tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64573297544262318662024-02-08T02:03:44.920+02:00Theo-EnthumologyI am a Christian from Pretoria South Africa who would like to share my thoughts with those who are willing to spend their time reading what I write. I will be dealing with theology, ethics, specifically pro-life issues and homosexuality, all from a Biblically orthodox view. You can read more about what I have written at my website http://www.sovereigntruth.comWilliam Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.comBlogger248125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-2908360309759310632023-01-04T17:50:00.000+02:002023-01-04T17:50:27.385+02:00Blue Letter Bible for Online Bible Reading and Bible Study<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="218" data-original-width="905" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZGBDgZqGkVzu1RX4qW5urPYiLA6KNo_UB9ZZZ8DWYiro9kpKkXzrWRNTr1YNTN4n0a4l_aKwwj2bMxw0fVlD2WjYmzaqWV4K9CfD_wsQYe4M6O8e7d4Uvh7GrxYB9FQqNWFWQUJi721nsV-jdBx8H4wVNQ5eIaXIAer_YSHrkuhyeGJ5n8F1ttzRN/w640-h154/blb_splash06.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br> <p></p><p>I have recently discovered the usefulness of the Blue Letter Bible <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org" target="_blank">online</a> and phone app (<a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.blueletterbible.blb" target="_blank">Android</a>, <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/blue-letter-bible/id365547505" target="_blank">iPhone</a>) service. It is jam-packed with useful tools!</p><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2023/01/blue-letter-bible-for-online-bible.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0Elardus Park, Pretoria, 0181, South Africa-25.8331037 28.2603343-54.143337536178848 -6.8959157 2.4771301361788467 63.4165843tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-63753153473616686432022-07-29T06:03:00.001+02:002022-08-02T20:35:12.123+02:00A Study on the Old Testament Book of Daniel<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1RBkbvRwyly3MA6Z9_wNSRr-pkXQkTqTraMdlj2h11A6i13g4ULtKYFo--AbejpD7dTQLCUEZpfodUGuk7GxVkyJOtleg_WsmdR3U1DjI2vDgGJJChKPeh5Q3I7fwHpk39HqWjwE2kDG2nRjsIg4yM6kKFQ9QO9378ru-tbX-nEjUv2NF0i7Ul_x/s663/Daniel%20A%20Study.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="663" data-original-width="620" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil1RBkbvRwyly3MA6Z9_wNSRr-pkXQkTqTraMdlj2h11A6i13g4ULtKYFo--AbejpD7dTQLCUEZpfodUGuk7GxVkyJOtleg_WsmdR3U1DjI2vDgGJJChKPeh5Q3I7fwHpk39HqWjwE2kDG2nRjsIg4yM6kKFQ9QO9378ru-tbX-nEjUv2NF0i7Ul_x/w374-h400/Daniel%20A%20Study.jpg" width="374"></a></div><br> <p></p><p>Daniel, probably a teenager, along with his friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, were taken into exile to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, in the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim, king of Judah. From the time of the first captivity around 605 B.C., until the time of Daniel's last entries in the book bearing his name, are about 70 years. The last date that he mentioned is "the third year of Cyrus king of Persia" (10:1), around 536 B.C.</p><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2022/07/a-study-on-old-testament-book-of-daniel.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-75165388903227425992022-04-17T18:02:00.000+02:002022-04-17T18:02:25.869+02:00Bible Reading Schedule to Solidify your New Testament Knowledge<p>I know! This is the wrong time of the year to get people to start a Bible reading schedule. Is it not meant for New Year's resolutions? Yes and No! A Bible reading schedule can be started any time of the year. As Christians, we walk in the renewing power of the Holy Spirit by grace through faith. It is a daily walk, with daily renewal. </p><p>In less than 90 days I will start the Bible reading program I will suggest below. I wrote in the beginning of the year about some <a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2022/01/1500-consecutive-days-of-reading-bible.html" target="_blank">Bible reading programs</a> that you could follow.</p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_I7quFcBnaMlq0gfjhp6613jNb9ZkiaG0luUJ4e791f_n46pg8PKMWXB75_AO4bo7BrvAbnVmW1elNsTT17qLpc7R1Dm-2LsIepgevVGe-uj6pKp9UCpJyHYOE7wMXo2P-KYJHlenoNGb4tBjlzVG1NXgm-dtOgjiX2R7V0nR8-xfvHg11_kMPbD4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Bible Reading Program" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1565" height="333" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_I7quFcBnaMlq0gfjhp6613jNb9ZkiaG0luUJ4e791f_n46pg8PKMWXB75_AO4bo7BrvAbnVmW1elNsTT17qLpc7R1Dm-2LsIepgevVGe-uj6pKp9UCpJyHYOE7wMXo2P-KYJHlenoNGb4tBjlzVG1NXgm-dtOgjiX2R7V0nR8-xfvHg11_kMPbD4=w640-h333" title="Bible Reading Program" width="640"></a></div><br><div style="text-align: left;"><span></span></div><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2022/04/bible-reading-schedule-to-solidify-your.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0Pretoria, South Africa-25.7478676 28.2292712-54.058101436178845 -6.9269788000000005 2.5623662361788462 63.3855212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-74377148517280697582022-02-26T18:48:00.000+02:002022-02-26T18:48:18.220+02:00Birthday Books<p>Even though my birthday was waaayyy back on 11 January, I was only able today to go spend the money I received on my birthday. I buy almost all my physical, paper books from <a href="https://www.goodneighbours.org.za/" target="_blank">Augustine Bookroom</a>, and that is where I bought these books today.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuuVRjIRlP1l8VAVisvA3hCJzhAC9YBejDHqTxl-Dz0XpBoCDoQ1RqsCIJeiDCzRk8PGhRZ1RVvfydOBDHFQq7cwhXmEO-Mx5sn9Egv7pHc3G6C-8R0tQ9NRDSrgRaZUOcqqqgWNp0bztUkoAcgyr9u3W-xY_OArqXef2knq1zgqRIxf7JiJY7UdaI=s4292" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2492" data-original-width="4292" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuuVRjIRlP1l8VAVisvA3hCJzhAC9YBejDHqTxl-Dz0XpBoCDoQ1RqsCIJeiDCzRk8PGhRZ1RVvfydOBDHFQq7cwhXmEO-Mx5sn9Egv7pHc3G6C-8R0tQ9NRDSrgRaZUOcqqqgWNp0bztUkoAcgyr9u3W-xY_OArqXef2knq1zgqRIxf7JiJY7UdaI=w640-h373" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Birthday Books</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I haven't read anything of Spurgeon's for some time, so I decided to include at least something of Spurgy's today (<i><a href="https://www.goodneighbours.org.za/shop/christian-living/christian-living-christian-living/satan-a-defeated-foe/" target="_blank">Satan a Defeated Foe</a></i>). </div><div><br /></div><div>The next book I bought is Anthony Hoekema's <i><a href="https://www.goodneighbours.org.za/shop/doctrine-and-theology/doctrine-and-theology-eschatology/bible-and-the-future/" target="_blank">The Bible and the Future</a></i>, a book on eschatology from an amillennial perspective. </div><div><br /></div><div>The last book I bought is <i><a href="https://www.goodneighbours.org.za/shop/reference/reference-dictionaries/amgs-dictionary-of-nt-words/" target="_blank">AMG's Comprehensive Dictionary of New Testament Words</a></i>.This book is of great help to those who do not know any New Testament Greek. It is a book of 1364 pages. Of course, this is not the kind of book you would read from cover to cover. It is a reference work.</div><div><br /></div><div>The blurb on the back cover explains:</div><div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;">"As a premier provider of Christian books and Bibles that help the average person understand the Bible in its original languages, AMG Publishers is proud to present this important reference tool. This volume will help you discover the rich meaning of the words in the Greek New Testament.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"PART ONE contains defintions (sic) or cross-references for more than 8,000 English terms, definitions that are based on the meaning of the more than 5,500 Greek words in the Greek New Testament. Unlike some other tools, where you have to know the Greek alphabet or must first look up a Strong’s number before you get to the real meaning of things, this dictionary is organized alphabetically by the English words. It covers all the common words and all the names of people and places found in the New Testament, and most often lists all the Scripture references where each English word is used. The primary entries also list the Greek words and Strong’s numbers so that you have them as a reference to other works.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"PART TWO is a simple lexicon of the Greek New Testament words, organized by Strong’s numbers, defined by terms found in Part One. Most lexicon entries list the other English New Testament words that translators used for that Greek word. To dig deeper, look up those other English words in Part One."</div></blockquote></div><div>To help the user find the correct words in this reference tool, the vocabulary of seven (7) translations was used to build the dictionary. These translations are: J. N. Darby, KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV (1984), NIV (2011), and ESV.</div><div><br /></div><div>In order for you to understand how this tool works, have a look at these images:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRxi-1x3UD2-jQxISvrM1dw25jyt2izir2OIMTOI0dJYE2RwLhHeV5X3_B7bNeSlvpPUbU4z6EZTmP1zq0U9C4VeuOjo9Ui9sXRLfOY2r0FzdzZB6k1jSjyk72sMpMjQeSQUi62NaHKQWmWGLFXnxqLYpZDz0e_ndpr2-KSojHiKB7sF29-p-sxvc8=s4499" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4499" data-original-width="2604" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiRxi-1x3UD2-jQxISvrM1dw25jyt2izir2OIMTOI0dJYE2RwLhHeV5X3_B7bNeSlvpPUbU4z6EZTmP1zq0U9C4VeuOjo9Ui9sXRLfOY2r0FzdzZB6k1jSjyk72sMpMjQeSQUi62NaHKQWmWGLFXnxqLYpZDz0e_ndpr2-KSojHiKB7sF29-p-sxvc8=w370-h640" width="370" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcmcWSk-nXmX3VjKa7LTvUqr3kECN_NH2oXnlIJLoDRUySe2wmnraP9zcgJWDXg_GHp2vtgurQMU28PO-lNB6SGqI4heC6v9r-OauGzZt24NOLP40USnUoBlzKJrc0GRqtb7KSxnFFrvFoP4ECn_pogtYGxIgEAfFe8JRJOLyDvnxPAqt3oH_b4BcH=s3310" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3310" data-original-width="2537" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcmcWSk-nXmX3VjKa7LTvUqr3kECN_NH2oXnlIJLoDRUySe2wmnraP9zcgJWDXg_GHp2vtgurQMU28PO-lNB6SGqI4heC6v9r-OauGzZt24NOLP40USnUoBlzKJrc0GRqtb7KSxnFFrvFoP4ECn_pogtYGxIgEAfFe8JRJOLyDvnxPAqt3oH_b4BcH=w490-h640" width="490" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQinXmHdWMdNnp1eYzpxhdIHMMj5J0mgomp1s9gF_euDZud87UQU0bjQ9RXm2-O6rVdAT9Nb1m26a7NrXCSHpipUTbHBVqjhYFhRKVVWpcRvK6xCESWykJykAoCI6aqkv2pNlpiSRTgesYD0dh-QULmzrBFJg3UzZiWM194sUBgxKSLiSV40t6HGiZ=s4147" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4147" data-original-width="2602" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiQinXmHdWMdNnp1eYzpxhdIHMMj5J0mgomp1s9gF_euDZud87UQU0bjQ9RXm2-O6rVdAT9Nb1m26a7NrXCSHpipUTbHBVqjhYFhRKVVWpcRvK6xCESWykJykAoCI6aqkv2pNlpiSRTgesYD0dh-QULmzrBFJg3UzZiWM194sUBgxKSLiSV40t6HGiZ=w402-h640" width="402" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNC0gunTzYlx2Rn0gl6plRkYxisFU_6Yo30F0QVXIM5E8YWmjWvVBbNue9WGZM0Il77bc6913r7bLGehZ_duleRuYK2kMLBYvF6rCPkkKmntKs2xucuiNqrYIZIwe5F7itPnBdeYIIDuL08LfxrTf4uZhwNpWd-h_0-gXcQhqTsFmebrolg3G_32Sp=s4408" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4408" data-original-width="2568" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNC0gunTzYlx2Rn0gl6plRkYxisFU_6Yo30F0QVXIM5E8YWmjWvVBbNue9WGZM0Il77bc6913r7bLGehZ_duleRuYK2kMLBYvF6rCPkkKmntKs2xucuiNqrYIZIwe5F7itPnBdeYIIDuL08LfxrTf4uZhwNpWd-h_0-gXcQhqTsFmebrolg3G_32Sp=w372-h640" width="372" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I have 2 issues with this book:<div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Why was J. N. Darby's vocabulary included in this book? Who uses this translation?</li><li>The possibility exists for someone who does not know Greek, in using this book, such a person could start thinking that they know enough about a word or words in the New Testament to proclaim that "knowledge" far and wide as set in stone. The same problem exists with Strong's Concordance. These types of tools give just enough information to make people dangerous in their knowledge. Please understand that I am not shooting this book down for the "Greekless" user. All I am trying to do is to warn "Greekless" users not to push their knowledge picked from these tools too far.</li></ol><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">However, this book can help many in their own Bible Studies.</div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-18799051834967942492022-01-15T12:19:00.000+02:002022-01-15T12:19:07.842+02:001500 Consecutive Days of Reading the Bible<p> Five hundred and twenty-five (525) days ago I <a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/08/1000-consecutive-days-of-reading-bible.html" target="_blank">published a post</a> about having read the Bible on the <a href="https://www.youversion.com/the-bible-app/" target="_blank">YouVersion mobile Bible app</a> each day for one-thousand (1000) consecutive days. I have now been reading the Bible each day on the Bible app for 1525 consecutive days.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9k8dRvYybNHPWwXrAHLhbWNPAOuqHPtzGxQuAT_bF8LA7ljyelsrN9lAICKZim7uyAKLjseUy1z29vHakL9K38_QoNT5t24bQ7eqshIFO7HZhSlmKvT-YvJQuD0dMvYw0RGTk-0CLL3gCxIh3g0b9uknueNJGUH_wv8s7sb-SeJrib2RAVAL7keH7=s800" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg9k8dRvYybNHPWwXrAHLhbWNPAOuqHPtzGxQuAT_bF8LA7ljyelsrN9lAICKZim7uyAKLjseUy1z29vHakL9K38_QoNT5t24bQ7eqshIFO7HZhSlmKvT-YvJQuD0dMvYw0RGTk-0CLL3gCxIh3g0b9uknueNJGUH_wv8s7sb-SeJrib2RAVAL7keH7=w640-h480" width="640"></a></div><br><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Since then I have completed one other plan and I am more than halfway through the next.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF349EWe2FKQsZkO5G_wI9-pYwyVYtFK0EUg2fCztYSdVZuOLoGzrLIleaj1MzvDqBZzUxh-WSeE2MuWfJEeXTE31hNlEUFbIYQ7l9ewUjGnNEF-1swLOSnKfzDR-59nS84wBh2ncAchPRsKUBWPwFVHvCJ8aZFgLDrH_pzdvt5T37wCM6Lz69KNI3=s520" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="completed bible reading plans" border="0" data-original-height="412" data-original-width="520" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF349EWe2FKQsZkO5G_wI9-pYwyVYtFK0EUg2fCztYSdVZuOLoGzrLIleaj1MzvDqBZzUxh-WSeE2MuWfJEeXTE31hNlEUFbIYQ7l9ewUjGnNEF-1swLOSnKfzDR-59nS84wBh2ncAchPRsKUBWPwFVHvCJ8aZFgLDrH_pzdvt5T37wCM6Lz69KNI3=w400-h318" title="Completed bible reading plans" width="400"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Completed Bible Reading Plans on YouVersion</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br><p style="text-align: left;">The last completed reading plan on the list is <a href="https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/19" target="_blank">Prof. Horner's Bible Reading System</a>. In this system, you read 10 chapters a day with each chapter from a different book of the Bible. If you read every day, you will complete the plan in 8 months. To put things in perspective, if you start from the beginning again, after your first year on this program, you would have "read through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the OT wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the OT History and Prophetic books about 1½ times." See the plan's PDF <a href="https://sohmer.net/media/professor_grant_horners_bible_reading_system.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. This is a very enriching program, but also very intense. If you are a fast reader, unlike me, this will be no problem for you.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Currently, I am busy with the <a href="https://my.bible.com/reading-plans/4" target="_blank">Canonical</a> plan. This plan is a simple plan to read the Bible from cover to cover starting in Genesis, and ending with Revelation, in the order the books are found in the Bible.</p><p style="text-align: left;">When I have completed the Canonical plan, I am going to start with the <a href="https://www.gty.org/library/articles/A178/how-to-enjoy-bible-study" target="_blank">John MacArthur plan</a>. This plan is very New Testament oriented. In this plan, you will read the same 7-8 chapters each day for a month before moving on to the next set of chapters. You can really start the plan with any New Testament book. You can start with reading 1, 2, 3 John every day for a month, then move on to Matthew 1-7 for the next month followed by Matthew 8-14 the month after that. I will start with Matthew, and work my way through to Revelation.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN-gq6O5IjOnSxYzxoo5MWk1mwMDfJJ-IaK-AN8QPRkB4sY-HNPumsM1TR4Bur-zyMJD_8SAJ8bebODnhq1-qVIcvzGdB84DmKXQIbOKwg1lDisKpOwclzbVTXgdw0bgoKULuGf2zqyurWf76Ut5EHz2a03kI4HST7U0IsG281I198iXhRdB3o97fa=s1895" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="791" data-original-width="1895" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhN-gq6O5IjOnSxYzxoo5MWk1mwMDfJJ-IaK-AN8QPRkB4sY-HNPumsM1TR4Bur-zyMJD_8SAJ8bebODnhq1-qVIcvzGdB84DmKXQIbOKwg1lDisKpOwclzbVTXgdw0bgoKULuGf2zqyurWf76Ut5EHz2a03kI4HST7U0IsG281I198iXhRdB3o97fa=w640-h269" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">Example of the John MacArthur Reading Plan</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br><p style="text-align: left;">The way that I set it up as can be seen in the image above is to read 1-2 chapters of the OT a day, and then 7-8 chapters in the NT. It will take 3 years and 3 months to complete this plan. When you are done with this plan, you would have read through the NT about 30 times, and the OT twice (Americans: two times 😂). By reading the NT this way, you will really get to know the NT. The idea is to make it part of you, not just getting to know it, or finishing a plan. This plan is NOT available on any Bible reading app as far as I know, so completing it will not give you a <i>plan completion</i> medal.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Reading the Bible consistently is very important to every Christian, especially to read <b>all</b> of it. Apps like YouVersion can be a great help in doing so, but on the other hand, it can also be a distraction from eating the meat of the Word. Mobile Bible apps have all kinds of reading plans. There are 5-day plans, topical plans, seasonal plans, etc.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlM69Q4p2eWAuhgLt6mCfaI9KMkuUiRXd-JR09UJNAK9h3MqAgl4iSDwnJRYSCrT7afOS2Z5tQ2e__1yYUd2mSTXS_GZFiGGra1xXJQwQCQr5eYnJ68xW36ioJ4YIykw9DO_A2JCkMdp-jeL_IzbWXkwzwyluvk1ZnoC1WVYP18KVV-J6jD4u9zvd6=s1907" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="802" data-original-width="1907" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlM69Q4p2eWAuhgLt6mCfaI9KMkuUiRXd-JR09UJNAK9h3MqAgl4iSDwnJRYSCrT7afOS2Z5tQ2e__1yYUd2mSTXS_GZFiGGra1xXJQwQCQr5eYnJ68xW36ioJ4YIykw9DO_A2JCkMdp-jeL_IzbWXkwzwyluvk1ZnoC1WVYP18KVV-J6jD4u9zvd6=w640-h270" width="640"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #2b00fe; font-size: x-small;">YouVersion Bible Reading plans</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p style="text-align: left;">My contention is that if you as a Christian are not reading through the Bible on a regular basis, you are not being fed enough of God's Word. Reading a little plan here or there, or a chapter here or there, or a verse here or there, will not feed you sufficiently. </p><p style="text-align: left;">Many of these plans are set up around a certain topic. If you only read topical plans, you are probably only reading those that you deem relevant to you. Topical plans are not bad in themselves at all, but when we only read those type of plans, we will become malnourished.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Remember, in God's eyes, <b>ALL</b> of Scripture is relevant to us, not just certain topics.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEc_RSQK5oXqo0s-gWuHuDR02S4YyBdlHCHXmfJT2PFMJRSoUKCKgvrwdTtV1gZL9NkOBvnefNC07P6cFQRaVHqCBTEHEA7yYbty6o2-2kEsOOpBu5gFxSVhjUkeZ_cRT41Tuav3_u0x5uln3VMmMYm6Mz6Cqyj5il54lkwE8ED_vCJFFp1giQKb-h=s1040" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="256" data-original-width="1040" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiEc_RSQK5oXqo0s-gWuHuDR02S4YyBdlHCHXmfJT2PFMJRSoUKCKgvrwdTtV1gZL9NkOBvnefNC07P6cFQRaVHqCBTEHEA7yYbty6o2-2kEsOOpBu5gFxSVhjUkeZ_cRT41Tuav3_u0x5uln3VMmMYm6Mz6Cqyj5il54lkwE8ED_vCJFFp1giQKb-h=w640-h158" width="640"></a></div><br><p style="text-align: left;">I would like to challenge each one of you to use a plan that will guide you from cover to cover through the Bible in a year. If you think it may be too much, then try a 2-year plan. There are many plans out there. Most mobile Bible apps have such plans to choose from.</p><p style="text-align: left;">If you don't want to use a Bible app to read the Bible, and prefer to use a physical Bible, check out the plans at <a href="https://www.ligonier.org/posts/bible-reading-plans" target="_blank">Ligonier</a>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">Finally, you can generate your own plan by using the <a href="https://www.biblereadingplangenerator.com/" target="_blank">Bible Reading Plan Generator</a>. With this web app, you can generate your own reading plan by selecting all kinds of options: Time Frame, Format (Calendar, List, Weeks, Books, etc), Bible Books (All, OT, NT, selected books), Chronological, and more.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Tolle lege! Tolle lege!</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br></p><p style="text-align: left;"><br></p><p><br></p><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2022/01/1500-consecutive-days-of-reading-bible.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-68144778735682572092021-08-15T11:39:00.003+02:002021-08-15T11:51:42.001+02:00How Should Christians Respond When Government Bans Church Services?<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2cWL3msu9pEHdgzaIVekj4l46R6Td_svIBSXOyjOV9MfUvheVBCaG-RZ7dXF2KBCxl9OVb4vaw89Kulr7SoB1i4iXVy-0M3dHV5_lmCIgKKjTKwgIDe78sr5yRldhVxwWZO_tP5PoMM/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="1024" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN2cWL3msu9pEHdgzaIVekj4l46R6Td_svIBSXOyjOV9MfUvheVBCaG-RZ7dXF2KBCxl9OVb4vaw89Kulr7SoB1i4iXVy-0M3dHV5_lmCIgKKjTKwgIDe78sr5yRldhVxwWZO_tP5PoMM/" width="320"></a></div>Joel James from <a href="https://gracefellowship.co.za/" target="_blank">Grace Fellowship Pretoria</a>, in South Africa, has written three articles that help us think about the Christian's response to the government's banning of church services for whatever reason.<p></p><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2021/08/how-should-christians-respond-when.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0Pretoria, South Africa-25.7478676 28.2292712-54.058101436178845 -6.9269788000000005 2.5623662361788462 63.3855212tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-27567098073017611342020-12-31T23:27:00.007+02:002020-12-31T23:27:53.569+02:00Top 10 - Um - Just Books I read in 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSJDPG9rpAhK5XoL8BW-Vt4Y-7ysipmhtqS_SN_yGx29PgDM7DXysv5n-ok8gsrlt5YSrZba5cKmWDfyi0dLPzfR1h9yynxD50IRZ_FFTWTnJGA4N0kqeqtHbyCplXLgRyyjH1CJxXqM/s878/Tolle+Lege+-+Orange.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="878" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSJDPG9rpAhK5XoL8BW-Vt4Y-7ysipmhtqS_SN_yGx29PgDM7DXysv5n-ok8gsrlt5YSrZba5cKmWDfyi0dLPzfR1h9yynxD50IRZ_FFTWTnJGA4N0kqeqtHbyCplXLgRyyjH1CJxXqM/w640-h181/Tolle+Lege+-+Orange.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p>When I thought of this blog post, I wanted to do a top 10 books that I read in 2020, but the fact is that I read slowly, and this year was one of the busiest work years of my life! In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, our team simply didn't have enough time to complete our project. And, in the midst of this, I needed to find time to read. </p><p>Another reason that I finish books so slow, is that I read several books at the same time. And when I say "several," I do not mean 2, 3, or 4 at a time. More like triple that at any one given moment.</p><p>Since this is not a top 10 post, they are numbered in the order that I finished reading them.</p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/06/review-how-to-study-your-bible-by-kay.html" target="_blank">How to Study Your Bible</a> (Kay Arthur), This book teaches the Inductive Bible Study Method. HSYB is certainly a very useful book. The Bible student can use this book to go as deep as he wants to go. However, there are some caveats to some of the tips the author provides. To read about the book and about the caveats in the book, follow the link in the title of the book to read my review on the book.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17328232-kingdom-come" target="_blank">Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative</a> (Sam Storms), This was my 2nd time reading Kingdom Come by Sam Storms. The first time was in 2013. I actually enjoyed the book now more than then. Storms has a clear way of explaining eschatological concepts through Scripture. Anybody who really wants to learn about amillennialism should read this book. In fact, anyone who is interested in eschatology, teaching of the end-times, should read this book! </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44565891-the-oracle" target="_blank">The Oracle: The Jubilean Mysteries Unveiled</a> (Jonathan Cahn), Fictional speculation at its <strike>best</strike> worst! I simply could not get into this book. </li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9804721-the-book-of-revelation" target="_blank">The Book of Revelation</a> (Robert H. Mounce), This is a fair commentary on the book of Revelation, but there are better commentaries on Revelation. This commentary is part of The New International Commentary on the New Testament series of commentaries.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34010632-revelation" target="_blank">Revelation</a> (Joel Beeke), This is not a very in-depth commentary on Revelation, but it does aim in the right direction. This commentary is part of the Lectio Continua Expository Commentary on the New Testament series.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50771790-the-basic-steps-of-bible-study" target="_blank">The Basic Steps of Bible Study: Getting Started</a> (Kay Arthur), This is simply a subset of HSYB above. Skip this one and to straight to HSYB.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20550176-revelation" target="_blank">Revelation</a> (Gordon D. Fee), This is a worthwhile commentary, but in my opinion, he still doesn't handle the symbolism, and imagery of Revelation well enough.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2592562-1-2-3-john-revelation" target="_blank">1, 2, 3 John, Revelation</a> (Earl F. Palmer), The Revelation commentary in this set is average. At times it seems good, but at other times it leaves the reader feeling that there is just not enough. It is part of The Communicator's Commentary series.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19102358-revelation" target="_blank">Revelation: The Spirit Speaks to the Churches</a> (James M. Hamilton Jr.), This is not a technical commentary, and those who want to find a more devotional commentary with application sections, will find this one to their taste. I enjoyed this commentary, and is worthwhile purchasing.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22717350-how-to-study-the-bible" target="_blank">How to Study the Bible</a> (Richard L. Mayhue), This is a fine book to start learning to do Bible Study, and there is much to learn from it.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3286495-hebrews-through-revelation" target="_blank">Hebrews through Revelation</a> (Frank E. Gaebelein, general editor; Alan F. Johnson, author on the Revelation commentary), Of the non-technical commentaries, this one is fairly well done. It is perhaps a bit dated, but still fine as a commentary. It is volume #12 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary series.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3247208-christianity-through-the-centuries" target="_blank">Christianity Through the Centuries: A History of the Christian Church</a> (Earle E. Cairns), I think it is <b>very</b> important for Christians to know the history of the church. The original edition was my Church History textbook in Bible College. I decided to read it again. This is the 3rd edition, and it takes church history into the 1990s. It is a worthwhile church history book to have on your shelves.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18941304-a-case-for-amillennialism" target="_blank">A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times</a> (Kim Riddlebarger), It took me a while to get into this book. However, once I got past all the plugging that the author did for Covenant Theology, the book became what the title promised. The author seems to think that Amillenialism cannot stand on its own two feet without it being propped up by Covenant Theology. This is simply not true. A better book to read would be Kingdom Come by Sam Storms.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29922606-progressive-covenantalism" target="_blank">Progressive Covenantalism: Charting a Course between Dispensational and Covenantal Theologies</a> (editors: Stephen J. Wellum, Brent E. Parker), I enjoyed this book very much, and if you have read <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13809998-kingdom-through-covenant" target="_blank">Kingdom through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological Understanding of the Covenants</a> by Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, then you will enjoy this one too. Both these books are break-aways from Dispensational Theology (7 Dispensations, rapture, and other fairy tales), and also from Covenant Theology. It is very similar to New Covenant Theology with a few differences.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43582324-an-introduction-to-the-greek-new-testament-produced-at-tyndale-house-c" target="_blank">An Introduction to the Greek New Testament, Produced at Tyndale House, Cambridge</a> (Dirk Jongkind), This is a short book on subjects such as textual criticism, and how Tyndale made their textual choices in order to come to what they believe is the best Greek NT text. It is an easy book to read, and I think that most people will understand it. I have a copy of the Tyndale House Greek New Testament (THGNT), and it is very close to the Nestle-Aland 28th edition (NA28) of the Greek NT, and the United Bible Societies 5th edition (UBS5) of the Greek NT.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11369532-how-to-study-the-bible" target="_blank">How to Study the Bible</a> (Robert M. West), This is a very short book on the subject of Bible study, and is good for someone new to Bible study.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/682076.The_Book_of_Revelation" target="_blank">The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text</a> (G. K. Beale), This is a fairly technical commentary based on the Greek text of the book of Revelation. It handles textual variants where necessary. This is by far the best commentary that I used through 2020 in the study of Revelation. Throughout the year I made use of 10 commentaries on Revelation, and Beale's commentary is completely above the rest. He goes into the symbolism of Revelation, and handles myriads of allusions that John made to the Old Testament to bring his message across. One thing that I learnt from Beale, is that without a good knowledge of the OT and its prophetic symbolism, one's interpretation will end up skewed by preconceived ideas about the end-times. Beale's commentary is a book of 1245 pages; so, as a commentary, it is not for the faint-hearted. However, if you do the hard work of working through this commentary, you will definitely be blessed and educated on Revelation.</li><li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20960141-new-testament-textual-criticism" target="_blank">New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide</a> (David Alan Black), I think Black did an excellent job introducing the reader to textual criticism. If you have no idea concerning the subject, this is the place start! Definitely recommended to those interested in the subject, but do not know where to start.</li></ol><div>That is the end of my list. As you can see, there are many commentaries on this list, and one does not read a commentary like an ordinary book.</div><div><br /></div><div>I hope that you are encouraged by getting one or more of these books. Whatever the case, Tolle Lege! Take up and Read!</div><div><br /></div><div>May you all have a wonderful New Year, and that your hearts draw ever closer to our great, and wonderful Saviour, Jesus Christ!</div><p></p>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-42173126007199292192020-08-26T15:59:00.000+02:002020-08-26T15:59:50.315+02:00Learning Biblical Greek has never been more accessible, and is needed more than ever!<p>When I studied at Bible College in the second half of the 1980s, we had to learn Biblical Greek, and I </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRprY_ELvJQDEiXFQHpmx-LCtLVHSCPAJITWH_c-8X98nSEWMop2635RVIjv0nunhi66Hn8B9tojSE415w6MDZg6VL0PifV4QmzhMplZGLEyk9F2h6NW28Blgr_s7H8cgSjUdQdNfXms/s4000/DSC_0819.JPG" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="1" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="3000" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwRprY_ELvJQDEiXFQHpmx-LCtLVHSCPAJITWH_c-8X98nSEWMop2635RVIjv0nunhi66Hn8B9tojSE415w6MDZg6VL0PifV4QmzhMplZGLEyk9F2h6NW28Blgr_s7H8cgSjUdQdNfXms/w246-h328/DSC_0819.JPG" width="246"></a></div><br>loved it! It took a lot of work and dedication, but at the end of the 3 semesters of Greek that year I had an average of 96%. I found it fascinating!<p></p><p>But, like they say, "If you don't use, you lose it!" I got married in 1990, and started working at a massive state company through which I studied software development, and I've been in software development ever since. Through the years, because of disuse, I had forgotten much of what I learnt about New Testament Greek. I don't know how many times I tried to pick it up again. Don't get me wrong! I could no longer handle it smoothly, differentiating between different verb forms, nouns, etc. Yet, I was quite capable of helping myself when I came across something in the New Testament that I wanted to check against the Greek. I had the resources, and I knew how to use them, but I couldn't pick up a Greek New Testament and just translate as I read.</p><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/08/learning-biblical-greek-has-never-been.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-9758230476992547572020-08-08T14:54:00.000+02:002020-08-08T14:54:11.944+02:001000 Consecutive Days of Reading the Bible<p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2anO3tYdJsAA2UNTVM5vEQkMLTEQ2_JivtO2OlMMwcv6OdapojVI3nz0tVP7AZXMNNcPz1GCYiu0u1-D5ezIyilULHDFrS30RuV000NvMS3WaoZi7TaTiG1qxkKYMJ3KTQHs6oNNk10/s4469/revelation_greek_english_chrome_30p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3580" data-original-width="4469" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM2anO3tYdJsAA2UNTVM5vEQkMLTEQ2_JivtO2OlMMwcv6OdapojVI3nz0tVP7AZXMNNcPz1GCYiu0u1-D5ezIyilULHDFrS30RuV000NvMS3WaoZi7TaTiG1qxkKYMJ3KTQHs6oNNk10/s640/revelation_greek_english_chrome_30p.jpg" width="640"></a></div><div style="text-align: left;">Today, one thousand days ago I started using the YouVersion Bible app to read the Bible everyday. Although I used the app to read the Bible everyday, I only started using the app to actually read systematically through the Bible using their different Bible-in-a-year programs. </div><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/08/1000-consecutive-days-of-reading-bible.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-86383334235988611682020-06-16T16:01:00.001+02:002020-12-31T16:45:40.352+02:00Review: How to Study Your Bible by Kay Arthur<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172776.How_to_Study_Your_Bible" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLqdhY7fjl6kXsSw4KH57jRI73bMrHDBFYrEubPZCTs9DvC4QhFlDe_xO1dbSTifUdceHpVAk7Y0IFVvriSPrLQMUxPF-TvgvLuU__oZ7ibR3bmCK5W0KAoqzqlDP8IRjBtRNU6jCocmQ/s320/kayarthur_howtostudyyourbible.jpg"></a></div>This past week I read two books on studying the Bible inductively by Kay Arthur. The first one is "<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50771790-the-basic-steps-of-bible-study" target="_blank">The BASIC STEPS of BIBLE STUDY</a></i>" (BSBS), Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 2019, and the second is "<i><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/172776.How_to_Study_Your_Bible" target="_blank">HOW TO STUDY YOUR BIBLE</a></i>" (HSYB), Harvest House Publishers, Eugene, OR, 1994.<div><br></div><div><b><u>IN GENERAL</u></b></div><div><b><u><br></u></b></div><div>Right off the bat, between these two books, I would recommend HSYB, since BSBS is simply the first part of HSYB. BSBS is a very simple introduction to inductive Bible study, whereas HSYB goes into much more detail.</div><div><br></div><div>Both books are easy to read, even HSYB, the more in-depth book of the two. In fact, for every part of the process, there are easy to follow steps. HSYB is not the theory of inductive Bible study, but a practical walk-through of the process.</div><div><br></div><div><b><u>SUMMARY</u></b></div><div><b><u><br></u></b></div><div>The book is divided into six parts. The first two chapters are an introduction. The rest of the chapters of the book are divided into five parts. The first introductory chapter, <i>If You Want to Know God's Word</i>, is written as a letter to the reader by the author, giving a little background to the development of the Precept Upon Precept Inductive Bible Courses. The second introductory chapter, <i>The Joy and Value of Inductive Study</i>, gives a very broad outline of the rest of the book. Arthur writes, "Inductive Bible study draws you into personal interaction with the Scripture and thus with the God of the Scriptures so that your beliefs are based on a prayerful understanding and legitimate interpretation of Scripture--truth that transforms you when you live by it." (p11)</div><span></span><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/06/review-how-to-study-your-bible-by-kay.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-16625981710990176202020-05-12T20:49:00.000+02:002020-05-12T20:49:14.892+02:00Allusions in the Book of Revelation to the Old Testament<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaNesgluvu1E4kFVZozy35sx-05wsmlZVoaqJtq0K5CBTmpfzZV992Xr8av6dd7f8q6864almqXuQH5jVpANTYSmJ5D967BtbgXZDLQN16ntP4SqnJ3Tohy7lxtm0flvOWmmR6CwJqG8/s1600/revelation_greek_english_chrome_30p.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1282" data-original-width="1600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVaNesgluvu1E4kFVZozy35sx-05wsmlZVoaqJtq0K5CBTmpfzZV992Xr8av6dd7f8q6864almqXuQH5jVpANTYSmJ5D967BtbgXZDLQN16ntP4SqnJ3Tohy7lxtm0flvOWmmR6CwJqG8/s400/revelation_greek_english_chrome_30p.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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Currently, I am studying the last book of the Bible, the "<a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=revelation+1&version=NASB" target="_blank">Revelation</a> of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John."</div>
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After I worked through the text in my first round, I wanted to return and work through it while studying all its allusions and verbal parallels to the Old Testament. I started looking for a complete list of allusions, but I couldn't find a complete list. In the 404 verses of the Book of Revelation, it has several hundred allusions and verbal parallels to the Old Testament, more than any other New Testament book. I found a list <a href="https://www.blueletterbible.org/study/misc/quotes05.cfm" target="_blank">here</a> and <a href="http://rebel13.nl/revelation.pdf" target="_blank">here</a>. I still wasn't convinced that these two lists were complete. Greg Beale makes frequent reference to these allusions to the Old Testament in his "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Revelation-Commentary-G-K-Beale-ebook/dp/B018XZAGY8/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=gk+beale&qid=1589255183&s=digital-text&sr=1-2" target="_blank">Revelation: a shorter commentary.</a>" He also mentions in his <i><b>John's Use of the Old Testament in Revelation</b>, <span class="fontstyle0">Sheffield Academic Press Ltd, Sheffield, England, 1998, </span>p60,</i> that the UBS3 Greek text has 394 references of allusions and verbal parallels to the Old Testament. I checked in my copy of the UBS5 Greek text; it has over 600 allusions and verbal parallels in the Book of Revelation to the Old Testament (<i>Aland, Barbara & Aland, Kurt & Karavidopoulos, Johannes & Martini, Carlo M. & Metzger, Bruce, <b>THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT</b>, Fifth Revised Edition, <a href="https://www.academic-bible.com/en/home/" target="_blank">Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft</a>, Stuttgart, Germany, 2015, pp864-882</i>).<br>
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</div><a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/05/allusions-in-book-of-revelation-to-old.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-67408724219340658602020-04-05T14:26:00.001+02:002020-04-05T14:26:41.207+02:00Lockdown church service at home<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM_pkTDKd-uPLVvQg_OMMzAg71OhTnV785XLIGHr3y2MxLFsrr95ny2q7zRIDoevzzyyvhyphenhyphentpx78Fh4nXQTQFxuYWZ5nb-Tkg-O6OdN6E0YOQvfpBWywYoVa_fTTIpij_7xu_tE6ZgVk/s1600/glorify_god_most_satisfaction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="56" data-original-width="1100" height="32" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPM_pkTDKd-uPLVvQg_OMMzAg71OhTnV785XLIGHr3y2MxLFsrr95ny2q7zRIDoevzzyyvhyphenhyphentpx78Fh4nXQTQFxuYWZ5nb-Tkg-O6OdN6E0YOQvfpBWywYoVa_fTTIpij_7xu_tE6ZgVk/s640/glorify_god_most_satisfaction.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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With national lockdown in its second week here in South Africa, we are unable to gather with the saints.<br />
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We are 5 in our home. Together with myself, there is my wife, my daughter (25), my son (23), and my mother-in-law.<br />
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We sat together and prayed, and then afterwards we watched a sermon by John Piper, called "Seven Reasons We Must Pursue Supreme Satisfaction in God."<br />
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Specifically, in a time such as ours with the COVID-19 disease sweeping across the world, having killed over 65,000 and infected more than 1,200,000 people already, we look at life with new eyes.<br />
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That is why I felt that this sermon of John Piper's was perfect for the occasion. We as humans have the tendency of finding satisfaction in all kinds of earthly endeavours, things that have pushed Christ down the ladder a rung or ten. Things like money, entertainment, sport, prestige, etc. But, right now, no matter who you are or your position in life, SARS-CoV-2 attacks indiscriminately, ignoring who you are.<br />
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It is for this reason we must seek our complete pleasure in Christ, and Christ alone!<br />
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This isn't always easy. On Friday in an online meeting with the rest of our company, our MD informed us that since the company group wants to be known as a people's company, that people are our greatest asset, the board has decided that in order to make sure that people aren't laid off due to COVID-19 and the lockdown, that everyone in the group will have to take a 20% pay cut for at least 2 months. Obviously, we do not want anyone laid off in the group because of this situation. As a company in the group, we unanimously agreed that it is a better idea than laying off people across the group. With budgets already stretched to the max, this is not an easy one to take; but, it is a necessary step! It is in times like these that we learn where our pleasures are. Are they found in things, or in Christ!<br />
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Where do you find satisfaction?<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aUPSZBm1OjY/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/aUPSZBm1OjY?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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This sermon of Piper's can be found on the Desiring God website with the <a href="https://www.desiringgod.org/messages/seven-reasons-we-must-pursue-supreme-satisfaction-in-god" target="_blank">video and text</a>.William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-52122725263096688412020-03-28T16:04:00.000+02:002020-03-28T16:04:11.468+02:00Free books to read during the COVID-19 pandemic<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7cKvOtPv0eWEjCeHtGK-oLbaQv1tUPCrMkqrP1OZm3fkt4DroVsASnPM__sXuzv3YMi-1w8PDJjJm9gRGVxhJPh6XN9Ar6V50TiQGXXLP94eZmQkoqbWAvVI4707jhX4-zVaWXzklDo/s1600/sars-cov-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU7cKvOtPv0eWEjCeHtGK-oLbaQv1tUPCrMkqrP1OZm3fkt4DroVsASnPM__sXuzv3YMi-1w8PDJjJm9gRGVxhJPh6XN9Ar6V50TiQGXXLP94eZmQkoqbWAvVI4707jhX4-zVaWXzklDo/s320/sars-cov-2.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image of the SARS-C0V-2 virus.</td></tr>
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In times such as what the world is living in right now, there is always the thought of being infected by the prevailing disease, and perhaps even die from it. The world has been going through situations like this from the beginning of time.<br>
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When we watch the news on TV, or if we check out the latest news at our favourite news website, we continue to see the number of infections rising, along with deaths related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the cause of COVID-19.<br>
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To think that since the outbreak of this virus, 617,063 people have been infected, and 28,376 have died. The staggering numbers of people affected by this virus may make us live in fear, panic, even dread. However, we must also look at how many people have already recovered: 137,336! Currently, the death rate stands at 4.6%, and the recovery is at 22.25%.<br>
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<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/03/free-books-to-read-during-covid-19.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-758161739919240022020-01-09T22:31:00.000+02:002020-01-09T22:31:35.943+02:00My Bible Reading Plan for 2020<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi0FTtwDugsZwp8UiAdb8vpUppzBS2JRffFq-dZk6KYSh5odtRZSNUpJb96WVvGWigAyf2acv346VVUp2ndAceo2ZEhBkoewrdcMdQkhF1wlpex4Nl3HBbcMrqPycqBy6XbrG3FezWmk/s1600/plan_to_read_the_bible.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="688" data-original-width="1092" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXi0FTtwDugsZwp8UiAdb8vpUppzBS2JRffFq-dZk6KYSh5odtRZSNUpJb96WVvGWigAyf2acv346VVUp2ndAceo2ZEhBkoewrdcMdQkhF1wlpex4Nl3HBbcMrqPycqBy6XbrG3FezWmk/s400/plan_to_read_the_bible.jpg" width="400"></a></div>
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I haven't been blogging like I would like to, and I am sorry for that. Life has been very hectic in the last 5 years, really.<br>
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I'm a bit late in the uptake of this series of blog posts this year. <a href="https://www.challies.com/articles/the-bible-reading-plan-ill-be-using-in-2020/" target="_blank">Others</a> have already written blog posts about their Bible reading programs for this year.<br>
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<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2020/01/my-bible-reading-plan-for-2020.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-78359078802227317552019-02-05T15:04:00.000+02:002019-02-05T15:04:14.699+02:00REVISED “HATE SPEECH BILL” NOW OPEN FOR COMMENT (DEADLINE EXTENDED)Action Alert from FORSA:<br />
The call for comments on the revised draft of the <a href="http://forsa.org.za/alert-revised-hate-speech-bill-now-open-for-comment-2/" target="_blank">PREVENTION AND COMBATING OF HATE CRIMES AND HATE SPEECH BILL</a> (“the Bill”) is now open until 15 February 2019 (final date extended from 31 January to 15 February 2019).<br />
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Religious Freedom at Risk<br />
Most notably, clause 4(1) of the Bill makes “hate speech” a crime – with potentially dire repercussions from a freedom of speech, freedom of expression, and freedom of conscience point of view. The offence will make any speech (as well as the distribution of such speech) that could be construed to be “harmful” on a wide range of subjective grounds, a criminal act carrying a jail sentence of up to three (3) years.<br />
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Religious Exemption Clause is only Valid For “Pulpits”<br />
While we are encouraged by the inclusion of a “religious exemption clause” (in clause 4(2)(d)) in the Bill – as advocated for by FOR SA, and the many religious organisations and groups who previously made submissions on the Bill – concerns regarding criminalisation of free speech remain. Especially as the Deputy Minister of Justice noted that the religious exemption clause would only apply to “pulpits”.<br />
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Even if you have previously made a submission on the Bill (to the Deputy Minister of Justice), please do make a submission again (this time, to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Justice). Written submissions must be received by 15 February 2019, and can be emailed to the Committee Secretary, Mr Vhonani Ramaano (<a href="mailto:vramaano@parliament.gov.za">vramaano@parliament.gov.za</a>).<br />
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Please use the <a href="http://forsa.org.za/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php?action=outofthebox-download&OutoftheBoxpath=%2Fhate%20speech%20bill%2Findividual%20submission%20-%20draft%203.docx&lastpath=%2FHate%20Speech%20Bill&listtoken=f1058449d6b5260d8888ea0ecb04a827&dl=1" target="_blank">TEMPLATE SUBMISSION</a> FORSA have prepared to assist you in commenting / objecting to the provisions of the Bill which will significantly and negatively impact on freedom of (religious) expression. Sunday School teachers, worship leaders, Bible Study groups and social media commentators are all threatened by this bill.<br />
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<b>Redefining Hate Speech</b><br />
The Bill's extremely broad definition of hate speech under section 4 of the Bill includes in its scope any communication which is considered "abusive or insulting" and intended to "bring into contempt or ridicule" a person, or group of persons, on the basis of their gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, etc. This includes email, or social media communications as well as teachings from a pulpit, or in a Bible study. Instead of an objective definition of what constitutes "hate speech" (for example those who sing "Kill the Boer! Kill the Farmer!" or those advocating Islamic Jihad to behead Christians), this bill seeks to focus on subjective definitions of where an individual may feel offended, even if that was not the intention. Yet, blasphemy and pornography are considered free speech! However, free speech is to be criminalised by this bill!<br />
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"He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord." Proverbs 17:15<br />
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<b>See also:</b><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/381ae06696338143999fd7c2f550ebae3f397d09&source=gmail&ust=1549452435099000&usg=AFQjCNG1tujlCr2EayVg4-3lOdQ8shKu7Q" href="https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/381ae06696338143999fd7c2f550ebae3f397d09" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank">www.SAvotersguide.org</a> </span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span class="m_-5846985435393512952MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/4bd3280b0708efef51f96549e0b92ee8f9151540&source=gmail&ust=1549452435099000&usg=AFQjCNH5Ndy0oQ0Uo0h_Eeq-3yLI0lw_1g" href="https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/4bd3280b0708efef51f96549e0b92ee8f9151540" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank">Ten Principles for True Freedom</a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span class="m_-5846985435393512952MsoHyperlink" style="color: #0563c1;"><span style="text-decoration-line: underline;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/f27a53f1dee3fa7e42f94b97278433a8aa74877a&source=gmail&ust=1549452435099000&usg=AFQjCNGOpodA4n_iqrMUQbv9BMscdqTNIw" href="https://app.123email.co.za/campaigns/rb662p72zaaf8/track-url/fc969gyyw0302/f27a53f1dee3fa7e42f94b97278433a8aa74877a" style="color: #0563c1;" target="_blank">Religious Freedoms at Risk in South Africa</a></span></span></span></span></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; 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Join us on Facebook and TwitterWilliam Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-20114805596491600302019-01-08T21:52:00.001+02:002019-01-08T21:52:29.952+02:00Diagramming the BibleSome time ago I was shocked to learn that there were so many people across the pond that knew, or at least had learnt how to diagram sentences! Apparently, it is not being taught in schools there anymore, but many of my age were taught how to diagram. I have never learnt how to diagram in high school (late 70s) or Bible school (late 80s).<br>
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Recently I decided to start learning how to diagram, so I bought myself a book to learn. I bought <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Diagrammatical-Analysis-Lee-H-Kantenwein/dp/0884691500" target="_blank">Diagrammatical Analysis</a> by Lee L. Kantenwein. The book is an endless quagmire of examples. What I did not find very helpful from this book is that there are no explanations on how to get to the end result of those examples. I probably just have to slow things down and go through the book step-by-step. I went through the Introduction to get an idea of what we are dealing with, and then I did a quick scan through the rest of the book to find out what is waiting for me down the line.<br>
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So, as you can see, I am not a “diagrammer.” Through the 1980s and 1990s, I would underline verses and make comments in the margins about those verses, and then through the 2000s and 2010s I applied a more visual approach with drawn icons, lists and comments.<br>
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<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2019/01/diagramming-bible.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-41260772295620806382017-02-22T22:46:00.000+02:002017-02-22T22:46:29.580+02:00Is Christianity equally guilty because the crusades are the moral equivalent of jihad?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://counterjihad.com/censored-youtube-uses-anti-isis-policy-to-pull-counterjihad-video-watch-it-here" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"></a></div>
The following was written by Philip Rosenthal of <a href="http://www.christianview.org/" target="_blank">ChristianView Network</a>.<br>
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<u>IS CHRISTIANITY EQUALLY GUILTY BECAUSE THE CRUSADES ARE THE MORAL EQUIVALENT OF JIHAD?</u><br>
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</u> Have you heard the argument that Christians can't critise (sic) Jihad because they are equally guilty for the crusades? Mathematician Bill Warner created a dynamic time linked map comparing Jihad vs the Crusades: Watch it to decide who was the aggressor.<br>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/I_To-cV94Bo" width="560"></iframe></div>
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<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2017/02/is-christianity-equally-guilty-because.html#more">Read more »</a>William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-51765629230991763292016-12-27T17:50:00.000+02:002016-12-27T17:50:15.377+02:00Top 10 Books I read in 2016<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu6kdF-3uoZnCcsMAvIRmrUdiDtb24Iola1mQYQz_Syn0EmsDHkRZkvtMnlseyQMTSTclVCOFE-VfA9sBoVvZQQQf2PKCMq74mWgamhhnnPuDGxZ7yp9T_64w3Gw07yge5Z9CDHCzQ_Y/s1600/top10books2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUu6kdF-3uoZnCcsMAvIRmrUdiDtb24Iola1mQYQz_Syn0EmsDHkRZkvtMnlseyQMTSTclVCOFE-VfA9sBoVvZQQQf2PKCMq74mWgamhhnnPuDGxZ7yp9T_64w3Gw07yge5Z9CDHCzQ_Y/s400/top10books2016.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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When I look back over a year that had run its course, especially what I read for that year, I sometimes experience disappointment because I didn't read as much as I had wanted to. This year is one of those.<br />
<br />
One thing about top 10 lists of books is that readers will come up with vastly different lists, based on their likes and needs.<br />
<br />
However, here is a list of the top 10 books I read this year. I included the book blurbs for each of the books below.<br />
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10. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Redemption-Accomplished-Applied-John-Murray/dp/080287309X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482853028&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Redemption Accomplished and Applied</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/John-Murray/e/B000APJLUA/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">John Murray</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Originally published in 1955 and reprinted dozens of times over the years, John Murray’s Redemption Accomplished and Applied systematically explains the two sides of redemption -- its accomplishment through Christ’s atonement and its application to the lives of believers.<br />Murray explores the biblical passages dealing with the necessity, nature, perfection, and extent of the atonement in order to establish its relationship to our justification, sanctification, and glorification. He goes on to identify the distinct steps in the Bible’s presentation of how the redemption accomplished by Christ is applied progressively to the life of the redeemed, including the role of faith and repentance."</blockquote>
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9. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-Gospel-Grace-Rediscovering/dp/1433511290/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482852739&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Whatever Happened to The Gospel of Grace?: Rediscovering the Doctrines That Shook the World</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/James-Montgomery-Boice/e/B001H9XPUU/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1" target="_blank">James Montgomery Boice</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Combines a serious examination of the state of today's church and a powerful solution: reclaiming the gospel of grace found in the confessional truths of the Reformation.<br />Though the Christian church has achieved a worldly sort of success-big numbers, big budgets, big outreaches-these are not good days for evangelicalism. Attendance is down, and it is increasingly difficult to distinguish so-called 'believers' from their non-Christian neighbors-all because the gospel of grace has been neglected.<br />In this work, now in paperback, the late James Montgomery Boice identifies what's happened within evangelicalism and suggests how the confessional statements of the Reformation-Scripture alone, Christ alone, grace alone, faith alone, and glory to God alone-can ignite full-scale revival. 'A church without these convictions has ceased to be a true church, whatever else it may be,' he wrote, but 'if we hold to these doctrines, our churches and those we influence will grow strong.'"</blockquote>
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8. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Incomparable-Christ-John-R-Stott/dp/0830823433/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482852507&sr=1-2" target="_blank">The Incomparable Christ</a> by John R. W. Stott<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Who is Jesus Christ? No human question is more pivotal. No thoughtful answer fails to stretch our language, our categories or our aspirations.<br />In recent years numerous books have been written on Jesus, books that are shaped by faith or skepticism or follow the Western academic quest for the historical Jesus. The result has been a kaleidoscope of Jesuses, a thicket of viewpoints, some troubling to faith, some puzzling to the intellect, and a few that enrich our vision as they explore familiar terrain from new and promising angles.<br />Here is a book written by one who for a lifetime has followed Christ with heart, mind, soul and strength. John Stott offers us a vision of Christ whose portrait is discerned in the mosaic pattern of Scripture, whose influence is traced in the great currents of history, and whose compelling call has shaped the story line of ordinary humans who have been charged with extraordinary faith and courage."</blockquote>
7. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Truth-Decay-Christianity-Challenges-Postmodernism/dp/0851115241/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1482852181&sr=1-2&keywords=douglas+R.+Groothuis" target="_blank">Truth Decay: Defending Christianity Against the Challenges of Postmodernism</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Douglas+R.+Groothuis&search-alias=books&field-author=Douglas+R.+Groothuis&sort=relevancerank" target="_blank">Douglas R. Groothuis</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"A 2001 Christianity Today Award of Merit winner! The concept of truth as absolute, objective and universal has undergone serious deterioration in recent years. No longer is it a goal for all to pursue. Rather postmodernism sees truth as inseparable from culture, psychology, race and gender. Ultimately, truth is what we make it to be. What factors have accelarated (sic) this decay of truth? Why are people willing to embrace such a devalued concept? How does this new view compare and contrast with a Christian understanding? While postmodernism contains some truthful insights (despite its attempt to dethrone truth), Douglas Groothuis sees its basic tenets as intellectually flawed and hostile to Christian views. In this spirited presentation of a solid, biblical and logical perspective, Groothuis unveils how truth has come under attack and how it can be defended in the vital areas of theology, apologetics, ethics and the arts."</blockquote>
6. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Visual-History-English-Bible-Bestselling/dp/080101316X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">A Visual History of the English Bible: The Tumultuous Tale of the World's Bestselling Book</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Donald-L.-Brake/e/B001JSAA66/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1482851948&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank">Donald L. Brake</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"With a full color layout and over one hundred illustrations, A Visual History of the English Bible covers the fascinating journey of the Bible from the pulpit to the people. Renowned biblical scholar Donald L. Brake invites readers to explore the process of transformation from medieval manuscripts to the contemporary translations of our day. Along the way, readers will meet many heroes of the faith--men and women who preserved and published the Scriptures, often at risk of their own lives.<br />From Wycliffe and Tyndale to King Henry VIII and the Geneva Bible, from the Bishop's Bible and the King James Version to the American Revolution and the Civil War, this tumultuous tale is history come alive. This book is perfect for history buffs, bibliophiles, and anyone interested in the colorful account of the world's most popular book."</blockquote>
5. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Keep-Your-Greek-Strategies-People-ebook/dp/B0045U9PBQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Constantine-R.-Campbell/e/B001JRXS0C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1482849250&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Constantine R. Campbell</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Seminarians spend countless hours mastering biblical languages and learning how the knowledge of them illuminates the reading, understanding, and application of Scripture. But while excellent language acquisition resources abound, few really teach students how to maintain their use of Greek for the long term. Consequently, pastors and other former Greek students find that under the pressures of work, ministry, preaching, and life, their hard-earned Greek skills begins to disappear."</blockquote>
This is a real concern for many who learnt Greek at Bible School, and this book is a true encouragement to those who have "lost" their Greek!<br />
<br />
4. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/American-Sniper-Autobiography-Military-History-ebook/dp/B005GFPZYK/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">American Sniper: The Autobiography of the Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. Military History</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Kyle/e/B005DONBU4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1482851016&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Chris Kyle</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"The #1 New York Times bestselling memoir of U.S. Navy Seal Chris Kyle, and the source for Clint Eastwood’s blockbuster movie which was nominated for six academy awards, including best picture.<br />"From 1999 to 2009, U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle recorded the most career sniper kills in United States military history. His fellow American warriors, whom he protected with deadly precision from rooftops and stealth positions during the Iraq War, called him “The Legend”; meanwhile, the enemy feared him so much they named him al-Shaitan (“the devil”) and placed a bounty on his head. Kyle, who was tragically killed in 2013, writes honestly about the pain of war—including the deaths of two close SEAL teammates—and in moving first-person passages throughout, his wife, Taya, speaks openly about the strains of war on their family, as well as on Chris. Gripping and unforgettable, Kyle’s masterful account of his extraordinary battlefield experiences ranks as one of the great war memoirs of all time"</blockquote>
The book says much more than the movie, and in his account of his life as a SEAL, the emotional grip of war on him can almost be felt.<br />
<br />
3. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Pauline-Christology-Exegetical-Theological-Gordon-Fee/dp/0801046254/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1482850792&sr=1-15" target="_blank">Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Gordon-D.-Fee/e/B001H6PWAY/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1482850684&sr=1-1" target="_blank">Gordon D. Fee</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"This work offers an exhaustive study of Pauline Christology by noted Pauline scholar Gordon Fee. The author provides a detailed analysis of the letters of Paul (including those whose authorship is questioned) individually, exploring the Christology of each one, and then attempts a synthesis of the exegetical work into a biblical Christology of Paul."</blockquote>
Even though this book has 744 pages, I never felt that it was too much. Fee is very thorough on the apostle Paul's Christology!<br />
<br />
2. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Should-Then-Live-LAbri-Anniversary-ebook/dp/B00IFG0AD8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">How Should We Then Live? The Rise and Decline of Western Thought and Culture</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Francis-A.-Schaeffer/e/B000APF76M/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1482849544&sr=1-2-ent" target="_blank">Francis A. Schaeffer</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"As one of the foremost evangelical thinkers of the twentieth century, Francis Schaeffer long pondered the fate of declining Western culture. In this brilliant book he analyzed the reasons for modern society's state of affairs and presented the only viable alternative: living by the Christian ethic, acceptance of God's revelation, and total affirmation of the Bible's morals, values, and meaning."</blockquote>
Schaeffer had a very unique way of looking at the world, and this book is like almost all his books; worth the time to read!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTW0PyHyg7e8uAFZQ3mwnDSQQPiUY4hPRZ1f4zJv_QkVvaWPtboDEBm9zH5Jo8EA0bKE0wHu-G5FZJDKmI5K-OHmOyMk9rlE2Ujxv4beqh7GnbxWoE-DaLfwsHrWr3XYQpQAC3hDbvnE/s1600/one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPTW0PyHyg7e8uAFZQ3mwnDSQQPiUY4hPRZ1f4zJv_QkVvaWPtboDEBm9zH5Jo8EA0bKE0wHu-G5FZJDKmI5K-OHmOyMk9rlE2Ujxv4beqh7GnbxWoE-DaLfwsHrWr3XYQpQAC3hDbvnE/s200/one.jpg" width="141" /></a></div>
1. <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Advances-Study-Greek-Insights-Testament-ebook/dp/B00QPT1SLU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=" target="_blank">Advances in the Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading the New Testament</a> by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Constantine-R.-Campbell/e/B001JRXS0C/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1482849250&sr=8-1" target="_blank">Constantine R. Campbell</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Advances in the Study of Greek offers an introduction to issues of interest in the current world of Greek scholarship. Those within Greek scholarship will welcome this book as a tool that puts students, pastors, professors, and commentators firmly in touch with what is going on in Greek studies. Those outside Greek scholarship will warmly receive Advances in the Study of Greek as a resource to get themselves up to speed in Greek studies. Free of technical linguistic jargon, the scholarship contained within is highly accessible to outsiders."</blockquote>
This book opened my mind to many things that I was unaware of in modern Greek scholarship.<br />
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A. Blake White also created a <a href="http://ablakew.blogspot.co.za/2016/12/top-ten-reads-of-2016.html" target="_blank">top 10 list</a> and Tim Challies created a <a href="http://www.challies.com/resources/my-top-books-of-2016" target="_blank">list of the top books</a> he had read this year.William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-32324533879137852902016-12-15T21:13:00.000+02:002016-12-15T21:13:20.800+02:00Students of New Testament Greek and pastors should keep up to date with latest Greek scholarshipBack in April 2016, I read the little book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0045U9PBQ/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title" target="_blank">Keep Your Greek: Strategies for Busy People</a>" (Kindle Edition), written by <a href="http://concampbell.info/" target="_blank">Constantine R. Campbell</a> (also see <a href="https://divinity.tiu.edu/academics/faculty/constantine-r-campbell-phd/" target="_blank">this</a>).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBkB3TK0uRdcPbnzNJ35TkDqGVvMXrQGRvykfnHXQLmhysyS_Yc9mVeg5qOcBDcI-mTXJlHJG0Qu5RC07jEsjcJfPN1jpwUd52qZzG39zb8IY1t_GanEuU8ApTrncuZWwDmBfPoZ7DY8/s1600/AISG.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsBkB3TK0uRdcPbnzNJ35TkDqGVvMXrQGRvykfnHXQLmhysyS_Yc9mVeg5qOcBDcI-mTXJlHJG0Qu5RC07jEsjcJfPN1jpwUd52qZzG39zb8IY1t_GanEuU8ApTrncuZWwDmBfPoZ7DY8/s200/AISG.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
I immensely enjoyed this book and it is this book that led me to Con Campbell's book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QPT1SLU/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title" target="_blank">Advances in the Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading the New Testament</a>" (Kindle Edition).<br />
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Even though some of the discussions were slightly over my head, I pressed on, and as I did, I gained some perspective of several of the latest Greek scholarly studies and debates. It gave me a fresh view of how limiting my own Greek studies were back in 1986. So many things I learnt back then have now been skewered by updated Greek studies. Yet, it also encouraged me to start "updating" my Greek, so to speak (write?). One area where I lack due to my studies in the 80's is in the area of verbal aspect, and as a result, I have ordered Con's book, "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/Basics-Verbal-Aspect-Biblical-Greek/dp/031029083X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8" target="_blank">Basics of Verbal Aspect in Biblical Greek</a>" (paperback).<br />
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For those that are studying, or have already studied Greek, and also those that should be studying New Testament Greek (e.g pastors), "Advances" is an invaluable book that will help you in choosing what and how to study.<br />
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I'm not doing a whole review of the book at all. It simply would be too involved. I would like to give you a quote or two, though!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"[...] there is no such thing as Greek exegesis that does not involve Greek. And whenever Greek is involved, our understanding of the language determines how well we will handle Greek text. Thus, Greek cannot be regarded a peripheral issue for New Testament studies, since the entire New Testament is written in Greek. This means that New Testament studies can no longer afford to hold Greek scholarship at arm’s length, for there is no area of New Testament interest that does not involve Greek in some capacity. It affects the entire guild. This is fact; the only question is whether or not we will be responsible with that fact. For bad Greek is like a poisoned water stream in a village; its ill effects touch everyone." (Constantine R. Campbell, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QPT1SLU/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title" target="_blank">Advances in the Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading the New Testament</a>, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, ePub Edition, 2015, p225)</blockquote>
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As part of his conclusion to his book, the author hopes that he had accomplished 8 things, which I believe he achieved admirably! Those 8 things are in the quote below.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Before concluding, I reiterate my several hopes for this book. <b>First</b>, I hope the reader will be properly introduced to the issues of greatest importance for current Greek studies. <b>Second</b>, I hope the reader will become better equipped to handle Greek text with linguistic sophistication, both on a methodological and practical level. <b>Third</b>, I hope the reader will feel competent to engage further with Greek scholarship. <b>Fourth</b>, I hope the reader will engage further with Greek scholarship. <b>Fifth</b>, I hope that the teaching of Greek will be well informed of current issues. <b>Sixth</b>, I hope that the wider world of New Testament scholarship will become more engaged with Greek scholarship. <b>Seventh</b>, I hope that some readers will be inspired to become Greek scholars themselves. <b>Eighth</b>, I hope that future editions of this book will need to include the contributions of some of those aforementioned readers." (Constantine R. Campbell, <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QPT1SLU/ref=kinw_myk_ro_title" target="_blank">Advances in the Study of Greek: New Insights for Reading the New Testament</a>, Zondervan Publishing, Grand Rapids, MI, ePub Edition, 2015, p225-226. Bold text bolded by me)</blockquote>
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I hope this helps you in terms of at least improving your Greek, or to start it for the first time.<br />
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<br />William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-18203848196442390332016-04-01T14:25:00.000+02:002016-04-01T14:25:17.153+02:00New Biblical manuscript found, believed to be one of Constantine’s fifty!<strong>Cairo, September 18, 2011:</strong> A statement was released late last night by the International Cooperation on Biblical Manuscripts, that significant evidence now exists that a manuscript which was discovered near the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 2005 may indeed be one of fifty Biblical manuscripts that Emperor Constantine instructed Eusebius Pamphili to order on his behalf for “the instruction of the church.” <br />
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According to Dr. J.A. Weber of the ICBM, the front page of this important codex states in Greek: <br />
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“<em>One of fifty copies commissioned by<br />Caesar Victor Constantinus Maximus Augustus<br />and servant of God<br />who authorized Eusebius Pamphili to have these<br />prepared by his scribes in the church at Caesarea<br />Palaestina and distributed throughout<br />Constantinople in the year 1088 AUC.”</em></div>
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While the date of the inscription seems problematic, Dr. Weber explained that AUC “is short for <em>Ab urbe condita</em>, from the founding of the city (of Rome). While Rome was founded in 753 BC, adding the 1088 puts the above inscription at AD 335, just two years prior to the death of Constantine the Great!”<br />
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According to historical accounts by Eusebius himself, Constantine wrote a letter to him, requesting an order of fifty manuscripts of the sacred Scriptures. This letter can be found in “The Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series II, Volume 1” and reads as follows:<br />
<blockquote>
<em>“Victor Constantinus, Maximus Augustus, to Eusebius.<br />“It happens, through the favoring providence of God our Saviour, that great numbers have united themselves to the most holy church in the city which is called by my name. It seems, therefore, highly requisite, since that city is rapidly advancing in prosperity in all other respects, that the number of churches should also be increased. Do you, therefore, receive with all readiness my determination on this behalf. I have thought it expedient to instruct your Prudence to order fifty copies of the sacred Scriptures, the provision and use of which you know to be most needful for the instruction of the Church, to be written on prepared parchment in a legible manner, and in a convenient, portable form, by professional transcribers thoroughly practiced in their art. The catholicus of the diocese has also received instructions by letter from our Clemency to be careful to furnish all things necessary for the preparation of such copies; and it will be for you to take special care that they be completed with as little delay as possible.3335 You have authority also, in virtue of this letter, to use two of the public carriages for their conveyance, by which arrangement the copies when fairly written will most easily be forwarded for my personal inspection; and one of the deacons of your church may be intrusted with this service, who, on his arrival here, shall<br />experience my liberality. God preserve you, beloved brother!”</em></blockquote>
According to Dr. Weber, preliminary carbon dating of the codex puts it in the early 4th century which would confirm the authenticity of the codex. Dr. Weber also said that there are hardly any variations from Codex Vaticanus and Codex Sinaiticus, and that if the final testing on this codex proves it authentic, that it would be the greatest discovery of Biblical manuscripts since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947!<br />
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If final tests confirm the authenticity of this exciting discovery, it will be named as Codex Constantinus, after Constantine the Great.<br />
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William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-56366847157287744452015-04-19T21:32:00.001+02:002015-04-19T21:32:52.000+02:00Leon Morris on Life in the Spirit<table style="border-top: #cccccc 1px solid; border-right: #cccccc 1px solid; width: 156px; border-bottom: #cccccc 1px solid; float: right; border-left: #cccccc 1px solid" align="center"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="text-align: center"><img alt="Leon Morris" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Leon_Morris.jpg/220px-Leon_Morris.jpg" width="154" longdesc="Leon Morris" height="190"></td></tr> <tr> <td style="text-align: center"><small>Leon Morris</small></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>“It is nonsense to talk about a Christian who does not have the Spirit. That is a contradiction in terms. It is a distinctive of the Christian way that the lowliest believer enjoys the presence of God’s Spirit within him. . . .</p> <p>“It is ethical conduct, not ecstatic behavior, that demonstrates the presence of the Spirit.”</p> William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-1082220335863429442015-04-18T16:15:00.001+02:002015-04-18T16:15:57.331+02:007 Books I would Definitely Read<table style="width: 301px; float: right" cellspacing="1" width="313" align="center" border="1"> <tbody> <tr> <td width="309"> <p align="center"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXA3eYUrYaiRUhBsQznIw0g2QNj8tLGbb_UFsmNTXhdk7-gwLWNWq7audoYZNOu7X8jj2od7_Z0qshEXbRROVm4wWPK16KYMyVI0lBMuw3WTZ4WMXlV7xLH2wgdUqRZvb4n901Wm_Im4o/s1600-h/20150418-last36booksread3.jpg"><img title="20150418-last36booksread" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="20150418-last36booksread" src="http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-GntjX1YttZ4/VTJnGx7jFUI/AAAAAAAAEXQ/gmi-HT2vAMc/20150418-last36booksread_thumb1.jpg?imgmax=800" width="304" height="408"></a></p></td></tr> <tr> <td width="309"> <p align="center"><small>Last 36 books I read sorted in <br>descending order by date</small></p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p>Tim Challies just published a blog post that intrigued me. The <a href="http://www.challies.com/resources/7-books-i-would-definitely-read" target="_blank">title</a> of his blog post (“<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/p/wictionary.html" target="_blank">blost</a>”) is the same as mine, or should I say, my title is the same as his, since he had it first.</p> <p>It made me think. Which 7 books that have not been written yet would I definitely read? This, especially since I saw a link on Facebook yesterday in which the BBC (or an unknown individual) thinks that the average person has only read 6 of a <a href="http://www.listchallenges.com/kaunismina-bbc-6-books-challenge" target="_blank">list of 100 books</a> “they” think should be read. The questions arises, “Who decides what the top 100 books that everybody should read are?” Hold a survey? Is it a democratic decision? What people find important to read right now, in ten years could be considered just so-so!</p> <p>I have only read 7 of that list of 100. However, I have read 100s of others. The list of books on the right is made up of the last 36 books I have read. The list is sorted in descending order by date, meaning, that the last book I read is the one in the top left corner, and the first of these 36 is in the right bottom corner. 6 of these are novels, of which I disliked 2, found 2 to be average and 2 that I enjoyed. I am in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/review/list/6171459-william-dicks?shelf=currently-reading" target="_blank">process of reading 3 others</a>, “American Sniper,” “NCT: Time For A Most Accurate Way,” and “New Testament Theology” by Morris.</p> <p>So, what are the books that I would definitely read?</p> <p><em>[An In-Depth Biography of John Piper]:</em> I first met John Piper (not personally) via listening through his sermon series on the New Testament book of <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/by-scripture/romans/1" target="_blank">Romans</a>. I have read commentaries on Romans and have heard pastors preach on parts of Romans, but I have never heard anybody expound the text of Romans with the theological clarity and passion like John Piper did. He started this series on 26 April 1998 and finished it on 24 December 2006. I know we all have our favourite preachers, and some of you may disagree. If you haven’t listened to his series on Romans, listen to it before you disagree. John Piper has had an amazing ministry and you can see much of it at <a href="http://www.desiringgod.org/" target="_blank">Desiring God</a>.</p> <p><em>[Al Mohler’s Memoirs]:</em> Here I agree with Tim.</p> <p><em>[Paul, the apostle, in the 21st century]:</em> Many books have been written on Paul, but that is not what I want here. What I would like to see is a book, fully based on Paul’s theology, on how he would have dealt with the issues of our day. Books on Paul have been written by men like Ridderbos (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3279472-paul" target="_blank">Paul: An Outline of His Theology</a>), Reymond (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/312897.Paul_Missionary_Theologian" target="_blank">Paul, Missionary Theologian: A Survey of His Missionary Labours and Theology</a>), Bruce (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/978520.Paul_Apostle_of_the_Heart_Set_Free" target="_blank">Paul, Apostle of the Heart Set Free</a>), and Fee (<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/127405.Pauline_Christology" target="_blank">Pauline Christology: An Exegetical-Theological Study</a>).</p> <p><em>[New Covenant Theology: A Systematic Theology]:</em> The theological system known as <a href="http://bit.ly/NCT_Intro" target="_blank">New Covenant Theology</a> (<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/p/new-covenant-theology.html" target="_blank">NCT</a>) has been around for some time now, and although there are some differences of thought on its core, I believe that the time is ready for its belief system to be explained via the tried-and-tested format of a systematic theology. Who would write such a book? I have a list of names that could perhaps work together on such a project: John Reisinger, <a href="http://www.moebergeron.com/" target="_blank">Moe Bergeron</a>, <a href="https://about.me/ablakew" target="_blank">Blake White</a>, and <a href="http://reformedperspectives.org/search.asp/au/gar_long/scat//kw//st//" target="_blank">Gary D. Long</a>.</p> <p><em>[D.A. Carson on Revelation]:</em> I once again agree with Tim on this one. If you do not know who D.A. Carson is, shame on you! I believe Carson is one of today’s treasures in the church.</p> <p><em>[Commentary on Romans by John Piper]:</em> As I’ve written in my first point, Piper has done an amazing sermon series on Romans, and I believe that he could perhaps, based on his knowledge of Romans, set forth the definitive commentary on the apostle Paul’s letter to the Roman church.</p> <p>And, that wasn’t the last time I am mentioning John Piper…</p> <p><em>[Interpreting the Bible: A God-glorifying Pursuit by John Piper and D.A. Carson]:</em> With their combined knowledge of the Scriptures and their expertise in the area of Biblical interpretation, I think that such a book could perhaps be one of the best books on Biblical interpretation for theological students and bench warmers alike.</p> <p>So, there are my 7! They are perhaps not earth shattering, but that is what I thought of now!</p> <p>What would be your 7. Remember, these are books that have NOT been written yet!</p> William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-67060905932839159842014-12-29T17:19:00.001+02:002014-12-29T17:19:22.407+02:00My Top 10 Books of 2014<p>It is nearly the end of the year. For some it was a year of successes and triumphs and for others it was a year of failures or disappointments! The same goes for reading. Some books are triumphant books (the ones we finish) and others we fail at (the ones we do not finish)!</p> <p> </p> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-3Qtizlmm7ao/VKFw744DvGI/AAAAAAAAENg/Spo3FpSnsNA/s1600-h/topbooks2014%25255B4%25255D.jpg"><img title="topbooks2014" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; display: inline; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px" border="0" alt="topbooks2014" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/-at2U23hbgnw/VKFw8n5_60I/AAAAAAAAENo/tr4mIXc-_Ko/topbooks2014_thumb%25255B2%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="604" height="122"></a></p> <p align="center"> </p> <table bordercolor="#cccccc" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="800" border="0"> <tbody> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"><strong><u>Ranking</u></strong></td> <td valign="top" width="465"><strong><u>Title</u></strong></td> <td valign="top" width="266"><strong><u>Author</u></strong></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">10</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1807636.Day_of_the_Vipers" target="_blank">Day of the Vipers (Star Trek Terok Nor Book 1)</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://jmswallow.livejournal.com/" target="_blank">James Swallow</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>True to Star Trek nature, this book has a lot of names and places to keep track of. Yet, it is not difficult to keep up. For those who are Star Trek fans, this will be an enjoyable book with action, intrigue and sadly, loss. It highlights the very thing happening in the world today, in which governments are more and more turning their backs on religion. In the book, freedom of religion is important, showing one government in the process of ridding its planet of religion, while another welcomes religion. Indeed an interesting story!</p> <p>Completed: 16 January 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">9</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15864605-francis-schaeffer" target="_blank">Francis Schaeffer</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://exiledpreacher.blogspot.com/2011/01/blogging-in-name-of-lord-mostyn-roberts.html" target="_blank">Mostyn Roberts</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>Francis Schaeffer is one of the 20th century’s greatest influencers towards thinking Christianity. To him, Christianity was not simply a form of mysticism, and neither was it a leap of faith into the unknown. To Francis Schaeffer, Christianity was rational—not rationalistic. Christianity had all the answers to life’s big questions, and Schaeffer did not shy away from answering those questions. (<a href="http://www.theo-enthumology.com/2014/03/review-francis-schaeffer-by-mostyn.html" target="_blank">Short review</a>)</p> <p>Completed: 26 March 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">8</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2574491-anne-boleyn" target="_blank">Anne Boleyn: One Short Life That Changed the English-Speaking World</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1137597.Colin_Hamer" target="_blank">Colin Hamer</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>This book was well written and is easy to follow. The history of Anne Boleyn is well portrayed and myths and fiction surrounding her are cleared up. It is not a thick book and as such is a good introduction into the life of Anne Boleyn.<br>It is certainly a good read for those who are interested in history, especially surrounding the entry of the Reformation in England and the huge role Anne Boleyn played in securing a strong foothold for the Reformation in England.</p> <p>Completed: 11 June 2014 </p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">7</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17408344-what-every-christian-needs-to-know-about-the-qur-an" target="_blank">What Every Christian Needs to Know about the Qur'an</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://www.aomin.org/" target="_blank">James R. White</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>In a time such as the one we find ourselves in, where liberals make all kinds of false claims concerning how Islam is a religion of peace and many more claims, James R. White lays bare the Qur’an and shows how weak the book really is.</p> <p>Completed: 10 July 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">6</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9947.The_Atonement" target="_blank">The Atonement: Its Meaning and Significance</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leon_Morris" target="_blank">Leon Morris</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>Morris shows us that the atonement is not just single faceted, but multifaceted. When we speak of justification, we are touching on one of the facets of the atonement. When we speak of propitiation, we touch on another facet. It is an easy book to read, and is suitable for many different audiences.</p> <p>Completed: 23 February 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">5</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3655041-our-sovereign-saviour" target="_blank">Our Sovereign Saviour: The Essence of the Reformed Faith</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2010/12/11/roger-nicole-1915-2010/" target="_blank">Roger Nicole</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>A very concise handling of the sovereignty of God in salvation.</p> <p>Completed: 30 November 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">4</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18899161-abraham-s-four-seeds" target="_blank">Abraham's Four Seeds</a> </td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://www.sogncm.org/pages/john-g-reisinger/" target="_blank">John G. Reisinger</a> </td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>This is an excellent book on New Covenant Theology. It breaks down the wrong ideas held by Dispensationalism and Covenant Theology and provides a simple yet profound, direct interpretation of the Scriptures. It does become a little repetitive at times, but is well worth the effort to read it.</p> <p>Completed: 5 September 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">3</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12781424-the-canon-of-scripture" target="_blank">The Canon of Scripture</a> </td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://www.theopedia.com/F_F_Bruce" target="_blank">F.F. Bruce</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>F.F. Bruce gives a very good analysis of the canon of Scripture and how it came together. Well worth the time spent reading it. Bruce deals with both Old and New Testaments. I enjoyed every facet of the book and especially how he dealt with weird compilers of what should be in the NT such as Marcion's NT and others like him. For those that enjoy history, this will give a good idea of how our canon of Scripture came about.</p> <p>Completed: 29 June 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">2</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1523913.According_to_Plan" target="_blank">According to Plan</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"> <a href="http://www.theopedia.com/Graeme_Goldsworthy" target="_blank">Graeme Goldsworthy</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>Very few writers can make Biblical Theology come alive like Goldsworthy. That is why an introduction to the subject—such as this is—for the every day Christian is so important. It can be a daunting task, but Graeme Goldsworthy opens it up for ordinary minds to enjoy!</p> <p>Completed: 21 July 2014</p></td></tr> <tr> <td style="width: 532px" valign="top" width="67" colspan="3"> <p align="center"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/-Mx22WxFj1sI/VKFw9Q-PxII/AAAAAAAAENw/qW5p4YVDWz8/s1600-h/topbook2014%25255B3%25255D.jpg"><img title="topbook2014" style="border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; background-image: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; float: none; padding-top: 0px; padding-left: 0px; margin-left: auto; display: block; padding-right: 0px; border-top-width: 0px; margin-right: auto" border="0" alt="topbook2014" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/-0V-rtRnfEUg/VKFw-ByqgtI/AAAAAAAAEN4/QmUjYRc5Xak/topbook2014_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800" width="604" height="109"></a></p></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67">1</td> <td valign="top" width="465"><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/80110.A_Francis_A_Schaeffer_Trilogy" target="_blank">A Francis A. Schaeffer Trilogy: Three Essential Books in One Volume</a></td> <td valign="top" width="266"><a href="http://www.rationalpi.com/theshelter/bio.html" target="_blank">Francis A. Schaeffer</a></td></tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="67"> </td> <td style="width: 731px" valign="top" width="465" colspan="2"> <p>The three books in this trilogy are the foundation to Francis Schaeffer's thinking. If all you read of Francis Schaeffer, then it should be this trilogy. I have now read this trilogy twice, and it is just as captivating as it was the first time! A must read!</p> <p>Completed: 31 August 2014 (Also read it in 1998)</p></td></tr></tbody></table> <p> </p> <p>So, there is my list of the best books I read in 2014! I hope that if you haven’t yet read any of these books, that you would get one or two (or more) of these to read. If you only want to buy one of these books, I would recommend my number one without reservation!</p> <p>Here are a few others that did not make it onto my list, but that at least deserve a mention, in no particular order:</p> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14330885-the-last-sacrifice" target="_blank">The Last Sacrifice</a>, Hank Hanegraaff <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18293453-i-saul" target="_blank">I, Saul</a>, Jerry Jenkins <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1375013.Pulpit_Crimes" target="_blank">Pulpit Crimes</a>, James R. White <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21898730-porndemic" target="_blank">Porndemic: How the Pornography Plague Affects You and What You Can Do About It</a>, Taryn, Hodgson <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/894568.Starlight_and_Time" target="_blank">Starlight and Time: Solving the Puzzle of Distant Starlight in a Young Universe</a>, Russell, Humphreys <li><a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1480179.Twilight_of_a_Great_Civilization" target="_blank">Twilight of a Great Civilization: The Drift Toward Neo-Paganism</a>, Carl F.H Henry</li></ul> <p>Enjoy preparing for your reading schedule of 2015!</p> William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-58439651308748703142014-08-16T16:26:00.001+02:002014-08-16T16:26:01.000+02:00Israel's place in God's economy<p dir="ltr">"I personally believe that Israel, as a people, is still a unique people in God’s purposes. However, as a nation, they do not have any spiritual or eternal purposes independent of the church. God does not have two peoples, two programs, two eternal purposes, two gospels, and he most certainly does not have two separate brides for his Son (Eph. 2: 11– 22). This does not mean that Israel, as a people, is not still “beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” It is one thing to think of Israel as a physical nation with national and earthly distinctions and another to think of Israel as a people with God’s peculiar mark upon them. Romans 11 convinces me there will be many Jews saved in the future, but they will be part of the church." (John Reisinger, <i><b>Abraham's</b></i><i><b> </b></i><i><b>Four</b></i><i><b> </b></i><i><b>Seeds</b></i>, New Covenant Media, Frederick, MD, 1998, Kindle Edition: Location 917)</p>
William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6457329754426231866.post-84641790676254805072014-07-27T22:34:00.001+02:002014-07-27T22:34:47.712+02:00Is the WOF movement from God?<p><img style="float: left; margin: 0px 3px 3px 0px; display: inline" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwX0wxwCA9IW2AzRqF0dJm_fV5Prfj_aeWCTUov6RIV53DRWaFEssW8txcjXiFEkO5OyBPqrwgc9BzAgLf65RA4DFFm9pslZOZev8lvV2dTK6AfVpGKQphguEziTTqj-T_WKs0lRFf-9q/" align="left">According to <a href="http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/44739-is-the-word-of-faith-movement-really-from-god" target="_blank">this guy</a> in Charisma News, you would think that the Word of Faith movement was the next step in God’s restoration of His church, something akin to the Reformation!</p> <p>The problem that I have with Tom Brown’s defence of the WOF heresy, is that he deals with a very small part of the heresy: the name-it-and-claim-it part. And then he softens that part to look like the everyday variety of faith that WOF is supposed to be restoring to the church.</p> <p>I wrote a series of blog posts on this heresy back in 2005. I simply called it “<a href="http://williamdicks.blogspot.com/2005/08/heresies-in-church-part-1.html" target="_blank">Heresies in the church</a>.” In this series you will discover the complete destructiveness of the many heresies that the WOF guys preach. They mess the atonement of Christ up completely, claim that He took on the nature of Satan on the cross, also that Jesus had to be saved in hell, Jesus had to be born again just like you and I had to, that Christians are Gods just like Jesus.</p> <p>It is clear that these preachers, of which there are many, are preaching a false gospel, and according to Paul, they are cursed and hence not from God!</p> William Dickshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01211201729445913360noreply@blogger.com0