We would see Zeppelin?

I saw a "worship service" clip where the band opened up with several of Led Zeppelin's greatest hits. They began with "Stairway to Heaven" because it said, Heaven? The setlist also included the bluesy "Black Dog," the perverse "Whole Lotta of Love," and "Ramble On" because nothing says Christianity like a song about rambling. This is one of the biggest religious assemblies in the country and the clip was well produced with professional lighting and camera work. I did notice some of the crowd just sitting there watching. What were they supposed to do? Dance? Headbang? Are mosh pits still a thing? I somehow doubt there were many elderly saints in attendance. Unless they had an early "traditional" service where they played "The Chattanooga Choo Choo" and "The Pennsylvania Polka."

Not only is the music not appropriate, but it also wasn't that great. It was offensive both to Christians and fans of Rock. They provided a mediocre concert and an atrocious religious service. Christ was not glorified, and the world wasn't satisfied. The leader (I'll not call him a pastor) of this clown show is so middle of the road, vanilla – he looks and speaks like the CEO of a Fortune 500 company trying to "get real" with the kids. So why were hundreds and hundreds of people there? Because that mega-church has cornered the market on a particular kind of person. People who want to be spiritual, desire religion, and are looking for someplace that can scratch that itch, without the responsibilities that come with authentic Christianity.

In John 12:20-21 some Grecian men came to worship at the Passover feast, went to Phillip and said, "Sir, we would see Jesus." These men wanted to speak with Jesus and learn of him, to be in his presence. They knew if they wanted to be near Christ, they could go to a disciple, and he would point them the way. A church service is designed for the worship of Christ, for members of Christ's body. But the doors are open because all are welcome and it should be the place where, if anyone wanted to hear about Jesus, they would see him there. When God's people gather, we echo the sentiments of the enquirers, and "we would see Jesus." We would hear of him, worship him, sing praises to him, and hear his Word. We would see Jesus in the hymns. We would see Jesus in the ordinances. Unto Christ be glory in the church.

A cover band playing 50-year-old rock and roll doesn't lift up Christ. It's bait and switch. Draw people in with one thing and then sell them on something else by offering aging rockers a free concert on Sunday morning and then hit them with a sales pitch on the way out the door. Churches ought not to copy the world and certainly don't copy other religious assemblies copying the world because they can draw a crowd. Show the people Jesus.

The Bible in a Year?

Guess what? You don't have to read the Bible in a year. You know what else? People who tell you that you must read the whole Bible in a year are binding your conscience and adding to the law of God. Is it reasonable to read the Bible in a year? Absolutely. Can you do it? Indeed, and for many people, the only thing that keeps them from reading it in a year is determination and a plan. But God doesn't command you to follow someone else's reading schedule.

Reading plans are designed for man, not man for the reading plan. Not everyone is that great at reading. It's is a struggle for some people and it takes them a good long while to get through a short passage. So yes, you might be able to read 5 chapters in 15 minutes, but it would take three-quarters of an hour for some people to do the same, if not more. If you have a hard time reading you can find audio versions to listen to as you read along to help. Not all people are preachers or can be and not all people are gifted with the same reading skills and capacities as the men God gifts to read, study, teach, expound, preach God's Word. 

Besides, the Bible doesn't command you to read the Bible through in a year. But do you know what the Bible DOES tell you to do? It tells you to study it (2 Timothy 2:15). It tells you to meditate on it (Psalm 119:15), to take heed (Psalm 119:9), and understand (Psalm 119:27). But it does not command you that you have to read it in 365 days. 

Reading large chunks of the Bible in one setting is a different type of reading than digging in and reading slowly. Reading large portions will give you the information, the big picture, the general information, while slow, close reading will provide the opportunity for study, meditation, and understanding. Of course, all this depends on what part of the Bible you are reading. Reading chapter 9 of Proverbs a verse at a time would be too slow to get the point, but reading chapter 10 a verse at a time would be perfectly appropriate. But, by reading it quickly, you'll get a feel for what's there and learn that some actually exist and can circle back later. I Samuel tells a history, so you could read five chapters and meditate on the flow of the story. Reading the first two chapters of Ephesians is like drinking from a water hose, but reading the first two chapters of Galatians gives you an understanding of what was going on with the entrance of a false gospel in Galatia. 

You need to read the Bible, and you ought to desire to read and know every Word of God. But if you only read big chunks and never slow down and study, you'll believe every jot and title is inspired but not know what a tittle is or why that's important. If you are reading so fast that you cannot meditate on or comprehend what you've read, I question your aim. Yes, it's essential to read through the Bible and get the big picture. All God's Word is profitable. But reading much and reading fast, and never studying, praying over it, meditating, and discerning application is not the wise way to go.

I would rather you study one verse and understand it, meditate on it, and apply it than read 5 chapters in 15 minutes and not be sure what you read. Some read just to have read. Plenty of people read the Bible every year but don't understand it. Indeed, in most instances, you need to understand the context of the surrounding verses to get the meaning, but that's part of the study and meditation of one verse. I've taken one book or one small portion and read that every day for a month. Is that wrong, to forgo a  365 schedule, to read the book of James every day for a month, and if so, why and who says? I've read a chapter in Leviticus and got to the end and couldn't have told you one thing I read because I just glossed over it. Technically, I read every word and I can check it off the list, but what was the point? Is it better to read it again the next day and actually read it but throw the whole schedule off or just skip it and move on? 

 I'm not downplaying the good of continually reading through the Bible, front to back. I also am not discouraging you to read the Bible yearly, if you can. And I know not having a plan is planning to fail. I just want you to know that reading the Bible slowly is better than not reading it at all, or reading it so quickly, you might as well not even have read it. Don't beat yourself up if you can't keep up with Brother S. Gonzalez and read as speedily as he does. Don't allow his pace to discourage you from going at the pace you are able to go. That would be like deciding you won't take up jogging for your health because you can't keep pace with Olympic runners. If it takes you 5 years to do it, that's better than never doing it all or getting stuck in Leviticus in February and quitting every year for the rest of your life. If you tried and failed, just keep going and make it a two-year plan. 

It's not a contest or a race. I'm glad people encourage others to read the Bible. I hope that you do. I'm glad others show you how you can read the Bible in a year. But don't let their zeal for their program become a law to bind your conscience.  Do the best you can, for God's glory and by His grace, He'll bless your desire to know more about him.

 

Express Image of God

 Desiring a manifestation of God, long ago, mankind began to make images and craft their own representations of their idea of God. Like the Israelites, who would not wait for Moses to come down from meeting with God, they made their own representation of God to worship. The children of Isreal knew God existed, and they knew God delivered them from Egypt. But they wanted to be near God, to "see" a representation of him to worship some model to behold the glory of the infinite God, so they made an idol.

 Man would not look to the Almighty for self-revelation but took it upon himself to make a visible image of the invisible God. Mankind yearns to have a visual representation of God so they can look at it, be near it, think about it, and even have God present with them through the idol. But the end result is they dishonor God, making not only a poor representation but one that drives them further away from the true and living God.

 Anytime we conceive of God apart from His revelation, we make an idol. How can we know the infinite mind of God unless He reveals it? In the Old Testament, God gave His people ways to worship that taught them. A tabernacle of animals skins, a host of fallen men as priests, multitudes of washings and sacrifices, a table with bread on it, a big bowl for washing, or veils and lamps. All these are types, symbols were teaching tools God gave Israel to teach us about Him but did not draw the heart to worship the object, but the Lord God. Because those types only pictured one perfection of the Lord, not an image of Him in His fulness. So an idol is never enough because no graven image can fully represent the glory of God.

 Christ is the image of the invisible God, and He and the Father are one in nature and essence. Jesus isn't merely a representation of the nature of God because He is one with the Father and has the divine nature. The Son is one with the Father, but also WITH the Father. John 1:1-2, "In the beginning, was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God." The Word was God, one in subsistence, but with God in distinct personhood. In this distinct personhood, the Word is the "image of the invisible God."

 Idols are not enough because they try to take the place of Jesus. Do you want God near? Look to Jesus. Do you want to have an express image of the invisible God? Look to Jesus (Hebrews 1:3). The Devil blinds mens' eyes to behold God's only actual express image and gives them idols of their own imaginations to worship. How do we see the glory of the invisible, infinite, glorious, eternal God? In the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:3-6).

This Will We Do

Did you make any New Year's Resolutions? Resolutions are a matter of temperance or discipline. It requires an honest assessment of where you are now and where you want to be. It is difficult to figure out how to achieve your goal but the most challenging part is putting it into action. You have to say no to things you might want now to have better things you want later. Often, it's just the practice of exercising discipline that makes the difference. Too many people, especially young men, are just floating through life with no plan or discipline.

Don't neglect your spiritual life when taking stock of where you are and where you want to be. The author of Hebrews wrote to believers who should have been farther along in their Christian walk (Hebrews 5:11-6:3). He had many hard truths to get into, but it was a mighty task for the preacher because of their spiritual dullness. The people not only should have known what he was explaining, but they should have been teaching it themselves. Spiritually, they were still sitting in the high chair eating baby food, which is fine if you are a baby, but not when you are a full-grown man. They were unskillful in the Word of God. They hadn't progressed in knowledge, wisdom, discernment, or understanding of God's truth because they hadn't dedicated themselves to study, nor had they meditated on God's truth and applied these truths to their life. If you are not constantly in the Word, you will not grow spiritually. He urged his readers to graduate from kindergarten and the ABCs of the faith and build upon that foundation. Then he says, "And this will we do if God permit."

That's an excellent resolution and the right way to go about it. The preacher laid the challenge for spiritual growth of these stunted believers. He's going to expound his theme, and if God permits, they will grow from the Word preached. It's a worthy goal for us all. Read, study, and meditate on the Scriptures. Exercise your powers of discernment by comparing what you see and hear to the Word of God. Don't go to the Scripture to justify what you want to do, but go to the Scripture to see what God has to say. Do you know the "principles of the doctrine of Christ" in Hebrews 6:1-2? Determine, not only know them but build upon them. The preacher said he would do it if God permitted. He thought about what was lacking, and he made a plan to correct course, determined to set things right and not be deterred, trusting in God and acknowledging if we do anything in this life, it's because of God's grace. Temperance is a fruit of the Spirit. In spiritual disciplines, you must rely on God's power to move forward. Do you want to grow Spiritually? The first thing to do is go to the Lord in prayer and make your desires known to Him.