I just finished reading Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man last night - a beautiful, encouraging, and convicting book that I would heartily recommend. Originally written as a letter, Scougal concluded each section with a prayer, and I found the final prayer very heart-warming.
"And now, O most gracious God, father and fountain of mercy and goodness, who hast blessed us with the knowledge of our happiness, and the way that leadeth unto it, excite in our souls such ardent desires after the one, as may put us forth to the diligent prosecution of the other. Let us neither presume on our own strength, nor distrust thy divine assistance; but while we are doing our utmost endeavours, teach us still to depend on thee for success.
"Open our eyes, O God, and teach us out of thy law. Bless us with an exact and tender sense of our duty, and a knowledge to discern perverse things. Oh! that our ways were directed to keep thy statutes, then shall we not be ashamed when we have respect unto all thy commandments.
"Possess our hearts with a generous and holy disdain of all those poor enjoyments which this world holdeth out to allure us, that they may never be able to inveigle our affections, or betray us to any sin; turn away our eyes from beholding vanity, and quicken thou us in thy law.
"Fill our souls with such a deep sense, and full persuasion, of those great truths which thou hast revealed in the gospel, as may influence and regulate our whole conversation, and that the life which we henceforth live in the flesh, we may live through faith in the Son of God.
"Oh! that the infinite perfections of thy blessed nature, and the astonishing expressions of thy goodness and love, may conquer and overpower our hearts, that they may be constantly rising toward thee in flames of devoutest affection, and enlarging themselves in sincere and cordial love toward all the world for thy sake: and that we may cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in thy fear, without which we can never hope to behold and enjoy thee.
"Finally, O God, grant that the consideration of what thou art, and what we ourselves are, may both humble and lay us low before thee, and also stir up in us the strongest and most ardent aspirations toward thee. We desire to resign and give up ourselves to the conduct of thy Holy Spirit; lead us in thy truth, and teach us, for thou art the God of our salvation; guide us with thy counsel, and afterward receive us unto glory, for the merits and intercession of thy blessed Son our Saviour. Amen."
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Publication of Novel
It's been awhile since I posted on here. I had good intentions to post before the month of July was out, but - so much for that! But hopefully this is an excuse.
My novel is being published.
I signed the contract today with Ambassador-Emerald International to publish my first work, entitled "The Soldier's Cross." I wrote most of it last year for National Novel Writing Month and then completed it in the months following. It is a historical fiction for mid-teens and older readers, set in the early 15th Century and revolving around the English invasion of France by Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt. The main character is Fiona, the daughter of a lesser nobleman in England, who leads a comfortable and satisfying life on their secluded manor; but with the death of her older brother at the Battle of Agincourt, her world falls apart. When his body is brought back home, she finds that the silver cross he wore around his neck - and which, he told her, brought him peace - is missing, and she believes that she has had a vision that she is to find and retrieve it. But she finds that she is not looking for the pendant so much as she is its meaning, and in her journeys she struggles to find peace in the harsh world of the Middle Ages.
"The Soldier's Cross" will release by Christmas 2010. A cover design and an option to pre-order will be coming soon, so check out my other blog at Scribbles and Ink Stains.
My novel is being published.
I signed the contract today with Ambassador-Emerald International to publish my first work, entitled "The Soldier's Cross." I wrote most of it last year for National Novel Writing Month and then completed it in the months following. It is a historical fiction for mid-teens and older readers, set in the early 15th Century and revolving around the English invasion of France by Henry V and the Battle of Agincourt. The main character is Fiona, the daughter of a lesser nobleman in England, who leads a comfortable and satisfying life on their secluded manor; but with the death of her older brother at the Battle of Agincourt, her world falls apart. When his body is brought back home, she finds that the silver cross he wore around his neck - and which, he told her, brought him peace - is missing, and she believes that she has had a vision that she is to find and retrieve it. But she finds that she is not looking for the pendant so much as she is its meaning, and in her journeys she struggles to find peace in the harsh world of the Middle Ages.
"The Soldier's Cross" will release by Christmas 2010. A cover design and an option to pre-order will be coming soon, so check out my other blog at Scribbles and Ink Stains.
Notable Quotables
I have been reading Henry Scougal's The Life of God in the Soul of Man over the past couple weeks. It was written in the 1600s for one of Scougal's friends, and the friend found it so helpful that he later published it; it was instrumental in the salvation of that great preacher, George Whitefield, who said that "I never knew what true religion [ie, Christianity] was till God sent me this excellent treatise." It is a fairly short book, but is deep and thought-provoking and I prefer to take it bit by bit, instead of reading a huge chunk all at once. Fortunately it is broken up into parts in an outline form, which makes that easier. The whole book has been wonderful, but certain quotes have stood out to me.
Thus, Scougal aptly terms true religion "Divine life," and for a believer, it is indeed the life of God in the soul of man.
Later, in speaking of the excellency of Divine love and how all our affections ought to be directed toward God, he says -
Thoughts?
"They know by experience that true religion is a union of the soul with God, a real participation of the Divine nature, the very image of God drawn upon the soul, or, in the apostle's phrase, 'it is Christ formed within us.'" (pg. 44)
Thus, Scougal aptly terms true religion "Divine life," and for a believer, it is indeed the life of God in the soul of man.
Later, in speaking of the excellency of Divine love and how all our affections ought to be directed toward God, he says -
"But, certainly, that passion which account[s] its object a Deity, ought to be bestowed on Him who really is so... Those chains and cords of love are infinitely more glorious than liberty itself: this slavery is more noble than all the empires of the world." (pg. 73)
Thoughts?
Magical
A friend of mine and I were discussing the musical Wicked over email, and the conversation led on to the subject of magic in such books as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Wizard of Oz. Magic is a controversial topic among some Christians, especially among adults with young or teenage children; some parents say that what their children read is up to them, whether it be Harry Potter or Twilight, but that's a different discussion. The other two main camps are the ones who say that all representations of magic in fiction are evil or dangerous, and therefore books containing them should not be read; and those who say that magic has its place in children's literature, if used correctly. So the question is really, is all magic equally bad?
The most common use of magic is in what we call fairytales. They've been around for centuries - the originals of the Disney movies we see today, like the story of the Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, and a myriad of others - and mothers have told them to their children for years. They are less popular now in that form than they used to be, but the Disney productions are every bit as loved. They contain a great deal of magic, but it is not the same as is portrayed in the Biblical account of Saul consulting the witch of Endor: at least, the magic of the "good characters" is not. "Magic" is the label placed on the power that the fairies possess and use against the witches and other evil creatures, and it is meant, not to advocate black sorcery, but to illustrate the beauty and power that Good has. And does Good, God's perfect Goodness, not have power? Does it not have the power even to do miracles? And is it not also beautiful? These two things are combined in the words "magic" and "magical" - they are why we call things like a clear winter night, or moonlight on a lake, or hundreds of scarlet and orange leaves in an autumn wind, 'magical'.
These children's stories have much deeper truth in them than we give them credit for when they use magic. Not only do they show the power of Good, but they also contrast it with the sorcery of Evil. In the 21st Century, we logical thinkers often forget the fact that there are powers out there that we don't see; power from the Devil, that Father of Lies, but a greater, eternal power from the throne of God. Whether the creators of fairytales knew it or not, they were expressing very Christian facts when they spoke or wrote their stories. Does not Paul himself say that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"? This is what parents forget in banning the truthful, honest fairy-stores from their bookshelves. Children ought not to be deprived of those higher, overarching truths.
Now, as a caveat, I will add that stories which support sorcery are by no means edifying reads. That is to take a fairytale and twist it out of its truth, and many modern authors and authoresses have done just that in their novels - and even children's stories. But tales like The Chronicles of Narnia (which I have often heard attacked) are fairytales with a larger scope; look at the power of Jadis, which turns creatures into stone, and then look at the power of Aslan, which can turn stone into life again. That is an illustration of the truth of Evil and Good, and a powerful one, at that.
The most common use of magic is in what we call fairytales. They've been around for centuries - the originals of the Disney movies we see today, like the story of the Beauty and the Beast, Snow White, Rumpelstiltskin, and a myriad of others - and mothers have told them to their children for years. They are less popular now in that form than they used to be, but the Disney productions are every bit as loved. They contain a great deal of magic, but it is not the same as is portrayed in the Biblical account of Saul consulting the witch of Endor: at least, the magic of the "good characters" is not. "Magic" is the label placed on the power that the fairies possess and use against the witches and other evil creatures, and it is meant, not to advocate black sorcery, but to illustrate the beauty and power that Good has. And does Good, God's perfect Goodness, not have power? Does it not have the power even to do miracles? And is it not also beautiful? These two things are combined in the words "magic" and "magical" - they are why we call things like a clear winter night, or moonlight on a lake, or hundreds of scarlet and orange leaves in an autumn wind, 'magical'.
These children's stories have much deeper truth in them than we give them credit for when they use magic. Not only do they show the power of Good, but they also contrast it with the sorcery of Evil. In the 21st Century, we logical thinkers often forget the fact that there are powers out there that we don't see; power from the Devil, that Father of Lies, but a greater, eternal power from the throne of God. Whether the creators of fairytales knew it or not, they were expressing very Christian facts when they spoke or wrote their stories. Does not Paul himself say that we "wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms"? This is what parents forget in banning the truthful, honest fairy-stores from their bookshelves. Children ought not to be deprived of those higher, overarching truths.
Now, as a caveat, I will add that stories which support sorcery are by no means edifying reads. That is to take a fairytale and twist it out of its truth, and many modern authors and authoresses have done just that in their novels - and even children's stories. But tales like The Chronicles of Narnia (which I have often heard attacked) are fairytales with a larger scope; look at the power of Jadis, which turns creatures into stone, and then look at the power of Aslan, which can turn stone into life again. That is an illustration of the truth of Evil and Good, and a powerful one, at that.
Grace
I recently reread some of A.W. Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy and came across this beautiful passage in his chapter "The Grace of God."
"We can never know the enormity of our sin, neither is it necessary that we should. What we can know is that 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' To abound in sin: that is the worst and the most we could or can do. The word abound defines the limit of our finite abilities; and although we feel our iniquities rise over us like a mountain, the mountain, nevertheless, has definable boundaries: it is so large, so high, it weighs only this certain amount and no more. But who shall define the limitless grace of God? Its 'much more' plunges our thoughts into infinitude and confounds them there. All thanks be to God for grace abounding."
What an inspiring truth! And one that we as Christians often take for granted and lose sight of altogether. But Tozer is right; if we would meditate on the "much more" of God's grace, it would overwhelm us and fill us with joy. I don't think we can read passages like Romans 5:20-21, or Ephesians 2, or I John 3:1-3, without some measure of delight in the love of Christ, which "surpasses knowledge." How great is the love of God.
"We can never know the enormity of our sin, neither is it necessary that we should. What we can know is that 'where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' To abound in sin: that is the worst and the most we could or can do. The word abound defines the limit of our finite abilities; and although we feel our iniquities rise over us like a mountain, the mountain, nevertheless, has definable boundaries: it is so large, so high, it weighs only this certain amount and no more. But who shall define the limitless grace of God? Its 'much more' plunges our thoughts into infinitude and confounds them there. All thanks be to God for grace abounding."
What an inspiring truth! And one that we as Christians often take for granted and lose sight of altogether. But Tozer is right; if we would meditate on the "much more" of God's grace, it would overwhelm us and fill us with joy. I don't think we can read passages like Romans 5:20-21, or Ephesians 2, or I John 3:1-3, without some measure of delight in the love of Christ, which "surpasses knowledge." How great is the love of God.
Literary Tag
Now, I don't go in for tags in general, as I told Merriette, but since this one was literary I thought I would give it a go. It was created by Mandy, not me, myself, or I.
1. What is your favorite book?
Difficult question, as I have a great many books that I am fond of. I would say that The Knowledge of the Holy is my favourite nonfiction work, and either Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis) or Ben-Hur (Lew Wallace) is my second favourite.
2. What is your favorite character in that book and why?
The Knowledge of the Holy doesn't have an actual character, so that doesn't pertain. In Till We Have Faces I love all the characters - Psyche for her purity and beauty, Orual for her human struggles. In Ben-Hur, Judah is my favourite.
3. If you could spend a day as a character in the book who would it be and why?
Certainly Psyche in Till We Have Faces, as she was the god of the mountain's bride, and probably Esther in Ben-Hur because of her faith.
4. Would you rather read Pride and Prejudice or Little Women?
Pride and Prejudice, hands down; I like the latter, but Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hold a special place in my heart.
5. Where is your favorite place to read a good book?
In bed, just before lights-out. It's the most peaceful time and place.
There. Now, perhaps tomorrow I'll have time to write a longer and more thoughtful post. Thanks for the tag, Merriette!
1. What is your favorite book?
Difficult question, as I have a great many books that I am fond of. I would say that The Knowledge of the Holy is my favourite nonfiction work, and either Till We Have Faces (C.S. Lewis) or Ben-Hur (Lew Wallace) is my second favourite.
2. What is your favorite character in that book and why?
The Knowledge of the Holy doesn't have an actual character, so that doesn't pertain. In Till We Have Faces I love all the characters - Psyche for her purity and beauty, Orual for her human struggles. In Ben-Hur, Judah is my favourite.
3. If you could spend a day as a character in the book who would it be and why?
Certainly Psyche in Till We Have Faces, as she was the god of the mountain's bride, and probably Esther in Ben-Hur because of her faith.
4. Would you rather read Pride and Prejudice or Little Women?
Pride and Prejudice, hands down; I like the latter, but Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hold a special place in my heart.
5. Where is your favorite place to read a good book?
In bed, just before lights-out. It's the most peaceful time and place.
There. Now, perhaps tomorrow I'll have time to write a longer and more thoughtful post. Thanks for the tag, Merriette!
The Knowledge of the Holy
"Can you by searching find out God? can you find out the Almighty unto perfection? It is as high as heaven; what can you do? deeper than hell; what can you know? The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea." Job 11:7-8 (Zophar)
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah 55:7-9
It's pretty clear from the Bible that Man is incapable of "finding out," or completely knowing, God. How can we? He is infinite, and we are finite; He is eternal, and we are mortal; He is perfection, and we are broken and sinful creatures. We cannot even fully know our own hearts; how can we understand the Almighty God? We can't.
And yet, for the very reason that His ways are not our ways, God has blessed us with a means of knowing Him in part. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is "the image of the invisible God," and in whom "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," that we might know Him. And when Christ ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to "lead us into all truth." We have the Scriptures so that we may know the God we worship. Through the guidance of the Spirit who indwells us, we can now "discover" God through His Word - not fully, of course, but we can have a taste of the unfathomable wonders of God.
A.W. Tozer, who lived from 1897 to 1963, wrote and published an innumerable amount of books and essays on God, the Christian life, and all manner of theological issues - really stupendous works, like "The Root of the Righteous" and "Jesus: Our Man in Glory." He's known as a true prophet, because the things he wrote at the turn of the 20th Century are still true and needed now. When he died, the only thing written on his gravestone was "A.W. Tozer: A Man of God." Now that is a wonderful thing to be known for!
Late in his life, he published a work under the title The Knowledge of the Holy. It's a little book that delves into the perfections, or attributes, of God; each chapter deals with a different aspect of God, but Tozer weaves them all together and shows clearly that none of His "attributes" are really separate from one another. We know that God is One, and all His perfections are One. God is not at odds with Himself; all His thoughts are unified.
The book is a wonderful, beautiful look at God. We can't plumb the depths of His thoughts or ways, but we are called to know Him better all the same, and this little work by a Man of God is perfect for that. It is absolutely a must for all believers, young and old in the faith, because how can we worship or love God without longing to know Him better?
"Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. 'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.'" Isaiah 55:7-9
It's pretty clear from the Bible that Man is incapable of "finding out," or completely knowing, God. How can we? He is infinite, and we are finite; He is eternal, and we are mortal; He is perfection, and we are broken and sinful creatures. We cannot even fully know our own hearts; how can we understand the Almighty God? We can't.
And yet, for the very reason that His ways are not our ways, God has blessed us with a means of knowing Him in part. He sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is "the image of the invisible God," and in whom "dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily," that we might know Him. And when Christ ascended, He sent the Holy Spirit to "lead us into all truth." We have the Scriptures so that we may know the God we worship. Through the guidance of the Spirit who indwells us, we can now "discover" God through His Word - not fully, of course, but we can have a taste of the unfathomable wonders of God.
A.W. Tozer, who lived from 1897 to 1963, wrote and published an innumerable amount of books and essays on God, the Christian life, and all manner of theological issues - really stupendous works, like "The Root of the Righteous" and "Jesus: Our Man in Glory." He's known as a true prophet, because the things he wrote at the turn of the 20th Century are still true and needed now. When he died, the only thing written on his gravestone was "A.W. Tozer: A Man of God." Now that is a wonderful thing to be known for!
Late in his life, he published a work under the title The Knowledge of the Holy. It's a little book that delves into the perfections, or attributes, of God; each chapter deals with a different aspect of God, but Tozer weaves them all together and shows clearly that none of His "attributes" are really separate from one another. We know that God is One, and all His perfections are One. God is not at odds with Himself; all His thoughts are unified.
The book is a wonderful, beautiful look at God. We can't plumb the depths of His thoughts or ways, but we are called to know Him better all the same, and this little work by a Man of God is perfect for that. It is absolutely a must for all believers, young and old in the faith, because how can we worship or love God without longing to know Him better?
More Dark Than Light
The easiest way to find a good book these days is to dig one up that was published more than fifty years ago. Modern books can almost always be counted on to have some bad content in them, whether or not they're published by Christian editors.
What is it with Americans' current love of gory, creepy suspense? Gross romances? Admittedly, even in the 1800s Gothic novels were in vogue among the younger generation (as addressed by Jane Austen in her Northanger Abbey), but that was more of a fad. Now it's a settled thing. Everybody reads these books, and almost everybody writes them; they're everywhere, populating the Amazon website and the Barnes & Noble bookshelves.
It's to be expected from non-Christian authors and publishers, but it's very galling when it comes from writers who purport to be Christian. Some examples that spring to mind are Francine Rivers, Stephen R. Lawhead, and Ted Dekker; very popular names, but you can't open one of their books without expecting something bad in the pages. Is it right that books under the genre of "Christian" should have such shock-value?
Generally the excuse that people use is that the books are darkening the "evil" to make the "good" appear even brighter. But it isn't really necessary. A reader can get a feel for a villain's evil character without the author having to go into gritty detail. What happens in a lot of good-against-evil stories in which the writer has tried to do this is that the accentuated evil overpowers the righteousness. Sure, you probably have the redemption in the end, but most readers will come away with a clearer memory of the bad things than of the good. Teenagers read Ted Dekker's and Frank Peretti's books for the suspense, the dark murders, the horror aspects - not for the light and the beauty of God's Word. Readers come away from many "Christian" romances with more information than they needed.
These books and authors aren't salt and light in the world. What's more, they don't help readers in their faith. Whatever happened to Paul's exhortation in Philippians?
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)
What is it with Americans' current love of gory, creepy suspense? Gross romances? Admittedly, even in the 1800s Gothic novels were in vogue among the younger generation (as addressed by Jane Austen in her Northanger Abbey), but that was more of a fad. Now it's a settled thing. Everybody reads these books, and almost everybody writes them; they're everywhere, populating the Amazon website and the Barnes & Noble bookshelves.
It's to be expected from non-Christian authors and publishers, but it's very galling when it comes from writers who purport to be Christian. Some examples that spring to mind are Francine Rivers, Stephen R. Lawhead, and Ted Dekker; very popular names, but you can't open one of their books without expecting something bad in the pages. Is it right that books under the genre of "Christian" should have such shock-value?
Generally the excuse that people use is that the books are darkening the "evil" to make the "good" appear even brighter. But it isn't really necessary. A reader can get a feel for a villain's evil character without the author having to go into gritty detail. What happens in a lot of good-against-evil stories in which the writer has tried to do this is that the accentuated evil overpowers the righteousness. Sure, you probably have the redemption in the end, but most readers will come away with a clearer memory of the bad things than of the good. Teenagers read Ted Dekker's and Frank Peretti's books for the suspense, the dark murders, the horror aspects - not for the light and the beauty of God's Word. Readers come away from many "Christian" romances with more information than they needed.
These books and authors aren't salt and light in the world. What's more, they don't help readers in their faith. Whatever happened to Paul's exhortation in Philippians?
"Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Philippians 4:8)
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