Reading the Bible on your Android device

OK, You've gotten an Android tablet or smartphone and it's got all these cool features, but how can you make use of it in daily devotions? What options are available to make reading God's Word convenient and free? Here are a few I've found and I'm glad to share them.

My preferred modern English translation for daily reading is the English Standard Version (ESV) copyrighted from Crossway Bibles.

If you have any other phone OS/translations/apps/etc. you've been using and want to share your experience, feel free to leave a comment below! Also feel free to ask me if anything below is unclear.

Web Versions
Without downloading an app you can begin reading this translation free using Good News Publisher's website and Android's stock web browser. Here's a link:

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/browse/


One nice feature from this website is the through the bible in a year devotions. I bookmark this site and use it for my daily readings:

http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/through.the.bible/


It can also be helpful to make a shortcut to this website from your Android homescreen.

Dolphin Browser HD
https://market.android.com/details?id=mobi.mgeek.TunnyBrowser&feature=search_result

If you like the ESV Bible web interfaces above and want an environment more conducive to reading, try installing Dolphin Browser HD. This web browser application allows you to keep your screen lock from timing out before you get to the end of the page (if you're a slow reader like me) and allows you to use re-purpose the volume up/down buttons to scroll up and down the page.

ESV Bible (Crossway)
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.subsplash.esv&feature=search_result

Crossway recently came out with their own app which is freely available in the Android Market. It is the only free option I've found which includes cross references. It also downloads the whole text of the Bible to your phone so you aren't constantly relying on having an internet connection. You can also share verses you're pondering on Twitter or Facebook directly within the app. It does have some drawbacks, though.

First, it's a huge download (13 MB) so unless you have Froyo and can move it to your SD card, it'll be eating up a large chunk of your phone's onboard memory. I also had trouble downloading and installing the program (about 6 unsuccessful attempts!) and I think this was related to its size.

Second, it doesn't remap the volume buttons for scrolling (like the dolphin browser, above).

Third, while you can easily follow the cross reference links, the back button exits the app instead of returning to the previously selected passage.

Update: I've also found the Crossway ESV Bible app to force close a few times.

Hopefully in future revisions they can address some of these issues... but even so, it's already free and usable.

Amazon Kindle for Android
https://market.android.com/details?id=com.amazon.kindle&feature=search_result

If you need the Bible to be on your device but can't fit the entire 13 MB ESV Bible app from Crossway, consider downloading the Amazon Kindle App. The size of the app is only 3.5 MB and you can then download the ESV Bible for free from the kindle store within the app (you'll need to create an Amazon account if you don't already have one).

http://www.amazon.com/Bible-English-Standard-Version-ebook/dp/B001EOCFU4/ref=zg_bstf_154606011_30

The Kindle app is nice for straight reading through and will sync wirelessly with any other Kindle devices. It also has that nice volume button scrolling feature. It also allows you to resize the text and change white text over black background or vice versa (or sepia tone!).

Update: The Kindle app is also has a feature to "lock" the screen from shifting between portrait and landscape. This can be really handy if you read the bible while lying down.

The free version of the ESV for kindle, though, is not very good for jumping around in the text and does not have cross references.

Read It!
With all these free options for getting the Bible onto your Android device, chose one and get it. But don't stop there. The Bible is the Word of God and it is meant to be treasured!

Proverbs 7:1-3 (esv.to/Proverbs7.1-3)
7:1 My son, keep my words
and treasure up my commandments with you;
2 keep my commandments and live;
keep my teaching as the apple of your eye;
3 bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart.

Covenants Lesson 1: What is a Covenant?

This is Lesson 1 of a series...
http://drytheology.blogspot.com/2011/03/covenants.html

The Significance of Covenant
Did you know that the English Standard Version of the bible uses the word “covenant” in 301 verses? (The Hebrew word berith, covenant, occurs over 280 times in the Old Testament. The translators of the OT into the Greek Septuagint chose the Greek word diatheke in place of the Hebrew berith. In the NT diatheke occurs 33 times.)

Did you know that the Reformed Presbyterian (RP) Church has a history of calling themselves “Covenanters”? (The major covenants in our history would be the Scottish National Covenant of 1638, the Solemn League and Covenant of 1643 and the American Covenant of 1871)

In this lesson, we’ll explore the idea of covenant in general. In future lessons, we’ll look at specific covenants in theology, the bible, and in Church History. So first, what is a covenant?

The Definition of Covenant
Though not in the larger or shorter catechism themselves, the question is asked in the catechism for young children:
Q. 22. What is a covenant?
A. An agreement between two or more persons.

O Palmer Robertson calls a covenant “A bond in blood sovereignly administered”#.

Covenant consists of 2 parts,"The 1st without the 2nd is no more than a promise: the 2nd without the first is no less than a law." - John Ball

What does the word “covenant” make you think of?

* Promises - Covenants are a way for someone to promise to another they will perform something.
* Stipulations - These are requirements for those within the covenant.
* Contract - The idea of covenant has legal implications. When a covenant is made between two parties there will either be covenant keepers or covenant breakers.
* Relationship - Recall that marriage is called a covenant.
* Representative Headship - Kings would sometimes enter into covenants. The covenants they entered had implications for all of their subjects. In the same way, we see that when God enters into covenant with this or that man.
* Signs and Seals - The sign and seal for marriage is the wedding ring. God often signifies his covenant relationships with signs (e.g. rainbow, circumcision, etc.)

Covenants between Men

• Covenants between husband and wife

Marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman. Both of these are equals in the covenant of marriage. The promise is made by the man to be a ‘loving and faithful husband as long as the both shall live’. He submits himself to stipulations that he will remain faithful to her. She makes similar promises and commitments.

Though they knew each other before the wedding day as boyfriend and girlfriend; fiancée and fiancé, their relationship takes a whole new turn at the formal inauguration of their marriage. Here they exchange their vows and seals of the marriage covenant. From this time forth they are to fulfil the promises and stipulations throughout their relationship. They are to love and serve one another until they die.

• Covenants between suzerain (or lord) and vassal

Sometimes covenants are entered into between two parties which are not equal. A suzerain, or lord, is a strong political power and may exercise dominance over a weak vassal state. This would be done by entering a covenant. The suzerain would offer to “be nice” to the vassal in return for the vassal to perform some service to the suzerain. The vassal would accept the offer and perform the service. It is important to remember that it is the suzerain who initiates this relationship. It would make no sense for a weak nation to say to a strong one, “here are the terms of the relationship between us two”. It is always the right of the suzerain to offer the relationship and the vassal to accept the terms offered.

Covenant between God and Man
The idea of a covenant is very foundational not just to RP’s but to how God deals with mankind in general.

Westminster Confession of Faith (WCF) 7.1
The distance between God and the creature is so great, that although reasonable creatures do owe obedience unto Him as their Creator, yet they could never have any fruition of Him as their blessedness and reward, but by some voluntary condescension on God’s part, which He hath been pleased to express by way of covenant.

What is the WCF saying?
Basically, it is saying that when God created the world, He didn’t owe them anything. Just that something exists does not entitle it to anything except that God voluntarily chooses to bless it. This reminds us that in some ways God’s covenants with mankind are like that of a suzerain to a vassal. We cannot make up our own terms of relating to God and offer them for Him to accept or reject. To relate to God and receive blessing and reward we must accept the terms of relating with Him that He has offered.

Covenants

Prepared for Sabbath evening instruction for Covenant Youth of the Reformed Presbyterian Church of Shawnee

Resources
Constitution of the RPCNA
The Christ of the Covenants - O. Palmer Robertson
A Treatise on the Covenant of Grace - John Ball

1. http://drytheology.blogspot.com/2011/03/covenants-lesson-1-what-is-covenant.html
2. http://drytheology.blogspot.com/2011/04/covenants-lesson-2-adamic-covenant.html

Oh, The Places You've Gone!

Dynamics

Heard a great choir concert Saturday night... and the members of the choir joined us for worship this LORD's day. It left me thinking...

Have you ever listened to a piece of choral music that begins so softly that you are straining to hear? The unison vocals start softly and slowly but in time divide into harmonies. The music gains speed and volume and suddenly you begin to think, "that's loud". Then the song approaches its climax where all voices are almost to a shout...

I think sometimes it's good to think about the dynamics of music. Often I find that every song I sing on Sunday is the same volume; the same intensity. It's days like today, when the sheer number of voices singing praises to God doubles that I realize that worship can be louder. I was even tempted to think, "this is what worship should be like..." But then it struck me. Today's worship turned up the volume... but it doesn't even compare. My mind can't even fathom the singing of heaven, when we will join all the saints as one voice together with angels... singing praises to our God!