A blog produced by Rolling Fork Baptist Church designed to help Christians live out their faith in their homes, their work places, their schools, and their communities.
Monday, February 27, 2012
Thursday, February 23, 2012
IMPACT NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 2012 (PART 2)
The Best Pen for Writing Notes and Underlining in Your Bible
by Alex Tran on January 31, 2010 (http://www.alextran.org/)
What is the best type of pen to use in a Bible?
Here are some of the key benefits: I’ve tried highlighters, dry highlighters, pencils and pens (ball point, gel, rollerball) without being satisfied with any for underlining and taking notes.
The short answer is pens which use pigment ink (i.e. archive quality pens).
Minimal bleed-through on thin paper (i.e. those used in Bibles)
Extremely fine nib/tip sizes (lets you write small while still being readable)
Water proof (accidental coffee spills anyone?)
Quick drying (great for left-handed people)
I’d prefer to write and underline with one size, so I chose a single nib size. I started with the 01, but eventually transitioned over to the smallest nib size (005). I came to love how fine the tip was for writing and underlining. If you’re going with a thinner nib, I’d also recommend underlin-ing in anything other than black. That way the color helps make the highlight stand out more.
I have been using a fine-tip Pentel R.S.V.P. pen for notes and underlines. While it has been decent, it pales in comparison to the Pigma Micron. Unlike the R.S.V.P., the Pigma Micron makes it effortless to write small, legible characters and consistent underlines.
"Why Is It So Hard For Some People To Read Their Bibles?" I regularly hear of people who would rather read devotional books than read the Bible. Now I understand that when you begin wading through Leviticus and come to the chapter on identify-ing and treating skin diseases, it doesn't exactly bring great joy and warmth to the heart. But we need to remember that even that passage plays a part in the unfolding plan. All parts of the Bible are equally inspired, but not all are "equally applied to my life in this very moment. ... One of the things I do is make it a habit to read through the Bible once a year. If I simply read the parts I think I need the most, I will miss a big part of God's design for my growth. ... I think [Christians] just can't figure out a lot of what's in the Old Testament, so they just skip it. But it is essential for believers to get the full picture of God's revelation.
(www.edstetzer.com/2010/05/my-interview-in-bible-study-ma.html#more)
"The Book That Is Essential For Knowing God" You must keep hearing the Bible’s message to grow as a Christian. This means hearing it read and preached, reading it, studying it, memorizing it, meditating on it, and applying it. A Christian needs the Bible like a human needs food and water. The need nev-er goes away. That’s why Peter writes, "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation" (1 Pet. 2:2). That "pure spiritual milk" is "the living and abiding word of God," "the good news" (1 Pet. 1:23–25). Can you say with Job, "I have treas-ured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food" (Job 23:12)?
http://www.crossway.org/blog/2012/01/the-book-that-is-essential-for-knowing-god/
Some Closing Thoughts...
In the prelude of For the Love of God, D.A. Carson offers the following observation:
"The challenge [of reading our Bibles] has become increasingly severe in recent years, owing to several factors. All of us must confront the regular sins of laziness or lack of discipline, sins of the flesh, and of the pride of life. But there are additional pressures. The constant sensory input from all sides is gently addictive—we become used to being entertained and diverted, and it is difficult to carve out the space and silence necessary for serious and thoughtful reading of Scripture. More seriously yet, the rising biblical illiteracy in Western culture means that the Bible is increasingly a closed book, even to many Christians. As the culture drifts away from its former root-edness in a Judeo-Christian understanding of God, history, truth, right and wrong, purpose, judgment, forgiveness and community, so the Bible seems stranger and stranger. For precisely the same reason, it becomes all the more urgent to read it and reread it, so that at least confessing Christians preserve the heritage and outlook of a mind shaped and informed by Holy Scripture."
I hope you have enjoyed your first issue of IMPACT. I pray that you will join me in a desire to know more of God’s Word… not so that we can brag about how much we know but so that we can know our God and His Son, Jesus, better. So let us pray for understanding and the application of God’s Word to our lives. Amen?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
by Alex Tran on January 31, 2010 (http://www.alextran.org/)
What is the best type of pen to use in a Bible?
Here are some of the key benefits: I’ve tried highlighters, dry highlighters, pencils and pens (ball point, gel, rollerball) without being satisfied with any for underlining and taking notes.
The short answer is pens which use pigment ink (i.e. archive quality pens).
Minimal bleed-through on thin paper (i.e. those used in Bibles)
Extremely fine nib/tip sizes (lets you write small while still being readable)
Water proof (accidental coffee spills anyone?)
Quick drying (great for left-handed people)
I’d prefer to write and underline with one size, so I chose a single nib size. I started with the 01, but eventually transitioned over to the smallest nib size (005). I came to love how fine the tip was for writing and underlining. If you’re going with a thinner nib, I’d also recommend underlin-ing in anything other than black. That way the color helps make the highlight stand out more.
I have been using a fine-tip Pentel R.S.V.P. pen for notes and underlines. While it has been decent, it pales in comparison to the Pigma Micron. Unlike the R.S.V.P., the Pigma Micron makes it effortless to write small, legible characters and consistent underlines.
"Why Is It So Hard For Some People To Read Their Bibles?" I regularly hear of people who would rather read devotional books than read the Bible. Now I understand that when you begin wading through Leviticus and come to the chapter on identify-ing and treating skin diseases, it doesn't exactly bring great joy and warmth to the heart. But we need to remember that even that passage plays a part in the unfolding plan. All parts of the Bible are equally inspired, but not all are "equally applied to my life in this very moment. ... One of the things I do is make it a habit to read through the Bible once a year. If I simply read the parts I think I need the most, I will miss a big part of God's design for my growth. ... I think [Christians] just can't figure out a lot of what's in the Old Testament, so they just skip it. But it is essential for believers to get the full picture of God's revelation.
(www.edstetzer.com/2010/05/my-interview-in-bible-study-ma.html#more)
"The Book That Is Essential For Knowing God" You must keep hearing the Bible’s message to grow as a Christian. This means hearing it read and preached, reading it, studying it, memorizing it, meditating on it, and applying it. A Christian needs the Bible like a human needs food and water. The need nev-er goes away. That’s why Peter writes, "Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation" (1 Pet. 2:2). That "pure spiritual milk" is "the living and abiding word of God," "the good news" (1 Pet. 1:23–25). Can you say with Job, "I have treas-ured the words of his mouth more than my portion of food" (Job 23:12)?
http://www.crossway.org/blog/2012/01/the-book-that-is-essential-for-knowing-god/
Some Closing Thoughts...
In the prelude of For the Love of God, D.A. Carson offers the following observation:
"The challenge [of reading our Bibles] has become increasingly severe in recent years, owing to several factors. All of us must confront the regular sins of laziness or lack of discipline, sins of the flesh, and of the pride of life. But there are additional pressures. The constant sensory input from all sides is gently addictive—we become used to being entertained and diverted, and it is difficult to carve out the space and silence necessary for serious and thoughtful reading of Scripture. More seriously yet, the rising biblical illiteracy in Western culture means that the Bible is increasingly a closed book, even to many Christians. As the culture drifts away from its former root-edness in a Judeo-Christian understanding of God, history, truth, right and wrong, purpose, judgment, forgiveness and community, so the Bible seems stranger and stranger. For precisely the same reason, it becomes all the more urgent to read it and reread it, so that at least confessing Christians preserve the heritage and outlook of a mind shaped and informed by Holy Scripture."
I hope you have enjoyed your first issue of IMPACT. I pray that you will join me in a desire to know more of God’s Word… not so that we can brag about how much we know but so that we can know our God and His Son, Jesus, better. So let us pray for understanding and the application of God’s Word to our lives. Amen?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
IMPACT NEWSLETTER FOR MARCH 2012 (PART 1)
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV) [16] All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
Consider this year to be ‘The Year Of The Bible’ at RFBC. Here are some of the strategies that will help us know more about God’s Word and be able to apply more of His Word to our hearts:
1) For the next several Sunday mornings, we will be looking at the book of Mark one paragraph at a time. This will allow God’s Word to dictate the flow and direction of each message as we walk through Mark’s gospel.
2) We are learning systematic theology on Wednesday nights and you can join us at any point because each week has a new topic unless we use two weeks to cover a certain topic such as ‘Why are there 66 books in the Bible?’ and ‘What does it mean to repent?’
3) Plus you will be receiving these newsletters each month that will feature articles to help you be more consistent and more effective in your personal Bible Study.
"How can I grow in my understanding of sound doctrine?" from 9Marks by permission
1. Give heed to the preached Word. Discuss the ser-mon afterward with friends and family.
2. Study the Scriptures diligently. Gaining a broad and deep grasp of Scripture is the most important way to grow in the knowledge of God.
3. Read good books about theology and doctrine. (ex. Wayne Grudem’s Systematic Theology)
4. Discuss the Bible with mentors and friends. As you discuss the Bible’s teaching, apply it to your lives together.
5. Do evangelism. Explaining the gospel to non-Christians and answering some of their objections will strengthen your grasp on the gospel and sharpen your ability to communicate the gospel.
6. Teach the Bible and theology to younger Christians.
"Transmitting The Word" An Interview With John Piper (selected questions and answers from this interview)
BSM: How should we approach the Bible when reading it?
PIPER: I’m torn as to which approach to take in answering that. I want to say right off the bat that we should approach the Bible with reverence. And yet I’m aware that there might be peo-ple reading this who don’t even know enough about the Bible to know whether it should be revered or not. Maybe they’ve barely even read it. Because of the history of the Bible, exerting power in the lives of people for good for over two thousand years, I think I would say to those people, "Come to the Bible with a sense of expectation and openness that here you might find something vastly more wise and more penetrating and more world-shaping than any of the con-temporary ideas you are presently dealing with."
And after they come, I think they will discover that this is the very Word of God and, therefore, it should be approached with a sense of reverence. And it should be approached with a sense of need and with a sense of expectation that God has given us this Word in order to meet our needs, to convict us of sin, to bring us to the point of forgiveness, and then to give us hope.
Second Timothy 3:16 says that the Scriptures are inspired by God and are sufficient for sound doctrine and every good work. There’s nothing God expects of us that He does not provide in this Word. He helps us understand what to do and gives us the motivation to do it. There’s a high-level expectation that I think people ought to have when they approach the Bible.
BSM: How can we make time for the Bible?
PIPER: I don’t think it’s merely a function of time. It’s a function of earnestness and faith. A per-son must build into their life a regular encounter with God, personally and quietly meditating on His Word. I think the early morning is the best time, because it sets the tone for the whole day. If for some reason that time can’t work, then midday or evening.
Get the Bible, the time, and the place — make sure it’s planned — and then meditate on a por-tion of Scripture: a chapter, verses, or several chapters, depending on what you can do. Memorize some verses, or even phrases, that appear especially precious to you.
This morning I memorized, "I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts" (Jer. 31:33). That was my little nugget that I took away from this morning’s devotion so that I could, all day long, reassure myself that God would do that for me.
You don’t need hours and hours with God every day, but you do need to have time with God orienting your mind, taking something into your heart, letting your heart express itself to God in communion — taking faith’s renewal and walking with God through the day, reminding yourself of what you saw in the morning.
I don’t think you need to be a "professional" preacher like me in order to enjoy deep and glori-ous things with God. In fact, some of the deepest saints that I’ve ever met, who outshine me, have not been "professional" Christians.
BSM: How would you counsel someone to begin anew who hasn’t read their Bible in a long time?
PIPER: I would encourage them to get a fresh Bible — I’m not too concerned about what version — and then begin a reading program in the New Testament with some passages from the Old Testament. They should also get into a good church or small group that loves the Bible. And these two things — your per-sonal encounter with the Bible and exposure to what God is teaching you through other people about the Bible — will cause the Bible to come alive again as you pray and ask God to make it come alive.
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Sunday, February 5, 2012
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