Book Review: Five-Minute Bedtime Bible Stories

Five Minute Bedtime Bible Stories. Retold by Amy Parker. Illustrated by Walter Carzon. 2015. Scholastic. 192 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I enjoyed reading Amy Parker's Five Minute Bedtime Bible Stories. It did indeed take me about an hour to read the whole book--all twelve stories. I imagine it would be difficult to select only twelve stories for a bible story book collection. (I know that I would find it a challenging task.) Consider that plenty of bible story books have around twelve stories just from the first two books of the Bible--Genesis and Exodus.  

Six stories are from the Old Testament:

• Trees, Bees, You, and Me!
• A Big, Big Boat for a Big, Big Flood
• Walls of Water
• A Boy, A Giant, and an Almighty God
• The Brave Young Queen
• Safe in the Lions' Den

Six stories are from the New Testament:

• A Child is Born
• Seeds and Storms
• One Little Lunch
• Now I See
• Who Is My Neighbor?
• Jesus is Alive!

The stories are detailed and descriptive.

Daisies and daffodils jumped up from the soil! Lilies and lilacs bloomed big and beautiful! Trees stretched out their bright green leaves, reaching for the sun. Apples burst forth in red and green and yellow. Tall grasses, reeds, and wheat waved in the new, sweet-smelling breeze. (2)

Somehow, every time a person reached for food, it was there. The people ate and ate. And somehow, everyone ate until they were full. Before long, over five thousand people had been fed. (142)

Even after all of Jesus's miracles, the Pharisees did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. But with just one miracle, the blind man believed. (161)

Overall, I enjoyed this one. I was pleased with the story selection. I was pleased with the length of each story. I really enjoyed the six stories from the New Testament. I thought these six stories did a good job--cohesively telling the story of Jesus. The Old Testament stories were not as interconnected as I would have liked. (Also no stories about Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or Joseph!) It would have been nice if the word 'sin' had been mentioned. I won't lie. Yes, readers meet Adam and Eve, but, there isn't a mention of the fall…at all…or of them leaving the garden of Eden. And I think all twelve stories could have been linked together better with a little work. The Bible is one big story, after all. That being said, I did enjoy it.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Quotes from the Cloud #31

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. 

For fellow participants, what I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I'd love for you to share quotes occasionally with your readers and let me know about it. If you don't have a blog, you could always leave quotes in the comments here.

Zeal in religion is a burning desire to please God, to do His will, and to advance His glory in the world in every possible way. It is a desire which no man feels by nature — which the Spirit puts in the heart of every believer when he is converted — but which some believers feel so much more strongly than others, that they alone deserve to be called "zealous" Christians.
This desire is so strong, when it really reigns in a man, that it impels him to make any sacrifice — to go through any trouble — to deny himself to any amount — to suffer, to work, to labor, to toil — to spend himself and be spent, and even to die — if only he can please God and honor Christ.
A zealous man in religion is pre-eminently a man of one thing. It is not enough to say that he is earnest, hearty, uncompromising, thorough-going, whole-hearted, fervent in spirit. He sees one thing, he cares for one thing, he lives for one thing, he is swallowed-up in one thing — and that one thing is to please God.
Whether he lives — or whether he dies;
whether he has health — or whether he has sickness;
whether he is rich — or whether he is poor;
whether he pleases man — or whether he gives offence;
whether he is thought wise — or whether he is thought foolish;
whether he gets blame — or whether he gets praise;
whether he gets honor, or whether he gets shame
— for all this the zealous man cares nothing at all. He burns for one thing — and that one thing is to please God, and to advance God's glory. If he is consumed in the very burning — he is content. He feels that, like a lamp, he is made to burn, and if consumed in burning — he has but done the work for which God appointed him. Such a one will always find a sphere for his zeal. If he cannot preach, and work, and give money — he will cry, and sigh, and pray. Yes, if he is only a pauper, on a perpetual bed of sickness — he will make the wheels of sin around him drive heavily, by continually interceding against it. If he cannot fight in the valley with Joshua — then he will do the prayer-work of Moses, Aaron, and Hur, on the hill. (Exod. 17:9-13.) If he is cut off from working himself — he will give the Lord no rest until help is raised up from another quarter, and the work is done. This is what I mean when I speak of "zeal" in religion. ~ J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion

Christians are truly humble when they genuinely feel their sin and recognize that they are worthy of the wrath and judgment of God and eternal death. So in this life, Christians will be humbled. At the same time, however, they possess a pure and holy pride, which makes them turn to Christ. By turning to Christ, they can pull themselves out from under this feeling of God’s wrath and judgment. Christians believe that any remaining sin is not counted against them. They also believe that they are loved by the Father. Christians are loved, not for their own sake, but for the sake of Christ—the one whom God loves. From this it becomes clear how faith justifies us without works. It becomes clear why we still need Christ’s righteousness credited to us. The sin, which God thoroughly hates, remains in us. Because this sin still remains in us, Christ’s righteousness must be credited to us. God gives us that righteousness for the sake of Christ—the one given to us, the one we grasp by faith. ~ Martin Luther, Faith Alone, July 22

We must devote ourselves to the Word of Christ and train ourselves to hold on to it so that we never lose sight of Jesus. ~ Martin Luther, Faith Alone, July 25

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Respectable Sins

Respectable Sins. Jerry Bridges. 2007. NavPress. 192 pages. [Source: Bought]

Respectable Sins: Confronting the Sins We Tolerate was a great read. This Jerry Bridges' book addresses SIN. He argues that Christians tend to tolerate "respectable sins" (their own "little" sins) while harshly judging BIG sins. Bridges points out that in God's eyes--sin is sin is sin. And that Christians have no business tolerating sin in their lives--big or little. In other words, no sin is "respectable" from God's perspective. He does make a good case!

I loved how Bridges' chapters flow. I do. You can really see some connections between sins or sin patterns. He might surprise you--like he surprised me--when he argues that the greatest sin of all--the root of all other sin--is ungodliness. Furthermore, Christians are far from immune from this particular sin. "Ungodliness may be defined as living one's everyday life with little or no thought of God, or of God's will, or of God's glory, or of one's dependence on God." (54)

Other sins he addresses are: anxiety, frustration, discontentment, unthankfulness, pride, self-righteousness, selfishness, lack of self-control, impatience, irritability, anger, resentment, bitterness, judgmentalism, envy, jealousy, gossip, slander, lying, worldliness, etc.

I love that the book is relevant. Every reader will be confronted--or challenged--by Bridges at least a couple of times while reading Respectable Sins. (If not every chapter!) Sin is a reality. Whether Christians want to be upfront with their struggle or battle with SIN or not, the Christian life is a struggle from start to finish.

I love that the book is practical. Bridges not only points out common sins that believers struggle with, he, tells readers how to address these sins--all sins. He walks you step by step through the process. And these tips are well worth reading again and again.

I love that the book is encouraging. Bridges doesn't point out negative truths and leave readers without hope. He reminds readers again and again that JESUS PAID IT ALL, and that YOUR SINS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN. By all means, fight your war with sin. Strive to be holy. Take your life seriously--not only your words and actions, but your thoughts as well. But never, ever forget that JESUS PAID IT ALL…for you. That IT IS FINISHED. Take comfort in Christ's victory.

I love that it is Christ-centered and gospel-focused. Bridges urges readers to preach the gospel to themselves each and every day. He reminds them that it is impossible for them to grow beyond the gospel. The gospel isn't only for unbelievers. The gospel isn't something that you only "need" to hear the one time. The gospel is EVERYTHING. And God is the gospel. The more you live in the gospel--the more you cling to it--the more precious it becomes.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

My Year With Spurgeon #31

Independence of Christianity
Charles Spurgeon
1857
Zechariah 4:6

GOD’S first and greatest object is his own glory. There was a time, before all time, when there was no day but the Ancient of days, when God dwelt alone in the magnificence of his sublime solitude. Whether he should create, or not create was a question depending upon the answer to another question — Would it be to his honor or not? He determined that he would glorify himself by creating; but, in creating, beyond all doubt, his motive was his glory. And since that time, he hath ever ruled the earth, and even blessed it with the same object in his infinite mind — his own glory and honor.

Lesser motive for God to have, were less than divine; it is the highest position to which you or I could attain, to live for God; and the very highest virtue of God is for him to magnify himself in all his greatness as the Infinite and the Eternal.

Whatever, then, God permits or does, he doeth with this one motive, his own glory.

And even salvation, costly though it was, and infinitely a benefaction to us, had for its first object, and for its grand result, the exaltation of the Being and of the attributes of the Supreme Ruler.

It is true that God has a church, that that church has been redeemed and will be preserved for his glory, and it is equally true that everything that is done to the church, in the church, or for the church either with the permission or by the power of God, is for God’s glory, as well as for the church’s weal.

God is jealous of his own honor; he will not suffer even his church to be delivered in such a way as to honor men more than God; he will take to himself the throne without a rival he will wear a crown that never head did wear, and sway a scepter that never head hath grasped, for as truly as he is God, the earth shall know that he, and he alone, hath done it, and unto him shall be the glory.

Now, my objects this morning will be to glorify God, by showing to you, who love the Savior, that the preservation and the triumph of the church are both of them to be accomplished, not by might, nor by power, but by the Spirit of God, in order that all the honor might be to God, and none of it to man. I shall divide my text very simply; it divides itself. First, not by might; secondly, nor by power; thirdly, but by my Spirit.

You will ask me whether there is any distinction to be drawn between these two words, “NOT BY MIGHT, NOR BY POWER.” I answer, yes. The best Hebrew scholars tell us that the “might,” in the first place, may be translated, “army.” The Septuagint does so translate it. It signifies power collectedly — the power of a number of men combined together. The second word, “power,” signifies the prowess of a single individual, so that I might paraphrase my text thus — ”Not by the combined might of men laboring to assist each other, nor by the separate might of any single hero, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.” And now you will see the distinction, which is not without a difference.

First, let us consider that collected might to represent human armies. The church, we affirm, can neither be preserved nor can its interests be promoted by human armies.

The great crime of war can never promote the religion of peace. The battle, and the garment rolled in blood, are not a fitting prelude to “peace on earth, goodwill to men.” And I do firmly hold, that the slaughter of men, that bayonets, and swords, and guns, have never yet been, and never can be, promoters of the gospel.

Now, understanding this word “might,” in another sense, to signify great corporations, or, as we say, denominations of men. Now-a-days, people get a queer notion in their head, and they form what they call a denomination. It is all wrong; there never ought to have been any denominations at all, for according to Scripture, every church is independent of every other. There ought to have been as many separate churches as there were separate opinions; but denominations, which are the gathering up of those churches, I take it, ought not to have existed at all. They may do some good, but they do a world of mischief.

Whilst the progress and advance of the church are neither to be accomplished by the collected might of armies, corporations, nor churches, nor by the separate exertions of individuals, by the might neither of learning nor of eloquence, yet both the objects are to be accomplished BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD.

The grand thing the church wants in this time, is God’s Holy Spirit. You all get up plans and say, “Now, if the church were altered a little bit, it would go on better.” You think if there were different ministers, or different church order, or something different, then all would be well. No, dear friends, it is not there the mistake lies, it is that we want more of the Spirit.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: The Unbelievable Gospel

The Unbelievable Gospel: Say Something Worth Believing. Jonathan Dodson. 2015. Zondervan. 240 pages. [Source: Review copy]

I definitely found Jonathan K. Dodson's The Unbelievable Gospel to be a worthwhile read. Dodson writes of a culture and society that doesn't believe the gospel, a culture where the gospel is so strange and foreign that it is unbelievable.

He encourages readers to rethink how they evangelize. And he does so in a way that does not compromise the truth and the exclusivity of the faith. He is honest in his assessment that people struggle with how to communicate the gospel and face challenges that seem impossible.

He writes of culture and society, of pluralism, of the new tolerance, of the challenges Christians face living and evangelizing in such a culture. He writes of reasons why Christians are so hesitant to share the gospel with others: fear of being thought preachy or self-righteous, fear of rejection, fear of embarrassment and humiliation, fear that they'll do it wrong or mess it up. Dodson writes with clarity of what the gospel is, and, how the gospel is dimensional. (I believe four dimensions?) He speaks of justification, redemption, adoption, new creation (regeneration), and our union with Christ. One can highlight the gospel through the lens of justification, or the lens of redemption, or the lens of adoption, or the lens of new creation--all of which rely on our union with Christ. He reminds readers that you don't have to share the whole gospel each and every time you have a conversation with a nonbeliever. It's not important that you share everything you know all at once. Nor is it advisable that you steer the conversation so that you can share everything that you know. Dodson concludes by sharing examples with readers. These are accounts of his conversations and experiences with unbelievers. He urges readers above all to listen and observe, to pray for discernment in how to make the gospel "believable" to the person they're speaking with. There is not a one-size-fits-all gospel presentation that is right for every unbeliever they meet. Yet, at the same time, he is not asking readers to compromise any aspect of the gospel, to "hide" any aspect of the gospel, so that you can get someone to pray a quick prayer.

Table of Contents

• Why People Find the Gospel Unbelievable

DEFEATERS: REASONS NOT TO SHARE THE GOSPEL

• Impersonal Witness: Relationships, Work, and Faith
• Preachy Witness: Self-Righteous Proselytizing
• Intolerant Witness: Navigating Pluralism
• Uninformed Witness: Thinking Securely

RE-EVANGELIZATION: RECOVERING THE GOSPEL

• Clarity: Gaining a Fresh Vision of the Gospel
• Diversity: Handling the Gospel in Its Different Forms
• Fluency: Speaking the Gospel in Cultural Key

METAPHORS

• Seeking Acceptance
• Seeking Hope
• Seeking Intimacy
• Seeking Tolerance
• Seeking Approval
• Evangelism in Community
• Conclusion: Spirit-Led Witness

Quotes:

Christians are often proficient at rehearsing the information of the gospel, but we often lack the ability to relate the gospel to the lives of others. For some reason we find it difficult to bridge the gospel into everyday life and everyday unbelief. If we are to overcome our obstacles to evangelism, we must be able to answer this question: "What does the death and resurrection of a first-century Jewish messiah have to do with twenty-first century people?"

The goal in evangelism isn't merely to get a gospel presentation out in one breath! The goal is to get to the heart, and that might not happen the first time you meet someone.

For many people today, hearing that Jesus died on the cross for their sins is entirely irrelevant. It is an abstract concept that doesn't connect with the heart. It's our job to show them how it does. When we speak to people's deepest desires, dreams, hopes, fears, or longings, we make the gospel believable. We get to show them more than a proposition; we get to show them the person of Jesus and the difference he makes. When we get in this deep with people, our evangelism will be far from impersonal.

It may be helpful to consider Francis Schaeffer's advice on this matter. When asked what he would do if he had an hour with a nonChristian, he replied by saying he would listen for fifty-five minutes. Then in those last five minutes, he would have something to say.

Good evangelists have to slow down long enough to understand what people hear and how they speak in order to communicate the gospel in intelligible ways. This involves listening to what people think in order to communicate meaningfully what God thinks. It involves listening to the questions people ask in order to ask them good questions, the questions God asks each of us.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Week in Review: July 26-August 1

The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. Deuteronomy 29:29

Your testimonies are my heritage forever, for they are the joy of my heart. Psalm 119:111

The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Psalm 119:160

ESV Reader's Bible

• Deuteronomy
• Joshua
• Judges
• Ruth
• Matthew 9-28

NIV-UK Audio

• John

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Quotes from the Cloud #30

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. 

For fellow participants, what I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see is for people to share quotes from what they're reading. I'd love for you to share quotes occasionally with your readers and let me know about it. If you don't have a blog, you could always leave quotes in the comments here.

If you are interested enough to have read thus far you are probably interested enough to make a shot at saying your prayers: and, whatever else you say, you will probably say the Lord’s Prayer.
Its very first words are Our Father. Do you now see what those words mean? They mean quite frankly, that you are putting yourself in the place of a son of God. To put it bluntly, you are dressing up as Christ. If you like, you are pretending. Because, of course, the moment you realise what the words mean, you realise that you are not a son of God. You are not being like The Son of God, whose will and interests are at one with those of the Father: you are a bundle of self-centred fears, hopes, greeds, jealousies, and self-conceit, all doomed to death. So that, in a way, this dressing up as Christ is a piece of outrageous cheek. But the odd thing is that He has ordered us to do it. ~ C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

We say a great many things in church (and out of church too) without thinking of what we are saying. For instance, we say in the Creed “I believe in the forgiveness of sins.” I had been saying it for several years before I asked myself why it was in the Creed. At first sight it seems hardly worth putting in. “If one is a Christian,” I thought, “of course one believes in the forgiveness of sins. It goes without saying.” But the people who compiled the Creed apparently thought that this was a part of our belief which we needed to be reminded of every time we went to church. And I have begun to see that, as far as I am concerned, they were right. To believe in the forgiveness of sins is not nearly so easy as I thought. Real belief in it is the sort of thing that very easily slips away if we don’t keep on polishing it up.We believe that God forgives us our sins; but also that He will not do so unless we forgive other people their sins against us. There is no doubt about the second part of this statement. It is in the Lord’s Prayer; it was emphatically stated by our Lord. If you don’t forgive, you will not be forgiven. No part of His teaching is clearer, and there are no exceptions to it. He doesn’t say that we are to forgive other people’s sins provided they are not too frightful, or provided there are extenuating circumstances, or anything of that sort. We are to forgive them all, however spiteful, however mean, however often they are repeated. If we don’t, we shall be forgiven none of our own. ~ C.S. Lewis, Weight of Glory

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that Christians are people who never sin or feel sinful. Rather, because of their faith in Christ, God simply doesn’t attribute their sin to them. This teaching is comforting to those who have terrified consciences. To the extent we are Christians, we stand above the law and sin. Christ is the Lord of the law. He is present and locked in our hearts, just as a precious stone is firmly mounted in a ring. When the law accuses us and sin terrifies us, all we need to do is look to Christ. When we have taken hold of him in faith, we have the victor over the law, sin, death, and the devil with us. Because Christ rules over all of these, we won’t be harmed. ~ Martin Luther, Faith Alone, July 14

The devil knows what prayer can accomplish. That’s why he creates so many obstacles and makes it so inconvenient for us that we never get around to prayer. ~ Martin Luther, Faith Alone, July 16

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible