Charles Spurgeon 133rd Death Anniversary

        I love Charles Spurgeon. I have his portrait hung on my wall. Sadly, Spurgeon died at the young age of 57 on January 31, 1892. However, he continues to be relevant to our time. Spurgeon is “history’s most widely read preacher, apart from the biblical ones,”[1] writes Eric W. Hayden. Today is his 133rd death anniversary. I would like to draw your attention to some online articles for your reading about him.

1.    Three Reasons Spurgeon Died at 57. “What are some of the reasons why Charles Haddon Spurgeon died on January 31, 1892, at age 57? Spurgeon believed that all things, birth, health, and circumstances operate according to God’s sovereign design. Consistent with Spurgeon’s theology, we can rightly say that Spurgeon didn’t die one moment before God had determined and we can also assert that his death was the culmination of various causes.” This blog post is by Ray Rhodes Jr. He is the author of Susie: The Life and Legacy of Susannah Spurgeon, Wife of Charles H. Spurgeon.

2.       The Secret of Spurgeon’s Success.  “Most believe his success is easily explained by his obvious giftedness, prodigious abilities, and tireless work ethic. He often worked 18 hours a day. His sermons sold at a rate of 25,000 a week, were translated into 20 languages and every ship that left England carried his sermons. . . . But any biographical work that attributes Spurgeon’s success in ministry to his giftedness does a disservice to the facts. Those close to him said that Spurgeon himself credited his success to only one activity of his. It wasn’t preaching, or writing, or preparation, or study.”

3.    John Piper has a short biography on Spurgeon (about 30 pages only). “You will face adversity. It’s only a matter of time. Likely you already have. How will you persevere through the oppressing moments of life? But the question for pastors is even more difficult: How do you preach through adversity? How do you do heartwork when your heart is under siege and ready to fall? This is crucial. Preaching great and glorious truth, in an atmosphere that is not great and glorious, is an immense difficulty.” The online format is available here, and the PDF format can be downloaded here. If you would like to listen to an audio version, the biographical sermon on Spurgeon by John Piper is here.

4.    Morning and Evening: Daily Readings. If you are looking for a 1-2 minute devotional reading, Spurgeon has a daily devotional reading book. The audio version, PDF, and online version are all available for free of cost.

5.    John Ploughman's Talk. “In John Ploughman's Talk, I [Charles Spurgeon] have written for plowmen and common people. Hence refined taste and dainty words have been discarded for strong proverbial expressions and homely phrases. I have aimed my blows at the vices of the many, and tried to inculcate those moral virtues without which men are degraded. Much that needs to be said to the toiling masses would not well suit the pulpit and the Sabbath; these lowly pages may teach thrift and industry all the days of the week in the cottage and the workshop; and if some learn these lessons I shall not repent the adoption of a rustic style.” An online version can be accessed here.

1.

[1] Eric W. Hayden, Charles H. Spurgeon: Did You Know https://christianhistoryinstitute.org/magazine/article/spurgeon-did-you-know

New Year Resolution 2025

“Commit your works to the LORD, ​And your thoughts will be established.” 

– Proverbs 16:3

        I have had some kind of New Year resolution for the last 18 years. Some years were more interesting, and some years were not so remarkable. This year, 2025, I do not have any interesting or remarkable resolutions, but I decided to draw up 18 resolutions. Some of them are just the same resolutions from the past that I need to continue or start anew at the beginning of each year.

1.    Bible-once-a-year habit: Genesis to Revelation (NKJV).

2.    Greek New Testament.

3.    Personal prayer every day (any length, anytime – yea, that’s the minimum).

4.    Prayer, together (couple), every day.

5.    Reading the Bible together  [John. 1 John. Ephesians. 1 Peter, Galatians, Romans].

6.    Early to bed early to rise (help me, Lord; 20 years of failure, never successful).

7.    Health— jogging, exercise (games?) (anytime), any frequency in a week (3 times a week?).

8.    Outings with wife twice a month. Outside Hyderabad once a year.

9.    Hospitality _________ (hmmmh!).

10. Giving to the Lord’s work ____% (church, pastor, pastor, offerings, gifts, contributions).

11. Planned charity of around __% (unplanned charity, nobody knows).

12. Two to four articles a month (blog).

13. No p___it as long as it takes.

14. German, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, 1 Timothy.

15. Pray for everyone (and keep in touch with) once or twice through texting, phone, or email.

16. Discipleship on weekdays.

17. Honor, fear, bless the Lord, O my soul!

18. Sing hymns as often as possible.

“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, ​​And He shall bring it to pass.” – Psalm 37:5

How We Read The Entire Bible In A Year

“Blessed is a man . . . his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, ​​That brings forth its fruit in its season, ​​whose leaf also shall not wither; ​​and whatever he does shall prosper.”

 – Psalm 1:1–3

        Many Christians desire to read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation at least once. I know a lot of ordinary Christians who have achieved that dream. Several of my blog readers have also accomplished that feat in a calendar year. In the past years, I used to have a Bible Reading WhatsApp group where we shared our daily progress. One guy spent an hour or two almost every day reading the Bible within 81 days; he was the fastest guy under my watch.

        Three members finished the target within 6 months, and the rest of the members completed it within a year or two.

        And of course, there used to be a few Judas Iscariots who would not persevere to the end. 😜

        Over the years, I have mentored or encouraged hundreds of Christians to read their Bible through in a calendar year, at least once. Dozens of them have done it once; several, more than once; and some are reading for the fifth time or more this year. So, today’s post is to encourage you and explain how you may fulfill that desire this year. However, I have stopped issuing certificates, so please don’t write to me for one. I have also already written some blog posts on practical guidance for reading the Bible through in a calendar year. I would like to revisit those blog posts and offer some commentary today.

        First, if you do not have that desire or are not challenged to read the Bible, read this article: “The Word and The World: Towards a Bible-Reading Habit as a Consequence of Salvation and a Means of Sanctification.” This article explains the importance (necessity) of a Bible-reading life for a Christian.

        Some people are intimidated by the size (thickness) of the Bible and wonder how to find time and motivation to read through it. If you are one of them, read this post: “Reading Through The Bible Is Not A Big Deal!” Takeaway: It takes only 70–100 hours to read the entire Bible. The whole Bible has 1189 chapters; it will take four chapters a day to finish within a year. That will be about 15–25 minutes a day.

        Here's another article offering at least 10 Creative Bible Reading Plans. Many people made a New Year’s resolution to read through the Bible but failed because they lacked a Bible reading plan. Furthermore, one must differentiate between studying, meditating, and reading the Bible. Consider points #6, #7, and #8 of this article.

        One of the most rewarding Bible reading plans I followed was reading it chronologically. The detailed plan is provided in this article: Reading Bible Chronologically within 4 Months. If only you have been reading the Bible regularly for some years, this plan will be suitable for you. Do not let the 4-month timeframe deter you; you can modify it to suit your annual plan.

        Another practical way to read through the Bible is to read book by book in one or two sittings. Here is an example of how I have done it in 2017: My Bible Reading Plan (Rongmei Version/Translation). Again, you can adapt the plan for 12 months.

        In 2022, I decided to read a chapter from each genre of the Bible. It was great but required a lot of discipline. See this article: My 2022 Bible Reading Plan. If you choose to follow this plan, restructure it to suit your plan.

        The point of the above examples is the methods: chronologically (events in the historical time), book by book, or by genres of the Bible each day. One does not need to follow my timeline shown in the reading plans, such as 4 months or 5 months. Regardless of which method one chooses, it is wise not to be overconfident in one’s discipline. If you have never read through the Bible and are not a regular reader, please don’t attempt much, like 10 chapters a day, 7 times a week, until the entire Bible is completed; almost everyone whom I have mentored has failed miserably. Take the whole year to read through the Bible; perhaps 5 times a week or 4 chapters daily. However, try to read ahead as often as you can. And you will have your desire fulfilled. Thank you for your interest in this blog and the Word of God!

The Word and The World: Towards a Bible-Reading Habit as a Consequence of Salvation and a Means of Sanctification.

        Two scripture passages that come to mind when I think of the importance of reading the Bible are John 17 and Matthew 4:4. Several years ago, after a church service where I had just preached, an elderly woman approached me and shared a profound insight she had recently learned: “If you are not in the Word [of God], you are in the world.” She meant to say that if you are not influenced by the Word of God, you are influenced by the world. And I responded, “That’s right! That’s John 17.” Indeed, if you are not listening to the Word of God, you are listening to the world.

        John 17 is a prayer of Jesus for us, yes, not only for His twelve Apostles but also for us (as indicated in verse 20: “who will believe in Me through their [Apostles’] word”). In this High Priestly prayer, Jesus indicates the means of preserving His people in the world is by the Word of God (John 17:17). John 17 has 26 verses, and Jesus says “Your word” referring to the words of the Father five times (verses 6, 8, 14, 17, and 20). If you are curious what those words are, they are the words of God written and handed down to us, which is the Bible. See how verse 20 reads: “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.” The “these . . . their” in this verse refers to the Apostles, the original hearers of Jesus; therefore, the words of God are what they have spoken and recorded, which comprise the Bible.

        John 17 reveals not only the importance of God’s Word but also the malevolence of the world. Jesus uses the term “world” fifteen times to refer to the people of earth. However, He makes a distinction between His people and the rest of the people of this world at least seven times (verses 6, 9, 11, 14, 18), and most clearly in verse 14, which reads, “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world,” which is reiterated in verse 16. Here, we see that Jesus and His people (we, Christians) are not of the world. In what ways are we not of this world? Jesus’ prayer reveals them in three aspects of our identity:

1. That we are the elects of God destined for eternal life (verses 2, 6, 9, 11, 12).

2. That we are the people of the Word (verses 6, 8, 14, 20). More will be explained in the next paragraph.

3. That we are the people hated by the world but beloved by God (verses 14, 16, 15, 23).

        These three aspects are true for every Christian, though not in equal measure. The world hates some Christians more because of their godliness. 1 Peter 4:4 alludes to it that Christians are so different by their godly conduct that the world hates them. If we are so comfortable with the ways of the world (contrary to 1 John 2:15–17), and if the world is comfortable with us (contrary to John 17:14–16 and 1 Peter 4:1–4), we are not living as John-17 Christians. Unfortunately, we do live like non-Christians sometimes. Surely, we should not let the world hate us as a consequence of our evil deeds or due to laziness in good works. We should be hated because we refuse to participate in, support, or approve anything contrary to the Word of God. Thus, circling back to the importance of the Word of God. As said before, Christians differ from the world because they are the people of the Word of God. The people of the Word means:

1. They are the doers of the Word of God. Verse 6 reads, “And they have kept Your word.” Keeping the word of God presupposes that they know what the Word of God says. How can you keep (obey) the Word of God if you don’t know what it commands, instructs, and exhorts you to do? And how will you know if you don’t read the Bible? That’s the reality. To be different from the world is to be a doer of the Word; to be a doer of the Word is to be a knower (student) of the Word. To be a knower of the Word is to read the Bible. The less you read, the less you look like a Christian and the more worldly you have become.

2. They are the receivers of the Word of God. Verse 8 reads, “I have given to them the words which You have given Me; and they have received them.” This expresses the same idea as in verse 6, that they are the doers of the Word, but with a nuance. Here, we see the imagery of receiving something from a giver, presenter, or proclaimer. God’s words are being presented, proclaimed, offered, or taught, and Christians receive them. How does one receive something abstract that is not a physical thing? It is by believing, as verse 8 goes on to read, “they have believed.” This truth has already been stated in chapter 1 of John, verse 12, “as many as received Him . . . who believe in His name.” This implies that one must read the Bible receptively (believingly). You must read the Bible, willing to be influenced by what it says, not just to be a knower but to be a believer of the truth and be transformed by its truth.

        A Christian is (must be) diligent in the Word of God because that’s what biblical Christians do. It’s not just about affirming some basic truths about who Jesus is and what He did. It is also being diligent in seeking to know more. Verse 17 (John 17:17) echoes this truth: “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” This is Jesus still praying to the Father that God will sanctify Jesus’s people (us) by the truth, the truth which is the Word of God, the Bible. Sanctifying means making people more like Christ, who has kept the perfect law of God (verse 4: “I have finished the work which You have given Me to do”). To be like Christ, we must keep (obey) the Word of God. Again, how can you, if you do not study (find out) what the Word of God says to do in any and every situation of life?

        Sanctifying, or sanctification, also has the idea of becoming more holy, godly, and set apart for God. It involves actively fighting against sin. The Word of God helps us in our sanctification. Psalm 119:105 demonstrates this truth: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Therefore, a Christian must be devoted to the word of God: reading and studying regularly for His sanctification. There is no other path to holiness, godliness, and victory over sin other than what Jesus states in John 17:17—through the Word of God. Would you commit to reading the Bible regularly and as often as possible (even multiple times a day) this year?

        Let me save the other passage, Matthew 4:4, for another time.

Help Think Blog 2025

Welcome back to Help Think!

It’s the New Year 2025. A Very Happy New Year to you all!

        I took a one-year break from blogging, but now I think it's time to resume it. Last year was a busy year for me. First, I got married. Second, I have been busy pursuing further studies at The Master’s Seminary, Los Angeles, California. Third, I moved to a new city, from Delhi to Hyderabad. And several (smaller) factors made me take a break. It is not unusual for me. I took a break in 2015 and 2017 also because I was busy in seminary.

        There had also been an annoying technical issue with this blog, unfortunately. It was about two years ago that I was notified by Google Analytics to upgrade some technical aspects of my blog. I do not have the expertise to do it, so, Help Think has not been indexed on Google search for the last two years. However, there had been more than 20,000 views last year alone, even with a single post. I thank you all, oldcomers and newcomers!

        The technical issue has not been fixed yet, but I cannot continue to wait for someone to help me fix it to resume blogging. Though the blogposts of the past and the upcoming ones may not be readily found in Google search, I intend to be regular in blogging this year, posting two to four articles per month. I trust you will find them edifying, educating, and enjoyable. Unlike the previous years, this year, I intend to make Help Think more reader-oriented. By which I mean, I will post articles that I believe are relevant to most readers. Some of the blog posts of previous years were only for pastors or seminary-trained people. However, this time, I aim for a larger audience.

        Would you share with your friends and family whatever articles you find edifying, educating, or enjoying? I do not have social media pages like Facebook or Instagram, you are welcome to share any blogposts and promote them.

PS: For many years, I have disabled the comment section, and I am still undecided this year whether to leave it open or closed for comments and interactions.