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Folly of Idolatry

Chris — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:20:56 +0000

One of my favourite books is Tim Keller's "Counterfeit Gods". It is a no that continues speaking to me and helps me to understand a lot of scripture in light of my own fallen nature and idolatry. Anyway, the reading from Genesis today was actually one that Keller used in is book, the story of Jacob being deceived by Laban. Blinded by his lust (idolatry of Rachel), he didn't realise he was being deceived by Laban. So that got me thinking about idolatry of course as I read on, and in Esther, I couldn't help but notice how Haman was himself exhibiting signs of idolatry. He was in a privileged position already, and yet because of his high self image (idolatry of self), he could not enjoy it just because Mordecai had no fear of him. Quite sad really, especially given the rest of the story... Man I love Esther!!

Bible Reading Plans

Chris — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 19:50:13 +0000

I wrote this letter to my CnC group, regarding Bible Reading plans, and I thought I'd share it hear also...

Hey Everyone!

I hope you were all as challenged by Pastor Jay’s exhortation to be “saturated” in the Word of God as I was. And as a result of that, I hope that you would make the effort regularly reading the Bible. As Pastor Jay mentioned last night, there are some really great ways that some people have come up with in order to make it easier for you to do so. And so what follows in this message is a list of the different plans that are available online for you to download and print. Included are my own thoughts about each plan, and some recommendations that I have.

But before I get into those plans, really quickly, there are, of course, electronic resources available. I’m sure there are even apps that you can use to go through a reading plan. But just two that I want to highlight are...

YouVersion: (Multiple reading plans & versions of the Bible) http://www.youversion.com
ESV Bible: (Multiple reading plans for the ESV Bible) http://www.esvbible.org

One thing I want to say, and no I’m not trying to “convert” anyone to the ESV with this. Just an observation I’ve made... but it seems to me like Crossway (the publishers of the ESV) is head and shoulders over every other Bible publishing companies in terms of making use of recent technology to make the Bible available and accessible to everyone. Esvbible.org is already, in and of itself, an excellent resource, but in addition to that, I have you to find another app that can match the ESV in aesthetic appeal and ease of use.

Introductory Plans
These plans are a great way to start making Bible Reading a regular part of your day. They are shorter plans that give you an overview of some parts of the Bible. The first three plans are the shortest plans and are your most basic introductory plans. If you are a brand new Christian, I would suggest starting with the 30 Days for a New Christian, followed by the next two 30 day plans (with Jesus and in the Psalms). If you have been a believer for a while and know some things about the Bible, but haven’t had the chance to read through the Bible systematically, then I would suggest starting with the 30 Days with Jesus, followed by 30 Days in the Psalms. Of course, if you feel like you need it, then start with the plan for New Christians as well.

After doing the 30 day plans, then move on to the 60 Day, 90 Day, then 180 day overviews of the Bible. These plans will give you a big picture over view of the Scriptures (obviously, going deeper and deeper with each major sweep). Once you’ve gone through these and have built up the habit of reading Scriptures regularly (hopefully daily), then it would be appropriate to move on to the next “level” of reading the word.

30 Days for a New Christian
http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/plan_new30_af_cms.pdf

30 Days with Jesus
http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/plan_jesus30_af_cms.pdf

30 Days in the Psalms
http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/plan_psalms30_af_cms.pdf

60 Day Overview of the Bible
http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/60Day_af_cms.pdf

90 Day Overview of the Bible
http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/90Days_af_cms.pdf

1-Year Plans
Before I get in to these 1-Year Plans, let me make it clear that you do not necessarily need to start with the shorter plans before doing these larger plans. The shorter plans tend to have less reading each day (say, 2 chapters for the 30-180 Day plans, and 4 chapters a day for these 1-Year Plans). Also, the shorter plans tend move you through the “highlights” of the Bible; the significant/milestone points in scripture that really help you understand the story as a whole. What I should mention about how much more “advanced” these 1-Year Reading Plans are than the shorter “Introductory” plans are that they tend to be more “unforgiving” in the sense that if you miss days, you fall behind, and it can be difficult to catch up. So it would be really important for you to be disciplined about building up the habit of reading scripture every day if you’re going to be “successful” in completing these plans.

Having said all of that, my favourite 1-Year plans are connected to a devotional book written by D.A. Carson. It’s called “For the Love of God” and there are 2 volumes to choose from. These two plans follow a modified version of the “M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan” which walks you through the Old Testament once and the New Testament twice in the year.

An alternative to these two reading plans are the One-Year Bibles that are published by Crossway (for the ESV) and Tyndale Publishing House (for the NIV). These Bibles are actually rearranged so that you follow their reading plan (I think there are 4 readings per day, 1 each from the Old and New Testaments, and 1 each from Psalms and Proverbs.)

For the Love of God Volume 1
http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-documents/carson/1998_for_the_love_of_God.pdf

For the Love of God Volume 2
http://s3.amazonaws.com/tgc-documents/carson/1999_for_the_love_of_God.pdf

ESV One Year Bible
http://www.amazon.ca/ESV-One-Year-Bible-Standard/dp/1581347081/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327691597&sr=8-1

NIV One Year Bible
http://www.amazon.ca/One-Year-Bible-NIV/dp/0842324518/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327691597&sr=8-2-fkmr0

Horner's Bible Reading System
Horner’s Bible Reading System is the Reading Plan that Pastor Jay was talking about last night: the one where you read 10 chapters a day. It is a little “hardcore” and would be the next step for those who looking for something beyond the 1-Year Reading plans.

Horner’s method has you read 1 chapter each from 10 “Lists” of books of the Bible. Going through this system, you actually read through the Bible once every 8 months. BUT, having said that, the 10 lists that you read from are not equal in length. There are some parts that only have 28 chapters (Acts) and some, only 31 chapters (Proverbs). So while you go through the whole Bible in 8 months, what that really means is that you go through the 2 longest of the 10 lists in 8 months (List 8, the Historical books after the Pentateuch, is 249 days long; and list 9, which are the major and minor prophets, is 250 days long), while you go through the shorter lists multiple times over that same period of time (so, you read through List 8 once in 8 months, while you read through Acts almost 9 times).

The PDF I am providing in the link below gives you more details on how the system works and the justification for reading the Bible this way. It even has “bookmarks” that you can print out and keep in your Bible to keep track of your readings.

http://www.wbfva.org/files/professor_grant_horners_bible_reading_system.pdf

3-Year Plan
This final plan is a 3-year guided plan. It goes through the Bible chapter-by-chapter, but it does not simply go through it cover to cover. It does jump around to help break up the monotony of some parts of the Bible (like Leviticus).

This plan is also a great introductory plan because it is just 1 chapter of the Bible. Alternatively, I would suggest this plan, along with another resource like a good Study Bible, or Gordon Fee’s book “How to Read the Bible Book by Book” (http://www.amazon.ca/How-Read-Bible-Book/dp/0310211182/ref=pd_sim_b_1) for more in-depth Bible study that you can do *in addition* to your daily devotional reading.

http://www.zondervan.com/m/readingplans/3yrGddTour_af_cms.pdf

Alright, well that’s all for now. I really hope that these resources will be able to bring you yet one step closer to that goal of becoming “competent” and “confident” readers of God’s Word.

Shalom,

Chris

Unnamed But Quite Present

Chris — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 06:10:18 +0000

I already mentioned that God does not "appear" in the book of Esther - no LORD, no God, etc. nonetheless, it's not hard to discern how God shows up even when unnamed. And here in Esther 4, we see this happening. Esther tells Mordecai about the law forbidding anyone from approaching the king. And to this, Mordecai answers "For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish." Amazing! Here's the covenant restated in different words. The Jews, as the covenant people, indeed will be saved. And then here's the kicker, Mordecai continues: "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" And there is sovereignty. The belief that God is I. Control even when it doesn't see, like it at all.

No One Righteous, Not One

Chris — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 06:35:00 +0000

Genesis 27 is one of those passages where it is difficult to see any good at all. One messed up family with all playing their evil part... There are the parents playing favourite, the older brother who doesn't care about his family, and of course, Jacob the younger brother who deceives his way into a blessing he was supposed to get anyway. I guess the only good thing that comes out of this is that it does set the stage for God's sovereign work of building up the chosen family, Israel. But one wonders, if they had just trusted in Yahweh, how much easier would things have been for them?

Sins of the Father

Chris — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 22:55:27 +0000

It's incredible to read this story in Genesis 26 of Isaac and Abimelech, king of the Philistines, if only because I had read it at least twice before, albeit with Abraham doing the lying about Sarah. First of all, it's just plain wrong and cowardly for these men to have lied about their wives being their sister in order to avoid possible trouble. But more importantly, it is also a lack of faith in Yahweh, who has already promised his blessing to them, that lead to that cowardice. Quite sad indeed...

Sovereignty in the Big Matters

Chris — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 19:13:49 +0000

Yesterday, I made some comments about God's sovereignty being shown in small matters such as finding a wife for Isaac (in Genesis 24). I realize of course large and small are two measures that need to be considered in context, and so I thought that today, as I begin reading Esther, I would put how "small" the matter of finding a wife for Isaac (as I would suspect that most would disagree with my considering it "small") into perspective. Esther is a problematic book for several reasons, not the least of which is the fact that the term "God" or "Yahweh" does not appear in the story. It seems a book that has nothing at all to do with God, and yet it has everything to do with Him. God's sovereignty is seen throughout the book, with Esther 1 standing as the introduction to the situation in which God's sovereignty will be seen in a huge way. To be sure, it is a pretty horrible thing that happened. A patriarchal society would have no problems at all with what happened to Queen Vashti, while ours would question what right the King had to demand so much from her. Nonetheless, whatever way you view their dispute and the results, God's sovereignty was at work to bring about his divine purpose.

Sovereignty in the Small Matters

Chris — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 18:19:12 +0000

Genesis 24 has another one of those "LOL" verses in the a bible (which I love). On oath to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham's servant asks God for a sign regarding the young woman he is to choose for him. Pretty much right after that, he meets Rebekah, who fulfills the sign exactly. P that's the context of the verse, "The man gazed at her in silence to learn whether the LORD had prospered his journey or not." I can just imagine the servant in kind of this confused/amazed state.. I find it amusing. Hahaha. Anyway, some observations: 1) The servant praying to Yahweh is a testimony of Abraham as a master/employer. He's obviously taught everyone in his household, including the lowly servants, that Yahweh is the only true God. 2) God is obviously concerned over even the small matters such as finding Isaac a wife. Not that I think finding a wife should on love the kind of sign this servant asked God for. Just the principle of God's sovereignty in this small matter is helpful to know. 3) Rebekah's obedience is amazing to see, even though she clearly comes from a household that had respect for, but did not completely believe in Yahweh. Did she herself believe at this point? Or was she being prompted in her heart by the truth? Either way, she defied (it would seem) her family's wishes for her to stay longer, and in a way, trusted in Yahweh through her obedience to Abraham's servant.

An Intellectual Faith

Chris — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 17:20:21 +0000

I absolutely love how Jesus responds to the testing questions of the Pharisees and Sadducees in Matthew 22. As an intellect, it pleases me to see how he logically destroys their arguments. "Render to Caesar what is Caesar" is of course the classic of these irrefutably rational arguments. But then also he silences the Sadducees with the "He is the God of the Living" argument (that is, yes, a little more faith-based argument, but logical nonetheless). This cohesiveness really speaks to the truth of the Christian faith. And of course, it's ability to minister to all, whatever their predisposition in these matters might be.

Genesis 22 on Worship

Chris — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 16:35:08 +0000

I can't let Genesis 22 pass by without comment because it is one of my favourite passages concerning worship. Yes. Worship. Because of what Abraham said to his servants: "I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." Obviously with the sacrifice of Isaac in mind, Abraham calls what he is about to do "worship", nonetheless. With that said... 1) Worship is merely a response to God's initiative in our lives. Just as he called Abraham, who answered "Here am I". 2) Worship is often a calling to do something difficult. No, it isn't just what we do on Sunday mornings. It is much more. 3) Worship is a form of sacrifice. Giving up something that you love or cherish, in faith that God's sovereignty reigns. 4) Worship is not purely emotional (though it can contain emotion), but just as Abraham rationally made preparation to sacrifice Isaac, worship needs to be prepared for and made ready. Finally, 5) Worship is an expression of faith in God's gift of Resurrection Life. Amen!

Poor Eutychus

Chris — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:05:54 +0000

Awe! I feel bad for my brother, Eutychus. He will, for eternity be known as the kid who slept through one of the Apostle Paul's sermons. Hahaha. How amazing is God's sense of humor that a story like this would be recorded in his Holy Word! This just shows me how real the Bible is... I mean, real in the sense of "authentic". It really isn't this "polished" religious text that was altered by scribes to fit theology, as Atheists would like to argue. It's a real book that God uses to change lives, problems and all... Amen to that!