Review: Timeless Truths Bible

The dust jacket reads:

ONE FAITH.
HANDED DOWN.
FOR ALL THE SAINTS.

I'm not exactly sure what that means, I'm not even sure if I agree, but here we are. This is the Timeless Truths Bible. It is written in the New English Translation, a translation published about twenty years ago with a ministry-minded approach. Entire books and chapters of this translation can be reprinted for ministry purposes with proper acknowledgement. In fact, translators' notes and Bible study resources are available through the website at netbible.org and netbible.com. 

I'll tell you from the door, I am thinking of keeping this one. If you've been here before, you may know, I usually share with others the Bibles I have reviewed. You may also know I am a "chucker." I dislike clutter, and I don't usually own multiple copies of anything. Months ago, I reviewed an Evangelical Study Bible. I liked it and kept it for desk use. But this Bible, the Timeless Truths Bible, combines art and Scripture. I'm not sure there's any pairing that appeals to me more than art and words. That makes this a tough text to pass on, ambiguous dust jacket blurb aside.

Okay, let's get to it. Bible Gateway has once again given members of its Bible Gateway Blogger Grid the generous opportunity of reviewing a Bible. I received a complimentary copy, but you can purchase yours at FaithGateway or Amazon. The copy I was given was a hardcover edition, single-column 9-point comfort print, with two satin bookmarks, a dust jacket, and full-color maps. The words of Jesus are not in red.

In the front of this Bible are two pages of Explanatory Notes regarding some differences in original and alternative manuscripts. I'm not sure I've encountered this before. Most Bibles I've used make these notations as footnotes to the text. 

There are two pages of introduction beginning each book. This information includes the earthly author, audience, date, purpose, themes, and some books are accompanied by historical background and insight from church fathers within these pages. There are no cross-references or verse-by-verse study notes; this is not a study Bible.

There are a few things that make this Bible appealing (to me) and unique. I've mentioned the art: full color pages of beautiful artwork by masters like Bruegel, Rembrandt, Tanner, and Caravaggio. Each one is listed with a brief description at the back of the Bible. 

Included throughout the text are creeds and major confessions to supplement apprehension of scriptural precepts. They provide a more foundational understanding of church history and its development through the years. Each chapter of this Bible is accompanied by a brief commentary from a figure in church history. There are commentaries spanning millennia from great minds like Basil the Great, John Calvin, John Wesley, Clement of Alexandria, Augustine, and Charles Spurgeon. As someone who paid little to no attention in my high school church history class, this Bible lights that fire and serves up tantalizing bits of exposition that have me revisiting these time periods and authors. 

Additionally, there are forty-six full-page biographies of historical church leaders! Sadly, it is with some of these supplemental portions that I have my greatest complaint. Why, for an edition focused so heavily on the writings of ancient and twentieth century church leaders, would you not index the full-page biographies and creeds/ confessions? There is a bibliography at the back, giving credit to those whose commentaries were included, but no index of these other important additions. For instance, the biography of martyr John Hus on p. 932 goes uncategorized; Zwingli, a major figure in the Swiss Reformation, is found in the bibliography because of his expository composition, but one has to page through to encounter his biography. Perhaps there was some desire to present a homogenous, cohesive picture, to join the lives of these leaders with the gospel that so radically inspired them. Perhaps this was an attempt to create a more devotional, meditative approach to God's Word and its influence on the lives of some of the "church greats." While the primary purpose of Scripture is not about those who lived in obedience to it and with a passion for it, it would be nice to have a quick-reference.

Overall, this is a beautiful Bible, what I would call a "collector's edition." It's gonna be tough to share, but looking at the piles of books on my desk right now, I think I'm gonna have to.

Buyer's Remorse

Buyer's remorse. I had a friend who, every time someone complained about some aspect of their life, he'd always chirp, "Buyer's remorse!" Haven't we all had it? Whether it's the $60 mascara that clumped and smeared, or the relationship we pursued (though we sort of knew was doomed from the start), or the gym membership we vowed we'd use, and did! (twice) --we've all invested money or time into things that didn't quite turn out as we wanted. Life in this world can leave us feeling a little betrayed. I didn't sign up for all of this. This is not the life I had planned. Where do I go for my refund?

In 1 Kings 18, we read how the prophet Elijah saw God do some pretty amazing things. First of all, God had Elijah go to King Ahab and pronounce His curse over the land --a drought. Three years in, God had Elijah present himself to the king again. Now, the king was none too happy about Elijah's first visit. In fact, he'd put a bounty on Elijah's head. But Elijah obeyed. The meeting resulted in a contest: Ahab's prophets of Baal against God's prophet Elijah. I suggest you read it for yourself, but I'll just give you the highlights: water, fire, mass execution, a teeny-tiny cloud, and a half-marathon. God made the impossible possible! Despite all of that, 1 Kings 19 tells us Elijah sat down under a broom tree and begged for death. The man God had mightily used was being hunted again, this time by the queen, and he was over it. Buyer's remorse.

Sometimes we have expectations. I remember when Scott and I started our business, our very first customer --someone we knew from a neighboring church --had hired us for a project. The work was completed, the customer voiced their approval and handed us the check. Days later (after paying our laborers) we were informed there had been a "Stop Payment" put on the check. Everything bounced. And we incurred the additional expense of an attorney as we tried to ascertain the reason for refusing to pay us, sought to make things right, and still tried to get paid for the work we had completed! As I prayed for days, I imagined what wonderful things God was going to do from this situation. Perhaps it was some mistake on their part, and we were going to learn a lesson on forgiveness. Perhaps there was something God was teaching them. Perhaps others would see the way Christian brothers and sisters handled disputes and would be moved to give God glory. Yay, God! Right? Well, it turned out, they didn't like the materials they had chosen, and we got paid. Case closed. Why, God? Right? To my knowledge, the outcome did not fit my expectations.

And that's sort of where Elijah was at this point. God had done all of this great stuff, for what? Nothing had changed. He'd gone from zero to hero and back to zero again. What was the use? Well, here we are, thousands of years later, assured there is nothing new under the sun. As human beings, we still try to anticipate God's plan. It brings us comfort to think we have some grasp on the unknown. It's hard to trust. As human beings, we still base our worth around our circumstances. If I haven't accomplished anything or if my relationship has failed or if I don't do well up against the others to whom I compare myself, I might as well lie down and die. As human beings, we still think more highly of ourselves than we ought. Romans 12:3 says Get over yourself! See yourself through the lens of truth --God's Word (translation mine).

Anticipating what God is doing is a huge waste of time. It's going to be bigger. It's going to be better. If we know Him, we know that. It may leave us with warm fuzzies or the illusion of control, but it will also cause us to be short-sighted so that all we are able to see is what we are willing to see. Our circumstances don't determine our worth; God does, and the Scriptures are where we should be going for those warm fuzzies on that issue. If we are children of the King, it is our pleasure and privilege to do all we can to bring Him glory. He is not some narcissistic dictator; He is not looking for sycophants or lackies. He is the Lord God, Creator of the universe, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; He is worthy and He is just. And we are not. But He loves us anyway. Loves us!

Shortly after Elijah's date with despair, God came to him in a very real, very tender way. He sent an angel to minister to the prophet. He also introduced Elijah to his new assistant and successor. God understands our weakness. He tells us through the psalmist that He remembers we are dust. And while we may find ourselves dealing with more than we can handle, He will never leave us or forsake us in it. We can do whatever He requires of us in His strength. And be completely satisfied in His purchase!

Midweek: Making Time for Quiet

The following devotional by Erin Keeley Marshall, was printed in Guideposts' Mornings with Jesus (May/ June 2023) on Wednesday, June 7:

If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. ~ Exodus 23:22

We're in the middle of an Indian cicada summer. The flying beasts are everywhere and they're loud. While I acknowledge the miracle of their seventeen-year hatch cycle, I wish they'd have self-awareness and stop offering so much unsolicited input. 

The world can be a noisy place, and I'm not just speaking about bugs. I'm bombarded with sensory overload, as opinions, beliefs, and ideas zoom my way and dive-bomb me out of nowhere, just like those noisy, annoying cicadas.

Processing information in the media, social media, or even in conversations with friends or family members can become especially difficult if I sense motives behind someone's words. This noise can spin my thoughts and cause confusion to the point that I might feel off-balance.

The enemy of my soul is noisy too. When he can't derail me with obvious lies and overt tactics, he works overtime in covert, subversive ways and I might not recognize him immediately. In the cacophony of chaos, I sometimes get caught off guard.

It's easy to forget that I was created to thrive in peace and truth. One of my favorite steadying habits is intentionally making time to listen to the quiet. I slip away from the television, my telephone, and my family to find a secluded spot to be still with Jesus. Only when I spend quiet time with Him do I find nothing bugs me, not even those annoying cicadas.

~ Erin Keeley Marshall

Where Do You Stand?

If I seek to stand well before men, I will not stand well before God.

~ from Luke 9:26 

Think of the teen who "follows the crowd." When he is discovered breaking the law simply because he imitates his friends, he will not stand well before his parents --or worse, a judge. His so-called friends may approve of his behavior, but against the standard of the law, he will not measure up. There may be a teen who wants so desperately to be accepted by her peers or, at least, just keep the peace, she pretends to be on board with their talk or their activities. But when it is revealed that she is truly not one of them, when she refuses to go along with their latest plot or engage in their perpetual gossip, she will not stand well with them. She may, however, stand well with her parents or other authority figures, those that have the authority and the means to really affect her life and future.

 In Acts 5:29, Peter and the apostles with him declared, "We ought to obey God rather than men." But what does that look like? Let's face it, even if you are an adult, our peer groups can have the greatest impact on our decisions. I think most of us are more likely to see a movie or buy a particular product if it has been recommended by one of our friends. They are "in your face," so to speak. We text or FaceTime; we share meals together or go to the same gym. We trust their character; we value their opinions. Hopefully, our friend group is diverse. Hopefully, we're not hanging out in an echo chamber for most of our lives. Our friends are those we get to know and respect. Therefore, we give them a greater voice than, say, a movie critic or a celebrity endorsement. I think the sidebar here is to be very careful about those you allow in your inner circle, so to speak. But back to the obedience thing. I guess the question we should be asking is: Are Jesus and I friends?

Now that might sound a bit simplistic, maybe even childish; but Jesus had friends of all shapes and sizes, members of all walks of life when He was here on earth. His being God didn't stop Him from wanting relationship then, and it doesn't stop Him now. If we believe Jesus is alive, if we believe He loves us enough that He died for us all those years ago, why shouldn't we believe He still calls us "friends?" And why shouldn't He be as "in our face" as the friend who was there when we were sick or promoted or widowed or very pregnant? Why shouldn't He be leading us in the things we watch or the things we purchase? Why shouldn't we be spending lots of time with Him, talking and learning about Him? Why shouldn't we take Him everywhere with us and acknowledge His being there? Why shouldn't standing well before Him --exalting Him and drawing the world's attention to Him --be the impetus for our decisions?

Someone once emphasized, when we lean toward one pole, we lean away from another. The mantras of the world: Follow your heart, or You do you, are the polar opposite of what obeying Jesus is all about. You can't heed the siren call of Self and not lean away from obedience to Jesus. If we are investing all we can in reaching the standards set by the world, we are making withdrawals on our crucified life, the life poured out in worship to Jesus. We are taking away from the life we should be living in order to live a life that will not last. Even the most noble standards of the world are the antithesis of those set by God; in fact, the Bible calls them "filthy rags." Paul, one of the greatest saints and apostles to ever live said that in his human nature nothing good dwelt. The result of sin. Now, as we grow in Christ, as we hide His Word in our hearts, as the Holy Spirit works in us, we become more like Him, we begin to reflect His character. We lean further away from the persons sin has made us and more toward what God intended His marvelous humanity to look like in the first place. We're not looking back at who we used to be, we're looking toward Jesus, keeping our eyes trained in the direction we want to go, leaning in, pressing toward the prize.

Let's get back to those crazy teenagers we met at the beginning of this article. The one who follows the crowd. He's leaning toward the things they want, the advice they are giving him. Isn't that what we do when we want to hear someone clearly or let them know we're listening closely? We lean in! He's leaning to hear what they're telling him. We say, "They have his ear." Which means he's leaning away from someone else. And that lonely little girl who wants to be like everyone else. She knows that's not the place to be; she knows how unstable that sort of foundation can be. When things get hot, they will drop her like a bad habit, and then where will she be? They might even leave her holding the bag when their machinations go sideways. So, she wises up and turns her back on them. Which means she has turned toward something or Someone else. She is beginning to assess when her devotion will really count for something; she is beginning to understand who will remain a true Friend. She is wanting to place her feet on ground that's not going to shift; she is wanting to stand and stand well.

We should all be seeking to stand well; but as we do, let's be sure the ground we're standing on is Rock.