Mar
13
2012

A Completed “Memory Moleskine”

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I have been using the “memory moleskine” since I started with Philippians last year. Tim Brister’s idea revolutionized my thinking about Scripture memorization, and along the way, changed how I manage my private devotions.

My devotions over the years have always varied from hot to cold, working on something or doing nothing at all. I have used teaching Sunday school as a devotion of sort, yet I never really felt that lesson preparation should be my only devotion.

Now though, I am deliberately and systematically choosing what to memorize. In turn, I am choosing what to spend time on. The time spent focused on memorizing has also become time spent in study and worship.

With each passage in my “memory moleskine”, I read one to several commentaries about that passage. I take notes and look for links pointed out within the books. I seek out new applications and new means to draw nearer to Christ.

With our just finished study of Philemon, I used Peter O’Brien’s commentary to help me understand better Paul’s letter. The picture below is one page of how my notebook ended up looking. The entire notebook is also available.

 

Mar
11
2012

Week 2: Isaiah 53:1-3

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[1] Who has believed what he has heard from us?

And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?

[2] For he grew up before him like a young plant,

and like a root out of dry ground;

he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,

and no beauty that we should desire him.

[3] He was despised and rejected by men;

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief;

and as one from whom men hide their faces

he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

 

Mar
08
2012

Week 1: Isaiah 52:13-15

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[13] Behold, my servant shall act wisely;

he shall be high and lifted up,

and shall be exalted.

[14] As many were astonished at you—

his appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance,

and his form beyond that of the children of mankind—

[15] so shall he sprinkle many nations;

kings shall shut their mouths because of him;

for that which has not been told them they see,

and that which they have not heard they understand.

 

Mar
08
2012

The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12)

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Suffering Servant Wordle

This week, our church began memorizing the final song of the Suffering Servant from Isaiah (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). These words from the Old Testament point us to Jesus who suffered and died for us. Our pastor David Hull encouraged all of us to use this passage and this memorization effort as preparation for Easter.

The ESV Study Bible introduces this section with a statement about what Isaiah is revealing and which words we as readers should pay attention to:

Isaiah finally explains how the Holy One can bless sinful people: all the promises of God will come true for them because the suffering and triumphant servant removes their guilt before God by his sacrifice. To be clear on which parties are described, it helps to observe the pronouns: “I” in this passage is typically the Lord, “he” the servant, and “we” the servant’s disciples, who themselves need the servant to bear their guilt (Isaiah 53:4-6), which is why the servant cannot be Israel or the pious within Israel.

 

The “memory moleskine” to use in a notebook is located here. It is one mechanism for keeping up with the weekly Scripture memorization. Reading the passage aloud several times a day has been a great help to me. Recently, I have tried visualizing the scene described within the verses. The brain works incredibly well with images. If you can link a verse or a phrase to an image in your mind, then your chances of retaining the verse will be increased.

 

 

Feb
27
2012

The Rare Jewel of Wisdom

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From Don Carson:

People do not often understand just how rare real wisdom is. According to chapter 28, Job understands. The chapter is a poetic reflection on this very theme: “But where can wisdom be found? Where does understanding dwell?” (Job 28:12). Job lists the places wisdom is not found and concludes, “It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, ‘Only a rumor of it has reached our ears’ ” (Job 28:21-22). Where then is wisdom found? “God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens” (Job 28:23-24). And what is God’s own summary? “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

via Exodus 10; Luke 13; Job 28; 1 Corinthians 14 – For the Love of God.

Feb
26
2012

Philemon 22-25

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22 At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you.

23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends greetings to you,

24 and so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers.

25 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

 

Feb
19
2012

Philemon 15-21

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15 For this perhaps is why he was parted from you for a while, that you might have him back forever,

16 no longer as a bondservant3 but more than a bondservant, as a beloved brother—especially to me, but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

17 So if you consider me your partner, receive him as you would receive me.

18 If he has wronged you at all, or owes you anything, charge that to my account.

19 I, Paul, write this with my own hand: I will repay it—to say nothing of your owing me even your own self.

20 Yes, brother, I want some benefit from you in the Lord. Refresh my heart in Christ.

21 Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

via Philemon – ESVBible.org.

Feb
18
2012

Memorizing Philemon

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Two weeks ago, a few of us in church started memorizing Philemon. It was an opportunity to memorize more Scripture prior to an Easter memorization project within our church.

It’s unlike other Pauline letters that I’ve studied. Paul’s love for Philemon and Onesimus drips from the book. Paul takes extraordinary care to reintroduce Philemon to his “bondservant” (ESV). The ESV Study Bible says that the theme of Philemon is the power of the gospel to transform lives and to impact human relationships. I’ve been trying to look for those themes as I read through Philemon and meditate on what I’ve read.

What I would like to do is re-evaluate my own relationships and see where I need to inject more gospel.

Feb
16
2012

Praying in your room

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In Matthew 6:5, Jesus turns to a very familiar act, that of praying, and directly and more strongly tells his disciples that they must not be like the hypocrites when they pray. The hypocrites were praying to impress, with a motivation entirely centered on what others thought. The hypocrites contrived to be in places where their prayers would be visible to all (and maybe heard as well). They wanted the attention of folks so their astonishing piety could be observed.

It is a solemn warning to all of us who pray in public on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with public prayers – at the start of a church meeting, or a Bible study, or during a worship service. It is good and proper for God’s people to come before him together in prayer. And I’m not saying we shouldn’t prepare to pray in public – making sure our tongue isn’t tied up and our grammar or phrases don’t distract. Yet, we need to be cautious that our praying isn’t done to impress those listening. Our prayers bring us to the throne of God (Hebrews 4:16); it is him we should be pointing others to in our prayers.

But where does Jesus tell us to pray? In the closet! Jesus describes praying inside the small storage closet located in most single room homes of his day. There can be no desire to impress other people in prayers made in secret to our “Father who is in secret.” We must spend time with him in prayer and we must do it in total privacy.

 

Feb
14
2012

Our Inexpressible Joy: Loving and Believing in Christ

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I had the privilege of teaching today in another Sunday school classroom at church. It was the “Mosaics” class, a blend of men and women of differing ages, who bring in teachers from classes to present lessons each Sunday. I went in with high hopes of covering 1 Peter 1:1-12, but we only got as far as verse 5.

[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. [6] In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, [7] so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. [8] Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, [9] obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

I was struck again by the joy we have as Christians – joy in our heavenly home and joy in knowing Christ. What seemed more poignant to me was that our joy in Christ is “inexpressible”. As if it weren’t fantastic enough that our inheritance is “imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” and “ready to be revealed in the last time”, Peter adds that loving and believing in Jesus Christ is inexpressible joy.

Heaven may be great but the beauty and glory of my Savior will be what holds my full attention! May I indeed, “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3:8 ESV)