101 in March - The Bible

As we move into March, our teaching theme is going to centre around The Bible.

With this in mind I wanted to let you know about a great resource that is being provided by YouVersion. They offer the Bible on-line in over 20 translations, the chance to create community and even set up groups for your life group, they have over 20 Bible reading plans with a facility for accountability.

They can explain it alot better than I can, so check them out HERE.

Can I really challenge you this month to make a commitment to reading the Bible daily. 

It saddens me to read the stats that only 9% of born again adults hold a Biblical world view or that only 30% of Christ centered Christians read their Bible daily.

John 1:1, 14 reveal to us that the words of the Bible... are Jesus Himself. Its mysterous. 

But reading the Bible is life giving and beautiful.

So why not commit to daily reading the Bible daily this month. Use one of the YouVersion Bible reading plans or come up with your own...

Who knows, after this month you could have just formed one of the most important and life changing habits of your life!

I'll leave you with some quotes about the Bible:

Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. —Jerome, A.D. 340-420

   

To get the full flavor of an herb, it must be pressed between the fingers, so it is the same with the Scriptures; the more familiar they become, the more they reveal their hidden treasures and yield their indescribable riches.

— John Chrysostom, A.D. 347-407   

THIS BOOK contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveller's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good is its design and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgement, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labour, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

— Anonymous   

Born in the East and clothed in Oriental form and imagery, the Bible walks the ways of all the world with familiar feet, and enters land after land to find its own everywhere. It has learned to speak in hundreds of languages to the heart of man. It comes into the palace to tell the monarch that he is a servant of the Most High, and into the cottage to assure the peasant that he is a son of God. Children listen to its stories with wonder and delight, and wise men ponder them as parables of life. It has a word of peace for the time of peril, a word of comfort for the time of calamity, a word of light for the hour of darkness. Its oracles are repeated in the assembly of the people, and its counsels whispered in the ear of the lonely. The wicked and the proud tremble at its warnings, but to the wounded and the penitent it has a mother's voice. The wilderness and the solitary place have been made glad by it, and the fire on the hearth has lit the reading of its well-worn pages. It has woven itself into our dearest dreams; so that love, friendship, sympathy and devotion, memory and hope put on the beautiful garments of its treasured speech, breathing of frankincense and myrrh.

— Henry van Dyke   

"I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from The Savior of the world is communicated to us through this Book."
Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), 16th U.S. President

"I have known ninety-five of the world's great men in my time, and of these, eighty-seven were followers of the Bible. The Bible is stamped with a Specialty of Origin, and an immeasurable distance separates it from all competitors."
William Gladstone (1809-1898), British statesman, served as Prime Minister four times.

"The Bible is no mere book, but a Living Creature, with a power that conquers all that oppose it."
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Emperor of the French

"All human discoveries seem to be made only for the purpose of confirming more and more the Truths contained in the Sacred Scriptures."
Sir William Herschel (1738-1822), English astronomer, he made numerous discoveries about the laws of the heavens.




Godspeed & Kaizen
Clive

The Technology Revolution

The digital revolution has been upon us for sometime now... and it's great to see that the church is not lagging too far behind.

One of the most exciting developments in the last couple of years has been the creation of YouVersion... an online Bible experience.

Now there is nothing new about an on-line Bible, but where YouVersion separates itself from the pack is it's innovation.

YouVersion has 16 English versions of the Bible. Nice.

But where it really leaves the rest of the pack behind is in the following 3 areas:

1) Interactive focus.

One can make contributions about verses that one has read that are available to anyone reading the verse.

One can also host live events through the mobile application. More on this later in the post.

2) Community Focus

You can form groups, where you can compare notes and even study together.

3) Mobile application.

Lifechurch.tv have made the mobile application available for free. If your phone is web enabled, you can download a version for your phone. 1 out of every 27 iPhones has the YouVersion Bible application on their phone!

Putting these all together is the latest feature... the hosting of 'Live' events.

If you have the latest version of the YouVersion Bible on your phone you will be able to connect with a live event happening in Eastside's 6pm service.

This includes: notes of the message, questions, polls, twitter comments, Bible reader, etc.

We will be running the Live events starting this Sunday in the 6pm service for a time to trial these exciting features.

If you haven't downloaded the app for your phone yet... what are you waiting for? You can download the app from iTunes for free.

I'd love to hear your feedback from this weeks first trial run. Please do leave a comment on this blog or comment through the live event.

PS: If you're interested in hearing about YouVersion and other on-line strategies that Lifechurch.tv are using click HERE.

Pursuing Christ

I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of people who have told me that they are planning to read through the Bible this year.

In an age of Biblical ignorance... there is nothing sweeter to my ears!
As Jerome said, "To be ignorant of the Scriptures is to be ignorant of Christ."

I have personally taken up a challenge to read the 4 Gospels weekly for 3 months.

How are you going to step up your pursuit of Christ in 09?

Matthew 7:22-24 (New International Version)

22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

May we never hear those words from Jesus!

If you do decide to try something like reading the Bible in a year... may I suggest these 2 great on-line tools:

1) E Word Today... a one year Bible reading plan that offers 5 ways of reading the Bible including chronologically and historically. Click HERE to go and check it out.

2) You Version. This site offers the ability to organize, share, contribute and have community in your Bible study as well as a one year reading plan. (I have signed up with Youversion... and use it especially on my iphone). Click HERE to go and check it out.

Let us know how you are planning to increase your pursuit of Christ by leaving a comment.

Godspeed & Kaizan

Clive