1 Peter 5:1-5

1 Peter 1:3-4

This is Ray David Glenn’s sermon from January 15th, 2011. It is the second sermon in the ‘Exiles: Chosen and Scattered’ sermon series.

1 Peter 1:1-2

Many people have asked for a good bible-reading plan for 2012.  Here I will list a few recommended plans.  But first a couple of thoughts; foundational or governing principles, if you will.

1) Read your bible. It may seem obvious, but we must be reminded.  The Psalmist knows the importance of reading scripture and reflecting on his own discipline of reading and study he says, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” Psalm 119:11

2) Bring discipline to bear. Chaos is the only thing that happens by chance.  Your bible reading will be most profitable when you treat it as a priority, setting aside space in each day.  Consider the discipline needed to continue going to the gym in February or the determination required to get out of debt.  When you hit Leviticus you will be tempted by the I’m-too-busy-to-read syndrome.  In fact, any discussion about time (or money, for that matter) is really a discussion about priorities.  You will always have time to do the things that matter to you.  Reading your bible daily requires discipline.

3) Pray. The Holy Spirit will give you grace to read the scriptures.  He will change your affections, re-orienting your desires such that reading the Psalms will be more sweet than time spent watching television or staring at Facebook.  This may not happen immediately, but it will over time.  Pray that the Lord will give you a hunger for Him and His word.  The Psalmist says, “As a deer pants for flowing streams, so pants my soul for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.” Psalm 42:1-2  Before long you will wake in the morning longing to open your bible.  The time you spend prayerful reading God’s word will shift from a responsibility to a joy.  Within a few months you will wonder how you ever lived without daily bible-reading.

4) Talk amongst yourselves. Find other people who are following the same pattern as you and discuss what you are reading.  Pay particular attention to the broad sweep of the story, asking, “What is God doing in this passage?” and, “How does this move God’s purposes forward; namely creation, salvation and recreation.”.  Finally consider where is Jesus in your reading.  The resurrected Jesus taught disciples on the road to Emmaus that scripture finds its meaning in Him.  “Beginning with Moses and all the Prophets [what we call the Old Testament], he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.” Luke 24:27 In other words, Jesus is the interpretive key to everything from Genesis to Malachi and then Matthew through Revelation reflect on the implications of those scriptures fulfilled in Him.  During coffee-time talk to each other about your reading.

5) Reading is not studying. The goal of reading through the scriptures in one year is primarily to increase your biblical literacy while coming to understand the over-arching story of God’s self-revelation in His interactions with His people and ultimately in Jesus.  This is different from careful exegetical study.  Both have a place in your life, but studying 3-10 chapters per day will take too long and you will quickly become discouraged.  Read.  Don’t skim, but don’t take time to study all of the notes in your study bible.

Here are some recommended plans:

The Professor Horner Method will have you reading 10 chapters from 10 different places each day.  This plan will guide you through the entire bible several times in the calendar year.  It is challenging, but worth the effort. I have used it as my personal reading plan ever since a friend introduced me to it.  Be circumspect!  This plan is not for the faint of heart.

The M’Cheyne Bible Reading Plan is a time-honoured method.  It will have you reading four chapters per day, taking you through the bible in one year.  The chief benefit lies in reading from different parts of the bible each day.  Here you will not get bogged down or discouraged in Leviticus and you will even begin to pick up on common threads that are woven throughout the scriptures.  Don Carson has written a series of devotionals around this plan called For the Love of God.

Three-a-day and five on Sunday Plan is manageable and I highly recommend it if this is your first foray into serious, disciplined bible reading.  Reading three chapter takes less than 15 minutes.  Everyone can do this.

There are many, many bible reading plans available on the internet.  Each has strengths.

I will leave you with one final thought from 1 Peter 2, “So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” In longing for the pure spiritual milk of scripture your inner person will grow strong, indeed you will grow into salvation.  Your life will change, your thoughts and conversations will change.  Tasting and seeing the goodness of the Lord in His word expunges malice, deceit, hypocrisy envy and slander.

Read your bibles.

This is Ray David’s sermon from January 8th, 2012. It is the first sermon in the ‘Exiles: Chosen and Scattered’ sermon series.

1 Peter 1:1-8

So many of us prayed for Harry over the past month, and prayed for Doreen as she walked with her husband through his surgeries and long hospital stay.  I will always remember the time I spent with them in the Milton hospital.  I remember these times because of their humanity.  It is an honour to visit sick people in hospital.  But I will keenly remember visiting Harry and Doreen because of the glimpses I caught of of God’s grace.

From the time of his diagnosis unto the time of his death, Harry pointed his family and his friends to his faithful Saviour.  He used his suffering and mortality to remind us all of Jesus’ promises and our great hope.

On the morning of Harry’s passing I called their home.  I was greeted with Harry’s voice on their answering machine.  It touched my heart to hear the voice of this saint only moments after he met his Lord face-to-face.  After the obligatory salutations Harry closed off his greeting by wishing me (and anyone else who happened to call his home) a day filled with God’s peace.

Harry’s served his Lord with his life.  Harry served his Lord with his death.

Thank you, Lord, for men like Harry who’s faithfulness and hope in you challenges and inspires us to long for our great hope; the resurrection of the dead.

Jesus said in John 6, “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Here’s a great post from a godly pastor.

http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/a-new-years-plea-plan

Happy New Year, dear St. George’s.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15

It’s December 23rd, 2 days before Christmas and I have a Christmas treat for you – a new arrangement of the great Christmas/Advent carol, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. The ancient carol was originally written in latin in the 12th century. It is a cry for Emmanuel, God with us, to come and save His people. It also looks ahead to when Christ will come again in glory and truly dwell with His people.

So rejoice. Emmanuel has come and will come again to thee , O people of God.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel
shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan’s tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory o’er the grave.
Rejoice, rejoice…

O come, thou dayspring, come, and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice, rejoice…