Hiatus

This blog will be on a brief hiatus while I travel this weekend.  Given where I am in John I don't want to do anything halfway.  I've been looking forward to these chapters for months!

Book Giveaway

I'll admit that I'm something of a sucker for good book giveaways.  Here is an offer to a book that I really want to read.  If I don't win it I will certainly put it on my Amazon wishlist.  I need something to sort out my visit to Banner of Truth when we make a trip up to visit my wife's family in Pennsylvania!

Republishing

My apologies to those who read this blog through RSS.  I realized that I had tagged my Mark posts with Matthew.  I fixed that, but had to republish.

I apologize for the inconvenience!

Changing Up

As I've written many times before, I'm a bible reading plan junkie. I've done straight through from Genesis to Revelation a couple of times. I've done a plan where you read from the Pentateuch one day, the history the next, then psalms, poetry, prophecy, gospels, and epistles. I've done a chronological plan. I've done the ESV reading plan. I've done the Discipleship Journal plan (my favorite). I suspect I've read through the whole Bible at least 8 times in various translations (NIV, NASB, ESV, and NLT). I write this not to brag, but to establish where I'm coming from. I highly recommend all of these.

What's on my heart now is to read through the entire New Testament in Greek. I also want to read through the entire Old Testament in Hebrew. I know that I won't do this unless I make this my regular reading for the day. Therefore, I am committing to a chapter of the New Testament every day for 2010. My plan is to keep reading a little bit of Hebrew ever day as well. My goal is that eventually I will read both devotionally every day.

The problem now becomes this blog. I know that there are a few of you who read it regularly and I really appreciate it. It encourages me that anyone would find my musings useful, especially since I just write here as something of a personal journal. I haven't settled on this yet, but my initial plan is to journal about what I find as I read through the New Testament in Greek. I may post the passage in Greek and English and write about it. I haven't quite decided yet.

What I do know is that we have something of a "game reset" going on as I read Matthew 1 today. I may write about some of my favorite psalms in the meantime. I haven't decided yet, but I do know that I plan on continuing to blog. We will see where this goes together.

Prayer Request

Please take a look at this post about Matt Chandler. He, his family, and his church could really use all of our prayers.

iPhone Bible App

I've been using the same mobile Bible app for a long time now. In fact, I've read the whole ESV on it more than once. What I really like is the ability to do highlighting and note taking. Plus, I understand that they are working on getting syncing working between the PC and the iPhone.

You can check it out here. Olive Tree may do a few things that this one doesn't just yet, but I think that it is a nicer interface and a smoother reader.

My Christian Blogs

I don't do a whole lot of HTing especially now that I've made this blog into more of an online journal about what I'm reading every day. However, I can tell you that my Google Reader has quite a bit going on from Major League Baseball to a variety of blogs about Jesus to some blogs about Windows PowerShell. Historically, my two favorite places to learn about new blogs have been Justin Taylor's Between Two Worlds and Tim Challies' aptly named challies.com.

I've never heard of aggregator sites, but they make sense. A new one has recently sprung up called My Christian Blogs. I took a look through his front page and I can tell you that I either regularly read, have read, or have at least heard of all of them. If you're interested in what is going on in the Christian blogosphere it is well worth your time to check out.

He is Risen!

Luke 24:1-12
(1) But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.
(2) And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb,
(3) but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.
(4) While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel.
(5) And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, "Why do you seek the living among the dead?
(6) He is not here, but has risen. Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee,
(7) that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise."
(8) And they remembered his words,
(9) and returning from the tomb they told all these things to the eleven and to all the rest.
(10) Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles,
(11) but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.
(12) But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened.

This was actually my reading for today and what I plan on reading before we have dinner. It's something that we need to remember. My pastor emphasizes the same point every year about the empty grave. Out of the myriad of world religions there are only 4 that are based on a person -- Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam. And out of those only one of them has a founder who is alive today.

Let's rejoice in our risen Savior!

Win a Free Calfskin ESV

A blog called Boomer in the Pew is giving away a free ESV Study Bible with a calfskin cover. Check out this entry for more information.

Why So Serious?

I just took a few minutes to click the "fcb" label in the tag cloud to the right. It was a fun walk down memory lane as I remember the past few years at the Bank. There are two recurring themes that still hold true today:

• I don't enjoy it very much
• I'm glad for a job in this market

I'll get back to posting something more devotional tomorrow. In the meantime, please pray for my NT professor and his family. They just suffered a loss and could use the prayer.

Getting Answers

Joshua 22:10-20
(10) And when they came to the region of the Jordan that is in the land of Canaan, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh built there an altar by the Jordan, an altar of imposing size.
(11) And the people of Israel heard it said, "Behold, the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh have built the altar at the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region about the Jordan, on the side that belongs to the people of Israel."
(12) And when the people of Israel heard of it, the whole assembly of the people of Israel gathered at Shiloh to make war against them.
(13) Then the people of Israel sent to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest,
(14) and with him ten chiefs, one from each of the tribal families of Israel, every one of them the head of a family among the clans of Israel.
(15) And they came to the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh, in the land of Gilead, and they said to them,
(16) "Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD, 'What is this breach of faith that you have committed against the God of Israel in turning away this day from following the LORD by building yourselves an altar this day in rebellion against the LORD?
(17) Have we not had enough of the sin at Peor from which even yet we have not cleansed ourselves, and for which there came a plague upon the congregation of the LORD,
(18) that you too must turn away this day from following the LORD? And if you too rebel against the LORD today then tomorrow he will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.
(19) But now, if the land of your possession is unclean, pass over into the LORD's land where the LORD's tabernacle stands, and take for yourselves a possession among us. Only do not rebel against the LORD or make us as rebels by building for yourselves an altar other than the altar of the LORD our God.
(20) Did not Achan the son of Zerah break faith in the matter of the devoted things, and wrath fell upon all the congregation of Israel? And he did not perish alone for his iniquity.'"

This makes me think of the big brouhaha that goes around the Internet regarding Mark Driscoll. People hear bits and pieces of what goes on from his pulpit and they freak out. Verse 12 in this passage shows us that the people were ready to go to war against their brothers over this altar. This was good if their suspicions were correct. God made it very clear that there was a specific way for them to worship and if they were breaking that then there had to be consequences.

However, before they started swinging swords they asked questions. They got the facts. The passage continues:

Joshua 22:21-31
(21) Then the people of Reuben, the people of Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh said in answer to the heads of the families of Israel,
(22) "The Mighty One, God, the LORD! The Mighty One, God, the LORD! He knows; and let Israel itself know! If it was in rebellion or in breach of faith against the LORD, do not spare us today
(23) for building an altar to turn away from following the LORD. Or if we did so to offer burnt offerings or grain offerings or peace offerings on it, may the LORD himself take vengeance.
(24) No, but we did it from fear that in time to come your children might say to our children, 'What have you to do with the LORD, the God of Israel?
(25) For the LORD has made the Jordan a boundary between us and you, you people of Reuben and people of Gad. You have no portion in the LORD.' So your children might make our children cease to worship the LORD.
(26) Therefore we said, 'Let us now build an altar, not for burnt offering, nor for sacrifice,
(27) but to be a witness between us and you, and between our generations after us, that we do perform the service of the LORD in his presence with our burnt offerings and sacrifices and peace offerings, so your children will not say to our children in time to come, "You have no portion in the LORD."'
(28) And we thought, If this should be said to us or to our descendants in time to come, we should say, 'Behold, the copy of the altar of the LORD, which our fathers made, not for burnt offerings, nor for sacrifice, but to be a witness between us and you.'
(29) Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD and turn away this day from following the LORD by building an altar for burnt offering, grain offering, or sacrifice, other than the altar of the LORD our God that stands before his tabernacle!"
(30) When Phinehas the priest and the chiefs of the congregation, the heads of the families of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh spoke, it was good in their eyes.
(31) And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the people of Reuben and the people of Gad and the people of Manasseh, "Today we know that the LORD is in our midst, because you have not committed this breach of faith against the LORD. Now you have delivered the people of Israel from the hand of the LORD."

Amanda thought I was crazy for wanting to name a son Phineas, but this is one more example of why it is such a good name. Phineas listened to reason. He heard why the Reubenites and Gadites built the altar he was satisfied. He took them at their word and let it go. Oh that we should have such measured sense today in Christendom! Of course, Proverbs puts this more succinctly than I can:

Proverbs 18:13-17
(13) If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.
(14) A man's spirit will endure sickness, but a crushed spirit who can bear?
(15) An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.
(16) A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
(17) The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

Looking Back

I don't think 2008 was my best year, but it certainly had a few accomplishments in it. Off the top of my head:

• I finished reading the Bible again and am planning on doing it twice more in 2009.
• I went out running 185 times
• I ran my first 5k and broke the 8:00/mile barrier
• I remained gainfully employed
• I managed to blog fairly regularly and with some meat
• I finished my formal Greek education and began my Hebrew
• I finally beat the game Thief 3
• I learned the fundamentals of lockpicking
• I taught Lily how to play chess
• I finally got on Facebook and it helped me reconnect with a long-lost friend

These are all personal things. Unfortunately, I'm not sure that there were many big strides made regarding family or work. Work I don't care so much about, but as 2009 looms ahead I see the need to be more affectionate and more "present" with my family. It's great that I spend time with the kids at the grocery store and such, but I particularly need to meet Lily where she is rather than where I want for her to be. This is especially true with Amanda.

For all of you who read this I do pray that 2009 would be a year where you enjoy sweet fellowship with the Lord.

More Ways to Network

Thanks to my wife and the pressure she received from her friends I am now on Facebook. Won't you be my friend?

Hymns

We go to a church that does almost exclusively praise and worship music. Now the CCM praise and worship music does have a place. However, I find that it tends to lack theological depth. It tends to be all about how great it is that we know God and how happy that makes us. Unfortunately, there are seasons of life when that kind of leaves you empty.

I do appreciate some of the music of Chris Tomlin, though I think that his albums are becoming increasingly shallow as well. I do appreciate the songs on the Arriving CD as they remind us of God's greatness and majesty. There is a lot to commend that.

In the end, there is a reason why the great hymns are great. I think if you had to ask someone to name a favorite hymn the first one out of most people's mouths would be "Amazing Grace." Just about everyone knows the first verse, but read all of them when you get a chance. You'll see how the hymn takes us from justification to sanctification to glorification to eternity with the Lord. Any professing Christian who never gets at all choked up at the last verse needs to reexamine what he really believes. I'm not saying that you need to wail every time, but it should move you to some kind of feeling.

I am really enjoying this whole collection from Sovereign Grace music. The arrangements aren't particularly interesting, though I do like the bluegrass version of "How Firm a Foundation." The vocals tend toward the cheesy, particularly the woman who sings "Praise to the Lord." Nevertheless, it is a great collection of hymns that will hopefully move your soul. Check them out when you get a chance.

A Blast from the Past

We had a little conversation at work the other day regarding calculators. To the right you can see a photo of my baby. I didn't always use one of these. No, I cut my teeth on a Radio Shack scientific calculator that actually folded into a convenient pocket size. In fact, the doctor who first diagnoses autism in Rain Man used one as he was trying to stump Ray with tough math problems. Then I graduated to a Casio (I think FX-80) that I got from someone. I sold that and then acquired the FX-81 from my girlfriend in college. Finally, I upgraded to the HP.

The HP was not easy to use at first. The Reverse Polish notation was kind of tricky; however, as the linked article states once you get used to it you don't want to go back. I had a hard time ever using my friend's TI-85 after I got used to my calcuator.

I pulled it out of its case today, which was no small feat because the zipper is not in good shape. I think it may be corroding a bit here in my damp basement. At least I had the good sense not to have batteries in it since I had to scrape away a lot of corrosion the first time I used it post-college. I did my normal 1 1 + calculation and played with a few exponents. Then I put it away.

I realize that I likely won't ever have a use for this again. Maybe I can leave it to Noah or Lily. Then again, they might get beat up for having such a relic. Their professors may remember though.