When does despair set in? When there is no hope. When there is no chance of recovery. When terminal patients are in the hospital, doctors attempt to keep them hopeful for as long as possible or else they may give up fighting their disease and secure their death. Sometimes, it is a daily battle in my walk with the Lord to keep from despair.

I sometimes picture that I am walking through a dark place with Jesus a few steps behind me. As if he was saying, “keep walking, I’m right here,” continually nudging me foreword. But at every step my knees weaken and I become convinced that there’s no way I’ll be able to make the next step and will have to stop walking.

Shane & Shane have a recording of Before the Throne of God Above that is continually used by way of reminder to bring strength to my knees.

Before the throne of God above
I have a strong and perfect plea
A great high Priest who’s name is Love
Who ever lives and pleads for me

My name is graven on His hand
My name is written on His heart
I know that while in heaven He stands
No tongue can bid me thence depart

When satan tempts me to despair
and tells me of the guilt within
upward I look and see Him there
Who made an end of all my sin

Because a sinless Savior died
my sinful soul is counted free
For God the just is satisfied
to look on Him and pardon me

Hallelujah
Praise the One Risen Son of God.

Behold Him there, the risen Lamb
My perfect spotless righteousness
The great unchangeable I AM
The King of Glory and of grace

One in Himself, I cannot die
My soul is purchased by His blood
My life is hid with Christ on high
With Christ my Savior and my God

In the legal court of heaven, I have been declared just. Despair is now a logical and realistic irrationality. It is altogether inconsistent with a situation which is characterized entirely by hope! May the God of all comfort bring strength to the knees of his children.

John Piper’s shtick is joy. His zeal for the topic is beautiful and spreading as people read his literature. The topic for me is challenging as well, as I read through When I Don’t Desire God: How to Fight For Joy. I want to glorify God, I know that and so the truth that “God is most glorified, when we are most satisfied in Him” is challenging to the very core of my walk. It has been ever since I heard Piper speak several years back at a conference. Sometimes it almost seems that it would be easier if I could simply take a deep breath and do the things I really don’t want to do, not like the outcome and have receive no personal fulfillment at all from my actions but all the while “know” that God was glorified. To truly glorify God would fly in the face of that. Piper says at first it seems to “lower the bar”, in terms of the demands of our walk with God. But in truth, it’s just an illusion. It’s not long before it’s obvious that the bar has been raised way above our heads.

In an interesting segment in When I Don’t Desire God, Piper describes joy and the essence of it in Jesus, with images of the Titanic in mind. I’d like to share the picture.

“Nothing is more foundational for the joy of undeserving people than the cross of Jesus Christ. The fight for joy is a fight to grasp and marvel at what happened in the death of Christ—and what it reveals about our suffering savior. If it were not for the death of Jesus in our place, the only possible joy would be the joy of delusion—like the joy on the Titanic just before it hit the iceberg, Without the cross, joy could be sustained only by denying (consciously or subconsciously) the inevitability of divine judgment. In fact, that’s the kind of joy that drives most of the world—a joy that preserves the power of its pleasures but being oblivious to the peril just ahead. If the passengers were suddenly made aware that in a matter of hours most of them would drown in the icy ocean, all their merrymaking would cease. Their joy depends on their ignorance.

However, if the passengers knew that the ocean liner would sink, but that a great armada of utterly dependable ships and sailors was already on the way and would arrive and save everyone who followed their instructions, something very different would happen. To be sure, the lighthearted merrymaking would cease, and a great seriousness would spread over the Titanic; but there would be a different kind of joy—a deep sense of gratitude for the rescuers, and a deep sense of hope that, though much would be lost, life would be saved. Some may panic in unbelief, doubting the promise of rescue. But others would rise in strength and hope and do great acts of love in preparation for the coming destruction.”

Guilty pleasures. We’ve all got them. Not necessarily moral guilt, although I’m sure many have those also. I’m talking about cultural guilt. Like secretly getting really excited about Project Runway or singing at the top of your lungs to Fall Out Boy songs in the car. Well, for me, it’s musicals. There are others. But musicals make up a big part of the guilty pie. There’s something about life and ordinary discourse happening in strange choreographed song and dance—I just wish it worked that way in real life. I know, it’s weird.

Throughout high school, I had this fantasy of coordinating a huge troop of people to break into song and dance somewhere in public. Maybe in a mall, or a coffee shop or something. At times, it even seemed like it could actually happen. I was friends with some a handful of people in the performing arts department and my crew was always into doing weird things in public. To my dismay, but my ultimate peace of mind, I discovered that a troop, Improv Everywhere, saw my vision to fruition.

So there it was folks. The end of a dream… *sigh*

Today is Mother’s day, and never in history has there been a mother quite as remarkable as Jesus’ mother. So remarkable that some have come close to deifying her. Some have gone all the way. Although we know that she, in her self, was no different from you and I, she was blessed above other women and experienced a greater mercy than all other women in all of history. She was beloved as the mother of our Savior. She experienced greater joy than all other women, but at the onset of her son’s execution, she also experienced deeper sorrow than any woman. In an extended quotation from A.W. Pink’s Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross, we see the glory of Christ in his mother’s sorrow. This quotation is worth the read.

In accordance with the requirements of the Mosaic law, the parents of the child Jesus brought him to the temple to present him to the Lord. Then it was that old Simeon, who waited for the Consolation of Israel, took him into his arms and blessed God. After saying: “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: for mine eyes have seen thy salvation, which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32) he now turned to Mary and said: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34, 35). A strange word was that! Could it be that hers, the greatest of all privileges was to bring with it the greatest of all sorrows? It seemed most unlikely at the time Simeon spoke. Yet how truly and how tragically did it come to pass! Here at the cross was this prophecy of Simeon fulfilled.

“Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother” (John 19:25). After the days of his infancy and childhood, and during all the public ministry of Christ, we see and hear so little of Mary. Her life was lived in the background, among the shadows. But now, when the supreme hour strikes of her Son’s agony, when the world has cast out the child of her womb, she stands there by the cross! Who can fitly portray such a picture? Mary was nearest to the cruel tree! Bereft of faith and hope, baffled and paralyzed by the strange scene, yet bound with the golden chain of love to the dying one, there she stands! Try and read the thoughts and emotions of that mother’s heart. O what a sword it was that pierced her soul then! Never such bliss at a human birth, never such sorrow at an inhuman death.

Here we see displayed the Mother-heart. She is the dying man’s mother. The one who agonizes their on the cross is her child. She it was who first planted kisses on that brow now crowned with thorns. She it was who guided those hands and feet in their first infantile movements. No mother ever suffered as she did. His disciples may desert him, his friends may forsake him, his nation may despise him, but his mother stands there at the foot of his cross. Oh, who can fathom or analyze the Mother-heart.

Who can measure those hours of sorrow and suffering as the sword was slowly drawn through Mary’s soul! Hers was no hysterical or demonstrative sorrow. There was no show of feminine weakness; no wild outcry of uncontrollable anguish; no fainting. Not a word that fell from her lips has been recorded by either of the four evangelists: apparently she suffered in unbroken silence. Yet her sorrow was none the less real and acute. Still waters run deep. She saw that brow pierced with cruel thorns, but she could not smooth it with her tender touch. She watched his pierced hands and feet grow numb and livid, but she might not chafe them. She marks his need of a drink, but she is not allowed to slake his thirst. She suffered in profound desolation of spirit.

“There stood by the Cross of Jesus his mother” (John 19:25). The crowds are mocking, the thieves are taunting, the priests are jeering, the soldiers are callous and indifferent, the Saviour is bleeding, dying - and there is his mother beholding the horrible mockery. What wonder if she had swooned at such a sight! What wonder if she had turned away from such a spectacle! What wonder if she had fled from such a scene!

But no! There she is: she does not crouch away, she does not faint, she does not even sink to the ground in her grief - she stands. Her action and attitude are unique. In all the annals of history of our race there is no parallel. What transcendent courage. She stood by the cross of Jesus - what marvellous fortitude. She represses her grief, and stands there silent. Was it not reverence for the Lord which kept her from disturbing his last moments?

In Philippians 4:11, Paul says, “I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am”; he will not be swayed by the afflictions of living with much, or living with little—giving note to the fact that there are heavy afflictions in both circumstances. This is the subject and the work of Jeremiah Burroughs in his classic text, The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment. Originally published in 1648, Contentment later underwent some language modernization and was most recently republished by Banner of Truth as a part of their Puritan Paperbacks series.

I finished the text today and have some mixed feelings regarding Burroughs’ thoughts on the topic. Burroughs’ text focuses on attempting to unpack Paul’s words to the Philippians. What does it mean to be “content”? How can that be achieved? What are the implications upon a content person’s life? What if we’re not content? Burroughs answers all of these questions quite clearly—sometimes too clearly. Unfortunately, at times his answers, well, just aren’t really satisfactory considering the evidence.

Burroughs begins by defining contentment. After reading the first chapter (slowly), there was still a bit of ambiguity concerning what exactly it means for a person to be “content”. I ended up attempting to draw conclusions of Burroughs’ definition from the coming context of the book. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t especially clear. It seems after finishing the book that Burroughs’ means to say that contentment is a sense of being okay with, satisfied in, not needing more than, whatever physical circumstance we may find ourselves in. This seems to be a relatively obvious interpretation of Paul’s words to the Philippians, however, Burroughs doesn’t always sound like that’s what he means when talking about contentment. Perhaps its generational.

Burroughs flows through a kind of rocky path of exploration. He begins with a definition of contentment, flows into how mysterious and miraculous a thing it is (although, doesn’t seem to designate it as something Christians can exclusively enjoy), then moves into the modes of teaching Christ employs when instructing his people. Following that, he goes on to explain the ‘excellence’ of being content. Up until this point, I tracked quite well and often added audible “hmm” noises to my reading. Following his bit on contentment’s excellence, he moves into the sin of not being content, or as he puts it, the sin of a ‘murmuring’ spirit. It’s at this point that things began to swing a bit out of balance—at least in terms of the whole of scripture.

Burroughs makes the point well that contentment is a duty. We ought to fight for it, seek it, labor to attain it. It is also convincing that to be discontented is sinful and we should not be okay with that kind of ingratitude. Unfortunately though, Burroughs’ bit on sin, unlike many of his contemporaries, seems never to really call back to the work of Christ on the cross. Frankly, I was a bit astonished. He had a great deal to say about God’s wrath and his wrath poured out on the discontented, worldly heart. But strikingly little to say about the great ocean of wrath poured out on the dying Jesus on behalf of his bride, who would undoubtedly struggle to achieve contentment all her days.

His definition of ‘murmuring’ is also a bit unclear. At times it seems that he means some deeper heart condition that is out of rest and ungrateful toward God. However, at other times, it seems that his definition might mean something more like complaining. At times of the latter, it’s hard not to call to memory David’s psalms, which are flooded with complaints.

When finally emerging from those chapters on the evils of discontent, Burroughs’ returns to more useful discourse. Namely a conversation about how people regularly will excuse themselves from guilt in discontentment, followed by a clear and practical discussion of how to achieve contentment.

Much of Burroughs’ text was convicting and inspiring. Some of it was discouraging and frankly, out of balance. However, while I disagree with a good chunk of his thoughts, even in the midst of questionable things, there are to be found nuggets of really good insights. I think unlike some of the other books in the Puritan Paperbacks collection, this one may be written more directly to its specific time period. Not that contentment isn’t ageless duty, but rather his method and tone may not be suited well for all time periods.

Because of my own reservations, I don’t recommend this book unless your up for the challenge of discerning and scrutinizing the text. If that is something you’re up for, there’s some excellent insight to be gained here. If you’re not up for that, may I recommend anything written by John Piper; God willing, the intended effect will be much the same.

For more information on this edition of Reading Classics Together, swing by Challies.com or pick up the book, The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by Arthur W. Pink.

This week’s chapter of Seven Sayings by Arthur W. Pink focused on Jesus’ word of salvation on the cross; most specifically, his brief but profound discourse with the repentant thief on the cross next to him.

And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” (Luke 23:42-43)

While reading this, if as if every other line held something that struck me and I wanted to mention. Pink point’s out the beautiful display of God’s sovereign choice of one thief and not the other. He points out the lowliness, humility and shame of the spotless Jesus’ crucifixion between two criminals; that Jesus was “numbered with transgressors”. He points out Jesus’ provision above and beyond what the criminal requested. He points out the representative nature of that criminal in every one of our lives. But I think perhaps what struck me more than other things was Pink’s observation of Jesus’ own desires in that moment and every moment.

The criminal’s request was humble and simple. “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” He simple requested that when Jesus was finished with this work he was doing, that he would not forget the criminal who hung beside him. Jesus promises to grant this request, but doesn’t stop there. He is unsatisfied to simply snatch the thief from the flames. “Truly,” say’s Jesus, “today you will be with me in Paradise.” Jesus primarily desires, not that the criminal will be saved from hell (although that is part of it), but that will be with him. He desires our fellowship.

Pink puts it this way:

“That which makes heaven superlatively attractive to the heart of the saints is not that heaven is a place where we shall be delivered from all sorrow and suffering, nor is it that heaven is the place where we shall meet again those we loved in the Lord, nor is it that heaven is the place of golden streets and pearly gates and jasper walls—no; blessed as these things are, heaven without Christ would not be heaven. It is Christ the heart of the believer longs for and pants after—‘Whom have I in heaven but thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee’ (Ps. 73:25). And the most amazing thing is that heaven will not be heaven to Christ in the highest sense until His redeemed are gathered around Him. It is His saints that His heart longs for. To come again and ‘receive us unto himself’ is the joyous expectation set before Him. Not until He sees of the travail of His soul will He be fully satisfied.”

Those are some pretty remarkable claims from Pink’s pen, but they rest insightfully well with Jesus’ own ministry and the whole of scripture.

This is a comfort. It is coals on the fire of pleasure that I can take in the thought of Jesus’ awesome work of salvation on my behalf. The thought of his affection and desire for me, is magnified when I consider how great a desire it was that he would stop at nothing to get it. And it’s supremely comforting to consider that no man, not even me, could have stopped him from getting what he wanted, even before the foundation of the world.

I post to this blog every single day. I’ve resolved to stick with it diligently. I sometimes will give up other plans to be sure that I can post. You’d be surprised how often folks passively attempt to dissuade me from posting here or there. I’ve been accused of being legalistic, of being hypocritical, of being misdirected, of having some hidden agenda. I’ve even (sort of) been accused of being a part of the massive Christian conspiracy to cover up scientific “truth”.

So today, I was going to post some thoughts on chapter two of Seven Sayings, but decided that I’d take the opportunity to write about why I write. Perhaps to present my reasons in a manner that will qualm people’s suspicions of me and maybe even inspire you to take up writing also.

I write, essentially, for three reasons.

1. The first and the most important, by far, is consistency. On an emotional level, I’m an inconsistent person. Historically, this has commandeered my life. Some days I may wake with a great deal of tenacity and unction, but on another day, I may not have the ambition to get out of bed. Writing helps provide some consistency not found elsewhere and helps to provide stability necessary for me to function from day to day.

Writing is not the only thing that will fall into this category either. Also in this category is diligent daily reading of scripture. Long before I was writing, I found that consistency in reading, regardless of emotional condition, helped to provide a broader sense of consistency in my emotions and ultimately my spiritual life. While in the same vain, writing has proven more demanding and ultimately more rewarding in consistency.

2. The second reason has to do with helping to arrange and organize thoughts. When I led a small group a while back, I found that I would often need to teach about things that I didn’t fully understand, or didn’t understand in an organized fashion. Ultimately, teaching helped to curb that problem. Having a need to organize my thoughts and understandings, proved beneficial, because in the end I would end up having those understandings and being able to apply them to myself.

Now, writing is not exactly like that. However, in a similar way, writing does provide a need to seek understanding in an organized way. More than once this has provided an avenue through which I’ve come to powerful, deeply affecting truths that I likely wouldn’t have sought otherwise.

3. Finally, I think that sharing thoughts is good. More than a few times I’ve been encouraged or impacted by reading other’s online material and since I began writing, I’ve been told that others have been similarly affected reading mine.

This is all a relatively brief overview of why I choose to write and why, for me, it’s important to do it consistently. For me, it’s not legalism, it’s not hypocritical and I don’t have a hidden agenda. It’s just a good habit and a multifaceted benefit to my mental, spiritual and emotional health.

It’s been some time since I gave some set of music its week, but sitting this morning listening to some randomly selected music, I decided today was the day. I’d like to mention one of my favorite groups, Nickel Creek.

I happened upon Nickel Creek years ago when a friend burned me a CD of a few hundred mp3s, few of which actually produced lasting interest. However, in the mix was a single Nickel Creek song, A Lighthouse Tale. The tragic love ballad of two people told from the perspective of a lighthouse. The acoustic mingling of mandolin and fiddle set underneath some really stunning vocal harmonies was enough to hook me. Of course, it’s not what most would consider the manliest music in the world, so it was some time before I felt confident enough to really get into the group’s music.

While the group recorded a couple of independent albums, the first of the group’s albums I snagged was their first major release, Self-titled; the album from which A Lighthouse Tale came. It took almost no time at all for me to discover that the group really has some deep roots in bluegrass, with the introductory song Ode to a Butterfly. About four minutes of intricate instrumental maze-work akin to something you’d likely hear in your head while trying to escape from an angry mob, down a dirt road, in a stolen hoopty pick-up truck. By the time the song had finished playing through my speakers for the first time, I’d also discovered my own, yet unknown, affection for bluegrass music. Of course, Nickel Creek’s music didn’t stop there. While the album sports a couple other instrumental pieces, it’s not where the group shines.

It wasn’t long before I was introduced to the group’s second major album This Side. Although I was highly preoccupied with the Self- titled album, the follow-up record was just as good. The bluegrass roots are slightly more subtle, the melodies, music and harmonies lack nothing. The first song to catch my ear from the album was a cover of Pavement’s single, Spit on a Stranger, although I didn’t know the song was a cover until later. Listening to the original later, I discovered that Nickel Creek truly did the original justice. They didn’t butcher or mangle the original’s work, but tweaked and adapted it. Coming shortly after Spit on a Stranger was the song’s title track This Side, then the chronicles of a man’s hidden affections for a woman in Green and Grey.

Then, the most recent album, Why Should the Fire Die, hit the charts. I think that it appears that the group hit the mark of its musical vision in this record. They didn’t forsake their past expressions, or attempt some strange reinvention, but they introduced to their narrative a kind of pop-bluegrass that hadn’t shown itself yet and frankly I think can scarcely be seen elsewhere. The introduction is especially noted with Somebody More Like You and Helena. The group also debuted a kind of strange teen-angst that you wouldn’t expect to hear along side a fiddle; “I hope you meet someone your height So you can see eye-to-eye, With someone as small as you”.

There are some tracks where the groups obvious Christian affiliation can be seen. Most notably in the masterpiece Doubting Thomas, which has since (unfortunately) been covered by a number of Christian recording artists. Also, to a lesser extent, The Hand Song is also an interesting pseudo spiritual-political piece. While in a number of songs the faith connection is clear, there are other songs where the connection is evident but significantly more subtle. The group definitely doesn’t tout themselves as a Christian group.

Unfortunately for all of us, the group has said farewell to recording. Their final tour was this past year, which is truly a shame. In the single live performance I managed to attend, they earned a spot as one of my favorite live acts. Although all three permanent members, front-man Chris Thile (world class mandolin player and vocals), Sara Watkins (fiddle player), and Sean Watkins (vocals and guitar), all have solo-acts, none of them measure up to the masterful work of their collective.

So, to summarize, go get acquainted with Nickel Creek for yourself. I’m confident you won’t be disappointed.

I was keyed into an interesting online bible resource project, YouVersion, by a good friend. I’ve spent much of the day in and out of the software, tinkering with different features and just spending a little bit of time with the currently available “beta” version. After getting a little exposure, I decided it was worth writing a little about.

In short, YouVersion is an online bible and study resource with a focus on community and various types of media contributions. The site is currently being developed by LifeChurch.tv, an online church community. Besides having some reservations about gathering for church meetings online, I am always a proponent of enhancing free bible study tools in order to help all people grow deeper in their faith. Unfortunately, based on what is currently available, it appears the project is walking a dangerous line between relativism and truth. In any case, explore this with me for a bit if you will.

At my absolute first impression, I really hate the name. “YouVersion” smacks of a self-centeredness that people already have a hard enough time shaking, it certainly doesn’t need to be encouraged during their bible study. However, my hunch is that the “You” in the title, is echoing the YouTube generation’s desire to contribute and incorporate their own ideas and efforts into things and so in that sense, the title is apt.

Much like the LifeChurch.tv website, the design is slick. It’s easy to navigate and clearly laid out. You won’t find much in the way of clutter, although due to it’s early development, you might stumble across some bugs. I’m sure they’ll be ironing those out in coming releases.

The site is laid out in two columns. The left column displays the bible text. You can navigate the bible with a collapsible panel on the left, or switch between an array of different translations. Most of the popular translations are available (NIV, ESV, NASB, N/KJV, etc.), as well as some Spanish translations. Switching between them is easy enough and any highlights or notations you’ve made in one translation carry over to others. On the right hand side you’ll find all the extra-biblical content. It’s broken into three tabs: Community, My Content and My Journal. The journal section will allow you to quickly jot down thoughts, although the entries will not be associated with any specific verse. Under the “My Content” heading, you’ll have the opportunity to add your own notations, or link all kinds of various media to specific verses or sets of verses. You’re able to pull in videos from YouTube, images from Flikr, or links to external resources. It appears that eventually, the opportunity to link in your web cam and your own audio will also be possible.

Under the “Community” heading is where things become interesting. Highlight any specific verse in the bible text and you’ll find under the community heading a slew of user submitted information and media. Any time that someone makes a notation or submits a piece of media and marks it public, there it shows up for everyone to see. While sifting through different submissions associated with Genesis chapter one, I came across a Chris Tomlin video, a Matthew Henry and Scofield commentaries and a handful of perplexed bible reader’s thoughts. Also, as of right now, some parts of the bible are extremely scarce as far as user input is concerned. For example, associated with John 3:16, you’ll find a couple dozen entries. But associated with Romans 8:3 you’ll only find a few. This will certainly change in time.

The community section will also allow you to save other people’s comments and submissions for quick reference under you “My Content” section. There is a rating system for comments, as well as a “is this post relevant” link, although it’s not entirely clear what they actually do.

Toward the top of the page, you’ll find some ordinary links: profile, invite, help, and sign out. They’re all self explanatory, but the profile link I believe deserves mentioning. If you click on profile, you’ll find a quick snapshot of your activity as well as six tabs: profile, following, followers, contributions, tagged and starred. Things becoming notably hairy between tabs two and three. Following and followers essentially just mean “folks your watching,” and “folks who are watching you.” However, in the current church climate of widely accepted heresy, there’s something ominously foreshadowing about labeling them “following” and “followers”.

At the very top of the page, you’ll find other sections of the site: bible reader, favorites, contacts, history and groups. None but “bible reader” is currently available for use.

Last year, Bobby Gruenewald, a pastor with LifeChurch.tv, described the project as “[providing] a platform to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others from around the world in a non-threatening and easily navigated environment.” This may very well be the greatest danger of this software. Gruenewald explains that “the application can be used both as a personal study tool and a public expression of user-generated commentary.” While the possibilities really are extraordinary and the idea relatively innovative, man’s heart is desperately wicked and with no actual accountability, the project may simply be a minefield for folks trying to navigate biblical waters.

Truth is not decided by democracy. There are plenty of biblical examples of times when the majority was just dead wrong and often, they paid for it.

I think that the software behind this project has some incredible potential in terms of bible study resources. Perhaps with a qualified staff of content editors or with a huge database of classic and contemporary resources from the well trained saints, it could not only be highly useful but also highly trustworthy. The notations and media linking is clever, even privately useful, but publicly, I believe probably a novelty at best and possibly a dangerous one. We are not dealing with humorous YouTube videos here. We’re not trying to figure out the best way to spackle dry-wall. We’re talking about the word of God and it must be honored.

Only time will tell where this is going to go. Because of the massive emphasis on similar online communities, the potential here is enormous. But will it be a blessing, or a curse? Go ahead and sign up. It’ll only take a few minutes. Maybe you’ll find a very useful tool for your study, or maybe you’ll find a vein of study you really need to stay away from.

Reading in Philip Johnson’s Darwin on Trial today, he went over some pretty interesting insights. This is unconventional for me, but I’d like to share an extended, but ultimately brief segment of Johnson’s text from chapter two discussing natural selection. Johnson makes an interesting point. In a field which places limits on the plausibility of its options, they may have chosen the only option—however weak at some points its answers may become.

Natural Selection as a Philosophical Necessity

“The National Academy of Sciences told the Supreme Court that the most basic characteristic of science is “reliance upon the naturalistic explanations,” as opposed to “supernatural means inaccessible to human understanding.” In the latter, unacceptable category contemporary scientists place not only God, but also any non-material vital force that supposedly drives evolution in the direction of greater complexity, consciousness, or whatever. If science is to have any explanation for biological complexity at all it has to make do with what is left when the unacceptable has been excluded. Natural selection is the best of the remaining alternatives, probably the only alternative.

In this situation some may decide that Darwinism simply must be true, and for such persons the purpose of any further investigation will be merely to explain how natural selection works and to solve the mysteries created by apparent anomalies. For them there is no need to test the theory itself, for there is no respectable alternative to test it against. Any persons who say the theory itself is inadequately supported can be vanquished by the question “Darwin’s Bulldog” T.H. Huxley used to ask the doubters in Darwin’s time: What is your alternative?

I do not think that many scientists would be comfortable accepting Darwinism solely as a philosophical principle, without seeking to find at least some empirical evidence that it is true. But there is an important difference between going to the empirical evidence to test a doubtful theory against some plausible alternative, and going to test the evidence to look for confirmation of the only theory that one is willing to tolerate. We have already seen that the distinguished scientists have accepted uncritically the questionable analogy between natural and artificial selection, and that they often been undisturbed by the fallacies of the “tautology” and “deductive logic” formulations. Such illogic survived and reproduced itself for the same reason that an apparently incompetent species sometimes avoids extinction; there was no effective competition in its ecological niche.”

How should we respond to ourselves when we do very stupid things?

I read a book recently that discussed some of the philosophies concerning decision making. The author was discussing the idea that people always make decisions based on their greatest desire—always, without any exceptions. That seems to make sense to me. You figure, when we do things we don’t want to do it’s almost always to the end of either avoiding a less desirable circumstance, or a more desirable reward. When it comes to Christians, it’s a mix of that but also of shifting our desires to match God’s. So theoretically, in any given situation, our greatest desire would be for God, or more specifically, God’s will and so even temporal pleasures or displeasures would fall by the wayside.

Although I reckon there’s more to that discussion than what I’ve just summed up right there, I think the principle is true. And I can clearly see that I exhibit that in my day to day life. Here is the trouble, sometimes when I make decisions it’s obvious that my greatest desire isn’t for God, or his will. It usually isn’t long before I figure out that I’ve acted foolishly and gone off wishing for things of the world instead of God.

And so the question stands. Upon discovering my own foolish desire and subsequent sin, what is the correct response? I know that in an ideal sense, I am to run headlong to the cross. Take my sin and my foolishness to Christ and let him mend the wrongs I’ve committed. His work is already done; I couldn’t add to it, even if I wanted to. It’s for that reason that there can be no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. But that still begs the question what am I to do? If you act as stupid and as often as I do, you’ll know the predicament. I don’t want to wake up tomorrow morning and act very stupidly again, but historically speaking, I likely will. This perplexity stands to stunt my growth in Christ.

Because of this indecision, every moronic step I take sets me back. Despite plenty of fodder directing otherwise, it often takes hours, sometimes even days, to re-approach God in his word or in prayer. In this way, the Catholic practice of penance seems appealing. As if I could somehow work my way back onto God’s good side. Once penance is done, I once again have a right to commune with God. Of course, I know that I never, in and of myself, have a right to commune with God and to think I could work for it is preposterous.

So I’m left without an answer to this question. What is the right thing to do when you’ve acted very stupidly and you know it? I haven’t a clue. But I’m glad that my hope doesn’t hinge on my getting it right.

Last week, I wrote this article detailing some ideas for better study and devotion time. In the article, one of my suggestions was to listen to an audio bible. Unfortunately, most of the time, audio bibles are sold at an outrageous price and I wouldn’t blame you for not jumping on board. However, on Amazon, I managed to come across this one; an mp3 bible in the ESV version, read by Stephen Johnston. Well, when I made the recommendation, I hadn’t received my copy in the mail yet. Well, now I have, and thought it might be useful to say a few words about it.

First of all, I have some major reservations about the price of Christian resources. I once worked in a Christian bookstore and it wasn’t too long before it made my stomach churn seeing how expensive some of the bibles were. (as a side note, a sound financial policy is just another reason that I love the Desiring God ministries so much; check this out). So as far as money is concerned, this audio bible is hits the mark perfectly. Brand new, it’s under $20 and if you’re willing to take a second-hand copy, which I highly recommend, you’ll get one in hand for about $10. Not too bad.

This version of the bible comes on standard compact discs, but these probably aren’t going to play on your ordinary shelf CD player. On each of the three CD’s are mp3 files. If you haven’t been living under a rock for the past three or four years, you should already know what an mp3 is and what to do with it. If you don’t, you might want to google-it-up, or wade through this article and get your feet wet. In any case, this bible will easily fit onto any decent size mp3 player and obviously, you’re free to burn these files onto as many CD’s for car listening as you want. Compared to The Listener’s Bible in the NIV version, this bible will take up less than half the amount of the space on your computer and thus, on your mp3 player.

Any audio bible is pretty much made or broken by the reader. If the reader is too theatrical, he’s going to read inflection into the text which might lead listeners to the wrong conclusion. Of course, the inverse, if the reader is too dry and calm, is also possible. In this instance, Stephen Johnston does a good job communicating the text without adding to what’s there. His voice is deep, clear and well pronounced. He is not monotone, but also is not so inflected that we’re distracted from the actual text.

Some audio bibles are accompanied by sound effects or background music. Personally, I find these additions distracting. This version has no accompaniment whatsoever. It is only Johnston’s voice.

So far, I really only have two criticism for this audio bible. At times, Johnston’s pronunciation can be mildly comical. At times, his voice resembles a television commercial narrator. Don’t take this too far though. It’s only on occasion and never dominant. My other criticism is that at some times Johnston reads only a tad too quickly. I noticed this most clearly at the beginning of the book of Romans and at some parts of the poetic literature, such as Psalms. Again, I wouldn’t give too much attention to these deficiencies.

I definitely recommend this audio bible. For the money, it’s an excellent value. The reading, by and large, is good. Go ahead and pick one up on Amazon, before they’re all gone!

For more information on this edition of Reading Classics Together, swing by Challies.com or pick up the book, The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross by Arthur W. Pink.

This week in the Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross Arthur Pink begins his discussion on Jesus’ dying words. The first chapter focuses on Jesus’ “word of forgiveness”. In Luke 23:34, some of Jesus’ dying words are “Father, forgive them, they do not know what they are doing.”

Something that really stuck out to me was to point out that as Jesus was dying, as he was ending his life, some of the last duties that he performed was to pray for his enemies. That’s a heavy word about prayer and about love. As Jesus is in the process of being executed, he prays for the very people who are bringing about the deed.

Pink’s observation is one that strikes home, because fervent prayer is something I’m constantly desiring and often attempting to achieve, but rarely actually attain to.

At a conference a while back a speaker made a statement about prayer that has always stuck with me and I’ve often repeated to groups that are trying to pray. He pointed out Luke 22:31-32, where Jesus says, “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat…” Satan had asked to send Peter through turmoil. If the statement were left at that, Peter might be left shaking in his boots. But Jesus doesn’t leave it there, he continues and reassures Peter saying, “but I have prayed for you…”. Jesus is fully assured in his prayer’s effectiveness. He believes that God will answer his prayer for Peter and as scripture confirms, he did.

Jesus’ prayer for his executioner’s forgiveness is not unlike his effective prayer for Peter. As Pink points out, it isn’t but a short while later when Peter is standing before the crowd on Pentecost and exclaiming that this Jesus they crucified God had made both “Lord and Christ.” It was following that sermon that God answered Jesus’ prayer and saved the 3000.

Pink’s observation is yet another coal in the fire urging me to prayer, urging all of us to prayer. As strange as it sounds, I pray now for a heart to pray more. If we can’t muster the strength or mind to pray, perhaps we can pray for just that.

It’s a bit late, I know, but this afternoon I was invited by my mother to go and see Horton Hears a Who in the theaters. I imagine it’ll be showing up on DVD in the next couple of months, so if you’re not pressed, I wouldn’t rush out to see it. However, I would like to recommend that you do eventually.

If you don’t know already, Horton Hears a Who is the adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ classic children’s story about an elephant (Horton) who accidentally comes in contact with a tiny speck of dust, home to an entire race of microscopic people (Who’s). In Horton’s world, being an elephant with giant ears, he’s the only one equipped to hear these tiny people, and in the Who world, only the mayor, with his accidental pipe horn, is able to hear Horton. So in both of our main characters are surrounded by folks who do not believe in these unseen worlds. But naturally, our main characters stay true to their invisible companions.

Horton sets out to make the Who colony safe. He heads for a high up mountain safely protected from the dangers of jungle. A nosey kangaroo makes it her business to see Horton’s nonsense put to and end. In the Who world, the mayor is not taken seriously and constantly underminded by the city counsel, especially when he presents them with the preposterous idea of an “invisible elephant in the sky”.

It’s pretty difficult to miss the glaring political and spiritual undertones in this film. For a child, it will only be the simple and good lesson of “a person is a person, no matter how small.” But for adults, a far more profound commentary might be observed. There is no clear “God” figure, nor does it seem that any is intended to be one. But rather, the discussion seems more about faith and whether or not it legitimizes serious action in life. Horton’s actions to protect the Who people on the speck are set in stark contrast to the kangaroo’s attacks saying, “If you can’t see it, hear it, or feel it, it’s not there.” A sentiment that isn’t too far from some scholar’s claim that if you can’t test it or measure it, it’s not real.

Meanwhile, in the Who world, the mayor fights a similar battle. He knows the dangers that the Who people are in, yet when bringing these claims to the people, his ideas are met with great skepticism and unbelief. Not unlike many of the prophets.

There are also political implications, especially concerning the abortion debate. My mother (very active in the earlier Maryland pro-life movement) pointed out that the kangaroo’s sentiments were not unlike early feminist attempts to persuade the public that a growing fetus is not a person; a point to which Horton says, “a person is a person, no matter how small.”

I remarked to my mother after the movie that they don’t really write stories like this one any more. The morals were simple and clear. The humor was genuine and clean. Things were wrapped up very well and without any need for vengeance. I really enjoyed this movie, and I think you will too. Even if you don’t have kids, I recommend you pick this one up from the video store when it’s available. The kids will enjoy it and I think you’ll enjoy it too.

Allow me to share a quotation from Jeremiah Burroughs’ The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment.

“As it is with a vessel that’s full of liquor, if you strike it, it will make not great noise, but if it is empty then it makes a great noise; so it is with the heart, a heart that is full of grace and goodness within will bear a great many strokes, and never make any noise, but if an empty heart is struck it will make a noise.”

Burroughs is talking about a Christian’s contentment in the midst of affliction, both long standing and sudden. This is a text that is continually proving to be difficult for me to wrestle though. It’s something like picking a scab—it feels uncomfortable and sometimes painful, but for some reason you just can’t help but do it. That’s the way I feel about this book. Burroughs’ observation here is yet another that resounds in my ear and won’t go quietly. A person, when filled with affection for God and grace from God, bears up under all kinds of difficult circumstances peacefully. Without complaining. In fact, not only not complaining, but rejoicing.

These are difficult words to digest. These are difficult concepts to digest. That is not my manner in the midst of trials. How can we come by the affection for God and the grace from God that Burroughs mentions here?

I nearly didn’t post today, but decided that I should. As I was driving this afternoon, I was reminded of another song that’s been a deep encouragement to me and has often been a vessel of strength when I’m weak. The song is Watermark’s Arise and Be Comforted as found on their recent live album, A Grateful People.

Arise and be comforted
For the Lord, He is good to the weary
And even the young heart can tire and fall
But He knows them all
For the Lord, He will renew their strength
And they will soar on wings as eagles
And they will run and never grow weary
They will walk and not grow faint

For the Lord, He is good

Lift your eyes to the heavens
For the creator is living in you
Come surrender as you are
And know that you’ll never stray too far
Let His power within you heal your heart
Lift your eyes to spacious skies
Let Him chart your way to flight
Spread your wings and fly

For the Lord, He is good

I find encouragement in the reminder that all Christians will face trials that at times may be enough for them to crumble underneath, but we can never fall too far for the Lord to renew us. The truth is that the blood of Jesus was a payment and now no further payment can be required; there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. I have been purchased and I will by no means be lost; God protects his investments.

“And this is the will of Him Who sent Me, that I should not lose any of all that He has given Me, but that I should give new life and raise [them all] up at the last day.” (John 6:39)

20 years ago, people were taking some weird things seriously. Music I mean. Like, I Just Died in Your Arms Tonight, by the Cutting Crew, The Boys of Summer by Don Henley or Journey’s Don’t Stop Believing. By today’s standards these all rest as lame relics from a lame period in music history. For me though, these and many, many others from their period are juicy treats of melodious cheese. Seriously, I can’t get enough of the stuff. People make fun of me all the time. Sometimes I might be driving with a new friend or something and my ipod’s shuffling will land on something like How Am I Supposed to Live Without You by Michael Bolton and I happily let it play through enjoying each and every synthesized note. Usually my passenger gaze at me in disbelief. But I can’t help it. I just think the era produced so much cool music. I know it’s cheesy, I know. But I’m alright with that.

Yesterday, I was driving, listening to the radio. That’s not something I normally do. I’m usually listening to a CD, or the ipod or nothing at all. The radio and I just usually don’t really get along. Well, on this occasion, I’d left the ipod at home, the only CD I had was a sermon from church I’d already listened to and frankly, I was getting tired of listening to my own thoughts. That really only leaves one option: the radio.

On the radio, through a poor reception, came Blink 182’s First Date. Easily a high school favorite of mine, although by today’s standards its already starting to show heavy signs of wear and tear. The aging of one of my favorites got me thinking, 20 years from now what will be the morsels of lame music history that I hold on to as nostalgic gems? So, I decided today to present my hypothesized list of 10 songs, in no particular order, that I believe will age well. The songs that will become the 80’s of tomorrow.

1. All the Small Things by Blink 182
2. How to Save a Life by The Fray
3. You’re Beautiful by James Blunt
4. California by Phantom Planet
5. At Your Funeral by Saves the Day
6. Hotel Yorba by the White Stripes
7. My Love by Justin Timberlake
8. Somebody Told Me by The Killers
9. Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
10. Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional

I have to admit, that was more difficult list to compile that I thought it would be and there were some really near misses. I probably could have made that a much longer list, but in the interest of brevity, it’ll stay at 10 for right now. So what are your 80’s songs of tomorrow?

I read Bruce Shelley’s Church History in Plain Language before I started keeping this website, so I never wrote a review for it. Late last night I was recalling how much I enjoyed the book and decided that I should share my thoughts.

Among the first things that should be noted in writing about Church History is Shelley’s purpose in this work. Shelley states clearly that this book is an “introduction” to church history and is designed for the everyday Christian; layman and congregant alike. If we were to evaluate this book with the same rubric as collegiate books on the topic, we’d find this book severely lacking. But if we grade this book according to its own claims, we’ll find a rich source of encouragement to further understand the earlier branches of our faith.

In the interest of readability, no references are found anywhere throughout the text, however recommendations for more scholarly reading can be found at the end of each chapter. For me, this helped keep the reading liquid. It helped me to engage the history as a story that I was interested in hearing and on some level felt a part of, as opposed to something dry and sterile.

I began reading Church History before I had become more confident and consistent with my extra-biblical reading, so coming at about 550 pages this endeavor was an ambitious one for me. However, besides being a novice at reading anything this scale, the writing made it easy to glide through while still understanding the text.

In Church History Shelley takes us though 2000 years of church operation, starting right after the ascension of Christ all the way through to 1996. Church history can become a sticky subject, with heresy after heresy, then division after division. Things can quickly become confusion. Any writer planning to take on 2000 years ecclesial webs is either going to have a very, very long book when their done, or is going to need excellent organizational skills to scale so vast a wall. In this instance, Shelley just so happens to be a well organized writer. In the text, after the first four centuries of history things began to get a little bit confusing. Simple the sheer madness of political and religious shifts could send anyone’s head spinning. But Shelley does a better job than many at keeping things straight.

The practical organization of the text is such that it helps a reader forget the size the literature he’s taking in. The book is broken down into “ages” (i.e., The Age of Jesus and the Apostles, The Age of Ideologies, etc.), each one coming in at around 50 – 75 pages. Each age is broken into much smaller, more digestible chapters of around 8 pages. In the interest of clarity, not all chapters are strung together in perfect chronological order.

Throughout history, there have been many disagreements in the church. The most notable probably being during the time of the reformation. In that context, it is easy for folks to fall to one side of theological lines or the other. In this instance, most of Shelley’s words read unbiased, simply retelling the history, with little of his own commentary.

Here’s the skinny on this book: you’re not going to finish this book and be a church history genius (well, maybe you will, I don’t know). But what likely will happen is when you put this book down you will most likely have a more cohesive snapshot of church’s history. It will probably help you to understand how we got from the time of the Apostles and the church in Acts, to today. For me, it helped to challenge my ideals as far as church organization and methods are concerned. Seeing, quickly, how things were spread out helped me not to see myself as being the first to try and figure this stuff out, but in a way, knit me together with the people who have gone before me.

This book was encouraging, and enriching. I recommend it to anyone desiring to enrich their faith and more specifically, anyone interested in the subject.

Between my house and my church stands one access road that is only one lane the whole way. At no point does the law provide any opportunities to pass, so if you get stuck behind some out-of-towner, you’re going to be going 30 miles an hour for about 20 minutes. It’s unbelievably annoying and frankly, among the few times in my car that I drive as annoyed as I feel.

Well, on one particular occasion I was driving to the evening church service with a friend, when just such an annoying driver pulled out in front of me at the last second. Besides having to slow down quickly, the prospect of driving so slowly the whole way weighed down on me and I voiced my frustration. My friend had some interesting thoughts to share. She reminded me of the fruits of the Spirit. But here’s the thing, my sad confession, I don’t think I’ve ever given much honest ear to the fruits of the Spirit. Then again, I don’t give much honest ear to anything that’s reproduced millions of times on a novelty gift plaque. Well, incidentally, this also happens to be the word of God and so at once I needed to consider it.

So what are the fruits of the Spirit? Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. There it is, patience, staring me in the face.

So that’s stuck with me ever since. Patience is a fruit of the Spirit, and when I act impatiently, I’m acting out of “step” with the Spirit and eventually will find myself in some manner of trouble.

So, yesterday I had a small bit of traveling to do. I had a job about 40 miles away on the other side of the city and it just so happed to be taking place right at the end of rush hour. So I left my house about two hours early with the intention of just finding a coffee shop to sit and read it until my job started. Unfortunately, things didn’t go so smoothly. My trip around the Beltway was easy enough, but once I headed into Virginia a poorly marked set of interchanges threw me off course by about 15 miles. When I finally discovered the problem, I was annoyed, but like a boy scout, I pulled out my maps and found a shortcut ultimately losing me almost no time at all.

The job went well, the couple and their children were delightful to work with and I got paid on the spot, which was another pleasant surprise. Leaving the job, I felt confident in my trip home because of my loss of direction the first time and my original need to orient myself to my surroundings. Things didn’t go well.

A series of three incorrectly marked exits put me onto rout 66, which apparently doesn’t believe in giving drivers any kind of opportunity to turn around. Again, I ended up roughly eight miles off course and unable to turn around. Eventually, an exit ramp presented itself. I took the exit, which ended up being a bad move. I got to the end of the off ramp and drove into a labyrinth of wrongly or completely unmarked roads. I drove back and forth looking for a way back onto the highway for about 10 minutes, which eventually erupted into my verbally abusing the proverbial road designer who wasn’t actually in my car to take my insults. Eventually, I found my way back onto the highway, inconspicuously about two miles away through a maze of roads.

From there, I finally did end up back on the Beltway where I didn’t encounter any more hang-ups, aside from the condition of my own bitter heart.

When I got home, the fruits of the Spirit came to my mind. I had effectively pushed them out during my drive. For about two hours in my car, I had a completely unbroken record of exhibiting not a single one of the fruits of the Spirit. What a terrible place to be. How awfully discontent I was. It’s times like that where I’d like to find myself clinging to the Spirit, and even in the midst of raw frustration, still somehow manage to be loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle and self-controlled.

I’ll keep working on that and surely Jesus will keep sanctifying me.

A few months back I decided to read The Mortification of Sin in Believers by John Owen, along with Challies.com. I eventually trailed off from the group, but regardless, the structure offered some sense of stability in helping me get through a very difficult text. In addition to that, it was also encouraging to read other’s thoughts as they were going through the same piece of intense literature. Well, the folks over at Challies are doing it again, this time with Arthur W. Pink’s classic, The Seven Sayings of the Saviour on the Cross. I’ve decided to join them again.

If you’d like to join the party, I encourage you to do so. Just snag a copy of the book from Amazon, they’re pretty cheap, less than 10 bucks. Then, read one chapter a week and post your thoughts either on the Challies.com Thursday posts, or on your own blog. I can say from experience, that it’s a beneficial process.

I started Seven Sayings this morning with Pink’s quick introduction to the rest of his text. He hasn’t even said anything yet and he’s already packing a punch. He explains that Jesus’ death was natural, in that he was a real person who really died, it was unnatural, in that it wasn’t at all ordinary, it was preter-natural, in that it was decided long before the foundations of the world and finally it was super-natural, in that it was different from all other deaths that had ever happened and would ever happen again.

Pink spread out an extremely interesting expose, especially concerning Christ’s death as supernatural. But something that really jumped off the page to me as I read it was the preternatural nature of his death. I’m not a stranger to the idea of Christ’s work on the cross having been long predetermined. But what I found especially interesting was how beautifully this aspect of Christ’s work knit God’s righteousness and love into all created history. God was perfectly just in forgiving David’s sin because of the impending, unshakable, unstoppable, work of Christ. God was perfectly just in forgiving all of the true Old Testament saints their sins, in the same manner as he is just in forgiving ours. While now, Christ’s work is finished and we look back at it in hope of our future glory, the saints of before Christ looked foreword, in faith, to the promise of that same one. It was in this way, as Pink points out, that God justly “passed over former sins.” (Romans 3:25).

The repetition of that truth offers strength to my spirit, knowing that even before Christ’s work was done, the effect was so sure and the action so decided, that God could safely and justly forgive sins in light of that work. If it was so sure then, how about now? Mind blowing. Praise Jesus!

Not that I’m an expert, but I thought it good to share some practical ideas to help improve your study, or devotion time. These are all things that I have found useful in my own experience. Of course there are no real rules to study and devotion preparation, but I think there are some things that can help. I sometimes use all of these together, but more often just employ some of them, depending on my situation. Almost none of these are my idea; most of them came from folks far my qualified than myself to instruct. Consider each carefully, perhaps you will find good fruit in them just as I have.

1.Devotion is a lifestyle, not an activity.

Among the first mistakes I made when learning to spend time with the Lord was to think that I could section my time with him off into some portion, which is then defined as a “devotion”. But as a Christian, than makes little sense. I have been brought back to life, and my whole life is now in Christ. I cannot consecrate only a thirty-minute portion of my day to the Lord, but all day and every day. When I am in that mindset, I am best suited to tangibly spend time in a devotion. If I have only a short time to go deep into God in his Word, then I will not get very far. But if I have all time to go deep, then the time I spend specifically with his Word, I will go very deep.

2.First thing in the morning is best.

I’ve gone back and forth and I definitely don’t always do this, but I think that the church fathers throughout history were onto something with this one. “I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning” (Psalm 59:16). I’m convinced that this is not just an antiquated idea that it is good to be up early in the morning and bad to be up late at night, but I think there is an important principal embedded here.

Some of my most fruitful days begin with my mind and heart in the Word. To begin my day, first thing, with the Word of God helps set things on a course of godliness. It helps to ripen conviction for sin and helps me to notice approaching sin before it has passed and guilt can set in. In addition to that, my comprehension of the Word is improved. I, like many, am generally not a morning person. I’ve said many times before, that if I read first thing wouldn’t get much out of it. But therein lies a mystery, because I do. Almost always.

3.Consistency is key.

I’m a pretty firm believer in that we sabotage ourselves when we are convinced that every time we sit down to study or devotion that our minds and hearts must be blown away. I think this expectation mostly just breeds discouragement. While we should always attempt to approach scripture with a tender heart ready to be impacted, the fact is, sometimes (for some, even often) we just won’t. If this fear, or expectation, prevents us from even beginning to sit and read, or pray, then the enemy has already gained a foothold.

When folks who are discouraged or struggling with their spiritual life come to me, or around me, with complaints like that, my advice is always the same. I tell them to read the Word consistently, regardless of the way they feel. Even if that is only as much as one chapter per day. Just don’t miss a single day, keep reading the Word. Feel no further obligation beyond whatever has been decided. In my own walk, in times of struggle and discouragement, this has frequently helped to bring me back to good spiritual health.

Always read the Word every single day.

4.Stay organized.

I know a lot of folks who have very little organization in their study and devotion. In study I think this is more important, but the principal works in devotions too. Many jump around, or use the close-your-eyes-and-flip-to-page approach. You’re not going to go too deep into scripture if you’re just randomly picking stuff to read. It’s unlikely that you’re going to get too much out of what you’re reading, or even worse, you might string together the wrong set of verses and come to the wrong conclusion about scripture and God altogether. I used this approach at one time and it was rarely, if ever, fruitful.

Develop a pattern of some kind. It doesn’t mean you can’t break out of the pattern sometimes, but something general to keep you organized. Maybe it’s one chapter per day, from the same book, until the book is done. Then move onto another book. I know some people who read one whole new testament book every day for a week, then move onto another book. Some people go through a bible reading plan, like bible-in-a-year, or a chronological plan. One of my favorite methods I call A-B Days is reading through the Old Testament on “A” days, then reading through the New Testament on “B” days. It’s all good stuff, just stay organized.

5.Keep a journal.

Some people feel like keeping a reading journal means writing down insightful, inspiring, or profound thoughts based on what you’re reading. That’s just not true. You might sometimes write things like that down, but that’s not always the point. Sometimes when reading scripture, you’ll come across something that just doesn’t make sense to you. That’s okay. You shouldn’t feel obligated to understand right then and there. But you do a disservice to yourself by just forgetting about it. Keep a journal that will allow you to jot down questions, or scripture that doesn’t quite make sense to you. Even if you don’t actively seek out answers, you’ll be surprised how many questions are answered just by continuing to read scripture. Keeping a journal can also help you stay consistent, even if every entry is something as simple as “4/24/08 – Today I read Ephesians 4:1-11”.

6.Get a grasp on theology.

Theology is not something man-made. It’s not a box that people put God into. Theology, good theology, comes from scripture, it is the whole of scripture. It is some understanding of God, and for hundreds of years the Church has learned about it and taught it. Today, it stands to help you learn. Time may simply not permit you to read huge chucks of scripture every day and because of that, many biblical concepts may seem muddy to you. Do you want to know what scripture says about suffering? Learn something about the theology of suffering, and it will help make reading the bible and seeing for yourself what it says about suffering much easier.

You can find trustworthy theological resources at Monergism, Banner of Truth and Desiring God, just to name a few.

7.If your environment is too loud, use white noise.

People make fun of me for this one one all the time. But it really is useful. If you can’t go somewhere quiet, use white noise. After a few minutes of listening to it, it’ll blend into the background and you won’t even notice it anymore—you also won’t notice the TV in the other room, or the radio on in the kitchen.

Here are a few you can download for free. You just need a way you can loop them; like an ipod or windows media player. Each one of these mp3’s is about 30 – 45 seconds long and is set up to loop seamlessly.

• Blow Dryer
• Running Shower Water
• Vacuum Cleaner Running

(right click, save-as to download)

8.Read out-loud, or listen.

In very long texts, like Old Testament stories, or long winded treaties, such as Romans or the Corinthian letters, hearing what is written may help you to connect larger ideas in the text. For example, in the book of Ephesians, you’ll find many intricate and beautiful ideas. However, in reading quietly and slowly, you may miss the larger theme of encouragement. I have found in listening to the bible on CD or reading it out-loud to myself, it’s much easier to pick up on the larger themes.

I’ve found this highly affording MP3 bible in the ESV version, under 20 bucks.

9.Use study tools!

There are tons of awesome resources available for free, or very inexpensive. When there’s something you need some help understanding or grasping more clearly, make use of the tools that some good organizations make available for free. Here are just a few that you ought to give a shot.

• Commentaries: Well studied men of God have gone before you, and much like asking your pastor today, they can help to give insight into the meaning of a verse or several verses. While no one person can be the end all of all understanding—except for Jesus—they can help. If you want printed material, check out Monergism for some good printed stuff.

  Try: bibleclassics.com, bible.org for some free commentaries.
  

• Bible Dictionary: Some stuff we’re not going to understand as well unless we can grasp some of the cultural stuff surrounding it. Want to know why John is always talking about “vines”, it might help to know something about ancient Roman agriculture. A bible dictionary can help. In print, I have the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary, under 20 bucks.

  Try: NETBible for a free online bible dictionary.
  

• Online Bibles: Using a digital bible can make study much easier. Especially when it comes to cross references. You might find yourself reading something that reminds you of another passage you read recently. Using a keyword search will make it easier to find the verse you’re looking for. Plus, some digital bibles have a vast number of translations available making it easy to line them up next to each other.

  Try: biblegateway.com on the internet, or e-sword for your desktop. You can also check out this article on making biblegateway even esier to use with firefox!
  

• Interlinear Bible/Lexicon: Sometimes the depth of meaning of scripture is diminished in translation. The Greek language has way more words than English does. I’m not a Greek scholar and you probably aren’t either. But that’s alright, to help us out with that are Lexicons and Interlinear bibles. They can help us to understand the original language without having to know it. It won’t replace actually learning Greek or Hebrew, but it will help the rest of us. In print Lexicons can get pretty expensive.

  Try: Crosswalk.com for a free interlinear bible and lexicon.

10.Under no circumstances should you be without your bible.

I had a friend a while back who I really admired. He always carried a backpack, even if he was just going to 7-11 or something. Sometimes all that he would have in it was a notebook and a bible. Eventually I adopted the practice. You’d be surprised how often you end up having to wait in line somewhere, or sitting at a red light and think of a verse you need to look up. For these occasions and more, it’s indispensable to carry a bible with you everywhere. Think about it, of all the things you won’t leave your house without: cell phone, wallet, keys, ipod, whatever, and yet you leave home the sword of the Spirit? (Ephesians 6:17). So my advice is to carry it with you everywhere, at all times. Even if it’s not often used, it will you keep a mindset of constant readiness, and that is of ultimate importance.