Fluency

Due to writing requirements on www.devotional.calvarychurch.org along with curriculum writing I have taken a couple months hiatus from Fluency.\\r\\n\\r\\nI\\\’m looking forward to returning–I\\\’ve been reading and learning and can\\\’t wait to write again.\\r\\n\\r\\nCurrent reading:\\r\\n\\r\\nKyle Strobel Metamorpha\\r\\nLarry Osborne, Contrarian\\\’s Guide to Knowing God\\r\\n\\r\\nDavid Wells, article “Christian Discipleship in a Postmodern World”

Since I made the switch to the ESV a year ago, I have received regular inquires as to, “Which study Bible should I purchase?”

Up to this point, I have given an unsatisfying, “just wait a good is under development.”

I have been tracking the development for almost a year and last week the official web site for the new ESV Study Bible went public.

http://www.esvstudybible.org/

If you are interested in a study Bible I would encourage you to take a look.  You can look at a sample page and find out all the details.

The list of contributors promises that this will be a very useful study Bible.  It will be ”thick.”

Release date is October 15, 2008.

I’ve got it on my wish list and can’t wait to get my copy.

I’ll write a more complete review when I can get my hands on a copy.

I know, Easter was this past Sunday.\r\nI know, the Triumphal Entry is the event we use to mark the beginning of the holy week.\r\n\r\nBut I was thinking. . .the Triumphal Entry actually happened after Easter.\r\n\r\nThink about it.\r\n

Colossians 2:11-15 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. (ESV)

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Colossians 3:1-2 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. (ESV)

\r\nI believe the triumphal entry was what Christ experience in His return to Heaven.\r\n\r\nThe temporary triumphal entry occurred on the Monday prior to Jesus death.\r\n

The next day (John 12:12), Monday, was Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem (Matt 21:1-9; Mark 11:1-10; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:12-19), His visit to the temple (Matt 21:10-11; Mark 11:11), and then His return to Bethany. The day of the triumphal entry would be Nisan 10 when the lamb was selected for Passover. Hence, the triumphal entry was the day when Christ presented Himself as Israel’s Paschal lamb.

\r\nBut while we normally focus at Easter on the resurrection–which is an awesome truth–Jesus was also anticipating His glorification, His exaltation.\r\n

John 17:1-5 When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, ² since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. ³ And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. ⁴ I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. ⁵ And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. (ESV)

\r\nThe story of Easter provides us with assurance of salvation—since God accepted Christ’s payment for our sin thereby securing salvation for us. But Easter’s story of resurrection is about Christ, as we often need to remind ourselves, it’s all about Him. But it is more than just the story of life after death. Easter Sunday is the start of Christ regaining what He gave up when He became man. He came to live, serve, teach, suffer and die, after which He regained His place of honor and exaltation. Easter begins the process of God exalting His Son.\r\n

Hebrews 1:1-15 Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, ² but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. ³ He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, ⁴ having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. ⁵ For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? ⁶ And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” ⁷ Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” ⁸ But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. ⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.” ¹⁰ And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; ¹¹ they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, ¹² like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.” ¹³ And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”? ¹⁴ Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation? (ESV)

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Philippians 2:9-11 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹ and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV)

\r\nJesus has experienced His triumphal entry back to His rightful place. The place of honor and authority. Therefore He is to be worshipped as the King, the ruler all. That is something we should do everyday, not just at Easter.

I am regularly asked to recommend Bible study software and/or Bible study sites.

Today I want to recommend two websites that facilitate Bible study (in the order I use them).

www.net.bible.org The NeXt Bible ™ Learning Environment offers the most comprehensive set of free resources available online, including commentaries, articles, word studies, original biblical languages and cross references all integrated into a system that empowers you to carefully study the Word of God and to prepare your teaching lessons quickly.

Tyndale Toolbar for Firefox

An amazing amount of information at your the point of your mouse. (Over 70 English Bible translations, and so much more)

The Tyndale Toolbar is freely available to any Bible student. It has been designed specifically for members of the Tyndale Fellowship and others who use the resources of Tyndale House. Adding News, Events and Opportunities to the notices is restricted to members of Tyndale Fellowship and Tyndale House, but everything else (including reading those notices) is unrestricted. Please feel free to share this with colleagues or students who might find it useful.

Interesting to see what is being written and what is being read.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2008/april/10.28.html?start=3

This annotated list of winner is intersting.   The books listed in general deal with issues of authenticity, reliability, reality in truth and relationships.

We still have a ways to go in explaining and defending the historicity and reliability of the Bible.
We still have a ways to go in understanding and living the authentic and real relational connection or community that Jesus intended the Church to live.

Am I willing to promise this as a pray?

I will pray no prayer, Lord,
where I am not willing to be your solution to the prayer.

I will pray no prayer, Lord,
where I am not willing to let your glory be the overriding goal.

Some people what to serve God
but only as advisors.People are funny;
they want the front of the bus,
the middle of the road,
and the back of the church.

Opportunity may knock once, but temptation
bangs on your front door forever.

Some minds are like concrete
thoroughly mixed up and permanently set.

God doesn’t call the qualified,
He qualifies the called.

Now these quotes are thought provoking and catchy. And there may be nothing unbiblical about them–they may actually clearly teach biblical principles.

My question is this?
Have we reduced Christianity to bumper stickers and one-liners?
If so, is it helpful or detrimental?
If helpful, is it helpful only to Christians? or also to unbelievers?
If detrimental–is the simplicity mistaken for being simple minded?
Does the fact that we reduce principles to one-liners diminish their truthfulness?
Does the fact that we reduce principles to one-liners make “our truth” like the “truth” of other religions?

Thoughts?

Having just finished studying and teaching Romans 8:26-30 and being reminded of God’s purpose for us–conformity to the His Son. Being reminded that God has a plan for good, our good even in difficulty, but that what is good my not be know until eternity.

In light of that context, I was struck by the simplicity, passion and directness of this video by John Piper. I don’t know that I could say it with the boldness he stated.

But God is not made more glorious when things are easy for me. His glory does not change–His goodness does not waiver whether things are going smoothly or I am experiencing difficulty.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said,

Matthew 5:13-15  “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. (ESV)

Too often we as Christians hide the light and pour salt in to people’s wounds.

A vision without a task is but a dream;
a task without a visions is drudgery;
a vision with a task is the hope of the world.

This inscription is on a church in Sussex, England, dating to 1730
From James C. Wilhoit, Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through community

These quotes really challenge me

The gospel flows best through the establishing of significant relationships that are authentic and healthy. When relationships become stagnant and the community of Christ closes itself to the outside world, the result is an institution rather than a movement.

I know it sounds counterintuitive, but churches begin to decline when things are going well. We are in grave danger when we have the most people and the most money in our history. Success often blinds us to the real forces of atrophy. The risk and innovation that brought us success are often abandoned to preserve success. Many times we lose our momentum because we are afraid to lose the success we’ve achieved, and before we know it, we discover that we are running on empty.

Pastors were valued for their ability to bring and keep order rather than for their ability to bring and lead change. The reality was that pastors were being equipped to preserve the past rather than to create the future. We became know for being traditional rather than transformational. The ritual replaced the radical. The pastor/teacher replaced the apostle/evangelist.

Erwin Raphael McManus, An Unstoppable Force