Book Review: The Institutes of Christian Religion

The Institutes of the Christian Religion. Abridged. John Calvin. (1536) Edited by Tony Lane and Hilary Osborne (1987). Baker Books. 272 pages. [Source: Bought] 

First sentence: Our wisdom, if it is to be thought genuine, consists almost entirely of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves. 

I decided to read the abridged edition of John Calvin's Institutes. I have previously read several books of the unabridged edition; Calvin's theological masterpiece contains four books in all: "the knowledge of God the Creator," "the knowledge of God the Redeemer in Christ," "the way of obtaining the grace of Christ," and "outward means by which God helps us." I know I completed the first two books and part of the third book. The length of the book is probably the most intimidating aspect of it. Taking a few days off from reading it, soon became a few weeks, a few months, and then you reach the point: well, it's been twenty plus months since I read the last chapter...do I need to start over on page one?! can I begin at the last section?! It was easier for me to pick up the abridged version. 

I don't know that I can assess how great the abridgment is since I never finished the original...but I will try to be helpful in my review.

Is this one accessible? Is it reader-friendly? Is the subject so heavy--so dense--that it's difficult to comprehend? Do the rewards of reading outweigh the effort to comprehend it? 

I found it to be accessible. I found the layout to be great. Each book, each chapter, each section is clearly labeled. It is clear when whole sections have been removed for the abridgment. I also liked how each chapter has headings. These headings are not only identified in the text itself but also in the table of contents. If you were looking for a specific subject--say predestination or election--you could easily find which section/chapter where Calvin discusses it. (Though, of course, Calvin writes about more than just election. Calvin's name be associated with Calvinism, but Calvinism did not get its start with Calvin.)

I also found it reader-friendly. But this is completely subjective. If you've never picked up any theology whatsoever...if you've never read any christian nonfiction before...you may not find it to be so. 

The content is substantive--not fluffy--but it is rewarding. So it is definitely worth any effort you put into it. 

Who is God? What is God like? What is his nature? 
Who is man? What was man like before the fall? what was man like after the fall? What is his nature? What is he capable of? Does he have free will? 
Who is Christ? What was his mission? what did he come to do? What did his life accomplish? what did his death accomplish? what did his resurrection accomplish? 
What is faith? How is faith given/received/applied? What is saving faith? 
What is justification? what is sanctification? Why is piety important? Why should we live holy lives?
What is the church? What are the sacraments? What elements of the faith are essential?
What role does the Bible play in the lives of believers? What authority does Scripture have?
What is the role of the Holy Spirit? 
What is sin? 
What is grace?
How can God be both just and merciful?
Does God owe mercy to everyone? 
What is predestination or election? 
What comfort can God's providence give believers?
Why is there so much suffering?

These are just a few of the topics/subjects addressed within this comprehensive and historically significant read.

There are WAY too many quotes to share in one post. But I will be sharing quotes.


© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: Praying the Bible

Praying the Bible. Donald S. Whitney. 2015. Crossway. 112 pages. [Source: Review copy]

First sentence: Since prayer is talking with God, why don’t people pray more?

Donald S. Whitney argues that Christians struggle with praying because prayer is boring. Why is prayer boring? Because Christians tend to pray for the same old things in the same old way--in other words, their prayers use the same words, same patterns, day after day, week after week, etc. He writes, "Prayers without variety eventually become words without meaning."

Christians tend to treat prayer not as a two-way conversation but as a one-way conversation.

Of course, another reason people struggle--and Whitney acknowledges as well--is distraction.

He has a solution for both 'problems'. That solution is praying the Bible. In this little book, he teaches readers how to pray through the Psalms and passages of the New Testament. Though any passage can be prayed--Genesis through Revelation. His goal is to get you started and the easiest--the best--place to start is the book of Psalms.

To pray the Bible, you simply go through the passage line by line, talking to God about whatever comes to mind as you read the text. See how easy that is? Anyone can do that. Just speak to the Lord about everything that occurs to you as you slowly read his Word. What does the text of Scripture tell us to pray about? Everything, right?  Every person, every object, every issue, every circumstance, every fear, every situation—everything in the universe is something we may bring before God. So every thought that enters your mind as you are reading a passage of Scripture—even if that thought has nothing to do with the text before you at the moment—is something you may bring to God...
If you are praying through a psalm, you simply read that psalm line by line, talking to God about whatever thoughts are prompted by the inspired words you read. If your mind wanders from the subject of the text, take those wandering thoughts Godward, then return to the text. If you come to a verse you don’t understand, just skip it and go to the next verse. If you don’t understand that one, move on. If you do understand it but nothing comes to mind to pray about, go to the next verse. If sinful thoughts enter in, pray about them and go on.
You may read twenty or thirty verses in that psalm, and yet on a given day have only five or six things come to mind. No problem. Nothing says you have to pray over every verse. Nothing says you have to finish the psalm...
Talk to God about the words you read in the Bible, and you’ll never again pray the same old things about the same old things. 

He makes distinctions between reading the Bible, praying the Bible, and studying the Bible. The methods you use for praying the Bible are not necessarily sound methods for teaching or preaching through the Bible.  

Correctly handling the Word of God does not permit making the text say what we want. To understand the Bible accurately—which is essential for right belief and living, for truthful sharing with others, and for authoritative teaching and preaching—we must do whatever is necessary to discover (or “exegete”) the single, God-inspired meaning of every verse before us. The text of the Bible means what God inspired it to mean, not “what it means to me.”
Bible reading is secondary in this process [of praying the Bible]. Our focus is on God through prayer; our glance is at the Bible. And we turn Godward and pray about every matter that occurs to us as we read. Do you see the distinction?

I have enough confidence in the Word and the Spirit of God to believe that if people will pray in this way, in the long run their prayers will be far more biblical than if they just make up their own prayers.

Without the Scripture to shape our prayers, we are far more likely to pray in unbiblical ways than if we pray the thoughts that occur to us as we read the Scripture.

The book is practical. He has a plan in mind for you to put this into practice.

With the Psalms of the Day you take thirty seconds or so to quickly scan five specific psalms and pick the one that best leads you to prayer on that occasion. While reading five psalms a day is a great practice that many enjoy, that’s not what I’m advocating here. What I’m suggesting is that you take half a minute to quickly scan five psalms and pick one of those five to pray through. Here’s how it works. The first psalm is the one that corresponds with the day of the month. 

Day of the Month	Psalms to Skim
1	1, 31, 61, 91, 121
2	2, 32, 62, 92, 122
3	3, 33, 63, 93, 123
4	4, 34, 64, 94, 124
5	5, 35, 65, 95, 125
6	6, 36, 66, 96, 126
7	7, 37, 67, 97, 127
8	8, 38, 68, 98, 128
9	9, 39, 69, 99, 129
10	10, 40, 70, 100, 130
11	11, 41, 71, 101, 131
12	12, 42, 72, 102, 132,
13	13, 43, 73, 103, 133
14	14, 44, 74, 104, 134
15	15, 45, 75, 105, 135
16	16, 46, 76, 106, 136
17	17, 47, 77, 107, 137
18	18, 48, 78, 108, 138
19	19, 49, 79, 109, 139
20	20, 50, 80, 110, 140
21	21, 51, 81, 111, 141
22	22, 52, 82, 112, 142,
23	23, 53, 83, 113, 143
24	24, 54, 84, 114, 144
25	25, 55, 85, 115, 145
26	26, 56, 86, 116, 146
27	27, 57, 87, 117, 147
28	28, 58, 88, 118, 148
29	29, 59, 89, 119, 149
30	30, 60, 90, 120, 150
31	Psalm 119

And if you will take thirty seconds to review five psalms every day, it is uncanny how one of them will express something that is looking for expression in your heart.

I love how Whitney guides you through this method. I love how he encourages you to try it. I definitely got a Green Eggs With Ham vibe! His passionate pleas to actually pray were compelling and persuasive.

I also love how he quotes some great theologians throughout the book--men, for the most part, who have learned that praying the Bible is transformative in their lives.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning

And There Was Evening, And There Was Morning. Ellen Kahan Zager. Illustrated by Harriet Cohen Helfand. 2018. 24 pages. [Source: Library]

First sentence:

Day One
The world began when God said "light,"
And changed the world from dark to bright.
Dark in the night and light in the day,
Our beautiful world was underway.

Premise/plot: Ellen Kahan Zager uses verse to retell the Creation story. The illustrations are built with Hebrew letters--the letters form the shapes of the words they are signifying. For example, the Hebrew word for water is used--many, many times--to create the waves in the illustration. Another example, the Hebrew word for pomegranate is used--again multiple times--to create the fruit in the illustration.

My thoughts: I really enjoyed this one. At first I was unimpressed with the illustrations. Until I began looking closer--much, much closer. I'm not sure a young child would appreciate all the work that went into the illustrations. But adult readers definitely should. The verse was well done. Overall I really liked this one.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Week in Review: March 10-16

Bible Reading

Did I read Revelation this week? Which translation? Yes. NIV 1984
Am I keeping up with my 30 Days of Psalms, Psalms 73-89? How many times have I read it so far? Which translations? Yes. NIV 1984, KJV, NLT, NKJV, MEV, Jerusalem Bible, ESV.
Am I keeping up with the Daily Chronological Bible Reading Plan for the Growing 4 Life reading group? What have I read so far? Yes. We finished Deuteronomy and started Joshua.
Am I keeping up with the 90 Day Bible Reading Challenge (Knowable Word)? What have I read so far? I think. I've stopped following their precise reading plan because it is illogical. But I think I am on schedule to finish the NT either this upcoming week or the week after. I've got Romans through Revelation to complete.
Have I done any other Bible reading not related to one of those projects? Which books and which translation, if any? I've started reading the 1917 Jewish Scriptures. I've finished Genesis.

Other Reading

Christian Fiction Read This Week:

Christian Nonfiction Read This Week:

31 Verses to Write On Your Heart. Liz Curtis Higgs. 2016. 224 pages. [Source: Bought] 
Competing Spectacles: Treasuring Christ in the Media Age. Tony Reinke. 2019. Crossway. 160 pages. [Source: Review copy]
God is the Gospel: Meditations on God's Love as the Gift of Himself. John Piper. 2005. Crossway. 192 pages. [Source: Bought]

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Devotional Journaling #11

I am reading two devotionals this year. One is Living Hope for the End of Days: 365 Days of Devotions from the Book of the Revelation by John Samuel Barnett. The other is Joni Eareckson Tada's Diamonds in the Dust.

Living Hope for the End of Days. This week's theme is Fear Not! For I Am With You. 

• Am I lingering in God’s presence? Am I writing His Word on my heart so that I don’t fear?
• Are God’s words stuck to your heart, your mind, your mouth? That is what the Lord wants.
• There is one solution for facing trouble: take God with you. There is one antidote for fearfulness: experience God’s presence as you live out the Word-filled life!

Diamonds in the Dust. 

• Contentment is found in a Person, the Lord Jesus. (March 10)
• We cannot have one kind of ethic for ourselves and another for society. We cannot demand a strong morality in our culture and yet carry on with a personal morality--or immorality--which dishonors God. (March 11)
• Whatever you give unreservedly to God, He will take. Whatever God takes, He will cleanse. What He cleanses, He fills and what He fills, He will always use. (March 12)
• Any sacrifice that is made for God must always focus on the gain: knowing Christ. (March 15)

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Psalm 86:11, Various Translations

Teach me thy way, O Lord, and I will walk in thy truth: knit mine heart unto thee, that I may fear thy Name. Psalm 86:11, 1599 Geneva Bible

Teach me thy way, O Jehovah; I will walk in thy truth: Unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11, American Standard Version

Teach me your way, LORD,
and I will live by your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear your name. Psalm 86:11, Christian Standard Bible

Teach me your way, LORD,
so that I can walk in your truth.
Make my heart focused
only on honoring your name. Psalm 86:11, Common English Bible

ADONAI, teach me your way,
so that I can live by your truth;
make me single-hearted,
so that I can fear your name. Psalm 86:11, Complete Jewish Bible

Teach me to follow you,
and I will obey your truth.
Always keep me faithful. Psalm 86:11, Contemporary English Version

Teach me your way, O LORD.
I will walk in your truth.
Give me wholehearted commitment to fear your name. Psalm 86:11, Evangelical Heritage Version

Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
unite my heart to fear your name. Psalm 86:11, ESV

Teach me, LORD, what you want me to do,
and I will obey you faithfully;
teach me to serve you with complete devotion. Psalm 86:11, Good News Translation

Teach me Your way, Yahweh,
and I will live by Your truth.
Give me an undivided mind to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11, HCSB

Yahweh, teach me your way,
how to walk beside you faithfully,
make me single-hearted in fearing your name. Psalm 86:11, Jerusalem Bible

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth; firm up my heart that I might fear thy name. Psalm 86:11, Jubilee Bible

Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11, KJV

Tell me where you want me to go and I will go there. May every fiber of my being unite in reverence to your name. Psalm 86:11, Living Bible

Train me, GOD, to walk straight;
then I'll follow your true path.
Put me together, one heart and mind;
then, undivided, I'll worship in joyful fear. Psalm 86:11, The Message

Teach me Your way, O LORD,
that I will walk in Your truth;
bind my heart
to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11, Modern English Version

Teach me your way, O Yahweh,
so that I may live in your truth.
Focus my heart on fearing you. Psalm 86:11, Names of God Bible

Teach me Thy way, O LORD; I will walk in Thy truth; Unite my heart to fear Thy name. Psalm 86:11, NASB 1977

Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11, NASB

LORD, teach me what you want me to do,
and I will live by your truth.
Teach me to respect you completely. Psalm 86:11, NCV

Guide me, O LORD,
that I may be true to thee and follow thy path;
let me be one in heart
with those who revere thy name. Psalm 86:11, New English Bible

Teach me your way, O LORD,
and I will walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11, NIV 1984

Teach me your way, LORD,
that I may rely on your faithfulness;
give me an undivided heart,
that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11, NIV 2011

Teach me Your way, O LORD;
I will walk in Your truth;
Unite my heart to fear Your name. Psalm 86:11, NKJV

Teach me your ways, O LORD,
that I may live according to your truth!
Grant me purity of heart,
so that I may honor you. Psalm 86:11, NLT

Teach me your way, O LORD,
that I may walk in your truth;
give me an undivided heart to revere your name. Psalm 86:11, NRSV

Teach me more about you, how you work and how you move,
so that I can walk onward in your truth
until everything within me brings honor to your name. Psalm 86:11, The Passion Translation

LORD, teach me your way,
that I may walk in your truth.
Let me worship your name with undivided heart. Psalm 86:11, Revised English Bible

Teach me thy way, O LORD,
that I may walk in thy truth;
unite my heart to fear thy name. Psalm 86:11, RSV

Teach me Your way, O LORD, and I will walk in Your truth. Grant me undividedness of hear so that I may fear Your name. Psalm 86:11, Berean Study Bible

Teach me, O LORD, Thy way, that I may walk in Thy truth; Make one my heart to fear Thy name. Psalm 86:11, JPS Tanakh 1917

Guide me, O Lord, in thy way, and I will walk in thy truth: let my heart rejoice, that I may fear thy name. Psalm 86:11,  Brenton Septuagint Translation



© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

Book Review: 31 Verses To Write On Your Heart

31 Verses to Write On Your Heart. Liz Curtis Higgs. 2016. 224 pages. [Source: Bought]

First sentence: Snow was falling thick and fast across my windshield on a cold February night many winters ago.
31 Verses To Write On Your Heart is a devotional book for women; I'd almost say for women and men but she does tend to address her readers as women.

Each "devotion" or each "chapter" tackles a specific verse word by word. The goal isn't just devotional reading or even meditation. It is memorization as well. Each chapter concludes with a tip to aid you in memorizing Scripture. Each chapter also includes a brief prayer.

Here's one of my favorite prayers:

When I read Your Word, when I study Your Word, when I memorize Your Word, when I live Your Word, Your love and faithfulness will beat in my heart so loudly others may hear and see Your truth and be set free. Oh, let it be so, Lord!

also

When I read Your Word, fill my mind with wonder. When I see Your creation, fill my heart with awe.When You pour out Your mercy on me, fill my soul with gratitude and, yes, a healthy fear of Your power and might. 

She begins the book by sharing her experiences with readers--how she came to read the Bible. She shares how passionate she was to read the Bible for the first time. She continues, "With each passing month I feared that my enthusiasm for the Bible might wear thin. That once I’d read every page, the stories and lessons wouldn’t be as exciting the second time, let alone the tenth time. Now I know the truth. Whenever I read a familiar verse, God reveals a richer, deeper meaning."

I can echo her sentiments. Though our background stories do differ, our passion for the Word of God make us kindred spirits.

The thirty one verses examined in this one: Proverbs 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Proverbs 29:25; Jeremiah 29:11; Proverbs 9:10; Philippians 4:13; Proverbs 4:23; 2 Timothy 1:7; Romans 8:28; Proverbs 31:30; Psalm 46:10; Zephaniah 3:17; Proverbs 22:6; Isaiah 41:10; Philippians 4:6; Proverbs 15:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:18; Philippians 4:8; Proverbs 31:25; Isaiah 40:31; Proverbs 27:17; Isaiah 26:3; Philippians 1:6; Joshua 1:9; Proverbs 30:5; Micah 6:8; Isaiah 43:1; Proverbs 15:23; John 14:2; Lamentations 3:22; Proverbs 3:5.

Quotes:

• If you’ve been reading the Bible for a few seasons, is there one verse you cherish above all others? A powerful statement that nourishes and sustains you year in and year out? Words you’ve posted on your fridge, stitched on fabric, written on greeting cards, included in your e-mail signature?
• God-fearing is a phrase we don’t often hear anymore. Sounds a bit dated. Old school. We’d rather focus on loving God and being loved by Him. His love is a glorious truth, but it’s not the first thing we need to learn. 
• Unless we point people to Scripture, we’re giving them little more than our opinion.
• Open the Bible to any page, and your eyes will land on truth. Every time.
• From God’s point of view, love and faithfulness are inseparable. One can’t exist without the other. Because God loves us, He remains ever faithful. Because God is faith itself, His love is never ending.
• What will this day look like if you remain in awe of the Lord, never forgetting who He is or what He can do?
• As long as we’re here, this world is where we’re meant to be. Although we are surrounded by constant temptations and pulled this way and that by our selfish desires, we are called and equipped by God to choose wisely.
• No question, God loves you. I’m asking, do you love Him? Do you believe what He has for you is for your good? That’s the real test of faith, isn’t it? To say, “Yes, God, whatever You have for me in this life I will receive as a gift of love from Your hands.”
• Whenever the truth of God’s love is yanked from our grasp by a culture that focuses on negativity and majors in cynicism, it’s time to dive into His Word and be refreshed.
• When common sense is no longer common, we need God’s wisdom more than ever.
• It’s His Father’s house, and it’s our Father’s house. It’s home. Not our temporary earthly home, but our permanent heavenly home. The Greek word moné simply means “abode.” Nothing fancy, just a place to live. Then came the Latin word mansio, which referred to a traveler’s resting place. As centuries passed, the English word mansion took on a grander meaning, leading to a materialistic view of heaven that Jesus never intended. Our future lies with our Master, not our mansion. What matters is that He lives there and so will we.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible