Books v iPhones

Do they have an app for that?  This is the question that every iPhone user asks themselves throughout the day.  Naturally, after a Christian buys an iPhone he looks for an app for the Bible (after he downloads the Redbox app, but definitely before the Dictionary app).

So why blog about iPhones and apps?  Lately I have noticed more and more people at Veritas substituting their Bibles for their iPhones.  It’s starting to creep me out so I’m using this forum to call people back to books before the iPad takes over and the art of wielding God’s Sword becomes as outdated as the NIV.

Last week I was reading John Calvin’s Institutes and I caught myself taking a moment to thank God for the gift of books.  I love to read works by Calvin, Luther, Edwards, and the like.  Their passion for the gospel is so vivid in their writings that I feel like I know these men even though we’re separated by half a millennium.  Sharing in an author’s passion is a universal emotion that any book lover can testify to.

If you love to read, especially the Bible, then most likely you already know that reading your Bible on a 2×3 inch screen is absurd. 

Christians practice the art of proving Scripture with Scripture.  So much of the New Testament references the Old Testament and learning to flip through Scripture to get the “whole counsel” is best done with an old fashioned handheld Bible.  Before I go any further I should mention that I have an iPhone with a Bible app so I understand the obsession of finding and using the newest and coolest apps.  The Bible app is useful when you need to reference a quick verse and don’t have a Bible anywhere around.  However, the app becomes a vice if it is yet another excuse to keep your Bible on your dresser.  When you want to read God’s Word if you grab your iPhone over your Bible then I have a few things to say…

1)      Practice makes perfect.  The more you practice leaving your Bible unopened on your dresser the better you’ll be at being biblically inept.

2)      Humans retain only 60% of what they read right after they read it.  There are some verses that we’ve all read hundreds of times yet still can’t quote exactly.  It’s not enough to just read.  We need to take notes, highlight verses that the Holy Spirit illuminates, and read verses in context (i.e. practice good hermeneutics).  You wouldn’t expect a college student to pass any classes if he only took notes on his iPhone, what makes remembering Scripture verses any different?

3)      Books have lasted half a millennium for a reason.  They are lightweight, portable, thin as a laptop; plus they come with protective covers, and can be translated into every language.  Oh don’t forget about instant access (no need to boot up) and the absence of viruses and freezing issues.  The pen and paper (scrolls) go back thousands of more years.  The iPhone hit the streets last year.  Don’t be so quick to chuck your Bible!

In short, a Bible app definitely has its pros, but if it becomes just another piece of technology that inoculates us from spending time with God in His Word then it’s as useless as the Dollar Store’s Bible on DVD.  If most of your Bible study comes from your TV screen, iPhone, radio, picture frames,  and Inn and Out cups then you might want to reconsider your methods.

Blessed by God, Cursed by Daddy

Last week, I remembered a quote that really hit home when I first read it.  Unfortunately, I don’t remember the author or the exact quote but it went something like this, “Cursed is the home on the day the father does not read Scripture.”

Pastor Erik and I were talking the other day about how important it is as husbands and fathers to search the Scriptures for answers on a daily basis.  Erik said that single guys, husbands, and fathers alike have no excuse for not knowing the Scriptures.  Single guys have more time and fewer responsibilities so scheduling time to read the Bible is more feasible, while husbands and fathers have greater responsibilities which demand even more time searching the Scriptures for answers.

God has been very gracious to the men of Veritas.  God has chosen to give us a pastor who loves the Bible and who feeds the flock (you and me) every week from the pulpit; we also have other godly men who have spent years studying the Bible and who are available upon request to help.   God has also given us a great venue to discuss Scripture in the Fight Club.  Finally, and most importantly, God has given us His Spirit and His Word.  What a shame if we choose to follow the church in Corinth and use all of God’s graces toward us men as a license to remain ignorant (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).

The Veritas Fight Club has been a great source of encouragement for me.  It’s the only place where I can gather around a table with 25 men and hear Scripture verses coming from every side of the table.  Someone will bring up a topic and instantly guys will reference the first verses that come to their minds.  Within seconds, any guy can have a list of verses on just about any subject he has in mind.  It’s a gold mine for guys who are truly eager to know their Bible.  Guys who want to learn how to help row the Veritas boat (not content with being carried along by the strength of other men) will learn here- it’s our training ground.  This is where you can practice wielding your sword and building Proverbs 27:17 friendships.

Proverbs 4:7 says “The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom…”

So often, I hear Christian men say they can’t quote Scripture because they 1) don’t like to read, and 2) don’t remember what they read.  I wish these men would at least read (or download) Proverbs 4:7 and understand that studying the Bible is no different than studying anything else.  It takes time and practice.    

Veritas men – think about this…If you are up to date on your favorite sports team (something that changes weekly) yet you cannot quote one verse in Isaiah (something unchanging), then you are a curse to your family.  If you spend multiple hours per week on a hobby (including planning, dreaming, talking about, and driving to and from it) yet you don’t have a verse to give to your wife when she is struggling with her greatest sin, then you are a curse to your family.  If you spend your time updating your family on the daily “Fox News Alerts” yet you will not read the Bible to them out loud, then you are a curse to your family.  If you sleep in on weekends yet utter the words, “Please pray that I will find time to read the Bible,” then you are a curse to your family.  If you pick up a TIVO remote every day yet don’t pick up your Bible every day, then you are a curse to your family.  If you know your friends’ current Tweets yet can’t quote a single Proverb, then you are a curse to your family.  “Cursed is the home on the day the father does not read Scripture.” 

Generations who will carry on your family name are either cursed or blessed by what you do today.  Fathers, you can either plant a strong family tree that will be rooted in God’s Word and pass down a pure faith, or you can plant a tree in the sand that over time will be weak, dry, and useful only as kindling for when Jesus returns.  Do you truly get that?  One day your grandchildren will ask you about Jesus.  I hope you can quote Moses, Isaiah, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and not pass down an unscriptural, uneducated answer – prepare now!  Today we are brothers in Christ and worship Jesus together.  Beware of going another day without reading the Scriptures because if you pass down that curse your children and your children’s children may try to tear down the very church we are trying to build.

As always, there is hope in the gospel.  If you recognize that you have the potential to be a curse to your family (we all do) then turn from these ways by reaching out for help (ask questions), praying fervently, and stop making excuses for not knowing God’s Word.  Even though we are Christian men, we are prone to laziness, selfishness, comfort over sacrifice, etc.  Consequently, we have to fight against ourselves if we are going to be a blessing to our families.

Men of Our Word

Matthew 5:37 “Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”

As a salesperson, I have tried to convince thousands of business owners to buy everything from water (I sold Alhambra door-to-door), to paper (coupons door-to-door), to air (radio ads).  I learned early on that there are 2 kinds of business owners  I really like – those that say “yes” and those that say “no.”  The problem is the vast majority of people fall into an uncommitted, gray zone.  I can’t work with uncommitted responses because unsigned contracts don’t hold up in court!

Last week, the manager at Elliott’s Natural Foods actually called me back and left a message saying that the owner is reviewing my information and that he will contact me if he is interested.  I was shocked when I was listening to the message because earlier in the day she promised she would call me with an update.  I couldn’t believe she took the time to make good on her promise – that is very rare. 

Jesus teaches us in Matthew 5:37 to commit to our words.  Words have value so we need to be careful not to throw them around and make promises we don’t intend to keep.

I think most people won’t commit to giving a truthful answer because in our culture rejection is viewed as offensive.  People would rather make empty promises (sin) and lie (sin) instead of offering a truthful rejection.  We have all experienced this.  When you invite someone to Veritas, what is the normal response?  You, like me, probably get someone who gives you a big, heartfelt smile and then they utter something like, “that sounds nice, we’ll have to make that happen.”  Behind their smile they are really saying, “No, no, no, please God, no.”  Wouldn’t it be more respectful if someone would say “thanks for the offer, but that’s just not for me”? 

I can work with a “no” or “yes” response, but not with an intentionally doctored-up, uncommitted response.  The worst responses are the flat out lies.  There are certain business owners that set and later confirm appointments with me and habitually don’t show up (at their own place of business).  The worst time this happened was when I signed an account in LA.  It was our company’s largest account and my boss wanted to welcome them face-to-face so she flew from Portland to LA for a confirmed meeting with the owners.  She had to leave a packet of information at the doorstep of the business because the owner and manager were both MIA.  Both had committed to being there but ended up being “no-shows” as we call them.  Thankfully, my boss had other meetings in LA or else it would have been an even uglier experience.

I know it is difficult to offer rejection (because we want to please people), so I think the answer is found in both truth and grace.  The person extending the offer needs to be gracious enough to receive rejection, and the person receiving the offer needs to be loving enough to give a truthful answer whether it be rejection or acceptance.  So no more gray, uncommitted, squirrelly answers.  Let your “yes” be your “yes” and your “no” be your “no,” because anything beyond that comes from our adversary, the devil.

Tending Our Crowns

Proverbs 12:4 “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband…”

Last spring, Proverbs 12:4 really came alive to me.  In the past I would read it and think to myself that of course I have an excellent wife because she is a Christian and Jesus automatically makes Christian wives “excellent.”  This verse didn’t convict me or motivate me to tend to my wife in any way.  Shortly after our second son was born, this verse really began to convict me and it has since shined light on a path that I previously neglected.

Thanks to our total depravity, it is impossible to fellow Jesus on our own.  We are absolutely dependent on the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin (John 16:8) and open our eyes to truth (Proverbs 2:6-7, 9-10).  My hope is that by God’s grace this might resonate with some of you and the Holy Spirit might open some eyes as we learn to honor Christ in our marriages.

I have learned that tending to my crown (Erika) needs to be a daily, conscious effort in order for it to be done in a God honoring way.  If you are like me, you often have good ideas on how to let your wife know she is loved, however, these ideas are prone to flee if you don’t write them down and make them happen.  James 1:22 says, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.”  Taking that principal, husbands so often “deceive themselves” by not “doing” what they have planned. The typical excuses are usually: 1) I don’t have the money, 2) I don’t know how to put the plan into action (too lazy to make reservations, etc.), or 3) I’m good for now…she knows I love her.

The more I meditate on the fact that my wife is my crown, these thoughts arise:

1)      The better I treat my wife the more lovely she will be.

2)      My wife is a walking, talking display of what kind of a husband I am.

3)      When I neglect my wife, it’s akin to having a dented, tarnished crown atop my head that all can see.

4)      Everything Erika says and does rests as a crown upon my head- even in my absence.

5)      My wife is a gift from God that, like a crown, has been formed only for me.

These truths should motivate us to study our wives.  One of the best ways to study your wife is to take her out on dates where you can talk and enjoy each other.  Some of these dates should be cheap so that you can honor God by living within the means He has provided for your family, and some of these dates should be expensive (budgeted far in advance) so that you can honor your wife by spoiling her with things she loves.

Veritas husbands should often meditate on Proverbs 12:4 and figure out how best we can tend to our crowns.