In a previous blog entry, I said I wanted to analyze the book of Jonah, focusing on its relevance to modern life and also the spiritual advice I found in it.
Let's start at the beginning, shall we?
So, God told Jonah to go to this city, Nineveh, and talk to them about God and what they were doing wrong. For whatever reason, Jonah flatly refused, heading to a different city instead.
Not surprisingly, God wasn't pleased so He sent a storm to give Jonah a wake up call. Meanwhile, everyone else on the boat was petrified by the storm, so much so they even threw their cargo overboard. Personally, I'm envisioning the dudes on that show "Deadliest Catch" being out there at sea and then a storm so monstrous comes up everyone on board unanimously agrees to dump their entire catch for the season back into the sea just so they can make it home alive.
Can you imagine what it would take for that to happen?
Back to the story, it got so bad, these sailor types were frantically searching for a God to save them, and presumably they had enough variety for the captain to feel it necessary to wake Jonah on the off-chance his God would step in.
When the captain woke Jonah, the scene up top was in total panic. Standing on one hand on the tip of the ship's forward-most point with Yoda balanced on his foot was a Luke Skywalker impersonator but the Force is not strong with this one. Towards the rear of the ship, someone was hoping to be touched by the noodly appendage of the Flying Spaghetti Monster but the poor dude was on Atkins. Probably someone was worshiping a voice in their pinkie and maybe someone managed to stop a Buddha paperweight from being thrown overboard in the earlier cargo dump. But despite their best efforts, no one was really having any luck reaching their ethereal being of choice.
Bear in mind, I took some liberty reading in between the lines there, but I'm sure the actual event wasn't too dissimilar.
By the time sleepyhead Jonah got up and made it to the deck, the crew was to the point of drawing straws to find out who caused the storm.
Naturally, Jonah drew the short straw so everyone wanted to know what they could do to stop the storm.
Personally, I think Jonah had a flare for sarcasm.
"Pick me up and throw me into the sea," he replied, "and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you." (Jonah 1:12)
Someone on that ship was reasonable because they tried to get out of the storm on their own, but eventually Jonah got voted off the island, so to speak.
When the storm stopped immediately after they threw Jonah overboard, one could say it put the fear of God in everyone left on the boat.
It seems Jonah and Pinocchio had something in common.
That's my basic synopsis of chapter one, with only two real points I can put into action in my life. Firstly, God doesn't like it when we do something contrary to what He has planned for us; we shouldn't fight His will in our lives. Secondly, God is all-powerful, and no storm in your life is too great for him to overcome. If you're going through a rough spot, maybe God's trying to get you to see you're not on track with His will.
In case it's unclear, all He wants for you is for you to accept Jesus into your heart so that you can spend eternity in God's love.
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label life. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Jonah, but not the asparagus.
Lots of people have heard of the Veggie Tales movie involving Jonah, the dude from the Bible who got swallowed by a whale.
But yeah, recently I read the four chapters of his book, and I found some things of interest. The first is that the Book of Jonah applies to modern life way better than some of the other books of the Bible. The other point of note is the spiritual shove this book gave me about trusting God.
Although I'd sat down here to write about both discoveries, I think I'm going to break them up into several blogs so I can use this blog to fully analyze and grow in my relationship with God through study and commentary.
Thank you for your time, and let me tell you, this fish story isn't about the one that got away, but about those who "cannot tell their right hand from their left," and yes, you should be concerned.
But yeah, recently I read the four chapters of his book, and I found some things of interest. The first is that the Book of Jonah applies to modern life way better than some of the other books of the Bible. The other point of note is the spiritual shove this book gave me about trusting God.
Although I'd sat down here to write about both discoveries, I think I'm going to break them up into several blogs so I can use this blog to fully analyze and grow in my relationship with God through study and commentary.
Thank you for your time, and let me tell you, this fish story isn't about the one that got away, but about those who "cannot tell their right hand from their left," and yes, you should be concerned.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
An explanation of sorts
As a Christian, I think it would be a good idea for others to know why I'm writing this blog. I'm not doing it because I'm a dogmatic church-on-Sundays hypocrite. For me, it's not about changing people, because I like people the way they are. It's more a matter of me wanting to share with others the hope and joy I've found.
I'm not saying non Christians are unhappier than myself, nor am I saying Jesus is the only way to be happy in life, no questions asked lest you declare yourself a heathen and acknowledge thou shalt spend eternity in a lake of burning sulphur. No. What I'm getting at is that God, i.e. the big man upstairs, he wants one thing for us.
He wants us to have a choice.
Of course, he wants us to love him and worship him too, but he wants us to choose to do it. Otherwise, we'd all be mindless robots, and where is the fun in that?
This is why I write this blog to explain what God has done in my life. I have a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, that for me, basically means I get tired really easily when walking or standing. For the most part, it is only my lower body that is affected, although I do have back pain because of it. I'm in a wheelchair most of the time, but I thank God for it.
I bet you're thinking I'm crazy right about now, and maybe I am, but I believe that God put me in a wheelchair for a reason. It is beyond me to say what that reason is, because God is not out to get us. Personally, I believe God blessed me with my disability so that I might learn to be patient and to trust in him.
Sure, my dad is a licensed preacher. He doesn't have his own church or anything, but the household I grew up in was the stereotypical preacher's house, so I heard all the church stories and stuff.
I also heard with conviction that the Bible is literally the word of God. You're right, it's a translated document, and has been translated countless times, sometimes as translations of a translation. What does that matter though? If God truly is the almighty god even atheists acknowledge he very well might be, what's to stop him from having his hand in each translation of the Bible?
By the way, that's not me being brainwashed, that's just me reasoning things out.
The conclusion I've come to is that I can trust the guidance shown in the Bible. Granted, like 99% of it confuses me to no end, and I'm not even sure I'm understanding the other 1% right, but if I can try to apply that 1% to my life then God's presence will be clearer to me.
It is.
Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not that saintly a person. In fact, I see as a result of my own personal study of the Bible how much of a terrible person I am. I've been a slave to explosive anger and sharp criticisms; jealousy and lust aren't hard to be guilty of either. Self-pity is the big one for me, being disabled.
Yet, through my faith in Jesus Christ I am free of all that crud. I know I will still sin--it's human nature--but I pray that I will learn to live a more godly life.
The stuff in the Bible that really yanked on my heartstrings involved the strength God provides. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 promises that the power of God is made perfect through our weakness, and let me tell you, physical weakness is a daily struggle for me. I have my good days and my bad. On the good days, God keeps me going steady. On the bad days, my legs give out on me, the exhaustion hurts enough to chain me to a couch or bed, and I cannot go on--
--until I pray for strength.
And oh what strength my God gives to those who call on the name of Jesus!
When I trust God to help me with my MD, I suddenly have more strength and vitality than I ever do on my best of days. You could argue that I am "healed" because I am predisposed to believe God will heal me, and I won't stop you. I don't know that you could explain as easily what it feels like. Pour a glass of water slowly and watch how the water splashes and climbs the sides of the glass in jumping leaps. Got the image in your head? Good, now flip it upside down--the image of the splashing water, not the glass of water--and imagine pouring water into a cup shaped like a person. That's what it's like, just cool and tingling.
So now you're probably thinking I'm loony, and that's okay. I'd rather be loony for God than sane for science. Besides, when did science ever promise superpowers to its followers?
I write to keep my hope in the Lord. That is all.
I'm not saying non Christians are unhappier than myself, nor am I saying Jesus is the only way to be happy in life, no questions asked lest you declare yourself a heathen and acknowledge thou shalt spend eternity in a lake of burning sulphur. No. What I'm getting at is that God, i.e. the big man upstairs, he wants one thing for us.
He wants us to have a choice.
Of course, he wants us to love him and worship him too, but he wants us to choose to do it. Otherwise, we'd all be mindless robots, and where is the fun in that?
This is why I write this blog to explain what God has done in my life. I have a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy, that for me, basically means I get tired really easily when walking or standing. For the most part, it is only my lower body that is affected, although I do have back pain because of it. I'm in a wheelchair most of the time, but I thank God for it.
I bet you're thinking I'm crazy right about now, and maybe I am, but I believe that God put me in a wheelchair for a reason. It is beyond me to say what that reason is, because God is not out to get us. Personally, I believe God blessed me with my disability so that I might learn to be patient and to trust in him.
Sure, my dad is a licensed preacher. He doesn't have his own church or anything, but the household I grew up in was the stereotypical preacher's house, so I heard all the church stories and stuff.
I also heard with conviction that the Bible is literally the word of God. You're right, it's a translated document, and has been translated countless times, sometimes as translations of a translation. What does that matter though? If God truly is the almighty god even atheists acknowledge he very well might be, what's to stop him from having his hand in each translation of the Bible?
By the way, that's not me being brainwashed, that's just me reasoning things out.
The conclusion I've come to is that I can trust the guidance shown in the Bible. Granted, like 99% of it confuses me to no end, and I'm not even sure I'm understanding the other 1% right, but if I can try to apply that 1% to my life then God's presence will be clearer to me.
It is.
Don't get me wrong, I know I'm not that saintly a person. In fact, I see as a result of my own personal study of the Bible how much of a terrible person I am. I've been a slave to explosive anger and sharp criticisms; jealousy and lust aren't hard to be guilty of either. Self-pity is the big one for me, being disabled.
Yet, through my faith in Jesus Christ I am free of all that crud. I know I will still sin--it's human nature--but I pray that I will learn to live a more godly life.
The stuff in the Bible that really yanked on my heartstrings involved the strength God provides. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 promises that the power of God is made perfect through our weakness, and let me tell you, physical weakness is a daily struggle for me. I have my good days and my bad. On the good days, God keeps me going steady. On the bad days, my legs give out on me, the exhaustion hurts enough to chain me to a couch or bed, and I cannot go on--
--until I pray for strength.
And oh what strength my God gives to those who call on the name of Jesus!
When I trust God to help me with my MD, I suddenly have more strength and vitality than I ever do on my best of days. You could argue that I am "healed" because I am predisposed to believe God will heal me, and I won't stop you. I don't know that you could explain as easily what it feels like. Pour a glass of water slowly and watch how the water splashes and climbs the sides of the glass in jumping leaps. Got the image in your head? Good, now flip it upside down--the image of the splashing water, not the glass of water--and imagine pouring water into a cup shaped like a person. That's what it's like, just cool and tingling.
So now you're probably thinking I'm loony, and that's okay. I'd rather be loony for God than sane for science. Besides, when did science ever promise superpowers to its followers?
I write to keep my hope in the Lord. That is all.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Dawn of the Dead must be for Sunday service
So I don't like to blog about personal stuff because I usually end up wallowing in self pity over my disability.
Tonight however, I want to write about what God is doing in my life. I sat down an hour ago to read the Bible to find encouragement after the depressing reminders of my own problems I'd encountered today while spending time with my best friend.
I was namely discouraged because I couldn't physically play more than two rounds of Twister without exhausting myself (and also for my fear of recreating bone-popping muscle cramps, like those I've had before), I don't have a girlfriend at the time of writing this, and I seemed to be receiving mixed messages about my best friend's feelings toward me.
Now, I'm rejoicing in the Lord because in my readings, I went from a grizzly depiction of zombies in the Bible (see Ezekiel 37:7-11) and how even zombie armies can lose hope, to a promise of survival (Hebrews 10:31) due to my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Check it out for yourself:
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
(Hebrews 10:39 New International Version)
Sounds to me like the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) might make a great zombie shotgun, though I will admit, that's just my interpretation at the moment. Either way, I know I have nothing to worry about because if God can raise a zombie army and then promise me salvation, I'm in good hands for if God is with me, then who can be against me?
Tonight however, I want to write about what God is doing in my life. I sat down an hour ago to read the Bible to find encouragement after the depressing reminders of my own problems I'd encountered today while spending time with my best friend.
I was namely discouraged because I couldn't physically play more than two rounds of Twister without exhausting myself (and also for my fear of recreating bone-popping muscle cramps, like those I've had before), I don't have a girlfriend at the time of writing this, and I seemed to be receiving mixed messages about my best friend's feelings toward me.
Now, I'm rejoicing in the Lord because in my readings, I went from a grizzly depiction of zombies in the Bible (see Ezekiel 37:7-11) and how even zombie armies can lose hope, to a promise of survival (Hebrews 10:31) due to my faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
Check it out for yourself:
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I was prophesying, there was a noise, a rattling sound, and the bones came together, bone to bone. 8 I looked, and tendons and flesh appeared on them and skin covered them, but there was no breath in them.
9 Then he said to me, "Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to it, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe into these slain, that they may live.' " 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and breath entered them; they came to life and stood up on their feet—a vast army.
11 Then he said to me: "Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, 'Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.'
(Ezekiel 37:7-11 New International Version)39But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.
(Hebrews 10:39 New International Version)
Sounds to me like the Sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17) might make a great zombie shotgun, though I will admit, that's just my interpretation at the moment. Either way, I know I have nothing to worry about because if God can raise a zombie army and then promise me salvation, I'm in good hands for if God is with me, then who can be against me?
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