Here is the Bible on one page. Seriously. One page, the whole King James Bible so you can carry it around in your pocket. You can’t read it with your natural eyes. You can’t even read it with any type of normal magnifying lens. I wonder who will buy this?
In similar news, they’ve also put the Tanakh on a small silicon chip similar to the way they fab microchips. This one is about the size of a grain of sugar.
Enjoy.
I picked up an article from the Star Tribune on an upcoming movie based on the book “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ” which attempts to tell the story of what Jesus’ life looked like during the breaks not recorded in the 4 gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) from the time when Jesus was about 12 years old until started his recorded ministry around age 30. The book claims that Jesus traveled and studied in India, then Tibet, then on his way back he studied in Persia, Greece, Egypt and Assyria. During which time, he learned of eastern religion and studied their cultures. After his death and resurrection, he went back to India to teach them the truth about life. And what is this truth? Well, since Jesus studied in the East, the truth is not that Jesus died for sins, was buried, and was raised on the third day to give life to all those who believe in his name, but rather that human flesh can be transmuted into divine flesh (man can become god).
Of course this is nothing new, so-called true gospels have been popping up for years claiming that the Bible missed something and is in error and that their book finally fixes the mistake (the Koran, the Book of Mormon, the Gospel of Judas, etc.). But look at the underlying theme of everyone of these books. Every book claims the way to heaven/God/life/ultimate reality is through yourself. Every books tells us that we need to “do” something to be saved. What is the “mistake” that is sought to be fixed in the Bible? That you are saved by grace through faith and not of yourselves, it is the gift of God and not a result of works so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).
So, what is our response to books like these, that tell us the way to life with God is something we can obtain by our strivings and good deeds?
So, how do we know that this “The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ” is in fact false? The simplest answer is that it is contrary to what Christ said!
But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew 15:24
I thought this was interesting, might help with your new study plans for the new year. (HT: PureChurch)
The Houston Chronicle is running a story titled “Condemned killer says Bible helped jury decide his death sentence“. It seems a convicted killer on death row in Texas is appealing his trial on the basis that the jurors were using their Bibles as references in determining his fate:
“Several of them carried Bibles in and out like my daughter carries her “Seventeen” magazine,” she said. “It was just their reading material.”
It seems there is debate as to how much the jurors used their Bibles to render their decision in the case though:
At a state district court hearing two months after the trial, four jurors testified about the presence of Bibles in the jury room and gave varying accounts, ranging from one Bible to several being present. One juror testified he and fellow jurors carried the books with them because they would go to Bible study in the evenings following the day’s court proceedings,
Another juror testified any reading from the books came after they had reached a decision. A third said the reading of Scripture was intended to make people feel better about their decision.
So, the issue at stake in this particular case is this:
“Unless there’s a suggestion they used religious law as opposed to the Code of Criminal Procedure and the instructions the judge gave them, but that wasn’t an issue in this case.”
Whether or not the jurors physically opened up their Bibles while they were deliberating doesn’t really make much difference, how do you stop someone from following after the Word that is written on their heart? It may be the case someday that Christians will not be allowed to bring a Bible into the courtroom or any government workplace. It may even be the case that the Bible will be classified as “hate literature” as we see some beginnings of in Canada. But Christians should live by the Word of God in all things that we do. God’s Word should direct all areas of our lives, regardless of our ability to physically carry around a book with us.
So, what does this look like? What does it look like for someone to live by the Word of God?
“These words, which I am commanding you today, shall be on your heart. “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. “You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
We cannot teach them to our children and talk of them night and day if we do not know them. So we should seek to know God’s Word, study it, memorize it, talk about it with our friends and family. I can’t think of a better way we can spend our time than digging through the Scriptures to learn of the riches found in them.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.
John 1:1-3
If all things came into being through Him, then we should see Christ in all things. This means looking at life through the lens of Scripture and not through our own worldview. As we read through the Bible, we should Christ as the foundation of everything we read and this will shape our perspective.
He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD
Deuteronomy 8:3
We should not rely on anything other than the Word of God. This means that in all situations in life, we should look to Him for guidance and provision. When decisions need to be made, we should look to the wisdom found in the Scriptures. When doubts arise, we should look to God’s promises found in the Scriptures. When temptation comes our way, we should look at the commandments found in the Scriptures. There is no area in our lives that is without the need for prayerful consultation of the Word of God.
So, I’ve been purposely brief here, I would like to know what you think about the extent of God’s Word in our lives or some practical ways that you have made the Scriptures direct areas of your lives. Feel free to comment and add to this list.
Justin Taylor has posted a few lists that may be helpful for practicing family devotions in 2008.
He has also let us know that BibleMemory.us has added Bethlehem Baptist Church’s Fighter Verses to their Scripture memory program.
Have a look at Crossway’s ESV Daily Reading Bible as well.
Here are some resources on the M’Cheyne reading plan.
The new year starts in a few days so I hope you’re prepared with what new reading plans or programs you are going to go through this year. Don’t wait until January to do this!
“Oh really, you go to church too? I just started taking my family back to church, I didn’t go much when I was a kid but I think it’s the right thing to do for my kids, so they will grow up to be good.”
“That’s good that you’re doing that.”
“Yes and I just started going to a Wednesday night meeting, they talk about practical stuff there, stories from the Bible and such.”
“Really, what are you reading right now?”
“Well, I haven’t bought a Bible yet but I plan on doing that as soon as I get a chance to, they use the Spanish Bible at church and I like that, it’s in my language.”
“How long have you been going to church?”
“A few years now…”
A few minutes later, a trip to the local franchise bookstore revealed something to me that I had never really taken note of. We have more Bibles than we know what to do with. Has the Word of God become a product? You can get your Bible in any kind of packaging you want; metal casings, leather-bound, bonded leather, duo-tone leather, sheepskin leather, hardcover, paperback, thin-line, extra-wide margins, cloth casing with a handle to carry it, engraved, and even covered with the latest Christian artist’s face or album artwork. And English translations? Well, let’s just say you can have it in a language a cat could read.
I took a count of the number of Bibles in Spanish. I accomplished this with one hand. Not the number of translations or the number of packaging options mind you, the number of Bibles total.
But, the point I actually wanted to make was not about the difference in English/Spanish translations or packaging, that was just a side note. God’s Word is more powerful than a translation, or a human author’s notes, or a particular color scheme on the cover.
Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
and Jeremiah 23:39:
“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”
My heart finds rest knowing that as this stranger reads through whatever translation (I don’t speak Spanish) was given to him, he will be hearing God’s Word, hopefully on the plane he was getting on a few hours later. The packaging wasn’t very slick, he probably won’t be very proud to show off his gift, but the Word is in his home now. He can read it, he can share it with his children, he can memorize it, he can live by it. Lives are changed by the Word through the Spirit, nothing more.
Justin Taylor has posted some Bible reading plans on his blog.
I enjoy the reading plan put together by the Navigators because it gives you a few days at the end of the month to play catch-up.
If you’re just finishing up your Bible-in-a-year plan in the next few days, now is a perfect time to start thinking about what you’re going to do next year…maybe the Bible-in-half-a-year!
Throughout the Book of Job, we come across passages that show one level of Job’s pain. Chapter 23:3-7 says this:
3 “Oh that I knew where I might find Him,
That I might come to His seat!
4″I would present my case before Him
And fill my mouth with arguments.
5 “I would learn the words which He would answer,
And perceive what He would say to me.
6 “Would He contend with me by the greatness of His power?
No, surely He would pay attention to me.
7 “There the upright would reason with Him;
And I would be delivered forever from my Judge.
Job just wanted his day in court with God. He thought that if he could just sit God down for a few minutes and talk to him as a neighbor (Job 16:21) then he could plead his case and God would see his side and he would be vindicated. This is a common thought to us all. “God would understand if He would just listen to me“. We tend to think that God is absent or is somehow missing a piece of information that if He had He certainly wouldn’t have let things get to the point they’re at. Or maybe we feel if we could just hear from God this one time, then all would make sense and be well.
Job missed out on something, and God taught him in chapters 38-41. God IS holy. God is not like us even though we are made in His image. God will not be spoken to as a neighbor, He will be revered. The holiness of God is an awesome thing and not something to be taken lightly.
Who would not fear You, O King of the nations?
Indeed it is Your due!
For among all the wise men of the nations
And in all their kingdoms,
There is none like You.
Jeremiah 10:7
Job learned (42:2-3) that God knows all things, sees all things, and purposes all things. He learned that God hides things from man that He does not wish for us to know. He learned that God never has to explain His actions because He is God and there is none like Him. Job did not receive an answer to his question of why his troubles befell him but you can bet that he loved God more after seeing His holiness than he would have had he received his precious answer.
OK, so the title is a bit misleading. I think this is really interesting. Using visualization to show the harmony of the Gospels. This area of visualization has implications in all types of areas, engineering, business, statistics, finance, etc. so why not leverage this technique for Biblical studies?
I would like to see this same idea used to show the cross-referencing of books of the Bible. Each book is a node and each link weight/color would be the number of times a book cross-references another book. Flash/Ajax would allow you to apply searching criteria to it to show you only direct quotes from one book to another, or maybe only similar wording/phrasing from one book to another.
I would be interested to know of any other projects that are using these types of techniques for Biblical studies.
The Blazing Center has a great post on how to be more organized about your daily reading. Have a look.
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