I’m not familiar with this system. I’m passing along the links to the explanation of the system and a two part interview with a couple of guys named Tom and Rick who are friends of a guy named Brett. Even if you aren’t serious about using the plan, the posts are very interesting.

• Professor Horner’s Bible Reading Plan
• Professor Horner’s Bible Reading System: Interview with Tom Shelton and Rick Doctor, pt. 1
• Professor Horner’s Bible Reading System: Interview with Tom Shelton and Rick Doctor, pt. 2

HT: Cal.vini.st

I hate to even mention it because fasting should be done in secret. But I’d like some feedback from people so I hope I don’t get struck by lightning or anything.

I will have a day by myself in September and would like to fast for a day. However, the main thing I will be fasting from, if that’s the right way to put it, is electronics.

A food fast could have consequences for days afterwords for me for various health reasons. Also, I’m not that into food. Eating is more of a chore for me. I’d be happy just eating one or two meals a day. I eat six small ones partly for health reasons. So lack of food isn’t that big of a deal but I’m considering a food fast of some sort.

Lack of internet, computer, TV however is a different story. So I would like to do without these things for a day. Yikes.

I basically want a day concentrating on God by various obvious means. I’m not looking for direction, a revelation from God, an experience etc. I want to let God enjoy having someone pay more attention to Him for a day and enjoy me enjoying Him.

Since I’m not experienced with fasting I’m asking for any suggestions you have. Are there certain portions of the Bible that you benefit from when fasting? Anything you do to take a break from the concentrated reading and praying? Or anything else.

I like to read commentaries all the way through. There I said it.

After reading a lot about Jesus (The Historical Jesus? Christology? I’m still confused on the terms.) and the Gospels, I started reading regular commentaries with Romans and went all the way through Revelation. A review on Keener’s great Revelation commentary is forthcoming.

Now I want to go back to the Gospels and read commentaries on those and Acts. I just got done finishing a read-through of Mark. I was mesmerized. Wow. I don’t know how to describe it. Mainly, the Holy Spirit illumined things that I hadn’t noticed before, as happens to all of us.

I was going to try to read as much as I could at once to get a good overview but needed to slow down to savor it. Just the first two chapters are so rich.

I also think that reading commentaries has helped me learn how to better read the Bible in some respects. To me it’s like reading the Bible in slow motion with a learned scholar leading me through how to look at the details, read things in context, think about what the author meant to say to his original audience etc. (And education of these things is sorely lacking in the church.) I can’t say how much this has helped. And I haven’t even gotten into hermeneutics proper yet.

Now I will be starting with a commentary on it by Alan Cole.

Tony Byrne of Theological Meditations lets us know that Dr. Curt Daniel’s doctoral dissertation, Hyper-Calvinism and John Gill, is now scanned and available for free download at EthOS (Electronic Thesis Online Service) and that there will soon be more to come.

EthOS is something Nick Norelli mentioned not too long ago.

If you haven’t registered, you will need to do so. Then after you’re logged in, search for the paper you’re interested in. Then you can proceed with the shopping cart and download.

Books:

• Dave Black’s Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek and Book Review: Linguistics for Students of New Testament Greek at συνεσταύρωμαι: living the crucified life
• Book Review: Learn To Read New Testament Greek, 3rd. ed. and Workbook at New Leaven
• Just Do Something! at Challies
• Forthcoming Titles From Baker Academic at New Testament Perspectives
• Godology: Because Knowing God Changes Everything at Kingdom People
  • Interview with the author
• The Bookends of the Christian Life at Irish Calvinist
• Baptism in the Early Church: History, Theology, and Liturgy in the First Five Centuries at Between Two Worlds
• The Reformed Reader and Baker Book House are good blogs if you’re not familiar with them.

Bibles:

• A new NLT Reference Bible? at He Is Sufficient (he’s blogging again!)
• NLT Pitt Minion coming this summer at just after sunrise
• Bible Fail at This Lamp (he’s blogging again!)

Sorry if I left anybody out.

There are so many web sites devoted to tips for almost anything you can think of–tips for using computers, getting stains out etc. Here is a blog post with tips for spending time with God. I know that sounds trite but I believe this is a very important message for the majority of of the people in the Church.

“I was basically getting spiritual crumbs from books, podcasts and my pastor. I was living vicariously through others’ relationships with God… While it’s good to learn from others, Jesus calls us to follow Him (not follow others who are following Him).”

Use S.O.A.P. – Simple tips for spending time with God.

Reasons to Get Reading, Reloaded

This is a great list and I have experienced nearly every one of them.

This goes along with:
Reading Better with Richard Baxter

(I’m having computer problems and am doing some short posts.)

If you wish to derive profit [from the Scriptures], read with humility, candor, and faith, and never seek to have a scholar’s reputation. Inquire willingly, and listen to the words of the saints; let not the parables of the ancients be displeasing to you, for they were not uttered without good reason.

Thomas à Kempis, De imitatione Christi, I. V. 2

Found at:
http://voxstefani.blogspot.com/2007/08/on-reading-holy-scripture.html

——–

Another introductory entry. I hope to start posting on what I’ve been learning within a few days.

http://www.challies.com/archives/articles/a-few-days-ago-i.php