Saturday, April 29, 2023

Sunday Salon #18


Current Bible plans and projects:

NIV 84 Rainbow Study Bible. This week I read: Proverbs 23-31; Psalms 110-150; 2 Samuel 5-31; 1 Kings; 2 Kings 1-6; Ecclesiastes; Song of Songs; Colossians; 1 Timothy; 2 Timothy; Titus; Philemon; Hebrews 1-9; 

NRSV XL. This week I read: Luke 5-24; Acts.

NKJV Deluxe Readers' Bible: This week I read: Joshua; Judges; Ruth; 1 Samuel. Luke 5-24; Acts; 1 Peter; 2 Peter.

BSB M'Cheyne. This week I read: Leviticus 27. Numbers 1-6. Psalms 34-41; Ecclesiastes 10-12; Song of Songs 1-4. Titus 2-3; Philemon; Hebrews 1-4. 

Growing 4 Life. April was Mark 13-16. (But the FB Group was taking a break this week). I read it in the KJV, LSB, KJV, and NIV 1974.

Currently reading:

Thru the Bible: Jonah and Micah by J. Vernon McGee. 



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, April 28, 2023

44. Old Made New


Old Made New: A Guide to the New Testament Use of the Old Testament. Greg Lanier. 2022. 197 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Pop quiz. Name that Bible verse:
1. "Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord."
2. "He catches the wise in their craftiness."
3. "You took up the tent of Moloch and the star of your god Rephan." 
Scratching your head? That is understandable. These would not make anyone's Top 10 Bible Verses list. If you had to choose, you would probably wager that they are from the Old Testament (OT). And you would be correct: Exodus 13:2, Job 5:13, and Amos 5:25-27, respectively. But they also appear in the New Testament (NT). While these verses are somewhat unfamiliar to us, they were not unfamiliar to the NT authors.

I would give this book an A+++++++ for organization and clarity. I have got nothing but love and appreciation for a book that keeps things well laid out (organized) and incredibly clear. Lanier says what he means and means what he says. He clearly promises what he's going to be doing, what he is doing, and what he has done. It's almost like you've got the author in the room with you going "Do you follow?" and "Are you with me?" and "We good?" The topic, the focus, the point is always center stage. There's no side-stepping or distractions. 

What is the book about? How the Old Testament is used in the New Testament. (Or how the writers of the New Testament made full use of the Old Testament). 

What is the goal? What does he hope to accomplish? He wants YOU (the reader) to come to appreciate the awesomeness of making these connections (for yourself) and following through to studying these passages. WHY and HOW and WHAT. He shares a three-step process for studying these Old Testament passages when they pop up in the New Testament.

The three step process: 1) Identify the Passage, 2) Double-click on the OT 3) Listen to the Remix.

At its most basic, it can be summed up as read it in the New Testament, read it in the Old Testament, compare and contrast the wording/phrasing, ask thoughtful questions about context and meaning. You should spend time thinking about what it meant in the Old Testament and how that meaning may have shifted (or may not have shifted) in the New Testament. WHY did the NT writers choose that specific passage. 

There are just FOUR chapters in this one. FOUR. Chapter one is an overview of the skills, the "tools of the trade." The remaining three chapters are, "The Old Testament and the Gospel," "The Old Testament and Jesus Christ," and "The Old Testament and the Church." 

What can we learn about the gospel...by reading the Old Testament? What can we learn about Jesus Christ...by reading the Old Testament? What can we learn about the church....by reading the Old Testament? Each chapter CELEBRATES both the Old and New Testaments and show them as ONE. 

Lanier's enthusiasm of the subject definitely began rubbing off on me. I appreciated how much he loves the subject and how excited he is to get others involved in studying the Bible this way. 

There are SO MANY figures (or charts) in this one. My attention doesn't always thrive with this format, but, in this instance I was hooked. I learned so much! 

So while this is a book about how-to-study-the-Bible-for-yourself, it is also very much a BASIC, straight-forward gospel-presentation. I mean these are the abc's of the gospel. 


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

43. Thru the Bible: Mark


Mark. (Thru the Bible #36) J. Vernon McGee. 1975. 204 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: The Gospel of Mark is chronologically the first gospel that was written. It was actually one of the first books written in the New Testament—not the first, but one of the first. It was probably written from Rome prior to A.D. 63.

I am reading the Bible in 2020 using the daily M'Cheyne (Robert Murray M'Cheyne) plan. I thought it would add a layer of substance to in addition to the four chapters a day, to also read commentaries for those chapters. For that I am using Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible. But the plan goes through the New Testament (and Psalms, I believe) twice. So now that I've finished Henry's commentary for the New Testament, I am tackling the New Testament commentary section of J. Vernon McGee's series.

This is not my first time reading J. Vernon McGee. I've read twelve or so of his commentaries. (Most recently his volume on Matthew 1-13). Overall, I like his laidback, casual, straightforward, tell it like it is approach to teaching Scripture. There is something so grounded and down to earth about him. Each reader is "his" friend. It's hard not to feel like he is a friend too.

One of the things that I love about McGee's commentaries is that he just speaks timeless truths. 

Mark isn't necessarily one of my favorite gospels. But reading McGee helped me appreciate it more. 
There probably is more content in this first chapter of Mark than any other chapter in the Bible (with the exception of Gen. 1). It covers the ministry of John the Baptist, after going back to the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi.
There are three beginnings recorded in Scripture. Let us put them down in chronological order: 1. “In the beginning was the Word” (John 1:1). This goes back to a dateless beginning, a beginning before all time. Here the human mind can only grope. It is logical rather than chronological because in my thinking, I must put my peg somewhere in the past in order to take off. If I see an airplane in the air, I assume there is an airport somewhere. I may not know where it is, but I know the plane took off from some place. So when I look around at the universe, I know that it took off from somewhere and that somewhere there is a God. But I don’t know anything about that beginning. God comes out of eternity to meet us. I just have to put down the peg at the point where He does meet us, back as far as I can thinkJ and realize He was there before that. 2. “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). This is where we move out of eternity into time. However, although many people have been attempting to date this universe, no man so far knows. Man’s guesses have ranged from six thousand to three billions of years. We know so little but, when we come into His presence and begin to know even as we are known, then we will realize how we saw through a glass darkly. I’m sure we will marvel at our stupidity and our ignorance. Our God is a great God. He has plenty of time. 3. “The beginning of the gospel …” (v. 1) is the same as “That which was from the beginning …” (1 John 1:1). This is dated. It goes back to Jesus Christ at the precise moment He took upon Himself human flesh. Jesus Christ is the gospel! 
What we need in the church today is stretcher-bearers—men and women with that kind of faith to go out and bring in the unsaved so they can hear the gospel. There are many people today who are paralyzed with a palsy of sin, a palsy of indifference, or a palsy of prejudice. A great many people are not going to come into church where the gospel is preached unless you take a corner of the stretcher and bring them in. That’s what these men did. They had the faith to bring this poor man to hear the Lord Jesus deal with him personally and say, “Son, thy sins be forgiven thee.”
Whether we like it or not, He does the choosing. “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16). It is not irreverent to say that since He chose them and they did not choose Him, He’s responsible for them. That’s a real comfort to know. God has saved you, begun a good work in you, and He’s going to stick right with you, friend. He’s going to see you through. That is what this means. And when the Lord Jesus calls, they respond.
It is impossible to commit an unpardonable sin today—if by that you mean one can commit a sin today, come under conviction because of it tomorrow, come to God in repentance, and He would not forgive you. You see, Christ died for all sin, not just some sin. He didn’t die for all sin but one, the unpardonable sin. There is no such thing as being able to commit a sin today that He will not forgive. The attitude and state of the unbeliever is unpardonable—not the act. When a man blasphemes with his mouth, that is not the thing that condemns him; it is the attitude of his heart, which is a permanent condition—unless he stops resisting.
And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear [Mark 4:9]. He puts up a danger signal. It’s like the “Stop—Look—Listen” sign at a railroad crossing.
We sometimes use the expression—I know I say it rather carelessly—that you’ll be lost if you do not accept Christ as your Savior. That is not really the truth, friend. The truth is that you are already lost. The point that should be accurately stated is that you will continue to be lost if you do not receive Christ as your Savior.
Every chapter is the most important chapter when you are studying it! But this one is important because the Gospel of Mark is a gospel of action. There are more of the miracles given in this gospel than in any other, and in this chapter there are three outstanding miracles related. They could be performed only by the hand of Omnipotence. That is why I think this is a remarkable chapter.
The Word of God is the Bread of Life because the Word of God reveals Him. We are to feed on the Bible and to beware of false teaching. I think that ought to be clear to us here in the teaching that He gives.
By the way, that “Jesus Only” is a marvelous headline, is it not? “Jesus Only” is not only a headline in Mark’s gospel, but it ought to be a headline in the lives of believers today. In a brief way he states such great and weighty words—Jesus Only!
And the tragic thing about this hour is that the church is helpless in the presence of the world’s need. Right now, the organized church in desperation is reaching out, protesting and marching and getting involved in all kinds of things, and the world is actually criticizing the church because they feel it should get even more involved. But social matters are not our business! We ought to be able to help a poor demon-possessed boy today by presenting a Savior to him who will make him rational and who will bring him into a right relationship with God. Unfortunately, the same thing has to be said of the church, “They could not.” The disciples could not and we cannot.
Bring him unto Me! We are attempting to do everything except bring lost men to Jesus Christ.
Do you realize who it is here that is talking about hell? There are those today who say that He is the gentle Jesus. Friend, He is the only One who talked about hell. Paul never talked about it, but Jesus did. And since He did, it would be well for us to listen to Him.
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment [Mark 12:30]. By the way, do you keep this commandment, my friend? If you say that you don’t need Christ as a Savior, that you obey God, then I ask you this question, “Do you love God with all your heart and mind and soul?” If you don’t, then you are breaking His commandment and you need a Savior. I know I need a Savior. I don’t measure up here. I wish I did. I love Him but not as I should.
We find this is a constant warning—a warning against false Christs. Some may think that this is not a danger today. I think it is very pertinent right now. For example, the Christ of liberalism is an antichrist—he is not the real Christ! Some of you may think that they preach the Christ of the Bible. They do not.
My friend, may I say to you, none of us knows the depths of the human heart. Only the Word of God can let us see what sinners we are.
If we take the emphasis away from the Word of God, we can find that people get one problem solved with the help of the psychologist and come away with two more problems. Then the last estate of the man is worse than the first. Let’s be very clear. The only solution to a problem is the Lord. You don’t solve the problem so that you are enabled to go to the Lord. No, you go to the Lord and He is the chief and the great Physician. By the way, He is the great Psychologist and He alone knows us. In the final analysis, He is the only One.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Thursday, April 27, 2023

42. Do Not Be True To Yourself


Do Not Be True To Yourself: Countercultural Advice for the Rest of Your Life. Kevin DeYoung. 2023. [April] 61 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: In May 2022, I had the privilege of giving the commencement address at Geneva College (Beaver Falls, PA). I didn't want to recycle the usual commencement fare: "Follow your dreams! Be all that you can be! Go out and change the world!" Instead, I decided to give the opposite sort of advice, as you'll see when you read the first chapter of this book. 

This LITTLE (gem of a) book contains five addresses (sermons) by Kevin DeYoung written for young people--high school graduates and college graduates. There are five sermons in all: "Don't Be True To Yourself," "Choose For Yourselves," "The First Day of the Next Chapter of Your Life," "Two Ways to Live," "Horseshoes, Hand Grenades, and the Kingdom of God." While all five sermons have the same target audience in mind, each can stand alone. They share similar themes--how to best live life or how to best prepare for living life. DeYoung keeps God central in all of these addresses, and he's urging his listeners (readers) to do the same. Because the general topic is HOW TO LIVE FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, these sermons while geared towards the young are just as true, just as relevant, just as on point for listeners/readers of ALL ages (and stages).

I particularly LOVED, LOVED, LOVED the first chapter, "Do Not Be True To Yourself." I think it is a must read sermon. 

Another thing that I appreciated is the appendix, "Twelve "Old(ish) Books to Read When You Are Young." I can't say that I agree with his choices. I'd say about seven or eight are ambitious/intimidating undertakings. They are arranged in order of publication, his contemporary choices (R.C. Sproul, J.I. Packer, C.S. Lewis) are more realistic. This is an annotated bibliography so there are descriptions of each book. It did make me think about what books I'd suggest for "Twelve Old(ish) Books To Read When You Are Young." (I may make a post of that yet.)



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, April 26, 2023

41. Cultural Counterfeits


Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More. Jen Oshman. 2022. [March] 208 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence from the introduction: I, like you, want to be accepted. I want the approval and applause of others. I hate to cause conflict or to offend. I like it when other people like me. But these are polarizing days, and complete acceptance is hard to come by. Most of us--whether we're in a classroom, a boardroom, a coffee shop, or online--keep a low profile and keep as quiet as we can, so as to not be seen as arrogant or rude. We want to be genuinely humble and kind, and we want to be perceived so too. That's what's hard about this book. 

First sentence from chapter one: We live in a unique moment that was delivered to us by a specific timeline in history. 

What you see is what you get. Will you like what you see and what you get? Maybe. Maybe not. Oshman seeks to call out, to confront, five false views, five HUGE deceptions facing our culture today. She writes specifically for women and girls. (I don't personally know why she limits herself to reaching out to one gender. I think ALL five issues/deceptions/worldviews effect everyone.) 

So Oshman writes of culture, society, worldviews, etc. This is balanced out by the Word of God. She sees the world through the lens of Scripture and she encourages readers to do the same. She counters lies with the truth. This is the best way, perhaps the only way. She assumes (rightly) that the Bible is the Word of God. That it is all the things--authoritative, infallible, inerrant, inspired. We are all immersed--to one degree or another--in our culture. There's no escaping the messages that are being thrown at us 24/7. But we can counter those messages and hold them up to scrutiny, to see them in light of the one thing we know to be true--the Word of God.

These are the five chapters that share the five topics. 

Obsessed: Bodies, Beauty, and Ability
Selling Out for Cheap Sex
Abortion Has Not Delivered
Trending LGBTQIA+
When Marriage and Motherhood Become Idols. 

Some seem like obvious deceptions. (At least to me). But others surprised me. It is easy to see how the world is 'lying' to us in x, y, z ways. But there are subtler ways as well. In particular, I doubt many believers could ever make the leap to thinking that marriage and motherhood are idols. (Now, this chapter is contrary to others. This message that idolizes marriage and motherhood over singleness and/or childlessness most often comes from the church. And I think, to a certain degree, it is subtle and perhaps an unintended consequence. By focusing on biblical womanhood, biblical marriages, biblical gender roles, it can seem that marriage and motherhood are everything, absolutely everything. That to be single, to be childless is to be "less than." Again, I think that more often than not this is not intentional, more unspoken. But the chapter does resonate. I can see it both ways. As a single, childless christian, it can be frustrating that many/most books written for Christian women by Christian women about Christian women, assume that you are married with a couple of kids. On the other hand, I don't think anyone means any offense. There's something to be said for NOT being offended by every little thing. I think to find offense anywhere, everywhere, at all times, always is problematic. 



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

40. Found: God's Will


Found: God's Will. John F. MacArthur Jr. 1972/1998. 64 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: As I travel around, one of the questions I am asked most often is "How can a Christian know the will of God for his or her life?" Most of us acknowledge that God has a plan for the life of every believer, but often we have trouble in finding just which way this play goes at a particular juncture.

Found: God's Will may be a short book, but it's a relevant book with substance. The premise is a simple one,
"Let's begin with a simple assumption. Since God has a will for us, He must want us to know it. If so, then we could expect Him to communicate it to us in the most obvious way. And how would that be? Through the Bible, His revelation. Therefore, I believe that what anyone needs to know about the will of God is clearly revealed in the pages of His Word. God's will is, in fact, very explicit in Scripture."
The chapter titles: "Is God a Cosmic Killjoy?", "The Crucial First Step," "The Fizzies Principle," "The Priority of Purity," "Silencing the Critics," "Facing the Flak," and "You're It."

MacArthur argues that God's will is simple and easy to understand. There are five things that are God's will for every one. First, God wills everyone to be saved. If you are saved, if you are trusting in Jesus Christ for salvation, you are in God's will. Second, God wills everyone to be filled with the Spirit and to live in the Spirit. Third, God wills everyone to be sanctified. It isn't enough to profess your belief, one must live by it. Fourth, God wills everyone to be submissive. Every one has to submit to someone--authority is God-given authority unless submitting means violating God's direct commandments. Fifth, God wills everyone to suffer. To suffer?! Is suffering really God's will for believers?! Surely we're misreading this last one, right?! Nope. Read the Bible. It's there in black and white. (And perhaps red.) If you're saved, spirit-filled, sanctified, submissive, and suffering...then you are living in accordance with God's will and the rest is up to you.

Quotes:
  • The doctrine of salvation is unpopular because it includes the recognition of sin. Nobody likes to admit sin. And many people resist the idea that they need to be saved.
  • There is a world out there that needs Jesus Christ. God wants them to be saved, and you and I are the vehicles for the transportation of the gospel. That is God’s will.
  • When you were saved, the moment you received Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit came to live within you. There is no Christian who does not possess the Holy Spirit.
  • So many times we ask for what we already have! We pray for the Holy Spirit, and He is already here.
  • Let me share how I study the Bible and how the Bible has come alive to me. I began in 1 John. One day I sat down and read all five chapters straight through. It took me twenty minutes. Reading one book straight through was terrific. (The books of the Bible weren’t written as an assortment of good little individual verses. They were written with flow and context.) The next day, I sat down and read 1 John straight through again. The third day, I sat down and read 1 John straight through. The fourth day, straight through again. The fifth day, I sat down and read it again. I did this for thirty days. Do you know what happened at the end of the thirty days? I knew what was in 1 John. You might say, “My, are you smart!” No, I am not smart. I read it thirty times. Even I can get it then!
  • The more you study the Word of God, the more it saturates your mind and life. Someone is reported to have asked a concert violinist in New York’s Carnegie Hall how she became so skilled. She said that it was by “planned neglect.” She planned to neglect everything that was not related to her goal.
  • Some less important things in your life could stand some planned neglect so that you might give yourself to studying the Word of God.
  • The more you would study the Word of God, the more your mind would be saturated with it. It will be no problem then for you to think of Christ. You won’t be able to stop thinking of Him.
  • The only way you can be saturated with the thoughts of Christ is to saturate yourself with the Book that is all about Him.
  • Evangelism involves living a godly life in the face of an ungodly world.
  • And that will bring persecution, because the world does not like Jesus.
  • The Bible never sees a Christian at any time who doesn’t suffer—because anybody who lives a godly life in the world will get the flak that the world throws back.
  • One of the problems of evangelism today is that Christians are not willing to stand nose to nose with the world and tell it like it is concerning Jesus Christ.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, April 24, 2023

39. Go and Do Likewise


Go and Do Likewise: The Parables and Wisdom of Jesus. John Hendrix. 2021. [February] 40 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Jesus's sandals were always dusty. Jesus didn't call any one place home. But he was not alone. Alongside Jesus were his students, the twelve disciples.

In 2016, John Hendrix gave us Miracle Man: The Story of Jesus. I definitely enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting a follow up book, but was pleasantly surprised to see that he has a new book out called Go and Do Likewise: The Parable and Wisdom of Jesus. 

The 'wisdom' shared here mainly comes from the Sermon on the Mount. (I would say with a few bits perhaps from the gospel of John.) The parables come mainly (though not exclusively) from the gospel of Luke. Expect The Good Samaritan, the Lost Sheep, the Prodigal Son, etc. 

What is shared, in my opinion, for better or worse, focuses on ethics: how to be a good, decent, kind human being. 

Hendrix definitely puts his own spin on the stories. What do I mean by spin? Adding his own interpretation and commentary. This isn't all that unusual for bible story books. I think every author is 'guilty' of it to a certain degree or another. But adding details--opinions, observations, making conclusions--to the text that simply aren't in the original (in any translation) can be theologically tricky. I think he adds what he adds for storytelling purposes. He wants to tell an engaging story to a young audience. He's not out to quote the Bible verse by verse by verse. 

The story of the Good Samaritan can be found in Luke 10:30-37

The original verse: And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

That's it. That's all the Bible says about the priest in the parable. Hendrix, however, spins a different tale:
But a priest of God, the ones you see in the temple, was also traveling this lonely road. As he looked upon the dying man, the priest feared for his own life--or perhaps didn't want to get his fine clothes dirty--and passed by him on the other side of the road without stopping to help.

The original verse: Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 

Again, Hendrix spins a tale with motives: A short time later, a Levite, a person who also worked in the temple, came along the road. He, too, saw the wounded man, and blaming the man for his own carelessness, left him in a puddle of dirt and blood. 

Hendrix definitely spins the Beatitudes as well. The Beatitudes can be read in Matthew 5:3-12.

Original: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Hendrix: Blessed are those who feel like an empty jar. God will fill that emptiness with abundance.
Original: Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Hendrix: Blessed are those who cry, for the Lord sees every tear. Each one, He will wipe away.
Original: Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
Hendrix: Blessed are those full of mercy, for they, too, will be shown grace.
Original: Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
Hendrix: Blessed are those who work for peace. They understand what it means to be God's child.

He definitely doesn't include every single Beatitude. He leaves some off--not a criticism, just an observation. (He leaves off gentle, hunger and thirst, pure in heart, the persecuted). 

The narrative style is unique as are the visuals. The layout very much stresses the visual arts. The text is almost secondary in importance. This makes it slightly difficult to read in places. It also shifts it, in my opinion, to a slightly older audience. (As opposed to a beginning reader.)

ETA: It's been almost two years since I first read this picture book (for older readers). I definitely enjoyed rereading it. I enjoyed seeing the variety between the parables and the teachings. I wish that there were more books published like this one and Miracle Man. There just aren't that many.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, April 22, 2023

Sunday Salon #17


Current Bible plans and projects:

NIV 84 Rainbow Study Bible. This week I read: Proverbs 16-22. Psalms 79-109. Joshua 14-24. Judges. Ruth. 1 Samuel. 2 Samuel 1-4. 1 Corinthians 6-16. 2 Corinthians. Galatians. Ephesians.

NKJV Deluxe Readers' Bible. This week I read: Numbers 13-36. Deuteronomy. Joshua 1-6. Matthew. James. Luke 1-4. 

BSB M'Cheyne. This week I read: Leviticus 20-26. Psalm 25-33. Ecclesiastes 3-9. 1 Timothy 5-6. 2 Timothy. Titus 1. 

NRSV XL. This week I read: Mark. Luke 1-4. 

Growing 4 Life. April is Mark 13-16. This week I read NASB 95, BSB, NASB 2020, BSB, KJV. 

Currently reading:

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More. Jen Oshman. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, April 19, 2023

38. The Man Born to Be King


The Man Born to Be King. Dorothy L. Sayers. Edited by Kathryn Wehr. 1943/2023. 464 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: On February 5, 1940, Rev. Dr. James Welch, Director of Religious Broadcasting at the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), wrote to Dorothy L. Sayers with a request. "I wonder," he said, "whether you would consider writing a number of dramatic features for children, dealing with the life of our Lord?" The target audience was the "multitude of listeners to whom the Gospel Story is largely unknown and who could not be reached effectively in any other way."

I read the Wade Annotated Edition of The Man Born to Be King. It is a collection of the TWELVE plays on the life (and ministry) of Jesus Christ our Lord. These plays aired on the BBC beginning in December 1941 and finishing in October 1942. Each play--I'll list the individual titles below--was meant to fit into the whole, BUT, written to also be able to stand on its own. After all, each play would have its own listeners. There was no guarantee that these listeners would listen to all twelve plays, or would have listened. Each play features marginal notes--annotations--and bibliographical notes. These annotations provide context, fuller explanations, and allow for textual criticism. If a word or phrase was altered in various drafts--it will be noted. Or if someone asked Sayers to change a word, a phrase, etc., then her response may be noted in a marginal note. 

The twelve plays are 
  • Kings In Judaea
  • The King's Herald
  • A Certain Nobleman
  • The Heirs to the Kingdom
  • The Bread of Heaven
  • The Feast of Tabernacles
  • The Light and the Life
  • Royal Progress
  • The King's Supper
  • The Princes of this World
  • King of Sorrows
  • The King Comes To His Own
The book has a long--and necessary--introduction. It offers MUCH food for thought.

In contemporary times, more often than not, many if not most Christians are supportive--usually--of films and shows depicting the life of Christ. An actor portraying Christ is not usually controversial or scandalous. I used "many" and "most." Those Christian believers who are scandalized and upset by portrayals of Christ are seen more as "odd" or "weird" or "extreme." They can be vocal--on YouTube and other platforms--and they can find supporters for their position. But their "strict" position isn't the "norm." (For better or worse).

Reading this one was SO thought provoking. In that at the time Sayers was writing these plays, it was actually actually ILLEGAL to have Jesus Christ as a character in a play, as a character who appeared on stage. They [the powers that be] got around this law, of course, because this is a RADIO play that would not appear on stage. There was some drama about HEARING an actor's portrayal of Christ over the radio, but, with a little 'supervision' this too was worked out amicably. There was a panel, I believe, of religious experts, who read the plays before they were aired. 

Another thing I thought was interesting was the idea of using the plays to "reach" the lost--particularly youth. The supposition was that there were/are generations who are absolutely clueless when it comes to the bare bones basics of the faith. They don't have a foundation. There were/are HUGE gaps in their religious education. This was in the 1940s. The plays were written to bring Christ "to life" to help make the Christian message relatable and interesting. People may not respond to the Bible being read aloud, but maybe having it dramatized--with actors, sound effects, music, etc--will help people respond/react. 

I am super curious to seek out a recording of these plays. (I don't know if the original recordings from the 1940s still exist and are available.) 

I will say that Sayers sought to HUMANIZE every character--regardless of if they followed Christ or opposed Christ. Even those who were at their core violently opposed to Christ get humanized. It was important to Sayers that every role--no matter how small or how big--be three dimensional. 

I didn't love, love, love all her choices. In fact, there were a few times I thought she made some theological mistakes. (Like combining all the Mary's into one character--the sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet, Mary of Bethany, Mary Magdalene.) But Sayers made some clear literary, artistic choices. She wanted TIGHT plays that dramatically worked. She wasn't looking to have actors read straight from Scripture. In fact, most of the time the dialogue is not straight from the pages of Scripture. Though it is arguably informed by Scripture.) 




© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, April 15, 2023

Sunday Salon #16


Current Bible plans and projects:

NIV 84 Rainbow Study Bible. This week I read: Psalm 44-78; Proverbs 9-15; Deuteronomy; Joshua 1-13. Acts 18-28. Romans. 1 Corinthians 1-5.

NKJV Deluxe Readers' Bible. This week I read Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers 1-12. Ephesians. Colossians. Philippians. 1 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians. 1 Timothy. 2 Timothy. Titus. Philemon. Hebrews.

BSB M'Cheyne. Leviticus 13-19. Psalms 15-24. Proverbs 27-31. Ecclesiastes 1-2. 2 Thessalonians. 1 Timothy 1-4. 

NRSV XL. Matthew. Galatians.

Growing 4 Life. April is Mark 13-16. This week I read: ESV, NASB 95, LSB, NKJV, LSB.

Currently reading:

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More. Jen Oshman. 
The Man Born to Be King. Dorothy L. Sayers. (Annotated)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Monday, April 10, 2023

37. In Her Sights


In Her Sights (Pink Pistol Sisterhood #1) Karen Witemeyer. 2023. 108 pages. [Source: Borrowed]

First sentence: Every legacy started from a single act of courage.

Premise/plot: Tessa James, our heroine, has a huge crush on Jackson Spivey. His hobby is guns and shooting. To try to catch his eye, Tessa wants to immerse herself in that world. So, of course, she just happens to seek out the show starring Annie Oakley [aka Mrs. Frank Butler.] If she can "catch a man with a gun" maybe she can too. Meanwhile, in the prologue, Annie Oakley [aka Mrs. Frank Butler] had been gifted a gun--a pink pistol--by a grieving father. [To be honest, I'm not sure if his daughter died by her own hand or if it was natural causes. But her heart was broken when she was disappointed by love/lust.] At her discretion, she is to gift this "courtship" pistol to a young woman who needs some help with hope--hope in finding true love. When Tessa admits openly, hey, I'm here to learn how to shoot because I want a man, well Annie's job is over. She'll pass this pink courting pistol on....with a special note in its case.

Will Tessa's new pistol bring her good luck when it comes to winning her crush? Happily ever afters have to be earned even in wee little novellas.

My thoughts: I have zero interests in guns or shooting--pink or not. I did like the musical Annie Get Your Gun, so there was that at least. (Though I'm not absolutely positive that musical was historically accurate. Did she really catch her man with a gun??? Maybe. I just thought it was a catchy song.) 

I think in a full-length novel the balance between character development, relationship development, and melodrama [aka CONFLICT] is naturally better. I felt in this novella, at least, the balance was off. There was just as much melodrama as if it was a full-length novel but not nearly as much to balance it out in terms of character development. It was a very short journey in terms of relationship development. Like SO short. And then almost after the fact there was conflict added. 

I do typically love, love, love Witemeyer's novels. (Yes, even her novellas.) But I was more meh with this one than I usually am. I think a full-length novel would have had time to win me over. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, April 8, 2023

Sunday Salon #15


Current Bible plans and projects:

NIV 84 Rainbow Study Bible. This is what I'm reading with the Book of Common Prayer now. (I started April 1). This week I read Psalm 9-43; Proverbs 2-8. Leviticus 12-27. Numbers. Luke 16-24. Acts 1-17. 

Wycliffe New Testament. I finished this week! I read Colossians. Laodiceans. 1 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians. 1 Timothy. 2 Timothy. Titus. Philemon. Hebrews. Acts. James. 1 Peter. 2 Peter. 1 John. 2 John. 3 John. Jude. Revelation. 

NKJV Deluxe Reader's Bible. I started this one on Thursday, April 6. I've read Genesis and Mark.
This is the Bible I'm now reading with the devotional Be Thou My Vision.

BSB M'Cheyne. Leviticus 5-12. Psalms 3-14. Proverbs 20-26. Colossians 3-4. 1 Thessalonians. 

NRSV XL. I am still pushing through this one. Barely. Ezekiel 38-48. Daniel. Jonah. Micah. Nahum. Habakkuk. Zephaniah. Haggai. Zechariah. Malachi. 

Growing 4 Life. April is Mark 13-16. This week I read in the BSB, ESV, NKJV, 1537 Matthews Bible. NASB 77. 1599 Geneva. 

Currently reading:

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More. Jen Oshman. 
The Man Born to Be King. Dorothy L. Sayers. (Annotated)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Friday, April 7, 2023

Further Thoughts on Reading for the Love of God


Reading for the Love of God. Jessica Hooten Wilson. 2023. [March] 208 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Imagine you are resting in a cave on an unpopulated Greek island. 

While I haven't changed my overall rating of the book. I have done a quick check of all the notes I made while reading the book. There were many points that I found thought-provoking. These points got overlooked in my initial review earlier today. I might have made the book seem more "negative" than I think is fair.

Quote: If we were to read the Bible on its terms, we would become different people, converted by the practice. Christ's vision would become our vision. Why and how we read matters as much as what we read. 

Agreed. I don't know that the average reader reads the Bible with transformation truly in mind. But the Bible not only records past miracles, but is used by the Holy Spirit today to bring about the new birth. The Word--written, spoken, heard--is the primary means for reaching the lost. How wonderful it is and yet how rare it is to truly keep experiencing the Book with awe day after day.

Quote: It is not enough to read the Bible; you must eat the book. You must delight in its honey. Suffer in your gut. And then prophesy. If you want to know how to eat the book, learn how to read--not only the Bible but other great books as well--as a spiritual practice. In reading other books, we practice reading the Bible; and in reading the Bible, we read other books by that lens.

I like the [Scriptural] imagery of eating the Book. Not sure exactly what she means by "then prophesying." This next is important for understanding the purpose of the whole book. But it still strikes me as slightly fuzzy and vague. I think the "other great books" is probably the books that make for a classical education, a traditional "classic" education. I don't think she means just any book, or even any old book. I have an idea--perhaps falsely--that she has a snooty definition of what literature is and isn't, of what is LITERARY and what isn't. I am not at all sure that in reading other books we practice reading the Bible. I'm not sure what this translates to in practical, actual terms. I do agree wholeheartedly that "we read other books by that [the Bible] lens." It makes sense to view the world through a biblical lens. It makes less sense to bring other books...to the Bible...and view the Bible through the lens of other books. 

Quote: Augustine compares reading pagan writers to the Israelites carrying gold out of Egypt...Augustine claims that we may find truths within pagan literature. We must sift through the superstitions to claim the moral goods.

I agree in part. I think the key is to be well-grounded in the Word of God so that you can read with discernment. To discern between gold and fool's gold, you need to know the real deal. Not just have a vague, fuzzy, general idea of what truth is--but be well grounded in it. So much of the false has veins of half-truths or semi-truths running through it. It isn't always clear as day what is TRUE and half-true. If you lack a foundation, reading books with things that sound true but aren't really true can be very dangerous to your world-building.

Quote: We also must admit that the Holy Scriptures are difficult to understand. Perhaps, then, we consider outside reading as preparatory for reading the Bible. 

Here's where I think I got super-confused and flustered. I remembered this one line no matter how much more I read. But rereading it in context, it is more clear that she was referring to the actual mechanics of reading. There is a growing process--you grow from identifying and sounding out letters to reading words, then stories, etc. You keep learning new skills and techniques. And these basic building blocks of deciphering text you do carry with you no matter what you're reading--including your reading of the Bible. But I do still find it a slightly odd inclusion to this book. "We practice how to read well and increase our ability to read so that we can know the Scriptures better." 

Quote: Even literature that does not necessarily teach us spiritual truths can be loved for its beauty. Beautiful things still draw from that eternal fount, which is God.

True. Or mostly true. I would say that there are instances--for example--the lyrics to a song, a poem--that can *sound* beautiful, but are so false that the beauty is tainted. But that is neither here nor there. 

Quote: If we are going to read--the Bible included--we should learn how to read well. We should become readers who do not read for our own gain but who read as a spiritual practice, always open to how the Lord is planting seeds in our heart, teaching us more about him, and showing us ways of living more like Christ in the world.

I think she's saying that God isn't restricted to using only the Bible. God can use other texts, other books, to "plant seeds" and "teach." We can be inspired by other texts to "live more like Christ."

Quote: While we need such practices of silent reading and meditation, our current culture distracts us from this practice. We are losing our patience for sustained, silent reading....We should protect space in our days for silent reading with the same fervency with which we should clear out our schedules for prayer and devotion. Time spent reading might be fertile ground by which the Lord shows us who we are. With that time, the Lord can weed out the lies of culture, convict us of our fallenness, and reveal to us our higher destiny in him. Whereas we may be deformed by hours of screens, we can be recast in his image by the practice of silent reading.

There's silent reading and "silent reading." Reading with absolute silence...and any reading not done aloud. I'm not always the best for reading in absolute silence. But there are layers of distraction. And you can be focused in on the text with background noise as well as being distracted while reading in absolute silence. Concentration doesn't always correlate with outside distractions. Also, I think there is some bias. There are spiritual truths to be found in some films, shows, etc. To say that only books have worth is silly. 

Quote: We misuse literature when we only use it or when we use it for an end other than the enjoyment of God....Art, literature, and the Bible itself are to be used and enjoyed similarly, insofar as they point you to God....reading as a spiritual discipline applies to those works of art that are to be, as Augustine writes, both used and enjoyed.

Chapter three is where things started going zoom-zoom-zoom over my head. 

Quote: If we are to read spiritually, we must begin by loving books in a similar fashion to loving our neighbors, seeing the book as an opportunity to practice charity.

Books give readers a chance to grow in empathy.

Quote: The early church exegetes practiced reading according to these four senses: the literal, figurative, moral, and anagogical meanings of the text. The senses matter because every element of creation possesses at least a twofold significance: word and meaning, law and spirit, body and soul.

This chapter made NO sense. If reading with these so-called four senses really mattered, she would have explained it clearly, practically, giving readers a basic understanding, a solid foundation for putting these into practice. 

Quote: The best books are those that demand rereading; we call these classics.

I agree with rereading. 


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

36. Reading for the Love of God


Reading for the Love of God. Jessica Hooten Wilson. 2023. [March] 208 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: Imagine you are resting in a cave on an unpopulated Greek island. 

I love the premise of this one--reading as a spiritual discipline, a spiritual practice. I love the idea of embracing reading as more than a hobby, more than a distraction. I love reading. I do--obviously I do. Always have, always will. I have three book review blogs. My love of reading is not in doubt. I went into this one expecting one kind of book and I got another kind of book. It just wasn't the perfectly perfect fit I imagined.

The book is definitely more academic, more scholarly, more "elevated" for lack of a better term. I felt the author was up in the clouds with her narrative--in other words, so much going zoom, zoom, zoom right over my head. The act of reading is not complicated. (Usually). So why does reading books about reading have to be so incredibly complicated??? I wanted the book to be conversational, written for the lay person, a fellow book lover that loves, loves, loves reading. I wanted to find a kindred spirit--not be lectured and judged and judged and lectured.

I did find myself agreeing in parts--at the very least--with some of what she was saying. In particular, I think reader response theory is a bit overrated. When that is the one and only way that is "acceptable" to approach READING, and reading in all aspects of life. It's one thing to have a light reader-response philosophy when it comes to reading say, poetry, or something. Quite another when it infests--manifests in???--your reading when it comes to say the Bible, or theological books. For decades this has been the primary theory being taught. And it's problematic...because then as a believer you have to say, well, when I read x, y, and z this is the way to do it...but when I switch over to this then I have to throw everything I know about reading out the window and approach this completely differently. And you *can* do that. Hopefully most realize that you should be approaching the Bible differently from any other text. 

Just to backtrack a bit, reader response theory for those who don't know the term is something like this:
The author doesn't create the meaning. The text doesn't create the meaning. The meaning comes when I the reader read the text. I bring the meaning. It doesn't matter what the author meant when he/she wrote the text. It doesn't matter what the literal meaning of the words on the page mean literally. The text means what I *feel* it means. Without the reader there is no meaning. And since every single reader brings or potentially brings his/her own meaning to the text--there is no one "right" way to read the text. Everything is subjective. Not just I like this, I don't like that. Reactions can be--and often are--a hundred percent subjective. But meaning, well, meaning that's a different story. 

I thought the book was not as clear as it could have been, should have been. I felt the author never clearly and emphatically defined exactly, precisely what she meant by her words--special vocabulary. She used specialized words throughout. And I was left trying to puzzle out my own definitions based on context, context, context. Which is a reading skill. Some words might have been helpful to go to an actual dictionary, but others I feel are too specialized to find help. For example, one of the things this book is about--learning to spiritually read, reading spiritually, approaching all reading as a spiritual practice. I don't know that any dictionary could help me puzzle out precisely what she was talking about. In most basic building-block terms--what do you mean exactly. She talks of finding truth and beauty in ALL types of books--even those with off-putting vulgarity. She talks of the importance of not hunting for moral lessons in reading, or over-hunting, I guess. 

She also occasionally would say things that I found slightly worrisome. I don't want to assume that I know her intent as an author. I don't. And I don't want to assume that the meaning I took away from reading the text lines up with her intent. (I'm willing to admit the confusion may be more on my end than her end.) But when she said things like you have to learn to read other books so that you can read the Bible. I was stumped. I don't know if she means that at its most literal--you must learn to read Go, Dog, Go and Cat in the Hat before you can come to the Bible. Or if she has somehow elevated the Bible too much. I'll try to explain.

I believe the Bible is the Word of God. 100% I believe the Bible is accurate, authoritative, breathed-out and inspired, infallible, inerrant--all the things. But I also believe that the Bible is for everyone. The Bible is not "elitist" reserved for the highest intellects, the brilliant, genius scholars. EVERY person regardless of education level can read the Word of God and read it well. By read it well, I mean read it with spiritual eyes. It is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that enables readers to READ the Word of God in any meaningful way. Without the Holy Spirit indwelling the reader, without the new birth in which the Spirit gives spiritual eyes to see, spiritual ears to hear, spiritual heart to respond, then there is no reading of the Word. No matter how brilliant, how intellectual, how academic, how perfectly-perfect you understand grammar or language or original languages--without the Holy Spirit GIVING and graciously giving you understanding, it is all in vain. 

The Bible is not a book for some--the super-smarty-pants--and too difficult, too complex, too weighty for the rest of us. Everything that is necessary for salvation is clearly illuminated--for believers--in the Bible. 

Instead of making the Bible sound accessible and relatable and WONDERFUL it made it sound like you'd have to do a lot of groundwork to get to a place where maybe one day you could begin to grasp it. As if there is a final "it" to be grasped. The Bible is a book that GROWS with you--you never outgrow it, you never exhaust it, you never move beyond needing it. But it's a book for beginners too. From day one to the very end--the Bible is just what we need it to be. 

Am I blowing up a few paragraphs and making a very minor thing major???? Probably. As I said, I don't know her intent. I don't. I wouldn't pretend to know what she meant. 

I will leave on a very positive note. I love, love, love this quote:

The words of God should be like the song that you cannot get out of your head, the one that you find yourself humming without meaning to, the song that you thoughtlessly tap your feet to, and that echoes from your heart through your whole body.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Wednesday, April 5, 2023

35. Mornings with Tozer


Mornings with Tozer: Daily Devotional Readings. A.W. Tozer. 2008. 416 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Men and women without God are helpless and hopeless human beings. We do well to remember that sin is to the human nature what cancer is to the human body! Can can argue with the fact that sin has ruined us?

I can be harsh when it comes to devotions. I can. But I can't be harsh with a TOZER devotional. One of my main issues with many devotionals is that devotionals tend to be shallow, story-oriented, light on Scripture, focused more on warm-fuzzies than on teaching truth. Tozer is almost always substantive, thought-provoking, tell-it-like-it-is, zealous and passionate for God's glory. 

I love, love, love A.W. Tozer. I love his zeal, his passion, his enthusiasm. This book is a collection--366 devotions? 365 devotions--of quotes from his sermons and published works. Each entry was short--about one and a half pages--but substantive.

I definitely recommend this one. 

Quote: 

I hope that if I am remembered at all, it will be for this reason: I have spent my efforts and my energies trying to turn the direction of the people away from the external elements of religion to those that are internal and spiritual. I have tried to take away some of the clouds in the hope that men and women would be able to view God in His glory. I would like to see this sense of glory recaptured throughout the church—too many Christians do not expect to experience any of the glory until they see Him face-to-face!


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

34. All My Knotted Up Life


All My Knotted Up Life. Beth Moore. 2023. 304 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence: We were river people.

All My Knotted Up Life is a memoir by Beth Moore. I thought I'd start with where I'm coming from as a reader and what bias I might be bringing to my reading. Chances are when you hear the name Beth Moore you have a strong reaction one way or the other. I've read so little that I don't have a strong, solid reason for my meh-ness to her work. I've definitely been exposed--a bit out of context at times--to paragraphs of her works [either from her books, her studies, her video teachings, her tweets] with commentary critiquing her theology. I didn't pick up this book as a hater or a lover. 

The first third of the memoir covers her childhood and teen years. The middle third covers her marriage, becoming a mother, and very early years in the ministry. [DID YOU KNOW SHE TAUGHT CHRISTIAN AEROBICS???? DID YOU EVEN KNOW CHRISTIAN AEROBICS WAS AN ACTUAL ACTUAL THING THAT CHURCHES OFFERED????] The last third covers her rise to fame, if you will, her partnering up with publishers, her Living Proof conferences, her living in the public eye, her disagreements with the Southern Baptist Convention, her eventual parting of ways with the SBC. 

I thought it was a rough start. The first few chapters were especially rough. I've thought about why that might be. It couldn't be easy to start a memoir. To throw readers into your life story. Where do you start? Do you start with your strongest memory? the one you feel will be most compelling? the one that perhaps has shaped you? Do you start like a more traditional biography? When you're covering your earliest family memories...how do you orient strangers [us readers] with YOUR family? Every family is unique and has its own inside language, its own way of being. Memories have a way of being disjointed, random.

The writing was odd to me. Strange metaphors and use of imagery. It didn't stay that way. It just started that way. The more I read, the easier it became to read.

I am glad I read it. As a memoir, it focused more [and rightly so] on personal stories, memories, impressions. It didn't do deep dives into theology. It stayed in 'shallow waters' in terms of politics, theology, culture. I think that's mainly a good thing. Obviously, the last third goes into the very 'muddy waters' of her falling out with the SBC. And readers--lovers or haters--will already have thoughts and opinions on that.  

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2.5 Wycliffe New Testament 1388


Wycliffe New Testament 1388: An edition in modern spelling, with an introduction, the original prologues, and the Epistle to the Laodicieans. William R. Cooper, ed. 2002. British Library. 528 pages. [Source: Bought]

ETA: I believe this is the third time I've read (and reviewed) the Wycliffe New Testament. I do love it. It isn't one that I read for understanding/comprehension. It is more of a burst of flavor. I like some of the phrasing, some of the archaic peculiarities. It was a delight to spend time with this one again.

Can you imagine NOT having a Bible in your own language? Today we're used to dozens and dozens of translations to choose from--all in English, of course. But this wasn't always the case.

This New Testament is a translation from the Latin into English--the first of its kind. It was translated not by John Wycliffe himself, but, by his followers, the Lollards. The 1388 edition was published after Wycliffe's death in 1384. Essentially, the Lollards placed great value in the authority of the Scripture, and wanted the Bible to be translated into English so everyone could read it for themselves. The Bible was not for the religious or academic elite, but, for everyone.
After the initial translation was finished, talented scribes set to work copying out the Lollard text. With the dangerous associations of Lollardy, both Church and State sought its elimination, and in 1401 a statute was issued banning the Later Version upon pain of death. Lollards were prosecuted for their beliefs and their ownership of forbidden texts. The efforts, however, failed to stop the reproduction of the texts, and scribes continued to copy faithfully the Lollard texts, risking great danger to themselves. (vii)
Is this a translation for each and every believer? Probably not. But it is a joy and treat for some I imagine!

Is it reader-friendly and accessible? Yes and no. Your knowledge of the New Testament + the glossary + the context of the verse/passage = readability and accessibility.
For God loved so the world that He gave His one begotten Son, that each man that believes in Him perish not, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world that He judge the world, but that the world be saved by Him. He that believes in Him is not deemed. But he that believes not, is now deemed, for he believes not in the name of the one begotten Son of God. And this is the doom, for light came into the world, and men loved more darkness than light, for their works were evil. (John 3:16-19)
Therefore Jews grouched of Him, for He had said, I am bread that came down from heaven. And they said, Whether this is not Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we have known? How then says this that, I came down from heaven? Therefore Jesus answered and said to them, Nil ye grouch together. No man may come to Me but if the Father that sent Me draw him, and I shall again-raise him in the last day. (John 6:41-44)
Nil ye deem, that ye be not deemed. For in what doom ye deem, ye shall be deemed, and in what measure ye mete, it shall be meted again to you. But what see thou a little mote in the eye of thy brother, and see not a beam in thine own eye? Or how say thou to thy brother? Brother, suffer I shall do out a mote from thine eye, and lo, a beam is in thine own eye? Hypocrite! Do thou out first the beam of thine eye, and then thou shall see to do out the mote of the eye of thy brother. (Matthew 7:1-5)
Therefore, brethren, I beseech you by the mercy of God, that ye give your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, and your service reasonable. And nil ye be conformed to this world, but be ye reformed in newness of your wit, that ye prove which is the will of God, good and well-pleasing, and perfect. (Romans 12:1-2)
For by grace ye are saved by faith, and this not of you, for it is the gift of God, not of works, that no man have glory. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
And do ye all things without grouchings and doubtings, that ye be without plaint and simple as the sons of God, without reproof in the middle of a shrewd nation and a wayward, among which ye shine as givers of light in the world. (Philippians 2:14-15)
Joy ye in the Lord evermore, eft I say, joy ye. (Philippians 4:4)
Savour ye those things that are above, not those that are on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. (Colossians 3:2-3
Did I love it? Yes, I loved, loved, LOVED it. This is actually the second time I've read this one. I read it the first time in 2009, I believe? It's been a while. But it was a great way to start off the new year!!!

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Saturday, April 1, 2023

Sunday Salon #14


Current Bible plans and projects:

Seedbed Psalter. There's a book. There's a website. The website plays the instrumental music, so that's what I'm using. (My mom has the book which she's using). So essentially, Dr. Timothy and Mrs. Julie Tennent have created a (new) psalter. It is a metrical psalter so that the psalms can be song to various tunes (that match up with the meters). I've committed to singing the Psalms for the month of March using the Book of Common Prayer psalms calendar. This week I've read/sung Psalm 119:105-176; Psalm 120-150.

Psalm 119:105-176St. Columba (The King of Love My Shepherd Is)
Psalm 120Dundee (God Moves In a Mysterious Way)
Psalm 121New Britain (Amazing Grace)
Psalm 122Morecambre (Spirit of God, Descend Upon My Heart)
Psalm 123Winchester Old (Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire)
Psalm 124Ode to Joy (Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Psalm 125St. Thomas (I Love Thy Kigndom, Lord)
Psam 126Ode to Joy (Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Psalm 127Azmon (O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing)
Psalm 128Ellacombe (Hosanna, Loud Hosanna)
Psalm 129Dundee (God Moves In a Mysterious Way)
Psalm 130Morning Song (My Soul Gives Glory to My God)
Psalm 131Trentham (Breathe On Me, Breath of God)
Psalm 132Aurelia (The Church's One Foundation)
Psalm 133Winchester Old (Come, Holy Ghost, Our Hearts Inspire)
Psalm 134Nettleton (Come, Thou Fount)
Psalm 135Ode to Joy (Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Psalm 136In Christ Alone
Psalm 137Morning Song (My Soul Gives Glory to My God)
Psalm 138Duke Street (Jesus Shall Reign)
Psalm 139Ellacombe (Hosanna, Loud Hosanna)
Psalm 140Arise/Restoration (Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy)
Psalm 141Morning Song (My Soul Gives Glory to My God)
Psalm 142Redhead (Go To Dark Gethsemane)
Psalm 143Hyfrydol (Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus)
Psalm 144Forest Green (I Sing the Mighty Power of God)
Psalm 145Ode to Joy (Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee)
Psalm 146Beecher (Love Divine, All Loves Excelling)
Psalm 147Forest Green (I Sing the Mighty Power of God)
Psalm 148Hyfrydol (Come, Thou Long Expected Jesus)
Psalm 149Aurelia (The Church's One Foundation)
Psalm 150Richmond (O For A Heart to Praise My God)

NIV Rainbow Study Bible. Psalm 1-8. Proverbs 1.  Job 26-42. Exodus. Leviticus 1-11. Luke 1-15. 1 Peter. 2 Peter. 

Wycliffe New Testament. John 13-21. Romans. 1 Corinthians. 2 Corinthians. Galatians. Ephesians. Philippians. 

NRSV XL. Ezekiel 1-37. 

BSB M'Cheyne. Exodus 37-40. Leviticus 1-4. John 16-21. Psalm 1-2. Proverbs 13-19. Ephesians 6. Philippians 1-4. Colossians 1-2. 

Growing 4 Life. March was Mark 9-12. I read it in the NRSV. April is Mark 13-16. I read it in the ESV, KJV, 1599 Geneva, and NIV 2011. 

Currently reading:

Cultural Counterfeits: Confronting 5 Empty Promises of Our Age and How We Were Made For So Much More. Jen Oshman. 
Mornings with Tozer by A.W. Tozer 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible