Another great Bible study resource

I’ve just come across another great Bible study resource – mystudybible.com. It has web and mobile versions, and even works (if a little slow) on the iPad! It also has a ‘mobile’ version for phones, but I haven’t tried that one.

What is so great you say?

Well, it has a commentary or two fully available, Bible dictionary, but the greatest thing is the original language tools. You can just hover over a word and get the details of what the originial translation said, and details about that word, where it was used elsewhere, how else it is translated and more. If you are serious about ‘digging in’, this is a great tool.

And while it defaults to the HCSB, it also has others versions like the ESV available. I’m not letting go of esvonline.org (as the study notes there are brilliant), but it’s another great tool to work along side. I really like that these tools are online, free, and that anyone can use without spending thousands on ‘full featured’ software. Nothing against that software, but it is out of the financial reach of many people, and sites like this just make study accessible to all.

Every Decision Counts

Isaiah 46:8-11 (ESV)
“Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
calling a bird of prey from the east,
the man of my counsel from a far country.
I have spoken, and I will bring it to pass;
I have purposed, and I will do it.

Do you know, that for every single decision you make, there can be a massive chain reaction of other events that you did not plan, may not want, and probably don’t even know about? To illustrate, I’m going to write a little story. With two endings. This story may seem farfetched – but I have heard many more amazing things in real life!

So lets say you are on your way to church, but in a little bit of a hurry. As you get to a major intersection, there are a lot of cars, but there is a gap. It’s probably too small, but you might be able to make it. In that moment, rather than be patient, you nail the accelerator and merge.

Unfortunately, the gap wasn’t as big as you thought, and the guy behind, Aaron, had to jam his brakes to avoid denting your car. Unfortunately Aaron also spilled his coffee (debates about drinking coffee while driving aside…). Even more unfortunately, Aaron has a temper issue. But before he can stop at a set of lights and abuse you for your indiscretion, you turn off to church and he goes his way.

Aaron is still pretty mad, and is driving like it. A little too fast into the next corner and he spins, ending up stopped head on against a tree. He’s not particularly injured, some minor bruising, but his car is busted. Aaron is now not going anywhere.

And now for the final kicker. Aaron needs his car to get to work, and has absolutely no money or credit to get a new one or get one repaired. And due to his frequent temper issues, Aaron doesn’t have anyone he can rely on to get him to work. As a consequence, Aaron has lost his job.

All because you chose to rush in, instead of being patient. And really, you don’t know any of this – it is all just a hidden consequence of your actions.

So first, the bad ending. Aaron’s life goes pretty downhill from here, we have all seen it – no money, no job, not really any friends. He resorts to crime and ends up doing time. On top of this, where he worked the business wasn’t doing very well – it was pretty close to closing down. To save some money, the boss decided not to replace Aaron, thinking others could pickup the slack. Turns out, Aaron, temper and all, was much more important than he seemed. Inside of a month orders aren’t getting shipped, and customers are getting mad. Within 3 months the business has gone bankrupt, and 200 other people are now without work, because Aarons boss tried to save a buck, because Aaron couldn’t work, because you were not patient. Sound unlikely? Don’t bet on it!

But wait, we have a better ending! Aaron opens the paper and looks for a new job, and miraculously, finds it through a friend from years ago. And this job has a car, so Aaron is earning more, and has a car, and his friend from years ago is able to again build a friendship back, and Aarons life is back on track. Even better, Jack, and unemployed Christian father of 4, gets hired into Aarons job, and is able to again support his family and give back. Without the accident, Aaron never would have looked for and got a better job, and Jack could still be unemployed living in a 1 room basement with his wife and 4 kids. All because you chose not to be patient.

So what am I getting at? Every single decision in your life has effects far beyond what you can see, even far beyond what you could dream and imagine. I’m sure you have all heard of the shoe salesman who was saved – and shared his faith with a guy buying shoes one day. That guy? Billy Graham. Just an example of someone who made a decision to do something – and look what effect it had!

Only God truly knows the outcome to every decision, every situation.

So what is the solution?

James 4:13-17 (ESV)
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”—yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

James is getting at a big point here. We need to live in God’s will for our life – not just for the big decisions in life, but minute by minute, second by second. Every single decision we make needs to be help up to God’s will and standard and tested.

God doesn’t exist as an emergency room - I’ve said it before, God is not a paramedic! Yes, He is there when there is trouble and emergency in our lives, but He is also there all the time – not just for trouble! God is not just there for the big decisions in life, like who to marry, or what job to take, or when and where to move – but for every single decision.

So how can we bring every single decision to God? We need to ‘walk in’ God’s will. We need to hold a close relationship with Him. We need to be in constant prayer. We need to read His words to us regularly, and fellowship with other Christians as often as practical. In short, we need to be Godly. Then, and only then, can we be sure that as we live day by day, we are living as God would have us live.

Heavenly Father, guide us in our daily lives. Teach us to live by Your Word, to live in Your will, to bring every single thing we do before you and live filled with the Holy Spirit. Teach us Your ways, show is the truth we pray in Jesus Name, Amen.

The Ubiquitous Gospel – Romans 10:18-21

Romans 10:18-21 (ESV)
But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.”
But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.”
Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.”
But of Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.”

Just a short post today to wrap up Romans 10! For context, Paul here is speaking primarily about the Israelites, the Jewish nation. Up until this point we have been studying how the Gospel is received by faith alone – nothing else.

In the time prior to Jesus, God reached out and chose the nation of Israel to be His chosen people. Not because they were worthy (Deut 7:7-8), not because they were better, or bigger, or for any other reason than to show His favour.

And despite this choosing many before and after Jesus rejected God, rejected His message and abused His favour. Paul quotes heavily from Isaiah in these verses, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.” God is patient and wants all people to come to a knowledge of Him, but that doesn’t mean they all accept!

But since Jesus has fulfilled the law, we become the fulfillment of the prophecy – we have been found though we did not seek, we have seen God, despite not asking for it. So what can we say? We can only affirm that the message of the Gospel is ubiquitous – it is universal, open to all who would receive it.

In the next chapter (starting with our next Romans post), we will see more about how God has made the Gospel available to all, but despite this, it does not discount the nation of Israel – they are also called to accept the Gospel; indeed many already have!

Lord God, thank you that your Gospel is available to us all. Thank you that you haven’t just chosen a small group of people to share your good news with, but made the message open, available to all, that we might be saved from our sins and made right before you. Help us to understand the true wonder of what you have done, and share that with others. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Who is God? God is Patient

2 Peter 3:8-9 (ESV)
But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

God is Patient. And that is a good thing!

(This is part 18 of our study on ‘Who is God‘)

God is content to wait for the exact right moment to put things into action, or to take a certain action. Our Father is also slow to anger, which means whilst He is still just, and righteous, He doesn’t take unnecessary immediate action, when there is a better way.

1 Timothy 1:16-17 (ESV)
But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. To the King of the ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.

What does this mean for me?

God is not slow. You might be waiting for something to happen, you might be praying for something to take place. God is not slow! But God knows the perfect time, and is willing to be patient for that perfect time to come along. It doesn’t mean the answer to every prayer is always ‘yes’, but either way, the answer will always come at the most appropriate time.

God is just, yet forgiving. God will punish sins, but He withholds that final judgment until the right time. He has allowed a time, which is right now, for the world to continue on its fallen path, that more people might come to know Him, and trust in Him as savior and Lord. On the last day all people will know Him as Lord, but only those that have confessed it prior to that final judgment and revelation will be saved. But don’t be fooled! Judgment is coming, and it is coming soon. It will come at the exact moment it needs to come.

How often in our lives are we too impatient to wait for the perfect time? Even in simple things like driving or crossing the road, or even walking through a shopping centre, how often are we patient to do things at the right time, like merge, rather than just taking off at a time that suits us? And if we fail in the small things, as I know I do often, how much more the big things in life! We jump before the ship has docked, we move before God wants us to.

But God is patient with us, knowing our weaknesses, and so treats us as young children, who need to be taught the right way, with love and gentleness, but followed by a firm hand. For If God wasn’t patient, would any of us be here now?

Exodus 34:6 (ESV)
The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,

Lord God, almighty Father, thank you for Your patience. Thank you that You were patient with me until the right time to bring me to know You, and to trust You as Lord. Thank you that You hold back your final judgment until as many people as possible can come to know You, and be saved from themselves. Just as you have perfect patience, guide us, teach us, help us to be also patient like You, not just in the big decisions in life, but in all things. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

True Beauty – Romans 10:14-17 (part 3)

Romans 10:14-17 (ESV)
How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.

Over the past two posts we have looked at how we are all called to share the message of the Gospel, the good news of Jesus Christ, and that once we have shared it is not us, but the Holy Spirit that convicts and guides.

But now we come to an interesting, yet poignant, verse. Paul draws from Isaiah, and quotes “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”. What is going on here?

To go back to the original context, the message being carried, or the good news, was the return of Israel from captivity back to Jerusalem. The messenger who ‘carried’ this message would have had to walk a very long way to bring it – back in the days where there wasn’t a Motel 6 at every town, and shoes were a basic commodity. By the time the messenger reached the recipients, he would have been rather dirty and travel worn, and since he had walked a great distance, his feet would have been the worst for it. And yet, because of the message that he carried, even his feet were considered ‘beautiful’, especially because it was his feet that in turn carried the message.

So despite outward appearances (of dirty, filthy, smelly, travel worn feet), they were indeed beautiful.

Are you looking for true beauty?

John 14:15 (ESV)
“If you love me, you will keep my commandments.”

True beauty is in living God’s will for your life, whatever, and wherever that is. For all of us that is at some time bringing the good news of Jesus to others around us. It is also found in doing what God has called us to do, because each of us is called to do something!

We have all heard the analogy of the body – that each of us who are Christians are like a part of the body. Whilst some parts are more presentable than others, and some parts are deemed more important, all parts are equally essential! If the church is to function as a whole, completely effective for the work God has called it to, then every single one of us needs to be doing what God has called us to do. For if even one of the ‘less presentable’ parts, such as the feet, were to fail, the whole body would suffer or even fail.

So, I ask again. Are you looking for true beauty? Then you won’t find it in the gossip magazines, the social magazines, or anywhere near the fashion and self proclaimed beauty magazines that the world would offer us as definitions.

You will find beauty in participating in God’s will for your life, his good and perfect will.

1 John 5:1-5 (ESV)
Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father loves whoever has been born of him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and obey his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome. For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Heavenly Father, we are often so weak and easily led astray. Our focus is often drawn to the things of the world, the definitions of the world, the standards and self proclaimed norms of the world, that we lose our focus and direction in You. Mighty God, draw us back to you. Guide us in Your Spirit that we might see the truth, and then live our Your will for our lives. Help us to all find true beauty in You, and what You have called us to do. In Jesus Name. Amen.

Book Review – The Bone House, Stephen Lawhead

Summary? A frustrating first half leads to an exceptional second half of the book. Recommended.

The Bone House, part 2 of the Bright Empires series. I had read part one a few months ago, and decided to give part 2 a run. You can read my review of part one, The Skin Map.

Again, a quick part of the blurb from the Stephen Lawhead’s site. -

One piece of the skin map has been found. Now the race to unravel the future of the future turns deadly.

An avenue of Egyptian sphinxes, an Etruscan tufa tomb, a Bohemian coffee shop, and a Stone Age landscape where universes collide …

 The Bone House is a definite continuation from The Skin Map. Without reading part 1, part 2 will not make a whole lot of sense, I don’t think this is the kind of series you can start where you want!

The first half of the book is frankly frustrating. There are at least 5 story lines going on, and some you just have no idea why. And not just 5 story lines all happening around each other (though in many senses they are). One minute you are with someone in London, next with that persons great grandfather but in Ancient Egypt, next with someone else altogether in 18th century Egypt, And next again somewhere in Bohemia. It was interesting, intriguing, but a little messy at the same time.

But somewhere around half way all the story lines start to converge. Once I past this point the book was a page turner – I struggled to put it down, because it utterly caught my imagination. The other thing is that book 2 resolves a lot of the ‘unifinished’ business of book 1, bringing together what was a good story line with lots of lose ends, into something much more coherent.

What to say again without giving much away? Persevere through the first half, take your time to work out who is who and where and when they are, and it will all come together in the end, and it will be rewarding. Stephen Lawhead has already made his intention clear to publish book 3 – The Spirit Well – in September 2012. But unlike book 1, you are not left wondering ‘what??’. There is much to happen and much to be resolved, but this is a much clearer break at the end of the book, which left me feeling good about the story I read, and yet, interested in the next book.

So again, recommended to teenagers and above. For those younger, read and exercise your own discretion! There is nothing untoward in any language or relationships, but there are mature aspects of the book younger readers may or will have difficulty with. An interesting mix of fantasy, science fiction, philosophy and religion.

Book Review – The Skin Map, Stephen Lawhead

Summary? A good read, if not a little confusing at the start. Book 2 even better. Recommended.

I was intrigued by the description of The Skin Map, by Stephen R. Lawhead.

The ultimate quest for ultimate treasure. Kit Livingstone gets caught up in an Omniverse of intersecting realities as he chases the secret of a map tattooed on human skin. It’s time to walk the lines.

I have read books from this author before, and they had been interesting, so it was time to give it a go. I will be honest, there are some reviews out there that portray this book as poor, and I was nearly dissuaded, but glad I did take the time to read.

The book begins with our main characters – Kit and Wilhelmina, living unremarkable if not utterly dreary lives in modern day England. But things change when Kit meets his grandfather and namesake (Cosimo) and finds himself travelling through the multiverse to new places and times.

Unfortunately this makes him late to a date with his girlfriend, and so in an attempt to get himself out of trouble he tries to prove to her that it is real. And so begins the adventure. With settings ranging from modern day London, late middle ages Prague, Ancient Egypt and a few in between, it has an entertaining breadth and interesting story line.

The book travels at a leisurely pace, and to be honest, by the end of it you are not quite sure why some of the chapters were even there (though having read the second book already, it is becoming clearer). The only occasional difficulty is in working out what the chapter represents – who is the focus on, and what place and time period they are in. It is not too bad in the book, but you do need to take a second to think at every turn!

Being a fiction book, I don’t want to say too much and give things away. So what I will say is it was a ‘good’ book – not great, but not bad. An enjoyable read. For those expecting a ‘Christian Epic’, you will be disappointed. To me it certainly appears that Lawhead has a ‘Christian Worldview’, and maybe he will make more of this in the future, and he certainly poses poignant questions at opportune times, but this is not a strictly ‘Christian’ book. I just note as some previous reviewers this was their main complaint…

But having read the second book (which gets in all senses better), it is a great, and required, introduction to what appears will be a series of reasonable length. In short, recommended to teenagers and adults alike. For those with younger children, read it yourself and use your own discernment.

You can also like to read my review of The Bone House (book 2 in Bright Empires).