Book Review: The Dawning of Indestructible Joy

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy. John Piper. 2013. 94 pages. [Source: Bought]

The Dawning of Indestructible Joy by John Piper is an Advent themed devotional book well worth reading. If you've not read John Piper in the past, this would be an excellent introduction to his work, his theology. Piper loves to teach on joy, and, this devotional book is about INDESTRUCTIBLE JOY that is ours in Christ.

Each days' reading is drawn from Scripture. There are readings for December 1 through December 25.
The readings are relatively short but definitely rich in truth. So for not many minutes each day, you get a lot of food for thought.

Here are six little "gems" from the book:

Don’t leave Christmas in the abstract. Your sin. Your conflict with the Devil. Your victory. He came for this. (December 5)

Christmas is the reassertion of the foundation of all truth and goodness and beauty, because Christmas means: God is truthful. God’s truthfulness is the constant in a universe of flux. God’s truthfulness is the unwavering absolute. If we forsake God’s truthfulness, the anchor is up, the rudder is loose, the keel is broken, and the ship of life (political life, social life, educational life, scientific life, family life) is simply at the mercy of the wind of human wishes. Say to the next generation again and again: God is truthful; God keeps his word; God does not lie; God can be trusted! That’s one blessing of Advent. Receive it as a wonderful Christmas gift, and give it to as many people as you can. (December 8)

Thus says the Lord: the meaning of Christmas is that what is good and precious in your life need never be lost, and what is evil and undesirable in your life can be changed. The fears that the few good things that make you happy are slipping through your fingers, and the frustrations that the bad things you hate about yourself or your situation can’t be changed—these fears and these frustrations are what Christmas came to destroy. It is God’s message of hope this Advent that what is good need never be lost and what is bad can be changed. The Devil works to take the good and bring the bad. And Jesus came to destroy the works of the Devil. (December 10)

Our God does not need our service, nor is he glorified by recruits who want to help him out. Our God is so full and so self-sufficient and so overflowing in power and life and joy that he glorifies himself by serving us. He does this by taking on humanity and seeking us out and then telling us that he did not come to get our service, but to be our servant. Here is a general truth to ponder and believe: every time Jesus commands something for us to do, it is his way of telling us how he wants to serve us. Let me say it another way: the path of obedience is the place where Christ meets us as our servant to carry our burdens and give us his power. When you become a Christian—a disciple of Jesus—you do not become his helper. He becomes your helper. You do not become his benefactor. He becomes your benefactor. You do not become his servant. He becomes your servant. Jesus does not need your help; he commands your obedience and offers his help. Christmas. He came to serve, not to be served. He came to help us do everything he calls us to do. (December 17)

Let all your frustrations with this world throw you onto the Word of God. It will become sweet—like walking into paradise. (December 18)

Christmas means: the infinitely self-sufficient God has come not to be assisted but to be enjoyed. (December 19)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2016 Gift Recommendations

Ten Gifts I'm Recommending This Holiday Season

Beyond Suffering Bible, NLT, Edited by Joni and Friends, Inc.

I love, love, love, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this Bible so much.

Valley of Vision: A Collection of Puritan Prayers and Devotions, Edited by Arthur G. Bennett

I got a copy of this last Christmas, and, it was love. I think I'll be rereading this one for years and years!

Hungry: Learning to Feed Your Soul with Christ. Rondi R. Lauterbach

Only read it the one time, but, WOW it's a great book!

Why Christ Came: 31 Meditations on the Incarnation by Joel Beeke and William Boekestein

I think this book should be a must-read. I'm planning on rereading it myself soon!!!

Blank Journal(s)

2016 is the first year I kept a journal, and, it really has helped me.

Blank Spiral(s)

Whether you keep track of your "stuff" in a daily planner or a blank spiral, I think it's good to have something always nearby and handy.

Glory to the Holy One by R.C. Sproul

This album means so very, very, very much to me. I listened to it constantly for months as I was recuperating from an extended stay in the hospital. It nourished me!

The Doctrines of Grace in John by Steven Lawson

I love this teaching series so much. I'm planning on watching it again soon. And I mean it. I just have lots of other borrowed teaching series to watch as well!

Mug(s)

I adore TEA. I do. And my tea-time is often when I read some theology and sit down and think deep thoughts about God.

Tea(s)

These are my personal favorite, favorite flavors. But really just a few of them. (As I said, I adore tea!)






© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Week in Review: December 4-10

NKJV

• Zechariah
• Malachi
• 1 Corinthians
• 2 Corinthians
• Ephesians
• Philippians
• Colossians
• 1 Thessalonians
• 2 Thessalonians
• 1 Timothy
• 2 Timothy
• Titus 
• Philemon

NLT

• Psalms 90-150
• Philippians

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room. Nancy Guthrie. 2010. 112 pages. [Source: Bought]

Let Every Heart Prepare Him Room is an advent devotional written with the whole family in mind. There is a devotional reading for every day in December. (It's nice that it doesn't stop with Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, in my opinion.) The devotions are lovely, a perfect balance of story and theology. But I also really appreciated the musical highlights. There are a handful of songs highlighted throughout the book. The theology embedded in each Christmas carol is presented in a really fascinating way. I am sure I'm not alone in taking the carols and their message for granted at times, these interludes slowed me down enough to really appreciate the songs as they were meant to be appreciated.

The book--cover to cover, essentially--is rich and meaty. I would definitely recommend this one whether you have a family to share it with or not.

Favorite quotes:

The essence of being a Christian is placing all our hope in God, knowing we can trust him to fulfill all his promises—even the ones that haven’t been fulfilled yet.

It’s easy to label what we consider “good things” in our lives as gifts from God and to welcome them with gratitude. But when difficult things happen, we don’t look at them as part of God’s good plan for us. Mary’s example shows us we can also welcome those things we would not necessarily label “good,” confident that God’s gifts sometimes come in perplexing and even painful packages. When we belong to God, we know he will use whatever he allows into our lives for good. Somehow, in God’s hands, these things also become gifts of his grace toward us. It takes faith—faith to rest in who God is and his love for us; faith to be confident that he is doing something good in and through our difficult circumstances—to see the hard things in our lives as gifts of God’s grace.

We can never make God bigger or greater than he is. The truth is, we can never fully take in or understand God’s greatness. But we can magnify him. We magnify God not by making him bigger than he truly is, but by making him greater in our thoughts, in our affections, in our memories, and in our expectations. We magnify him by having higher, larger, and truer thoughts of him. We magnify him by praising him and telling others about his greatness so they can have bigger thoughts about him too. Sometimes we wonder why we aren’t happy, why we make sinful choices, why we feel distant from God. Often it’s because we have small thoughts about God and magnified thoughts of ourselves, our wants, our rights, our accomplishments.

To receive Christ is to recognize that he is the most beautiful, most desirable treasure in the universe and open up our lives to him, saying, “I must have him!”

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

2017 VT Reading Challenge

Feel free to copy/paste as little or as much of this list as you need. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste if you want this bold one) when you finish reading a book. If you list here the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read.

This list was obtained from http://www.challies.com/resources/the....

Goal: +52 books
Progress: ? books

The Light Reader

✔ 1. A biography
Martin Luther: The Man Who Rediscovered God and Changed the World. Eric Metaxas. 2017. Viking. 416 pages. [Source: Borrowed from friend]
✔ 2. A classic novel
 Adam Bede. George Eliot. 1859. 624 pages. [Source: Bought]
_ 3. A book about history
✔  4. A book targeted at your gender
Adorned: Living Out the Beauty of the Gospel Together. Nancy DeMoss Wolgemuth. 2017. Moody. 352 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ 5. A book about theology
Three Treatises. Martin Luther. 1970. Fortress Press. 316 pages. [Source: Gift]
✔ 6. A book with at least 400 pages
New English Bible. 1970/1990. Illustrated by Horace Knowles. 973 pages. [Source: Bought]
_ 7. A book your pastor recommends
_ 8. A book about Christian living
✔ 9. A book more than 100 years old
Great Expectations. Charles Dickens. 1860. 640 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 10. A book published in 2017
The Heart of the Church: The Gospel's History, Message, and Meaning. Joe Thorn. 2017. Moody. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ 11. A book for children or teens
Giant Pumpkin Suite. Melanie Heuiser Hill. 2017. Candlewick Press. 448 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ 12. A book of your choice
The Silent Gondoliers. William Goldman. 1983/2001. 128 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 13. A book about a current issue
Gosnell: The Untold Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer. 2017. 347 pages. [Source: Library]

The Avid Reader

✔ 14. A book written by a Puritan
A Description of Christ. Richard Sibbes. (1577-1635, Sibbes lifespan). 29 pages. [Source:Bought]
_ 15. A book by or about a missionary
_ 16. A book about Christian living
_ 17. A commentary on a book of the Bible
_ 18. A book about the Reformation
✔ 19. A book about theology
Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth. John MacArthur and Richard Mayhue, eds. 2017. Crossway. 1008 pages. [Source: Review copy]
✔ 20. A book recommended by a family member
A Christian's Pocket Guide to Loving the Old Testament. Alec Motyer. 2015/2016. Christian Focus. 144 pages. [Source: Borrowed]
_ 21. A book with a great cover
_ 22. A book on the current New York Times list of bestsellers
_ 23. A book about church history
✔ 24. A book of 100 pages or less
The Apple and the Arrow. Mary and Conrad Buff. 1951/2001. HMH. 80 pages. [Source: Bought]_ 25. A book of your choice
✔ 26. A book that won a prize
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch. Jean Lee Latham. 1955. 251 pages. [Source: Bought]

The Committed Reader

_ 27. A book from a theological viewpoint you disagree with
_ 28. A book about Christian living
_ 29. A book about apologetics
_ 30. A book of your choice
_ 31. A humorous book
_ 32. A book based on a true story
✔ 33. A book about prayer
Prevailing Prayer. D.L. Moody. Foreword by Erwin Lutzer. 1987/2016. Moody. 143 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ 34. A book of poetry
✔ 35. A book with a one-word title
Scythe. Neal Shusterman. 2016. 448 pages. [Source: Library]
_ 36. A book by Sinclair Ferguson
✔ 37. A novel by an author you have never read before
Twelve Angry Men. Reginald Rose. 1954/2006. 79 pages. [Source: Library]
_ 38. A book about Christian living
_ 39. A memoir or autobiography
_ 40. A play by William Shakespeare
_ 41. A book of your choice
✔ 42. A book written by an author with initials in their name
Out of the Silent Planet. C.S. Lewis. 1938. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]
✔ 43. A book by a female author
No One Hears But Him. Taylor Caldwell. 1966/2017. Open Road Media. 212 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ 44. A book about theology
_ 45. A book published by Crossway
_ 46. A self-improvement book
✔ 47. A graphic novel
Message to Adolf. Osamu Tezuka. Translated by Kumar Sivasubramanian. 1983/2012. Vertical. 648 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 48. A book you own but have never read
Hiroshima. John Hersey. 1946/1989. 152 pages. [Source: Bought]
_ 49. A book targeted at the other gender
_ 50. A book about Christian living
_ 51. A book of your choice
_ 52. A book about race or racial issues

The Obsessed Reader

_ 53. A book you have started but never finished
_ 54. A book about church history
_ 55. A book about holiness or sanctification
_ 56. A book about science
_ 57. A book used as a seminary textbook
_ 58. A book on the ECPA bestseller list
_ 59. A book about productivity or time management
_ 60. A book of your choice
_ 61. A book about spiritual disciplines
_ 62. A book about parenting
_ 63. A book about Christian living
_ 64. A book by Iain Murray
_ 65. A book about business
_ 66. A book about theology
_ 67. A book about marriage
_ 68. A photo essay book
✔ 69. A book of comics
And the Beagles and the Bunnies Shall Lie Down Together. Charles M. Schulz. 1984. 100ish pages. [Source: Gift]
✔ 70. A book about the Second World War
The Librarian of Auschwitz. Antonio Iturbe. Translated by Lilit Thwaites. 2017. 424 pages. [Source: Library]
✔ 71. A book by a Puritan
The Bruised Reed. Richard Sibbes. 1630. [Source: Bought]
_ 72. A book about preaching or public speaking
_ 73. A book of your choice
_ 74. A book about suffering
_ 75. A book about evangelism
_ 76. A book by your favorite author
_ 77. A book you have read before
✔ 78. A Christian novel
Moonbow Night. Laura Frantz. 2017. Revell. 384 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ 79. A biography of a Christian
_ 80. A book about the natural world
✔ 81. A novel for young adults
Blood Red Snow White. Marcus Sedgwick. 2016. 320 pages. [Source: Library; Audience: YA, Adult]
✔ 82. A novel longer than 400 pages
The Karamazov Brothers. Fyodor Dostoevsky. Translated by Ignat Avsey. 1880/2008. 1054 pages. [Source: Library]
_ 83. A book about history
_ 84. A book about the Bible
_ 85. A book recommended by a friend
✔ 86. A book published by P&R Publications
No Little Women. Aimee Byrd. P&R. 224 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ 87. A book with an ugly cover
_ 88. A book by or about a martyr
_ 89. A book of your choice
_ 90. A book about Christian living
_ 91. A book about church history
_ 92. A book about money or finance
_ 93. A book about leadership
_ 94. A book by John Piper
_ 95. A book about theology
_ 96. A book for children or teens
✔ 97. A book about sexuality
Openness Unhindered. Rosaria Champagne Butterfield. 2015. Crown & Covenant. 200 pages. [Source: Bought]
_ 98. A book about writing
_ 99. A book about current events
_ 100. A biography of a world leader
✔ 101. A book about the church
The Character of the Church. Joe Thorn. 2017. Moody. 128 pages. [Source: Review copy]
_ 102. A book of your choice
_ 103. A book about a hobby
_ 104. A book written in the twentieth century


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: From Heaven

From Heaven: A 28 Day Advent Devotional. A.W. Tozer. 2016. Moody. 128 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence (from Day 1): Adam had lost the presence of the Creator God and in the Bible record of the ages that followed, God never dwelt with men again in quite the same way. To the Israelites, God dwelt in the Shekinah, hidden in the fire and the cloud. Occasionally He would appear in what theologians call a theophany, an appearance of the Deity. God might speak briefly with a man as He did with Abraham in the tent door or with Gideon on the threshing floor. God did not linger; His appearance always cautious and veiled. Even when God showed Himself to Moses it was in the fire of the burning bush or while Moses was hidden in the cleft of the rock. The eyes of fallen, sinful men were no longer able to endure the radiant majesty and glory of Deity. Then, in the fullness of time, He came again to men, for “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” They called His name Immanuel, which means “God with us.” In that first coming of Jesus the Christ, God again came to dwell with men in person.

From Heaven is a compilation of Jesus-themed devotionals. The material is taken from Tozer's previously published books. The book addresses the first and second advent of Christ. It also focuses a bit on the whole gospel. It would be a great book for a new believer, or, a seeker. It would also be a great choice for those hoping to awaken their passion for the LORD.

Whether you're new to the faith or not, this one makes a great read. And if you've never really ventured into "theology" or "christian living" this would be a great one to whet your appetite for more!

Tozer was a wonderful writer--speaker. Unless you're a devoted (slightly obsessed) Tozer follower, chances are there is plenty of new-to-you material to delight you this Christmas season!

I was familiar with most of the chapters. But you can't have too much Tozer!

Quotes:

When we have used up our words and synonyms, we still have not said all that God revealed when He said: Nobody has ever seen God, but when Jesus Christ came He showed us what God is like (paraphrase of John 1:18).

Let us remember this: everything God does is by grace, for no man, no creature, no being deserves anything.

Salvation is by grace, the creation is by grace—all that God does is by grace and every human being has received of His fullness.

It is little wonder that they went in haste to see Him who had come from above. To them God was no longer a hope, a desire that He might be. He was real.

We are made for two worlds and as surely as we now inhabit the one we shall also inhabit the other.

It does seem strange that so many persons become excited about Christmas and so few stop to inquire into its meaning; but I suppose this odd phenomenon is quite in harmony with our unfortunate human habit of magnifying trivialities and ignoring matters of greatest import.

The Christmas message, when stripped of its pagan overtones, is relatively simple: God is come to earth in the form of man. Around this one dogma the whole question of meaning revolves. God did come or He did not; He is come or He is not, and the vast accumulation of sentimental notions and romantic practices that go to make up our modern Christmas cannot give evidence on one side or the other.

Mere acquaintance with correct doctrine is a poor substitute for Christ and familiarity with New Testament eschatology will never take the place of a love-inflamed desire to look on His face.

Again, in these times religion has become jolly good fun right here in this present world, and what’s the hurry about heaven anyway? Christianity, contrary to what some had thought is another and higher form of entertainment. Christ has done all the suffering. He has shed all the tears and carried all the crosses; we have but to enjoy the benefits of His heartbreak in the form of religious pleasures modeled after the world but carried on in the name of Jesus. So say the same people who claim to believe in Christ’s second coming.

What is your concept of Jesus Christ, my brother? If the “ten-cent-store Jesus” that is being preached by a lot of men, the plastic, painted Christ who has no spine and no justice and is pictured as a soft and pliable friend to everybody—if He is the only Christ there is, then we might as well close our books and bar our doors, and make a bakery or garage out of this church! But that Christ that is being preached and pictured is not the Christ of God, nor the Christ of the Bible, nor the Christ we must deal with. The Christ we must deal with has eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet are like burnished brass, and out of His mouth comes a sharp, two-edged sword. He will be the judge of mankind. And, thank God, you can leave your loved ones who have died in His hands, knowing that He Himself suffered, knowing that He knows all, that no mistakes can be made, that there can be no miscarriage of justice, because He knows all that can be known!

The destruction of our God-awareness was the master blow struck by Satan in the dark day of our transgression. To give God back to us was the chief work of Christ in redemption. To impart Himself to us in personal experience is the first purpose of God in salvation. To bring acute God-awareness is the best help the Spirit brings in sanctification.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Quotes from the Cloud #41

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

MARY, to thee the heart was given
For infant hand to hold,
Thus clasping, an eternal heaven,
The great earth in its fold.

He seized the world with tender might
By making thee his own;
Thee, lowly queen, whose heavenly height
Was to thyself unknown.

He came, all helpless, to thy power,
For warmth, and love, and birth;
In thy embraces, every hour,
He grew into the earth.

And thine the grief, O mother high,
Which all thy sisters share,
Who keep the gate betwixt the sky
And this our lower air;

And unshared sorrows, gathering slow;
New thoughts within thy heart,
Which through thee like a sword will go,
And make thee mourn apart.
For, if a woman bore a son
That was of angel brood,
Who lifted wings ere day was done,
And soar’d from where he stood;

Strange grief would fill each mother-moan,
Wild longing, dim, and sore:
“My child! my child! He is my own,
And yet is mine no more.”

So thou, O Mary, years on years,
From child-birth to the cross,
Wast filled with yearnings, filled with fears,
Keen sense of love and loss.

His childish thoughts outsoared thy reach;
Even his tenderness
Had deeper springs than act or speech
Could unto thee express.

Strange pangs await thee, mother mild!
A sorer travail-pain,
Before the spirit of thy child
Is born in thee again.
And thou wilt still forbode and dread,
And loss be still thy fear,
Till form be gone, and, in its stead,
The very self appear.

For, when thy son hath reached his goal,
And vanished from the earth,
Soon shalt thou find him in thy soul,
A second, holier birth. ~ George MacDonald

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible