Inquiring Minds want to Know

Pam, of a rustling of leaves, posts an interesting survey.  Here are my answers.  Why don't you share yours?  If you do, leave a note for Pam in her comments on the post so we can all find them.

Inquiring minds want to know --

1. What Bible is your preference?

I prefer the NKJ version.  I love the beauty and familiarity of the phrasing.  Most of my early scripture memorization was in KJV, so the NKJ still "sounds" best to me. 

a. Do you care whether it is a red-letter or not?

No, not really.  Mine has red letters, but it wouldn't bother me if it didn't.

b. Study Bible with notes or do you prefer a Bible with no notes?  

I have a Reformation Study Bible with notes, however, when I study a passage, I only read the comments after I have read the text for myself and examined it in it's context.

c. Hard-cover, leather, metal?  

Hard-cover.  I'd love to have a leather Bible but it's out of my price range.

d. Wide-margin?

No, but that doesn't keep me from taking notes!  : )

e. Versions?

My primary Bible is NKJ but I always read the ESV and NASB as well when I am studying.  Our church uses the ESV and so I have really taken a liking to it, too.

f. Do you carry the same Bible to Church as you use to study with?

Yes, but I don't carry them all.  I carry my Reformation Study Bible.

2. What is your Bible marking method?

Oh, dear.  That would be telling, wouldn't it?  I don't think I could explain it to another person.  I am a book marker, but I mark my Bible differently than regular books because I also mark during sermons.

3. What Concordance do you like?  

Strongs.

4. Do you use Bible Study software and if so, what? 

I use the ESV online Bible extensively.

5. Do you use a Palm or other device to transport Study helps & notes?

Yes, I have a Bible on my Palm and use it for study. One of the things I like best about having a Bible on my Palm is that when I am studying or doing lesson preparation, and my table is spread with lots of books, I can have one less book on the table.  Also, when I am reading along in a book and there is a Biblical reference, it is very easy to pull up the verse and then make a note of it.

a. Do you then carry this along to Church or other places?

Yes, I do take it with me, but I don't use it during the sermon because I can take hand written notes faster.

b. What program works best for your needs?

I use "Bible with You" ESV with concordance on my Palm.

c. What device do you currently use?

I have a Palm Tungsten E.

6. Do you study alone or with a friend or friends or both?

Both.  I study alone, with my husband, with a Ladies Small Group and with a Couples small group.

7. How much time do you spend a week in Bible Study?

That's hard to say.  I spend 4 or 6 hours per week just preparing for the study that I lead.  Not all of that is strictly Bible Study, though.  It also involves reading sermons and preparing with the use of systematics.  I use Berhof's Systematic Theology and Reymond's New Systematic Theology of the Christian Faith.  If you add it all together, it would add up to ten or twelve hours a week, I would guess.

8. What are you currently studying? 

This year I started reading through the books of the Bible 20x.  I have finished Jude and 3rd John.  Right now I am (still) in 2 Peter.  Our small group Bible Study is going through the book of Ephesians, so I am studying a passage each week and also reading the entire book at least once a week.  I am also beginnning to prepare some lessons in the book of Esther for my Sunday School class of 4th and 5th graders.  And the study of "Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God" has me in and out of many books.

9. What is your favorite Bible Study help?

Hmmm.  That's hard to pin down.  I guess I'd have to say the ESV online because I can search and copy and paste and print my studies.  I do a lot of my study online--more and more all the time.

10. Do you have more than one Commentary set?

Yes, I have Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary and D.Martyn Lloyd-Jones 8 volume commentary on the book of Ephesians.  My husband and I also like Sinclair Ferguson's commentaries.

11. What online study aid do you use? 

I guess I've already answered that in one way.  I use several websites; The Highway and Monergism extensively, as well as the Christian Classic Ethereal Library (CCEL).  I also use a free download program, Reformed Confessions.  Once you download it, it's right there on your computer. 

12. Are you an Inductive Study method person?

To a degree, but I think that there are weaknesses in the methodology so I don't use it exclusively.

13. What method works best for you?  

Mine.  : )

14. Do you refer to Hebrew/Greek in any form to help you clarify what you are studying?

Occasionally, but not as much as I used to.  I learned that without a working knowledge of Hebrew and Greek, my ideas about what I think I am gleaning from the Greek or Hebrew words are frequently just that--my ideas, and so I leave it up to those who know what they are doing to inform me instead.  I do use my Strongs when I do a word study, though, because it helps me to compare passages that actually use the same word in the Hebrew or Greek.  Beyond that, I have learned not to try to do too much. . .

15. Do you have a file system of past studies, notes, etc.

Yes, I do.  Here's a picture of it.  (click to enlarge)  Or at least what is currently filed.  There's another stack that needs to be filed.  Which reminds me, I need another milk carton. .

16. Do you have a special place where you study?

Yes. My whole house.  (But especially my leather chair)

Who Do YOU say I am?

Jules has asked, "Who do you say I am?"  I suspect I may be the only confessing Presbyterian who comments over there so, in response, I decided to post portions of the historic confessions of the faith with regard to Christ and His Work.  (With a name like Hiraeth, you know I had to start with the Confession of Wales.)

Creeds and Confessions may seem very foreign to you if you are not from a Confessional church, however I urge you to read the confessions carefully and not dismiss them out of hand. 

From the Confession of Faith of the Presbyterians of Wales, 1823

Of the  Humiliation and Exaltation of Christ                                 

Christ, according to the eternal decree and covenant, was appointed Mediator.  In His state of humiliation, He who was true God came into the world, assumed human nature, became true man and partaker of flesh and blood; He who was in the form of God took upon Him the form of a servant; He who knew no sin was made sin for sinners. He assumed humanity in a poor virgins womb; when He was born, He was laid in a manger; His enemies sought to destroy Him; He was brought up in poverty; He endured slander, false accusations, and reproach; He suffered the greatest shame and pain in soul and  body, at the hands of men and devils; He was smitten by God as by a righteous Judge. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; in His humiliation, sufferings, and death, He  magnified the law, satisfied justice, glorified all the attributes of God, conquered the devil, destroyed death, suffered the utmost penalty of sin, gave Himself an offering and a sacrifice, sufficient and without spot, so that He put away sin by  the sacrifice of Himself; He bought His church, wrought for it an everlasting righteousness, and opened a fountain for its thorough cleansing.

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Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 11
Are the Children In?

I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring. (Isaiah 44:3)

Our dear children have not the Spirit of God by nature, as we plainly see. We see much in them which makes us fear as to their future, and this drives us to agonizing prayer. When a son becomes specially perverse, we cry with Abraham, "Oh, that Ishmael might live before thee!" We would sooner see our daughters Hannahs than empresses. This verse should greatly encourage us. It follows upon the words, "Fear not, O Jacob, my servant," and it may well banish our fears.

The Lord will give His Spirit; will give it plentifully, pouring it out; will give it effectually, so that it shall be a real and eternal blessing. Under this divine outpouring our children shall come forward, and "one shall say, I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob."

This is one of those promises concerning which the Lord will be inquired of. Should we not, at set times, in a distinct manner, pray for our offspring? We cannot give them new hearts, but the Holy Spirit can; and He is easily to be entreated of. The great Father takes pleasure in the prayers of fathers and mothers. Have we any dear ones outside of the ark? Let us not rest till they are shut in with us by the Lord's own hand.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt: Broken

Saturday Photo Scavenger Hunt

Broken

If you want to make an omlette, you have to break some eggs.

Next Week's Theme:  Antique

Quote of the Week

Rebecca's riddle got me thinking about Christ's work on the cross, so this week's quote will be from John Murray's excellent treatise on the subject, Redemption Accomplished and Applied.

The Christ's atonement for sins lies at the center of both the Old and New Testaments; in the Old Testament concealed, in the New Testament revealed.  This is a rather long passage--longer than will easily fit in the sidebar--but I'll include the entire passage here in the post and shorten it for the side bar.

That Christ's work was to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin implies, however, a complementary truth too frequently overlooked.  It is that, if Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice, He was also a priest.  And it was as a priest that He offered Himself.  He was not offered up by another; He offered Himself.  This is something that could not be exemplified in the ritual of the Old Testament.  The prist did not offer himself and neither did the offering offer itself.  But in Christ we have this unique combination that serves to exhibit the uniqueness of His sacrifice, the transcendent character of His priestly office, and the perfection inherent in His priestly offering.  It is in virtue of His priestly office and in pursuance of His priestly function that He makes atonement for sin.  He indeed was the lamb slain, but He was also the priest that offered Himself as the lamb of God to take away the sin of the world. 

John Murray

Redemption Accomplished and Applied, pg 28 

"He offered Himself without spot to God." (Eph 5:25)

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Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 10
A Constant Witness

For thou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard. (Acts 22:15)

Paul was chosen to see and hear the Lord speaking to him out of heaven. This divine election was a high privilege for himself; but it was not intended to end with him; it was meant to have an influence upon others, yea, upon all men. It is to Paul that Europe owes the gospel at this hour.

It is ours in our measure to be witnesses of that which the Lord has revealed to us, and it is at our peril that we hide the precious revelation. First, we must see and hear, or we shall have nothing to tell; but when we have done so, we must be eager to bear our testimony. It must be personal: "Thou shalt be." It must be for Christ: "Thou shalt be his witness." It must be constant and all absorbing; we are to be this above all other things and to the exclusion of many other matters. Our witness must not be to a select few who will cheerfully receive us but to "all men"—to all whom we can reach, young or old, rich or poor, good or bad. We must never be silent like those who are possessed by a dumb spirit; for the text before us is a command, and a promise, and we must not miss it—"Thou shalt be his witness." "Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord."

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

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Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 9
The Dross Purged

And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried; they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God. (Zechariah 13:9)

Grace transmutes us into precious metal, and then the fire and the furnace follows as a necessary consequence. Do we start at this? Would we sooner be accounted worthless, that we might enjoy repose, like the stones of the field! This would be to choose the viler part—like Esau, to take the pottage and give up the covenant portion. No, Lord; we will gladly be cast into the furnace rather than be cast out from Thy presence!

The fire only refines; it does not destroy. We are to be brought through the fire, not left in it. The Lord values His people as silver, and therefore He is at pains to purge away their dross. If we are wise, we shall rather welcome the refining process than decline it. Our prayer will be that our alloy may be taken from us rather than that we should be withdrawn from the crucible.

O Lord, Thou triest us indeed! We are ready to melt under the fierceness of the flame. Still, this is Thy way, and Thy way is the best. Sustain us under the trial and complete the process of our purifying, and we will be Thine forever and ever.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

Could it be?

It's still very cold here.  My computer tells me it's -7 degrees with a wind chill of -19.

And yet, I can hear a bird singing outside my window; singing for all the world as though spring is on its way.

I can't tell by the song what kind of bird it is.  But I do know one thing about it; it must be a very hearty, optimistic bird!

Three Studies of a Bullfinch

Albrecht Dürer 

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Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 8
Joyful Security

I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (Isaiah 41:10)

Fear of falling is wholesome. To be venturesome is no sign of wisdom. Times come to us when we feel that we must go down unless we have a very special support. Here we have it. God's right hand is a grand thing to lean upon. Mind, it is not only His hand, though it keepeth heaven and earth in their places, but His right hand: His power united with skill, His power where it is most dexterous. Nay, this is not all; it is written, "I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." That hand which He uses to maintain His holiness and to execute His royal sentences—this shall be stretched out to hold up His trusting ones. Fearful is our danger, but joyful is our security. The man whom God upholds, devils cannot throw down.

Weak may be our feet, but almighty is God's right hand. Rough may be the road, but Omnipotence is our upholding. We may boldly go forward. We shall not fall. Let us lean continually where all things lean. God will not withdraw His strength, for His righteousness is there as well. He will be faithful to His promise, and faithful to His Son, and therefore faithful to us. How happy we ought to be! Are we not so?

Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy,to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
 

Children's Poetry Month: Sing Hey for the Bath

The Bath Song
      
Sing hey! For the bath at close of day
that washes the weary mud away
A loon is he that will not sing
O! Water Hot is a noble thing!

O! Sweet is the sound of falling rain,
and the brook that leaps from hill to plain;
but better then rain or rippling streams
is Water Hot that smokes and steams.

O! Water cold we may pour at need
down a thirsty throat and be glad indeed
but better is beer if drink we lack,
and Water Hot poured down the back.

O! Water is fair that leaps on high
in a fountain white beneath the sky;
but never did fountain sound so sweet
as splashing Hot Water with my feet!

JRR Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

 

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If you are enjoying these cards, why don't you go and visit Susie? She has some priceless valentines posted on her blog. 

Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 7

Return from Backsliding

If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up. (Job 22:23)

 

Eliphaz, in this utterance, spoke a great truth, which is the summary of many an inspired Scripture. Reader, has sin pulled you down? Have you become like a ruin? Has the hand of the Lord gone out against you so that in estate you are impoverished and in spirit you are broken down? Was it your own folly which brought upon you all this dilapidation? Then the first thing to be done is to return to the Lord. With deep repentance and sincere faith find your way back from your backsliding. It is your duty, for you have turned away from Him whom you professed to serve. It is your wisdom, for you cannot strive against Him and prosper. It is your immediate necessity, for what He has done is nothing compared to what He may do in the way of chastisement, since He is Almighty to punish.

See what a promise invites you! You shall be "built up." None but the Almighty can set up the fallen pillars and restore the tottering walls of your condition; but He can and He will do it if you return to Him. Do not delay. Your crushed mind may quite fail you if you go on to rebel; but hearty confession will ease you, and humble faith will console you. Do this, and all will be well.

Charles Haddon Spurgeon 

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Cheque Book of the Bank of Faith

February 6
Blessing in the City

If thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, blessed shalt thou be in the city. (Deuteronomy 28:2-3)

The city is full of care, and he who has to go there from day to day finds it to be a place of great wear and tear. It is full of noise, and stir, and bustle, and sore travail; many are its temptations, losses, and worries. But to go there with the divine blessing takes off the edge of its difficulty; to remain there with that blessing is to find pleasure in its duties and strength equal to its demands.

A blessing in the city may not make us great, but it will keep us good; it may not make us rich, but it will preserve us honest. Whether we are porters, or clerks, or managers, or merchants, or magistrates, the city will afford us opportunities for usefulness. It is good fishing where there are shoals of fish, and it is hopeful to work for our Lord amid the thronging crowds. We might prefer the quiet of a country life; but if called to town, we may certainly prefer it because there is room for our energies.

Today let us expect good things because of this promise, and let our care be to have an open ear to the voice of the Lord and a ready hand to execute His bidding. Obedience brings the blessing. "In keeping his commandments there is great reward."

Return to the survey

click to enlarge

 

Getting back to answering the survey questions: 

Has reading Christian blogs increased your desire to tackle weighty Christian tomes?  Answered here.

Have you learned of Christian authors and theologians that you might not have otherwise known or read?  Yes, in particular, the writings of the Reformers and the Puritans.  I started out by  reading Jonathan Edwards' and Martin Luther's works on the will, and that opened up a whole new world to me.  After that, as they say, one thing led to another. . .

Through others' recommendations I have also come to know the works of people like Mark Devers, David Wells, and Jerry Bridges.  For example, during one particular period of time, I was looking into the regulative form of worship and read many books that were recommended to me.  Some of those include With Reverence and Awe by Hart and Muether, Worship in Spirit and Truth by John Frame, When God Comes to Church by Raymond C. Ortlund, Jr., and Pleasing God with our Worship by Robert Godfrey.

Have you purchased or borrowed books that were recommended by bloggers?  Yes.  I certainly have.  I mark my books, so I nearly always buy the books I read.  I must admit I get a certain thrill when I get an email with the words Monergism Clearance Sale, or Soli Deo Gloria, or Sovereign Grace Books in the subject line.  Because I agree, at least in principle, with Erasmus: "If I have a little money I buy books, if any is left, I buy food and clothing," my husband has actually given me a monthly stipend to buy books.  Isn't he wonderful?

Have you read fewer "real" books as your blog reading has increased? This answer is more complex than it seems at first blush.  I'll be saving this one for a post of its own.

Has the availability/searchability of great Christian works caused you to rely upon them merely as resources?  My answer to this one, too, is complicated and requires a whole post of its own.

Do you think reading the great Christian authors and theologians is important and/or profitable?  I think that reading the great Christian authors has been indispensable.  I'll develop this idea further in another post as I find the time.

Do you read them? Obviously, I do.  : )

If so, who do you recommend?  There are so many, and most of the ones that others have recommended, I would recommend as well.  Someday when I have the time to blog and no ideas to write about, I plan to compile a blogger's recommended reading list.

For myself, I will recommend a few that are perhaps a bit less common:  Richard Baxter, Richard Sibbes, Robert Murray M'Cheyne, Thomas Boston, Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Thomas Vincent, Nathaneal Ranew. 

Here's a link to the original survey post.  There are links to the responses up to this point at that post.

Today I am adding another blogger's answers to the survey, Leslie of Lux Venit.  Don't you love the name of Leslie's blog?  It means "light has come."  Leslie make a very good point:  " The ones that I have found to be most profitable are written by Puritans, which are sometimes difficult to read. However, when I take the time to think and follow their lines of reasoning, I am edified and challenged."  Reading the Puritans and the Reformers can be a strenuous activity, but it not only edifies us and challenges us, as Leslie says, I believe it actually helps us learn to THINK better!

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