Midweek: The Armor of God Bible (for children)

Thomas Nelson has once again given me the opportunity to peruse and review a Bible from their wide selection. This complimentary copy of the Armor of God Bible is recommended for children ages 6-10. It is my opinion, unless your child has been really well-trained in Bible study, age six is a bit young and would require quite a bit of adult guidance. For independent use and study, I suggest it would be suitable for ages 8-13. The copy I received was paperback (though there are other editions available), red-letter, New King James Version, and is printed in Easy-to-read 9-point Comfort Print®. There is a presentation page to make gift-giving personal.

As for the front matter, the Table of Contents provides additional structure by labeling the Books of the Bible according to genre: Law, History, Poetry, Epistles, etc. There is an article providing overview of the Armor of God as found in Ephesians 6:14-17 and an explanation as to how to help your child get the most out of this thematic Bible. Fifty-Two devotions rooted in the Armor of God are found throughout the text, and five hundred notes connect each piece of armor by icon to different verses throughout the Bible. The devotionals are helpful and suitable in length. They explain a passage, give relevance, and add suggestions for further study and application. The notes pull the text together with regard to the armor of God. The devotionals and notes are indexed in the front of the Bible. Also indexed, are the "Be Strong" icons that are found by Scriptures that encourage your child to Be strong in the Lord, and the "Battle" icons that throughout the Scriptures, draw attention to military battles and mentions of spiritual warfare. A list of "Twenty-Five Key Verses to Motivate and Encourage You to Share the Good News" reminds us we need to search the Scriptures for the strength to engage in sharing the Gospel with a world that rejects it. This, too, can be a battle, but it is a battle in which we are all commanded to engage. Additionally, there are articles that present the Gospel succinctly, encourage readers to pray and memorize the Scriptures, and provide a few "Interesting Bible Facts." 

Within the text, each book is preceded by an introduction which includes the place of the book in the Gospel message. The introduction for 2 Chronicles, for instance, reads:

"Second Chronicles focuses on the temple, the place where God lived among His people. Although the temple had been destroyed, it would be rebuilt. Jesus came to be a better temple. He is God who lives with His people. Jesus died on the cross, but He came back to life, proving that all who trust in Him will live forever too."

The aforementioned devotions and helpful icons are scattered throughout as well.

Lastly, there is a one-year Bible reading plan, a sixty-day plan that focuses on some of the main points of Scripture, a thirty-day plan to familiarize your child with who God is, and a thirty-day introduction to Jesus as well. The final pages of the Armor of God Bible include a list of prayers in the Bible, miracles in the Bible, age-appropriate topical Scriptures, a dictionary-concordance, blank pages for notes, and eight colored maps.

I always hesitate to purchase thematic Bibles, even for children. We go through various seasons and, while truth is timeless, building a Bible --something your child will use for years --around a particular facet of truth can be tricky. I think we open the door to misunderstanding or familiarity when we try to fit the message of the Bible and its varied books and authors into one theme. Seeing Scripture in light of a single idea other than Jesus can, in my opinion, force the reader to (subconsciously or otherwise) put biblical concepts in a specific box and neglect understanding and applying the truth as it is presented. Other than my personal opinions on thematic Bibles, I would recommend the Armor of God Bible for the proper age group. It is a solid Bible with some helpful study additions. 

Thoughts Turned Heavenward

Images of cerulean waters and pristine beaches flashed across the screen. Who would ever want to leave this paradise? a talking flip-flop asked.

"Mom, I wouldn't leave. Would you?" asked our youngest as we endured yet another commercial.

Isn't that for which we all long? Paradise. Rest. Unmarred beauty. A final perfect residence. We were made to long for something more than this earth --even with all of its breathtaking places --can offer. We were made to long for heaven, the place inhabited by the God of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. A place that is not cursed. A place of matchless beauty. A place prepared for us. A place of light. A place where angels will continue to minister to us. A place of perpetual worship to our God. 

But is heaven, the object of our heart's desire, a location? Years ago, a pastor asked me, "If God was not in heaven, would you want to go?" I'd never considered that. My faith centered largely around the idea of escapism. The "something better" at the end of a difficult life here on earth, like a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. 

In Luke 22:41-44, Jesus agonizes in the garden hours before His excruciating death: 

And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Angels appeared to Him, strengthening Him for what was to come.

In Matthew 4:5-6, Satan appears to Jesus in the wilderness, tempting Him to recklessly defy gravity in a prideful test of God's Word:  

“If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:
‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’
and,
‘In their hands they shall bear you up,
Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

When Jesus rebuffs all of Satan's temptations, angels come and minister to Him (Mt. 4:11). 

Angels sent from heaven to refresh, strengthen, protect, minister. For what purpose? In the case of Jesus' time in the wilderness, to prepare Him for the start of His ministry. In the case of Gethsemane, to prepare Him for the terrible, wonderful hours to come. There is a bigger picture here. Jesus does not just bide His time in obedience, waiting for a time of relief, an end to His labors to come. Jesus is working, suffering, enduring so that He might work, and suffer, and endure even more! The angels do not appear, ready to bestow on the King some climactic reward. They come to refresh Him that He might go further in His obedience. The rest, the reward, the refreshing, the peace is not the end game. Obedience that brings glory to the Father is the endgame for Jesus. And it should be our endgame as well.

Yes, we long for heaven. Yes, we should long for heaven. Yes, we were made to long for heaven. Because heaven is God's presence. Jesus came to earth so that heaven, the presence of God, might be among His people. Therefore, as ambassadors of Christ, our work is to bring eternal things, the Spirit of God and His fruit, into a temporal place --earth. We are to be heavenly-minded but not in the sense we yearn for some perfect retirement village established for worn out saints. That would be settling for less than what God has in store for us. We are to train our thoughts on the things of heaven because they are the things of God, His kingdom come to us, His will done on earth as it is by His messenger angels in His presence. And those things of heaven revealed to us, His servants, commissioned to serve Him and bring Him glory for all eternity.

   

Precious Love

According to the calendar, it is National Retro Day --whatever that means. So, in celebration, I decided to take a little break and repost an article from February 27, 2011. Have a great day and enjoy this throwback!

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So, it's Oscar time again, and as usual, I'm on top of things! Last week I sat breathlessly through the Oscar nominated movie, "Precious." OK, a mere 365 or so days behind, but some movies are just meant to be seen alone, at your own pace. In case you're one of the four or five other people left who have never seen it, this is the gist: obese, illiterate, inner city kid coping with motherhood, pregnancy, and eventually HIV, victimized sexually by her father, abused emotionally and physically by her mother, struggles to overcome her disadvantages, finding love and self-worth along the way. Some criticized it for being "over the top" -- too many stereotypes, too may social issues addressed in one film, and too much drama for one character. Fine, deny its reality, but you can't deny its premise -- one victimized at every twist and turn, one struggling for "normal" in an environment so dysfunctional that "normal" has been expunged from existence.

Point is, I found myself, probably like most who saw it, knowing darkness and struggle exists in our society, but not wanting to believe it. The dead walk the streets of our cities and towns; the empty sit next to us on buses and benches. It's that moment when we first ask ourselves, "How can anyone live like that?" that we choose to ignore. Its answer eventually leads to a desperate realization we need action, and who but ourselves is there to take up that action? So, we emerge from a darkened theater and reject the existence of such defect, or shake our heads in disgust before retreating to the safety of busy schedules. The truth is, there are many Anyones, and change is facilitated by the Ourselves. Our wonderment needs to move beyond empathy or disgust, out of our hearts and minds, onto our lips, regardless of our busy schedules, and into our hands and feet. Which, by the way don't belong to us. God gave us tools with which to serve others and bring glory to Him. We are His servants and ambassadors in Christ Jesus. History has shown, as well, the blessing that we receive when we help others; God has promised to prosper those who do His Will. Let us not ever forget Who ransomed and redeemed us, Who put us here with purpose, Who blessed us with our very next breath, and Who calls us to love as we have been loved - with action, with selflessness, with His very hands and feet.

Midweek: The Open Bible, NKJV

It's been a while since I've shared a review with you. Today, I'm happy to review what has been called "The Ultimate Reference Bible," Thomas Nelson's Open Bible, 50th Anniversary Edition. In short, I would say I agree with that assessment. The complimentary copy I received is brown Leathersoft™ with stitched edging, printed in NKJV Comfort Print®, and comes tucked into a protective sleeve. It is beautifully gilt-edged, with a red satin bookmark and a presentation page, the words of our Lord printed in red, and has a lifetime guarantee --perfect for gift-giving! It is available in hardcover and genuine leather editions as well. So, let's get into it! 

Of course, there are the usual Bible furnishings:

• Table of Contents
• a list of Book Abbreviations
• Bible study plans (and a seven-page guide to various methods of Bible study)
• a table of Monies, Weights, and Measures
• a Harmony of the Gospels
• a Jewish Calendar
• a list of Jewish Feasts
• an Index to Starred Messianic Prophecies
• full-color maps

There are some other "typical finds" in any good study Bible, but those in The Open Bible are what I would call "super-charged." There is a Topical Index which, in many Bibles contains a couple hundred entries; that of The Open Bible is 230 pages containing over 8,000 entries! The five-page chart of Prophecies of the Messiah Fulfilled in Jesus Christ contains the prophecy and its fulfillment written out for easy reference. The Parables of Jesus Christ and The Miracles of Jesus Christ (usually simple lists in other Bibles) are articles that provide references and small summaries of each entry. 

In the front matter, there is a beautiful and creative, 23-page Visual Survey of the Bible. This graphic overview shows "the entire flow of the Bible's panorama of events," according to one website. Included in this summary sketch are principles that can be extracted from sections of Bible history and guided challenges for the reader to respond to those principles. Two wonderful articles, The Scarlet Thread of Redemption, by the late Dr. W.A. Criswell of the SBC, and a comprehensive and heavily notated article, The Christian's Guide to New Life, by the late Paul R. Fink, provide the reader with a foundational look at Scripture and guide to its practical application. 

Each book is a prefaced by an introduction that provides the Who?, Why? and Where?, but also includes an outline of the book and a case for finding Jesus Christ in that book of the Bible. A very important addition, I believe. Throughout the text are notes, cross-references, and study helps like charts, illustrations, maps, and shorter features which explain biblical concepts and aid the reader in his/her study. Uniquely, between the two Testaments is an article addressing "the period of silence," the four hundred years in which no commissioned prophets spoke to Israel. Though the Torah was considered to be closed, and the Messiah had not yet come, God was far from inactive. The article Between the Testaments outlines God's work during this period. Many other articles and, once again, a super-charged Concordance make up the rest of this compendious, highly recommended reference Bible.  

The brown Leathersoft™ edition I received is available through Amazon for $77.13; but as of this writing, is on sale at Christianbook for $51.83 and faithgateway for $55.99.