Testimony: Listening to the Bible

I wrote a quick article on one of my other sites just before Christmas that I wanted to re-publish here. It seems like I am becoming more and more convinced that we need to hear the Bible more these days. While it is preached in strong churches around the country and read by most Christians (I hope) on a regular basis, I wonder if there is not also a place for simple vocal presentation of the scriptures? Read about some of my recent experiences below and see if you don’t agree.

Several weeks ago I ordered a GoBible Voyager. It came pre-loaded with a King James Version audio Bible read by Alexander Scourby. I can honestly say it has been a fantastic purchase that I have used nearly every day since it arrived.

Before I was in high school I discovered, after a series of surveys, that I was an auditory learner. I think those surveys had some validity, because in the years following I have increasingly begun to understand that I retain far more of what I hear than read. This can make things especially tricky when I am trying to learn and retain Bible narratives.

When teaching on the difficult doctrine of sin recently for Sunday School, I found myself reading key passages perhaps a dozen times and still not totally capturing the meaning. It seemed no matter how much I attempted to concentrate I still didn’t feel comfortable that I could rehearse details accurately in my class. At that point I began reading some of the passages quietly to myself. It felt a little awkward, but seemed to help.

I have also become a voracious consumer of mp3 sermons. When I hear a pastor teach through a particular passage, reading and explaining it, I almost always retain the details. I cannot say the same of a scripture reading session, even if I outline the section with pencil and paper.

These were discoveries about myself that I could no longer ignore. Therefore I began to think over how I could go about increasing my retention of the Bible passages I wanted to learn better. After seeing the GoBible several times I decided it was worth a try.

While I would like to say the device has revolutionized my Bible study experience, I am not sure it has…yet. With that being said, I am seeing some hopeful signs.

The first is my ability to remember timelines. I have struggled mightily with getting Old Testament people and events set in the proper order in my mind. If a question of when something happened came up, I would frequently need to look it up in order to find the answer. After recently listening to the books of Kings and Judges – then being asked a simple question about their details during a church Bible study, the order of events seemed clear. I don’t remember ever having this confidence, even on a familiar passage.

The second has been my retention of obscure names. Reading a name over and over has literally never helped me to learn it. Two recent occasions have proved that hearing the names is a different story. As I worked my way through audio versions of the minor prophets a few weeks ago, I found I remembered names days later. Another new experience that makes me think there might be something to this!

Check out my review of the GoBible Voyager and let me know what you think. There are a whole host of other ways to listen to the Bible as well. If you experience any of the difficulties with reading that I do, you might want to give listening a try. It could prove to be a valuable part of your Biblical education.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Leave a comment below.

5 Signs Western Civilization is Dying

These are going to seem trite, I know. They are slightly tongue-in-cheek and in no particular order. Also notice I didn’t say they were the “top 5″ signs Western Civilization is dying. They are not likely in the top 50,000, I imagine – but they are signs none the less!

1. Stranded shopping carts. – I cannot go to the grocery store these days without being astonished by just how many people simply leave their cart in the middle of the parking lot. This reveals a lack of respect for others who must dodge, move, retrieve and return the carts. One day while my wife ran into Safeway for a few items I noted from my drivers seat that every person leaving the store with a cart over that 25 minute period stranded it – some within 7 feet of the plentiful and strategically placed buggy roundups.
2. The cell phone culture. – First of all, the businessman in the airport making a “deal” over the phone is not a big shot. He may think he is a big shot, but everyone knows the real high rollers do business face to face. Nice try, guy in a cheap suit. Also, I know people think constant fidgeting with an iPhone or Blackberry makes them look busy and important, but it does not. It is more likely a sign of simple rudeness and potential addiction.
3. The say/do imbalance. – If a celebrity beats someone up and threatens to kill them, they are likely to get a lot of bad press. If they say something that could be construed as potentially (even mildly) racist or intolerant, their careers could be ruined forever. No one should ever excuse or overlook language that tears people down. That being said, serious and repeated criminal acts should carry far heavier civil and professional penalties.
4. Facebook profile pictures. – There is something very disturbing about people (especially men) having dozens or even hundreds of posed pictures of themselves displayed within their account. “Here is a picture of me driving; here I am in a new shirt; this is me eating a sandwich; check me out doing…” Those who don’t see this as a warning sign for potential or probable narcissism should likely think again.
5. The “lots of kids” look/remark. – My wife and I are expecting our fourth child. We have been married six years. More people have a problem with this than you may know. If you would have told me this four years ago when Elisabeth was born, I would not have believed you. The Bible says children are a blessing from the Lord (Psalm 127:3), but modern culture often finds them distracting, expensive and inconvenient. Those having and desiring many should prepare for criticism.

I could probably go on a little further if I tried. Yes, I do believe Western culture is in a dramatic and startling state of decline, although these are not the most serious proofs of that hypothesis. Do you have any “signs” to add?

A Thanksgiving Verse: Only Christ

Our God alone gives grace to live;
For sinners dead, His Son did give;
While darkness deep and wide did blind us;
His light, brilliant in might did find us;

A cross of violence, brought new life;
Overcoming once, bondage and strife;
With kindness, love and power divine;
My sins are cleansed and He is mine;

When pause gives way to thoughts anew;
His heavenly beauty I may view;
And focusing finally on all He’s done;
A heart of praise and thanks is won;

Words from unclean lips then flow;
Made holy speech, as white as snow;
Honor, glory and much thanksgiving;
For only Christ makes life worth living!

Thankfulness: For Stuff or To God?

While much of our Thanksgiving tradition in America seems admirable on the surface, I am afraid it may be more harmful than good. The typical question during Thanksgiving lunch is “What are you thankful for?”, to which we reply “health, family, friends, homes, jobs”, etc. All great things right? Perhaps.

We should be careful to remember that simple declarations of generic thankfulness are useless. To “be thankful” is an empty feeling unless there is a person to be thanked!

Many of the Godless and (practically) atheistic among us declare how “thankful” they are for things, conditions, circumstances and people. Their thankfulness is nothing more than a smug acknowledgment of self satisfaction with life. It is a once-a-year admission that they are enjoying “good” things. The One who, in His wonderful mercy, goodness and grace provides those good things is regularly and sometimes purposely left out.

I hope believers in Christ will not be caught uttering these empty words. We ought to praise the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. We should thank Him specifically, by name, listing our blessings one by one. For every thing, condition, circumstance or person we acknowledge, He ought to be given glory and every ounce of credit. We have neither the right nor the privilege of offering anonymous and generic thank you’s to no one at all. The God of the universe is our merciful provider and the author of every good thing.

What potentially makes the “what are you thankful for” tradition harmful? Simple: it can rob God of glory and shift focus to quality of life. This is not a good thing no matter which way you look at it.

Proverbs 31:10-11

“Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies. The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.” What a wonderful thing to have full and safe trust in a wife. A virtuous woman is worthy of this trust; she has qualities that go far beyond a good personality or a pleasing manner, having righteousness toward God and integrity of heart. She will not be easy to find, but any man seeking a wife would do well to put faithfulness, integrity and commitment to the Savior at the top of their list of search criteria. Unfortunately, the concerns of many will be outward appearance accompanied by warm, fuzzy feelings. These superficial things cannot last. While strong character stands the test of time, beautiful faces and passionate affections fade quickly and thoroughly. Consider that which is truly important and be blessed or hold the standard of the world and be left disappointed, desiring more. Who can find a virtuous woman? God knows many. He has set them aside for virtuous men that seek Him.

Proverbs 28:1

“The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.” I found myself sad today to understand so well the meaning of this verse. I have experienced this evil flight and known the fear of revealed sin. Even the most secret sins have caused anxiety and cover up, haunting me at every turn and causing me to avoid righteousness. Yet in moments of closeness with God, I have felt as though I could do anything! We, in times like these, can face any obstacle that life and the enemy put in our path, free from guilt and confident in victory. Disobedience causes nothing but hesitation and fear, while obedience gives us peace that we may face the battle without hindrance. We should confess even the smallest sins each day and rid ourselves of those phantom footsteps. We do not make these confessions for God’s sake; we make them for our own. They show us our frailty while revealing the wonderful, loving character of our God. When we are close to Him, nothing can cause our hearts to fail!

Proverbs 24:10

“If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” Those who fall down or give up under pressure are usually given a pass these days. It seems we have become too anxious to make an excuse for those who take the easy way out. I can think of a rare instance when it would be noted that someone lacked the strength to overcome; yet this verse makes it clear that the strong person holds their ground in trials. Those who are mighty in character are ready and able to face adversity, trusting in The One who grants grace for every moment. We should understand that the storms of life are either upon us or just around the corner, holding tight to Jesus, who is able to calm or help us endure them all. If you fail during these tests, let’s be honest and admit we we’re lacking strength – then prepare for the next, building confidence in Jesus. There can be no shame in lacking strength if we rely upon our Mighty Savior. In His grace and mercy He uses even our weakness to glorify Himself.

Christianity Needs a Heart Attack

So often as people get older they begin to speak of eating better, exercising and generally taking better care of themselves. Instead of making the tough choices today, they assume all can be accomplished in a mythical future filled with time, organization and most importantly: enough will-power. While they know subconsciously “tomorrow” will never come, they continue to tell themselves (and others) it will.

We can predict what happens next – years of neglect, poor eating habits, weight gain and lack of exercise catch up with the procrastinator and heart disease or attack fling tomorrow wildly and unexpectedly into today. Now the choices that seemed wise, but lacked urgency yesterday are made with the consistency and precision only a life-altering scare can bring.

A similar and more devastating parallel can be described as the broken-relationship procrastination. Family members argue and break communication over something trivial, yet maintain good intentions to apologize or talk things out…later. As months and years slip past the wounds remain and restoration becomes less and less important, even as old age approaches. Eventually, as one of the offending parties lies at death’s door, resolving the situation becomes paramount. Bitter years are wasted until a near-death experience brings the truly important things into focus.

I fear for Christianity in America today. This fear increases chiefly because few others seem to share it with any degree of passion. Many are going along just as though everything in the Christian world is generally healthy and even thriving – nothing, I believe, could be further from the truth.

Some unprecedented things are being said and done in even the most orthodox and committed sectors of Christan belief. Since when, I often ask my wife, did we – meaning we Bible-believing people in Christ – start thinking and doing that? (Whatever that may be…) In personal conversations, readings, hearings and experience I find myself constantly troubled.

Time will not permit my outline of all the problems I observe. If it did, I assume I would both fail to express them properly and perhaps get many wrong altogether. This I know for certain: it is long past time for we believers to stop putting off the surrender of lives, wills, emotions and actions to Christ.

Never has there been an age when God’s people have been more informed on Bible truth. Stacks of Christian books line our walls, while magazines, websites, radio and television stations, worldwide marketing campaigns and all manner of media outlets proclaim the true gospel 24-hours every day! Yes, there are big issues with the style and substance of many things produced today, but one can generally find resources for proper Biblical instruction ready-at-hand.

We know we ought to be saturated in scripture, diligent in prayer, faithful in service, abounding in love and absolutely, daily surrendered to our Savior. Why then, are we so often not ? Why do we instead find ourselves worldly, without willingness sacrifice, poorly equipped to make wise decisions and sadly bereft of spiritual victory?

Barring the intervention of heart attack or other life-altering crisis, too often the answer is simply…tomorrow. “On another day, at a more convenient hour we will have the courage to do what needs to be done.” That is what we tell ourselves – that is our deception and it is proving to be exactly the tool our enemy is using to discredit and immobilize us.

Every day that passes empty of impact for eternity is a day Satan can use to highlight our lack of sincerity and passion to an already disillusioned American culture. We await an easier moment, not realizing every one that passes leaves a negative impression that will make our task more daunting in the future.

I believe modern American Christianity requires a wake-up call that is so sudden, so stark and so alarming that men of God will be stirred to rise to their feet, pick up their swords and enter the battle they are already, unwittingly losing.

The call may not have to come, however, as it is just as possible for us to begin making right choices without it. As an aging man may reduce his fat intake or a feuding woman may apologize to her family, we may also choose to follow Christ wholly and without regard to cost. True, not every good diet results in stable health, not every apology results in forgiveness and not every act of Godliness is rewarded with earthly blessing. In any event, we know the God of this universe is worthy of our entire lives. His blood and death paid our penalty for sin and His wounded hand beckons the Father to withhold judgment as our intercessor.

I am broken tonight in the understanding that I am not an innocent bystander. I have internalized many of my squandered opportunities, knowing the time grows short and my disobedience grows more costly. Now I am renewed in my zeal to do right and must turn myself over to Him, doing all He asks as a bond-slave, a soldier and a son. God help us all as we attempt to rouse ourselves before the night comes, when no man can work.

Three and Four

Many of you will know that our daughters were born on the same day one year apart. Elisabeth turned four and Hannah three on Monday night. In celebration, we enjoyed an evening of cake, opening presents and playing games. Here are a few of the pictures we captured:

 

Be sure to check our Photo Blog for some follow-up photos later in the week.

Proverbs 23:5

“Wilt thou set thine eyes upon that which is not? for riches certainly make themselves wings; they fly away as an eagle toward heaven.” Why is money so attractive to us? We can all understand the truth of this verse as we look at our account balance shrink over the course of a month. It is amazing to see much become little after what seem like just a few nickel and dime expenditures. I believe we could eliminate most of our selfish desire for money if we could only internalize its fleeting nature. Even the things we purchase are fleeting, as they break down, get old, wear out and are lost or stolen from us. Money could be much better used to encourage the brethren or assist in the spread of the gospel. These investments will pay eternal dividends and accomplish the goal God has set for our lives – to see Himself glorified with our time, effort and resources. Let’s see money as a tool to minister and avoid being snared by its fleshly appeal.