Thankful Thursday: From the Book

Traditions...

Every year, my mom gets out the traditional Thanksgiving photo album scrapbook. It's great fun to look back and see what family members wrote in previous years as to what they are thankful for. Family is a recurring theme. Here's my entry for this year:

In March, when Grandpa died, I realized how terrific a family I come from. I am thankful for each member. I'm also thankful for the gift of godly friends, the gift of a mandolin, and the gift of depending on Jesus daily. ~*~

Each year also features a different Bible verse or passage. Not coincidentally, this year's was the one I happened to be memorizing this morning:

Now therefore, our God,

We thank You

And praise your glorious name.

But who am I, and who are my people,

That we should be able to offer so willingly as this?

For all things come from You,

And of Your own we have given You.

For we are aliens and pilgrims before you,

As were all our fathers,

Our days on earth are as a shadow

And without hope.

(1 Chronicles 29:13-15)

Truly, I am thankful to be dependent on Jesus daily. Everything really does come from HIM. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful Thursday: Good Books

I heard once that you can tell a lot about someone by what's on their bookshelf. Apparently I am not the same person that I was before Ellerslie (no one ever is!) because ever since I came back my book collection has, without any conscious action on my part, taken on a whole new character. Stick around and I'll take you on a virtual tour of all my best books... well, almost all of them.

Exhibit A

One of the shelves of my dresser. Baby name books, assorted Christian books, my NASB and Precious Moments Bibles, miscellaneous journals, calligraphy books, and on the far right, the novel of novels, Scottish Chiefs.

Exhibit B

The it-didn't-fit-on-the-shelf stack atop my dresser. With the exception of The Believer's School of Prayer by Andrew Murray, these are all post-Ellerslie. The pink book is by a fellow student.

Exhibit C

My primary music collection. L-R: Guitar music folder, piano music folder, church worship team collection, Ellerslie song collection, hymnal. 

Exhibit D

 

My current bedside study stack. Because He Loves Me (thanks Kristen!!!), The Calvary Road, and the dual-service notebook. Also my very old KJV Bible.

Exhibit E

The best for last! This stack goes upstairs and downstairs every single day, minus the concordance. My NKJV Bible, Journal, and mechanical pencil are my best friends. More of Jesus!!!  Books that point to Him are worth giving thanks for.

PS: You know how there's always somebody who misses picture day and doesn't get their pretty face included in the yearbook? Well, here too. Not pictured: Rees Howells - Intercessor, and my Ellerslie Session Notes.

A book about the Book

 Another book recommendation!

After being advised to read some Puritan authors, I decided to see what I could find in our library's catalog. It was a simple search because I could only remember one eligible name: Matthew Henry. To make things even simpler, the only item featured by him in the whole interlibrary system was...

 

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible 

So I checked it out. And it's fantastic. Don't panic at the ginormous size. I got an somewhat abridged edition and it's still huge. Just read what you can. I especially like reading what he says about passages that I'm already pretty familiar with. My favorite section that I've read so far is the very beginning: Genesis 1. It's good stuff. Plus, I realized that one of my favorite quotes came from this book:

“Eve was not taken out of Adam's head to top him, neither out of his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected by him, and near his heart to be loved by him.” - Matthew Henry

Blessings as you treasure the best Book of all!

Have you met Brother Andrew?

Book recommendation of the month! Title: God's Smuggler. Author: Brother Andrew.

More than anything else, I love reading or hearing stories of God showcasing Himself, and that's what the book is. It's about a man, known only as Brother Andrew due to the nature of his work, and how God got ahold of his life and gave him a ministry. He made many trips behind the Communist Iron Curtain to encourage the persecuted church and distribute Bibles. Many pastors and entire churches didn't own even one Bible! The stories are exciting and more incredible than any fiction, and testify to the faithfulness of our God. I was left praising God, as well as burdened to pray for the modern persecuted church.

There's also a "sequel" - the story of Brother Andrew's later work with Muslims, called Secret Believers. That's next on my reading list!

Coincidence? I think not!

Tell me I'm not just seeing things...

Books

As most of you probably know, I'm a big reader. These are some books I've read in the past couple months:

The Bravehearted Gospel by Eric Ludy
This is a powerful book. I would recommend it to all Christians, and especially pastors. It has a culture-defying message, a call to lay aside everything that entangles us and to wholeheartedly serve our Mighty God. A call for us to follow the cross, the world behind us, no turning back.

Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy
Wow! From the very first chapter, this book spoke to my soul even more directly than The Bravehearted Gospel. It's specifically written to women about the awesomeness of giving your whole life to Christ. It has definitely called me to seek the Lord even more and surrender everything to Him. This may be a girls' book, but it's full of braveheartedness! I can't recommend it enough, and I'm only halfway through it!

Before You Meet Prince Charming by Sarah Mally
To be honest, I thought I had read enough relationship books to last me for a while. But the compelling title (true for me!) and some shining recommendations persuaded me to go for it, and I'm glad I did! Refreshingly pure presentation, but with a relevant and Godly message, it was an instant favorite. I think my favorite aspect of it was that it was geared to girls who came from a like background as me (Christian, with Godly parents, already wanting to be pure, etc.).

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
Surprised? I prayed a lot before I read this series... and strangely enough, God gave me a green light. Or so I thought. More likely I was listening to my own temptations. I can't recommend it to anyone. Though the numerous "you've got to read this book" comments I got could count as "whatever is of good report" (Phil. 4:8), after reading it myself I have to conclude that it cannot count as noble, pure, virtuous or edifying. The values of the characters were contrary in so many ways to God's Word, and it is true that it is portraying evil as good. In many ways it reminded me of the Harry Potter books. Sensationally addictive but not spiritually edifying.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
This was a book assigned for school, but I was glad to finally have the chance to read it. I haven't finished it yet, though I'm close, (and I know how it ends). It's been interesting, but the character of Jane is a bit gloomy, and therefore the book has been too. Still, I've enjoyed it. A couple more chapters to go...

Finally... the best for last!
Ephesians,1 Corinthians, & 2 Corinthians written by Paul, inspired by God
Genesis written by Moses, inspired by God
Proverbs written by King Solomon, inspired by God
Psalms written by King David and others, inspired by God
If you can't read anything else read these! Hugely powerful, educational, and encouraging. :D

The Bravehearted Gospel and dying to self.

I just finished listening and watching Eric and Leslie Ludy's second online event. They were talking about the message in their new book The Bravehearted Gospel. (To be honest, even though I got a virtual advance review copy, I have not read it yet, due to technical difficulties.) Despite not having read the book yet, I think I have an basic concept of what the book's about: returning the church to the true Gospel; fighting and standing up for the truth that is in the Word of God. The Ludys are passionate about Jesus and about calling His followers to truly follow Him. Along with their video feed tonight, there was a video clip and an audio sermon, both of powerful preaching by Paris Reidhead. They can be accessed at www.braveheartedgospel.com. One of the things from the very end of the audio sermon that stuck with me was this story. (here is a excerpt from a transcript of the actual sermon.)

Two young Moravians heard of an island in the West Indies where an atheist British owner had 2000 to 3000 slaves. And the owner had said, "No preacher, no clergyman, will ever stay on this island. If he's ship wrecked we'll keep him in a separate house until he has to leave, but he's never going to talk to any of us about God, I'm through with all that nonsense." Three thousand slaves from the jungles of Africa brought to an island in the Atlantic and there to live and die without hearing of Christ.

Two young Moravians heard about it. They sold themselves to the British planter and used the money they received from their sale, for he paid no more than he would for any slave, to pay their passage out to his island for he wouldn't even transport them. As the ship left its' pier in the river at Hamburg and was going out into the North Sea carried with the tide, the Moravians had come from Herrenhut to see these two lads off, in their early twenties. Never to return again, for this wasn't a four year term, they sold themselves into life time slavery. Simply that as slaves, they could be as Christians where these others were. The families were there weeping, for they knew they would never see them again. And they wondered why they were going and questioned the wisdom of it. As the gap widened and the housings had been cast off and were being curled up there on the pier, and the young boys saw the widening gap, one lad with his arm linked through the arm of his fellow, raised his hand and shouted across the gap the last words that were heard from them, they were these, "MAY THE LAMB THAT WAS SLAIN RECEIVE THE REWARD OF HIS SUFFERING!" This became the call of Moravian missions. And this is the only reason for being, That the Lamb that was slain may receive the reward of His suffering!

When it was finished, I was just shocked. When I read in the Bible Jesus' teachings to "count the cost and take up your cross" and to "die to yourself", it doesn't usually sink in what it means to "die to yourself". To have all my dreams, joys, wishes, comforts, inclinations and opinions not just subservient, but cast aside entirely, deserted. Dead. To really live out the song "I Surrender All". To give unconditionally without thought to self... that sounds familiar. It sounds like love. It sounds like Jesus.