Harmonize Before You Play...

"Do not have your concert first and tune your instrument afterwards. Begin the day with the Word of God and prayer, and first of all get into harmony with Him." Hudson Taylor

Augustine Nails It

Though his original quote, cited next, is deadly...deadly...accurate; it would also be accurate....deadly accurate...were the word "Bible" substituted for the word "Gospel"...and certainly that is the growing...and growing rapidly...cancer of the professing church today...

"If you believe what you like in the Gospel, and reject what you don't like, it is not the Gospel you believe, but yourself."

Augustine

Your Own Fault...Your Own Duty

Amazing how contemporary this is, considering it was written over 150 years ago...

 "I hear many daily complaining that there is such difference and contrariety among preachers, they know not what to do nor scarce what to believe.

 My answer is, Do but your own duty, and this trouble is at an end. is there any contrariety in the book of God? 

Pin not your faith upon men's opinions; the Bible is the touchstone. 

That there is such diversity amongst teachers is their fault, who should think all the same thing; but that this is so troublesome to you is your own fault, for neglecting your duty of trying all things by the Word. Alas! you are in a miserable condition, if you have all this while relied on the authority of men in heavenly things."

John Owen

Yawn, Time to Read the Bible...or....

Would that I would be as excited as Snoopy when opening the very Word of God each morning...

You Are What You Eat

"Thy Words were found, and I did eat them..." said Jeremiah. If "you are what you eat" let's work hard to see that we have a steady "diet" of the Word of God (not "just" books about the Word) and the "natural" thing is that we'll transmit/show/declare that Word which burns within us...as in the ghost ants below:

Most books, yeah, But not the Bible

Somerset Maugham said, “The only important thing in a book is the meaning it has for you.”

This may well be true of most books; but it is not true of the sixty-six books contained in The Book.

"Well, what this verse is saying to me..." sounds okay at first blush...and certainly the Spirit of God uses the Word of God to speak directly to us in a variety of ways. But that same Spirit wrote through human authors with certainty and primary meaning. As we "work out our salvation in fear and trembling" it does, in fact, take work (and time) to "study to show ourselves approved..."

To rightly hear from God it is vital to read in context...and that is why I continually encourage people to read the Word the way it was written...book by book rather than hopping around reading a few verses here, and a few verses there.

In these days when there is so much garbage "preached," written, and taught; it is vital for us to become rooted and grounded in the Word of God.

There are no shortcuts to anywhere worth going....

Agree on What We Disagree On

Very good, and very important (though it will offend some who bow at the altar of "tolerance," nonjudgmentalism, and big-tent-we're-all-God's-children stuff) from KEVIN DE YOUNG

Why can’t all the professing Christians in the world look past their differences and just get along?
Because some of those differences are irreconcilable. Most significantly and most foundationally, the three main branches of Christianity in this country–Roman Catholic, Liberal Protestant, and Evangelical Protestant–do not agree on the locus of authority. We don’t answer the question, “What is our final authority?” in the same way.
Every Christian acknowledges that in some sense our theology and ethics must “accord with Scripture.” But whether that means “Scripture along with Church Tradition” or “Scripture as redefined through personal experience” or “Scripture alone” is what separates us. And as long as we disagree on this matter of authority, we should not expect genuine spiritual unity among the three groups. There can be no unity where there is no agreed upon authority.
Let me show you what I mean.
Peter Kreeft (Roman Catholic):

Most Protestants reject all Catholic doctrines they cannot find explicitly in Scripture–for example, Mary’s Assumption into heaven–because they believe sola scriptura: that Scripture alone is the infallible authority. This is the fundamental reason behind all the differences between Protestant and Catholic theology. (Catholic Christianity, 20).

Gary Dorrien (Liberal Protestant):

The essential idea of liberal theology is that all claims to truth, in theology as in other disciplines, must be made on the basis of reason and experience, not by appeal to external authority. Christian scripture may be recognized as spiritually authoritative within Christian experience, but its word does not settle or establish truth claims about matters of fact. (The Making of American Liberal Theology: Idealism, Realism, and Modernity, 1900-1950, 1)

Michael Horton (Evangelical Protestant):

Ultimate authority always resides outside the self and even outside the church, as both are always hearers of the Word and receivers of its judgment and justification. The church is commissioned to deliver this Word (a ministerial office), not to possess or rule it (a magisterial office). Thus, the authority is always transcendent. Even when it comes near us, it is never our own word that we hear (Ro. 10:6-13, 17). (The Christian Faith, 194)

So it seems that whatever else we may disagree on as Catholics, Liberals, and Evangelicals, we should at least agree that it is our view of Scripture and authority that divides us.

What is the Purpose of the Bible?

“The Bible’s purpose is not so much to show you how to live a good life. The Bible’s purpose is to show you how God’s grace breaks into your life against your will and saves you from the sin and brokenness otherwise you would never be able to overcome… religion is ‘if you obey, then you will be accepted’. But the Gospel is, ‘if you are absolutely accepted, and sure you’re accepted, only then will you ever begin to obey’. Those are two utterly different things. Every page of the Bible shows the difference.”

- Timothy Keller

I Love the English Standard Version

So do these folks:

ESV Trusted By Leaders from Crossway on Vimeo.

Don't Dalmationize the Word!

In other words, take the Word as the Word, not "inspired in spots!"

D. A. Carson has an important word for us:


“However hard some things are to understand, it is never helpful to start picking and choosing biblical truths we find congenial, as if the Bible is an open-shelved supermarket where we are at perfect liberty to choose only the chocolate bars.
“For the Christian, it is God’s Word, and it is not negotiable. What answers we find may not be exhaustive, but they give us the God who is there, and who gives us some measure of comfort and assurance.
“The alternative is a god we manufacture, and who provides no comfort at all. Whatever comfort we feel is self-delusion, and it will be stripped away at the end when we give an account to the God who has spoken to us, not only in Scripture, but supremely in his Son Jesus Christ.”

Don't Neglect Genesis - Malachi!

I try often to refer to the "old testament" as the "First Testament." Why? Because the word "old" implies, even unconsciously, that it is passe, dated, ah, "old."

J. C. Ryle amplifies the importance of the first "testament" of the Word:


"Let it be a rule with us, in the reading of our Bibles, to study the types and ordinances of the Mosaic law with prayerful attention. They are all full of Christ. The altar--the scape-goat--the daily burnt-offering--the day of atonement, are all so many sign-posts pointing to the great sacrifice offered by our Lord on Calvary. Those who neglect to study the Jewish ordinances, as dark, dull, and uninteresting parts of the Bible, only show their own ignorance, and miss great advantages. Those who examine them with Christ as the key to their meaning, will find them full of Gospel light and comfortable truth."

Deut 29.29

Deuteronomy 29.29 is, in fact, one of my most-cited verses, since I am convinced half of being so-called "smart" is knowing what you are dumb at...and there is a ton of stuff of which I am dumb (yes, I can hear choruses of "amens" by friends, family, fellow workers...)


But, Scripturally, it is fine to not have all the answers. I get nervous around people, regardless of how many initials they have after their names, who seem to have it all, or even most, figured out.


That's why I resonate with this:


"It is a great blessing from God that some parts of the Scriptures are clear while others are not. By means of the first we acquire faith and ardour and do not fall into disbelief and laziness because of our utter inability to grasp what is said. By means of the second we are roused to enquiry and effort, thus both strengthening our understanding and learning humility from the fact that everything is not intelligible to us."

Peter of Damaskos

7 Reasons We Find The Bible Boring

This is a bit long, but worth reading. It is from THIS BLOG

Seven Possible Reasons We Find the Bible Boring Speaking from a protestant perspective, the Holy Bible is the final authority for faith and practice.  Moreover, it is God’s ultimate communication to us.  However, there are a number of Christians who struggle with reading the Bible.  In fact, you might be one of them and find it difficult to engage with on an in-depth and consistent level.  Now, I confess, I have always enjoyed reading the Bible .  But even in my zeal, I have found dry times.  As I contemplate various reasons for the ennui based on observations of others and many conversations as well as my own life experiences, I think that one or more of these reasons could account for it. 1.  Lack of Understanding: for some, reading the Bible is like the reading comprehension portions on standardized tests, the kind that includes a bunch of technical terms, themes and conclusions that are hard to decipher.  Who wants to read something they don’t understand?  I think the contributing factor to this difficulty is not understanding what the Bible is, how it was put together, the different genres, the progression of God’s revelation, the major themes and the correlation of how all the books fit together.  When people are told to just read the Bible and don’t have an understanding of what they are reading, its like picking up a puzzle piece and trying to make sense of the whole picture.   This is an essential component of the discipleship process yet, I fear that might be missing in a great many churches.   Good Bible study methods are needed for understanding. Now I am of the opinion that the Bible is meant to be understood and can be understood by all (although not all will accept the message).  The Bible is a divine book, in that it is inspired by God, but it is also written by human authors who were using normal means of communication.  Therefore, reading each book according to its literary genre and particular place in God’s overall program is important. Remedy: If this describes you, get a hold of some instructive material that will aid understanding how the Bible is put together.  Some basic resources that I have found useful for this task is, How to Study the Bible for Yourself, by Tim Lahaye Living by the Book, by Howard Hendricks What the Bible is All About, by Henrietta Mears 2.  Lack of Relevance: if the reason we find the Bible boring is that it just doesn’t seem to applicable to our lives, we will get bored.  Especially, when reading Numbers!  This will happen if we are approaching the Bible to find solutions to our problems and will only be interested if what can solve the problems we face.  However, while the Bible was written for us, it was not written to us.  The Bible is God’s revelation and provides a description of his plan for history.  Understanding his plan should give a great deal of meaning to understand his heart and how we fit into that plan. Remedy: if this is you, start approaching the Bible to learn about God and his overall program for history.  Always ask with each reading how what you are reading is relevant to his program rather than our personal program. 3.  Too Impatient: We live in a micro-wave culture.  We want understanding and we want it now.  While I do contend that understanding what the Bible is communicating is possible, studying takes time.  Understanding how each part fits together takes time.  It involves a consistent and diligent effort.  The use of study tools, like commentaries, can seem like it slows the process down but are valuable for the understanding process. In the end, it is about understanding and I am of the opinion that the more we understand, the greater our interest will be to learn more. Remedy: if this is you, resolve in your mind that learning involves discipline and diligence.  It doesn’t happen overnight. 4.  Too Conditioned for Excitement: As long as we are looking for something new, a fresh word from God, the next move of God or wanting to go to the next level we might be conditioned for excitement. But if our Christian walk is conditioned upon needing excitement, reading the Bible can feel like watching paint dry at times.  Now, I contend that there is excitement in learning what God is communicating through his word, but as mentioned in #3, that will take time.  The end product of understanding can cause exhilaration although the process can not seem that way at times.  God has not changed what he has communicated but our understanding does and will increase with each reading. Remedy: resolve in your mind that learning will not always be exciting.  But learning about God on his terms should be and provide the motivation to continually seek what he is communicating. 5.  Incompatibility with Personal Agendas: similar to #2, if you are looking for the Bible to resolve a self-interested agenda and it does not, then reading what is not relevant to personal agendas can get old real fast. Remedy: if this is you, ask yourself the question of whom do you serve – self or God.  It is a hard thing at times to loosen the grip of self-serving motives but surrendering to the lordship of Jesus Christ does require us to do just that. 6.  Lack of Spiritual Motivation: I have been here plenty of times, just not interested in spiritual things even though maintaining a commitment to Christ.  Paul indicates in Galatians 5:16-17, that the flesh and spirit oppose each other.  The flesh is that principle within our humanity inherited from the fall that does not want to subject itself to God’s ways. (Romans 8:7).   When its winning, we lose interest. But consider that God breathed out his word through the pens of 40 authors in order to reveal himself.  Consider the Bible as a love letter where God expresses his heart to us.  When we are apathetic, his word has a way of wooing us but won’t if don’t engage with it. Remedy: if this is you, read anyway and with intentionality for the word to speak to you.  Now that doesn’t mean ignoring contexts or reasonable rules of reading, but open up to what is being communicated.  This does require discipline that says, even though I don’t feel like it, I’m going to read anyway. 7.  Discouragement or Anger with God: this is worse than spiritual motivation.  Whereas #6 refers to apathy, this is where we are just down right disgruntled with God.   When you are like this, who cares what God is communicating.  You may even feel like he opposes you and has no interest in you. But here is where I’d say reading the Bible becomes the most crucial.  Jeremiah says that the heart is desperately wicked, who can understand it (Jeremiah 17:17).  Relying on a troubled heart will only pull us down and must combated with the immutable, timeless truths of scripture.  Otherwise, the troubled heart will continue to pull you further and further away from God’s truth, which may even result in you rejecting it all together. Remedy: honestly, this is the toughest one.  The only thing I can think of is to cry out to God, reach for Christ and keep reading his word even though there may be buckets of tears with each reading.   Finding a loving, leaderful and wise shoulder or two to cry is important too.  Consult your pastor or even get some sound Biblical counseling.  You have nothing to lose but everything to gain, even though it may not feel that way. Overall, the encouragement here with each one of these categories is to think about what makes the Bible boring for you and how to possibly work past it to absorb the wonderful truths of who God is, his plan for history and the greatest gift of eternal life for those who would place their trust in the work and person of Jesus Christ.

Reflection Builds Strength

I force myself to read the Bible slowly in an effort not to miss anything.

For instance,

Psalm 62 (ESV)

1) For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.
2) He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortrss; I shall not be greatly shaken.

5) For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.
6) He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

Notice the difference between verse 2 and verse 6?

Verse 2 says "greatly shaken," verse 6 drops the "greatly."

Verse 2 implies, "yeah, I may get shook up, but not too badly!"

Verse 6 states "I will not be shaken...period."

Focusing thought/prayer (over the years I have grown convinced that, for the active pursuer of God, one's thought life is a huge part of one's prayer life) on God takes the psalmist from "greatly shaken" to "un-shaken."

Lesson? Don't focus on problem, focus on Jesus.

A Great Bible for Kids (and their parents!)

Jacob and I have really enjoyed reading nightly from The Jesus StoryBook Bible. Here's a sample:

"Now some people think the Bible is a book of rules, telling you what you should and shouldn't do. The Bible certainly does have some rules in it. They show you how life works best. But the Bible isn't mainly about you and what you should be doing. It's about God and what He has done.

Other people think the Bible is a book of heroes, showing you people you should copy. The Bible does have some heroes in it, but (as you'll soon find out) most of the people in the Bible aren't heroes at all. They make some big mistakes (sometimes on purpose). They get afraid and run away. At times they are downright mean.

No, the Bible isn't a book of rules, or a book of heroes. The Bible is most of all a Story. It's an adventure story about a young Hero who comes from a far country to win back his lost treasure. It's a love story about a brave Prince who leaves his palace, his throne- everything- to rescue the one He loves. It's like the most wonderful of fairy tales that has come true in real life!

You, see the best thing about this Story is- it's true. There are lots of stories in the Bible, but all the stories are telling one Big Story. The Story of how God loves His children and comes to rescue them.

It takes the whole Bible to tell this Story. And at the center of the Story, there is a baby. Every Story in the Bible whispers His Name."

Cell Phone versus Bible

I've seen variations of this before, but like this from Greg Laurie:

"We take our phones with us everywhere, we consult them constantly, and we panic when the battery begins to fade. We can’t seem to live without them!

What if we treated our Bible like our cell phone?

Someone sent me an e-mail that asks the fascinating question, “What if we treated our Bible like our cell phone?” So check this out. Ever wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone? What if we carried it around in our purse or pocket? What if we flipped through it several times a day? What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it? What if we used it to receive messages from the text? What if we treated it like we couldn’t live without it? What if we gave it to kids as gifts? What if we used it when we traveled? What if we used it in case of emergency? This is something to make you go . . .

Hmm, where is my Bible? Oh, and one more thing. Unlike our cell phone, we don’t have to worry about our Bible being disconnected because Jesus already paid the bill. Makes you stop and think, where are my priorities? And no dropped calls!

Mind Renewal

Another great post by MARK BATTERSON (by the way, the book "Primal" is GREAT)

We continued our "Primal" series this weekend and I talked about the mind. Just thought I'd share one excerpt.

A few years ago, researchers from the National Institutes of Mental Health did a study that involved a simple motor task. As subjects performed a finger-tapping exercise, researchers did MRI brain scans to identity which part of the brain was involved in the exercise. The subjects were then asked to perform that simple motor task everyday for four weeks. At the end of four weeks, researchers repeated their brain scans and found that in every instance, that area of the brain had expanded. Their brains had literally recruited new nerve cells and rerouted neuronal connections.

Juxtapose that with Romans 12.

"Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind."

How is our mind renewed? The one word answer is Scripture. Scripture literally re-scripts our brain. As we read Scripture, much like the finger-tapping exercise, we are recruiting new nerve cells and rewiring neuronal connections. The end goal? Not knowledge! The end goal is the mind of Christ. As you read Scripture you are downloading the mind of Christ. His words become our operating system.

The English Standard Version Study Bible

I have truly enjoyed the English Standard Version for several years, and a bit over a year ago got the Study Bible. It is phenomenal. If you are looking for a fresh start for this "fresh" year, you may order it at the bottom link.

Here is what Bob Kaughlin says, not only about the ESV, but about the benefits of reading the Bible through:

1. If God made sure his words were recorded for us, why wouldn’t I want to read all of them numerous times?

2. Reading large portions of Scripture regularly slows me down so I can think about life from an eternal perspective. I was in tears today as I finished Revelation, realizing the purpose for which I was created and the sure future that lies ahead.

3. In my daily life, I am constantly bombarded with images, philosophies, thoughts, reasonings, and attractions from the world, my flesh, and the devil. I need large quantities of God’s thoughts, empowered by his Spirit, to resist them.

4. I trust my own thoughts too much.

5. Each time I read through the Bible, I’m humbled as I realize how little I actually know and understand God’s Word.

6. Reading a lot of the Bible helps me more easily see how it all fits together.

7. As a leader of congregational worship, I want people’s faith to rest on God’s Word, not my music or opinions. Therefore, I want Scripture to be the overflow of my heart, not something I occasionally use for a desired emotional effect.

8.The ESVSB was very even-handed in providing alternate interpretations of difficult passages, while continually directing my attention to other Scriptures for greater clarity.

9. The ESVSB notes never seek to say more than the Scriptures themselves say.

10. The large number of maps, charts, and illustrations were extremely helpful for understanding the geographical settings, details, and overall flow of different books.

11. I repeatedly felt pastored through the comments, as my heart was directed towards the living Word, the crucified and risen Savior, Jesus Christ. 

Targets Acquired!

What do I want to do in 2010?

Be in the sweet spot of God's will. That needs to be my moment-by-moment desire, goal, passion.

But I've "acquired" a few specific targets. Dare I make the public? Sure...

1. Refocus targeted prayers. Learn to "pray without ceasing" and maintain discipline to pray through my written prayer list.

2. Read my favorite book...Colossians...once daily for the year.

3. Research and help start a training, transition-type, Bible/mission school for young adults.

Lock and load! or, more pertinent, Pray - Aim - Do!

Best Weapon Against Heresy?

J. C. Ryle lived from 1816 to 1900. Sometimes we think the heresies and other imitation "Christianities" are new...but they are old. The following quote from Ryle remains true today; and that is why I will spend the weekend telling teenagers they MUST get into the Word regularly and systematically in order to fight the good fight.

“What is the best safeguard against false doctrine? I answer in one word, ‘The Bible: the Bible regularly read, regularly prayed over, regularly studied.’ If we want a weapon to wield against the devices of Satan, there is nothing like ‘the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God.’ But to wield it successfully, we must read it habitually, diligently, intelligently, and prayerfully. This is the point on which, I fear, many fail.” (emphasis added)

~ J.C. Ryle