Category: Devotional

Devotional thoughts for my benefit and yours from here, there, and everywhere

The Storybook for Preachers

~ fundyreformed ~ 9 Comments

check out The Jesus Storybook BibleThe more I learn about Pastor Tim Keller (of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City), the more I respect his opinion. So when he says of a new kid’s Bible storybook: “I’d urge ministers to buy it and read it for themselves. It will improve their preaching.” I listen up.

From what I have heard and seen about the book so far, I’d have to agree. But perhaps you’re wondering, “How can any Bible storybook help a preacher? Storybooks are just dumbed down Sunday School lessons for kids, aren’t they?”

Very often, and with many a book, sadly, I’d have to agree with your point. In fact, Kathy Keller, Tim’s wife, who has edited children’s Sunday School curriculum  and also  worked as a theological consultant for Zondervan, says the following:

It is very hard to find (or even produce) material for children that doesn’t essentially contain the message “Be good, so that God, your heavenly Father will  love you, and your earthly parents will be happy with you, too.”

In stark contrast to such kid’s material, stands Sally Lloyd-Jones’ new book: The Jesus Storybook Bible. Of this, Kathy Keller writes:

…Sally goes out of her way in the first pages of the book to reclaim the true story of the Bible: not a book of rules, nor a book of heroes, but:

The Bible is most of all a Story…It’s like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life! You see, the best thing about this Story is —it’s true! There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves his children and comes to rescue them.

Tim Keller describes the book:

Sally Lloyd-Jones has captured the heart of what it means to find Christ in all the scriptures, and has made clear even to little children that all God’s revelation has been about Jesus from the beginning–a truth not all that commonly recognized even among the very learned.

This storybook in a nutshell,

capture[s] the plot line of redemption in a children’s story Bible that sings the praise of Jesus and his saving grace on every page, in every story. (—Kathy Keller)

Now, Tim Keller is Sally Lloyd-Jones’ pastor. But still  by now you should be convinced this book is different. But why should it be required reading for pastors?

Here’s why. When we step back and see the Bible as a whole, and look at all the characters and events in light of their place in redemptive history, the power of the Story shines through. Stories, especially well crafted ones, capture our imagination. They thrill even as they teach. This is why fairy tales and good fantasy literature are so enduringly popular. So looking at the Bible as a story, has practical benefits. It can thrill us anew at the wonder of God’s redemption work.

But today, pastor’s are busy preaching other things than the Gospel Story of Redemption. Often the Bible is seen as a “how-to-have-a-successful-life-manual”. Other times it is simply  a rule-book for how to please God. For others it is a theological manual or a social-remedy-guide. It is everyone’s panacea, and everyone has a prooftext for teaching anything.

So why not let the Bible speak for itself? Why not let the Biblical story shine as intended? Sometimes, I think, we would if we could just see it. There are so many other things about the Bible that are important, yet they steal our attention from Its Big Story.

So perhaps a kid’s storybook, pictures and all, might just do the trick. And let me tell you, just the two stories I read in the online sample, were enough to convince me that the book might just have that effect on me.

So check this book out. Read Kathy Keller’s full review,  and see Justin Taylor’s  brief post on it (that’s where I found out about it, and it is in the comments there  that Pastor Keller made the statement that started this post). Then buy it, and purpose to use it for yourself first, and your kids second. [Also check out the book’s  flyer.]

For more info on the  redemptive historical approach to Scripture, check out my hermeneutics topic, my friend Nathan Pitchford’s blog, or this category at Monergism.

A Gospel-Centered Marriage

~ fundyreformed

Some of you may know that my pastor John Piper has started a series on marriage. And this past Sunday’s message did a good job summarizing the previous 3 messages as he started his fourth.  I want to encourage you to listen to that message as it summarizes how the Gospel and the Glory of God are to impact our marriages.

Yes, it’s about marriage, but Piper covers a lot of ground with this message. And the exposition of Col. 3:12-14 is wonderful. He calls for forgiveness and forbearance in our marriages, and this is all to be rooted in an understanding of and participation in the gospel. I’m sure you’ll be blessed by this message.

Read it. Lisen to it. Watch it.  

Note: you can rightclick on the last two links and click “save target as” if you want to download it to your computer and listen/watch at a later time.

The Holiness of High Standards

~ fundyreformed

I came across a post today that almost blew my socks off! It is such an important topic, and the post was worded so perfectly. So I thought I should stop everything, and encourage you all to go read this post. Let me  introduce the post more fully, and then I’ll give you the link.

William Dudding, who is a KJV using, Independant Fundamental Baptist, is also a reformer. His blog, The Reforming Baptist, deals with many of the struggles that face fundamentalists. And although we don’t always see eye to eye on every issue, I have tremendous respect for Will. He doesn’t go with the flow, and he respects God’s Word. His posts are often challenging and enriching.

This post is entitled, “High Standards = Right Doctrine“. Let me give you an excerpt from the beginning of the post, and then send you off to read the rest.

I remember growing up as a strict Fundamentalist Baptist that I used to think because we held to such a high standard of living, that we must be the most elite of Christians; the ones most in touch with God; the ones who were the closest to genuine Christianity as God intended it to be.

We would look condescendingly down on another Christian who disagreed with any of our positions whether they be soul winning, the King James Bible, Dispensationalism, etc. The measure of correct doctrine to too many of us in Fundamentalism is the length of a woman’s skirt, or the shortness of a man’s hair.

Isaiah 65:3,5 “A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; ….Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou.”

[Read the entire post.]

Pondering Our Place in the Universe

~ fundyreformed ~ 9 Comments

click here to explore the relative size of Earth and the universe

If you haven’t guessed this about me already, I love learning. Whenever I am somewhere that has cable, the History Channel, the Discovery Channel, and others like them fascinate me.  

Recently, I received 2 emails with two similar presentations about the earth in relation to the universe. One of them compares the relative size of Earth to its sister planets and then in relation to the Sun and other stars. The other included a power point presentation which contained many pictures of the earth taken from space.

These pictures amaze me and thrill me at the same time. They remind me how vast the universe is, and therefore they point me to how absolutely indescrible is the God who made it all! As the Psalmist said:

O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory above the heavens….When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? …O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:1, 3-4, 9 emphasis mine)

Another couple of verses which give us perspective as we ponder our planet’s place in the universe,  are found in Isaiah 40.

Behold, the nations [i.e. Earth] are like a drop from a bucket, and are accounted as the dust on the scales; behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust….All the nations are as nothing before him, they are accounted by him as less than nothing and emptiness. (Is. 40:15, 17 emphasis mine)

I hope that you will be listening to the message that these pictures (that I’ll link to in a moment) will be preaching to you, just like this psalm teaches:

The heavens [think universe] declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours out speech, and night to night reveals knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words, whose voice is not heard. Their measuring line goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world…. (Psalm 19:1-4a emphasis mine)

Well to see the pictures I am talking about, click on the picture above or this link. Also, you will need to click on this link to start the powerpoint presentation (you may want to save that to your computer rather than just opening it online). Hope you enjoy the pictures and the meditation time on the wonder of our God!

“Alone with God” by Jason Janz

~ Bob Hayton ~ 3 Comments

I love blogging, and recently I have started experiencing some of the unique benefits that blogging brings. One of these is the occasional free book. Of course in return, we bloggers are expected to showcase the book with a raving review, hopefully.

One of the first free books I received is Alone with God [Greenville, SC: Journey Forth/BJU Press, 2006] written by Jason Janz the site publisher of Sharper Iron. Don’t worry, the review is going to be good, because this book is both unique and exceptional.

If you are like me, you struggle with a good routine, not to mention consistency, in your devotions. And I’m sure you have experienced times when you read your Bible and pray and yet don’t feel like you really encountered God at all. Jason’s book was written with you and I in mind, so don’t worry there is hope!

Now I’m sure you are also aware that no book will prove to be the panacea for all of our spiritual maladies. No single book, short of the Bible, contains the cure-all for every spiritual problem. And as Jason admits, books written to help readers have meaningful times with God are a dime a dozen these days.

But Alone with God is different. It is not a devotional guide, nor is it a mystical, new age, “fresh” approach. Rather it is designed to be a book that both encourages us to press for a real and sustained relationship with God and gives us a practical approach or plan to make it happen. It is the combination of these two aims which make the book so unique and so valuable.

Now, nothing magical or brilliant is necessarily offered within its pages. Jason believes we should be reading the Bible and praying and that this will be the absolutely indispensable means for us to know and commune with God. But Jason (an assistant pastor for 10 years) also knows a little bit about how people tick. And so his book contains just the right mix of “preaching” and encouragement along with a do-able plan so that the average person will be empowered to consistently have a meaningful time “alone with God” each day.

The book is so helpful, because it was born out of Jason’s need to help himself. He faced his own struggles with consistency and vitality in devotions—faced them and won. Jason’s plan draws from his experience at beginning a disciplined work-out and exercise routine. He has found that planning out each step of what he is going to do was immensely helpful. Then he applied a similar approach to his personal time with God. The result is a simple and organized plan which frees a person to experience a deep and meaningful relationship with God.

The book is basically an explanation of his practical approach to planning out his quiet times with God. At times it seems to simple. In all it is only 148 pages (thirty or so from the appendix section). But who needs something complicated when it comes to revamping your walk with God?

This book challenged me about the seriousness and importance of time with God. But it also encouraged me and provided real hope. Jason doesn’t push for Bible reading or memorization so much as he pushes for encountering and knowing God through the Word. He claims, “We are not simply seeking facts about God; we are seeking to know Him personally.” This focus weaves its way throughout the book and is one of its greatest strengths. Jason also includes a very helpful chapter on meditation, a practice which modern Christians have all but abandoned. Jason also goes out of his way to dispel many myths which surround a daily time with God.

The book, as I said, is not much more than an explanation of the plan, and so you will want to know more about that plan. Again, like the book it is fairly simple, but it draws from insights from George Mueller and others (the book includes a fascinating four page excerpt written by Mueller describing his own habit of meditating and praying from Scripture). Jason has also given a timeline for his plan to be used in either a 20 or 30 minute session. The best thing about the plan is that it’s flexible and includes variety. It should keep you awake and also engaged in the Word and in prayer. What more could we ask? What follows below is my own explanation of Jason’s approach. [I keep using “Jason’s” rather than “Janz’s” because I think its easier. Hope you don’t mind, Jason.]

  • Preparation — This step prepares your mind for time with God. It might be a brief prayer, worshipful song, or even a short reading form a Christian book or devotional.
  • Confession — This step includes a time of searching one’s heart to confess known sin. It may even just be a time to look over a list of sins that the book provides and seriously examine whether they are present in your life. It allows you to get sin out of the way and dealt with before a more intimate time with God ensues.
  • Revelation — This step is an intentional reading of the Bible with the goal of learning about God. It is the longer time of Bible reading that is included in the plan.
  • Adoration — This step is where you praise God intentionally. You may praise Him for the things you just learned about Him in your reading. Also the book provides lists of the names of God for you to ponder. Jason encourages a song of praise or thanksgiving to be sung.
  • Transformation — This step is an interactive reading of a passage of Scripture, primarily from Psalms or Proverbs. It is a time for reading slowly and praying back to God or meditating over and rejoicing in each line or thought that you read. This method will prove to be worth the time it takes to learn. This is when God is speaking to you and you to him in a very personal and transforming way.
  • Communication — This step is for personal and intercessory prayer—praying for needs. It includes a time of casting your cares on God intentionally and may include a time of claiming one of God’s promises.
  • Meditation — This step is where you actually write down what God has taught you and recording a verse or thought from your Bible readings which you will try to meditate on throughout the day.
  • Application — This step includes more journaling. You are to write down what God has told you to do, or what you plan to change because of this time with God. You may also journal other insights during this time.

I would encourage you to get this book and read it. There is a companion journal available to purchase in conjunction with the book. Amazon even offers a deal when you buy both. The book certainly has helped put a fire in my heart again to really and truly know God personally each day. I want to be “alone with God”, and this book can help me actually do so by giving me a simple plan to aim for each day. With God’s help I intend to follow this plan for the remainder of this year (at least).

Before you go, you may be interested in reading Jason’s own review of his book. It includes his reasons for writing it.

Disclaimer: this book was provided by the publisher for review. The reviewer was under no obligation to provide a positive review.

This book is available for purchase at the following sites: Amazon.com or direct from BJU Press.