Psalm 62

Not only do we not need anything besides God, we shouldn't even want anything else. God is the end-all and be-all, and any need we have that can't be satisfied by him is one we shouldn't have anyway.

God +  nothing = everything.

Review: TITUS GROAN by Mervyn Peake

In many ways Peake was the anti-Tolkein. Where The Lord of the Rings tends to sprawl, Peake's Gormenghast Trilogy (he died a few paragraphs into the fourth and final book) is insular and claustrophobic. While Tolkein's work is full of beautiful people doing noble things, Peake's is full of ugly people doing questionable things. Tolkein built a monument to a better time that existed only in his own mind. Peake held up a baroque mirror to his own.

While both men had wordy styles but Peake turns his to humor in this book, making it more enjoyable to read. Given its overall bleak outlook, though, I don't recommend it.

Psalm 61

Protect me, God.

Once again the psalmist tells of his dependence upon God for defense. He might have been a mighty warrior, but he knew his life was in God's hands, as are all of ours.

Take a load off, man

The fact that one of the Ten Commandments is about rest tells me two important things. First, it tells me that God takes rest very seriously. It also tells me that people have always been so focused on getting stuff that they have to be told to take a day off. 

The fourth commandment says to honor God one day in every seven. And what does he demand of his people on that day? Not some special ritual. Not that we gather together to worship him. Not that we do anything at all, but that we rest. That we "do no work". This isn't something new that came in with the Law of Moses; it was based in the creation itself, on God's rest on the seventh day. Now, God didn't need to rest any more than he needed six days to create the universe. It was an illustration for his people, be they Hebrews in 1000BC or us.

People always want more, whether it's more money, more power, or more security. And they're willing to work for them. It turns into a deadly trap when we come to depend more on what we can get than on God. We get to the point that we're willing to disobey him to get a little more of whatever we're after. This temptation is so strong that a prohibition against it had to be included in the Decalogue. People weren't meant to work all the time. We're made to need rest, and because we won't take care of ourselves, God has to make us.

An announcement

I have a new post up at The Bible Exchange, "You knew I'd write about evolution sometime". www.biblexchange.com

Psalm 60

Nothing else matters if God isn't for you.

You might achieve worldly success. You might be acclaimed by everyone. You might even defeat all your enemies. But you'll have to do it on your own, and in the end it won't mean anything anyway.

Review: THE FIRST ALGERNON BLACKWOOD MEGAPACK by Algernon Blackwood

Some of these are ghost stories, and some aren't, but they're all built somehow on the supernatural. They are perhaps best described as "spooky"; Blackwood was very good at creating forbidding and moody atmospheres.

Unfortunately, he was less good at pacing. There's a fine line between drawing things out to create tension and just letting them drag on too long. Too often Blackwood falls on the wrong side of that line.

It may just be the difference between readers in the 19th century and the 21st, but I found much of Blackwood's work boring. I don't recommend it.

Psalm 59

When nothing else can be relied upon, God can. A fortress of stone may crumble, but when you make God your refuge he will never fall. No one can stand against him, and no one can wear him down.

A mighty fortress is our God.

Review THE NET BIBLE (NOTELESS) by Biblical Studies Prress

NET stands for New English Translation, but it also refers to the fact that this was the first translation of the Bible done completely openly on the internet, incorporating suggestions from the public into the text itself. In its print form the vast majority of most pages is taken up with translators' notes, and the whole thing is available free online. There are two Kindle versions, with notes and without. I'm reviewing the one without notes.

I chose this one for a few reasons. First, it's free, which probably had a bigger effect on my decision than I like to admit. Second, I wanted to read the translation without being influenced by the notes. Third, if I got the one with the notes it would take about 14 years to read.

The translation is fine, though it hasn't become my favorite or anything, and I found it easy to read and understand. I don't read Greek or Hebrew, but people much smarter than I have said that it is roughly equivalent to the NIV as a thought-for-thought translation.

I still prefer the ESV, but this is a solid English Bible at an unbeatable price. I recommend it.

Psalm 58

Human judges may be wicked and corrupt, but God can never be.

Judges may wield godlike power over their fellow men, but that's no guarantee they'll be just or fair. But God is always just and fair. Justice and fairness are part of his nature.

Give us each day our daily bread

God doesn't need to be reminded that that we need provision. We need to be reminded, though, that everything is ultimately comes from God. The present is where we all live and all that really exists for us. That's why we don't have a month's worth of food in our houses; we have a month of chances to ask God to provide for us.

Psalm 57

Even though we like to think it is it's not really about us. In this psalm David asks for God's help not only for his own sake but for God's as well. When God saves him, he promises, he'll give thanks and praise for it.

God doesn't need the praises of his people, but he sure does like them.

Review: A DREAMER'S TALES by Lord Dunsany

These are more weird and beautiful stories by Lord Dunsany. If you've read The Gods of Pegana, Time and the Gods, or Fifty-One Tales, you know what to expect, though they tend to be longer and more complex.

It's important to remember that fantasy as a genre didn't exist at the turn of the 20th century, when these stories were being written. Today, he would be pigeonholed as a fantasy writer, but back then he was just an author who started his career with some odd stories. I like them, so I recommend this 

Psalm 56

"If God is for us, then who can be against us?"

Paul said that in his letter to the Romans, but it's the message of this psalm as well. David didn't like being taken by his enemies, but he expected God to give him the victory, like he always had.

Eternal insecurity?

I spent years -- most of my Christian life -- as a Baptist, though I was never entirely comfortable as one, even when I was ordained as a Southern Baptist pastor. For one thing, Calvinism was resurgent in those years, so I constantly felt like I was defending myself from that. For another, I've always struggled with the doctrine of eternal security.

Also (and unfortunately) called "once saved always saved", it basically says that once you make a profession of faith, you'll go to Heaven no matter what. The trouble was that I couldn't find anyone in the New Testament who talked that way. If you can't apostasize, or leave the faith, then you have to wonder why there are so many warnings against it.

Not believing in eternal security doesn't mean I'm always insecure about the state of my soul. Why would I be? That would be like an obedient son being afraid of being disowned for no reason.

An announcement

I have a new post up at The Bible Exchange, "The difference between nihil obstat and imprimatur". www.bibleexchange.com

Psalm 55

The psalmist asks for God's help because every other hand is against him and God has never let him down.

When there is no one else, there is God. When there is nothing but hate around you, there is the love of God. When everyone is against you, God will be for you.

Review: HOLY BIBLE, KING JAMES VERSION read by Max McLean

I wouldn't dare review the content, so I'll just stick to the translation and the performance.

I firmly believe that reading the KJV -- and learning to understand the KJV -- makes you smarter. Unfortunately, that's because it's almost in a foreign language. It was old-fashioned (by design) when it first appeared in 1611, and it's nearly incomprehensible now.

There aren't a lot of Bible versions Max McLean hasn't recorded.  As always, he gives a confident, professional performance, made even more commanding by the translation.

Despite the claims made by its most ardent supporters and its historical importance, the KJV is no longer the best translation available. Despite the great performance, I don't recommend this.

Psalm 54

David could trust God to protect him because God had always done so in the past. David trusted God, because he had never been given a reason not to. And he never would be.

God never breaks his word, and never lets his people down.

Review: A TALE OF TWO CITIES by Charles Dickens

Dickens is another of those Great Authors I've never enjoyed, a fact which I blame entirely on our public education system. Being made to read Great Expectations when I was 13 only taught me to hate Dickens. I still haven't finished that book.

In fact, this is only the second Dickens book I've finished, and it was ... okay. The device of using one family to explore and compare London and Paris during the French Revolution is a good one, and both it and the rest of the book are done well. As with Shakespeare, though, I can't see why he's so highly thought of. I don't recommend it, but that's probably my fault.

Psalm 53

What do you call someone who denies the existence of God. A fool.

The Bible says no one does good, but we meet people all the time who claim to do good. The way to reconcile this is to realize that there are two different definitions at work. Our definition is relative; it means we're better than other people. God's definition is absolute. It means perfect.

Your kingdom come

By saying this, we're saying that we want God's will to be done. A kingdom is a king's domain, a place where his laws are followed. This clause just means that we want everyone to acknowledge and obey God.

Psalm 52

If doesn't do any good to claim to do anything on your own. None of us have ever taken a single breath under his own power, and God doesn't like blowhards any more than any of us do. According to this psalm we should just do what the song says.

Tell 'em God Almighty's gonna cut 'em down.

Review: MR MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWER by CS Forster

This is the first of the Hornblower novels, a series set in the British Navy during the Napoleonic Wars. For decades I liked stories of the sea, from long before my Navy days. When my lovely wife got a subscription to Audible, they were some of the books I wanted to listen to. 

Unfortunately, I started the series around the time I was really working through what I believed, and I found I couldn't enjoy it. Though it's very well-researched, -written, and -performed, it's still about one group of people for whom Christ died killing another, and I can't recommend it.

Psalm 51

God wants repentance, not sacrifice.

The sacrifices of the Old Testament were meant to be an outward display of an inward contrition, not a replacement for it. That's why David knew that God wanted not more sacrifices, but a broken heart.

Ten comics that should be available on the Kindle

I love comics, and these days I can read only on a Kindle (actually a donated iPad with a Kindle app). Here are ten comics  that I've tried to find on the Kindle but can't, in no particular order.

Asterix-- Except this one. I don't know of anything I'd rather read but can't.

Scurvy Dogs-- This is one of the funniest things I've ever read, especially in its collected form.

The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck -- Along with its Companion, both by Don Rosa.

Cromartie High School-- I'm not a fan of most manga, or Japanese comics, but this one's hilarious.

The Reign of the Supermen -- The story where Superman died and came back with a mullet.

Pogo -- I haven't read a lot of Pogo, but what I've read I've really liked.

Marvel/DC phonebooks -- Marvel and DC have put out huge books of old comics in b&w. 

Van Von Hunter-- Another manga, but by Americans this time, and about an inept monster hunter.

Prince Valiant-- I didn't like this much as a kid, but I've really come to appreciate it.

Spider-Man/Human Torch: I'm With Stupid -- A look at two characters and their weird friendship.

An announcement

I have a new essay, "This is what trusting God looks like", at The Bible Exchange. You've been warned. You can't unsee it.

Psalm 50

God is the judge, and he won't hide his glory. He won't even try.

I have a minor in Christian counseling, which may be the most useless thing I've ever pursued. In one lecture, part of this psalm was quoted (out of context) to show that God isn't like us and therefore would never judge us. That's the exact opposite of what this psalm says.

Review: THE CHILDREN OF HURIN by JRR Tolkein

This is one of the "lost works" that has been painstakingly recreated from Tolkein's notes by his son Christopher. It's also very formal and full of elvish names; this is hardcore Tolkein, and not the place a beginner should start.

I heard the audiobook, and the absolute best thing about it was Christopher Lee's reading. He's been both an actor and a major fan of Tolkein's since long before I was born, and his deep British voice is perfectly suited to this.

There isn't much better than Christopher Lee reading JRR Tolkein. As an audiobook at least, I recommend it. 

Psalm 49

Even with all the wealth and greatness in the world, man without God is no more than a beast. Everyone is going to die, and this psalm describes the state of a soul whose body has been destroyed but which is still stuck in Sheol.

Hope can only be found in God.

Review: A CONTEMPORARY ANABAPTIST THEOLOGY by Thomas N Finger

The first half of this book consists of a retelling of the the histories of the three major strands of Anabaptism: Swiss, South German-Austrian, and Dutch. It's also very boring.

The second half might be better, but I never made it that far. This is an extremely dull book, and I don't recommend it.

Psalm 48

Jerusalem shouldn't rejoice because of its fortifications. It should rejoice because God is there.

The last time I preached was about this same topic. Nothing else matters except knowing God and being known by him. Jerusalem wasn't protected by towers and fortresses. It was protected by God.

Father, hallowed be your name

The first thing I notice is that the KJV has a much longer Lord's Prayer than the ESV does. There seems to be a lot missing. We have to remember, though, that the King James Version isn't the standard all Bibles have to meet. The fact that we might be used to it doesn't make it right, and it's just as sinful to add to Scripture as it is to subtract from it.

The important thing to notice here is that this model prayer begins with an acknowledgment of God as father and a recognition of his holiness. God is not referred to as a slavedriver or taskmaster; he's a loving father, not a whip-cracking overseer. Now, I know some people had very bad fathers, or no fathers at all in their lives, and they don't particularly want one now. I understand that, but it overlooks the fact that God is a perfect father. He is never absent or abusive. He sets rules, but he loves unconditionally,

The Lord's Prayer also recognizes that God is holy. That's all "hallowed be your name" means. To hallow something means to hold it sacred, to treat it as more important than yourself. To say something like that is to say that God is so great that even his name is too important to misuse. It's an acknowledgment that God is big and we're small.

Psalm 47

Be happy, because God is God. We don't need another reason. The one who loves us and wants to spend eternity with us is the same one who sits on the throne of the universe.

Praise God!

Review: JONATHAN STRANGE AND MR NORRELL by Susanah Clarke

This book is set in the early 1800s, which offers Clarke two advantages, which she uses to great effect. First, it allows her to mimic the style of the time. That partly explains the book's length, and why parts of it read like Jane Austen.

The other is that it lets Clarke use the Napoleonic Wars as a background. They come to the foreground as a result of Strange's involvement in the Peninsular War, and both there and as a backdrop it works well.

The book is basically about the conflict between the careful, systematic, "scientific" Norrell, who wants to isolate and control magic, and the wilder, more traditional Strange. Around this antagonism is built a fascinating alternate history of England, and Clarke leaves a good bit untold.

This is a very well-written book, with enough action, character moments, and mystery to fill its prodigious page count. I recommend it.

Psalm 46

You don't have to worry when God's in charge.

He won't give you everything you want. He never said he would. But he did say he would give you everything you need. That includes protection. God's people never have to be afraid, because he will stand up for his people, and nothing gets past God.

A philosophy of work

No one in the Bible retired. Moses was 120 when he died, and worked up to that day. Joshua led the army of Israel when he was 80. The Apostle John was around 100 when he got his great Revelation. If those men never stopped working for God, who am I to quit?

No, I'm not equating myself to those men. I think they were much greater than I am. I also know, though, that the same God who empowered them empowers me, and I'm capable of much more than I've done.

Psalm 45

People notice when you obey God.

Unlike most psalms, this one focuses on a man rather than on God. After extolling a warrior's prowess and wisdom, the psalmist reveals the source of that prowess and wisdom: the warrior's devotion to God.

Review: THE WORD OF PROMISE AUDIO BIBLE (NKJV) by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

This is a dramatized recording of the whole Bible, with music, sound effects and a large cast of well-known actors. I shudder to think what it cost to produce.

It came out in the wake of The Passion of the Christ, and this is reflected primarily in two ways. The packaging looks a lot like the movie's, and Jim Caviezel is cast as Jesus. I don't want to seem like I'm attacking Caviezel, but he's not a good enough voice actor to have such an important role. He seems to have been cast mostly because he played that role in the movie.

In fact, the casting is the biggest problem here. In fact, many people seem to have been cast for name value alone. I'm not saying that anyone does a poor job; this is fantastically done. I am saying that a recording of the Bible shouldn't depend upon unconverted people. For that reason I don't recommend it.

Psalm 44

The psalmist wonders why God has forsaken him when he's done nothing wrong. Sometimes you just have to keep going and trust that God is there, he knows what's going on, and he's in control.

I know that from personal experience.

Review: THE INDIVIDUAL AND WORLD NEED by Eberhard Arnold

This isn't about the world's economic needs, like I would have guessed. Instead, it's about the world's need for Christ.

This is a very short book but it's all about missions, and more importantly how individual Christians can be involved in the mission of the church as something other than moneybags. We in the West should give, but that shouldn't be all we do.

In the end, Arnold's little book is both inspirational and practical. I recommend it.

Psalm 43

Why do we worry, if God has promised to be with us?

It's hard to trust something you can't see; sometimes it's hard to even believe it exists. But it does. God does, and he's promised to be a defense and a refuge for those who trust him. 

The Lord's Prayer

Next week I'll start breaking it down and looking at each phrase. First, though, here's the whole thing, from Luke 11.2-4:

Father, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come.

Give us each day our daily bread,

and forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone who is indebted to us.

And lead us not into temptation.

Psalm 42

Just like yesterday's psalm, this one is praising God's constancy. Where the other one looked at the fickleness of human beings and the steadfastness of God, this one focuses on the fact that he always defends his people.

So why should our souls be troubled?

Review: CITY OF MAN by Michael Gersnor and Peter Wehner

This is a guide for how Christians should engage with secular government. Unfortunately, the authors' solution seems to be "more of the same". 

I was going to give a very long and detailed refutation of this argument but I'll keep it short and simple by just giving two reasons against it that should be sufficient:

1. The New Testament never tells us to take over a government, and never gives us an example of it to follow..

2. It never works anyway.

This is a more scholarly book than most I've seen on the subject, but ultimately it's no different. I don't recommend it.

Psalm 41

Everyone will fail you. But God never will.

Every person around you, even your best friend, is only one decision away from turning his back on you. But God has promised never to turn his back on the one who obeys him.

Welcome, and a little about me and the blog

If you're new here, I want to welcome you. If you're not, I want to welcome you back. I took about a month and a half off from this blog, but I'm back, which is better than the movie We're Back!, if only because it's shorter.

I'm 41 and I from Birmingham, Alabama. I have a beautiful wife and two gorgeous daughters and I'm so crazy in love with all of them it's not even funny. I also have both of my parents, two brothers and a sister, and about a thousand nieces, nephews, in-laws, and cousins. Foremost, though, I'm a Christian who tries to obey the New Testament explicitly. That means I'll offend you at some point, but it's never because I want to, or out of hatred.

The blog has settled into a schedule I try to keep. Mondays I write whatever I want. Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays I post book reviews, though if I ever catch up that'll go back to just Fridays . Wednesdays are what I call New Believers' Days. I try to give a little bit of basic teaching on something I think Christians should know about. Saturdays are for catching up and working on other things, and Sundays I rest and don't try to do anything productive. And every weekday I read a chapter of the Bible and write about it. It's not a commentary, devotional, or summary; it's just what goes through my mind as I read.

If for some reason you want more, I also post something every Saturday morning on The Bible Exchange (www.bibleexchange.com) and I write humor at COBRASAURUS!!!!! (www.cobrasaurus.blogspot.com).

Oh, and in early 2013 I had a stroke and have been paralyzed from the eyeballs down since. I forgot to say something about that.