Memorizing Scripture

I have recently begun using the Fighter Verses that Desiring God ministries puts out. I am also memorizing Scripture with our men's group at church and helping BK with her memory verses at school. I came across a way to memorize verses in Piper's book When I Don't Desire God. He took it from Dr. Andrew Davis, the pastor of First Baptist Church in Durham, N.C. I posted the gist of it here and you can download the whole thing from the FBC website. While he is focusing on large portions of Scripture, I am finding it to be very helpful in doing the smaller passages as well as the multiple passages that I am working on.

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Sample daily procedure: The following is an example of how someone could go about memorizing Ephesians at the rate of one verse per day:

1) Day one: Read Ephesians 1:1 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number.18 Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

2) Day two: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:1 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:2 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

3) Day three: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:2 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verses next, altogether: Recite Ephesians 1:1-2 together once,
being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:3 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number. Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

4) Day four: Yesterday’s verse first!! Recite yesterday’s verse, Ephesians 1:3 ten times, being sure to include the verse number. Again, you should look in the Bible if you need to, just to refresh your memory. Old verses next, altogether: Recite Ephesians 1:1-3 together once,
being sure to include the verse numbers. Now, do your new verse. Read Ephesians 1:4 out loud ten times, looking at each word as if photographing it with your eyes. Be sure to include the verse number.
Then cover the page and recite it ten times. You’re done for the day.

This cycle would continue through the entire book. Obviously, the “old verses altogether” stage will soon swell to take the most time of all. That’s exactly the way it should be. The entire book of Ephesians can be read at a reasonable rate in less than fifteen minutes. Therefore, the “old verses altogether” stage of your review should not take longer than that on any given day. Do it with the Bible ready at hand, in case you draw a blank or get stuck . . . there’s no shame in looking, and it actually helps to nail down troublesome verses so they will never be trouble again.

Tract Review - Million Dollar Bill

The Million Dollar Bill was initially one of my least favorite tracts to give out. The original tract, that I still have about 80 million worth, was difficult to read, as the message was around the outer edge of the back in very small print. However, I must not have been the only one who thought that, as Living Waters updated it and actually made it better!
The first one had Grover Cleveland on the front and the Lincoln Memorial on the back. You can see that has been changed to Rutherford B. Hayes and to Washington crossing the Potomac River. The message is much easier to read now, which takes the strain out of it and makes the message much easier to find. With the first one, I had to point out that the message was even there!
On the new one, the message is framing Washington and is a larger print.

These tracts have a way of opening up discussions on the value of money versus eternity. I have had several people ask for more because of a perceived "collectible" feel to them. Like most of the tracts from Living Waters, the message is simple, with the Ten Commandments being used to bring conviction before introducing Jesus as the means of redemption.

I normally just ask people if I had given them one million dollars yet. Most laugh and then are truly delighted to take the tract when I give it to them. Then I turn it over and point out the message. With a few, I have been able to then engage in conversation, mainly just asking about their knowledge of the 10 Commandments, using my arm as a visual aid. So far, no one has hit me.

Darn it!

Click on the tract to see the whole text and purchase some today!!

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I Am Weak

On Saturday, I had an accident.

I work a part-time job, doing whatever driving that I am asked to do. I was hauling asphalt on this particular day. Now, most of us know asphalt as the road that you drive on or what is used to patch the road you drive on. This particular variety, AC5, is used for roofing shingles. When loaded, it loads around 1000 gallons a minute, at a temperature of 360 degrees. I guess it's that temperature, because if it hits you, you turn around and run.

While on my fifth load, the valve stuck and I got splashed with it. The problem was, I couldn't get to the valve and shut it off without further burning myself. While I did get it shut off, it wasn't until I had released around 3500 gallons onto my customers ground and spillway.

I'm okay, thanks for asking.

The weakness comes in here. While the asphalt was boiling out, I shouted several words of profanity, running around trying to get the valve shut off. Some would say that it was only natural, and I would agree with that. But I actually saw it as a great weakness on my part. Other than repeating things that others have said, I rarely use any form of profanity. I am around it enough that it still offends me. So why did I use it in my panic?

Several times in Scripture we are told to cry out to God. In joy or in pain, we are told to do so. Was this any different? I believe that God could have stopped the flow for me, if I had only called on Him to do so. At the very least, He could have slowed it to the point that I could have gotten in to shut it down.

After it was over, I just sat down and asked for forgiveness. I confessed my weakness and asked for the strength to do better. I was reminded of the father who asked that Jesus heal his child. In Mark 9:24 we see him cry out and ask Jesus to help his unbelief. May I make that my prayer today. In every situation, let the name of Jesus be on my lips in times of joy and times of pain. In calm and panic, may I look to the Creator to help and comfort.

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