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3-Minute Devotions for Men: 180 Encouraging Readings
[1683222504] [978-0062198693] A book 3-Minute Devotions for 180 Encouraging Readings Barbour Staff Paperback 2018
191 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 17, 2024
Very good devotional. Themes per day. Good size. Also nice at #180 so if you miss some days you don’t fall far behind. Thank you Tracy.
September 7, 2024
The Church forbids private interpretation and private translations of the Bible for good reason. Only a priest has the authority of Christ to instruct the faithful. Lay people may do so, but only on behalf of truly rightful authority, so that what has been given to him might be preserved, and not stained or perverted by human error in any way. Priests also, in their capacity as spiritual directors, teach what has been revealed because it comes from God, and not because they find it reasonable, although they should also find it reasonable. Fathers who instruct their children in matters of Faith do so not on their own authority, but constantly find recourse to the teachings of the Church, with no commingling of their own assessment of the same, without proper distinction between what is from God and what may be from God but nevertheless remains a product of reason.
Every word of this book is better left unsaid. In order to properly root out evil and establish the good, I will briefly quote a few instances of egregious error.
"The heart determines everything you do and say since it contains your value system," (Strauss, 24). A value system is principally predicated on one's reason. But right reason must remain subordinated to right Faith, for even human reason must be regulated (see "The Church Teaches," by the Jesuit fathers). Everything that is good comes from the Lord. He is incorruptible and wholly immaculate. Your conscience is not.
"A good man brings good things out of the good stores up in his heart, ... (Luke 6:45 NIV), (Strauss, 24). Luke 6:45 Holy Trinity Edition: "The good man from the good treasures of his heart brings forth that which is good..." Find recourse to the teachings of the Church, perhaps St. Augustine, as to the significance of the term "treasure" which is lost in the rash NIV translation.
"Yet the Bible is clear that salvation is based on faith in Christ and not on your good works," (Strauss, 25). "So faith too, unless it has works, is dead in itself," (James 2:17, Holy Trinity Edition).
"When a Roman governor protested that Paul was out of his mind for believing in Jesus, Paul replied, 'I am not insane. ... What I am saying is true and reasonable,' (Acts 26:25 NIV). The Christian faith not only is true, but also makes sense," (Strauss, 65). "'I am not mad, excellent Festus,' said Paul, 'but I speak words of sober truth...,'" (Acts 26:25 Holy Trinity Edition). One should believe in Christ because He is the Christ, not because one finds it reasonable, although one should also find it reasonable. Faith is superordinate to reason. "For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe-that unless I believe I shall not understand," (St. Anselm).
"Ironically, the only way to overcome sin is to stop fighting it," (Strauss, 67). It should be abundantly obvious how wrong this is. It is impossible to overcome sin by natural power. The actual grace necessary to overcome sin is cooperative in nature - the operation of God and the operation of man together, not one or the other. The act of God does not negate the act of man, but fulfills it. "We can keep from committing sin by praying and by receiving the sacraments; by remembering that God is always with us; by recalling that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost; by keeping occupied with work or play; by promptly resisting the sources of sin within us; by avoiding the near occasions of sin," (Baltimore Catechism III, p. 45-46).
"'Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in,' (Matthew 7:7 MSG)," (Strauss, 81). "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you," (Matthew 7:7 Holy Trinity Edition).
"'Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's,' (Exodus 20:17 MSG). Exodus 20:17 (NKJV) says, 'You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.' But 'covet' is a bit of an archaic word," (Strauss, 123). "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, not his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his," (Exodus 20:17, Holy Trinity Edition). All the words of the Bible are archaic. This why the Church forbids private interpretation, because someone reading the same words without a full understanding of the language of the time will likely interpret it incorrectly and will remain prone to error.
"'Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now,' (Psalm 138:8 MSG)," (Strauss, 133). "The Lord will complete what He has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands," (Psalm 138:8, Holy Trinity Edition).
"The women know it's the right tomb. ... But suddenly two angels are there in lightning-bright garments. ... But the angels' message is simple: 'Go tell His disciples.' ... but then this cloud is blowing back up to the sky with Jesus on it, his hands outstretched. Then ... two angels appear in bright garments and ask, 'What are you doing standing here?'" (Strauss, 141). "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment like snow. ... But the angel spoke and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen even as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was laid. And go quickly, tell his disciples that He has risen; and behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him. Behold, I have foretold it to you,'" (Matthew 28:3, 5-7, Holy Trinity Edition). I found no record of the two angels appearing after the Ascension in any of the four Gospels. Strauss also uses quotes here but fails to reference the quotation.
The Word of God is utterly immaculate, wholly inviolate, and the Church would not suffer to part with so much as a syllable of its truth. Hence even reading a perfect translation should be done with the understanding that some significance will be lost on account of the shortfalls of the translated language. The solution then is to study the exegetical analysis of the Saints and Doctors who did have the capacity to study and understand the original Hebrew, such as St. Jerome and St. Augustine, and not rashly presume one has acquired the right sense in which the Scriptures were written. But even this knowledge should not be sought rashly, but must be subordinated to the end of right Charity. "Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies," (I Cor. 8:1, Holy Trinity Edition).
Every word of this book is better left unsaid. In order to properly root out evil and establish the good, I will briefly quote a few instances of egregious error.
"The heart determines everything you do and say since it contains your value system," (Strauss, 24). A value system is principally predicated on one's reason. But right reason must remain subordinated to right Faith, for even human reason must be regulated (see "The Church Teaches," by the Jesuit fathers). Everything that is good comes from the Lord. He is incorruptible and wholly immaculate. Your conscience is not.
"A good man brings good things out of the good stores up in his heart, ... (Luke 6:45 NIV), (Strauss, 24). Luke 6:45 Holy Trinity Edition: "The good man from the good treasures of his heart brings forth that which is good..." Find recourse to the teachings of the Church, perhaps St. Augustine, as to the significance of the term "treasure" which is lost in the rash NIV translation.
"Yet the Bible is clear that salvation is based on faith in Christ and not on your good works," (Strauss, 25). "So faith too, unless it has works, is dead in itself," (James 2:17, Holy Trinity Edition).
"When a Roman governor protested that Paul was out of his mind for believing in Jesus, Paul replied, 'I am not insane. ... What I am saying is true and reasonable,' (Acts 26:25 NIV). The Christian faith not only is true, but also makes sense," (Strauss, 65). "'I am not mad, excellent Festus,' said Paul, 'but I speak words of sober truth...,'" (Acts 26:25 Holy Trinity Edition). One should believe in Christ because He is the Christ, not because one finds it reasonable, although one should also find it reasonable. Faith is superordinate to reason. "For I do not seek to understand in order that I may believe, but I believe in order to understand. For this also I believe-that unless I believe I shall not understand," (St. Anselm).
"Ironically, the only way to overcome sin is to stop fighting it," (Strauss, 67). It should be abundantly obvious how wrong this is. It is impossible to overcome sin by natural power. The actual grace necessary to overcome sin is cooperative in nature - the operation of God and the operation of man together, not one or the other. The act of God does not negate the act of man, but fulfills it. "We can keep from committing sin by praying and by receiving the sacraments; by remembering that God is always with us; by recalling that our bodies are temples of the Holy Ghost; by keeping occupied with work or play; by promptly resisting the sources of sin within us; by avoiding the near occasions of sin," (Baltimore Catechism III, p. 45-46).
"'Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in,' (Matthew 7:7 MSG)," (Strauss, 81). "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you," (Matthew 7:7 Holy Trinity Edition).
"'Don't set your heart on anything that is your neighbor's,' (Exodus 20:17 MSG). Exodus 20:17 (NKJV) says, 'You shall not covet ... anything that is your neighbor's.' But 'covet' is a bit of an archaic word," (Strauss, 123). "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, not his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his," (Exodus 20:17, Holy Trinity Edition). All the words of the Bible are archaic. This why the Church forbids private interpretation, because someone reading the same words without a full understanding of the language of the time will likely interpret it incorrectly and will remain prone to error.
"'Finish what you started in me, God. Your love is eternal - don't quit on me now,' (Psalm 138:8 MSG)," (Strauss, 133). "The Lord will complete what He has done for me; your kindness, O Lord, endures forever; forsake not the work of your hands," (Psalm 138:8, Holy Trinity Edition).
"The women know it's the right tomb. ... But suddenly two angels are there in lightning-bright garments. ... But the angels' message is simple: 'Go tell His disciples.' ... but then this cloud is blowing back up to the sky with Jesus on it, his hands outstretched. Then ... two angels appear in bright garments and ask, 'What are you doing standing here?'" (Strauss, 141). "His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment like snow. ... But the angel spoke and said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you seek Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here, for He has risen even as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord was laid. And go quickly, tell his disciples that He has risen; and behold, He goes before you into Galilee; there you shall see Him. Behold, I have foretold it to you,'" (Matthew 28:3, 5-7, Holy Trinity Edition). I found no record of the two angels appearing after the Ascension in any of the four Gospels. Strauss also uses quotes here but fails to reference the quotation.
The Word of God is utterly immaculate, wholly inviolate, and the Church would not suffer to part with so much as a syllable of its truth. Hence even reading a perfect translation should be done with the understanding that some significance will be lost on account of the shortfalls of the translated language. The solution then is to study the exegetical analysis of the Saints and Doctors who did have the capacity to study and understand the original Hebrew, such as St. Jerome and St. Augustine, and not rashly presume one has acquired the right sense in which the Scriptures were written. But even this knowledge should not be sought rashly, but must be subordinated to the end of right Charity. "Knowledge puffs up, but charity edifies," (I Cor. 8:1, Holy Trinity Edition).
May 18, 2023
This was ok. Not especially focused on men, which is a bit silly but as part of deeper/other devotionals it’s a good wee soundbite.
Some days it’s great. Others it’s a bit ‘light’ but that’s the case with most devotionals.
Some days it’s great. Others it’s a bit ‘light’ but that’s the case with most devotionals.
April 11, 2024
Gave this book to my husband for Christmas. He would talk about what he read each day. I was so thrilled with his excitement about it that I also read it. Easy to read and daily encouragement. It was a great way to start the day.
March 17, 2022
Really good book for daily prayers!
November 2, 2025
Loved it.
November 23, 2024
These devotions are undated, short and have a short prayer which makes an ideal supplementary book for use when one is feeling unwell or in a time of poor concentration or when the emergencies of life demand much of one's time. I found the book invaluable at such times.
One thing which I found strange was the switch of the Bible version being used even within the same devotional. However, this really is a personal preference rather than a fatal flaw in the book.
The prayers would need to be read over them before use so they can be adapted to suit the particular circumstances of the reader.
I thought that some very, very few devotions strayed close to 'God wants Christians to be wealthy' teaching.
On the whole, a useful book to have in one's Christian library.
One thing which I found strange was the switch of the Bible version being used even within the same devotional. However, this really is a personal preference rather than a fatal flaw in the book.
The prayers would need to be read over them before use so they can be adapted to suit the particular circumstances of the reader.
I thought that some very, very few devotions strayed close to 'God wants Christians to be wealthy' teaching.
On the whole, a useful book to have in one's Christian library.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews