Category: Christian Living

Bible Reading: Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

May 29th, 2025
Many Christians struggle to read the Bible consistently, and many Christians struggle to read all of the Bible. If I were to ask an average Christian if they’ve ever read the entire Bible, chances are, they’d say no. That’s not a judgment on anyone; just the reality of it. It’s challenging, for various reasons!

One problem is that we either don’t have a plan, or we use an ineffective plan. Seriously. Reading from beginning to end is usually not a great plan for reading the Bible. In January, we might start with Genesis, but when we get to Leviticus or Numbers, maybe around April or May, it’s hard reading! And if by chance you make it to the Old Testament Prophets, it gets depressing after about a few days! There needs to be some variety in our Bible reading.

So I have a solution for you: have a (good) Bible reading plan. Specifically, one of my Bible reading plans. It is very possible to have read every part of the Bible in less than a year, or even a little over a year for some plans, and it only takes a minimum of four chapters a day, which should take roughly 15 minutes, plus any additional time for reflection and prayer.

If you’re not so much concerned about reading the entire Bible in one year, but want to cover the Bible just on a consistent basis, there are other reading plans for you. (See below.)

Before I make my recommendations, let me also state that it is ok to read the Bible at a normal pace, even quickly at some parts. Yes, it is God’s Word, and there may be times we want to pause a bit at certain parts, but in general, it’s A-OK to read the Bible at a normal pace. In fact, if you want to read the entire Bible at some point, realistically, you should read it at a normal pace. You’re not required to “soak in” literally every single word.

Ok, here are five plans I recommend to get a comprehensive Bible reading plan that takes anywhere from 10-30 minutes a day, plus any additional time for reflection and/or prayer. And I recommend reading in the order provided as well. You may need some bookmarks and a printed list in your Bible!

Reading Plan C3:
3 chapters a day, read the New Testament in less than a year, the Old Testament in a year and a few months (for the beginner)
- 1 chapter from Matthew–Revelation
- 1 chapter from Genesis–Esther
- 1 chapter from Job–Malachi
Reading Plan C4:
4 chapters a day, read the entire Bible in less than a year (recommended if the focus is simply to attain the goal of reading the Bible in one year)
- 1 chapter from Genesis–2 Kings
- 1 chapter from Matthew–Revelation
- 1 chapter from Job–Song of Songs
- 1 chapter from 1 Chronicles–Malachi
Reading Plan C4+:
4 chapters a day, read the New Testament 2-3 times a year, and the Old Testament in a year and a few months (recommended for most who are starting out with Bible reading plans)
- 1 chapter from Matthew–Acts
- 1 chapter from Genesis–Esther
- 1 chapter from Romans–Revelation
- 1 chapter from Job–Malachi
Reading Plan C5:
5 chapters a day, read the New Testament 2-3 times and the Old Testament once in a year (recommended for most mature Christians)
- 1 chapter from Matthew–Acts
- 1 chapter from Genesis–2 Kings
- 1 chapter from Job–Song of Songs
- 1 chapter from Romans–Revelation
- 1 chapter from 1 Chronicles–Malachi
Reading Plan C10:
10 chapters a day, read the Bible multiple times a year (for the elite and takes around 30 minutes!)
- 1 chapter from Matthew–John
- 1 chapter from Genesis–Deuteronomy
- 1 chapter from Romans–Colossians
- 1 chapter from 1 Thessalonians–Revelation
- 1 chapter from Job, Ecclesiastes, or Song of Solomon (rotating)
- 1 chapter from Psalms
- 1 chapter from Proverbs
- 1 chapter from Joshua–Esther
- 1 chapter from Isaiah–Malachi
- 1 chapter from Acts
This last plan is one I’ve been following for about 20 years now, so I’ve read through the Bible dozens of times, I don’t know exactly, just not in chronological order, some parts more often than others, obviously. I forget where I got this exact plan, but it was from a Bible professor who posted it online a long time ago. However, after nearly 20 years of doing this, I can say that I have a pretty comprehensive knowledge of the Bible, the big picture, so to speak. And this plan keeps me in every major section of the Bible on a daily basis.

The reason that I like these plans is that there are some sections of the Bible that are more or less difficult than others, and many of us have a hard time going through them. It’s like eating a well-balanced meal, including both vegetables and dessert! A little bit of everything each day, even parts that are hard to digest, along with more easily digestible parts. I’ve found that on some days, a passage from the Gospels hits me hard. On other days, something in Paul’s letters makes an impact more than other passages. And still on other days, something from the Old Testament Prophets convicts me more than what I read in the New Testament. It’s a well-balanced spiritual meal on a daily basis.

Another suggestion is to not become a slave of the tool. I’ve skipped many times due to various reasons, and that’s ok. As long as there is consistency (if you miss some days here and there, just pick up where you left off!), that’s what matters. These plans are tools for us to be in the Word on a consistent basis. I’ve also cut short my reading plan on some days (instead of a chapter from all 10 sections, I might skip one or six sections, due to time constraints usually), and that’s fine. The next chapter of the Joshua–Esther section will be there tomorrow. Better to read 1 or 2 chapters than none. The queue is still ready tomorrow for each section. That’s another great thing about these plans: flexibility.

The point is not which plan is better, but which plan fits you and will motivate you to be consistently in the Word, and in all of the Word. The point is to stay with it. A habit is formed within 2-3 weeks, simple.

I also suggest interspersing the time of reading with prayer and reflection, if a particular verse or passage stands out for you. But don’t feel like you need to force it. You’ll know when God is speaking to you in a more direct way as you’re reading his Word. And when he does, pause for a moment and reflect on what he’s saying to you. Just don’t ignore it for the sake of time. And if you need to pause, and now you’ve got to get going, but you have more chapters to read, go do your thing. Those chapters will still be there tomorrow. You had a good moment with God, you heard him, and that’s ultimately what matters. Just don’t forget what he said when you’re in the middle of your day!

If you have any questions or comments on any of this, feel free to comment below. Hope this helps!

— Dave
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Fear is a Terrible Decision Maker

October 15th, 2024
But hatred is best combined with Fear. Cowardice, alone of all the vices, is purely painful—horrible to anticipate, horrible to feel, horrible to remember; Hatred has its pleasures. It is therefore often the compensation by which a frightened man reimburses himself for the miseries of Fear. The more he fears, the more he will hate. And Hatred is also a great anodyne for shame. To make a deep wound in his charity, you should therefore first defeat his courage. (Screwtape to Wormwood, in C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters)

I think we humans have a tendency to either underestimate fear or overestimate fear. We underestimate by not paying attention to our emotional states of fear, or we overestimate it by letting it rule our lives. Either way, fear is a terrible decision maker.

I’ll explain by way of a story. Brian grew up in a home where he was mostly neglected and felt like he didn’t belong. Whenever his parents did pay attention to him or give him a compliment (which was not often), floods of joy and happiness would overcome him. He craved that feeling, so he would do things, sometimes in annoying excess, to gain their attention, like trying to impress them with a newly learned magic trick or a successful somersault, but his parents were too focused on bickering at each other that they were not impressed. His parents eventually divorced, which led to Brian getting even less attention than before. His somersaults were completely meaningless now. Years of this neglect resulted in Brian fearing loneliness and craving approval from others. He eventually went to college and met a girl, whose interest in him made him feel like he was on top of the world. Is this what it feels like to feel wanted? She seemed to be a bit domineering and controlling, but no one is perfect. It was nothing compared to how she made him feel, the attention and companionship that his mother and father were not able to give him. After three years of dating, and after countless intimations from her, he asked her to marry him. This despite the fact that, one, he couldn’t do anything (major) without her permission, two, he had no friends of his own, and three, his life was basically dictated by her. But it was “safe,” because Brian was afraid of being alone—deathly afraid, although he didn’t realize it. Being controlled and manipulated was better, he subconsciously thought, than being alone.

The Bible says a lot about fear. One particular passage is relevant for my point: “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim 1:7 NIV).

When we think of fear, perhaps we think of high adrenaline fear, such as the moment right before the roller coaster plummets to the ground after the initial climb. Or we might think of monsters and demons and serial killers and earthquakes and tornados and war. Maybe fear of public speaking. Or spiders. These are legitimate sources of fear, probably.

But there are more common, mundane sources of fear that often get neglected. Fear of being lonely, like Brian. Fear of commitment. Fear of disapproval. Fear of failure. Fear of disappointment. Fear of missing out, which actually has a deeper root, if you think about it. Fear of unworthiness. Fear of the unknown. Fear of confrontation. Fear of too much freedom. Fear of a lack of freedom. And just to add, if you notice, people who say they fear nothing probably have deep-seated fears like these, existential fears that subconsciously rule their lives.

Often times, more often than we probably realize, fears of this sort drive our decisions. Brian’s fear of loneliness drove him to marry the first girl who showed interest in him, even though she was not good for him. Someone else’s fear of failure might cause them to not go for certain opportunities that they otherwise might have enjoyed. Fear of disappointing others may result in exhausting oneself trying to make everyone happy, yet no one ends up being happy. Another example is from the pandemic we experienced several years ago. I think I can speak candidly about it, now that there is some emotional distance. But there was fear on all sides. Fear of contracting Covid-19. Fear of dying from Covid-19. Fear of loved ones dying from Covid-19. Fear of a governmental takeover. Fear of a loss of liberty and freedom of life. So what did some of us do? We refused to take a vaccine, because we feared it would have adverse health effects on us (for some it did). We refused to go outside, because we feared that masks and sanitizers weren’t good enough (unfortunately, some did die from Covid, or Covid related complications). We refused to quarantine, because we feared isolation and control from the government. We refused to stop gathering together as a church, because we feared that it was the first step of banning religious gatherings altogether. We believed the conspiracy theories or the exaggerated news reports that fed our fears, because it gave us permission to act the way we did. (I’m not saying everyone who did these things was driven by fear, but fear did drive some people to do some of these things.) Fear is a terrible decision maker.

When Paul says to Timothy, “For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control,” there is an assumed truth that fear is generally bad. There are many reasons that fear is bad, but one is that decisions based on fear tend to be poor ones. Think about the last bad decision you made, whether it was major or minor. If you look closely enough, there was probably at least an element of fear involved. Another reason that fear is bad is that fear prevents us from living the lives that God has called us to live.

In place of fear, Paul says that God’s Spirit gives us (1) power, (2) love, and (3) self-control. 3 for the price of 1. Good deal. We have power over our decisions, instead of being enslaved (consciously or subconsciously) by fear or lust or rage. We have love that motivates our decisions, instead of being driven by hate or anger. And we have self-control to guide our decisions, instead of being controlled by some other force. God’s Spirit supplies us with these characteristics, if we ask.

So what can we do? We can start by self-reflecting and introspecting on these underlying fears that we might have. Perhaps think out loud and process with a trusted friend, mentor, or counselor. But more importantly, we can and should ask God to enlighten us as we ask him to reveal our fears and to replace those fears with power, love, and self-control.

— Dave

P.S. Ironically, it took me sitting on a draft of this post for at least a couple of weeks before officially posting it, because… well, fear. Yup.
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Tullian’s Recent Resignation and the Mega-Church Pastor: Have We Learned Anything?

June 22nd, 2015
The story came out not too long ago, but news has spread that Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, has resigned due to “moral failure.” He claims, in the article, that his wife had been involved in adultery, which led him to be involved in an “inappropriate” relationship himself. His wife seems to have a different story that has not yet been officially released.

Frankly, the root of the problem is simple, and yet so many of us seem to miss it. Paul talked about celebrity culture in the first century, where some disciples would claim Apollos, others Paul, and still others Peter. It’s not different in today’s world of: “My favorite preacher is ____,” “No, I like ____ because he preaches in such and such a way,” “Man, _____ is such a godly man. I want to be just like him…” And so on and so forth. Paul rebukes the Corinthians and says, “What then is Tullian Tchividjian? What is John PIper? Slaves through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each… So neither are any of them anything…” (my paraphrase). These pastors, week in and week out, through members of their church coming up to them right after their performances (oops I meant sermons), through social media comments, emails, messages, texts, what have you, hear the praises of men and actually buy into the fact that they are literally God’s gift to humanity. Maybe some celebrity pastors don’t think this way, but it’d be awfully hard not to believe what you hear over and over and over again. As a sinner, if I heard millions of people praise me and my “gifts in ministry” over the course of years and decades, I couldn’t help but drink my own Kool-Aid as well. (So please, don’t praise me.)

The root of the problem is systemic in nature: the system of mega-churches and the cult of personality that so-called Christians are attracted to. I quote a recent blogger who put it well: “… the cult of personality is everywhere. It’s their [pastors’] sinful inclination to be worshipped and our sickening sinful inclination to worship anyone other than God” (source). Mark Driscoll (ironically) used to use the term “functional Savior,” and little did he know that he himself was a functional Savior for many of his followers. Want proof? He had many supporters even after all of his dirty laundry aired. The man can do no wrong!

“The mega-church pastor becomes like the liver of an alcoholic body. The anxiety, pressure, and stress generated by the mega-church is not shared by the typical member but is focused primarily upon the pastor. This pressure molds the pastor into something more akin to a CEO of a large corporation than a wise rabbi. Even pastors who attempt to stay healthy will end up flaming-out and suffering because the systemic issue cannot be mitigated by sound personal practices” (source). Are you telling me that NO ONE else in your 15,000-member congregation can preach and teach the word effectively, so that it is necessary for you to be videoed in on five different campuses? Shouldn’t we as believers train and mobilize others to do the work of ministry?

I am in no position to judge Tullian, or any other fallen celebrity pastor, on a personal level. But I am in a position to evaluate (or “judge”) where the evangelical church is headed, and it is not in a good direction. If I may make a suggestion to my fellow evangelicals: stop idolizing celebrity pastors, stop quoting them as if they were inspired Scripture, stop depending on them for spiritual maturity, and let’s support those local church pastors who actually do the daily grind of real ministry. Rather than get excited because you got a selfie with Mark Dever (nothing against him or any others!), why not encourage your own pastor by being more fully engaged in the work of ministry?

Right now, I serve on staff at a local church that has an average attendance of about 100-120, which here in Canada is an average-sized church. I serve alongside a pastor who is not only the pastor of preaching and teaching, but does the work of an executive pastor, counseling pastor, outreach pastor, missions pastor, and oversees all of the ministries (and for a small church, we have lots of ministries!) within the church, among other duties. He also volunteers for the community BBQs we host, and is a husband and father of four young kids. I don’t say all of this to create another celebrity pastor–far from it. He is far from a celebrity in this community, but I can say he is a brother and friend with whom I love doing ministry. I think I’m going to spend more of my time and energy serving alongside pastors like this, than give my admiration for a celebrity pastor who, because of the system they and others have created, may or may not experience moral failure for themselves and their families. My relationship with God will not be affected by any of this nonsense that the Apostle Paul would scoff at today.
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Celebrity Christianity and Modern Culture: 1 Corinthians 3 Applied Today

May 19th, 2014
I’d be tempted to say “our culture today,” but it seems as if the ancients were not too different than us “moderns,” at least when it comes to socio-cultural issues. For instance, “our culture today” is obsessed with the celebrity culture. I mean obsessed. If you disagree, consider how much time most people spend on social media, reading things that have nothing to do with them by people they haven’t even met. Or consider how many “news” articles are written about some kind of drama involving one celebrity or another, and how many people actually read these articles and talk about them. Not that it’s wrong in and of itself to read these things, but it just goes to show you how obsessed we are with celebrity culture.

We’d like to think Christians are no different, but the “Christian culture” has celebrities as well. Many of these are mega-church pastors, Christian hip-hop artists, worship leaders, or whomever else occupies the spotlight. (In my much smaller world, these might be certain authors or scholars.) Certainly it’s biblical to have Christian mentors to learn from and be challenged by (even Paul told the Corinthians to emulate him; 1 Cor 4:15-16). But it’s a completely different thing to lift certain people up on a pedestal and treat them as super-Christian (if there were such a thing) and idolize them. Yes, it’s certainly possible to idolize Christian leaders; in fact, I would argue that it is one of those common sins within the church that Christians have a hard time discerning, because it’s not as easily discernible as, say, swearing.

Idolizing Christian leaders is the very thing that Paul rebuked the Corinthians for doing. In the third chapter to his first (actually probably his second, but that’s another discussion) letter to the Corinthians, he writes: “for when one says, ‘I follow Paul,’ and another, ‘I follow Apollos,’ are you not being merely human?” It’s a rhetorical question, and Paul means to say that following one particular Christian leader over another is actually being worldly. One of the first problems that Paul addresses to this worldly church is the problem of celebrity Christianity: of treating servants of Christ as celebrities–which should tell modern readers that this was, and still is, a serious problem in the church. I think reproducing Paul’s quote here is helpful, instead of summarizing it. He writes: “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth” (1 Cor 4:5-7).

Many Christians come to Christ because they are weak, insufficient, needy, broken, and in need of a Savior. True, true, true, true, and true. In fact, Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” One cannot inherit heaven without realizing their utter poverty before God. But to look to another human who preaches Christ to be a functional Savior is not the same thing as looking to Christ. To function as if a certain preacher is inerrant (nothing they say could be wrong, and if it sounds wrong, well they probably didn’t really mean that) is what Paul chided the Corinthians for.

We don’t need celebrities in the church for Christians to adore and admire. What we need is more Christians growing up, moving on from spiritual infancy, critically thinking and discerning for themselves, learning to read the Bible for themselves, and doing the work of the gospel together. I’m totally not undermining the work of pastors and other leaders; they have a crucial function in the church. In fact, I have for many years, and currently do now, serve as a pastor at my church. But when pastors and other Christian leaders accept the celebrity status that other Christians give to them, they do not follow Paul’s example. The pastor’s calling is to train and equip all Christians to be able to do the work of the ministry together, not to hand-feed baby food to their congregations for their entire lives. To want to attain a sort of Christian celebrity status is wrong (no one blatantly admits this, obviously, but a secret desire may be manifest through various subtle actions and attitudes), and to contribute to it by treating some as better than others is also wrong. In this area, let’s be different from the world by renouncing celebrity culture and treating everyone as equals in God’s kingdom.
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Desiring God in the Midst of Suffering: Doing the Impossible

January 28th, 2013
Have you ever wanted something so bad that there was absolutely no price that was too high for it? Perhaps, you’ve even sold your soul for it. Maybe it’s resulted in broken relationships, loss of trust, or whatever else is deemed to be valuable. Is that kind of desire possible with God as the object? Can I ever love God so much that I would do anything for him?

“Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps 73:25-26). Interestingly enough, some ancient dude named Asaph wrote this line in the midst of heavy suffering. How many of us can genuinely state the same when the world around us seems to be crumbling?

Another relevant question is this: if God is all-powerful, but I am currently suffering the loss of my child in a car accident (or some other tragic situation), how do I continue to love God and desire him above all else? Because at that moment, I am probably desiring my kid back more than anything else in the world. Sure, it’s easy to “love God” when I’ve gotten a raise or promotion at work, or the night before my wedding day, or some other happy occasion, but when something tragic happens to me, how do I love God?

It seems to me that often times, God allows trials to happen to us for precisely that reason: that we would remember that he is the strength of our hearts–not our romantic partner, not our kids, not our houses, not our jobs, not our bank account, not our trophies, not anything else but him. God, being the highest good in all the universe, does not want divided hearts–he wants undivided hearts that follow him. So for someone who is a child of God, it seems that trials have an innate built-in feature that makes us want him more, and not just his material provision (although the two aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive). It seems that these, perhaps in a secondary way, serve as reminders that everything else is temporary and fleeting, in comparison to a saving relationship with God Almighty.

So how do we love God in the midst of suffering? Desire him above the source of our suffering. Certainly, it’s impossible on our own, but with God, all things are possible (you’ve heard that before right?). So when faced with suffering, ask God for a greater desire for him. We don’t have to be declaring from the mountain-tops that we love God; loving God in trial is simply desiring God himself, not only his provisions.
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Religion vs Relationship: Revisiting an Unnecessary Bifurcation of Categories

December 17th, 2012
In recent times, the construct of “religion vs relationship” has been widely and commonly accepted among evangelical Christians. A good example of this is the YouTube video by Jefferson Bethke that went completely viral about a year ago, called “Why I Hate Religion but Love Jesus” (this post isn’t about him, as he’s made clear of his intentions after much controversy surrounding his video; the point of referencing him is simply to illustrate that this line of thinking is common today). The big idea is this: Jesus didn’t come to convert us to a religion but to create a relationship with us. This idea is not new, however. The whole “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” slogan was popularized in the Jesus Movement of the 80s, I believe, as evangelicals focused on a more personal dimension of their faith in God over an external appearance of piety. One of the strengths of this movement was indeed calling attention to the more personal aspects of faith, like individual prayer and private Bible reading. One of the weaknesses of this movement was a lack of attention to the corporate aspects of faith and the importance of doctrine. Thus, we have today those who would call themselves Christians and followers of Jesus but lack a commitment to a local church body. They aren’t religious; but they have a personal relationship with Jesus.

Is this bifurcation between religion and relationship accurate? The most obvious observation that relates to this is that there is a type of religion that we are to follow. James 1:27 says: “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” Religion is a neutral word; it simply refers to a set of beliefs and practices of a particular group of people in relation to a deity and worship. There’s good religion and bad religion. Bad religion, as an example, exploits the poor and the oppressed through works-based salvation, and is generally characterized by hypocrisy. Good religion, on the other hand, shows the way we can be saved by the grace of God through faith in his Son, and advocates good works that is produced by that changing grace.

I hate dead orthodoxy, but I am religious. I am committed to my local church, but I also have a “personal relationship” with Jesus. I call myself religious because I have a set of beliefs and practices that I follow, but I hate religion that is man-made. And I have a relationship with God because I spend my private time reading his Word and praying to him.
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Head Knowledge vs. Heart Knowledge: Fine Distinctions or False Dichotomies?

September 24th, 2012
It is commonly assumed that there are two kinds of knowledge when it comes to the Christian faith: head knowledge and heart knowledge. “Head knowledge” is often associated with knowledge limited to the level of information, without any practical implications or impact in someone’s life. On the other hand, “heart knowledge” is associated with that information that results in transformation in someone life. It may also refer to the emotional impact that results from information, such as joy that results from the knowledge of God’s love. Head knowledge is usually considered pejorative; heart knowledge, conversely, is generally favorable.

While I understand the intent behind this bifurcation and certainly believe that knowledge just at the information level is limited (in many, but not all, contexts), and while I share the sentiment of those who espouse these terms (whether intentional or unintentional), I don’t think the bifurcation is necessary helpful and sometimes can even be misleading. I propose two main reasons why. First, “head” and “heart” today does not mean the same thing it does today as it does in the Bible. “Head” today symbolizes the decision-making aspect of a person, while in Scripture has a variety of metaphors, one being “authority” (or “source”). “Heart” today refers to the emotions of a person, but in Scripture refers to the center of a person, including the mind, affections, and will. So to categorize knowledge into the two distinctions of heart and head seems to (intentionally or unintentionally) ignore the biblical uses of these words.

Second, when knowledge is referred to in Scripture, there is no taxonomy of knowledge, but it is usually synonymous to wisdom, and in many contexts is seen as a good thing. Solomon begins his book of Wisdom by stating “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Prov 1:7), implying a close relationship between knowledge, wisdom, and instruction. Furthermore, Paul refers to his fellow Israelites as having “a zeal for God but not according to knowledge” (Rom 10:2). Their zeal is based on ignorance. While I don’t have the space here to survey all the ways “knowledge” is used in the Bible, it’s probably safe to say that it is seen as a positive characteristic that one is to strive for. But the modern dichotomy of head and heart knowledge seems to indicate that there may be a type of knowledge that is bad, some actually even scoffing at those who have lots of it.

As an alternative, I would suggest that instead of using these misleading terms, we use preferable words like ignorance or hypocrisy. In fact, I would suggest that what some refer to when they refer to “head knowledge” is actually hypocrisy: their life does not reflect what they know. So instead of saying something like, “He has a lot of head knowledge but no heart knowledge,” I suggest that person really means is, “He is hypocritical: he knows a lot about the Bible, but his knowledge is not reflected in his own life.” The latter may get a few more frowns than the former and is probably more offensive to say out loud (and also highly judgmental), but that’s what we really mean, don’t we?

“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17).
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Trials as Tests: Why God Allows Suffering Sometimes

September 22nd, 2012
Job is one of the most intriguing books in the Bible. Think about it: Job was this super-righteous man whom God was able to brag to Satan about. Do you think your life is such that God would brag to Satan about how righteous you are? Those are some tough shoes to wear. But then, all of a sudden, Job has everything taken from him. His children, his possessions, his dignity, his reputation, his social status… even a supportive wife. Everything. And the nagging question throughout the entire book, whether implicit or explicit, is why? Why did this happen? Did he deserve it? Certainly not. Even as a Calvinist, believing that we are all sinful at birth and deserve only condemnation, there is no indication in the book itself that Job did anything to deserve this type of misfortune (unless we are erroneously convinced by the unhelpful “logic” of his friends). So why?

Well, we get a hint of why in the first chapter. God brags to Satan about how righteous Job is, so Satan incites God by saying, “Does Job fear God for no reason? … You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face” (Job 1:9-11). In essence, Satan accuses Job of serving God only because of his material blessings. If those are taken away, Job would no longer serve God. Job’s worship, Satan proffers, is merely superficial. God says, I’ll prove you wrong. Do what you will, but Job will remain faithful to me. Sure enough, Job’s first response to his affliction is worship (1:20). Satan nudges God again, and even more affliction befalls Job. Job suffers, but never does he renounce or rebuke God. He does, however, deal humanly with all the suffering he experiences; in fact, he has to defend his righteousness to his so-called friends. Imagine that, he lives his life righteously, then he suffers for no reason, and his friends all accuse him of unrighteousness and that he had it coming to him. In spite of this, Job never curses God. He curses his own life, but never God.

It was a test. Not for God to know the results, for he knows all things. But it was a test for Job; and for Satan. It was to prove that Job’s faithfulness to God was not merely external and based on external blessings, but it was based on the grandeur of God himself. Job was righteous because he loved God, not the blessings of God. And it was a defeat of Satan. Ever since he was banished from heaven, Satan has tried again and again to thwart God’s plan for human redemption. He would do everything and anything to throw a wrench in God’s plan. So he afflicted Job to prove that God isn’t as great as everyone makes him out to be. Job proved him wrong. God, through Job, was still victorious.

God allows suffering in our life for two reasons: 1) to prove your genuine faith and 2) to stick it to Satan. Consider it flattery that Satan would spend his time trying to wreck your faith; and when he fails, laugh in his face. Yes, sometimes our suffering is a direct consequence of our sinful actions. In that case, repentance is warranted. But often times, even unwarranted suffering to our actions is from Satan, and we can let him have it by loving God himself without his blessings. Suffering happens to prove the sincerity of our faith to God, that nothing would separate us from the love of God, even if we should die. That’s how great God is. He is worth every type of suffering, for the reward is far greater.

But the good news is that our suffering is temporary. But remember how Job’s life ended. He was blessed twice as much as he had before. God provided children again for Job, more wealth, and a long life. It’s evidence of God’s grace. Maybe God doesn’t have to, but he does bless his children for their suffering. So what do you do when you suffer? Pull through and stay faithful to God. Magnify God by trusting in him and desiring him above any temporal misfortune that befalls you. Not so that you would get your material blessings back, but to prove that in spite of the pain, in spite of the suffering, you would rather choose God than anything else this world has to offer. Because you realize, this is in fact better than cursing God and dying. If you see yourself doing this in the midst of suffering, be encouraged: your faith is genuine, and your devotion to God isn’t merely superficial. And maybe he brings it to refine your faith as well. He wants you to desire him above all else; and sometimes he accomplishes that through suffering.
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Reading as a Primary Weapon for Spiritual Warfare

September 12th, 2012
Last time, I wrote briefly on what spiritual warfare really entails: our minds. To clarify, I’m referring to our minds as the instrument we use to think, discern, evaluate, ponder, contemplate, believe, and even know. It is the vehicle which we contains our thoughts, ideas, and beliefs. It is not diametrically opposed to the heart, which (in biblical terms) encompasses the mind, will, and affections.

In light of this view of the mind and its importance in spiritual warfare, I would argue, then, that reading is a significant part of being a faithful spiritual warrior. Certainly, when we think of spiritual warriors, we think of those saints who are always on their knees praying. But let me suggest that reading is also a spiritual activity. Reading is one of the main ways that we renew and develop our minds (along with listening), and I consider it to be necessary for spiritual development and growth.

Without getting into an apologetic for reading (I’m simply assuming you agree with me here), let me suggest that we should have various types of books/articles that we are reading simultaneously. I know, it’s hard enough to read just one book at a time (and to finish it), let alone three to five. But let me challenge you to have at least three types of books in your rotation. Obviously, we must be reading the Bible itself, the first category. There are many Bible reading plans out there (see my previous post on this), and there is no excuse anymore not to be regularly reading it!

A second type of book I would suggest keeping in your repertoire would be a theological or academic type book, one that expounds an issue of theology that you are curious about or one that you aren’t as familiar with. Depending on your level of reading, this might include going through Augustine’s City of God, J. I. Packer’s Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, or maybe tackling one of Cornelius Van Til’s works. These are usually (but not always) written by college, university, or seminary professors. Non-academics tend to shy away from these type of books because they’re either “too difficult” to understand or not practical enough. But this genre of books is also important because it informs your knowledge of God and his truth (directly or indirectly), which in turn ends up affecting your practical life. My last post being an illustration of this, having a clear and sober understanding of what spiritual warfare actually is will help us to engage correctly in spiritual warfare and not do weird things. Having a right view of soteriology helps us to evangelize properly as well. Your view of the New Perspective on Paul also has some clear implications on how you might evangelize to someone. Certainly, there are many practical implications from engaging in theological and biblical studies.

The third type of book I would recommend having in your queue is not related directly to a “Christian” subject. This might be something in the area of philosophy, psychology, science, literature, linguistics, other religions, even fiction. I think, as Christians, it’s important to be well-rounded individuals and be aware of what’s going on in the world around us–even if we should disagree with certain things. We should be able to intelligently dialogue with all sorts of people, especially if we want to share the gospel with all sorts of people.

So I encourage you to have at least three books in your repertoire: one the Bible, one academic or theological, and one non-Christian (so to speak). Well, now you know how to engage in spiritual warfare. And (to end with a cheesy ’80s cartoon quote) “knowing is half the battle.”
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Spiritual Warfare and 2 Cor 10:4-6: Weapons of Destruction

August 27th, 2012
Recently I was asked a question regarding spiritual warfare, specifically about something someone said and what the Bible says about it (can I be any more vague?). Specifically, this person was told to pray over various rooms in the house to be protected from demons and Satan, and they (nowadays “they” is used as an ambiguous first person singular pronoun, used instead of “he/she” and other awkward alternatives) asked me how valid and biblical this line of thinking is.

One of the many biblical texts on “spiritual warfare” is 2 Cor 10:4-6. It says: “For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.”

A few points I want to make on what this passage says:

1) The “weapons,” or means, of war are not physical but spiritual; not material but immaterial. We are physically bound beings and we live in a physical world, and, contra Plato and the Gnostics, the material things of this world are not evil. Nevertheless, the type of battle we are engaged in is not material but beyond material. It is characterized by what you can’t physically sense.

2) The weapons we use in this war have “divine power” (δυνατὰ τῷ θεῷ; lit. “power to/unto God”). Without getting too technical grammatically, here “divine” functions not so much as an adjective (descriptive), but as the source of this power (I’m taking the view that the dative of “divine” [τῷ θεῷ] has a locative function, for those interested in these things). So the power we have is from God.

3) The objects of this war are related to our minds. Words like “arguments,” “knowledge of God,” and “every thought” relate to our minds–the immaterial, the spiritual.

4) The goal of this war is obedience. There is nothing in this passage (or other related passages for that matter) that relate to our physical safety. Watching too many horror movies have made us think that demons are out to endanger our physical safety–Paul here talks about disobedience versus obedience. In fact, the best (and by “best” I mean “worst”) thing Satan can do to us is lead us to disobedience. Whether that disobedience is immaterial, like distrust and dissatisfaction (yes, that’s a sin), or material, like adultery and debauchery, this is what Satan truly wants of God’s people.

So how do we engage in spiritual warfare? Build up our minds in God. Our minds are the most important and powerful weapons against Satan and his minions. Prayer is certainly a component of that (as we pray and affirm towards God what is true, and ask for his help and wisdom). But prayer is not the only weapon; we need to constantly be in God’s Word, read books and articles that illumine God’s Word, listen to sermons and studies that elucidate God’s Word, listen to music that cause us to think about the things of God–fill our minds with the truth of and about God. Constantly. When the lie that God’s mercy runs out on you enters your mind, your mind needs to be filled with the doctrines of grace so as to combat that lie. When the lie that God doesn’t care about you enters your mind, you have to fill yourself with the truths of Matt 10:30-31.

Your mind is your best weapon of destruction against Satan.

So forget about those superstitions about demons lurking in your closets and doorways, and engage in real spiritual battle by filling your minds with the truths of God. Related to this, my next post will be on some practical ways to do this.
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Should I Give Money to the Homeless Guy so He Could Buy Booze and Drugs?

August 13th, 2012
I was walking around Venice Beach years ago on a Saturday afternoon, where the strand was busy with all sorts of “interesting” people. If you’ve ever been there, you know what I mean. I noticed one guy particularly on this occasion, sitting on the ground against a building–it looked like he may have been homeless–who had a cardboard sign that read something like: “I’ll be honest. I need money for booze.” I chuckled to myself when I read that; at least he was being honest! That sign certainly made me not want to give anything to that guy (except the gospel, which I unfortunately didn’t do at that time).

I think one of the hardest challenges we face as followers of Jesus is generosity. It’s certainly a lost art. The North American (Christian) culture teaches us to be responsible stewards of our resources* (certainly true), that we are responsible for our own failures and fortunes (certainly true in some or many cases), and that any material blessing or material failure is a result of our work and effort. I think this type of mentality is one reason why the doctrines of grace are difficult to accept, because it’s all about grace.

In the Bible, we see something radically different. We see members of the early church selling their houses (think of a modern-day home conservatively worth $300k), and donating the proceeds–yes, they gave all of it–to the church (Acts 4:34-35). I happen to think that this was not the property that they occupied with their families, but any other extra property they owned. They basically gave away whatever equity they had so the church would benefit from it. Does that kind of thing happen today?

Yes, I know, we need to be responsible with our God-given resources. But how much more responsible is it to be generous? The problem of the rich, young ruler (Luke 18:18-30) was not that he was by human standards immoral or unethical; it was that he wasn’t able to sell everything and give it to the poor, which illustrated his heart condition. Jesus never condemned generosity. He never said, how dare you give money to the homeless guy so he could buy booze and drugs! He never withheld healing a blind guy or a paraplegic in case they would abuse his generosity. He did it; and then commanded them not to sin afterwards. There’s no condition or qualification to generosity. That’s our “North American Christian” defense mechanism justifying our keeping rather than giving. If I was really worried about giving the homeless guy drug money, I would take the time to buy the guy a meal or whatever it was he needed. Obviously, I’m not saying we should be irresponsible with our money. And if my money is going to something my conscience doesn’t allow, I shouldn’t give. But we have to ask ourselves, is it because I’m just being stingy right now, or is it because I really want to be responsible with my resources?

Be generous. Give. Give till it hurts. If you don’t have anything to give (which is rarely the case if you work and live in North America), ask God to give to you so you can give to others. At the very least, give to your church. To your family. To your friends. And to strangers. But don’t do it out of guilt. Do it because you realize you already have everything. And if you’re still uninspired, watch this video. Your generosity is probably a bigger investment in the kingdom than you could imagine…

* As a caveat, I strongly advocate ministries like Crown and Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, that help Christians understand what responsible stewardship of God’s resources looks like. I’m grateful for their ministry to the church, how they’ve helped many get out of debt and experience financial freedom. And I am aware that they also advocate principles of generosity as a part of responsible stewardship.
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Christians and Tipping: Glorifying God at the Restaurant

August 8th, 2012
For a helpful blog post on Christians and tipping, read this by Trevin Wax.

I used to work as a server in a restaurant for a number of years, helping to pay my way through school. For those who’ve worked in a restaurant, particularly as a server, you get to see what people are really like, and especially what Christians are really like. They’re pretty easy to spot: they usually pray before their meals, wear “Jesus is my homeboy” T-shirts (or something similar), usually order iced-tea or water with their meal, and come in unusually large groups (almost always wanting their checks to be split).

Once I served a guy with a “Youth Ministry” T-shirt, who came in with (his) two kids, and left a $0 tip. What most people don’t realize is that I lost money serving him because I ended up tipping out around $4 other service staff. Servers generally tip out 3-4% of their total sales, regardless of how much tip they get. That’s just how the restaurant industry works–and Christians should care.

It’s amazing how cheap many Christians can be–the same ones who’ve richly received the grace of God in Christ Jesus and have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ (Eph 1:3ff). But this is the very thing many Christians forget when dining out: God saved us by grace, not by works; and we’re called by God to be gracious to others and generous in all circumstances–even when, especially when, someone doesn’t deserve it. After all, a working definition of grace is “getting something (great) that you don’t deserve.” And, if you happen to say “grace” before your meal, especially in a group setting, your server knows. So as a Christian dining out, you’re automatically representing Jesus to your server. And if I remember correctly, Jesus gave us Something greater than we can ever deserve or work for.

So instead of asserting my rights as a patron and paying customer, here’s what I try to do when I dine out. I make sure to be polite to my server and not be obnoxious. When things take a long time and the server apologizes, I say “no problem.” I even try to get to know the server a little bit (like are you a student, what are you studying, how long have you been working here, etc), because chances are, your server likes to talk (or else, they probably wouldn’t be working in that industry). And I make sure to tip 20%, sometimes more if they’ve done a really great job. With the worst service and attitude, maybe I’ll leave 15%, but not less than that. I realize that my server has probably seen me say grace for my meal. Heck, I might even invite him/her to my church at the end of the meal. Because honestly, that extra few dollars you leave with them goes a long way. Think about it: 15% of a $20 meal is $3; 20% is $4–a $1 difference. That extra dollar communicates a lot and means a lot. You’re representing Jesus to be a generous God. You’re not wasting your money; you’re giving in generosity for services provided to you. I don’t know of a better investment of a dollar than to be a good witness. And isn’t that a worthy investment for God’s glory?
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