Bible in a Year Done - And Yes It Starts Again Tomorrow!

Found here

Today saw me finish the cover to cover Bible reading plan I have been following. The last couple of weeks has felt a bit like the scene (right) from Toy Story, chasing madly to finish on schedule, culminating in listening to the whole of Revelation today on my iPod as I cycled home from my parents. (Not the best way to digest such a complex book! But hey, I'm not doing this for brownie points!)

So what have I gained from such an exercise? Why would I want to start again tomorrow?

All the Blood from Abel to Zechariah

In the Hebrew ordering of the Old Testament, Chronicles and not Malachi, is the last OT book.

Russel, a friend of mine, recently pointed out that when Jesus accused the Pharisees and their kind, of murdering Abel and Zechariah, he was using those two names as book ends from between which he heaped on these legalistic zealots the guilt for the all the righteous blood shed in the Hebrew Bible - the Old Testament.

And it has ever been thus, the children of promise have always been persecuted by those whose desire is to set up their own standard of righteousness - refusing to come to Jesus.

Soul First, Circumstance Second

Found here

One of the ways I pray for my local church, is to go through the membership directory name by name. I find Paul's prayers really helpful, because they cut to the chase and start deep by praying for the growth of the soul (horse). I then pray for any of their particular circumstances known to me (cart). I think this holds it in proper perspective.

Recently, I've been using Eph. 3:14-19. Here is my own paraphrase of Paul:

Another Hilarious Scam

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Another classic email scam. More info here.

As if David Cameron knows me personally! Yeah right!

Of course I can laugh, because I didn't fall for it - this time.

We have been trying to reach you since the past few days, as my associate has helped me to send your first payment of $7,500 USD to you as instructed by Mr. David Cameron the United Kingdom prime minister after the last G20 meeting that was held in United Kingdom, making you one of the beneficiaries. Here is the information below.

Human Eyes and the Witness of the Spirit

Glen and Dave have been blogging recently about reclaiming the Old Testament as a truely, madly, deeply and authentically Christian book, (as opposed to a Jewish book that we conveniently map Christian interpretation onto - as if it could make any sense without Christ). I like what they say - a lot. To me, the Old Testament Christians and the New Testament Christians who wrote the Bible consciously and explicitly:

Boxing Day is Also Martyrs' Day in the Christian Calendar

If you're one of those cultural dinosaurs, like me, who likes to dip into church history, then you'll know that today is not only Boxing Day but St Stephen's Day.

The Feast of Stephen is the olden days way of saying St Stephen's Day, which makes much more sense of what good old King Wenceslas was up to, surveying his realm. It has got nothing to do with a eating, (at least not in the first verse). Although you could be mistaken for thinking that he beheld the world's largest pizza: Deep pan, crisp and even! (Sorry, it was in one of yesterday's crackers and I couldn't resist!)

Stephen was

God is Dead - All is Permitted

© David Pham

Peter Leithart, with a short, but brilliant thought the implications of believing that God is dead.