Help! I'm behind in my Bible Reading!

Each year our church encourages everyone to read through the Bible in a year. It requires a lot of discipline and dedication over a very long period of time. Many begin with the intention to read all year long only to find their progress bogged down as they encounter the books of law in the Old Testament.  This is unfortunate. And it doesn't have to be this way. The Bible is unique and unlike any other book. Most books are read from front cover to back cover. But the Bible can be read in many other ways. Here are some alternate ways to read the Bible. 

• Read the New Testament (The story of Jesus, the early church, and Revelation)
• Read a Proverb a day (There are 31 chapters. Read one each day of the month)
• Read the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. This is the story of Jesus from 4 perspectives)
• Follow a unique Bible Reading Plan (Check out Bible.com/reading-plans for ideas)

The other issue that keeps people from sticking with a Bible reading plan is just failure to do it. There is a good book out called Atomic Habits by James Clear. James explains when we want to develop a habit, such as reading our Bible every day, we should connect that behavior with a time and a place. For example don't just say, "I'm going to read my Bible this year." Instead, decide that you will read your Bible every morning with coffee at the dining room table. Or maybe, "I will read my Bible every day at lunch break in my car." This is called the "implementation intention." The pattern is "I will [BEHAVIOR] at [TIME] in [LOCATION]." 

The other way to create a habit is by using a "stacking formula." This is best understood by taking something you already do on a regular basis and connecting the new behavior or habit to it. Say, for example, you watch the evening news every night. You could have your Bible next to the remote control and right after the news is over, pick it up and read it for 15 minutes. The pattern is "After [CURRENT HABIT], I will [NEW HABIT]." 

So, if reading the entire Bible cover to cover seems overwhelming, consider a shorter Bible reading plan. And to stick with your plan, remember to be intentional by selecting a time and location to read and/or attaching your habit to an existing habit. 

What are the Odds!?

One of my favorite subjects in school was probability and statistics. I loved calculating the odds of rolling dice, flipping a coin, and drawing a playing card! Knowing the odds of an event occurring is helpful and used in many areas of life. 

• Insurance companies use probability to know how much to charge you and the chances of you getting into an accident based on multiple factors like age, location, and vehicle.
• Meteorologists use the knowledge to forecast the weather. 
• Casinos use probability to give their games of "chance" like slots and table games, just enough edge to make money, and yet not so much that you won't return to play again.

Sports Books also use probability as well as historical data to calculate the odds of a given sporting event. One common bet on sports is called the Money Line. It's a straight-up bet on who you think will win the game. There are many factors to be considered, in terms of probability, you have a 50% chance of choosing the winning team. 

When it comes to the Bible, probability and statistics come into play when you consider prophecy. Prophecy is a prediction of something happening. And the odds of it actually happening are also 50%. Either the event you predict will happen or it won't. 

• Jesus fulfilled prophecy when he was born of a virgin. 
• Jesus fulfilled prophecy when he was born in Bethlehem.
• Jesus fulfilled prophecy when he was killed by crucifixion. 

Scholars have said there are over 48 prophecies surrounding Jesus, his birth, life, and death. The odds that one man would fulfill more than even 1 prophecy become very slim quickly. For example, if Jesus were to fulfill just 2 prophecies, the odds become 25%. Add another prophecy and the odds are 12.5%. If you were to calculate Jesus fulfilling 4 prophecies it would be 1 in 4 or 6.25%. I took the numbers and dropped them into a Numbers spreadsheet and just extended them out to 48 prophecies. Here are my results. 

According to my calculations, the odds of one man fulfilling all 48 prophecies are 1 in 281,474,976,710,656 (1 in 281 trillion)! The percentage odds of this happening is 0.00000000000035527136788005%! Compare these odds to other common events today.

Odds of being struck by lightning in your lifetime: 1 in 15,300.

Odds of winning the lottery: 1 in 292.2 million.

Odds of being killed in a plane crash: 1 in 11 million.

There comes a point when probability is out of the realm of possibility and, for me at least, something supernatural, even miraculous is going on. I'm struck with the number of prophecies in the Bible as well as the fulfillment of those same prophecies. And here's the kicker - every prophecy in the Bible has come true! This is no longer a question of odds, but a matter of proof. Because in the natural world, given the odds, it's not really possible, but divinely orchestrated. 

So, if you want to play along, take out a coin and flip it over and over, each time predicting what will come up. Let me know how many you guess correctly in a row. You may get 3, even 4 in a row. But 48 guessing 48 flips in a row, while in the realm of possibility, would probably take a miracle! Which is what appears to be happening with the life of Jesus Christ. 

For an even more exhaustive examination of probability in the Bible, and probably more accurate, check out Peter Stoner's findings at https://firmisrael.org/learn/how-many-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/

The Mundane Days of Life

Groundhog Day is today! February 2, 20222. Which makes it 2/2/22 by the way. Punxsutawney Phil did see his shadow today which means 6 more weeks of winter. That is no surprise to us living in Northern Michigan! We usually don't wrap up winter until sometime in April! 

Have you seen the movie Groundhog Day with Bill Murray? Bill plays a self-centered Pittsburgh weatherman who becomes trapped into living out the same day again and again with no explanation. It's a great movie and also stars Andie MacDowell. I highly recommend it. Other movies like "Happy Death Day," "50 First Dates," and "Edge of Tomorrow" have tried to duplicate the "live-the-same-day-over-again" theme, but none have done it as well. 

There are special moments in our lives that stick out like vacations, birthdays, weddings, the birth of a child, baptisms, etc. But for the most part, we live most days just like every other. We live our lives in our own personal "Groundhog Day." We rise to an alarm, wash up, get dressed, and head out to work. We drive the same vehicle, along the same route, passing the same people. Our work may vary, but it's the same work with the same people, at the same place. The evening routine may vary, but it's still very similar each day with family, home, and bedtime routine. 

When we look at scripture, we read about spectacular events like Moses parting the Red Sea, David killing Goliath, and Elijah being taken up to heaven in a flaming chariot. Yet surrounding all those amazing events, those in the Bible lived mundane lives just like you and men. 

• Moses spent 40 years in the desert before God called Him.
• Elisha grew up a farmer prior to becoming God's prophet.
• John the Baptist lived in anonymity out in the desert before preaching.
• For about 30 years Jesus "grew in stature and wisdom and in favor with God and men" living a mundane life in Palestine. 

While we may feel we live a day-after-day loop, those days are never really the same. Our bodies are different. The people we interact with are different. We all experience life events that change our minds, moods, and behavior. 

Just like the movie Groundhog Day, we have the opportunity to make the next 24 hours whatever we want it to be. We can choose to be pessimistic, angry, introverted, and just a down-right pain to people. Or we can choose to have a positive outlook, smile, encourage other people, and basically love them. It's a choice we make every single morning. 

I love this quote 

“Sow a thought and you reap an action; sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The sowing we do takes place every day, over and over. Ultimately our destiny is decided by the daily decisions we make. Are you choosing to be faithful, joyful, and loving? Do you forgive, serve, and pour yourself out to others? Or are you choosing selfishness, hatred, and revenge? Are you jealous, prideful, and spiteful? How would you rate yourself? 

The choice is up to you - today and every day! 

Something New in 2022

Happy New Year! Does entering into a new year, excite you? The time of new beginnings, new resolutions, and new opportunities? We were hopeful that 2021 would have brought us relief from the current pandemic. Maybe that hope will be realized in 2022! Anything is possible going forward into a new year, a new 12-months, a new 365-days!

The Bible is chock full of new times, new items, and new places. In fact, "new" seems to be a theme throughout all scripture. Let's look at some examples. 

In the first 3 chapters of Genesis, as God spoke everything into existence, it was created new. Nothing used. Nothing recycled. Nothing handed down. It was all new!

Abram is called to leave all that he had known in Genesis 12 to become the Father of a new nation. That nation would be the Jewish people, from whom Jesus, the Messiah, would come. 

Joshua and Caleb led the Hebrews into a new land, the promised land, recorded in the book of Joshua. 

Turning to the New Testament, we are met with one new thing after another. When John the Baptist appeared on the scene, he was announcing the advent of a new era. None other than the opportunity to know God personally, in the flesh. Emmanuel "God with us." 

Jesus walked and taught among us explaining that his teachings were like new wine that needed new wineskins (Matthew 9:16-17). He was about to blow their minds. The Messiah and his reign would be like nothing they had anticipated. Instead of vengeance and punishment, he preached love and forgiveness. 

Jesus' followers would be given the chance to become "new creations" (2 Corinthians 5:17). They would be free from sin, filled with the Holy Spirit, and promised a future in the presence of God. 

The Bible speaks of a new heaven and a new earth in the book of Revelation. This is the eternal home for anyone who takes on the new name of Christian (Acts 11:26) on earth and will be given a new name in the future (Revelation 2:17). 

Disciples will drink the Lord's Supper new with Jesus in God's Kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

We're left with these words of Jesus from the last book of the Bible - "Yes, I am coming soon!" His reward is with Him and we'll be granted access to the tree of life once again (Revelation 22). Everything will be made new and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. 

May your 2022 be filled with blessings, joy, and peace!  

What does Christmas Mean to You?

Merry Christmas! It's that special time of year again when colored lights adorn the house at the end of the street. The stores are playing Christmas tunes as people hustle through the isles filling their shopping carts with gifts to make the little ones smile. "Buy now pay later" is the catchphrase of the season. Christmas trees, wrapping presents, baking cookies, and parties with family and friends are all part of this festive time of year. 

A reporter asked various people, "What does Christmas mean to you?" The number one answer was usually, "Family. Getting together with family is so meaningful this time of year."  Family is so important and having a healthly relationship with family members is to be desired. 

But the truth is that Christmas isn't about lights, music, shopping, presents, or even family. Christmas put quite simply, is about Jesus. And every year it seems Jesus becomes less and less the focus. Jesus is obscured by the lights, the shopping, and even family. 

Perhaps we can point people back to the real meaning of Christmas. There are many customs built up around Christmas time. Maybe we could remember the time of year through the lens of Jesus. After all, 

• Jesus is the LIGHT of the world
• Jesus LIGHTS the life of every man
• Jesus is the greatest GIFT we have ever received
• Jesus died on a cross made from a TREE
• Jesus BOUGHT our salvation with His own blood
• Jesus said whoever comes to me will never go HUNGRY

Add to the list your own comparisons. Can you connect Christmas carols to Jesus? How about the North Pole? What about watching for Santa Claus to come?

May you have a blessed Christmas season as you celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ!

Counting Thankfulness

Paul writes to the Philippian church in Philippians 1:3, "I thank my God every time I remember you." I feel the same way when I think of my God, my family members, and my church! 

Thanksgiving is just over 2 weeks away and I can't help but pause and reflect upon what I am thankful for in 2021. When so much is wrong with the world today, it is imperative that we reflect on what is right. Below are my top 4 things I am thankful for today. What are you thankful for today? Do our lists have some of the same items on them? I would encourage you to jot down your own list and share it with those on it. 

The old hymn goes: 

"Count Your Blessings, 

Count them one by one

Count your many blessings; 

see what God has done."

Here is a list of the blessings in my life. It's not long, but each one is near to my heart and a gift from God. 

#1 Blessing - Faith, God, Jesus, Salvation - Whatever you want to call it, the biggest blessing in my life is the promise that there is more! There is an eternal dwelling that Jesus is preparing for all those who claim His name through faith. There will be a new heaven and earth. "God is my father, and Jesus is my brother, and the blessed Holy Spirit is my guide," the children's song says. I am just a sojourner here. My home is far away.

#2 Blessing - Family - Those closest to me who know my inner dreams, hopes, and ambitions. My wife, Anita, and I just celebrated our 20 year anniversary with the Kalkaska Church of Christ. She has been right by my side all the way. Our children, Scott and Kaylin, have grown up in the church, and are now branching out into college. I am so proud of their character, integrity, and maturity. My mother introduced me to church as an infant. My father modeled the Christian life for me. 

#3 Blessing - Church - The place where people know your name. A place where people can be authentic. A place to serve other people. The Body of Christ is the church. That body consists of human beings committed to the principles of Jesus Christ as laid out in the New Testament of the Bible. My home church in Kalkaska is a huge blessing. As we live life together, we support one another in good times and bad. 

#4 Blessing - Missions, Job, Work - God's direction for my life took me to the county of Haiti located on the island of Hispaniola when I was only 19 years old. I served 13 years with 3 different missions over that time - Go Teach Others (GTO) in St. Marc, Christianville in Gressier, and Sonlight in Port-de-Paix. The labor brought incredible blessings into my life. That experience gave me a worldview unlike no other. I am thankful for that. 

What makes your "list of blessings" this time of year? Who or what are you thankful for? Remember that what you are thankful for could be negative experiences too. A health emergency may have brought family members closer. A job loss may have opened up a better opportunity that would not have been there otherwise. Sometimes God allows bad things to happen in our lives only to set us up for something better. So pause your busy day to think about what would make your list. 

A Base for TRUTH

TRUTH has come under fire in the last decade. Culture has made TRUTH subjective, more of a feeling than a fact. "You have your TRUTH and I have my TRUTH," they say. Or maybe you have heard, "That may be TRUE for you, but it's not TRUE for me." (To debate type of reasoning, check out "I don't have enough faith to be an atheist" by Norman Geisler & Frank Turek)

However, is this whittling away at TRUTH, ready that new? It's interesting that in the book of Acts, Pontius Pilate scoffed at the idea of knowing TRUTH when he said, "What is TRUTH!?" It was as if he were saying, there are so many half-truths, lies, misinformation, and hearsay out there, how could anyone know what is TRUE?! 

We live in a similar environment today. Practically anyone can say anything they like to without any degree of fact-checking or accountability. Some would call it freedom of speech, and while that may be true, it's challenging for those who hear to discern what is TRUE and what is false. 

TRUTH has been illustrated as being like an anchor that doesn't move. Perhaps a more current illustration could be made from the game of baseball. The Post Season in Major League Baseball (MLB) is in full swing right now with teams vying to compete in the World Series. Of course, the objective of any baseball game is to hit the ball and run around the bases. How could this shed any light upon TRUTH?

TRUTH is like a base in baseball. It's steady, fixed, and doesn't move. It's objective, and not subject to a person's feelings, opinions, or whims. You can't move a base even an inch to the left or right. It is solid. It's very evident to all whether a baserunner's foot or hand touches the base. Video replay can also confirm a call. 

The umpire is the judge whenever there is a dispute over whether a runner is safe or out. In the MLB, close calls are looked at again and again using video replay by a team of officials in New York. The official decision is final with all players, coaches, and fans accepting it. 

Could it be that Jesus is our ultimate official as to whether something is TRUE or not? The Holy Spirit is similar to the video replay confirming or overturning the call on the field. The rule book by which we play is the Bible. And the correct call frees everyone up to continue the game. 

Scripture says:

Jesus is TRUTH: "I am the way, and the TRUTH, and the life." John 14:6

The Holy Spirit is TRUTH: "But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, we will guide you into all the truth..." John 16:13

The Bible is TRUTH: "...a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of TRUTH."  2 Timothy 2:15

The TRUTH will set you free: "Then you will know the TRUTH, and the TRUTH will set you free." John 8:32

TRUTH does exist and it is consistent, steady, and unchanging. We can commit our lives to what is TRUE. The greatest TRUTH upon which we can stand is the gospel of Jesus and His resurrection from the dead. Those who live by that TRUTH can move through this life with confidence and faith!