Bible Study Tools for 2011

Keeping up to date with the new and different ways to study the Bible is a challenging task as there are so many wide and divergent ways that people go about studying God's word. To keep this as simple as possible let's ask a few questions.

First, are you content to read an actual Bible, or do you prefer to look up things online?

That alone will make a difference in what you should do next. For instance, if your Bible study is restricted to one Bible, then the choice of that Bible is crucial. This is a good place to talk about versions. What's the deal with so many and what's the point? The point of course is to get as much as you can out of Bible study as possible. That is to say, when Paul said to Timothy to study to show yourselves approved, it benefits not only the believer, but also God's Church! Hover over this reference, 2 Timothy 2: 15 and consider the value of study for the believer as well as the purpose of God.

King James Version.

This version has worked well for over 400 years! 2011 marks the 400 year anniversary of this great text. Many of us have a King James memory, as we studied only this version while we were being disciple. The problem is, however, language usage has changed in 400 years and there are some passages that are difficult to negotiate.

New International Version.

This is the most popular and widely used version in the last 30 years. It has found its place into our teaching/preaching and discipleship materials. The NIV illustrates the perpetual challenge that translators face in trying to bring the original text of Hebrew and Greek into modern day language usage. As such, they rely on a method of translation that focuses on the "concept" of Scripture rather than the actual words. The translators in 1979 did a fantastic job of staying faithful to the original text, (KJV only detractors notwithstanding) and this translation has been a blessing to the Church. The problem? The NIV is changing. Several years ago, Zondervan produced the TNIV (today's New International Version) one if its "features" was the removal of gender specific language for God. For example, referring to God as a male was discouraged even when the male personal pronouns were used in the original. This is not good. The future will show those looking for the "original" NIV.

New American Standard

This is a fantastic version that rather than use the "dynamic equivalence" approach of the NIV translators, focused on word for word translation. The faithful work of these scholars has stood the test of time and the NASB still exists as the gold standard of translation work. The problem of course is the readability of the text. This is why it never took hold in church use.

English Standard Version

The ESV is a triumph of biblical scholarship. Focusing on a word for word translation and using the latest in textual analysis tools, the scholars of the ESV have produced an amazing translation that is not only readable but focuses on conveying the word for word standard of the King James and NASB. Consider this from the preface to the ESV to help illustrate my enthusiasm for this version:

We know that no Bible translation is perfect or final; but we also know that God uses imperfect and inadequate things to his honor and praise. So to our triune God and to his people we offer what we have done, with our prayers that it may prove useful, with gratitude for much help given, and with ongoing wonder that our God should ever have entrusted to us so momentous a task.

Soli Deo Gloria!—To God alone be the glory!

New Living Translation

If you remember the Living Bible, then you can appreciate what the New Living Translation has done. This is an amazingly relevant translation that will span the test of time. Many churches have adopted its use rather than the ESV because of its amazing readability. What's the issue? It follows, like the NIV, the dynamic equivalence approach of translation. Personally, I have no problem with this, but you cannot interpret the NIV or the NLT without doing exegesis or word studies on the text.

Holman Christan Standard Bible

This Bible is a direct translation from Broadman and Holman publishers. This publishing house is owned by the Southern Baptist convention. The Assemblies of God has yet to come up with their own version of the Bible, but thankfullythe HCSB is a faithful word for word translation on the lines of the KJV, ESV, and NASB. It has shown up mostly in theme oriented Bibles for children, youth, and professions.

As I continue on, let me simply say that if you study your Bible with paper only. You should invest in a study Bible. My recommendation is the ESV Study Bible. You can find it at www.mardel.com ; sometimes cheaper at www.christianbook.com or the publisher's site itself: www.crossway.com The ESV Study Bible has 20000 notes and resources that are a wonderful introduction to all that is good in Christian Theology. With the purchase of any ESV Bible, they also give you a code where you can search online and find many other resources for FREE.

If you prefer to use online and/or phone Bibles, an amazing world of learning and adventure awaits you.

If you are interested in indepth study of Scripture using your computer, Then allow me to direct you to 4 different options. As you look at these, think of them the way you think of automobiles. You don't need them all, you only need 1. It's poor stewardship to have all of them.

E-Sword. This is free and amazing. If you want to save the most money and get the most value, stop here. www.e-sword.com

The next bang for your buck with an amazing interface and many conservative resources is BibleSoft

The next resource is Wordsearch. It has many features with the ability to expand your library as well as a great interface.

The best….by far….is Logos. It's the same in features and price as the ones already mentioned, but you might prefer the interface or focus of the others. As you add resources, however, it becomes more powerful and more expensive: way more expensive. The people at Logos are committed to the primacy of Scripture and have created ways to search and study the Bible that are not available anywhere else (they simply built a better mouse trap) and they charge $$$$ for it. Logos is available for the PC, MAC, and on the Iphone. They are also developing an Android app. I dare you to ask me about Logos Bible Software J

If you are a mac user then I think your problem is solved with logos, but you also might like accordance

If you are a crazy original language study person and refuse to use logos then you should take a look at Bibleworks

Then there's the question of Phones.

If you have a smartphone. You have the ability to read the Bible, your devotions, do word studies and have a Bible reading plan. The question is what kind of phone do you have? If it's an Iphone, you have a wide array of choices. If you use a blackberry or android based phone you can find a Bible and reading plan for your device at:

www.olivetree.com

My favorite is

www.logos.com instant word studies on your phone….do I need to say more? J

many users like:

www.youversion.com

for a nice dramatic Bible,

www.bible.is

There are MANY others. I've just listed the ones I'm aware of. The amazing thing to me is the ability to customize Bible reading plans. This can be done with the top three Bible software programs and some of the phone apps.

E-Readers

If you use an e-reader like Kindle or Nook then you have to buy the individual Bibles. I'm personally partial to Nook Color as it is IN COLOR, and has the capacity mark up text, attach notes, and keep your place as well as recommend what you read through facebook, and twitter

Finally, there is the question of Bible searching

The hands down most popular online searching interface is Bible Gateway. Using "the cloud" keeps you from having to have the Bible on a device like a desktop, laptop, or smartphone, and meets the needs of most people for Bible searching. My preference is being able to search across several versions, which I'm not sure you can do. Bible Gateway has the most online features it appears.

Bible.logos.com I think has the future in view but no customizable reading plans like Bible Gateway

However you study the Bible does not matter, what matters is whether or not, you are studying Scripture. Technology has obviously made it easier for all of us, the question remains whether or not we will. Consider this great encouragement from a writer of Scripture himself.

2 Peter 1:16–21 (ESV)

Christ's Glory and the Prophetic Word

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

May the Lord bless you as you study His word.

In His Hands

On Wednesday night as we concluded out Bible Study on Daniel, our attention was drawn to Revelation 1: 1-20. In reading through it we discover that John was shown a "revelation" of the future. This was not only John's future, but ours. Similar to the visions of Daniel, for instance in Daniel 12:1-4, Daniel was shown by an angel what would be not only in his future, but also in ours. The book of Revelation is absolutely fascinating. Not as a script to satisfy our selfish curiosity, but as a declaration of a victorious king! There is absolutely nothing like the grand language of Revelation 22:6-21 which illustrates the ultimate and triumphant victory of King Jesus! As we read through chapter one, we noticed that "the One" John saw had a face that John recognized. (Revelation 1:13), it was the Christ that He had known while on the earth, but now, in all His Glory! What is so striking to me about this One among the lampstands was not just His statement in Revelation 1:17-20, but specifically His revelation of the mystery in Revelation 1:20. In the hands of Christ are His Churches! That is His body! With all of heaven opened to the apostle, there stood Jesus with His Church! With His Church in His right hand and in His left, Jesus stands triumphant. Here is the fulfillment of what He said to Peter, "You are Peter, but upon this ROCK I will build my Church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:18). If you are having a struggle today or the problems you've been handed refuse to go away month after month and year after year, you can be encouraged through this great declaration, Jesus is building His Church and He has it ALL in His hands.

Outreach Samaritan Style

John 4:7 and John 4:42 are the reference bookends for the story of Jesus and the woman at the well. Jesus deliberately went through Samaria and found this woman who was drawing water from the well. I notice several things in this story that I wanted to highlight. I had the privilege of preaching at Bethel this morning and I was able to use portions of this story to illustrate the truth concerning Isaiah 12:3. I want to describe here more of what I observe from this great interchange between Jesus and the woman at the well that basically says a lot about outreach, even the process of outreach. First, Jesus went out of his way to go to Samaria. That is exactly what we should do if we want others to know the Good News. Second, he engaged her in conversation where she was. She was drawing water from a well, so He asked her to get him a drink of water. The resulting conversation led to her new life. For the believer to see genuine results from outreach, having gone out of his way, we must find a way to talk to them about where they are at right now. She was drawing water, so that's what Jesus spoke to her about. She asked him doctrinal questions. She even challenged him concerning His beliefs. We should likewise be prepared for that. The pluralism of this culture is so ingrained in the minds of people that I've even heard church members say they are not sure if truth is relative or absolute. Oh, it is absolute and the truth is found in Jesus. (John 14:6) ….back to the woman and Jesus. Having answered her questions He took it to another level (John 4:13-14) by letting her know that what He has to share was of eternal value, compared to regular water that had temporal value. This is another area where we can take instruction concerning evangelism, outreach, witnessing, or sharing the Gospel (whatever label you prefer) We have the best news in the world (Romans 5:1, Romans 8:1, Romans 10:9-10) When we talk to others about Christ, we have to find ways that help them understand the grand distinction between following what this world has to offer (which is temporal) and what Jesus has to offer (life everlasting, the abundant life today). What follows in this story is the woman who can't believe what Jesus told her (you are right in saying you don't have a husband, in fact you've had five husbands)! This is the crucial piece that I think we ignore…..The power of God. Unfortunately, too many people think that this was special because Jesus was Jesus and He could do miracles but we can't. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was Jesus who said "Greater works than these shall you do because I go to My Father" (John 14:12-14). In fact, Jesus told the disciples to wait for the promise of the Father before going out to the worldwide ministry He called for in Matthew 28:19-20. God can and will use us as we get the Gospel to those who have never heard and believe that He will provide all the equipment that we need.

From here, the woman at the well began to publish widely what Jesus did for her (John 4:29-30). The Good News of Jesus turned the woman into an evangelist. Here is another point about outreach. Those who put themselves in the place for God to use them (going on an outreach, volunteering for a new ministry, missions) WILL be used by God and those converts turn into evangelists! They have networks that we don't have and they can reach people that we will never reach. The Church must stay focused on outreach to be healthy.

It is not a coincidence that John gives the discourse of Jesus at this point (John 4:35) on the fields being white unto harvest (John 4:34-38). God has not made a mistake! He has entrusted this good news to His Church. We are the ones who must be faithful to the Gospel mandate. He has provided all the resources that we need (Acts 2:4, 10:44-46) to do His work.

What follows in this discourse is absolutely amazing. The Samaritan convert told what God had done for her….the people she told believed it! (John 4:39) and then they began to follow Jesus themselves. Consider THEIR TESTIMONY….

Not the words of Jesus….

Not the words of the Samaritan convert….

The words of those who believed the report of the Samaritan…

So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. ⁴¹ And many more believed ^zbecause of his word. ⁴² They said to the woman, "It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, ^aand we know that this is indeed ^bthe Savior ^cof the world."

The hearers had moved from confession, to belief, to true knowledge (Romans 8:16) If we dare to do the hard work of outreach we WILL SEE RESULTS.

Those results will produce more results. The good news is, those results will be long-lasting. Jesus told Peter "I will build My Church" (Matthew 16:18)

There is a Church to build! There is a Gospel to preach! The harvest is white, the laborers ARE few….pray for the Lord of the Harvest to thrust workers into His harvest field.(Luke 10:2)

Intentional outreach that brings life and hope to those who have no hope, enable the believer to enjoy what Isaiah could only dream about (Isaiah 12:3)

 

His Love Endures Forever

His Love Endures Forever

There is no one like our God! He loves us! His mercies are new every morning and His faithfulness endures forever! The Psalmists understood the power of giving thanks. As the media and merchants of our land bypass Thanksgiving to focus on the revenue generating season of Christmas, let's remember that the Godly give thanks! It's more than just saying thanks. It's reflecting on the solid reality of what we have in Christ. Consider

Galatians 5:1–15 (ESV)

Christ Has Set Us Free

5 For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

² Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. ³ I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. ⁴ You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. ⁵ For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. ⁶ For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

⁷ You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? ⁸ This persuasion is not from him who calls you. ⁹ A little leaven leavens the whole lump. ¹⁰ I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view than mine, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. ¹¹ But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. ¹² I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

 

This passage reminds us that the alternative to thanksgiving is the unworkable world of legalism. Legalism is NOT BIBLICAL. It's His Grace! It's His Mercy! It's His Favor that has brought us these rich blessings.

Let's Give Thanks!

Do Not Be Grieved

The people of Israel and Judah had done wrong. God warned them time and again through the prophets. They disregarded the instruction of the prophets and found their civilization demolished while they were deported to a foreign country. The Bible tells the truth about people, including the biblical characters. Seventy years later, Ezra is leading the people of God in worship. The festivals and celebrations of Leviticus 23 were being reinstituted. Reflecting on this new day, the people of God began to weep concerning the sin that brought them sorrow. It didn't stop there. The worship leader began to encourage the repentant. Do not be grieved!

How often we find ourselves mourning over the past. The people of God on the other hand, are not limited by their past. In his encouragement to these worshippers, Ezra declared a truth that is magnificent in its scope and encouraging in its declaration:

The Joy of the Lord is Your Strength! Hallelujah! Nehemiah 8:10 declares it so. Thousands of years into their future, the people of God in the 21^st century need to hold on to the truth of Scripture. Do NOT be grieved. Don't let circumstances, trouble, or heartache keep you down. The joy of the Lord is your strength! As the Psalmist so skillfully wrote:

    ⁵    For his anger is but for a moment,

and his favor is for a lifetime.

        Weeping may tarry for the night,

but joy comes with the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

Do not be grieved, the Joy of the Lord is YOUR strength

How to Prosper

It's been 10 years since the turn of the century. Technology continues to advance, the Church is growing around the world, and wars and rumors of wars continue to be a part of everyday life. Today in Church, the message was on "The Practical Teachings of Jesus". The Sermon on the Mt. is a magnificent set of Scriptures which have challenged the Church to live the high standard of Jesus. What is so striking about chapter 6, on which the sermon is based, is that Jesus asks us to do our religious tasks….with the right motives. I don't have any need to re-preach the sermon, yet upon reflection I am being reminded by Scripture that Jesus's definition of prosperity is SO VERY DIFFERENT from ours. Ours is $$ based, there is no question. Jesus said it all in Matthew 6:21 (hint…hold your curser over the Scripture reference will pop up! Cool, huh). The evangelical/Pentecostal wing of Christianity has suffered over the past 30 years concerning what it means to prosper. Just yesterday I saw a chapter title in a book advertisement on how to learn grammar (for students who are studying Hebrew and don't remember their English grammar) that was a play on words….the chapter title? Name it and Claim it! Lol seriously, this book is now available for your purchase at www.zondervan.com

This confusion is due in part to the Church not paying attention to Jesus' definition of prosperity in Matthew 6:21. Prosperity has to do with joy and the abundant life. According to Jesus it means having your eyes on what has eternal value, not temporary value. 400 years before the birth of Jesus, there was someone else who was struggling with the definition of prosperity. Nehemiah had grown up in Persia, the descendent of Jewish parents who were deported from the southern kingdom of Judah by Nebuchadnezzar. Nehemiah 1 records the magnificent prayer that he prayed when God opened up a door of opportunity to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. (Nehemiah 1:1-11). In the next chapter however, Nehemiah chronicles the trouble that Sanballat, Geshem and Tobiah threw his direction in his lofty task of rebuilding Jerusalem. In the midst of this struggle, Nehemiah records a phrase that gets to our illusive definition. It's not a definition as much as a description. To the threats and accusing questions of his detractors, Nehemiah declares "The God of heaven will make us prosper" (Nehemiah 2:20).

Here is the point. God wants prosperity for His people, as in freedom from guilt, anxiety and worry. Prospering means participating with God in His purposes and discovering the joy of the Lord. We prosper when we set our hearts in the right place and discover the joy of ministry. A lot has changed since 400 BC. One thing has not changed. The God of heaven will make us prosper….as we follow HIS purpose.

Jesus Said to Wait

The disciples learned a lot from Jesus. In fact John said: John 20:30 (ESV)

³⁰ Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; The disciples were able to remember much of what Jesus said and taught because of help from the Holy Spirit. In the book of John, Jesus Himself referred to the person and work of the Holy Spirit after He would ascend back to heaven. (John 16:4-15) What I noticed as I was reading the book of Acts a few years ago intrigued me. Luke records in this book that Jesus gave specific instructions to His disciples, even though He said go and make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Jesus said to wait. Wait for what? Wait for power. Jesus knew that the disciples would not be able to reach the world without help. He promised to send help, and Help came. Help came in the Person of the Holy Spirit. Here are the words that Lukerecords concerning Jesus' instruction:

⁴ And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, "you heard from me; ⁵ for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

So…what's the point? If Jesus told His disciples, who had heard Him teach so much to wait….for the promise of the Father….which He had taught them about….then what are WE WAITING FOR?

Scripturally, if we are going to follow what the Lord said, we should WAIT until we are endued with power from on high. The power of the Holy Spirit is not optional equipment or an upgrade package. It is absolutely essential for ministry. Consider these Scriptures: Acts 2:1-4, 10:44-46, and then consider Matthew 28:19-20. The task of making disciples REQUIRES the baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Jesus said "Greater works than these shall you do because I go to my Father"…it's now time.

What are you waiting for?

Help with the Beatitudes

The Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes within are quite well known among Christian circles. The problem is, Christians are by and large "ignoring" them. Jesus intended to teach the content of the beatitudes. Matthew 5 says that he "sat down to teach". I see within this passage another problem. There is a respect problem with today's modern Christian. They don't "respect Jesus" like they used to. Maybe its because the information overload has conveyed to us so many options. By default, the Savior of the world has taken a back seat. I had the privilege yesterday of preaching at Bethel in Ft. Worth. At the close of the service, we asked for people to stand in response to the question: "Do you need help with the Beatitudes"….just about everyone stood up. We do need help. We need God's help. That's why He sent the Spirit! In addition, the Jesus's instruction as to salt and light in the passage that follows helps to illustrate WHY we need to pay attention to the Beatitudes. Matthew 5:13-16. As I continued to think about the message, this afternoon and into the night hours, I thought I'd put together some Scriptures that would provide HELP with the Beatitudes. I know I still need help meeting the standard that Jesus put down. I believe the Holy Spirit helps us to live up to that standard. Here are some passages that I have discovered helpful, it's obviously not exhaustive, but should get us started.

Romans 8:1–11

1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. 3 For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. 8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 9 You, however, are not in the flesh …

1 Corinthians 15:20–25

20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Acts 2:36–41

36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37 Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 And Peter said to them, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself." 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, "Save yourselves from this crooked generation." 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

Ephesians 4:29–32

29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Galatians 5:16–26

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, …

Acts 4:23–31

23 When they were released, they went to their friends and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 And when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God and said, "Sovereign Lord, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them, 25 who through the mouth of our father David, your servant, said by the Holy Spirit, " 'Why did the Gentiles rage, and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers were gathered together, against the Lord and against his Anointed'— 27 for truly in this city there were gathered together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever your hand and your plan had predestined to take place. 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, 30 while …

Revelation 2:1–7

1 "To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: 'The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands. 2 " 'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. 3 I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name's sake, and you have not grown weary. 4 But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first. 5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. 6 Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise …

Revelation 21:1–8

1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." 5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life …7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. ⁸ But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

MAY THE Lord RICHLY bless you as you are SALT and LIGHT FOR HIS HOLY PURPOSES!

He Set Himself to Seek God

Back to School time is always exciting because, like the new year, it's a fresh start. Records are kept at school and so we all try to help the students we know have the best circumstances in which to learn. At SAGU, I teach a course entitled "The Ministry of Teaching" in which we try to help students understand the importance of discipleship in the local church. The local Church is, in my humble opinion, the greatest organization on the face of the earth. Jesus inaugurated it when He said: "I will build My Church and the gates of hell will not stand against it" matthew 16:18. For the church to continue, however, there must be discipleship. Discipleship is simply doing all that is necessary for the next generation and new believers to continue in the faith and replicate that in the lives of others. In the Old Testament, King Uzziah was given an amazing opportunity. At the young age of 16, he became king over Israel. That reminds me about schools and opportunities. Sometimes people who get those opportunities are not up to the challenge. Others, however, are ready to do what they were meant to do. With hard work, dedication, and passion, you can exceed many expectations. That's what Uzziah did. The Scripture tells us that Uzziah made a good decision soon after he became king:

2 Chronicles 26:5 (ESV)

⁵ He set himself to seek God in the days of Zechariah, who instructed him in the fear of God, and as long as he sought the Lord, God made him prosper.

 

Did you notice the power in that Scripture? His success was tied to his seeking the Lord….

 

It is reminiscent of the words of Jesus:

 

Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

 

Success God's way will always be the right way.

 

 

 

Leave It There!

What a concept! What a condition! The privilege of the believer is that he or she knows that they are connected to the One who is more than able to bear all our burdens and concerns. Consider these Scriptures:

Job 13:15     15"^aThough He slay me, I will hope in Him. Nevertheless I ^bwill argue my ways ¹before Him.

Psalm 55:22     22^aCast ¹your burden upon the Lord and He will sustain you; ^bHe will never allow •the righteous to ^2cbe shaken.

Psalm 62:8     8^aTrust in Him at all times, O people; ^bPour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.    Selah.

Isaiah 26:3     3"The steadfast of mind You will keep in perfect ^apeace, Because he trusts in You.

Isaiah 26:4     4"^aTrust in the Lord forever, For in ¹God the Lord, we have an everlasting ^bRock.

Philippians 4:6 6^aBe anxious for nothing, but in everything by ^bprayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

1 Peter 5:7     7casting all your ^aanxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

 

I'm so glad that ALL our cares and ALL our burdens can be left at the Cross. In 1916, Charles Tindley, an African-American minister wrote the words to this song, may they be a blessing to you today:

If the world from you withhold of its silver and its gold, and you have to get along with meager fare, just remember, in His word, how He feeds the little bird—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

If your body suffers pain and your health you can't regain, and your soul is almost sinking in despair; Jesus knows the pain you feel; He can save and He can heal—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your enemies assail and your heart begins to fail, don't forget that God in heaven answers prayer; He will make a way for you and will lead you safely thru—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

When your youthful days are gone and old age is stealing on, and your body bends beneath the weight of care, He will never leave you then; He'll go with you to the end—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

Chorus: Leave it there, leave it there; take your burden to the Lord and leave it there. If you trust and never doubt, He will surely bring you out—Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there.

 

LEAVE…..IT…….THERE!

 

Kenneth W. Osbeck, Amazing Grace : 366 Inspiring Hymn Stories for Daily Devotions (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Kregel Publications, 1990), 218.

Ignorance is Bliss….Or Is It?

Here is a saying that is believed by many to be true. If you don't know, how can you care? For example, if you are not aware people are saying negative things about you , then it doesn't affect you….thus, ignorance is bliss, or another popular proverb….what you don't know can't hurt you. Is it really true? Really?

No. Ignorance is a very bad thing. Think of all the ways ignorance causes problems. It is used as a tool to avoid responsibility…i.e. "I didn't know that was a rule". It is used to avoid taking on challenges… "I don't know enough to make a decision". It is also used as an excuse to avoid caring for someone else….. "I didn't know he was in the hospital." Not knowing isn't sin, but it provides the opportunity for sin. It is easy for one to "deliberately forget" as Peter might say. 2 Peter 3:5

Jeremiah put it this way. Jeremiah 17:9 (NLT)

⁹ "The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,

and desperately wicked.

Who really knows how bad it is?

Perhaps this is one reason David prayed for God to "create within me a Clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me" Psalm 51:10

The Scriptures are full of encouragement to learn, seek, discover and long for truth. In fact, Jesus encouraged the disciples that the Holy Spirit would be a guide into all truth. Wow. The Holy Spirit is a Guide into Truth. (John 16:13) No doubt the early Pentecostals insisted that the only true work of the Spirit would draw attention to Christ. Whoa. That's a whole other blogpost.

The world seems to think Christians are anti-intellectual. Maybe we give them reason to think so way too often. The Bible celebrates wisdom, learning, and the search for truth! I read a Proverb today that prompted this thought. It's Proverbs 19:8.

Whoever gets sense loves his own soul;

he who keeps understanding will discover good.

May the Lord bless all your efforts as you "get sense"

The Bible is God’s Word…Scripture List

The Bible is God's Word. This morning in Church I had the privilege of preaching concerning this topic. You can listen to the message here. The Bible is God's word because the of who the Author is, and the Bible is the word of God because of how people in the Bible used it. I quoted several Scriptures this morning that I wanted to make available to people to study so I thought this would be the best way to do it and since this blog turns references into hyperlinks, I'm happy to present these to you. The main point I have to share is the importance of our personal valuing of God's word. It is HIS word, not ours. It commands respect. I cite these verses to allow them to illustrate to us all how MUCH Jesus relied upon the Scripture, referenced it, taught from it, etc. and how the apostles followed His example. May you be blessed to "study to show yourself approved" and dig deeper into this treasure of God's word.

Mark 12:10
Haven't you read this scripture: " 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;
Luke 4:21
and he began by saying to them, "Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing."
John 2:22
After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken.
John 7:38
Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him."
John 7:42
Does not the Scripture say that the Christ will come from David's family and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?"
John 10:35
If he called them 'gods,' to whom the word of God came—and the Scripture cannot be broken—
John 13:18
"I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill the scripture: 'He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me.'


John 17:12
While I was with them, I protected them and kept them safe by that name you gave me. None has been lost except the one doomed to destruction so that Scripture would be fulfilled.
John 19:24
"Let's not tear it," they said to one another. "Let's decide by lot who will get it." This happened that the scripture might be fulfilled which said, "They divided my garments among them and cast lots for my clothing." So this is what the soldiers did.
John 19:28
Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, "I am thirsty."
John 19:36
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken,"
John 19:37
and, as another scripture says, "They will look on the one they have pierced."
John 20:9
(They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.)
Acts 1:16
and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus—
Acts 8:32
The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: "He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth.
Acts 8:35
Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.
Romans 4:3
What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness."


Romans 9:17
For the Scripture says to Pharaoh: "I raised you up for this very purpose, that I might display my power in you and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth."
Romans 10:11
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Romans 11:2
God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew. Don't you know what the Scripture says in the passage about Elijah—how he appealed to God against Israel:
Galatians 3:8
The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: "All nations will be blessed through you."
Galatians 3:16
The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The Scripture does not say "and to seeds," meaning many people, but "and to your seed," meaning one person, who is Christ.
Galatians 3:22
But the Scripture declares that the whole world is a prisoner of sin, so that what was promised, being given through faith in Jesus Christ, might be given to those who believe.
Galatians 4:30
But what does the Scripture say? "Get rid of the slave woman and her son, for the slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with the free woman's son."
1 Timothy 4:13
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching.
1 Timothy 5:18
For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages."
2 Timothy 3:16
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,
James 2:8
If you really keep the royal law found in Scripture, "Love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing right.
James 2:23
And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness," and he was called God's friend.
James 4:5
Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely?
James 4:6
But he gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says: "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
1 Peter 2:6
For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
2 Peter 1:20
Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation.

What if they found Noah’s ark and no one cared?

The news yesterday was that they did! It's pretty amazing. They may or may have not, but that's the nature of archaeology. It didn't take even 24 hours for critics to begin dismissing the notion. That is also no surprise. The inference alone is too great:

1. They found Noah's ark

2. Genesis is telling the truth

3. Man IS a sinner and introduced sin into the human race

4. Man needs a Savior

5. God promised to send One.

The problem, however, is the logical inference the other direction:

1. Biblical illiteracy
   
2. Leads to Biblical apathy
   
3. Leads to doubt
   
4. Leads to not believing
   

Today, out of my 1408 friends on facebook, most of whom are Christians, I posted the news about the ark discovery, the link that it has with the Black Sea expedition by Robert Ballard (who found the Titanic) and 3 "liked" it, and 1 commented.

I know that all my friends didn't see the link, and I also know that they are in no way obligated to like or comment on it. One of the by-products of our "always on" culture is that information and its uniqueness by default is subject to skepticism, apathy, and doubt.

It did give me pause…………..

I am growing increasingly concerned that the Christian culture, that is to say even the Evangelical, Charismatic, Pentecostal culture is cultivating a corporate "apathy" about the Bible.

They know where to check all the blocks

They know the way to be saved

They know the right language

But the love of Scripture is missing.

The Bible says:

Romans 10:17 (ESV)

¹⁷ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Even the Psalmist in the Old Testament understood the value of Scripture:

Psalm 119:97 (ESV)

⁹⁷ Oh how I love your law!

It is my meditation all the day.

Maybe I'm an alarmist, but I don't think so. I'm afraid that our:

familiarity with the basic stories of the Bible

poor preparation for church work

dispassionate presentations of Scripture

have worked to take away the value of God's word in the minds of believers.

So where is the hope? The word of God! Peter anticipated these issues while writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit

2 Peter 3:1–5 (ESV)

This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, ² that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, ³ knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. ⁴ They will say, "Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation." ⁵ For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God,

In fact, he introduced this book with the following declaration on the the wonders of Scripture. 2 Peter 1:16–21 (ESV)

¹⁶ For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. ¹⁷ For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased," ¹⁸ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. ¹⁹ And we have something more sure, the prophetic word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, ²⁰ knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. ²¹ For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

The words of Jesus are most important to consider at this point. And then consider what to do about creating a culture where the word of God is valued.

Mark 13:31 (ESV)

³¹ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Satan’s Snares

There is a wonder in God's word that goes far when combined with music. I'm personally thankful for songwriters who were motivated out of their love for God and His word, which helped to provide the Church with singing. Harvey Cox, professor of theology at Harvard stated in his book, Fire From Heaven that Pentecostals have always been at home singing their theology rather than writing about it. How true. Yesterday a phrase came to mind as I was thinking about church life, the challenge of reaching out to a pluralistic and post-modern culture, and the literal aging of the church. It would seem upon reflection that all churches in Western culture are in the fight of their life to stay alive. The church- going population has decreased, new generations of believers are rather ambivalent about faithful local church attendance (though in an odd way nevertheless committed to Christ), and the siren song of secular media threatens to drown out the voice of God. Except of course, we have the BEST NEWS IN THE WORLD! What's the phrase? It comes from a salvation history song entitled "O I Want to See Him"…here goes. "Satan's snares may vex my soul, turn my thoughts aside, but my Lord goes ahead, leads what ee'r be tide". Hallelujah and amen. As bleak as things look with the natural eye, God's church is marching on. In 2 Corinthians 2, the apostle Paul challenges the Corinthians to exceed expectations in terms of forgiveness. He concludes with 2 Corinthians 2:11 where he acknowledges being aware of the realities of Spiritual warfare. There is a Devil. Yet, the Church is the Bride of Christ, His glorious treasure and the apple of His eye. He has promised to build it, empower it and use it for His glory. I'm convinced that we are living in a time that has the potential to be the Church's finest hour. All we need to do is take our eyes off the negative voice of the world, face up to the enemy, and put our trust in the One who can be trusted. O! I want to See Him!

The Shack, Book Review

What a great book! As one who has had the privilege of teaching others theology, I can honestly say that I appreciate what the author was trying to do with this book, namely, to address the pervasive problem of Evil. At its core the premise and the content of this book are well-founded and Scriptural. While the author took great poetic license with the distinctive persons in the Trinity, I considered it tasteful and well done while accentuating in more than one place the same thing the early Church fathers stated at the council of Nicea in 325. That is, there is one essence "ousia", many hypostases, "persons". There is unity in the Godhead, never division. I found the description of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to all be consistent with Scripture. While I disagreed with the blanket anger toward the institutional church made by the main character, I certainly understand that to be a foundational worldview in the narcissistic world we find ourselves in, and who I believe is the target audience. The initial trauma of the story was troubling to read, but so is Evil in our midst. The descriptions of God's grace, the evil of judging and legalism, and the hope of the future were absolutely fantastic. How a legalistic person who has issue with God can read the scene of the main character being placed as judge over God without questioning their own personal worldview, is beyond me. I am thankful for the widespread readership of this book and it's potential to reach many people who are angry at God and far from the faith. What are the major lessons learned from this book? I see several.


1. God can be trusted
2. God's purposes are perpetually too complex to understand
3. God's love is endless
4. God's enthusiasm for His plan of redemption is paramount
5. The presence of Evil in this world is predicated on the fact that the end of the ages has not yet come.
6. God is present with us.
7. People and sin are the obstacle, not God.
8. Jesus is the absolute only way to heaven.


The only troubling phrase I found theologically in the book came from "Jesus" stating that he seeks to get to people through every means (In a discussion about do all roads lead to the same God). While the book affirmed the centrality of Christ, it left open the possibility that Christ could be found within the pursuits of other world religions. An unlikely notion at best, as other traditions deny the efficacy of Christ (1 Corinthians 15) being fully God and Man, and able by his resurrection to save those that believe.
While I certainly would affirm from Scripture that God is working to reach every lost person there is with the Good News of Christ, I would never affirm participation in other world religions as a vehicle to God any more than participating in the sin nature leads to grace. I'm reminded of Paul's question to the Romans in Chapter 6:
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?
[1] The Holy Bible : New International Version. electronic ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984. (NIV)


While I certainly agree with the potential of Eugene Peterson's endorsement, I'm inclined to think that this will function much like C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity as an "emotional apologetic" for those struggling with God's love and power vs. their loss.


As C.S. Lewis so rightly observed,


God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains:


His voice is loud and clear in The Shack

Learning is Difficult

Learning is Difficult

I learned something new today. What it is doesn't matter. Was it beneficial? Yes. Am I glad I learned it? Of course I am. Do I want to put forth the effort to learn something else right now? NO. Why? I wonder? It's because learning is difficult. How is this the case, and in what way might one say that learning is difficult? Please let me explain. First, you have to acknowledge that you are ignorant. (Not stupid or dumb, just ignorant). Now, I don't have any problem understanding others as ignorant (without knowledge), in fact, there are times that I prefer to understand a situation resulting from the "lack of knowledge". In fact it was Hosea who said "My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). Learning starts there though….like recovery, we have to admit that we have a problem. This is difficult for most of us. Next, we have to want to find a solution. Oh yes many are stuck here. They don't want a solution. Some call it drive, others might think of it as goal-oriented. Whatever your label, you have to "want to" fix it. I don't know the song, but I remember the faculty meeting I was in where a music professor was trying to introduce a song and, since it was written at the turn of the century during the growth of the Pentecostal movement, there was a phrase he didn't understand: "Since I got my 1, 2 fixed"…..one of the other professors was amused at this and said, "that would be "Want to" ….Ohhhhhh! "That makes more sense: "Since I got my "want to" fixed. True that. Here is where learning goes to the next level. First we've admitted we're ignorant, then we get our "want to" fixed, then, well, then it's time to find the answer. Christians can get happy at this point. The biblical language about "seeking" is wonderful (Proverbs 8:17, Jeremiah 29:13, Luke 12:31, Luke 19:10, Colossians 3:1, Hebrews 11:6). It's in the changing of the "want to" and the "seeking" where all the work is. Then finally there is the effort to save it, understand it, and do it. Many times that's fun when the "application" takes place. This is what Milton Gregory meant when he described the powerful tool of "association"…. "the Unknown Must be Explicable in Terms of the Known". Do I intend to learn something else soon? Yes. I'll embrace and face the fact that difficulty is often the pathway to success. In learning, in growing, in life.