Recommend: Quo Vadis

Great book. This has aged well and is worth the time:

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Isaiah 53 (ESV)

Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned -every one- to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.
Mnemonic W h b w h h h f u? A t w h t a o t L b r? F h g u b h l a y p, a l a r o o d g; h h n f o m t w s l a h, a n b t w s d h. H w d a r b m; a m o s, a a w g; a a o f w m h t f h w d, a w e h n. S h h b o g a c o s; y w e h s, s b G, a a. B h w p f o t; h w c f o i; u h w t c t b u p, a w h w w a h. A w l s h g a; w h t-e o-t h o w; a t L h l o h t i o u a. H w o, a h w a, y h o n h m; l a l t i l t t s, a l a s t b i s i s, s h o n h m. B o a j h w t a; a a f h g, w c t h w c o o o t l o t l, s f t t o m p? A t m h g w t w a w a r m i h d, a h h d n v, a t w n d i h m. Y i w t w o t L t c h; h h p h t g; w h s m a o f g, h s s h o; h s p h d; t w o t L s p i h h. O o t a o h s h s s a b s; b h k s t r o, m s, m m t b a r, a h s b t i. T I w d h a p w t m, a h s d t s w t s, b h p o h s t d a w n w t t; y h b t s o m, a m i f t t.

Machiavelli: A Biography By Miles J. Unger

Excellent. The history behind the philosophy. This fills the background well and brings a much needed appreciation for Machiavelli as more a commentator on his times (and a patriot) versus the evil, amoral manipulator.

Now I have to learn Italian.

George Eliot by Jenny Uglow

Any book by Jenny Uglow is well worthwhile. They spur me on in learning about history & works of authors I've neglected. I'm finding I'm turning the pages of 'George Eliot' side-by-side with pages of Wikipedia, & Open Library's "Mill on the Floss". Strong, courageous, complex characters require close study. From what I've read so far this delivers. Now what can I find about the 1st reform bill? Fuerbach? Early feminists?

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

/ETCF.018. THE JUSTICE OF GOD

Summary 1. Justice is giving what is due. 2. Biblical justice is linked to righteousness, to doing what is right. 3. Injustice is outside the category of justice and is a violation of justice. Mercy is also outside the category of justice but is not a violation of justice.



Gen18.25;Exo34.6-7;Neh9.32-33;Psa145.17;Rom9.14-33;

Good Read: No Little People by Francis A. Schaeffer

Good Read: Escape from Reason by Francis Schaeffer

/ETCF.016. THE HOLINESS OF GOD

Summary 1. Holiness has two distinct meanings: (1) “otherness” or being “set apart” and (2) “pure and righteous actions.” 2. We are called to be holy—to reflect God’s righteousness and purity. Ex.3:1-6;1Sa2:2;Psa99:1-9;Isa6:1-13;Rev4:1-11;

/ETCF.015. THE OMNISCIENCE OF GOD

Summary 1. Omniscience means “all knowledge.” 2. Only an infinite Being can possess infinite knowledge. 3. God has a higher degree of knowledge than His creatures, but it is of the same logical order. 4. To attribute a different kind of logic to God is fatal to Christianity. 5. God’s omniscience is grounded in His infinity and His omnipotence. 6. God’s omniscience is crucial to His role as the Judge of the world. Psalm 147:5;Ezekiel 11:5;Acts 15:18;Romans 11:33-36;Hebrews 4:13;

/ETCF.014 THE OMNIPRESENCE OF GOD

1. Only an infinite Spirit can be omnipresent. 2. God is not bound by time or space. His Being transcends time and space. 3. God’s omnipresence includes His immensity by which He is able to be present in His fullness at all times and in all places. 4. God’s omnipresence is a comfort to the believer and a terror to the unbeliever.
1 Kings 8:27;Job 11:7-9;Jeremiah 23:23-24;Acts 17:22-31;

/ETCF.013 THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD

1. Omnipotence does not mean that God can do anything. He cannot act against His nature. 2. Omnipotence refers to God’s sovereign power, authority, and control over the created order. 3. Omnipotence, though a threat to the wicked, is a source of comfort to the believer. 4. The same power God exhibited in creation is displayed in our redemption. 5. Nothing in the universe can thwart or frustrate God’s plans.

Genesis17.1;Psalm115.3;Romans11.36;Ephesians1.11;Hebrews1.3;

Puritan reads...

'The Mystery of Providence' by John Flavel ~ epub html SAMPLE Now my business here is not so much to deal with professed atheists who deny the existence of God and consequently deride all evidences brought from Scripture of the extraordinary events that fall out in favour of that people that are called His, but rather to convince those that professedly own all this, yet, never having tasted religion by experience, suspect, at least, that all these things which we call special providences to the saints, are but natural events or mere contingencies. Thus, while they profess to own a God and a Providence (which profession is but the effect of their education) they do in the meantime live like atheists, and both think and act as if there were no such things; and really, I fear this is the case with the greater part of the men of this generation. 'Complete John Bunyan' ~ epub html SAMPLE “Then I saw in my dream that the Interpreter took Christian by the hand and led him into a place where there was a fire burning against a wall. There was one standing by it who was always throwing water on it to put it out. Even so the fire burned higher and hotter.” “‘This fire is the work of grace that is done in the heart. The one who throws water on it to extinguish it is the devil. But you also see the reason the fire continues to burn higher and hotter.’ So he took him around to the back of the wall, where he saw a man with a bottle of oil in his hand. He was secretly and continuously throwing this oil into the fire.’”

Good History read...

Lunar Men ...this is an excellent book. It gives a feeling for the general excitement felt for science and discovery from this period.

/Good Read ~ My Friend Flicka

Melanie and I are reading this ~ very good ~ http://bit.ly/MTBee_ESI_Google_Books_My_Friend_Flicka Author remembers well what it is like to be young. She has an amazing ability to capture what it feels - smells, like and even the way you think as a kid. Example: "He knew how to do it. To get into another world..."

/ETCF.011.THE TRIUNITY OF GOD

From: Essential Truths of the Christian Faith ~ R.C. Sproul

Summary

1. The doctrine of the Trinity affirms the triunity of God.

2. The doctrine of the Trinity is not a contradiction: God is one
 in essence and three in person.

3. The Bible affirms both the oneness of God and the deity of 
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

4. The Trinity is distinguished by the work assumed by the Father,
 Son, and Holy Spirit.

5. The doctrine of the Trinity sets the limits of human 
speculation about the nature of God.

Biblical passages for reflection:

Deu6.4;Mat3.16-17;Mat28.19;2Co13.14;1Pe1.2;

Halley's Bible Handbook ~ Notable Sayings About the Bible...

http://bit.ly/MTBee_Googlebooks_HBSH_Notable_Sayings

Billy Graham: We have in our generation people who question if the Bible is the Word of God. From beginning to end, the Bible is God’s Word, inspired by the Holy Spirit. When I turn to the Bible, I know that I am reading truth. And I turn to it every day.-

/ETCF 007 The Canon of Scripture

    http://bit.ly/MTBee_Googlebooks_HBSHB_Apocrypha http://bit.ly/MTBee_Googlebooks_HBSHB_Notable_Sayings (about the Bible)

/ETCF 006 The Prophets of God