Words

I found this new web site. It's called wordle.net. You can paste (or type) text into the web site, and the website will count the words, and assemble with the more used words put as bigger text. You will have to see the example below. Pretty cool. Can't really save though.

It could be useful when studying the Word. This tool can add how many times the words are used and then visually represent it. Sometimes "quantity" of words can help you understand the big idea. But you also should evaluate "quality" of certain words too.

Here's the example, using the text from Hebrews chapter 1:



Notice "God" and "angels" are the most used words. Chapter 1 is comparing the Son of God to the angels, and how mucher greater the Son is. Also notice the "says". Chapter 1 mentions quotes from the OT as referencing to Jesus, but if you notice in verse 2, God has spoken to us now through his Son. Give it more thought, too quickly explained here.

More Comedy in Baskeball

Psalms 10 Thoughts

These words have convicted me.

Psalm 10:13

"Why has the wicked spurned God? He has said to himself, 'You will not require it.' "

and seperately,

Psalm 14:1a

"The fool has said in his heart, 'There is no God.'

They are corrupt, they have commited abominable deeds;"

In my own life, I think recently I have not had a correct fear of God. There have been areas where I do not ponder the consequences of my actions in a heavenly sense.

I do not mean to call into question there are consequences of eternal value for the believer who sins, because we as believers, as those who repent, are saved by the grace of God. But for those who repeatedly do not obey the Word, do not repent, and begin to lose focus of who God is, are those saved? We need to have a consistent mindset of the Christian walk, of who God is, and what He said towards believers.

Back to my personal issue, these verses struck within me as I realized in some areas I have seperated God from my life. It seems like in those areas, I do not think of the consequences. These verses convict me to think about changing things to correct some of these notions.

Psalm 10:16-17

A Basketball Post

People, just a quick note, this is NOT how you play defense.

The Book of Hebrews

This post is a quote from a Martin Luther sermon on the book of Hebrews.

"This is a strong, forcible, noble epistle, preeminently and emphatically teaching the great article of faith concerning the Godhead, or the divinity of Christ. . . Certain it is, no epistle enforces the Scriptures with greater power than does this."
"Now, the object of the epistle is to establish and promote faith in the divinity of Christ, and, as already stated, scarce any portion of the Bible more strongly enforces this article of our creed. We must, therefore, confine to its words and treat it in regular order, item by item."

- Martin Luther, on the book of Hebrews

Long Break

It's been another long break since posting. As you can tell the book reading and study has faltered. No consistency at this moment.
This time you could say the break is a little bit more warranted though.

Superhero Quiz

Your results:
You are Superman

Superman 65% Hulk 50% Spider-Man 45% Batman 45% Robin 35% The Flash 35% Iron Man 30% Green Lantern 30% Supergirl 28% Catwoman 25% Wonder Woman 23%

You are mild-mannered, good, strong and you love to help others.

Click here to take the Superhero Personality Quiz

Hmmm.... I agree w/ the description, but it'd be much cooler to be Batman, that's who I thought I was going to be (or is that wishful thinking?) Superman seems so vanilla. . . but maybe that could be me too! His traits might be more noble though. Who are you?

The Necessity of Reading

Something recently reminded me about the importance of reading for the Christian. As I contemplated it more, I recalled reading a chapter in Oswald Sander's "Spiritual Leadership." The following will be some of the nuggets from the chapter, some will encourage, some will be of good help, and some will convict.

I think these really should all apply to all Christians, not just our leaders. In many regards, all Christians should be somewhat equipped to lead, although granted it will be in varying degrees and proper context.

"Spiritual leaders of every generation will have a consuming passion to know the Word of God through diligent study and the illumination of the Holy Spirit." This chapter in Oswald Sander's book is devoted to discussing supplemental reading to the word. He also says, "The leader who intends to grow spiritually and intellectually will be reading constantly." He gives the example of how necessary it is for lawyers and doctors to keep reading to stay on top of their craft, and how the Christian needs this kind of devotion to keep growing and maturing.

"The major cause of the decline in the quality of current Christian reading literature is not intellectual but spiritual. To enjoy a great religious book requires a degree of consecration to God and detachment from the world that few modern Christians have." - A.W. Tozer

Why Read

"Read to refill the wells of inspiration." - Harold Ockenga, who took a suitcase of books on his honeymoon.

"Read not to contradict or confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider. Some books are to be tested, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested." - Bacon

What to Read

"If I had read as many books as other people, I would know as little." - Hobbes, English philosopher

"There's infinite difference between the beauty of holiness and the holiness of beauty. One leads to the highest, loftiest, most Godlike character; the other often - too often - leads to an orgy of sensation." - Samuel Brengle, comparing Tennyson and Browning to Shakespeare, saying some poetry has light and other have light and heat. He urges you to choose the poetry that has moral character and passion, rather than just the passion.

"It is better that we should always tackle something a bit beyond us. We should always aim to read something different - not only the writers with whom we agree, but those with whom we are ready to do battle. And let us not condemn them out of hand because they do not agree with us; their point of view challenges us to examine the truth and to test their views against Scripture. And let us not comment on nor criticize writers of whom we have heard only second-hand, or third-hand, without troubling to read their works for ourselves. . . . Don't be afraid of new ideas - and don't be carried away with them either." - Muriel Ormrod

How to Read

"By reading we learn. By meditating on the themes of our reading we pluck the fruit from the tree of books and add nourishment to our minds and our ministries. Unless our reading includes serious thinking, it is wasted time."

"Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and reread them, masticate and digest them. Let them go into your very own self. Peruse a good book several times and make notes and analyses of it. A student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by twenty books he has merely skimmed. Little learning and much pride comes of hasty reading. Some men are disabled from thinking by their putting meditation away for the sake of much reading. In reading let your motto be "much, not many." - Charles Spurgeon

"Canon Yates advised that every good book needs three readings. The first should be rapid and continuous, to give your mind an overview and to associate the book's material with your own previous knowledge. The second reading should be careful and paced. Take notes and think. then after an interval of time, a third reading should be like the first. Write a brief analysis of the book on the inside of the back cover. Thus will the book make a solid imprint on your memory."

Rules to make Reading Worthwhile and Profitable

(All taken from Spiritual Leadership)

• What you intend to quickly forget, spend little time reading. The habit of reading and forgetting only builds the habit or forgetting other important matters.
• Use the same discrimination in choosing books as in choosing friends.
• Read with pencil and notebook in hand. Unless your memory is unusably retentive, much gained from reading is lost in a day. Develop a system of note-taking. It will greatly help the memory.
• Pass no word until its meaning is known.
• Vary your reading to keep your mind out of a rut. Variety is as refreshing to the mind as it is to the body.

Quotes taken from Spiritual Leadership by J. Oswald Sanders

The Pursuit of Holiness - Purpose

This is the first take on the purpose of "The Pursuit of Holiness" by Jerry Bridges. It is primarily derived from the Preface, so it may restate some of the facts of an earlier post.

I would say the author's purpose is the workings of holiness in a Christian's life, at the most basic level. In the preface, the author addresses problems of incorrect beliefs and practices that a Christian probably has experienced in their walk concerning holiness. The author states that our 2 root problems are the reluctance of OUR responsibility and an incorrect view of the differences in OUR responsibility and GOD's responsibility. A key phrase could him describing holiness as a joint venture with God and the Christian. He will explain how this phrase works out throughout the book. Notice the emphasis that something is required from both parties.

We'll start with this. Through out the book, I will revisit & we will see how this holds up after 17 chapters. The root level of the book could change from the intention stated here.

I have noticed already that the author has built upon the basic understanding of holiness by adding different layers of what it should mean and how it works.