The Web Site and Blog of Pastor Chris Brauns
Justin Taylor posts:
You live in a world where your soul is in constant danger. Enemies are round you on every side. Your own heart is deceitful. Bad examples are numerous. Satan is always laboring to lead you astray. Above all false doctrine and false teachers of every kind abound. This is your great danger.
To be safe you must . . .
Read the rest here.
Understandably, the below line is a lot to think about, but it’s worth considering carefully. The statement tells us that we know the Bible is God’s Word because it is self-authenticating.
Some may object to the Word of God should be confirmed by some other source of authority such as history or science. But if a source of authority appeals to some other source of authority, than the source to which it appeals is ultimate authority.
Westminster Q 4. How doth it appear that the Scriptures are the Word of God?
A. The Scriptures manifest themselves to be the Word of God, by their majesty and purity, by the consent of all the parts, and the scope of the whole, which is to give all glory to God; by their light and power to convince and convert sinners, to comfort and build up believers unto salvation: but the Spirit of God bearing witness by and with the Scriptures in the heart of man, is alone able fully to persuade it that they are the very Word of God.
Christianity.com recently asked me to answer common questions people have about the Christian faith. Each clip is only 2-4 minutes long. Here’s the first one.
Just take the time to read any of the below verses. If you love Christ and His Word, I think you will understand why I chose to memorize them.
People sometimes ask how I choose verses to memorize. Rather than giving a longer explanation here, I decided to share 16 verses that I reviewed this evening and that I’ve had in my system for more than 20 years.
Jude 24-25 is one of the most beautiful benedictions in Scripture.
24 eNow to him who is able fto keep you from stumbling and gto present you hblameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to ithe only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, jbe glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Psalm 37:3-4 both exhort us but also assure us that God will give us the desires of our heart.
3 zTrust in the Lord, and do good;
adwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.2
4 bDelight yourself in the Lord,
and he will cgive you the desires of your heart.
Revelation 3:20 is a verse I memorized while going through an evangelism program. Looking back on it, I think we may have been taking the verse out of context. Notice it’s at the end of the letters to the seven churches.
20 Behold, I stand at the door and zknock. aIf anyone hears my voice and opens the door, bI will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 cThe one who conquers, dI will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as eI also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 pHe who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ ”
Deuteronomy 10:12-13 were recommended by Masters Seminary as verses seminary students should memorize. I didn’t attend Masters, but I got my hands on the list and I am thankful I memorized these verses that summarize the central duty of man and why we should be motivated to do it.
10:12 Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you except to revere him,21 to obey all his commandments,22 to love him, to serve him23 with all your mind and being,24 10:13 and to keep the Lord’s commandments and statutes that I am giving25 you today for your own good?
Micah 5:2 is a key prophecy about our Lord. See Matthew 2:6 and notice that Matthew adds that Bethlehem is by no means least!
2 3 qBut you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
who are too little to be among the clans of rJudah,
from you shall come forth for me
one who is to be sruler in Israel,
twhose coming forth is ufrom of old,
from ancient days.
Romans 8:18-21 remind us that just as Creation was tainted and twisted by the rebellion of image bearers, even so will be redeemed.
8:18 For I consider that our present sufferings cannot even be compared23 to the glory that will be revealed to us. 8:19 For the creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 8:20 For the creation was subjected to futility – not willingly but because of God24 who subjected it – in hope 8:21 that the creation itself will also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s children.
John 1:1-5 are incredible!
1:1 In the beginning1 was the Word, and the Word was with God,2 and the Word was fully God.3 1:2 The Word4 was with God in the beginning. 1:3 All things were created5 by him, and apart from him not one thing was created6 that has been created.7 1:4 In him was life,8 and the life was the light of mankind.9 1:5 And the light shines on10 in the darkness,11 but12 the darkness has not mastered it.13
For more on Scripture memory see here.
If you give Scripture memory just a few seconds every day, it will change your world. (More here).
Today when I timed myself when reviewing 16 verses. It took 113 seconds. I cannot begin to describe to you what these verses have meant to me over the last 20 years that I have been working on them.
The verses included:
Romans 8:1-4 – No condemnation for those in Christ!
Proverbs 3:5-6
Hebrews 11:1-2 – A definition of faith and the introduction to that wonderful chapter.
Titus 2:14 – Conclusion to one of the richest paragraphs in all of Scripture (Titus 2:11-14).
Galatians 6:7-8 – As James MacDonald has summarized, “Choose to sin, choose to suffer.”
1 Cor 10:11-12 – If you think you are standing firm . . .
Isaiah 40:28-31 – Those who wait on the Lord will soar
Our hearts continue to go out to the people of Japan. In the below thought, I am not making a point about the Japanese people. But, I am noticing how the Bible uses this picture of building on the beach to illustrate an important truth for everyone.
Specifically, a New York Times article reminds us of the physical danger of ignoring wisdom and building in the wrong place. Surely, this is the sort of picture Jesus had in mind when he said if we hear his words and don’t do them we are like a man who builds his house on the beach (Matthew 7:24-27).”
To hear the Words of Christ and not do them is to build on the beach.
Ko Sosaki for the New York Times.
ANEYOSHI, Japan — The stone tablet has stood on this forested hillside since before they were born, but the villagers have faithfully obeyed the stark warning carved on its weathered face: “Do not build your homes below this point!”
Tamishige Kimura, village leader of Aneyoshi, Japan, took a walk with his grandson this week.
Residents say this injunction from their ancestors kept their tiny village of 11 households safely out of reach of the deadly tsunami last month that wiped out hundreds of miles of Japanese coast and rose to record heights near here. The waves stopped just 300 feet below the stone.
“They knew the horrors of tsunamis, so they erected that stone to warn us,” said Tamishige Kimura, 64, the village leader of Aneyoshi.
Read the whole thing here.
How frequently do you read the Bible aloud?
Take a couple of minutes this Saturday – - say less than 5 even – - and read a passage aloud to yourself.
It is best to do it more than once. The first time you will need to get a feel for the punctuation and the flow of the passage. The second time through you can read with more expression.
It does not matter if you don’t consider yourself a good reader. Read the passage privately and with prayerful meditation.
Pick out a paragraph or two and read. You have a whole Bible to work with, but suggestions might include:
Take 10 minutes to watch this and you will have witnessed an illustration of those who understand Psalm 19:7-11.
HT: Justin Taylor
Per Isaiah 55:11, if you join this project led by Timmy Brister, you can count on it changing your life. (See here).
Seriously. Why not?
As I’ve explained elsewhere, it’s the best approach to emotional healing.
Lots more to read here.
Randy Alcorn shares his thought on Bible translations. There’s a video if you prefer to watch rather than read:
I actually use a number of translations, including the English Standard Version (ESV). I also use the New International Version (NIV) and in the past I’ve used the New American Standard Version.
The New Living Translation, a “thought for thought” translation, is a nice supplement, but I wouldn’t use it as my main version. Yet I do like the combination of using a “word for word” translation and a “thought for thought” translation.
The rest here.
Read endorsements for Unpacking Forgiveness here.
Click here to order Unpacking Forgiveness.
“. . . Chris Brauns has done a magnificent job in helping us understand the true nature of biblical forgiveness. Every Christian will profit from reading and applying this book.” Jerry Bridges.
“ . . . Unpacking Forgiveness is an engaging, convicting but emphatically encouraging treatment of this hugely important (and sometimes mindbogglingly challenging) part of life. Dr. Brauns writes from the standpoint of a faithful, wise, experienced and caring pastor . . .” Ligon Duncan, First Pres, Jackson, MS
A Brick in the Valley
