Review: RSV Personal Size Bible (Sovereign Collection)

Thomas Nelson Bibles recently provided me with a complimentary copy of its new Personal Size Reference Bible, Sovereign Collection to review. Printed in the Revised Standard Version and bound in black genuine leather, this would be a beautiful gift or addition to your own library. It is available in black, brown, or purple Leathersoft, genuine leather, and some editions do have thumb indexed pages. All are printed in HarperCollins Christians Publishing's exclusive Comfort Print which makes Bible reading easy in any size font. This Bible, packaged in a sturdy elegant box, comes ready to present to your favorite college student and will be available August 13. Amazon's pre-order price for the edition I received is guaranteed at $109.99; the Leathersoft editions are priced at $49.99. ChristianBook.com is currently offering pre-order pricing at 34% off the regular price! 

The details that make this Bible so beautiful include two satin ribbon bookmarks, gilded edges, and simply illustrated drop caps at the start of each chapter. The gold print on the front and spine gives this edition a classic and sophisticated look. Its personal size, flexible binding, and soft cover make it suitable for daily use. 

In this world of smart phones and internet information at our fingertips, I find the addition of things like commentaries and concordances add to the bulk of a good Bible, making it cumbersome and less user friendly. This Bible is simple at its best. After the presentation page are the Table of Contents, the Preface, a list of the books of the Bible in alphabetical order and abbreviations; then it's time to dive right into the Word of God. The back of the Bible features lists of the parables and miracles of Jesus, a one-year Bible reading plan, a topical index, note pages, and full-color maps. The body of the text includes introductions to each book of the Bible, headings, and end-of-page cross-references. Pages are printed in two-column format, with the exception of the Books of Poetry (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon). 

If you are looking for a beautiful daily-driver or an elegant gift for someone to cherish, this is an excellent choice offered by Thomas Nelson Bibles, available for pre-order now and released August 13, 2024.

A Kingdom Foundation

Crash! Rumble, rumble, rumble. Those were the sounds coming from my kitchen the other morning. I'd been pressing some tofu and, for those not familiar, pressing removes most of the liquid so the tofu can be fried or grilled to a crisp on the outside. It's sort of a fun process for me --I know it's weird, but bear with me. I dice the tofu, line it all up on a cutting board covered with clean dishtowels and paper towels, and then reverse the paper towel, dishtowel layers, topping that off with a second cutting board and a wooden serving tray. I want as much weight evenly distributed across the tofu as possible, so I fill the tray with onions and potatoes and maybe a bag of dog treats. I warned you it was weird! The "fun" part is getting the distribution just right so any inconsistencies in the size of my tofu cubes doesn't cause the whole tofu tower to come sliding off the kitchen counter. That's what I heard that morning --tofu tumbling and onions rumbling. Naturally, the best way to avoid structural failure is to ensure the tofu is diced evenly, and I know that, but sometimes I foolishly do otherwise. Welcome to the point of all this: Laying a faulty foundation --in haste, out of laziness or ignorance or stubbornness, or for any other reason --can precipitate the need for extra work later on or can cause complete undoing.

In Matthew 7, Jesus is talking about the kingdom of heaven. Now, I know I said we'd be looking at the Kingdom of God, and depending on your doctrinal point of view, the kingdom of heaven and the Kingdom of God are one in the same or completely different; but if they are indeed the same, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God, and if they are different, one must be part of the Kingdom of God to one day enter the kingdom of heaven. So, we begin with the same premise: only those who have a relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ (v. 23) and because of that relationship then obey Him (v.21), will enter the kingdom of heaven. He goes on to illustrate the "building" of one's life: those who hear what Jesus says (gain knowledge) and apply that teaching (wisdom) are building on a rock, a solid foundation; those who hear (gain knowledge) but do not apply teaching (wisdom) are building on unevenly diced tofu (v. 24, 26). Well, Jesus says sand, but I've sort of paraphrased. 

Jesus says there are consequences to building a foundation. We, in the States don't really like to talk about consequences. We like to speak of benefits or results; consequences have a negative connotation. But consequences are really neither bad nor good: consequences are simply the event or condition that follows foolish or wise actions. The house built on rock (applied teaching or wisdom), for instance, withstands the floods and winds; the house built on sand (knowledge without application) crumbles to the ground in the presence of rain and wind (v. 25, 27). The tower built on unevenly cut tofu teeters and falls to the floor. The life built on something other than the applied teachings of Jesus, will fall when troubles come. 

The Kingdom of God is eternal. Imagine what that foundation must be like! Made of the best materials for all eternity, the strongest materials of the utmost integrity, the purest elements! There's not a human being on earth of whom that can be said. And yet, God builds His kingdom using people like you and me --so long as we hear the teachings of Jesus, apply them to our lives, and share them with others. Christ lives in us and the things we say, think, and do reflect His presence; His strength and power are within His people, and we are made righteous. He works in us, and we are to work for Him; not in a quid pro quo sort of arrangement, but out of gratitude, in relationship with our King, and as heirs to an eternal kingdom. A kingdom built on a rock, The Rock. If you are building your life, your house, your family, your future on any other foundation but that of Jesus Christ's authority and work, you are cutting corners, using shoddy materials, building on tofu. And the best you can hope for is to keep the mess to a minimum when everything comes tumbling down.

The Freedom of the Gospel

Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.” ’ ”

~ Matthew 13:24-30 

The kingdom of heaven is like... Well, today is our country's birthday, a day we celebrate freedom from the tyranny we can only read was in existence 200+ years ago. It's nothing we have experienced for ourselves, at least, not at the hands of a king, but --and I'm trying very hard not to turn this into a political post --it is something which we should be reminded never to allow again. Celebrating Independence Day, recalling all the freedoms we enjoy, is one way we do that. 

In the above parable, Jesus uses the story of two crops growing side by side. If you've ever pulled weeds from among the tender early shoots of vegetables or flowers growing in your garden, you know how important it is to ensure the roots of both have not become entangled; pulling up weeds could result in a much too early harvest of your intended crop. For a time, it is necessary to allow the two to grow together. Both receive rain. Both receive sunlight. Perhaps, you even spritz them with some Epsom salts solution or nourish the soil with some coffee grounds. The weeds grow right next to the crop but never yield anything of value; they will never be anything but weeds, threatening to destroy that which has been planted to provide sustenance and life. 

Obviously, weeds have no choice but to be weeds; Jesus, however, is talking about the kingdom. The kingdom is sprouting up right alongside the world. The world can see what those tiny seeds have become. The world can see the benefit of the Seed planted deeply in hearts, watered by the continued washing of the Word, cared for daily by prayer, obedience, and Scripture reading. The world can see the strong tree that sprouts up, providing shade and fruit and a place to rest. The world can see, and the world can choose. The world can choose to be cultivated and made fruitful by the Holy Spirit's presence in each heart. And the world can choose to remain a weed. That's part of the freedom of the gospel. 

Yes, the truth sets us free from our old ways of thinking, speaking, and doing things that were self-destructive and dishonoring to God --those who have been set free know that better than anyone. The gospel is offered freely to all who will receive; the debt was paid by a Savior at the cross. The gospel allows us to live a life free of sin and death with endless possibilities for the harvest in which we share. But the gospel also means the freedom to choose. It is not forced on any person. And though that may be distressing for those who have children and spouses and other loved ones who have denied the truth of the gospel, freedom is of inestimable value. 

Just imagine our country without it.

Midweek: Summer

The following was written by Heidi Gaul, and printed in Guideposts' Mornings with Jesus, May/June 2023:

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress.
~ 1 Timothy 4:15

The sun rises and sets, the moon shines in the sky, and the world continues its rotation around the sun. As the seasons advance, days lengthen from one to the next, the change imperceptible but undeniable. And then at last, the summer solstice arrives. The longest day of the year.

This has fast become one of my favorite days, and I get excited. As an avid gardener, it represents the heart of growing season to me. Seedlings stretch skyward, bees bounce from blossom to blossom, and the sun shines bright. Within weeks, harvest will begin.

As I consider Earth's slow but steady change and how it benefits my plants, I sensed an invitation from Jesus. Maybe I could turn certain behaviors around gradually, just as our planet does. This approach to self-improvement might be more successful that my failed New Year's resolutions. I decided to give it a try.

Like my garden, I allowed myself ample time and nurturing as I battled established habits. I watched for and celebrated every sign of growth. Instead of punishing myself for setbacks, I focused on growing for Jesus, with Jesus, and through Jesus. I learned to offer myself --and others --the same grace He's shown me. But more than that, I worked toward a spiritual harvest rooted in love, one rich with fruit (Galatians 5:22-23). One that is everlasting.

~ Heidi Gaul