So here I am

It is my goal in October to post each and every day here on Operation Actually Read Bible. I'd love to make this a daily habit. And I'd love to build a readership. But who knows if and when that will happen. 

New since last time...

I've started Mark. Still in the Wycliffe Bible. I've read the first six or seven chapters of this gospel.

I've finished 1 and 2 Timothy for Sunday School. We'll be beginning Titus this upcoming Sunday.

I discovered that R.C. Sproul's Renewing Your Mind show is available for free as podcasts. You can subscribe in iTunes. 

I just discovered that today, but I've already listened to three podcasts: The Touch of Worship, The Taste of Worship, and The Sound of Worship, pt. 1. I'm currently listening to The Sounds of Worship pt. 2. This series, I believe, is based on one of Sproul's books that I read last year. 

I've been listening to Carman's Hymns CD. 

I have been reading...

The lack of updates doesn't mean a complete lack of reading...just a complete lack of blogging about reading. I've read Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians. And I finished Matthew. Technically, I don't remember even when I started Matthew. But that happens sometimes.

Sometime last winter/spring, I bought the Wycliffe Bible (well the NT really), and I started reading it in Matthew. After putting it down at some point last spring, I picked it up about four days ago and started reading right where I'd left off. So there you go.

I suppose I'm technically still in Proverbs? (haven't picked that one up in months) and John? (again haven't picked it up in months). 1 Timothy is what we're studying in Sunday School.

Today

Today was our first day in Ephesians. It went really well. My best class as "teacher" so far. We got through the first three chapters of Ephesians!

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Has it really been a week?!

I've read Proverbs 11-13. And I've read John 12-18. And Galatians 5 and 6. And Ephesians 1. I *should* be reading Ephesians this week. That is where my Sunday School is going next. There is always tonight, tomorrow, and Saturday though.

I haven't listened to any sermons in whole, though I've started a few. Must be more focused!!!

To read my rant-y review of The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis...I just can't believe how upset that book made me. I mean I *rationally* knew that Lewis was about as far apart from reformed as you can get, but I wanted these childhood favorites to stand up to a rereading. And all but the last one did. The other six were good to great depending on the book in question. But this last one whomped. It was just theological suicide.

-------------------Theological Ramblings feel free to skip to the end-------------------------------

----------In fact if you're not a believer, you probably should skip to the end--------------------

Second. Susan is missing. She's no longer a "friend" of Narnia. This is 'tragic' for several reasons. One is that technically speaking she will have lost her mother, father, two brothers, and a sister. She'll be all alone in the world. Two is the not-so-subtle theme that you can lose your salvation. If being a friend of Narnia translates directly into being a Christian, then Lewis' message seems to be that Susan represents Christians that have fallen from grace and lost their salvation, lost their way. Of course there are some believers who do in fact believe that this is the case. That Christians can un-Christian themselves, un-save themselves, re-damn themselves. I for one am not one of them. Of course, there is the potential that this fictional Susan could regain her friend status later on in life. That she could have another opportunity to believe. But Susan as allegory just doesn't work for me.

But the thing I found most unsettling was buried towards the end. A conversation with a worshipper of Tash that just does NOT sit well with me at all.

This is the story a Calormen soldier, Emeth, tells the friends of Narnia:

Then I fell at his feet and thought, Surely this is the hour of death, for the Lion (who is worthy of all honour) will know that I have served Tash all my days and not him. Nevertheless, it is better to see the Lion and die than to be Tisroc of the world and live and not to have seen him. But the Glorious One bent down his golden head and touched my forehead with his tongue and said, "Son, though art welcome.' But I said, "Alas, Lord, I am no son of thine but the servant of Tash." He answered, "Child, all the service thou hast done to Tash, I account as service done to me." Then by reason of my great desire for wisdom and understanding, I overcame my fear and questioned the Glorious One and said, "Lord, is it true, as the Ape said, that thou and Tash are one?" The Lion growled so that the earth shook (but his wrath was not against me) and said, "It is false. Not because he and I are one, but because we are opposites--I take to me the services which thou has done to him. For I and he are of such different kinds that no service which is vile can be done to me, and none which is not vile can be done to him. Therefore, if a man swear by Tash and keep his oath for the oath's sake, it is by me that he has truly sworn, though he knows it not, and it is I who reward him. And if any man do a cruelty in my name, then, though he says the name Aslan, it is Tash whom he serves and by Tash his deed is accepted. Dost thou understand, Child?" I said, "Lord, thou knowest how much I understand." But I said also (for the truth constrained me), "Yet I have been seeking Tash all my days." "Beloved," said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek." Then he breathed upon me and took away the trembling from my limbs and caused me to stand upon my feet. And after that, he said not much, but that we should meet again, and I must go further up and further in.

(756-757 of the omnibus edition)

It's hard to find anything in that passage that is theologically sound. It is all horribly and sloppily wrong. If The Last Battle is taken as allegory then this ending is nothing but heresy to sound Christian doctrine. It preaches salvation by works. (If you're good you'll go to heaven.) And it carries the banner that it is not WHAT you believe or WHO you believe but your SINCERITY that matters. Your "goodness" that matters. There is nothing remotely biblical about that passage. And there is everything unbiblical about it.

One other irritant, a much smaller matter, is that it paints Aslan as weak. Aslan does not have the power, the authority, the ability, to "show" himself to others. The other Calormen soldiers and the unbelieving Narnians can't see this new country--this afterlife country--as it is. They see darkness, blinding darkness. They don't see the sun, the flowers, the beauty and wonder of it all. They see dark and smell manure. And Aslan can't do anything about that. He can't un-blind these people. He is powerless to save them. He's willing BUT NOT ABLE to save these people.

Some readers may not find that theologically unsettling. But once again Lewis has strayed from scripture. The God of the Bible is far from weak and powerless. He's not sitting around waiting and hoping that someone somewhere will maybe someday "see" him and "believe." He is a God who acts. He's a powerful God. A sovereign God.

Theologically disappointing? Yes. Yes. Yes. It's more than disappointing. It's infuriating. Shocking almost as well. All of the other Narnia books have been good. Really good. I haven't found anything unsettling or upsetting or unsound in any of the other six novels. But here in this final book, it is one big dud.

---------------------------- End of Theological Rant------------------------------------------

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So far this week...

I've read Proverbs 5-10 or possibly through 11. I can't remember offhand. I'd have to look at my Bible to see where I left off. And in John, I've read chapters 8-11. John is one of my favorite, favorite books.

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Update Bible & Sermons

My Bible reading has been a little skimpier than I'd like. I have read John 4-7. And I have read Galatians again. (It is the book we're studying in Sunday School...so I've read it probably three times this summer.) But I haven't read much the past few days. I think Wednesday or Thursday was the last day I got some time in.

I *did* start reading MORMONISM EXPLAINED and it is fabulous. Just fabulous. So well done.

As far as sermons go, I've listened to five IN HIS GRIP sermons. Treasures of Faith Introduction, Faith Defined part 1 & 2, and Worshipping Covenantally 1 & 2. This is a sermon series on Hebrews, I think Hebrews 11 specifically, and it is great so far. I look forward to continuing on with it. I got it as a podcast back in 2006. But I'm just now getting to it. Sad but true.

For Bethlehem Bible Church, I've gone backwards instead of forwards. I discovered that the prayer series started a few weeks before I thought it did. So I listened to Praying Like God Is Your Father part one. Again, I listened to it about two or three times. I know I'll eventually get to all these sermons, but I'm not feeling the need to rush through. Better to absorb and learn than just rush through to say you're done.

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Second Update on Bible Reading

Since my last post on Bible reading, I've read Proverbs 4-6. I've read John 1-4. (Read actually read not just watched.) And I've read the book of Galatians which is six chapters. I might come back and share some highlights, further thoughts, ponderings, etc. But I just wanted to make a quick jot of what I'd done over the past three or four days.

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Semi-Weekly Update

I was able to read three chapters of Proverbs--I think it was Monday/Tuesdayish that I got them read. Since I'm a night owl, up to the wee morning hours, I am never quite sure what day it should *officially* count on.

When I was reading Proverbs, there were a few things that stood out for me. Especially in chapter three. Proverbs 3:5-7 was one of the first verses I memorized as a kid. It is a verse that if you could actually follow through with it you could have a very good life--a healthy life, a spiritually sound life.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; Fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (NASB)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD, and turn away from evil. (ESV)

Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track. Don't assume that you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! (The Message)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil. (NIV)

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take. Don't be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the LORD and turn away from evil. (NLT)

I could probably meditate on this one day and night for weeks and still find depth in it. It's against human nature to trust. For some it comes easier than others. It's especially against human nature to trust in God. But it is really really really against human nature to NOT "lean on our own understanding." That comes easily, naturally. It's always easier for me to think that my way is the right way, the smart way, the wise way. It's always easier to think that I know what is best for me. It's also easy for people to think that they know best for other people. To trust in God? To be dependent on God? To do his will in all things? That's not easy. That's not natural.

"In All Your Ways Acknowledge Him." Ouch. As if the whole trust thing wasn't hard enough. It's REALLY REALLY REALLY easy to compartmentalize your life. To have parts, sections, areas where God is invited in, where you welcome him in, and other areas where you like to think you're in control. Areas that you think are private, exclusive, unknown to God. Of course, God knows all, sees all, hears all. But we like to act, to behave, to live like he isn't aware of what is really really going on. Like if we invited God to see all the ugly scary parts, the parts we're most ashamed of, the sinful areas of life that we still cling to, that we'd be too afraid of the consequences. Something would have to give. And we're afraid that something would be us. Maybe I'm taking the verse out of context. Maybe it doesn't mean that we should live our lives as if God was right there with us. But I see it as meaning as we should live our lives wide open, acknowledging his presence, acknowledging his RIGHT to rule over EACH and EVERY part of our lives. It means to me that it isn't enough to just give God control over teeny bits of our lives. He's there for it all. We need to be trusting him in all ways. Not trusting in God for this and that, but ourselves for the rest of what we have.

It's scary, but I think in some ways it's an all or nothing deal. We either trust him or we don't. We either let him be in control, live like he is LORD of our lives, or we don't.

It's a very scary thought.

Fear the Lord.

In some ways it's not easy to puzzle out what it means to fear the LORD. In some ways I think it means seeing the GREATNESS of God and the smallness of man. Of realizing that we don't measure up. Not at all. Not even a little bit. It's like acknowledging that he's got all the power, we've got all the need. Of realizing that we're not as smart as good as we think we are. Of realizing that we're very much in need of a Savior and of a Lord. It's realizing that God's boss and we're not.

Sometimes it's easier to think these kinds of thoughts than it is to actually live them out in practice. I know that I often forget. I think it's easy to take God for granted. I think it is REALLY easy to shrug off sin. To shrug off our mistakes, our regrets. And if we've taken those sins, those regrets, those mistakes...if we've repented. If we've asked for forgiveness...I think those sins can be put away, washed away. We don't need to live in constant reminder of those. But just as quickly as we're repenting of one sin, we're often putting on another. Maybe not the same sin. But whether it be in thought or in action or in speech, we're always going to be messing up and needing forgiveness. We're never going to be perfect on this side of Heaven. But maybe living in Fear of the Lord means that we don't just wash our hands of the whole affair and go about merrily sinning with the philosophy of oh-I-might-as-well-sin-all-I-like right now, today, this week, this month, this year...and I'll repent later.

I don't have it all puzzled out. It's too rich in some ways.

Turn Away From Evil.

Oh my. I wish it was easier to turn TO God and AWAY from evil. Why is sin so delicious to cling to?  It's human nature at work again. I know that. This brings to mind Romans 7. Fortunately, there are the wonderful promises found in Romans 5 and Romans 8.

For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:6-10)

In other news....

I watched the first four chapters of THE GOSPEL OF JOHN. I don't know if that quite counts as Bible reading. But it is word-for-word from the Good News Translation I believe so it maybe counts. Anyway, it's definitely a film I'd recommend.

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