49. Trekking Toward Tenacity

Trekking Toward Tenacity. Chris Morris. 2024. 187 pages. [Source: Library] [parenting, mental health] [2 stars]

First sentence from introduction: If you've picked up this book, it's likely because either the phrase "stronger mental health" or the word "tenacity" caught your eye, and you thought that maybe you could use a bit more of one or the other in your family. 

First sentence from chapter one: Oh Dear, He Knows Everything. When we read that God has examined our hearts and knows everything, this might induce a sense of dread. We could be filled with fear. 

Trekking Toward Tenacity uses Psalm 139 to walk parents [presumably believers] through how to better nurture the mental health and wellbeing of their families. It has activities for how to teach and/or illustrate the concepts for children of varying age ranges. The book mentions that it can be a true struggle to raise up children within the Christian faith and that it is hard to make time to teach the basics, to build upon a foundation that will allow for tenacity.

Chapter titles include:

• God Knows Us Intimately and Still Wants to Be Around Us
• God Is Paying Attention to Us
• God Sees Us
• God Knows Our Words
• God Is All Around and Within Us
• We Must Develop a Ritual of Gratitude
• We Cannot Escape God
• Darkness is Light to God
• God Knows Our Broken Parts and Still Loves Us
• We are Extraordinary
• God Knows All Our Days
• We Can Be Emotional
• We Can Pray Bravely

The book uses the MESSAGE translation of the Bible. I would say each chapter uses a verse or two of Psalm 139 as a jumping off place. It does not stay focused in or zoomed in on the Bible for long. It is a personal book with the author sharing his own struggles and experiences....along with his own viewpoints.

I wanted to really LOVE this one so that I could recommend it wholeheartedly and without reservation to others. I know it is a genuine struggle for parents. 

However, I found the theology to be problematic. In some chapters it is a tad problematic--negligible. In other chapters it is glaringly problematic. In some chapters, the theology is just so incredibly UNbiblical. A few chapters are good to go. Because it is a bit all over the place, it would require a good amount of discernment on the part of the reader. Some parents may be able to pick and choose--to take the good and dismiss the bad, to still find value in the book. 

I love how the first chapter shows that God LOVES us and is FOR US no matter our mental health. We can be a total mess, and God still loves us and values us. Your mess can't scare away God. In the second chapter, he writes, "No matter what thoughts occur in our heads, the value God places on our lives is unchanging." 

I truly appreciated how he stresses that mental health conditions are NOT sin and that they don't make us unlovable. They don't define our relationship with God. Christian maturity does not guarantee mental health conditions lessen, improve, or go away. We are not promised healing simply because our faith is in Christ. He writes, "We must communicate to our kids at every age that God isn't disappointed in them because of a potential mental health condition, God isn't ashamed of us when we battle these circumstances, and God isn't going anywhere." 

I appreciated how he points out that we can live as practical atheists when we live as if God is not with us, not present, not seeing or hearing. We live as if there is no God. But there IS a God who is always there.

What I found disturbing or alarming is his throwing God's sovereignty completely out the window. He just out and out rejects God's governance of the universe, his foreknowledge and knowledge, his ordained plan. Morris' God simply is just waiting to see how it all plays out in the end since there are billions, trillions, infinite freewill choices that could change everything happening every second of every day. God has no control over the future or working things out for our good simply because he's tied his own hands up. He could have more of a say in the universe, but, he's choosing not to because he's bound--tied down--by free will of humanity. 

This doctrine is not a "little" doctrine. It is not inconsequential or insignificant. You would have to throw out the God of the Bible as revealed in Genesis through Revelation. Hardly any book of the Bible is silent on God's sovereignty. It is everywhere. And it is tied so closely with all of God's other attributes that how could you remove his sovereignty without damaging or collapsing the rest. God is God is God is God. 

But some of what he had to say was weird/odd or just confusing....

"God would rather break up the Trinity than walk away from us."

What does that even mean??????

Problematic quotes:

If we decide to allow Jesus to be the king of our lives and accept his sacrifice as our Savior, then we are gifted the righteousness of Jesus. 

Taking time to praise God for ourselves is a worthy exercise for two reasons. First, we develop a fresh gratitude for the goodness of God that's evident in our lives every single day, almost hidden in plain sight. Second, we gain a healthy appreciation of ourselves. Instead of focusing on all the things we don't do perfectly, we can see the things that work well, the things we perform well, and the things that are perfect. 

We are worth everything to him. We don't spend enough of our lives thinking about ourselves as God's masterpiece, and we don't coach our kids to do that either...If we can learn to live as God's masterpieces it will dramatically affect the way we view ourselves...we will sotp viewing ourselves as unfinished and will recognize that God knew what he was doing when he created us. We will no longer denigrate ourselves.

God shows us off to the angels and whoever else will listen because he's that proud of us.

If God were the type of God who interfered with free will, then we would have an entirely different world altogether. We would be automatons instead of human beings, the cross of Christ would have been unnecessary, and we would not know even the simple joys of choosing what outfit to wear today. There is no middle ground here. Either God honors free will or he doesn't, and both have consequences. 

Have you taken for granted the idea that God dwells in eternity and knows everything? How does the information in this chapter change your perspective on God? 

God has to learn what's in our hearts through what we do, and he sits back and allows our free will to lead the way. 

For those unfamiliar with Psalm 139, here it is in full:

Lord, You have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I get up;
You understand my thought from far away.
You scrutinize my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before there is a word on my tongue,
Behold, Lord, You know it all.
You have encircled me behind and in front,
And placed Your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is too high, I cannot comprehend it.

Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, You are there;
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there.
If I take up the wings of the dawn,
If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea,
Even there Your hand will lead me,
And Your right hand will take hold of me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness will overwhelm me,
And the light around me will be night,”
Even darkness is not dark to You,
And the night is as bright as the day.
Darkness and light are alike to You.

For You created my innermost parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
I will give thanks to You, because I am awesomely and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from You
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully formed in the depths of the earth;
Your eyes have seen my formless substance;
And in Your book were written
All the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was not one of them.

How precious also are Your thoughts for me, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sand.
When I awake, I am still with You.

If only You would put the wicked to death, God;
Leave me, you men of bloodshed.
For they speak against You wickedly,
And Your enemies take Your name in vain.
Do I not hate those who hate You, Lord?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with the utmost hatred;
They have become my enemies.

Search me, God, and know my heart;
Put me to the test and know my anxious thoughts;
And see if there is any hurtful way in me,
And lead me in the everlasting way.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

DNF, On the Spectrum

On the Spectrum: Autism, Faith, and the Gifts of Neurodiversity. Daniel Bowman, Jr. 2021. 256 pages. [Source: Library] [DID NOT FINISH] [no stars given] 

I am not rating this book because I did not finish the book. I read *some* of the book. (I'll detail which chapters in a bit.) This is not a proper review. It is a partial review of what I did read. It is not meant to reflect the book as a whole because I did not finish the whole book.

On the Spectrum is a collection of essays written by an autistic poet who is a practicing progressive Episcopalian, a husband, a father, a lover of literature. (Personally, I thought he came across as a literary snob. But to each his own. Seriously. Love whatever authors you love. No judgment. His tastes aren't my taste from what little I read, however, again to each his own.)

The essays I read include: "Autism and the Church" (8 pages); "Service and the Spectrum" (12 pages); "The Insidious Nature of Bad Christian Stories" (8 pages).

Are those three essays enough to judge the book as a whole? NO. Of course not. That's why this is NOT a proper review. It was enough for me to taste and see that this book was not what I wanted. It would be horribly unfair to judge a book based on what it isn't. What the book is: Personal memoirs in the form of a collection of essays written by a man whose first love is poetry and *literature*.

Essays are not my typical read. I didn't understand that this is what the book is, a collection of essays. So while I was expecting the traditional format/structure of more traditional Christian nonfiction or christian living or dare I say even theology, this is a collection of personal essays. I think the subtitle is slightly misleading in that it doesn't really clarify that this is a book of essays.

Poetry is not my typical read either. Even though the book is not a book of poetry, you can't take the poet out of his writing style, his narrative. And that's not a bad thing, it's an authentic to himself thing.

Personal memoir. I believe that it would be safe to say that ALL of the essays are personal.

It isn't that faith is completely and totally absent from this one. It isn't. But based on the subtitle AND the fact that this is listed under the category or label Christian living, I was expecting another kind of book. I read chapters whose titles might indicate the presence of faith as a subject. It is entirely possible that other essays might reflect faith as well.

I will say that his faith--PROGRESSIVE EPISCOPALIAN--does not align with mine. He seems more likely to quote some of Oprah's favorite authors (in particular there were scores of Richard Rohr quotes If not scores, it felt like it. I only read a handful of essays but his name kept popping up. I just used the search feature to search, eleven times he is quoted and/or referenced)

"Autism and the Church" is an essay detailing the author's history with the church...the elements of church that were NOT working for him (though he couldn't quite put his finger on the why until his diagnosis) and his present experiences in his local church. One quote, "Since my diagnosis, I know I don't have to feel ashamed anymore. And that's perhaps the key takeaway I'd like to offer to fellow Christ followers: as you live and worship alongside your autistic neighbors, you can help free us from the shame we've carried." I think my favorite bit of this one was seeing how the Book of Common Prayer could be *extremely* comforting because of the structure and familiarity.

"Service and the Spectrum" is an essay all about BALANCE. How does one balance the need for self-preservation (taking care of one's self to avoid meltdowns and overwhelming the mind, the senses, etc.) with the need to "serve" the church and "bear fruit." This is a thought-provoking chapter with plenty of questions and one man's solution to those questions.

"The Insidious Nature of Bad Christian Stories" is an essay about how terrible, horrible, no good, very bad anything labeled "Christian" is. Which is perhaps slightly ironic since this one is I believe published by a Christian publisher. The main point of this one seems to be that the only good art is secular art. Are there bad Christian movies? Yes. But where I would disagree is the generality that ALL, no exceptions, are bad. It seems impossible to him that a good Christian movie could ever be made. But it isn't just films, he is criticizing anything and everything specifically "Christian." He first says that Christian art doesn't even deserve "serious critical attention" because obviously it is so poorly done and obviously bad. Actually the word he uses is CHILDISH.

What are some childish attitudes that bad Christian stories feed into and encourage?

• The immature need to have correct beliefs, as opposed to the adult need to consider and examine diverse voices to develop critical thinking, empathy, and love.
• The immature need to be continually comforted, rather than the adult need to be comforted when afflicted, but also afflicted and challenged by difficult art when one has become too comfortable, even complacent, in one's faith, relationships, work and leisure.
• The immature need for clear answers to questions that have none, as opposed to the adult need to learn to live creatively with mystery and paradox.
• The immature need to separate good and evil into clear camps at all times, as opposed to the adult need to learn to let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest
• the immature confusing of real emotion and true empathy with shallow sentimentality and greeting card cliche, as opposed to the adult need to feel deeply through encounter and catharsis while confronting our own contradictions
• The immature need to romanticize the past as opposed to the adult need to recognize the complications, flaws, and entrenched injustices of every era--and in that recognition, to nevertheless work in faith to love God and our neighbors.
• The immature need to be in control as opposed to the adult need to wait on God through ambiguity. 

It would be easier to evaluate if he'd lowered himself enough to comment with specifics instead of generalizing everything and condemning it one and all.

Christian works [be they art, movies, books, music] will always, always, always have haters. That's true enough. Even within Christian circles you will find haters that slam on Christian stuff. For better or worse. Again often condemning anything and everything in a generalized grouping. So while plenty of readers would probably agree with Bowman, I cannot. Because generalizations just don't work for me.

So this last essay I read was a big NO to me.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

4. Calling On the Matchmaker

Calling On the Matchmaker. Jody Hedlund. 2023. [December] 352 pages. [Source: Library] [historical romance, historical fiction]

First sentence: "Nip along with you now, Finola." Madigan bounded onto Broadway, dodging an omnibus that was slogging through the thick mud. "The matchmaker is waiting."

If Calling On the Matchmaker was published by a SECULAR publishing company or publishing house, then I would not be rating it one star. As it is published by a Christian publishing company and one who is not particularly known for being "edgy" or "pushing boundaries," I think the one star is fair enough to warn Christian readers that compromises have been made.

The premise of this one is relatively straightforward: Finola Shanahan, our heroine, does NOT want to get married. For better or worse, she thinks becoming a nun is the answer. (In my opinion (as a non-Catholic at that) I think wanting to avoid getting married out of fear of having children only to lose them to death is a HORRIBLE reason to pledge yourself--your life, your service--to the church. She does not seem motivated by a love for Jesus Christ OR having genuinely felt the call to a life of service to Jesus Christ.) Her family disagrees. They don't want their daughter to give up on love just yet. A matchmaker is being employed to help Finola find a husband. Finola's goal--as it has been the past dozen times--is to sabotage the experience. To become the exact opposite of whatever her would-be-husband is looking for. This plan backfires when sources become compromised.

Riley Rafferty, our hero, has a one track mind. Well, that's not fair. He isn't only thinking of sex, sex, sex, sex. He's also thinking of who he can save and who can see him saving. Riley saves people--that's what he does. And he aspires to be a politician. Finola is one of the people he saves--though not the only one. 

Riley doesn't want to get married--not exactly--but he does want Finola in his bed. By the second chapter, he's already seen her mostly naked. He is willing to court her through a matchmaker. Maybe the marriage will happen, maybe it won't. But in the meantime, he can hold her in his arms and have a little fun. 

Finola isn't interested in marriage--obviously--but a little physical fun with the oh-so-dreamy Riley is a great way to kill time. But can these two explore physical pleasures in their "courting" outings without having to pay the price? Will these two reluctant suitors end up married after all?

This one is set in 1849 in St. Louis. 

To pretend that this one hasn't crossed all sorts of lines and boundaries in so-called Christian romance, would be wrong. Yet so many reviews don't mention the CONTENT. A few do. I am thankful that there are some reviewers out there who want to warn readers when Christian romance novels are anything but Christian. 

I do think there are certain expectations that readers have of Christian publishing companies and Christian authors. One of the most basic being that what is being published (and promoted as Christian) actually lives up to a standard. There was no standard here. NO standard. 

The outings and meetings these two had were COMPLETELY and totally inappropriate. These are the kinds of scenes I'd expect in secular smut. The matchmaker (whose name I've forgotten, he's taking over from his grandfather, I think???) and the two main characters are HORRIBLE characters if you are looking for Christian role models.

Other than the content being lust-forward, is there Christian content to balance out their hormones???? NO. Not really. Not every Christian novel is going to have their characters living out a spiritually rich faith. Some take a more subtle approach. There are no moral or spiritual lessons in this one. No gospel to be found. No Savior being glorified. No scripture verses being shared, prayed, meditated on. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

61. The Weight of Memory

The Weight of Memory by Shawn Smucker. [July] 304 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Her words hover in the air, hummingbirds, and I hold my breath, glance up at the clock above the door, and watch the red second hand twitch its way through a minute. 

Paul Elias, our protagonist, has just received shocking, life-changing news. His life expectancy is "anytime to three months." He is the primary caregiver of his granddaughter, Pearl. His only other family being a drug-addict son, John, whom he hasn't seen--or heard from--in four plus years. So what does he do? Well. He decides to pick up his granddaughter from school and go on a road trip back to his hometown of Nysa. He doesn't have family there. He doesn't even know if he has friends there. He hasn't been back to Nysa in forty years; he left soon after his wife's disappearance with his newborn son. I doubt that Paul has even googled his hometown. (Though he should have, in my humble opinion.) Still the pair head off to Nysa despite an increasing number of foreboding experiences on their journey. Hint: If you're heading into town and every person you meet says GO AWAY, THIS TOWN ISN'T SAFE ANYMORE. BAD THINGS HAPPEN HERE. WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T GO OUT ANYWHERE NEAR THE LAKE, if you're smart you'd rethink your hasty, reckless, life-changing decision. 

So what is Paul's plan? Paul's plan is to find somebody--anybody to raise Pearl. Yes, you heard me. He has driven across country to find a complete and total stranger to give his granddaughter to. And his criterion seems to be so low-key it's almost non existent. Are you breathing? Well, that makes you a possible caregiver for my one and only granddaughter. 

There being no hotels in his hometown, he finds an emotionless person to go home with. True, forty years ago, these two knew each other way back when. But still. Despite forty plus red flags that are literally screaming out DANGER, DANGER, DANGER, DANGER, he is thinking Tom is the best choice for Pearl's next caregiver. 

What else should you know about The Weight of Memory? It's written in the second person. The "you" being Pearl. The style is...atmospheric, eery, literary. The chapters alternate between the present and flashbacks of the past. Most of the characters, if not all the characters, are SUPER creepy. Despite being published by a Christian publishing company, there is absolutely nothing Christian about the text. In fact, I'd make the case that the book goes out of its way to be non-Christian in its supernatural-ness. I'm not sure if the right word for this one is supernatural OR magical realism OR perhaps a blending of the two. 

I guess what bothers me most is that this book is published by a Christian publisher and yet stands against--or in opposition--to a Christian world view or perspective of death and the afterlife. Like Paul doesn't seem to have any clue whatsoever about what happens when you die, or, more importantly what happens after you die. It's not that he has doubts or questions. He's not even asking the questions. Or thinking about asking the questions. He's not seeking God. He's not seeking peace or assurance. Readers never see him praying, talking to God, thinking about God, nothing, absolutely nothing. And what the book presents instead....is...well disturbing. 

S

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Throughout the book, there is a mysterious white-haired/silver-haired lady that only a few people can see. Pearl being one of them. Paul's wife, Mary, being another. Throughout the book, Paul stumbles across a few others that have seen her. She is a spooky/scary/haunting/creepy character that is often encouraging characters to do really super dangerous, not at all safe things. Things that will more often than not cause people to die. Yes, die. Hence all the foreboding, obvious warnings saying DON'T LIVE HERE. DON'T STAY HERE. GET AWAY WHILE YOU STILL CAN.

The fact that Pearl is conversing with her almost every single day and listening to her and doing her bidding....well it's just like someone waving a million red flags. Paul is oblivious. Like totally and completely clueless. Like, well, things aren't that bad. Pearl has always had her imaginary friends. Pearl has always like running away. (Which don't get me started on Paul's nonchalant parenting.)

DEEP DEEP DEEP 

SPOILERS

Pearl goes on a mission for the mysterious lady (whom we learn is Death), and this has her essentially drown...traveling to the after life...which is an ocean/beach. There's a white house with her grandmother in it. The two have a conversation together...and Mary has a message for Paul that she is waiting and will be waiting for him to join her on the other side. Again, no mention of heaven...or hell...or Jesus...or God...or anything remotely Christian. Just this peaceful beach existence. 

But putting ALL OF THAT ASIDE. I still wanted to yell and scream at Paul the entire book. WHY ARE YOU BEING SO STUPID?????? ARE YOU REALLY THINKING OF WHAT IS BEST FOR PEARL???? IF YOU'RE JUST GOING TO LEAVE HER WITH A COMPLETE STRANGER, WHY NOT DO IT IN THE PLACE YOU'RE LIVING NOW?????? DO YOU NOT KNOW ANYONE IN TOWN???? DOES PEARL NOT HAVE FRIENDS????? SURELY AMONG THE TEACHERS, PEARL'S FRIENDS' PARENTS, OTHER RESPONSIBLE HUMAN BEINGS YOU'VE ENCOUNTERED, YOU CAN MAKE A PLAN THAT ACTUALLY MAKES SENSE. WHY DO YOU NOT CARE THAT YOUR GRANDDAUGHTER IS RUNNING WILD???? THAT SHE IS SEEING AND HEARING PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT THERE????? THAT HER ACTIONS ARE HAVING HARMFUL CONSEQUENCES???? IS THE TUMOR EFFECTING ALL OF YOUR LOGIC AND REASONING SKILLS???? 

And don't get me started on the ending of this one. There are a million reasons why the ending is just all kinds of WRONG. 

Quotes:

• We paddle where we think we want to go, but all along it's the hidden current that takes us.
• Grief is hard and good. It is the disease and the medicine, all at once.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

47. What Is God Like?

What Is God Like? Rachel Held Evans and Matthew Paul Turner. Illustrated by Ying Hui Tan. 2021. 40 pages. [Source: YouTube reading of the picture book + Amazon preview]

First sentence: What is God like? That’s a very big question, one that people from places all around the world have wondered about since the beginning of time. And while nobody has seen all of God (because God is far too big for any of us to fully see), we can know what God is like.

I saw a friend mention this book on FaceBook with a link to a United Methodist pastor reading (all of it) aloud. At the time I wasn't planning on doing anything but listen. After all, I don't have a copy of the book in hand. I was not sent the book to review. No one is expecting me to cover the book. I could merrily go about my business. But. The book is unsettling. And one of the most unsettling things about it is that the reception is so positive. As of the writing of this "review", there are 379 ratings on GoodReads and 330 of them are 5 stars! (33 are 4 stars. 9 are 3 stars. 2 are 2 stars. Only 5 are 1 star.) There are so few negative reviews of this one. So few reviews that mention the warning and danger signs within. 

What is God like? That is THE question being asked and answered in this picture book. It's a solid question. No doubt about it. This question is FUNDAMENTAL to anyone who reckons themselves to be religious or spiritual. She argues that the question is universal, and it is. It is as universal as you can get. 

How you answer the question "What is God like?" matters. It does. It's a question worth wrestling with. It's a question you may spend hours, days, weeks, months, years, decades wrestling with. It doesn't matter how old or how young you are--at some point you may very well ask yourself WHAT IS GOD LIKE?

And it's because the question is so fundamental and foundational that the answer is so crucial and critical. 

Evans answer is Christ-less. Think about that. How can a Christian answer the question What is God like without mentioning the name Jesus Christ? 

I think the book is Christ-less because Evans never once uses the Bible either as source or support. I'll try to clarify the best I can. I'll back up a bit. Where can any human being find the answer to the question What is God like? Has God by chance revealed himself to humans in some way? Has God himself in fact spoken? The answer is yes and yes. We have the Word of God...and the Word of God. That is we have both the Holy Scriptures and Jesus Christ, himself the Word of God. We have big questions and we can go to a big book. We can seek and find...in Scripture...the answer to the question What is God like? We don't have to rely on instincts, gut feelings, emotions, or whimsy. In fact, we shouldn't rely on those! We cannot know God apart from God's self-revelation in His Word. Now without a doubt the heart is an idol-making factory. From the very beginnings we humans have been making, remaking, molding, shaping "god" into a "god" of our own liking and making. Each person can easily have an idol named MyGod. Think of it like a Build a Bear Workshop. We can pick and choose the attributes and characteristics we want, and discard anything we don't want. We can make the comfiest-coziest-snuggliest god that makes us feel awesome about ourselves. 

You might think. Okay, you're exaggerating. You're surely not suggesting that she is suggesting that the readers imagine God any way they like. I give you the end of her book...

What is God like? That’s a very big question, one that people from places all around the world throughout all time have answered in many different ways. Keep searching. Keep wondering. Keep learning about God. But whenever you aren’t sure what God is like, think about what makes you feel safe, what makes you feel brave, and what you makes you feel loved. That’s what God is like.

Evans' book doesn't set about answering the question What is God Like? by using the Bible as her guide and reference. It is an ear-tickler of a read. So open-ended and non-specific and safe-for-everyone-no-matter-what that it couldn't possibly offend. Well, mostly. There are still some that hold to the Bible as the Word of God and Christ as THE way, THE truth, THE life. But this is a book for the masses that don't care if Christ is missing. Which begs the question...why is Christ missing and no one caring? Because people have lost sight of why Christ came. Christ is not needed as a Savior and so he's not worth mentioning in her book. 

I wouldn't go so far as to say that every sentence is completely and totally wrong. But I think that's a matter of a stopped clock--a clock that has stopped keeping time--being right at least twice a day. If you happen to look at it at just the right moment. Or perhaps the better comparison would be if you set about to paint a picture of an elephant, but you happened to leave off the big ears and the trunk. Sometimes enough is left out that what remains is lacking and insufficient. 

The book answers the question with poetic language, imagery, metaphors. Her narrative is spiritual-sounding, life-affirming, feel-good-on-the-ears. Evans is sharing HER God with readers without fact-checking if HER God is one and the same with the God revealed within the pages of the Word of God, the Bible. And she's asking her readers to do the same. The way she's answering the question leads me to believe the real question is either a) What is YOUR God like? OR b) Who do YOU think God is? 

She closes the book urging her readers to "Keep searching. Keep wondering. Keep learning." But she doesn't once point them to the place where they can find REAL answers. Instead she points them inward. 

I'll close with some John Calvin, because why not?!

And let us not take it into our heads either to seek out God anywhere else than in his Sacred Word, or to think anything about him that is not prompted by his Word, or to speak anything that is not taken from that Word. (146)

The theologian's task is not to divert the ears with chatter, but to strengthen consciences by teaching things true, sure, and profitable. (164)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2. The Quick-Read Bible

The Quick-Read Bible: Understanding God's Word From Beginning to End in 365 Daily Readings. Harvest House Publishers. 272 pages. 2021 [March] [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: “All of Scripture is inspired, but some parts are more inspiring than others.” This well-known quip is funny because it rings true for most of us! 

It may be a quick read, but it sure isn't a Bible! As best I can tell it is an adult book of Bible stories. There is a Bible story for each day of the year. 

There isn't a verse of Scripture to be found. And the introduction makes it seem like the Bible text itself is out of reach of the average adult believer. We know the Bible is hard, intimidating, tough, and uninspiring as is....so we've chosen 365 chapters out of 1,189 to freshen up and spoon feed you.

That isn't quite true. Some stories summarize multiple chapters of the Bible. Some chapters of the Bible have multiple stories/entries.  They also left out the parts of Scripture that might require work to interpret, understand, and apply, but they gave plenty of stories that are easy to summarize.

All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

It doesn't say some scripture is given by inspiration of God and sometimes proves profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction.

For the record, I am not against Bible storybooks for families. I believe that Bible story books can be a great blessing to families. Bible story books are never, ever, ever, ever meant to take the place of the actual Word of God. This one does not say that it's meant to take the place of the Bible in a believer's life...but it sure does leave the impression that it'll serve the same role as the Bible as "inspiring" you to live an "inspired" life. 

The believer needs the whole word of God to be a whole believer. 

Again for the record, I am not against Bible HELPS. Resources that provide summaries or outlines or commentary or charts or maps or timelines, etc. to help guide readers through the whole Bible (all 1,189 chapters) or whole books of the Bible. This devotional book provides summaries for some of the contents of some of the chapters from some of the books of the Bible. It's full of holes. So it fails at even being a cliffs notes for the Bible. 

If the book hadn't tried to have just 365 readings, if it had summarized ALL the chapters of the Bible, then I would probably have less of an issue.

If the book had indicated that it was an introductory TOUR to give a brief overview and actively stressed that it was just the tippiest tip of the iceberg--that there was SO MUCH MORE to discover in the Word of God.

If the book had actively ENCOURAGED readers to pick up the Bible for themselves and to TASTE AND SEE THAT GOD IS GOOD. 

If the book had taken a more positive THE BIBLE CAN ACTUALLY BE READ BY ACTUAL PEOPLE AND ACTUALLY understood. IT ISN'T AS HARD AS YOU THINK approach.

If the book was written for children and had illustrations. 

But the summaries are hit or miss on if the writer of the summary actually *got* the main point, main theme, main significance of the chapter being summarized. Sometimes yes. Sometimes no. The only theme the writer(s) seem to understand and sing is this, "the main theme of Scripture—that God loves people so much, he has made a way for them to live with him forever." But is that the main theme????? Is it really??? I know some creeds and confessions that would disagree. I know some pastors who would disagree. 

But even if there was nothing theologically iffy about the book--it is still missing the BEAUTY and SPLENDOR of the Bible. Imagine if someone decided that the Mona Lisa was too sophisticated for viewers today and promised to recreate it in a fresh new way and the end result was a stick figure. 

If you're looking for an introduction to the Word of God, I'd recommend instead Welcome To Your Bible. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

64. The Story Behind The Bible: The New Covenant

The Story Behind the Bible #3: The New Covenant. J. K. Alexander. 2017/2020. 254 pages. [Source: Review copy] [NOT Recommended under any circumstance ever.]

First sentence: This will be the final book in the Story Behind the Bible trilogy and it should be considerably different from the first two as we examine the manuscripts that re-emerged after nearly 450 years of prophetic silence.

I reviewed book one and book two in July. I took a bit of a breather before starting the third and final book in this atrocious trilogy.

Atrocious? Yes, atrocious. It's been a while--we've both had many, many sleeps--so I'll refresh your memory a bit.

Alexander's trilogy is not as innocent as you might expect based on the title. It is neither a) a story of how we got our Bible b) a story of how the Bible came to be written, canonized, etc. c) a summary of the big story of the Bible. Oh, it attempts a bit of summary here and there. But. Here's how I see it:

Either a) you've never read the Bible and his summarizing and speculating and (pulling stuff completely out of nowhere that makes no logical sense in any way) will confuse you more than not. It won't really serve you well if you want to know what the Bible is all about, what is going on, the big picture, how things fit into context, big themes, etc. If you've never read the Bible or sat under good, thorough teaching of the Word, you're likely to conclude that ALL Christians are absolutely illogical nuts without a speck of common sense. OR b) you've read the Bible for yourself; you've sat under good preaching; you know the truth because you know THE TRUTH. And so when you read Alexander's book you'll see that it is horrible, awful, no good, very bad.

Of course it's possible that for those that love crazy, wild, wacky, conspiracy theories, those that will believe just about anything if they're told that by so believing they will prove how clever they are that they are smarter than those that reject such illogical theories will eat this series up like candy.

If you had not read the first two books in the series, there's a chance that you might read a good chunk of this one without realizing the author's poor foundation of biblical truths. For better or worse. In other words, book three could be worse than it actually is. Not that it is good theology--not by a long shot--but it could be worse.

"But God wasn't on His throne at this time. He was being a mortal child in Bethlehem."

Is Alexander saying that God the Father was no longer on His throne, in heaven, or anywhere about because God the Father was now God the Son, Jesus Christ?! I mean God the Father was in heaven and Jesus the Son of God was being born to Mary. What's so confusing about that?

He has a whole essay-ish bit on the myth of Jesus' poverty. He asserts that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were quite wealthy and were never poor. Mary and Joseph were from wealthy families? Joseph of Arimathea was Mary's uncle? "Uncle" Joseph was the "First Swiss Bank of the Messiah" and the guardian of the family's wealth.

His speculation on John the Baptist was intriguing. He believes that his father, Zachariah, was murdered by someone within the priesthood in the inner court of the temple, and he was 'in hiding.' John rebuked the Pharisees because he knew one of them might very well by his father's murderer? I am not saying I am trusting Alexander's storytelling. But it did make me realize I'd never given any thought whatsoever to John the Baptist's private life and how he came to be who he was.

Alexander believes that the Lord Jesus ministered only one year and not three. The three year ministry of Christ is a myth propagated by the dogmatic old school.

"Satan's influence is still very much with us today. His ill will is carried out and spread abroad by many minions great and small, from the wickedly wise to the mean and clueless."

That I can believe. False teachers fit in there somewhere between wickedly wise and absolutely clueless.

The beatitudes are time-specific. I guess that would be a relief for those who take Alexander at his word.

"If mortal physicians could figure out how to accelerate the vibration of the electrons in a person's body, a very big IF, then their patient's bodies could heal themselves of any mortal ailment almost immediately. Just step into the acceleration chamber and your highly empowered body, now accelerating toward immortality, would purge and heal mortal afflictions effortlessly and instantly. Whether subatomic, just plain spiritual, or both, Jesus was able to heal with a touch or a command and He was able to share this incredible power with his closest disciples."

Alrighty then. Side-step. Side-step.

"The disciples' description of Jesus transfigured is virtually identical to how shaman masters describe the King of Paradise that often appears in the shaman nether world that the shamans refer to as paradise."

Alexander has whole theories on paradise and heaven and the after life in general. Believe none of them.

Alexander asserts that Jesus would never support communism or socialism. Good to know.

"All will be changed, and each person will be a young semi-immortal version of the mortal self. A man and his grandfather may become close friends in the millennium but they will not have the same grandfather/grandson relationship. They will be about the same age with similar memories, some shared, and will each have a new life, new goals, duties, and opportunities...."

He goes on for pages but essentially little worth considering.

He goes on a great deal--this is one of his key rambles in the three books--about how Cain was not Adam's son but the product of Eve and What-Would-Be-the-Serpent (a human gardener working for Adam who became possessed by Satan). And how Cain's descendants are the evil Kenites. Remember in Alexander's wacky theology, Adam and Eve weren't the only humans, just the only human priest and priestess. There were many lowly humans that served them.

He speculates on the first age of the earth and how "the angelic host of this world apparently spent the first thousand or more years of life as earth immortals learning physics and earth knowledge before being transformed into angelic beings suitable for the higher realm of Heaven. There was no devil, and all or most eventually fulfilled the time as earth immortals and were transformed for entry into Heaven. The Bible indicates that it was after most were transformed and adapted for the higher realm that iniquity was found in Lucifer and he began the seduction, deception, and rebellion that ultimately destroyed the first age..."

Again he rambles on and on...but he's not fooling anyone....I hope.

"Cain and Abel were born maternal twins but not paternal twins..."

"Much of the dark history of mankind is not a result of human nature but rather the influence of a congenital wickedness present in one of the primeval families of man."

If that helps you sleep better at night....no, still too unbiblical. It's convenient that you can blame all the "evil" behavior of the world...that person must descend from Cain...but nope, nope, nope.

"A few things we do know about the disposition of souls. God can naturally create original souls, but also God and/or His divine science can relocate an existing individual into a new earth immortal or mortal vessel for a whole new journey through the mortal, physical world. This is, by and large, what is taking place as children are born each day. Scripture gives us clear evidence of this, confirming that God knew most of us before not just this age but several prior ages of this world ever dawned...."

See what I said about his ideas NOT being harmless?

"We are attempting to raise the bar a bit form outdated, less informed visions and ideas from the past."

Is that what all heretics say in general?

He has a long essay-ish bit about how Jesus--after the age of twelve--grew up in Britain. I'm just going to leave that there. But apparently that is why his hometown didn't remember him...again his theory includes good old Joseph of Arimathea.

When Jesus told his disciples to preach the gospel to the Lost Tribes of Israel he was telling them to go to the British Isles.

Paul's letters were just letters not meant to be taken all that seriously by us non-recipients. I guess like the Beatitudes they are time specific?

In his "summary" of Romans, he urges readers not to try to understand Paul's writings on GRACE or the law and the gospel...just go to his section on grace in book two of the trilogy. He writes clearer than Paul. I'm not lying. He really does boast this.

Before Jesus was born to a virgin and named Jesus, he lived as the priest Melchizedek.

Paul also spent a good bit of time in Britain. There is a lost chapter in Acts. It was hidden by God's design because the world wasn't ready to know yet that the British and Scandinavian peoples are the lost tribes of Israel. But now the world is ready.

He apparently hates the book of James! "I will not fault James for misunderstanding Jesus and having problems with doctrine. Many do. I will merely advise readers that, in this writer's opinion, his letter is very thin and it seems for every two paragraphs that are quite well taken, there is one that is off the mark or misleading. I will leave it to the individual to decide which is which if they choose." I guess after his boasting that he was better at "clearly" teaching than Paul that this boast isn't a shock?

He has lots of opinions on Revelation--many do. But I'm tired of revisiting all my notes. This review is long enough, right?

But. Before I go, I've got good news. Revelation is place-specific (according to Alexander). Americans need never fear that they will have to endure any of the contents of Revelation for they will never be influenced by the Antichrist or taken in by the Beast and his prophet. America is the devil's blind spot. The whole book doesn't apply to us because we're super special--probably because we descend from the British folk. I don't even have words at this point.

One other wacky point before I really go. Apparently Jesus will spend eternity getting rebirthed just for the fun of it!!! After all, he is going to want to spend some time in a mortal body enjoying himself without having to suffer.

He leaves us with a hopeful benediction in which he addresses God as the Great and Ancient Falcon.

I hope I've persuaded you by now that this book is truly atrocious.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

55. The Story Behind the Bible: The Prophets (NOT Recommended)

The Story Behind the Bible: The Prophets. J.K. Alexander. 2015. 364 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Run far and fast from this junk]

First sentence: The journey now continues through The Story Behind the Bible as we move forward from the fundamentals and foundational books of Moses, the Torah, to the rest of the Tanakh, or Old Testament.

Last week I reviewed the first book in J.K. Alexander's trilogy, The Story Behind the Bible: The Torah. Long story short, I do NOT recommend these two. I review not because these books are great sources of information, but because they are sources of misinformation. Also because I'm stubborn.

I used a few analogies last week that still apply. I might add one of skating on thin ice. There are portions of this book--whole pages in a row--that appears to be a bit thicker, more solid to skate on. But thin ice (aka DANGEROUS theology) is always lurking. Don't be lured into a false sense of security just because he's written whole paragraphs, most of a chapter even without red alerts going off.

This book seems both more extreme and less extreme than the first. I'll try to explain. Less extreme in that he can come across as almost normal sounding for a couple of pages. More extreme in that when he goes wrong, he PLUMMETS.

So what is his goal for writing, that's a nice place to start off, "My hope is that this book, though somewhat extended by necessity, is nonetheless condensed and readable enough for readers to get a very good sense of the actual flow and formal of this large collection of ancient writings. There is a logic to it and readers will always have a good grasp of the canonization if they read straight through the chapters of this book from start to finish. I promise that the Bible is never misquoted and we will hit as many of the preeminent prophecies and concepts as possible along the way."

So long as he promises that the Bible is never misquoted....hmmm...we'll see if he lives up to that boast.

"True enthusiasts of the Bible are not typical but rather quite rare."

That, I'd believe of the general population. I think Bible teachers and preachers might be the exception--I'm thinking John Piper, John MacArthur, Steve Lawson, R.C. Sproul, Robert Godfrey, etc. But it is rare, I think, to find people who daily read the Scriptures and read through all the Scriptures regularly and consistently.

Back to his stated goal in writing, "This is a designated as an intermediate study and was written primarily with the more motivated and open-minded seekers and better informed scholars in mind."

I get the impression he's trying to flatter his intended reader.

Here's where it gets a bit scary if you're a Berean, "One of my hopes is that current and future pastors and ministers will embrace and benefit greatly from the historical and biblical research contained herein, but those who are determined to hold to old time religion or even turn of the last century scholarship will likely not be greatly inspired by these pages. I would ask those already well studied in the Bible to keep a particularly open mind and reserve judgment on the less conventional concepts and biblical interpretations until they read to the end and see how the whole picture turns out. It is for the congregations I plead."

And just when you thought he couldn't get much scarier, "So set your Bible aside along with traditional points of view for just a few days, open your mind very wide, and take the plunge."

So part of this book is Alexander walking readers through the contents of Joshua through Malachi. This is done somewhat unevenly. For example, almost all of what he says about 1 Samuel focuses on Saul's encounter with Samuel's spirit and the witch/medium. Some books receive an almost chapter by chapter summary. Other books are lucky to get two or three paragraphs. But he has something to say about every book. It is also interesting that he spends about as much time theorizing on the contents of Jasher than some of the books in the canon. He has a whole section of Shamanism. A whole section. And the afterlife. His section on the Zoi was truly bizarre and just out there out there. (UFO stuff) And he ends with how law and grace are not really separate and distinct from each other. He hints that he's not on the same page as Paul. Or in other words, he is right and Paul has been misunderstood and misinterpreted wrongly since the minute he finished writing his texts.

• Apparently, Rahab was not a harlot.
• Apparently, Jesus (Yeshua) WAS Melchizedek.
• Apparently, Yah (Alexander's primary term for God) spent a LOT of time in human form, possibly centuries posing as an Egyptian priest.
• Apparently, "when you look at a modern map of North America, what you are seeing is the second United States of Israel located in North America and established by the long lost sons and daughters of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."
• Apparently, Esther was written by Esther and Nehemiah IS Mordecai. 
• Apparently, The Song of Solomon was written by one of Solomon's wives.
• Apparently, the lost tribes of Israel (the ten "lost" tribes) settled in Ireland, England, Scotland, Scandinavia. 
• Apparently, many of the prophecies of the Bible are specifically about Ireland, Scotland, England, and NORTH America. Hosea, for example, is all about US those that inhabit the great nations of the western world. 
• Apparently, the throne of David has never lacked a person on the throne because of Ireland, Scotland, and England. 
• Apparently, Queen Elizabeth is fully aware that she is sitting on David's throne and continuing to fulfill ancient prophecy.
• Apparently, those descended from the lost tribes (aka Caucasians with British, Irish, Scottish, Scandinavian blood) are blessed by God apart from belief in and assent to faith in Jesus Christ. He stresses again and again that we are not Gentiles. But true children of the promise descended from Judah. We should begin "acting, living, and thinking like the descendants of the chosen people, like Israelites, the sons of the living God, not like Christianized gentiles."

Here are some quotes:

The main underlying thread of the book of Judges is, in my opinion, largely misconstrued by some purveyors of religion. Many teach that this was a dark, dark time in Israel's history because there was no king in Israel, and the people did evil in the sight of the Lord. But worst of all, from the traditional point of view, God forbid, "Each man did that which was right in his own eyes." Unfortunately, I must strongly disagree with this interpretation." 

He continues, "Not a dark time. These were actually glory days, and this was the first and only small preview model of what God wanted Israel to be like in the future...The sense I get from the story is that God was actually enjoying the time of the judges, though not the people's backsliding, but that was never going to change anyway, as clearly foretold in the second song of Moses."

Here's a truly terrifying statement:

"What I'm trying to break to you gently is what Yeshua (Jesus) told His followers, and even they did not seem to fully understand. We are the gods. The entities that quicken the flesh and blood bodies of mortal man and woman are powerful, beautiful, angelic entities that have lived for eons, were created to inhabit and maintain the earth, and who sang for joy in the presence of God when the earth was first fully formed."

and

"Long ago, we lived angelic lives, learned, and prospered in the first age of this world until the fall of Lucifer and the falling away of those who followed him. Afterward, the angelic wars ensued and God had to directly intervene to stop the madness. God was and still is angry about this and, after brooding awhile, decided that an age of mortality, purification, maturation, and redemption were in order and would be conducted mainly in the relatively safe confines of the physical realm. We all were created by God untold ages ago and there is a divine requirement in this age to be born of woman and live a single mortal in order to glean all the unique experiences of mortal creatures and to hardwire those experiences and higher thoughts and insights they engender into our angelic minds. The hub around which that process revolves is the salvation through Yeshua the Christ. So that takes care of the biblical perspective on where we come from."

I am not making this stuff up. (Though he is.)

"We don't receive our final reward when we die. After mortal death, there is still a good way to go before we work back to angelic immortality. But remember this is God we are talking about in the Bible. Though this is training and redemption, the entire journey holds intrigue, adventures, pleasures, challenges, and rewards enough for many mortal lifetimes."

"So now with no mortal fear and a lot of traditionally messed up theology straightened out, we can go forward, hopefully, with our study of the prophets with a much clearer understanding and peace of mind about where we are headed. And when you look at your neighbor, you should understand that whether you consider him a godsend or are certain he is Satan's right hand man, both you and he are already on the right track and have done at least one huge thing according to God's will. You both are making the required mortal journey. And even if you or your neighbor were Lucifer's first lieutenant during the first age destruction, if you complete the mortal journey, become faithful to Yeshua, and learn the grace and peace of Christ, you and/or your neighbor will be singing and feasting with the sons and daughters of God in His future kingdom."

"He knew Jeremiah before he was formed in the belly because Jeremiah had an immortal existence prior to his mortal birth just as we all did and just as Jesus had an eternal prior existence. Evidently Jeremiah was a good, faithful, and powerful immortal in the first age of the world and God would use him for special purposes in this mortal life as well." 

"I am of the assumption that if the majority of people living in America, Britain, Scandinavia, etc. were awakened to the fact that they are not Gentiles but are in fact Israelites of Hebraic descent, they would embrace their rediscovered heritage and want to learn and experience their ancient culture. All or at least most of those peoples embrace their roots to the point of wanting to return to the land of their fathers regularly to observe and celebrate on a national scale the feasts of Yah'vah and His Sabbaths, the Passover, etc., and to tabernacle with Yah and their Jewish kindred awhile as often as possible."

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

54. The Story Behind the Bible: The Torah (NOT Recommended)

The Story Behind the Bible: The Torah. J K Alexander 2013/2019. 204 pages. [Source: Review copy]

About the star rating: It doesn't even deserve a tenth of one star.

First sentence from the introduction: This book is a product of more than twenty-five years of private, biblical, philosophical, historical, and archeological study. The intended purpose of the book is to offer a quick, condensed read that can provide a rich, well-developed background, perspective, and understanding of the biblical scriptures. The hope is that the information herein will help biblical scholars of all levels read the Bible with a greater sense of reality, historicity, and relevance that will, in essence, make the biblical experience a bit more like really being there.

I have a couple of analogies I'd like to bring up right at the start. (Maybe imagery is the better word?)

The first involves clocks. A stopped clock is right twice a day. It is unintentional on the clock's part, for sure, but there you have it, right twice a day regardless of its brokenness. A clock that is running, however, that is set to the wrong time, is always wrong all the time. Sometimes there's a reason behind it. (For example, a clock that is difficult to set or hard to reach might not get switched when the time changes. It might be right half the year but off an hour the rest of the year.) At first I was hopeful that this might be a case of the stopped clock variety. A theology book that was off but still managed to get a few things right at least. That way it could at least earn one star fairly and accurately and not by default. But the more I read the more it seemed to go the clock that is only reliable in the fact that it's always wrong.

The second involves cartoon characters and a cliff. You know how a cartoon character runs--sometimes walks--off a cliff and is the absolute last to know?! The viewer sees it happening on the screen, but, the fall inevitably comes. I don't think the author-as-cartoon-character knows he's walked off the cliff and is due to plummet and crash.

The third involves the Twilight Zone. Theology books should not make readers feel like they're entering the Twilight Zone. Mystery novels, dystopias, horror--yes, the Twilight Zone feels aren't out of place and inappropriate. Often when I say a book reads like an episode of the Twilight Zone I mean it in a complementary, positive way. Not so this time.

So when I saw the book listed on Netgalley, my first impulse was yes, please. I didn't read a description. I didn't read previous reviews. I didn't do research on the author or the publisher. I thought Story. Bible. It will either be a) a summary of the big picture story of the Bible to help believers fit the books of the Bible into a picture so they can understand how things fit together or b) it will be a book about how the Bible came to be the Bible, how the canon was formed, how it was translated, how it was preserved. It was neither. Sadly. I am sincere when I say sadly. I don't take joy in finding bad theology.

This is the first book in the trilogy. At the time I'm writing this review, I've completely finished the first book on the Torah and I'm about a third of the way through the second book.

The book claims to be a "primer" or "introduction" to reading and studying the Bible, in the case of the first book, the first five books, The Torah: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. There are chapters titled for each of these books of the Bible. One would guess that the chapters would seek to summarize or provide commentary on the actual Bible. And to be fair, he picks a handful of verses from a handful of chapters to dissect. But it's more commentary via The Twilight Zone than actual actual commentary.

His stated goal is, "to put the readers back into the story as if they are reading their own family history with memories, clear mental images, and a sense of historical authenticity to draw upon as they read and study."

There are no red alerts going off in the introduction. There are some faint and distant yellow alerts going off perhaps. He hints that the content will be controversial and that some might disagree with his opinions, interpretations, and perspectives.

The first hint of slight trouble is his embracing of the gap theory. Now he is not the first to suggest such a gap between Genesis 1:1 and Genesis 1:2. I have read some commentaries of Genesis that support such a gap theory though they leave the what happened and how long it was completely mysterious and off limits. It's like, there may be a gap of a million years or so, but we don't know what happened and why it happened and there's nothing more that can really be said. It's a theory. We just don't know and it's not that important. It's easy to say okay, let's move on. So long as the commentator goes on to present a biblical view of the creation of man, the fall of mankind, the rest of the book, then it's okay to say, I may not agree 100% with his interpretation of every single little verse, but for the most part it's sound enough and not dangerous. Alexander seems to make this time of the gap much more significant and relevant and everything than it has any right to be. It's almost like come get initiated into this secret gnostic group and be in the know about what happened. You will know something that 99% of all Christians throughout the millennium have missed out on.

It doesn't get less weird. It's like falling down a rabbit hole into wonderland and the author is coaxing readers to eat and drink.

• Apparently, Jeremiah wrote of this gap. His vision (which I won't link chapter and verse) wasn't about the future but about the past.) 
• Apparently, Adam and Eve weren't the first and only humans created, the parents of us all; just the priest and priestess; the others toiled the ground and kept the garden.
• Apparently, the fall of mankind didn't happen for a hundred years after creation. (Like how does he know this and support it?)
• Apparently, Cain wasn't the son of Adam. Jesus was in the know and gave a veiled hint in his teachings. (He promises a chapter about this in book three.)
• Apparently Leviticus is the most important book in the Torah because of the hidden acrostics within.

At the end of his summary of Genesis, he writes, "I don't expect anyone to agree with all my science, theology, imagery, or historical perspective. The real goal is to get people to read and study the Scriptures themselves with an ability to stay on track, not lose the forest for the trees, and rightly divide what is written." 

(Does he get how that statement is so ironic given what follows?!?!?!)

So there are a couple of long passages later in the book that seem all red alert all the time...or should.
I would hope that all actual, genuine Bible-believing, Bible-reading, God-affirming believers would see the ideas and recognize them for what they are. RUN FAR, RUN FAST.

All you hear these days it sometimes seems is doom and gloom and how far we've strayed. The informed Judeo-Christian or Messianic Jew really can't be bothered too much by this because he or she knows that on some level God is having a great time and enjoying everything, more or less. How do we know this? Because the God of the Bible created all things for His pleasure, and God, Yah, the Almighty, is not one who does not get what he wants. A little setback here, a minor disappointment there doesn't worry or bother Him at all. He fully expects these and considers it equitable trade for the surprises, delights, victories, accomplishment, and, yes, the genuine love, faith, and reverence that sharing these things with us and the gift of free will engenders. God is having a great time, Scripture assures us, because that is what He does, so don't be downtrodden. Things aren't nearly as bad as the princes of this world would make them out. In fact, things are not bad at all. We are moving steadily and ever closer to exactly where Yah wants us to be. That should be an encouraging thought.

I would like to say here that the sections on God's nature are in no way meant to imply that I am closer to, have a better relationship with, or even a better understanding of God. I can only impart to you what the Scriptures say about Him if you know how to look....Is God Unchanging? The short answer to this question is is yes; however, though God can make even the most profound knowledge and concepts seem simple, nothing about God is simplistic. Yes, he is the same essence yesterday, today, and forever. What most people overlook is that possibly the most clearly defined aspect of God's eternal unchanging nature is that He loves perpetual change. This is abundantly clear in Scripture and throughout creation. And by the way, if you are reading Scripture but not reading nature, His creation, you're only reading half the book. You're going to miss key elements and possibly the entire alchemy...It is very frustrating to me when people, especially people of "faith," use God's unchanging essence as an excuse for rigidity, dogma, legalism, and other forms of stagnation and oppression. Scripture declares that God created all things for His pleasure and things that grow and change and are full of surprises that are infinitely more pleasing than things that are predictable, changeless, motionless, unyielding, and stagnant. So please don't ever even consider the erroneous notion that God is some eternally grim force trying to restrict all things to a predetermined definition of righteousness. Nothing could be more wrong. My friends, look around you. Read the other half of the book. God is the free Spirit of all free spirits. I assure you He can and does think a thousand times farther out of the box than the most secular Warhol-worshiping weirdo walking the planet.

The dominant and obvious thrust of the whole book is that all things being equal, He is totally flexible and much prefers that we make our own decisions and do our own thing. Yes, that the is preeminent lesson of the Torah.

Long, long ago, it seems God decided that far more important than righteousness is freedom. Freedom is everything to God, because without it there can be no genuine love, faith, joy, courage, or righteousness, all things that He wants around Him in abundance. And again, from God's point of view, every intervention and every controlled outcome chisels away at that most awesome of all His gifts, freedom. This is why it rains and shines on the just and the unjust alike. It is why some good men fall while the wicked prosper and innocent children have fatal accidents. There is a fine line between guidance and coercion, and God has established that line well on the side of freedom and non-interference so there can be no mistake that when a man chooses for good or ill, it is of his own free will. Naturally, God controls the broad stream of history and will bring our collective destiny to a successful fulfillment according to His will, but the Bible indicates that He will accomplish this by dealing with a few key players on the stage of history and a few miraculous interventions for all to see. But life will go on, and we will still have our homes, families, friends, and other responsibilities while God takes care of His. Keeping track of the minutia of our lives is just not His job.

According to the Bible, God has it covered but is not in direct control of our individual destiny. We are. That is His great gift to us. All this being said, the Scriptures do affirm that the Holy Spirit is sensitive to and able to touch us all in times of great need or times of great joy. And for those who are true men and women of faith, the Spirit is permanently attached and dwells within.

Have you been reading the quotes?!?! Prepare yourself.

What I am suggesting here is that we should stay to the God of Scripture and not make God up as we go along to suit our perceived needs and desires. Of one thing I am totally convinced. God is not a fictional character who only lives in the pages of the Bible.

If he hasn't been making up God to suit his own need and desire, what has he been doing?!?!?!?!

I haven't quoted much Scripture in this book, because this book is not about the text itself but the underlying themes.

So the themes of the Bible--the underlying themes aren't found in the Scripture itself. Interesting.

Overall, I would say that this book isn't helpful as a primer for learning the contents of the Bible, learning the themes, understanding how God and man relate to one another. In fact, I would say it is distinctly UNhelpful in that it will give readers all the wrong ideas about God's relationship with man and man's relationship with God. One of the big themes of the Torah, if you know actually actually read the text of the Sacred Scripture, is SIN and man's need for atonement and reconciliation. Most of the books, especially Exodus through Deuteronomy focus on a sacrificial mediation, man is NOT right with God, man is a sinning sinner that needs the blood of a sacrifice to be cleansed. From Genesis 3 on what readers find in the Bible is the undeniable fact of sin and God's displeasure with sin.

I would also say this book is illogical. What I mean is that you could take a paragraph of what he says in one place, skip ahead or turn back and find another paragraph that contradicts. Some of the ideas he holds if truly held to be equally true would cause one's head to explode. It's just not possible to believe every single thing he's said in this one to be true truth.

I also notice that he'll take a few grains of truth and then adulterate it mightily so that it's so jumbled and twisted and just all out wrong.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

16. The Bible in 52 Weeks

The Bible in 52 Weeks: A Yearlong Bible Study for Women. Dr. Kimberly D. Moore. 2020. [February] 208 pages. [Source: Review copy] [Bible Study; Devotional; Christian nonfiction; junk]

First sentence: I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN MINISTRY for as long as I can remember. I was born and raised in the church.

The Bible in 52 Weeks is a bible study for women intended for individual use, small groups, and large groups.

Essentially this is a year-long reading plan--there are many of these that are free and available for download--with a built-in devotional study.

The study will choose a reading from one of the days that week to "focus" on. Each week concludes with points to ponder--questions to be answered, an activity or prayer. (Sometimes in place of an activity or prayer there is a key verse shared.)

The reading plan does not go from Genesis to Revelation straight through. It switches back and forth between Old Testament readings and New Testament readings.

The text accompanying the reading plan is...at its best fluff with about as much nutritional value as cool whip. There were a handful of weeks that weren't all bad. The questions were worth asking and the activities seemed genuinely connected to applying the text. If only all 52 weeks met such a standard.

At its worst the text is just bad theology: bad theology, really bad theology, super-bad theology. Of course those descriptions are subjective. To those that lean towards prosperity, health-and-wealth, name-it-and-claim-it, word-of-faith, TBN-esque theology, live-your-best-life-now... then two thumbs up. This level of Bible "study" may just be your cup of tea. To those that actually want to read the Bible with spiritual eyes and handle the word of God correctly, then this is a disappointment.

One of the recurring questions throughout the Bible study is WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE. I wish she'd not had that as an actual question--leaving it up to readers to write their own ideas as answers. This isn't exactly a question with a mysterious answer in scripture.

I hope everyone who honestly and earnestly wants to read the Bible for themselves--perhaps for the first time will be encouraged to do so. But YOU DO NOT NEED THIS BOOK TO HELP YOU DO SO. There are dozens and dozens of FREE READING PLANS. Many Bibles have a reading plan or two in the back. (Though not all Bibles.) Search for bible reading plans online, and you will find plenty to choose from. There are many places to find a reading plan--all for free.

I do recommend with all my heart that EVERYONE reads the Bible for themselves. I recommend the Bible for men, for women, for children, for teens, for any AGE, any background. The Bible is the Word of God--the infallible, inerrant, inspired Word of God. God's Very Own Revelation of Himself to His People. It is ALL ABOUT HIM. But it speaks truth into our lives as well. It may not be about us, but it is for us.

My thoughts:

"As you read this book alongside the Word of the Lord, I hope you’ll be encouraged to be your best self and find some of the answers you’ve been seeking."

BECAUSE BEING YOUR BEST YOU is what bible study is all about.

"Along with the daily readings is a commentary based on one of the week’s scripture selections that will help you apply the lessons from the Bible to your everyday life. Following the commentary, you’ll find questions to inspire you to think about your own journey, as well as a prayer, a highlighted verse, or action steps for exercising your faith or overcoming an issue you’re facing."

To call the readings in this book commentary is ridiculous, a complete joke.

1. Decide in your heart to think and speak positively, replacing negative words with positive ones.
2. Make a commitment to yourself to intentionally respond to your doubts with declarations of faith. 3. At the end of the week, note how speaking positively into your life has begun to have a good impact on your outlook and ability to trust God.

At least the book revealed itself early. These points to ponder are from chapter one. I believe the "commentary" is for Genesis 16-18? 

1.What goals did you give up on that just seemed too far-fetched?
2.What visions or dreams do you have that you need to pick up and dust off?
Actions for the Week:
1. Take a few minutes three times this week to pray for direction to get your goals back on track.
2. Commit to watching a video or listening to a podcast that will help jump-start your creative juices in your particular area of interest.
3. Put a timeline in place to accomplish some of your goals, one at a time.
4. Share your goals and timeline with someone so they can help keep you accountable.

The first two questions go with the "commentary" for Genesis 37! (The subsequent four questions are actions for the week.)

Have you noticed the trend that whatever the text, let's make it all about you as quick as possible. 

"I BELIEVE GOD’S purpose for us is to be all we can be, do all we’re destined to do, and have all we’re destined to have. I believe it’s God’s desire for us to do more than merely survive. God wants us to prosper. But what does it mean to prosper? It can mean to have economic success, to thrive, or to become strong and healthy. And I believe with all my heart, mind, and soul that this is God’s will for our lives."

No Scripture proofs for any of this--I wonder why?!?! Oh, yes, that's because there are none.

POINTS TO PONDER
1. Have you positioned yourself to be blessed? Are you listening and doing? Has that been difficult to do? Why?
2. Have you ever felt like you were more cursed than blessed? How did you reverse the curse?
ACTIONS FOR THE WEEK
1. Make a list of your blessings, and make it a point to thank God for each one of them every day this week.
2. Make a list of the commands that you have failed to fulfill, whether it be helping, forgiving, or giving to someone. Begin to cross them off your list one by one this week.

I'm a bit stumped. Reversing curses that were read over the Israelites if the Israelites choose to serve idols instead of the one true God?!?! These blessings aren't ours to name and claim, nor are the curses ours to try to break or lift. Right?!

"The Word of God is the greatest tool needed in order to pass our tests of life. If it worked for Jesus, it can work for us."
1. What tests have you encountered lately?
2. Did you pass or fail your test? How did you do it?
3. What advice would you give someone going through a test? 

I wouldn't exactly describe the Bible in these terms nor the Christian life. But to each their own?

"We must pray, humble ourselves, seek His face, and turn from our wicked ways. This passage in 2 Chronicles shows us that after we do our part, He’ll heal what has been torn apart. When we do our part, we then have to trust Him to keep His Word concerning our lives. Without a doubt, it’s praying time."
1. Knowing that we play a part in our answered prayers, what part do you find most difficult?
2. We’re told to pray, humble ourselves, and turn from our wicked ways. Is there any one of these that you have knowingly failed to do?
3. Going forward, which area within these mandates will you intentionally make the effort to grow in?

I'm cringing a little. 

Don’t get caught in Satan’s trap of constantly speaking words of fear and doubt. Regardless of how impossible your circumstances may seem, keep speaking God’s Word in faith. Base what you say less on how you feel and more on what God has said. As of today, start speaking life, not death.
1. What are some negative words or phrases that we use daily?
2. What are some helpful words or phrases that we need to incorporate into our daily conversations?
3. In what area of life will you intentionally shift your words in an attempt to shift the course of the situation?

CRINGING. CRINGING. STILL CRINGING. 

ACTIONS FOR THE WEEK
1. Search your heart and determine what you have been created to do.
2. Come up with a plan and begin to implement a portion of that plan.
3. If your purpose works in conjunction with others, schedule a call or meeting this week to discuss the potential process.
4. Plan how you will begin to fulfill your purpose over the course of the next 30 days.

Search your heart and determine what you have been created to do. You mean search this heart?! "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?"

ACTION FOR THE WEEK Take a moment and really think about your love relationship with the Lord. Then take some time and write your love story. How did you meet? What were the circumstances surrounding your first encounter? When did you finally decide to come into a covenant relationship with Him? How do you intend to prove your continued love to Him?

My cringe muscles are hurting. Especially: When did you finally decide to come into a covenant relationship with Him? How do you intend to PROVE your continued love to Him?

1. What is your personal definition of mercy?
2. If you had to name three things you’re thankful for that didn’t have to do with money, what would those things be?
3. Have you ever found yourself in a space where you can admit that you were ungrateful or failed to be thankful? Explain.

This isn't the only time she asks readers to define biblical, theological terms for themselves. How do YOU define mercy. How do YOU define grace. Because it doesn't much matter what the Bible actually says...but what you feel and how you understand it.

ACTIONS FOR THE WEEK 1. Write a list of at least three goals or dreams and begin to develop a vision for them. 2. Begin to work on a strategy to bring those dreams and goals to fruition. 3. Write a list of hindrances that you will denounce daily (e.g., fear, doubt, slothfulness) until those things are no longer a significant part of your life.

These actions go with readings from Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians. I'm not sure which chapters these activities are supposed to have stemmed from. But regardless, I can't think of a place they belong. 

1. What’s your love language?
2. How difficult or easy is it for you to show love to others who don’t show love to you?
3. How have you proven your love to God lately?

Because anytime I read 1 John the first thing that comes to mind is my need to my desire to prove to myself, to others, and even God himself how much I LOVE HIM. 

1. Have you ever bemoaned a door that seemed closed to you? Could you see God in it in any way?

2. If you had a choice to obtain the keys to walk through any door you desired, which door would you want access to (e.g., healing, financial freedom, career)?

3. If you could permanently close a door, which would you choose (e.g., job, relationship, the past), and why?

These are some WEIRD questions, right?! They are "connected" to reading some chapters in Revelation. Though your guess is as good as mine as to where they came from?! 

GROUP STUDY GUIDE
1. Go around the room and allow each person to share their favorite chapter and/or verse from the week’s readings.
2. How do you interpret this particular text? What do you hear the author saying?
3. Are there any companion scriptures that you know will complement this text?
4. As you read the text, do you see more of God’s love, His mercy, or His anger? Explain.
5. How can this text be applied to your life?
6. Can you identify with any particular character within the text? Can you see yourself in this text in any way?
7. After reading the weekly commentary, what will you do differently as you go forward?
8. How have this week’s readings encouraged you to do better and be better?
9. After reading the scripture and commentary, what principles have you acquired that you might teach others? 10. After reading the text, take a moment to encourage the person sitting next to you based upon something you have read in the text.

They should include this on the back cover and the introduction so that readers can be warned. Notice the theme of Me, Me, Me, the Bible is all about ME, Me, Me. The Bible is all about Me, Me, Me. Let's sing it, let's shout it: Me, Me, Me, the Bible is all about ME. The underline portions are for emphasis. 

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible