Anticipating October

There are several reasons that I am eagerly looking forward to October this year. Not only is it the month when the weather at home is simply scrumptious and perfect, it's the month of my birthday, and that of my sister-in-law. Fall is at its peak with apple cider and campfires and hikes through fallen leaves.

But this year I am counting down to October 15th in particular. That is the date that the ESV Study Bible is being released. Surely you've heard about it by now...right? Personally, it is my favorite translation, though the NET Bible and the NASB are still too beloved to part with too.

This Bible is such a refreshing change from the lightweight, pop-devotional style popular in recent years. 20,000 notes, 80,000 cross-references, over 200 maps, 200 charts, and that's just the briefest of summaries. You can read more at the blog. There's also an option to read the Introduction to the Psalms. Granted, the notes should not receive more attention than the text itself. But this is still a true treasure, and more information and teaching than people in many parts of the world would ever hope to see in a lifetime. Let's take advantage of it. The publisher has also produced it to last a lifetime. And be sure I will be talking more about this come October...

Job 20-22: Become one with Him

Being at peace with the All-Sufficient One means that I have shalom: peace, wholeness, completeness. Becoming one with Him begins by getting acquainted with Him. How? By listening to and internalizing His laws for living, returning to Him when I get off track, and giving Him my treasures so He can be my Treasure. When I am one with Him, what then? Effective prayers, victory where I once fell down, and joy in His presence.

Job 17-19: Know Him

I can make a habit of knowing Him, to the extent that others will recognize my home as "the place of him that knows God." In the midst of trouble, I can hold my course, showing Him I want to know Him by keeping clean hands, no matter how hopeless, fruitless, or irksome it seems. Who is it I know? Him who lives, who will stand visibly on this earth, and who is on my side. He is not a stranger, but the One who knows me.

Tsunami and Theodicy

A well-thought-out piece on suffering in light of the many natural disasters recently occurring around the world: Tsunami and Theodicy by David Hart.

Christians often find it hard to adopt the spiritual idiom of the New Testament — to think in terms, that is, of a cosmic struggle between good and evil, of Christ’s triumph over the principalities of this world, of the overthrow of hell. All Christians know, of course, that it is through God’s self-outpouring upon the cross that we are saved, and that we are made able by grace to participate in Christ’s suffering; but this should not obscure that other truth revealed at Easter: that the incarnate God enters “this cosmos” not simply to disclose its immanent rationality, but to break the boundaries of fallen nature asunder, and to refashion creation after its ancient beauty — wherein neither sin nor death had any place. Read more...

Job 12-16: Wait for Him

Though He slay me, yet I can trustfully wait for Him. Though He slay my pride, my freedom, provison, fruit, hope...yet I can continue walking in His ways. Why? Because Resurrection is on His way. Like a felled tree that revives at the scent of water, we will revive at the arrival of Living Water. And while I wait for that final resurrection day, He performs lesser resurrections daily. His mercies are new every morning!

Living as a Witness

This involves “just you, winning one person to the Lord each year, training that person to live a victorious, reproductive Christian life—then the two of you doing the same with two more people the next year. Continuing in this activated, applying the principle of multiplication, your numbers would double each year thereafter…you and the people you discipled…will see six billion people come to a vital, thoroughly-grounded knowledge of the Lord in the early months of the thirty-third year.”
- Pg 27 of Personal Disciple-making by Christopher B. Adsit, Orlando: Campus Crusade for Christ, 1996

2 Timothy 3:12: And indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.

2 Tim. 4:2: Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.

Photo of the central Californian coastline, taken by Natalie

Job 8-11

Job 8-11: Figure Heaven In

To do my math correctly, I must take the "eternal weight of glory" into account along with this "light, momentary affliction." The wrong sum: "Life is short, so eat, drink, and be merry." The correct sum: "Only one life, 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last." I can exclude petulance, self-pity, and the idea that God owes me a good life by recalling that the wages of my sin is death, "but the free gift of God is eternal life." I have so much to look forward to!

God's Mercy

A March 2008 entry from the HeartThoughts website...we are thoroughly enjoying our challenge of reading through the entire Bible in 3 months--or less!

How goes it, my fellow Questers? This Bible reading challenge surely is that–a challenge, but so far it’s been so enjoyable for me. It’s just so good to be reading all the diverse and powerful ways that the Lord has interacted with, blessed, and disciplined His people.

My opinion is that the Old Testament, as a whole, is more conducive to lengthy reads than the New Testament. Reading 16-20 chapters of a New Testament doctrinal book, it will be more difficult to soak in everything than it is to pull some over-riding themes from a long narrative about Israel’s prophets and judges. Am I the only one who so often wants to pause and dig into some story, question, or topic that strikes a particular interest? As much as I try to redeem my time, I want to grow even better at using the minutes given to me so that there is more time for intense Bible study.

A few interesting phenomena I’ve noticed over the past few weeks:

• A disinterest in other reading. Very rarely do I read anything else. Aside from trying to keep up with the Book Society selection I am not bothering with any other reading right now. And I’m not missing it at all. In my life it has proven true more than once–when the Bible is all I have and/or choose to read, my pleasure in it grows and my interest in fiction especially fades away.
• Vivid images while reading. For me this is because I have not done a survey reading of the whole Bible since I was in the Middle East two years ago. There are portions of the Old Testament that I have not read since then, and wow do they pop off the page! Especially in 1 Samuel, I was just reading last night about when the Philistines were seeking to return the Ark of the Covenant to Israel. They sent it back on a cart pulled by two cows whose calves had just been taken from them. Without even trying I could see the rolling landscape in my head–I’ve stood in the area where all this took place. And coming up soon is the famous story of David and Goliath–already my mind has been taking me back to the Valley of Elah and the beautiful barren wilderness of that area.
• God’s mercy. Whether it is a “coincidence” or not, the last few weeks have also been some of the most difficult in recent memory. On so many levels I have felt spiritual, physical, emotional attack. To the breaking point, at times. Yet through it I refuse to let anything keep me from the Book. It is a comforting stabling force amidst the chaos and horrors that seem beating down the walls of my world. I see God’s mercy and care through the long haul, through the “big picture” in my reading, too. Look at the multiple cycles of sin, servitude, supplication, salvation, and silence (yes, I learned that in Bible Survey) that Israel went through during the period of the Judges. They did not deserve so many chances! Neither do we.

Well, it’s time to check on the dinner in the oven. And we’ll need to be leaving soon for church. I’m glad I had a few minutes to write some of my thoughts–I hope you will do the same!

Job 4-7

Job 4-7: Don't Despise Chastening

Why? Because it's planned, personalized, and limited by my Father, the One who is also ready to heal, bind up, deliver, redeem, rescue, hide, and provide for me. Since I've been chastened, I cannot despise others' chastenings. In fact, rather than taking their questionings so seriously that I argue with them, I can remember the rash things I have thought when I was suffering, and turn their attention to God's compassion and trustworthiness instead.

Meditations on Job - an ongoing series

Job 1-3: Serve God for Nothing

If I serve God for nothing more than love, I can show it by praising Him for taking, just as much as I praise Him for giving. How? Through knowing that my most precious things are safest with Him. Like Habakkuk, I can -- if He asks -- relinquish my entire livelihood with the words "yet I will rejoice," because He is my "Shield and exceeding great Reward," the All-Sufficient One who never leaves me.

Through the Bible in 60 days!

February 1 - March 31. Those dates did not begin as my Bible reading schedule but as I finished up Revelation Monday morning I thanked God for the tremendous blessing of my first (of many!) journey of reading through the entire Bible in 60 days.

Only God knew the unbelievably perfect timing for this venture. Only He knew the trials and fire which would fill those two months. I could not have planned to begin reading Job just minutes before a heart-breaking phone call; I did not realize at the beginning I would get to read through Matthew, Mark, Luke and John during the celebration of His Resurrection. God blessed me. His provision and love are abundant and beautiful to me!

Originally my goal was 90 days. A couple weeks ago I began playing with the idea of pushing myself to finish by March 31. My goal of reading through all the Gospels by Easter gave me the extra impetus needed to harness my so often-distracted mind and focus.

Have you ever read through Romans, or 1 & 2 Corinthians in one sitting? Paul's arguments are masterfully built. Reading his letters as a whole instead of in chapter or verse bits makes that clear. The opportunity for a broad overview of Scripture combined with the speed which was set gave me some deeper understanding of portions of the Prophets as well as the almost continuous OT allusions in the New Testament. Instead of only knowing that a given verse was a quote from the Old Testament because of a footnote, I found myself remembering which book, even which chapter the quotation came from. Isaiah 54. Genesis 21. Daniel 11. Ezekiel 28. After all, I had read the Old Testament only a few days ago!

Today I finished Revelation 21 and closed my new-three-months-ago but now-very-worn Bible with a mixture of wistfulness and triumph. Now I am free to dive into some serious study that has been put on hold. That part makes me glad. But I so enjoyed this that I know I am going to be doing it again at least once a year. Perhaps after a few months off I will start again and see if I can do another read-through in 2008. Believe me, it is addicting!

I wonder if we do not often intimidate ourselves too much over the thought of reading “the whole Bible.” Speaking as a voracious reader, it is not that long. Shorter than a Hugo or Tolstoy novel. Much more valuable for our spirits and minds. We’ve been given a precious treasure in God’s Word–let’s remember that and revel in it with every opportunity we are given.

- Written March 31

A Spinster Looks at Proverbs 31 (2 of 2)

Read Part One here...

She is not afraid of the snow for her household; for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She maketh for herself carpets of tapestry; her clothing is fine linen and purple.

Sounds like a pretty classy lady to me. I'm certain that it pleases God when I put out the effort to show that knowing Him makes His daughters more beautiful. I'm certain it blesses others when my dress is neither too dull nor too bold, but refreshing, sunshiny, and restful to the eye.

Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

Staying in the background and helping to make my boss look good is pretty easy, but consistently honoring him in my attitude is something that only comes from Jesus.

She maketh linen garments and selleth them, and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

This lady is a real entrepreneur...something I've never dreamed of being. I wonder what God will teach me about this one?

Strength and dignity are her clothing; and she laugheth at the time to come.

Ah yes. I can stand tall because I'm His.

She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and the law of kindness is on her tongue.

I think the Holy Spirit wants to remind me that as a woman, I've got influence I can use for good, if I'll work with Him on it. And there's no need to use sarcasm to defend myself from teasing. If I stick to gentleness, He'll look out for me.

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

This is becoming a joy to do, but it takes a choice. As a naturally dreamy person, I could tune out needs and resent the interruptions of everyday life...or I can enjoy keeping a beautiful, well-stocked apartment.

Her children rise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her, saying: Many daughters have done worthily, but thou excellest them all. Grace is deceitful, and beauty is vain; but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.

Did you know that this is a promise? If you fear Him, you'll be praised. Period. I've discovered (to my surprise) that you don't need a husband and children to receive appreciation and love and recognition for the things that Jesus is doing in you. He knows how to get the message through to you, and sometimes He'll use the most unexpected people.

Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her works praise her in the gates.

And even if no person notices what you do, for every secret sacrifice, every obedient action, and every beautiful attitude, oh how real is His approval and love!

- by Elisabeth Adams

A Spinster Looks at Proverbs 31 (1 of 2)

It was lunch break, and I was sitting down for a quick "Bible snack" when my eyes fell on Proverbs 31:26: "The law of kindness is on her tongue." Though I've read it a thousand times, this time it went right to the quick. Uh-oh. You mean, kindness to the classmate who is doing his utmost to replace the pesty older brother I never had?

I've heard this passage applied to married women; I've even heard it applied to single women in general, but now I began rereading it with a whole new sense that it was written for me.

(Feel free to listen in: you just might come up with an application to your own life!)

A worthy woman who can find? For her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband trusteth in her, and he shall have no lack of gain.

Hmmm, no husband, but I do have a boss. Can he trust me to be follow all the rules of my workplace, even though no one is watching me?

She doeth him good and not evil all the days of her life.

There are no days off from honesty.

She seeketh wool and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

I'm seeking out research material, not wool and flax, but am I working with it willingly? Or am I trying to get done studying Pliny as fast as possible so I can move on to more appealing topics?

She is like the merchant-ships; she bringeth her bread from afar.

...and sometimes in a backpack. I used to hate shopping, but God is helping me to turn it into an adventure.

She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth food to her household, and their task to her maidens.

Probably this means making sure the house is ready for guests in a timely manner. Bathrooms clean? Coffee pot on? Cookies served? Or am I rushing around at the last minute?

She considereth a field, and buyeth it; with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

I wonder what this means in my case. Certainly that I ought to be investing in the future, with whatever talents God has given me - and not merely getting caught up in the demands of today.

She girdeth her loins with strength, And maketh strong her arms.

She sounds pretty "in shape" to me! Fortunately, though I am by no means a sports-player, I do love to walk – and have plenty of places to walk to. I think it keeps me happier and more balanced spiritually and emotionally.

She perceiveth that her merchandise is profitable: Her lamp goeth not out by night.

This does not mean staying up all night, much as I'd be tempted to interpret it that way! I've heard that in Bible times, a nightlight was kept burning in the house. However, if someone forgot to fill it before they went to bed – out it would go. Much as I'd love to burn the midnight oil, I find that I can't give my best work to God or my employer if I don't get enough sleep.

She layeth her hands to the distaff, and her hands hold the spindle.

No sewing is going on in this house, but certainly I can be reminded to make use of the small moments in the day, rather than frittering them away on things that neither refresh me nor fulfill the goals God has given me. Uh-oh. I'm sure some of my internet use falls in that category.

She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

A good reminder to give the commodity most precious to me: time. If I get lonely, don't some of the friends I've been neglecting feel the same way? This reminds me of a lovely promise that comes from the marginal reading of Isaiah 58:10: "Give to the hungry what your soul desires..." As a single girl, what do you desire most? Kindness? Love? A simple acknowledgment that someone knows you exist? If you give that out, "...then shall your light rise in darkness, and your obscurity be as the noonday; and the LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in dry places, and make strong your bones; and you shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not."

...to be continued

- by Elisabeth Adams

Books for Spiritual Formation

If I do not write a few more book reviews now I shall be hopelessly behind for the rest of the year. You are not too tired of hearing about books are you?

The books today all hail from Intervarsity Press in general (they published my beloved Book Lover's Guide to Great Books and Flirting with Monasticism) and Formatio in particular. All of Formatio's books are "steeped in the tradition of the church" which is a vastly welcome relief from the emergent church and pop culture Christianity so prevalent today. These are some of the honored few who find their home on my desk within continual reach. If you get the opportunity to read one for yourself you will see why.

Fasting by Lynne Baab
"Fasting is an expression of freedom." Have you ever thought about fasting as freedom? This is not just about abstaining from food and drink--there are a multitude of powerful ways to fast for spiritual growth. For which I am thankful because my physical health will not allow me to fast from food. Over the years I've learned of other paths to feeding my soul--this book is an encouragement along that journey. Not a long or difficult read and extremely practical, Fasting will challenge you to rethink your view of this spiritual discipline.

Invitation to Solitude and Silence by Ruth Haley Barton
To seek to fill a book with words about moving beyond words into solitude and silence is a daunting task; it is laughable really, if one sees the irony in it all. Yet Barton manages it, and manages it well. Solitude is one of the disciplines that I have not deeply studied but been interested in for over a decade. Over the years I have dabbled in my own attempts at solitude and silence when wisdom for decisions was desperately needed. For me, I can hear the Holy Spirit's promptings and the peace of God better in solitude than in any other way. The Lord has never left me without the guidance I sought.

Chapter by chapter [Barton] combines teaching and reflection on different aspects of the journey with activities and disciplines that will help you to practice solitude and silence. Barton offers the prophet Elijah as a biblical guide for your journey. And she offers her own perspective to help you understand the ups and downs you might experience along the way.

Ancient Christian Devotional edited by Thomas Oden and Cindy Crosby
This book can be used several different ways: I read it on the weekends as a supplement to my devotional and prayer times. One could also pick a portion to read each day such as reading the opening prayer on Monday, the Old Testament Reading on Tuesday, and so on. For those who may be intimidated at the thought of digging into the writings of the church fathers, Ancient Christian Devotional may be the perfect starting block. Not to mention it is a beautifully designed book!

We will be delving into these books and the spiritual disciplines espoused therein at HeartThoughts, so if you are interested in learning more or having some accountability and fellowship in exploring some of church history's riches you are more than welcome.

Biblical Studies and Theology from Crossway

As a P.S. to my entry the other day I figured I would share a few other things I've been reading. Today my entire pile of books is from one publisher: Crossway. They are pretty much my preferred publisher; though there are others whose new releases I will give some attention to, Crossway most consistently publishes thoughtful, solid volumes which fill a need.

Take the below four titles as a good sampling: none of them light reading but no matter your theological preferences or background, they make for good information from scholarly sources. So...today I present what I will call, "Books I am very glad to have on my shelf--and which I will be reading and referencing in the future."

Reasons for Faith: Making a Case for the Christian Faith edited by Norman Geisler and Chad Meister
This is good stuff. Far more than "just" another book giving information and basic arguments for religious movements, this 400 page resource begins with an "Apologetic for Apologetics" and goes on to cover many cultural and theological issues in this arena. (Especially check out "Aslan in the Public Square" and "Abortion, Research Cloning, and Beyond.")

The third part of the book is devoted to defending Christianity and finally we can examine six major religious groups alongside some brilliant authors. One thing I looked for in this book is a newer trend. Thankfully it is addressed by Chad Meister himself: open theism.

Not something you can read in one sitting, but this will get to keep prime real estate on the shelf closest to my desk.

Chad Meister and Norm Geisler have delivered a tour de force for apologetics in Reasons for Faith, a treasure trove of rich apologetical information addressing a myriad of relevant subjects. - R. Philip Roberts

The Word of God in English: Criteria for Excellence in Bible Translation - by Leland Ryken
Confession time: I'm one of those strange people who adored my class on introductory textual criticism and the history of Biblical translations. I'm one of those people who actually reads all 60,000 plus notes in the NET Bible as I'm doing my daily quiet time. I've begun a section of my library just for books on these topics--and this is a great addition.

Probably controversial, but far too well-researched and knowledgeable to ignore, The Word of God in English provides a great introduction to this topic for the lay person--or good review for someone who's a bit rusty.

Quo Vadis Evangelicalism? Perspectives on the Past, Direction for the Future: Nine Presidential Addresses from the First Fifty Years of the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society - edited by Andreas J. Kostenberger
This one is definitely a hefty read. Not as many of you will probably be interested enough to pick it up, but I personally think that students of theology should read about all the denominations and branches they can--from each of their best defenders and scholars. This is that for evangelicalism.

For those who think evangelical Christians are intellectually blinkered when they uphold the infallibility or inerrancy of Holy Scriptures, this book should give genuine pause. It constitutes a veritable treasure trove [we heard that before, didn't we?] of insights and reflections upon the meaning, import, and biblical warrant of the doctrine. - John Woodbridge, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Preach the Word: Essays on Expository Preaching edited by Leland Ryken and Todd Wilson
Yes, Leland Ryken is becoming one of my favorite authors--I have my eyes out for more of his books, particularly his ones on literature and the arts! We'll see if I can keep this one out of my dad's hands...not likely. I probably won't have it on my shelf for a few months.

One essay is by D.A. Carson, one of, if not the greatest expositor of the New Testament alive today. Dad and I are still using his For the Love of God for Bible study (my dad is still borrowing volume two!). Contributors also include Wayne Grudem (his sys theo is a classic), John MacArthur, Bruce Winter, and Duane Liftin.

What kept my mind intrigued all weekend...

I've had Karen Sloan's Flirting with Monasticism on my shelf for some time. I don't even know why I picked it up the other day. I must confess I read a bit of it every night, finishing it far more quickly than any other book since I got married. Absolutely fascinating and definitely a springboard to cause me to want to learn more.

Apologetics and studying the beliefs of all branches of Christianity is one area for which I seem to have an unceasing hunger. I have never heard of or read a book before that is written as a Protestant observing the Catholic church. Though there are obviously disagreements, what interested me is the author's determination to grow closer to the Lord through everything. She remained an evangelical, but one with a deep appreciation and love for some things rarely found in her Presbyterian church.

Whoever wrote the back cover copy not only did a great job of grabbing a reader's interest, but aptly described exactly what you will find inside the covers. I did not expect to hear so honestly from a young single woman's heart...not only about her spiritual journey but the surrendering of love to God...a good, pure love for an amazing young man whose life was set on a path that could not cross her own. Wow.

This is a love story.

Girl meets boy. Boy joins a monastic order. Their relationship sets a young woman on a much different path than she ever imagined.

Woven together in Karen Sloan's Flirting with Monasticism are two stories of love and commitment: her exploration of monastic spirituality set against the yearlong journey of a novice class of men preparing to join the Dominican order. Each breathlessly confusing but ultimately fulfilling step leads to unexpected treasures: new ways to pray, a deeper experience of Christian community, and closer communion with God.

"I have never read a gentler, more fully human or more candid story about the intersection of evangelical and Catholic ways of being the body of Christ on Earth. "

-Phyllis Tickle, compiler, The Divine Hours

Resolving Conflict

It's been around for a week or two, but I just now had time to read this article by C. J. Mahaney. Surely this is timely for all of us, yes?

What James understood--and what we must understand as well--is that the circumstances of a particular conflict can never be the root cause. Nor can they alter the root cause. That's good news for us, because regardless of the occasion or circumstances of our quarrels and fights, the biblical categories always apply. This should give us hope for discerning our hearts and resolving conflict...

In this article we will briefly explore both the root and solution, for they are inseparable. From these few and wise words of James 4:1-2 we learn three things about relational conflict:

Conflict is More Serious Than We Think
Conflict is Simpler to Understand Than We Think
Conflict is Easier to Resolve Than We Think

We deliberately make things too complex. What could be a relatively brief disagreement, repentance, and resolution becomes a week-long drama with hurt feelings, grudges, and talking that goes in circles. If we can understand how to resolve conflict in a godly way imagine how much more peaceful our lives and hearts can be. Read it all here.

The Great God Debate

Apologetics students will be particularly interested in this lengthy debate between Dr. Mark Roberts and Christopher Hitchens. Since it is a transcript, it reads a bit rough but if you take the time to dig in and evaluate their arguments you'll find some fascinating material.

It was a reminder to me of how earnest and sincere the opposition can be. If you only read the arguments for Christianity and the existence of God you are not being fully prepared for the battle. Intelligent men will tear your reasons to shreds if given the opportunity.

Dr. Cullen is absolutely welcome to say he believes in God, and even though he can’t seem to argue that as well, as he does elsewhere, that he’s a Christian. But it’s, as I say in my book, it’s an optional belief now. It’s been optional ever since LaPlace, when demonstrating the workings of the universe, was asked well, there doesn’t seem to be a God in this design of yours, he said well, it actually operates perfectly well without that assumption.

So you can make it if you want, but it’s completely superfluous. It can’t be integral to it. It doesn’t explain anything. Einstein did say he was not an atheist, but he went on to say that he had no belief whatever in a personal God. He was a spinozist, which is a very exact way of saying that you do not believe that God intervenes in human affairs. Keep reading...

Basic Greek--a good introduction for anyone

I've had stacks of books spread around me for weeks; prepare yourself for a string of book reviews in the next few weeks. Here's the start...

Eating dinner elbow-to-elbow around a college cafeteria table may not be the most efficient way to learn the Greek alphabet, but it worked for me. My friend used mealtime to study for his Greek Exegesis class. Somehow--I can't quite remember how--I found myself learning the alphabet and reading whole words off his ring of flashcards. It was not nearly as complex as it looked on first glance; it was fun!

The best book for interested readers who are unable to attend a college class is the classic Basic Greek in 30 Minutes a Day: New Testament Greek Workbook for the Laymen. Just re-released by Bethany House, Basic Greek provides a comprehensive overview of the basics of NT Greek understandable for anyone. First published over twenty years ago, this workbook is simply organized, straightforward in approach, and rather addicting. It took self-control for me to keep my hands off of it when I had other tasks to complete.

This is definitely a unique title--and a true introduction to the study of Greek which will not overwhelm an interested middle-schooler, college student, or working adult. Anyone who masters this book could confidently enter a Greek class and dive into more serious work. In Basic Greek you will learn the alphabet, basic pronunciation, a general outline of basic grammar, plus how to use lexicons and pursue further learning. There are hundreds of common New Testament words to be learned; the approach is intuitive and you begin reading comfortable almost before you realize it.

All in all, it works. I am keeping it on my shelf for my children someday.

Humanism is not a bad word

For my Anthropology class I'm reading a fascinating book by Ronald Allen called "The Majesty of Man" which has this quote that made me pause in surprise and awe. What a true statement--yet so well-put that I almost missed it entirely. :-)

I am a humanist. In truth, I believe it is only a thoroughgoing Christian who can ever have a right to that name. J .I. Packer, Knowing God
The word "humanism" has become the new shibboleth, the new watchword, in some evangelical circles. One who uses this word positively is in considerable danger of immediate judgement by the Jephthah's of our day. Blood still flows at the fords of the Jordan.

Wow. Oh, and if you have no idea what that quote is talking about, read the book of Judges. :)