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.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
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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