6:00 this morning, I was lacing up my shoes with my bag packed for school already. I was excited because I'm seldom ready before 6:20, and after a week of nearly being late, I was finally going to be ready to leave before my dad. Good thing, too
I wanted to be at school early today because I'm doing a bible study on 1 Samuel at 7am.
I pocketed my cell phone, and reached for my wheelchair gloves. They weren't there.
Why weren't they on the back of the couch like always? I purposefully leave them there every night so I don't lose them.
Not having my gloves is like not having my shoes, only worse. I don't eat with my feet when they're black with grime.
Where were they? Last night, I got home and I peeled them off my hands in front of my bed. Because I'd been exhausted, I threw them on the center of the bed, next to the blue-with-white-polka-dots body pillow I sleep with.
I never took them off my bed when I cleaned it off last night.
I must've slept on them all night.
Bull.
"God, help me find them, please," I said under my breath, jerking at the blankets.
"Maybe you left them in the car."
"That's not posssible, I know I threw them on the bed last night. I can picture them right there."
"It couldn't hurt to go look on the floor of the car."
"THEY ARE NOT IN THE CAR. THEY WERE ON MY BED. I PROBABLY KNOCKED THEM UNDERNEATH THE BED, OFF EITHER SIDE."
Heaving my couch sideways, I poked my head under the bed. Lots of dust, and oh, hey, my headphones. I was wondering where they went.
"Why would your wheelchair gloves be under your couch? Get your coat on so you can go check the car. It's a little cold out."
I picked up my white jacket, sliding it onto my shoulders. "What if they got stuck in the blanket--or the pillows? Maybe they're in one of the pillowcases???"
After a quick ruffling of the covers, I caught sight of the clock. 6:22. I was running out of time. Any minute now, my dad would call up the stairs to see if I was ready to walk out the door yet. Delay more than that, and I'd be late to the bible study--I don't have Andrew's number, how am I going to tell him I'm going to be late? What if he goes somewhere else in Webb and I have to look for him? Ugh, so much for being early.
"I can't go to school without my gloves." I told myself; my dad would have to wait for me to find them. Funnily enough, he hadn't noticed the time yet.
"God, help me calm down and retrace my steps. They're here somewhere."
"You never checked the car."
"Whatever. I don't see them. I'm just going to make do. I've got old gloves lying around. They'll work. Between all my old ones, I've got a decent right and left." Thus began the process of cluttering my room more, as progressively older gloves flew around. "God, show me which glove to grab, which one is in best condition. It's 6:30, God, please. Don't make me go without gloves."
"Praise God in all circumstances. It's in Thessalonians."
"Okay God, thanks for giving me old pairs of gloves I could wear when I need them," I sighed, "I'm gonna find those gloves this afternoon. No doubt."
Trey woke up and opened his door, wearing basketball shorts and his green Dicks Sporting Goods shirt. "Hey man, wha's up?"
"Eh, lost my wheelchair gloves. I think I slept on them. No idea where I kicked them."
"It's all good man, are these the ones?" he handed me an old ragged pair I had tossed somewhere.
"No, but I'll take them," I rammed them into my coat pocket. "See ya man."
"Have a good day man!" Trey said.
"I'll try. No wheelchair gloves, remember?"
"No, there is no try, there is only do!"
"Ok, Yoda."
I slumped downstairs and told my dad I was ready. Walking to the car, I dropped my backpack in the backseat, and started fumbling in the bag for the almost finished wheelchair glove I'd been sewing the past few days. Even it if ended up looking bad, I was going to finish that one yellow glove in the pale on-off light of the streets lights still on and the rising sun somewhere behind me.
"Check the floor for your gloves."
Feeling around at my feet, before buckling up, I found them on top of the floormat. There they were!
I pulled the old grungy gloves out of my coat pocket, and something dawned on me. The whole morning, I'd been angry because I couldn't find my gloves and was prepared to settle for this cruddy, worn-to-nothing no-good pair of gloves instead of the new, perfect, awesome gloves God had in store for me.
We don't always remember how much God cares for us, how he knows our needs, and he provides them. Before we were born, God knew us, and he'd already planned the life we could live to glorify him most. He's never going to let us down.
God spoke to me this morning, and it took me losing my ability to roll properly for me to hear it. God wants to clothe us in a new robe and call us by name, if we will just hear what He has to say.
I couldn't believe I had let something as trivial as a pair of gloves get in the way of my walk with God. Lost gloves did not affect my salvation, and I would survive without them if I had to. God knew my needs, and he answered my prayer this morning. All I had to do was listen.
I texted Trey that I found them in the car, and his answer was right, coming from him and in some ways, coming from God: "Haha I told you! About the good day that is!"
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
I'm coming out
According to my newsfeed, today is coming out day. I think that means if you're gay, or you feel that way sometimes, or you want to be accepted in that community, you're supposed to use today as an opportunity to tell the world you're coming out as homosexual.
I don't really know how it's supposed to work.
So I could write a better blog entry, I did a little research on the history of today being Coming Out Day. Apparently, this date was chosen because of a famous march on Washington by the LGBT community back in the late eighties. I'm not really sure. I did use Wikipedia, after all.
According to my women's studies professor, straight people are actually discriminating against homosexuals if they never come out as straight. The idea is something like because heterosexuality is the norm, people automatically assume attraction to the opposite sex is expected, and if that is not the case, the inherent awkwardness oppresses the homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual communities. So, I think the reasoning is if homosexual people have to come out as homosexual in order for their sexual orientation to be recognized by society, the sexual orientation of every other living human on the planet must be called into question or declared "undecided" or something.
For me, that's just weird.
Just trying to explain how not coming out as straight, gay, bi, or single-and-loving-it discriminates against gay people confused me so much, I'm not even sure my explanation made sense.
(If someone out there reading this understands how it's supposed to work better than I do, please, do share.)
Why do people have to come out at all? Every gay person I know has told me, "It's not always about sex" so why make it about sex? Doesn't coming out as homosexual imply something other than just a feeling for the same sex? Not to downplay any of the discrimination and oppression homosexuals face on a day-to-day basis, but maybe part of the reason straight people don't come out is because they "do it" behind closed doors.
Coming out as straight would be like, "I'm sexually attracted to women, (and I like it woman-on-top)." Granted, the statement I just made is a tad exaggerated, but it needs to be in order to compare to the stigmata associated with being gay. Even before I started taking women's studies, I knew if you said you were gay, people concluded you liked it Brokeback Mountain style.
Do you see my point?
There's nothing wrong with coming out, in my opinion. I've had people come out to me before, a few times as one of their first supporters, but I don't understand why people come out.
Perhaps, perhaps it's a matter of self-confidence, and accepting who you are?
Assuming that's what it's all about, then yes, I think coming out is important. Knowing who you are is absolutely essential in day-to-day life, and it's also important to make it clear to others.
Please allow me the opportunity to come out to you, to be as honest and frank as I can muster.
I, Jonathan, am coming out about who I am, not just the me people see, but the me on the inside, the real, nothing-to-hide me.
I am a terrible person inside. Jealousy, rage, and passionate sexual urges consume me. Every day, I struggle not to think more highly of myself than I should, or harangue some poor soul taking the elevator up one floor even though the stairs are empty and two of the three elevators are broke-down. It's not just the elevators either. Stand in my wheelchair's blindspot, and I'm liable to shove you to the ground even after you come into my field of vision.
My own insecurities leave me feeling clingy, unwanted, thirsty for companionship in any form. Sure, I've got my "good person" moments too, but can they really make up for all the darkness that is inside me? Karma doesn't work like a see-saw, and even if it did, I doubt my good deeds could ever balance out my bad deeds. This isn't some brainwashed religious dogma forcing me to feel guilty over imagined and contrived wrongdoings some preacher shouted at me from his wooden podium. This is me recognizing the hurt I've had no problem causing too many times.
I'm still ashamed of the tears people cried because of me. There was one dude when I was younger, Kyle, he just wanted to play basketball with three other dudes at church and I. I told him no way because it would unbalance the teams. He went home from vacation bible school early that day, crying.
Truth is, I'm not worth the chewed gum stuck to the heel of my boot. In the sight of a perfect, blameless God, I am nothing. Let me come out and say, I am a sinner saved by the love, power, and grace of Jesus.
Happy coming out day.
I don't really know how it's supposed to work.
So I could write a better blog entry, I did a little research on the history of today being Coming Out Day. Apparently, this date was chosen because of a famous march on Washington by the LGBT community back in the late eighties. I'm not really sure. I did use Wikipedia, after all.
According to my women's studies professor, straight people are actually discriminating against homosexuals if they never come out as straight. The idea is something like because heterosexuality is the norm, people automatically assume attraction to the opposite sex is expected, and if that is not the case, the inherent awkwardness oppresses the homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual communities. So, I think the reasoning is if homosexual people have to come out as homosexual in order for their sexual orientation to be recognized by society, the sexual orientation of every other living human on the planet must be called into question or declared "undecided" or something.
For me, that's just weird.
Just trying to explain how not coming out as straight, gay, bi, or single-and-loving-it discriminates against gay people confused me so much, I'm not even sure my explanation made sense.
(If someone out there reading this understands how it's supposed to work better than I do, please, do share.)
Why do people have to come out at all? Every gay person I know has told me, "It's not always about sex" so why make it about sex? Doesn't coming out as homosexual imply something other than just a feeling for the same sex? Not to downplay any of the discrimination and oppression homosexuals face on a day-to-day basis, but maybe part of the reason straight people don't come out is because they "do it" behind closed doors.
Coming out as straight would be like, "I'm sexually attracted to women, (and I like it woman-on-top)." Granted, the statement I just made is a tad exaggerated, but it needs to be in order to compare to the stigmata associated with being gay. Even before I started taking women's studies, I knew if you said you were gay, people concluded you liked it Brokeback Mountain style.
Do you see my point?
There's nothing wrong with coming out, in my opinion. I've had people come out to me before, a few times as one of their first supporters, but I don't understand why people come out.
Perhaps, perhaps it's a matter of self-confidence, and accepting who you are?
Assuming that's what it's all about, then yes, I think coming out is important. Knowing who you are is absolutely essential in day-to-day life, and it's also important to make it clear to others.
Please allow me the opportunity to come out to you, to be as honest and frank as I can muster.
I, Jonathan, am coming out about who I am, not just the me people see, but the me on the inside, the real, nothing-to-hide me.
I am a terrible person inside. Jealousy, rage, and passionate sexual urges consume me. Every day, I struggle not to think more highly of myself than I should, or harangue some poor soul taking the elevator up one floor even though the stairs are empty and two of the three elevators are broke-down. It's not just the elevators either. Stand in my wheelchair's blindspot, and I'm liable to shove you to the ground even after you come into my field of vision.
My own insecurities leave me feeling clingy, unwanted, thirsty for companionship in any form. Sure, I've got my "good person" moments too, but can they really make up for all the darkness that is inside me? Karma doesn't work like a see-saw, and even if it did, I doubt my good deeds could ever balance out my bad deeds. This isn't some brainwashed religious dogma forcing me to feel guilty over imagined and contrived wrongdoings some preacher shouted at me from his wooden podium. This is me recognizing the hurt I've had no problem causing too many times.
I'm still ashamed of the tears people cried because of me. There was one dude when I was younger, Kyle, he just wanted to play basketball with three other dudes at church and I. I told him no way because it would unbalance the teams. He went home from vacation bible school early that day, crying.
Truth is, I'm not worth the chewed gum stuck to the heel of my boot. In the sight of a perfect, blameless God, I am nothing. Let me come out and say, I am a sinner saved by the love, power, and grace of Jesus.
Happy coming out day.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Why isn't there a God's day?
Father's day is sometime in June, if I remember correctly. Mother's Day is easy; it's always the week of my mother's birthday, that Sunday I think. Siblings and pets have birthdays to celebrate, and lovers are special enough to get one of the scarce few days in February. Why isn't there a day to celebrate all that God's done?
Don't tell me that's what Christmas and Easter are for. Christmas might celebrate the birth of Christ, but Jesus sure didn't fall into that manger because it lay beneath the chimney. And where was Peter when the stone rolled away? Peter Cottontail, I mean. We know where Simon Peter was.
I'm serious. God deserves a day when all we do is focus on him.
Your father and mother aren't always going to be there for you, but God doesn't mind babysitting, even if you're all grown up.
And, I don't care who yo daddy is, God is entitled to the "world's best dad" shirt.
Moms have it rough, and sometimes they just forget to take the chicken out of the freezer, but truth be told, God won't forget to feed you.
Since there's no calendar day devoted to the God of the universe, why don't we all take what's left of today and devote it to celebrating all that God's done for us? You know I'm going to.
Don't tell me that's what Christmas and Easter are for. Christmas might celebrate the birth of Christ, but Jesus sure didn't fall into that manger because it lay beneath the chimney. And where was Peter when the stone rolled away? Peter Cottontail, I mean. We know where Simon Peter was.
I'm serious. God deserves a day when all we do is focus on him.
Your father and mother aren't always going to be there for you, but God doesn't mind babysitting, even if you're all grown up.
And, I don't care who yo daddy is, God is entitled to the "world's best dad" shirt.
Moms have it rough, and sometimes they just forget to take the chicken out of the freezer, but truth be told, God won't forget to feed you.
Since there's no calendar day devoted to the God of the universe, why don't we all take what's left of today and devote it to celebrating all that God's done for us? You know I'm going to.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Rough day
The past few days have been getting progressively more difficult. Stress at home, stress at work, and stress in general have been taxing on me. My dad and I had an argument a few weeks back. It was never resolved because he refused to acknowledge any reality other than what he wanted to perceive it as. Essentially, he's dictating how I'm supposed to act, and if I show any emotions (because he's yelling at me like I'm in trouble), he shrugs them off as me tearing up a little over nothing.
I'm not a kid anymore.
My frustration and anger aside, I'm in a really down spot right now because I got too busy today to spend any serious time in prayer or bible reading. I managed twenty minutes of cramming this morning before I had to get to class and finish my homework, and then I almost sat aside my homework for another class at noon to flat-out bible study, but I wasn't able to do it. I just had too much homework and got too busy to afford more than the three obscure verses I looked up for a friend organizing a bible study.
My best friend's mom is sick with a sinus infection again. She's been fighting it since December or November. I'm worried for her, her family, and most significantly, for my friend. I don't know how to comfort my friend because she's not a Christian and most of the time if I share a bible verse with her, she's just like "Oh. What does that mean? I don't see how it relates to my mom being sick." It's hard to find any verse she can really appreciate for what it is, and that's compounded by the fact she's literally my closest friend, even if we're not as close right now.
I think God's telling me to get on my knees and pray, first thing tomorrow morning. I'm discouraged and I can't go on without catching up on my God-time first chance I get. God's got me, from now until forever.
I'm not a kid anymore.
My frustration and anger aside, I'm in a really down spot right now because I got too busy today to spend any serious time in prayer or bible reading. I managed twenty minutes of cramming this morning before I had to get to class and finish my homework, and then I almost sat aside my homework for another class at noon to flat-out bible study, but I wasn't able to do it. I just had too much homework and got too busy to afford more than the three obscure verses I looked up for a friend organizing a bible study.
My best friend's mom is sick with a sinus infection again. She's been fighting it since December or November. I'm worried for her, her family, and most significantly, for my friend. I don't know how to comfort my friend because she's not a Christian and most of the time if I share a bible verse with her, she's just like "Oh. What does that mean? I don't see how it relates to my mom being sick." It's hard to find any verse she can really appreciate for what it is, and that's compounded by the fact she's literally my closest friend, even if we're not as close right now.
I think God's telling me to get on my knees and pray, first thing tomorrow morning. I'm discouraged and I can't go on without catching up on my God-time first chance I get. God's got me, from now until forever.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
You Are Here
Ordinarily, or formerly as it may be, this would have been more than enough God time for me. I'd feel spiritually refreshed, and in sync with God. I'm a simple guy. If the bible shows me an example of God using disabled people in spite of their pain or suffering, I'm happy. If God reveals a nuance of his love for humanity that I'd never considered, I'm jumping up and down and singing praises in front of the drill press.
But, it's not just me anymore.
Too many people depend on my faith for their own walk with God.
I'm not saying they are my responsibility or that without me they wouldn't be able to do the whole God thing. God is God, and he doesn't need anyone or anything to fulfill his divine purpose in our lives. Besides, we can't save anyone, no matter how hard we try. Only God, through his mercy, saves.
What I'm saying is that God has placed these people and situations in my life for a reason, and all I know to do is give God the glory however I can.
I wish there was a step-by-step process to get help from the useless staff at a nursing home or encourage every doubting believer or reunite every broken love. You know, something with faceless illustrations.
There's not--but there is a God in control of all these situations.
As much as I love helping people come closer to God, I still wonder how I fit in. My human nature yearns to see it's own desires fulfilled. Last week was hard because I didn't always feel the strongest, or if I did, I pushed myself farther than I should have--and it hurts even to admit it--and I hate being stuck on a couch. I worry I'll never have the strength to serve God in the way I want, even though I know he will sustain me and even without Muscular Dystrophy, I would never be strong enough to serve him without his strength in me.
It's a tough battle, even without all the people who depend on me for encouragement. I hope you can see how broken and weak I felt. I didn't understand how I could possibly be where God wanted me to be in order to glorify him most and become more Christ-like in my actions.
God snapped me out of it Friday.
Just like the day before, God had really shown me how blessed I was, and how many people he had placed around me who were imbued with the Holy Spirit. Because of people like Catherine, Mary, and Crystal, I was seeing God work out my own problems.
That gave me the strength to ignore my own suffering and fight the many temptations dangling in front of me. Seriously, God is enough.
I saw who I was without God, and how miserable I had been back then, and I hated that person.
After leading the French bible study, and being overwhelmed by God's presence in it, I wanted nothing more than for God to know my faults and lead me in the way everlasting.
But I have spared you for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. ~Exodus 9:16
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Feeling Courageous
Ok, you got me. This is more about an upcoming movie than about the bible.
My church is reserving several theaters for opening night at the nearby movie theater. Church goers are encouraged to buy their tickets through the church, and also to contribute towards getting tickets for the entire city's police precinct (and their wives) to come see the movie.
My plan is to buy three tickets tomorrow. One is for a police officer, and the other two I'm reserving for myself. There are two ideal uses for those tickets, in my opinion. Me, Jonathan, the adorable single dude I am, I 'd love to take a Christian woman to see this movie with me, i.e. on a date. I have someone in mind, but it's in God's hands if I go with her, since at this point, it's still a bit far off.
The other ideal use of the spare ticket would be for the friend whom God most wants to see this movie with me. Considering the trailer promises a deep, make-you-read-ya-bible plotline, there's a lot of potential for God to speak through the movie.
In the meantime, I'm going to pray that God reveals whom should sit next to me in the theater, because I do not doubt there is someone God's pointing to.
My plan is to buy three tickets tomorrow. One is for a police officer, and the other two I'm reserving for myself. There are two ideal uses for those tickets, in my opinion. Me, Jonathan, the adorable single dude I am, I 'd love to take a Christian woman to see this movie with me, i.e. on a date. I have someone in mind, but it's in God's hands if I go with her, since at this point, it's still a bit far off.
The other ideal use of the spare ticket would be for the friend whom God most wants to see this movie with me. Considering the trailer promises a deep, make-you-read-ya-bible plotline, there's a lot of potential for God to speak through the movie.
In the meantime, I'm going to pray that God reveals whom should sit next to me in the theater, because I do not doubt there is someone God's pointing to.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Someone else
In the past month and a half-ish, I finished reading Revelations and started back again with Genesis. This time around, I've got more colored pens than I did when I started last time, so I'm keeping an eye out for the details I've yet to color-code, but more than that, I've been fascinated with how God's love works in the Old Testament. Most if not all Christians understand God so loved the world that he gave his only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. Sure, okay, nifty, but that's the New Testament God.
The Old Testament God is the exact same entity as the New Testament God, just saying.
God doesn't change, got it. Except, the Old Testament loves getting all nationalistic for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Considering,they're God's chosen people, I can't help feeling a little out of the loop.
But, God loved the world, not just the Jewish people. Where is that in the Old Testament? The New Testament tells us that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one in Jesus. Surely that doesn't mean before Jesus was born, God loved non-Jews (aka Gentiles) less than Jews.
If Jesus is the promised messiah, the promised savior of the Jewish people (which, praise God, he is!) and he told his followers to make disciples of all nations, then there should be some indication in the Old Testament of his awesome salvation being available to non-Jewish people also.
The first example that comes to mind is the promise made to Abraham, that through his offspring, the whole world would be blessed. I don't know about you, but I've always found that idea to be a bit vague. True, you can, by a long process of analyzing both the language used and the family tree of Abraham down to Jesus, and see that yes, it is theoretically possible that because of Jesus, all nations are blessed.
The only problem is that we're back at the idea that all non-Jews before Christmas 0000 were screwed. Sucks to be them.
I use a purple exclamation mark in the margins of my bible when I discover a verse that shows God's love for non-Jews or the faith they have in him. Sometimes, I put the exclamation mark in parenthesis to indicate the possibility the verse shows God's love for non-Jews or their faith in him. I've only made it halfway through Numbers since starting the bible over again, and most of the purple exclamation marks I've drawn had parenthesis around them.
A few verses in Numbers 15 did not.
Numbers 15:13...blah, blah...when one of God's chosen people by birth brings an offering he should do it like this...Numbers 15:14...when a foreigner living among you presents an offering to the Lord, he must do it the same way...
Wait, what?
Numbers 15:15...same rules for native born and foreigner living among you...You and the alien shall be the same before the Lord.
Say again?
Numbers 15:16...the same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.
For some odd reason, I feel like there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free but Christ is all, and is in all.
The Old Testament God is the exact same entity as the New Testament God, just saying.
God doesn't change, got it. Except, the Old Testament loves getting all nationalistic for the nation of Israel and the Jewish people. Considering,they're God's chosen people, I can't help feeling a little out of the loop.
But, God loved the world, not just the Jewish people. Where is that in the Old Testament? The New Testament tells us that there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for we are all one in Jesus. Surely that doesn't mean before Jesus was born, God loved non-Jews (aka Gentiles) less than Jews.
If Jesus is the promised messiah, the promised savior of the Jewish people (which, praise God, he is!) and he told his followers to make disciples of all nations, then there should be some indication in the Old Testament of his awesome salvation being available to non-Jewish people also.
The first example that comes to mind is the promise made to Abraham, that through his offspring, the whole world would be blessed. I don't know about you, but I've always found that idea to be a bit vague. True, you can, by a long process of analyzing both the language used and the family tree of Abraham down to Jesus, and see that yes, it is theoretically possible that because of Jesus, all nations are blessed.
The only problem is that we're back at the idea that all non-Jews before Christmas 0000 were screwed. Sucks to be them.
I use a purple exclamation mark in the margins of my bible when I discover a verse that shows God's love for non-Jews or the faith they have in him. Sometimes, I put the exclamation mark in parenthesis to indicate the possibility the verse shows God's love for non-Jews or their faith in him. I've only made it halfway through Numbers since starting the bible over again, and most of the purple exclamation marks I've drawn had parenthesis around them.
A few verses in Numbers 15 did not.
Numbers 15:13...blah, blah...when one of God's chosen people by birth brings an offering he should do it like this...Numbers 15:14...when a foreigner living among you presents an offering to the Lord, he must do it the same way...
Wait, what?
Numbers 15:15...same rules for native born and foreigner living among you...You and the alien shall be the same before the Lord.
Say again?
Numbers 15:16...the same laws and regulations will apply both to you and to the alien living among you.
For some odd reason, I feel like there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free but Christ is all, and is in all.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Que Dieu nous aide
Alors, récemment, Dieu l'a mis sur mon coeur qu'il faut faire quelque chose pour son gloire avec le français. J'ai fait beaucoup de recherche à l'église française, et je suis membre des associations pour les chrétiens au monde francophone. Donc, j'ai réalisé que je connaissais plein des chrétiens qui parle français mais qui n'ont pas de vocabulaire de leur foi.
Dieu m'a bénéficié avec le don des diverses langues et je crois le don de l'interprétation des langues. Aussi, Il m'a donné une compréhension de sa parole et la capacité de parler sans peur.
Et puis, si vous pourriez prier que Dieu parle par moi, et que nous pouvons trouver une heure de le faire et aussi quelque par ou nous pouvons lire la bible, je vous remercie.
***
So, recently, God placed it on my heart that I need to do something for His glory with French. I've done a lot of research on the French church and I'm a member of some organizations for Christians in the French-speaking world. And so, I realized I know plenty of French-speaking Christians who don't know the vocabulary of their faith.
God blessed me with the gift of various languages, and I believe the interpretation of these languages. Also, He gave me an understanding of his word and the ability to speak without fear.
And so, if you could pray for God to speak through me and for us to find a time to do the Bible study as well as a place to hold to do it at, I would really appreciate it.
Dieu m'a bénéficié avec le don des diverses langues et je crois le don de l'interprétation des langues. Aussi, Il m'a donné une compréhension de sa parole et la capacité de parler sans peur.
Et puis, si vous pourriez prier que Dieu parle par moi, et que nous pouvons trouver une heure de le faire et aussi quelque par ou nous pouvons lire la bible, je vous remercie.
***
So, recently, God placed it on my heart that I need to do something for His glory with French. I've done a lot of research on the French church and I'm a member of some organizations for Christians in the French-speaking world. And so, I realized I know plenty of French-speaking Christians who don't know the vocabulary of their faith.
God blessed me with the gift of various languages, and I believe the interpretation of these languages. Also, He gave me an understanding of his word and the ability to speak without fear.
And so, if you could pray for God to speak through me and for us to find a time to do the Bible study as well as a place to hold to do it at, I would really appreciate it.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
A musical number
To my amazement, God is using me to lead others in their spiritual walk. Even though I know the bible pretty well now, and I could find verses for nearly any life situation, I'm not this strong in my faith naturally. Just like the song says, I'm not what I have done, I'm what I've overcome.
I've given my testimony before on this blog, several times I'm sure, but I'm just beginning to realize how God uses our past experiences to His glory. I'm probably oversimplifying this, but God allows the things that we go through in our lives to happen so that he can see how we react to them, and if our response is to turn to him, then he turns those experiences into opportunities. Each time we overcome an obstacle or tough spot in our life through our faith in God, God uses us to help others get through similar circumstances.
I swear, once you're set in your ways with God, through thick and thin, He arranges the needy in a zig-zag line direct to you. Well, it's actually more like you're the neon sign that draws people in and God's the one doing the talking.
You can't beat the bargains you'll find with God, I guarantee it.
Don't bother with generic knock-offs--even kids can tell you Dollar Store crud will break in a week. I got a box of dollar store crayons once. Not only was every crayon broken before I'd even begun coloring, they failed to transfer their color to the page. Why bother with anything subpar?
With God, the quality is top-notch.
In my own life, God is using me to encourage a recently-acquired friend who is struggling with his faith amidst a painful break-up. When I went through a similar crisis last summer, I devoted myself to studying the Bible; the verses that encouraged me also encouraged him. Before, I knew this guy's name, his job, and his girlfriend, but not much else. Now, this former stranger is my best friend and confidant; after a month and a half we've already got more than enough dirt to blackmail eachother into anything!
Another result of my time spent studying God's word is that I've become one of the alternate Sunday school teachers for the college and career class I'm in. Three weeks ago, I took over the job of sending out prayer requests to this class, and once June comes, I'll officially be the go-to-guy for this class. Considering the frequency our teachers are out, I expect to teach once a month at first, and maybe in six months do it every Sunday.
First God made me a witness to his power, and now he's made me a leader for other believers.
The hours God's open for business are from everlasting to everlasting (closed for Judgement Day).
And get this, just for coming to God, you get a coupon for a free Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card.
I can attest to this personally, but God's ways are not like anyone else's. They just aren't. Does Stephen Hawking operate at the level of a high school chemistry teacher?
Want proof?
God is using me to do his work, me, the judgmental and insecure snot I am.
But, it's not me speaking. It's God speaking through me and through my experiences so that his purpose is fulfilled.
It's a fantastic agreement. Like, I don't know why the mountains and hills aren't already singing nor why the trees aren't clapping their hands.
Oh, and did I mention the lifetime warrantee, that what you get from God will never break or be destroyed, ever?
I've given my testimony before on this blog, several times I'm sure, but I'm just beginning to realize how God uses our past experiences to His glory. I'm probably oversimplifying this, but God allows the things that we go through in our lives to happen so that he can see how we react to them, and if our response is to turn to him, then he turns those experiences into opportunities. Each time we overcome an obstacle or tough spot in our life through our faith in God, God uses us to help others get through similar circumstances.
I swear, once you're set in your ways with God, through thick and thin, He arranges the needy in a zig-zag line direct to you. Well, it's actually more like you're the neon sign that draws people in and God's the one doing the talking.
You can't beat the bargains you'll find with God, I guarantee it.
Don't bother with generic knock-offs--even kids can tell you Dollar Store crud will break in a week. I got a box of dollar store crayons once. Not only was every crayon broken before I'd even begun coloring, they failed to transfer their color to the page. Why bother with anything subpar?
With God, the quality is top-notch.
In my own life, God is using me to encourage a recently-acquired friend who is struggling with his faith amidst a painful break-up. When I went through a similar crisis last summer, I devoted myself to studying the Bible; the verses that encouraged me also encouraged him. Before, I knew this guy's name, his job, and his girlfriend, but not much else. Now, this former stranger is my best friend and confidant; after a month and a half we've already got more than enough dirt to blackmail eachother into anything!
Another result of my time spent studying God's word is that I've become one of the alternate Sunday school teachers for the college and career class I'm in. Three weeks ago, I took over the job of sending out prayer requests to this class, and once June comes, I'll officially be the go-to-guy for this class. Considering the frequency our teachers are out, I expect to teach once a month at first, and maybe in six months do it every Sunday.
First God made me a witness to his power, and now he's made me a leader for other believers.
The hours God's open for business are from everlasting to everlasting (closed for Judgement Day).
And get this, just for coming to God, you get a coupon for a free Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free card.
I can attest to this personally, but God's ways are not like anyone else's. They just aren't. Does Stephen Hawking operate at the level of a high school chemistry teacher?
Want proof?
God is using me to do his work, me, the judgmental and insecure snot I am.
But, it's not me speaking. It's God speaking through me and through my experiences so that his purpose is fulfilled.
It's a fantastic agreement. Like, I don't know why the mountains and hills aren't already singing nor why the trees aren't clapping their hands.
Oh, and did I mention the lifetime warrantee, that what you get from God will never break or be destroyed, ever?
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
A micro blog too big for twitter.
I feel like God has laid some things on my heart I need to work out, or need to find the patience to wait for God to explain them to me. In some ways, I feel I'm not doing enough to show others I am a follower of Christ Jesus, but in others, I feel like I'm a leader among my Christian friends.
God has blessed me these past few weeks. I have been shown a great number of my acquaintances are Christians. Each day, it feels like I realize another person I know is a believer. Regardless of if I'm actually seeing these people find Jesus while I know them, I am seeing the numbers of people who believe increase from what I thought was the case. It's a pretty sweet faith cushion, if you know what I mean.
I really don't know what this post was for, but I feel better having written in.
God has blessed me these past few weeks. I have been shown a great number of my acquaintances are Christians. Each day, it feels like I realize another person I know is a believer. Regardless of if I'm actually seeing these people find Jesus while I know them, I am seeing the numbers of people who believe increase from what I thought was the case. It's a pretty sweet faith cushion, if you know what I mean.
I really don't know what this post was for, but I feel better having written in.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Don't call me evangelical
When I say evangelist, what images come to mind?
A Bible-thumping angry dude in a suit with a shiny fivehead. That's what I see.
Despite whatever you've been told, that is not how you're supposed to share the good news of Jesus.
Let me illustrate why. A charming man knocks on your front door, "Hi sir/ma'am, you seem like a reasonable person, would that be correct?"
"Sure, I would hope so."
"You're going to be married one day, correct?"
"Probably, I mean, I guess, eventually."
"I have your future husband/wife out there sitting in the car for you. Why don't we go ahead and get this over with right here and now, and get you two married?"
"Say what?"
"Now listen here, if you don't get married to your future spouse right here and now, I'm going to shoot you."
The man pulls out a gun, racks the slide, and points it at your forehead. "Your choice, make it a good one."
If you don't see what I mean, let me explain. Evangelists have this reputation of being all for Jesus and shoving him down your throat; they present the truth of the gospel, and demand a decision from you. If you make the wrong one, you're going to burn in hell buddy, have a nice day. If you've got questions, tough luck, you're probably going to hell also.
In the same way you wouldn't want to marry someone you'd never dated (let alone met), you wouldn't want to serve a God you've never really known.
No, "evangelicism" is not how God works. Neither is Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, or Non-Denominationalism.
God works through the individual relationships we have with everyone we know.
The earliest followers of Jesus started following Jesus because they knew someone who followed him. According to the book of John, Jesus walked by John the Baptist one day after his baptism, and John the Baptist pointed him out, "Go talk to that dude! He's God in the flesh!"
So, two of John the Baptist's buddies/followers, Andrew and presumably John went and talked to Jesus. Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered they wanted to be friends.
Andrew's brother Simon Peter came to know Jesus because Andrew hung out with him.
Phillip came from the same hometown as Andrew and Simon Peter, and came to know Jesus through them.
Phillip in turn went and told Nathanael about Jesus, and Jesus gave him proof he was who the others said he was.
Don't believe Jesus wants us to be friends with the people in our lives? The greatest commandment is none other than to love the Lord our God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, right?
If you do that, you're not far off from the kingdom of God.
Those who cannot do that aren't from God.
A Bible-thumping angry dude in a suit with a shiny fivehead. That's what I see.
Despite whatever you've been told, that is not how you're supposed to share the good news of Jesus.
Let me illustrate why. A charming man knocks on your front door, "Hi sir/ma'am, you seem like a reasonable person, would that be correct?"
"Sure, I would hope so."
"You're going to be married one day, correct?"
"Probably, I mean, I guess, eventually."
"I have your future husband/wife out there sitting in the car for you. Why don't we go ahead and get this over with right here and now, and get you two married?"
"Say what?"
"Now listen here, if you don't get married to your future spouse right here and now, I'm going to shoot you."
The man pulls out a gun, racks the slide, and points it at your forehead. "Your choice, make it a good one."
If you don't see what I mean, let me explain. Evangelists have this reputation of being all for Jesus and shoving him down your throat; they present the truth of the gospel, and demand a decision from you. If you make the wrong one, you're going to burn in hell buddy, have a nice day. If you've got questions, tough luck, you're probably going to hell also.
In the same way you wouldn't want to marry someone you'd never dated (let alone met), you wouldn't want to serve a God you've never really known.
No, "evangelicism" is not how God works. Neither is Catholicism, Presbyterianism, Protestantism, Anglicanism, or Non-Denominationalism.
God works through the individual relationships we have with everyone we know.
The earliest followers of Jesus started following Jesus because they knew someone who followed him. According to the book of John, Jesus walked by John the Baptist one day after his baptism, and John the Baptist pointed him out, "Go talk to that dude! He's God in the flesh!"
So, two of John the Baptist's buddies/followers, Andrew and presumably John went and talked to Jesus. Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered they wanted to be friends.
Andrew's brother Simon Peter came to know Jesus because Andrew hung out with him.
Phillip came from the same hometown as Andrew and Simon Peter, and came to know Jesus through them.
Phillip in turn went and told Nathanael about Jesus, and Jesus gave him proof he was who the others said he was.
Don't believe Jesus wants us to be friends with the people in our lives? The greatest commandment is none other than to love the Lord our God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself, right?
If you do that, you're not far off from the kingdom of God.
Those who cannot do that aren't from God.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Adderall schedule
As you may have gathered from your interactions with me in person and in print, I have ADHD. I take Adderall to help me focus. Often, my schedule revolves around when I need to take the next dose of Adderall. If I take it too soon, it's effects wear out too quickly. If I take it too late, I'm up all night, wired to write or create. I'm pretty good about taking it consistently on time, but when I'm doing something out of the ordinary, I can forget every now and then.
My Adderall schedule was thrown out of whack today while I worked at a Third Avenue North concert, so I feel the need to write something right now.
I've posted this verse before, but I need it a lot, so I'm sharing it again. It's kind of a sly way of tricking my brain into not writing but getting past the ADHD energy flying through my head.
Jeremiah 18:1-6 is a great excerpt of the Bible to read whenever you realize your own mistakes have come back to haunt you, that maybe, just maybe you should have listened to God and not eaten that sixth slice of pizza.
That is all.
My Adderall schedule was thrown out of whack today while I worked at a Third Avenue North concert, so I feel the need to write something right now.
I've posted this verse before, but I need it a lot, so I'm sharing it again. It's kind of a sly way of tricking my brain into not writing but getting past the ADHD energy flying through my head.
Jeremiah 18:1-6 is a great excerpt of the Bible to read whenever you realize your own mistakes have come back to haunt you, that maybe, just maybe you should have listened to God and not eaten that sixth slice of pizza.
That is all.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Pillar of fire forming in the next stall
Do you ever get the feeling that the glory of the Lord is about to be revealed in the next stall, and you're just there as a marking beacon or something?
I mean, what are we but individuals in our own cooped-up bathroom stall, only able to share what's written on our side of the wall?
God has blessed me tonight by dropping in my lap a tremendous witnessing opportunity. You never hear about nonbelievers coming to ask you about their spiritual questions. I've never known anyone to just approach me and ask me how to get to heaven, how to know with certainty that when they die they will not go to hell.
Sharing one's faith is usually like being the pitcher on a baseball field; you spend all your time throwing out the ball but you never expect much of it. Of course, every now and then you strike a batter out, but how often does someone throw you the ball?
Last night, a friend of mine from the French Club, he asked me if I was a Christian. Until very recently, he'd been commenting on my more biblical Facebook statuses with what I perceived as a sarcastic tone. When he asked me if I was a Christian, I told him I was, and then I asked him if he was.
He answered that he was Catholic, but really believed a hodge-podge of things. He told me he asked because he wanted me to pray for him, because he was genuinely afraid. His digestive system had stopped working altogether, and as his body grew weaker and weaker, he realized that he might die soon. He wanted someone who was obviously closer to God than he was to pray for him, because his praying wasn't doing much.
He had surgery yesterday morning. No change in his condition.
Growing up Catholic, he described to me all the traditions he'd been taught to accept as truth, namely "the sacraments, baptism penance, contrition, holy communion, extreme unction."
I did my best to explain that while those things have their place, they are not what saves a person in the end. I got the impression John believed he could work off his sins by feeling sorry enough for all he had done that whatever he did would be absolved.
I explained Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, quoted Jesus's "small is the gate and narrow is the door" statement, and then explained that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. I told him there was nothing we could do to save ourselves, but that it was by faith alone in the freely given grace of God through the blood of Jesus that we are saved.
It was hard to tell how much of it sunk in because we were talking through text messages because that's all he had the energy to do.
Eventually, I began to feel John needed more encouragement than explanation. I told him the story of Lazarus the sick. He found it hard to believe that Jesus would be so bold in his power. He said he thought that Jesus was more humble than that. I explained to him that he was, that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the whole story revolved around the idea of "I could do it, but I want you to see it's God the Father doing it through me."
We stopped talking at exactly 12:30. I cannot say if John found God, but I believe he found peace for the time being. I will post an update as soon as I know how he's doing. Your prayers are appreciated.
I mean, what are we but individuals in our own cooped-up bathroom stall, only able to share what's written on our side of the wall?
God has blessed me tonight by dropping in my lap a tremendous witnessing opportunity. You never hear about nonbelievers coming to ask you about their spiritual questions. I've never known anyone to just approach me and ask me how to get to heaven, how to know with certainty that when they die they will not go to hell.
Sharing one's faith is usually like being the pitcher on a baseball field; you spend all your time throwing out the ball but you never expect much of it. Of course, every now and then you strike a batter out, but how often does someone throw you the ball?
Last night, a friend of mine from the French Club, he asked me if I was a Christian. Until very recently, he'd been commenting on my more biblical Facebook statuses with what I perceived as a sarcastic tone. When he asked me if I was a Christian, I told him I was, and then I asked him if he was.
He answered that he was Catholic, but really believed a hodge-podge of things. He told me he asked because he wanted me to pray for him, because he was genuinely afraid. His digestive system had stopped working altogether, and as his body grew weaker and weaker, he realized that he might die soon. He wanted someone who was obviously closer to God than he was to pray for him, because his praying wasn't doing much.
He had surgery yesterday morning. No change in his condition.
Growing up Catholic, he described to me all the traditions he'd been taught to accept as truth, namely "the sacraments, baptism penance, contrition, holy communion, extreme unction."
I did my best to explain that while those things have their place, they are not what saves a person in the end. I got the impression John believed he could work off his sins by feeling sorry enough for all he had done that whatever he did would be absolved.
I explained Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, quoted Jesus's "small is the gate and narrow is the door" statement, and then explained that whoever believes in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life. I told him there was nothing we could do to save ourselves, but that it was by faith alone in the freely given grace of God through the blood of Jesus that we are saved.
It was hard to tell how much of it sunk in because we were talking through text messages because that's all he had the energy to do.
Eventually, I began to feel John needed more encouragement than explanation. I told him the story of Lazarus the sick. He found it hard to believe that Jesus would be so bold in his power. He said he thought that Jesus was more humble than that. I explained to him that he was, that when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, the whole story revolved around the idea of "I could do it, but I want you to see it's God the Father doing it through me."
We stopped talking at exactly 12:30. I cannot say if John found God, but I believe he found peace for the time being. I will post an update as soon as I know how he's doing. Your prayers are appreciated.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Unique Spiritual Conditions
Once you've accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you're in a full-time relationship with Jesus, and by extension God (the Father). That's a fact of life.
Technically, all this curtails is that you repent of your sin, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. After you choose to follow Jesus, and you've asked him to forgive your sins and come into your heart, you're good. You could drop dead that instant and you'd have your ticket to heaven stamped and pocketed.
Since people don't usually die the instant they're born again, there's a bit more to it than that. As far as I understand it, God wants us to have the opportunity to grow in our faith, to serve and trust God, and to love one another as He loved us.
Putting it loosely, that pretty much sums up all Christianity is supposed to be. But, the Bible has sixty-six books, so there's indubitably more to it than that.
In my daily bible readings, I've noticed there are occasions when believers can be closer to God in some way, or experience more of his love, power, and glory. I don't mean to imply these specific situations must be created in order to experience the Christian life; everything I explained above is literally all there is to it. All the stuff I'm going to list from here on is more like a spiritual bonus.
Jesus said that if two believers agree about anything they ask for, God gives it the go-ahead.
In a similar vein is the idea that wherever two or three gather in Jesus' name, there He is with them. It's like, whenever a group of believers gets together to learn about and worship God, the presence of God can be felt even more clearly and powerfully than before. Ideally, it's why people go to church (however, church culture in America has drifted away from this and become more of a religious practice than a spiritual recharging).
Interestingly, while praying with other believers is really helpful, one should not forget the importance of praying alone in a quiet place.
Another unusual circumstance God shows us is what happens when we persist in praying for help in desperate times; we receive an answer. After all,seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.
What we ask for plays a role too. If we ask for wisdom and discernment concerning our situation, the Bible promises God will always grant it.
Tithing, is both a commandment and a way for us to see if God is the real-deal. We can tithe because God said we should, or we can tithe because we want to and then God will be so thrilled, he'll bless us big time.
I'm sure there are other unusual circumstances mentioned in the Bible, but I'm not familiar with all of them right now.
Technically, all this curtails is that you repent of your sin, love the Lord your God with all your heart, and love your neighbor as yourself. After you choose to follow Jesus, and you've asked him to forgive your sins and come into your heart, you're good. You could drop dead that instant and you'd have your ticket to heaven stamped and pocketed.
Since people don't usually die the instant they're born again, there's a bit more to it than that. As far as I understand it, God wants us to have the opportunity to grow in our faith, to serve and trust God, and to love one another as He loved us.
Putting it loosely, that pretty much sums up all Christianity is supposed to be. But, the Bible has sixty-six books, so there's indubitably more to it than that.
In my daily bible readings, I've noticed there are occasions when believers can be closer to God in some way, or experience more of his love, power, and glory. I don't mean to imply these specific situations must be created in order to experience the Christian life; everything I explained above is literally all there is to it. All the stuff I'm going to list from here on is more like a spiritual bonus.
Jesus said that if two believers agree about anything they ask for, God gives it the go-ahead.
In a similar vein is the idea that wherever two or three gather in Jesus' name, there He is with them. It's like, whenever a group of believers gets together to learn about and worship God, the presence of God can be felt even more clearly and powerfully than before. Ideally, it's why people go to church (however, church culture in America has drifted away from this and become more of a religious practice than a spiritual recharging).
Interestingly, while praying with other believers is really helpful, one should not forget the importance of praying alone in a quiet place.
Another unusual circumstance God shows us is what happens when we persist in praying for help in desperate times; we receive an answer. After all,seek and you shall find, knock and the door will be opened.
What we ask for plays a role too. If we ask for wisdom and discernment concerning our situation, the Bible promises God will always grant it.
Tithing, is both a commandment and a way for us to see if God is the real-deal. We can tithe because God said we should, or we can tithe because we want to and then God will be so thrilled, he'll bless us big time.
I'm sure there are other unusual circumstances mentioned in the Bible, but I'm not familiar with all of them right now.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Aloneness
Sometimes, it's all too easy to feel alone. Of course, these are just passing feelings with no real grounding in actuality, but still, it's not good to be alone.
For one, God is with us wherever we go.
Besides, there's no fun in being alone.
When I was weaker in my faith, I wondered what the point of waiting so long for a Christian girlfriend was. I have since seen how much more real God is when you've got a spiritual sideki--partner. With a Christian significant other in a similar place spiritually as you are, you're so much more effective for God. It's amazing.
As a disabled dude, I can't tell you how great it is to have someone to help you get up from the floor or low-sitting couches.
Another reason not to be alone is that whole keeping warm thing--winkwinknudgenudge!
Alone, you're defenseless, but with a partner, you've got a fighting chance. With friends (or a partner and God) you're well off.
Lastly, it's worth noting that if we're following Jesus, He'll be with us always to the end of the age.
For one, God is with us wherever we go.
Besides, there's no fun in being alone.
When I was weaker in my faith, I wondered what the point of waiting so long for a Christian girlfriend was. I have since seen how much more real God is when you've got a spiritual sideki--partner. With a Christian significant other in a similar place spiritually as you are, you're so much more effective for God. It's amazing.
As a disabled dude, I can't tell you how great it is to have someone to help you get up from the floor or low-sitting couches.
Another reason not to be alone is that whole keeping warm thing--winkwinknudgenudge!
Alone, you're defenseless, but with a partner, you've got a fighting chance. With friends (or a partner and God) you're well off.
Lastly, it's worth noting that if we're following Jesus, He'll be with us always to the end of the age.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Reading Material
A common trend I've noticed among many genuine, honest-to-God Christians is that if they're not already immersed in their Bible, they want to be but don't know where to start. I'll be frank with you, because if you didn't know already, the Bible is dense. As in, college level literature courses would have trouble looking at the Bible as a whole, and in some cases, in looking at even individual books of the Bible.
One approach to reading the Bible is the devotional. While devotionals are great, and uplifting, and full of all sorts of encouraging wisdom and whatnot, they're not the Bible in its entirety. Generally speaking, you get a taste of the overall themes in the Bible from well-written devotionals, but you are not getting the raw, uncooked version you're looking for. I have trouble with devotionals because someone wrote them off their interpretation of scripture, not always off what a particular passage of scripture says in the context of the culture it came from.
Bear in mind, I say that as a writer of what could pass as a low-end devotional, this blog.
While devotionals and rambling bible blogs have their purpose, they are no substitute for the Word of God.
It's like making sushi. You can't make sushi from Van De Kamps Fish Sticks. It's just not happening. You've got to go to a fresh fish market (or a seafood counter in Farm Fresh) to get what you need to roll your own sushi. The Bible is the same way.
Again, it's a daunting task for a lot of people. In my experience, a lot of people are familiar enough with the New Testament, probably because the gospels are straightforward, Paul's letters are written in understandable language, and Revelation is kind of tacked onto the end so people don't have to trudge through it as often. The Psalms are also pretty well-known, maybe because they're easy to read and nearly every one presents a beautiful reminder of what God is like on a day-to-day basis. Some people like Proverbs because they're short, simple, and easy to read one a day. Also, some people prefer starting their Bible-reading with Proverbs because there's thirty-one chapters to the book, or one a day for an entire month.
Other than most of the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, most people get lost when reading the bible. Usually, the biggest stumbling blocks are the endless genealogies, the occasional "thou shalt"s and "thou shalt not"s, and the seemingly random incidents of God being angry and wrathful.
Lots of believers are so intimidated by the challenge, they're willing to let church leaders tell them what's in the Bible. Sometimes that's okay, because somebody has to share the good news, but at the same time, that's how so many people get stuck in cults. Plus, Jesus himself warned against it.
So, what tips do I have on how you can get started reading the Bible?
For starters, make time for it. You only need to find ten or fifteen minutes a day to allow God to make a tremendous difference in your life. It doesn't have to be first thing in the morning, but usually earlier is better than later if only to leave you with a feeling of confidence and self-worth throughout the day. Maybe you normally spend ten minutes on Facebook after you eat breakfast in the morning, even though realistically, you've seen all the latest gossip and status updates in the first two.
And if you don't have a bible, it's available for free online. Bible Gateway is a great website with nearly every translation available. It's something to consider, if nothing else.
Another thing, read the bible for what it is. Yes, Christians believe it is the literal Word of God, written by men (and possibly women) who were directly inspired by God, but it's more than that. From a secular point of view, the Bible is as much the literature, history, and law of the culture from whence it came. Because nearly every book of the Bible was written at a different time, and by varying authors, you have to try placing yourself in that culture's shoes--erm--sandals.
Most of the Bible was written in an agricultural society, with shepherds, farmers, fishers, and soldiers being the usual jobs people had. Some of the earlier books like Genesis and Job, came from nomadic societies much like those of the native Americans.
Once you understand the Bible is literary, historical, and occasionally legislative, and if you accept it as being inspired by God, lots of doors open up to understanding everything inside it.
I know at least one of my followers is an English major, so I'm going to explain one technique as a lit major would. Throughout every book of the Bible are many reoccurring ideas or concepts. If you were analyzing some other piece of literature, you would latch onto whatever idea, concept, or object pops up again and again. In Shakespeare's Othello, isn't there some importance to the handkerchief as a symbol of the love between Desdemona and Othello, as well as her apparent betrayal of him? Symbolism and imagery in the Bible can be analyzed the same way.
While I encourage you to look at and understand whatever symbols you find within the context of that particular book of the Bible, often a similar meaning for the same symbol is implied in many other books of the Bible. For example, Moses brought forth water from the rock so the Israelites wouldn't die of thirst, right? Jesus referenced both symbols in that story, once calling himself living water and another time, the rock.
Okay, assuming I haven't scared you away from trying to read the Bible by talking like the English major I am, there's another good way to make the Bible interesting and worthwhile to read. It's as simple as reading a section, and then immediately rereading it slower.
Nothing was put in the Bible without a purpose behind it--that would be true of any written work, not just one with a divine influence and message. There are often many profound details you can discover about a biblical story just by asking why what we might consider insignificant details are included in the story. I mean, does it really matter that Ehud was left handed? Yes, it does actually. Because Ehud was left-handed, he wore his sword on the right, and as such was able to hide it from evil King Eglon's personal guard when he went to see this evil king. If Ehud had been right-handed like most people, he would not have been able to assassinate King Eglon.
The last bit of advice I can suggest is to pray before you read, pray that God will speak to you, and that he will help you discern what might otherwise have been a confusing passage of scripture.
One approach to reading the Bible is the devotional. While devotionals are great, and uplifting, and full of all sorts of encouraging wisdom and whatnot, they're not the Bible in its entirety. Generally speaking, you get a taste of the overall themes in the Bible from well-written devotionals, but you are not getting the raw, uncooked version you're looking for. I have trouble with devotionals because someone wrote them off their interpretation of scripture, not always off what a particular passage of scripture says in the context of the culture it came from.
Bear in mind, I say that as a writer of what could pass as a low-end devotional, this blog.
While devotionals and rambling bible blogs have their purpose, they are no substitute for the Word of God.
It's like making sushi. You can't make sushi from Van De Kamps Fish Sticks. It's just not happening. You've got to go to a fresh fish market (or a seafood counter in Farm Fresh) to get what you need to roll your own sushi. The Bible is the same way.
Again, it's a daunting task for a lot of people. In my experience, a lot of people are familiar enough with the New Testament, probably because the gospels are straightforward, Paul's letters are written in understandable language, and Revelation is kind of tacked onto the end so people don't have to trudge through it as often. The Psalms are also pretty well-known, maybe because they're easy to read and nearly every one presents a beautiful reminder of what God is like on a day-to-day basis. Some people like Proverbs because they're short, simple, and easy to read one a day. Also, some people prefer starting their Bible-reading with Proverbs because there's thirty-one chapters to the book, or one a day for an entire month.
Other than most of the New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs, most people get lost when reading the bible. Usually, the biggest stumbling blocks are the endless genealogies, the occasional "thou shalt"s and "thou shalt not"s, and the seemingly random incidents of God being angry and wrathful.
Lots of believers are so intimidated by the challenge, they're willing to let church leaders tell them what's in the Bible. Sometimes that's okay, because somebody has to share the good news, but at the same time, that's how so many people get stuck in cults. Plus, Jesus himself warned against it.
So, what tips do I have on how you can get started reading the Bible?
For starters, make time for it. You only need to find ten or fifteen minutes a day to allow God to make a tremendous difference in your life. It doesn't have to be first thing in the morning, but usually earlier is better than later if only to leave you with a feeling of confidence and self-worth throughout the day. Maybe you normally spend ten minutes on Facebook after you eat breakfast in the morning, even though realistically, you've seen all the latest gossip and status updates in the first two.
And if you don't have a bible, it's available for free online. Bible Gateway is a great website with nearly every translation available. It's something to consider, if nothing else.
Another thing, read the bible for what it is. Yes, Christians believe it is the literal Word of God, written by men (and possibly women) who were directly inspired by God, but it's more than that. From a secular point of view, the Bible is as much the literature, history, and law of the culture from whence it came. Because nearly every book of the Bible was written at a different time, and by varying authors, you have to try placing yourself in that culture's shoes--erm--sandals.
Most of the Bible was written in an agricultural society, with shepherds, farmers, fishers, and soldiers being the usual jobs people had. Some of the earlier books like Genesis and Job, came from nomadic societies much like those of the native Americans.
Once you understand the Bible is literary, historical, and occasionally legislative, and if you accept it as being inspired by God, lots of doors open up to understanding everything inside it.
I know at least one of my followers is an English major, so I'm going to explain one technique as a lit major would. Throughout every book of the Bible are many reoccurring ideas or concepts. If you were analyzing some other piece of literature, you would latch onto whatever idea, concept, or object pops up again and again. In Shakespeare's Othello, isn't there some importance to the handkerchief as a symbol of the love between Desdemona and Othello, as well as her apparent betrayal of him? Symbolism and imagery in the Bible can be analyzed the same way.
While I encourage you to look at and understand whatever symbols you find within the context of that particular book of the Bible, often a similar meaning for the same symbol is implied in many other books of the Bible. For example, Moses brought forth water from the rock so the Israelites wouldn't die of thirst, right? Jesus referenced both symbols in that story, once calling himself living water and another time, the rock.
Okay, assuming I haven't scared you away from trying to read the Bible by talking like the English major I am, there's another good way to make the Bible interesting and worthwhile to read. It's as simple as reading a section, and then immediately rereading it slower.
Nothing was put in the Bible without a purpose behind it--that would be true of any written work, not just one with a divine influence and message. There are often many profound details you can discover about a biblical story just by asking why what we might consider insignificant details are included in the story. I mean, does it really matter that Ehud was left handed? Yes, it does actually. Because Ehud was left-handed, he wore his sword on the right, and as such was able to hide it from evil King Eglon's personal guard when he went to see this evil king. If Ehud had been right-handed like most people, he would not have been able to assassinate King Eglon.
The last bit of advice I can suggest is to pray before you read, pray that God will speak to you, and that he will help you discern what might otherwise have been a confusing passage of scripture.
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