts 8-15. Justin Peters on his YouTube channel is reading aloud the Bible using the M'Cheyne plan. I've been listening to him on the side. He is using the LSB translation, I believe. I am using the BSB. I think daily exposure to these chapters twice--in two different translations--is giving me food for thought. I think I am getting more out of the reading by listening and more out of listening by reading. 

Growing 4 Life, January, Mark 1-4. I have lost track of how many years I've participated in this Facebook group. I know I've been participating since 2020 at least. Anyway, it's now become habit to read portions of Scripture for thirty days in a row. This month--January 2023--is Mark 1-4. I read it eight times this week. NIV 84. NASB 77. NRSV. 1599 Geneva. NKJV. NASB 95. NASB 2020. NIV 1978. Two of these Bibles are new-to-me Bibles that I found thrifting. I do actively seek out in my thrifting the NIV 1984 since it is out of print and increasingly rare. This is the translation I grew up reading. 

Current plans for other books:

I finished and reviewed THREE WHOLE BOOKS this week. (One was a short and quick biography). I am in-between books at the moment. 

Questions:

Do you have a preferred ordering of how to read the books of the Bible?

How do you find new authors to read?

Have you bought any Bibles in 2023? 

Do you have any recommendations for me for christian fiction or christian nonfiction?


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, January 13, 2023

4. The Sisters of Sea View


The Sisters of Sea View (On Devonshire Shores #1) Julie Klassen. 2022. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Sarah Summers carefully lifted the family heirloom, a warm mantle of nostlagia settling over her.

Historical romance--Regency Romance--Christian fiction. 

After the death of their father and the decline of their mother's health, four sisters--Sarah, Emily, Viola, Georgiana--decide (somewhat reluctantly) to open up their seaside home to (paying) guests. 

Long story short: I absolutely loved, loved, loved, loved this one. It was just giddy-making. I loved the family. I loved the neighborhood and community. I loved meeting the guests. I loved the stories. I loved the relationships. I loved the layers.

Three of the four sisters are well-developed and get a lot of time and attention. [Georgiana, well, maybe in future books she will be developed and have a story.] 

There are multiple narrators. The narrators do not switch over at chapter breaks. Within a chapter, the point of view might change several times. The only negative thing I can say about this one is that--at least in the advanced reader's copy--there's no visual clues that the narration has changed. 

It was so funny to have Mr. and Mrs. Elton from Emma show up as guests in this one!!! They added much comic relief.



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, January 12, 2023

3. From Pearl Harbor to Calvary


From Pearl Harbor to Calvary. Mitsuo Fuchida. 1953/2011. eChristian. 96 pages. [Source: Bought]


This is a short autobiography. Mitsuo Fuchida concisely relates for readers his experiences during World War II; his restlessness after the war, and his quest for answers; and ultimately his  conversion to Christ, and his subsequent evangelical work for the Lord. It may be short, but, it is nevertheless compelling.

In chapter one, the author recalls bombing Pearl Harbor.

In chapter two, the author relates his further experiences during the war itself.

In chapter three, the author writes of his experiences after the war, his longing for peace, and his quest for answers.

In chapter four, the author writes of his conversion and shares his testimony.

The final chapters (chapter five through chapter seven), readers learn of his evangelical work, his work for the Lord, how he shared his testimony with others, and how his focus changed so completely.

It was originally published under the title From Pearl Harbor to Golgotha in 1953. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2. God Shines Forth


God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church. Daniel Hames. (Series introduction by Michael Reeves, general editor of the Union series). 2022. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Let's get it out in the open right at the beginning. Doesn't something about mission and evangelism just feel "off" to you? Every Christian knows we're meant to share the gospel and look for opportunities to witness to Christ, yet almost all of us find it a genuine struggle, if not a gloomy discouragement. 

I loved, loved, loved this book on missions (and evangelism). What sets it apart? It has gone a bit old school in looking at the subject. The author(s) examine(s) WHAT fuels missions. And the answer can be found in the first question to several old-school catechisms. Notably, what fuels missions is delight in the glory, majesty, and beauty of God. This book celebrates GOD. Every chapter is written with clarity and passion and with the single goal of making the reader EXCITED about seeing God as He is revealed in the Word.

While reading of this one, I thought of two theologians--A.W. Tozer and John Piper. I was reminded of their zeal and passion for KNOWING God. I was reminded of their absolute devotion to the Word of God. 

I loved how substantive it is. Gave me a lot to think about!!!

Quotes:
  • The problem at the room of all our struggles with mission is almost certainly right at the beginning with our view of God.... Unless we honestly find God to be beautiful and enjoyable, we'll have nothing worth saying to the people around us. Until we see him aright, we'll have no genuine desire to fill the world with the knowledge of our God. 
  • Glory is the weight and reality of a thing shining out, or being brought home to us, reaching us irresistibly. For Jesus Christ to be the "radiance of the glory of God" is for him to be the weight or the substance of God impressed upon us, beaming on us, given to us.
  • God, in having glory, radiates; in having a Word, speaks; in having a Son, loves. It is his very nature to shine, communicate, and give himself in relationship. This is the beating heart of mission.
  • We risk projecting our own darkness and selfishness onto the living God, making him far less good and beautiful than he really is. This will always be the result of starting out with our own assumptions rather than his word to us. When we begin to see Jesus as himself the Glory of the Father and let him shape our idea of glory, we find that God is far better than we ever dared to believe, and his glory, beautifully different from our own. Nowhere is this more sharply detailed--and nowhere is the glory of God more tightly defined in Scripture--than on the cross of Jesus. 
  • Only with our eyes on Christ crucified do we see the truth, perspective, and logic of all the providence of God in everything that has happened since the beginning. Only with our eyes on Christ crucified do we see who our God really and truly is.
  • When Jesus, himself the Glory of God, was lifted up on the cross, it was no fireworks display for his own amusement; no yelling in an empty room. It was a real explosion of God's mercy into our midnight.
  • Human beings are fallen, and this is why we do not intuitively worship, trust, and love God. The radiance of God's glory shines not into neutrality but into darkness.
  • If we burden Christians with the guilt of abandoning people to hell, it will be the message of guilt and hell they will pass on, rather than the message of the Savior of sinners and conqueror of hell. Jesus Christ will not be the jewel of the gospel they tell, but only the means to escape a terrible end. Not only this, but the resulting converts will have been motivated by their preexisting instinct for self-preservation. Disciples who are won not by the glory of the Lord to repentance and faith but by an appeal to their own well-being will continue in exactly the same direction. Their newfound faith will be more about themselves than about Christ.
  • The God we know--or think we know--is the God we will show to the world.
  • Our delight in God is the main fuel for mission.


   


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, January 8, 2023

Sunday Salon #2


And so it begins...

Current Bible plans and projects:

BSB Audio Bible. Psalms 85-119. I try to listen to twenty or so minutes per day. To clarify, the audio bible is not in place of reading the actual-printed word. (No judgment if that is how you are fed the Word of God. Seriously.). I was just looking for something to listen to that would be edifying (reinforcing) while I do work on computer. I'm balancing listening to the BSB audio and listening to Spotify. I really fell hard for TobyMac's Life After Death album this past week. I am hoping if I have a plan to fill the void with substance instead of [just] junk, then it'll be a blessing. 

ESV Church History Bible. I am using the ESV Church History Bible as my main Bible for the Daily Offices of the Book of Common Prayer. This has presented some challenges--but mainly in a good way. The notes are SO amazing and fabulous that I'm not remotely tempted to skim them. I am therefore taking longer with my morning and evening devotions. (In 2022 and 2021 I only used text-only Bibles for the Book of Common Prayer). So my schedule isn't used to this lengthened time in the Word. But I am loving it so much, I don't mind being "behind schedule" for a bit. This week I read Psalms 1-37, Proverbs 1-7, Exodus 1-40, Leviticus 1-2, Luke 15-24, Acts 1-9

ESV Large Print Reference Bible. I am (currently) reading this one alongside the Be Thou My Vision devotional. I'm not sure this will always be the case. I'll finish the ESV Large Print in the next month--or six weeks. Then I'll begin another Bible to use with Be Thou My Vision. This week I've read Mark 1-16, Jeremiah 1-52, Lamentations 1-5; Ezekiel 1-13, Luke 1-3. 

BSB M'Cheyne. Okay, so it's a text-only BSB [Berean Standard Bible] that I'm using to read the Daily M'Cheyne plan. Be Thou My Vision recommends the M'Cheyne plan. [Plenty of folks do]. I'm using the YouVersion Bible app to keep me on track. Plus, I like having an ongoing plan on YouVersion so my streak continues. This week I read Genesis 1-7, Matthew 1-7, Ezra 1-7, Acts 1-7

Growing 4 Life, January, Mark 1-4. I have lost track of how many years I've participated in this Facebook group. I know I've been participating since 2020 at least. Anyway, it's now become habit to read portions of Scripture for thirty days in a row. This month--January 2023--is Mark 1-4. So far I've read it seven times: in the BSB, ESV, NASB 95, ESV, NASB 95, NKJV, and KJV. (Read 12/31 through 1/6). 

Current plans for other books:

On Friday, I finished Epic Story of the Bible by Greg Gilbert. (My first review of the year! Hoping it's the first of many).  I've been reading The Sisters of Sea View by Julie Klassen. I am LOVING Sisters of Sea View so far. It is set in 1819--I love the Regency time period. 

Questions: 

One change that I am absolutely loving is that I'm now reading my Evening Office earlier in the day (after 4PM but before 8PM). I was reading this one around 9PM. The change in day is HUGE in terms of my alertness and concentration. I feel I am getting much more out of the reading than I was before. 

Have you made any changes this year that you are loving? 

What is your favorite time of day to read the Word of God?

If you read historical fiction, do you have a favorite time period?


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, January 6, 2023

1. Epic Story of the Bible


The Epic Story of the Bible: How to Read and Understand God's Word. Greg Gilbert. 2022. 176 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: As the plane descended toward the city, I didn't see any mountains out the window. At some level, this was disappointing, because that was why I'd come in the first place.

The Epic Story of the Bible is a companion book (of sorts) to the ESV Story of Redemption Bible. (The last chapter of The Epic Story of the Bible is promoting the ESV Story of Redemption Bible in almost every paragraph.) Essentially...to sum it all up...this one communicates the 'big picture' story of the Bible. It then provides four additional lenses to view that big picture of the Bible. It explores--goes over the same groundwork essentially--four themes of the Bible. So readers have five opportunities to grasp what the big picture is. The four themes are: Presence, Covenant, Kingship, Sacrifice. 

Throughout the book the author talks about traveling to the mountains. (I personally could have done without this casual framework. But it's not like I'm going to dislike a book because of personal narrative.)

Who is the book for? First, I think this is best suited for those who are either a) new to the faith or b) new to Bible reading. Second, I think it could be used as a refresher course for those who have perhaps 'lost' that initial passion and/or diligence for the Word of God. Maybe it's been a while since they've last picked up the Bible because of love of the Lord. Maybe Bible reading is more a chore or duty. Third, I think plenty of Christians could benefit from reading this one. Maybe the information is not new and sticks to the basics--and what beautiful, amazing basics--but readers could then recommend this one to those who need it most. 

It is sad but true that sometimes over-familiarity with a subject effects one's appreciation of it. Oh to read with new, fresh eyes the story of the Bible. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, January 5, 2023

Album Review: Life After Death


Life After Death
TobyMac
2022
15 songs, 50 minutes.
Spotify. YouTube.

If you'd told me even last week that I'd be listening to a TobyMac album on repeat day after day, well, I wouldn't have believed you. TobyMac has never really been my cup of tea. But this new album of new songs composed [I'm assuming/presuming] after the death of his adult son, well, it is something. Even if you think TobyMac's music isn't your genre of choice, even if you think it's a bit out of your comfort zone, give it a listen. 

The songs on the album:

Help Is On the Way 
The Goodness
Deeper
Show Up Choose Love
Promised Land
Everything About You
Life On It
Faithfully
Cornerstone
Found
Fire's Burnin'
Space
21 Years 
I'm Sorry (a lament)
Rest 

The songs that will break and then heal your heart: Everything About You; Faithfully; 21 Years.

I rarely skip any songs on the album. 

I would say that FAITHFULLY is my absolute favorite, favorite, favorite song on the album. 




© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Sunday, January 1, 2023

Sunday Salon #1


Bible Reading [Plans, Goals, Projects]

Next week, Lord willing, I'll have updates on actual-actual Bible reading. There are pros and cons to New Year's Day being on a Sunday. One positive is that it is the start of a brand new week, month, and year. I did wrap up the last week of Bible reading for 2022 yesterday. 

Current Projects

BSB Audio Bible. I've tried and failed (and failed, and failed, and failed) to listen to the Bible on audio. But I really want to want to actually listen to the Bible all the way through on audio. And the BSB is one of my favorite translations. I think working against this desire is the fact that I'm a lazy listener and easily distracted. I have to be actually paying attention to the audio to absorb it....but if I'm not occupying myself doing something--anything--then my mind will 1000% wander. It's a balancing act of attention. [I don't usually struggle with attention span when it comes to reading-reading.] The last week of December, I jumped straight to the book of Psalms. It is one of the books I am most familiar with. I figure that the chapters are mostly short and I can always re-listen to any as the need arises. 

ESV Church History Bible. This one is ALL KINDS OF FABULOUS. I love the notes. I do. The people who worked on this project must be talented, organized, and all kinds of awesome. The idea of gathering all those quotes that oh-so-perfectly match the passages is daunting. Picking quotes is not as easy as it looks, in my opinion. Nor could I imagine it being easy to pick which authors to include for any given passage or text. Reading this one is like meeting old and new friends. Last week, I read all of Genesis and am halfway through Luke. This upcoming week, I'll be starting to read Psalms and Proverbs [and Exodus.] 

ESV Large Print Reference Bible. I started this project in November 2022. I'm guessing that I'm at least halfway through the Bible. I know I've read Genesis through Isaiah in the Old Testament. And I've read some in the New Testament already. Last week, I finished Isaiah and Matthew. I chose those two books to finish out the year because they are both Christmas-y. 

Those are my three "current" Bibles.

Current Plans

Today will be the first day of January's project to read Mark 1-4 thirty times. This year I will not be adding a second project to complement that of Growing 4 Life. One thirty-day project is enough. Two was doable but not always enjoyable. 

As for devotional "plans" for the whole year. I plan on using the Morning and Evening offices from the Book of Common Prayer. (I use my own reading plan for tackling the Scripture readings.) I also plan on using the devotional Be Thou My Vision. I started using this in December 2022. I like that this one has two catechisms to work through. In December, I finished both, but, I'm not always sure I will...and I'm not sure that is intended by the author. Heidelberg Catechism. Westminster Shorter Catechism. If you haven't read these two, they are so WONDERFUL and highly recommended. 

Other Books....

I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to actually consistently be reading and reviewing Christian nonfiction and Christian fiction. I'd love to give greater attention to Christian reading. I think last year's goal of 100 books was too grand, too epic, too impossible. Right now even 50 books seems like a stretch. [In 2022, I read and reviewed 43 books for Operation Actually Read Bible.] But anything over forty-three has to be a step in the right direction. I am not in the middle of any book at the moment. [Technically, I started a Christmas novella in early December but got subtracted. The name of it was Five and Dime Christmas. Multiple authors as it is a novella collection.] 

Questions...

What say you...do you go ahead and finish Christmas books in January?

What is one book you'd recommend that I read in 2023?

Do you have any Bible reading plans, projects, or goals for 2023?

Do you have a favorite creed, catechism, or confession?



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible