The Bible as a Book

All through high school I took Advanced Placement (AP) English classes, not necessarily because I was best suited for the class, but because I enjoyed the discussions. You see in the advanced (AP) classes, we got to discuss the meaning behind literary works instead of simply pushing vocab and grammar and being spoon-fed Hamlet. To understand meaning though, you must first understand the how or writing. How do you get your point across? How do you take the thoughts that are circling in your head, and put them in an arrangement so that others can understand your meaning in a crystal clear sense?

We had to extensively study figurative language; that is the art of writing.

Have you ever heard of metaphors? How about similes? Symbolism is a biggy. Irony, paradox, and diction are other good examples.

You can use these tools, and many others, to study any book you wish to. I mean it; you can apply these tools to any piece of literature.

Then why are we so afraid to apply these tools to the Bible? Are we afraid that if we treat the Bible as a work of literature we are betraying the sacred divinity of its contents? Is taking this tangible piece of art and trying to actually analyze it a desecration?

I say no. The Bible is a compilation of letters, biographies, songs, proverbs, and history. The Bible was written by people. The people who wrote the Bible didn’t go into a trance and lose control of the bodies as the Holy Spirit seized control and forced their hands to write out those precious words.

This is where I’m treading in dangerous waters. Is the Bible infallible, divinely-inspired, man-made, or inerrant?

My personal belief, as you may have already guessed, is divinely-inspired. “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” – 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV.

That for me says it. The Bible was divinely-inspired and written down by us mere mortals. Therefore why are we so afraid to take this very real book and analyze it so?

Leave a comment, you know how.

Savage Lesson

Some of my more recent posts have been from a book called Brave New World. This is a novel by Aldous Huxley in which he looks at the lifestyle of the 1930’s and tries to condemn them for what they are doing. It’s a social satire, but its implications can still be used today.

I want you to think of the world as it is now. Where shampoo commercials use sex to sell their products. Where people try to lose weight by doing the minimal amount of work and eating the maximum amount of food. Where pleasure is misunderstood as correctness.

It’s the same as what Aldous Huxley wrote about. In his book he created a world where desire automatically led to pleasure, people were engineered and conditioned to only be happy. They sacrificed individuality for stability.

In it though, the lone voice of reason was The Savage. He understood that behind all of their freedoms, their free sex attitudes, their soma holidays, their conditioning to consume the maximum amount… behind it all, they were really enslaved. They were enslaved by desire. They were enslaved by society. They were enslaved by society.

The Savaged stood out among the crowd because he saw that entrapment, and avoided it. He was exiled for his belief in freedom.

How does this apply to us Christians?

Look at the world around you. We live in a world driven by desire and pleasure. That is not the world that God wanted for us, and he tells us not to conform to this world. “Do not be conformed to this world.” – Romans 12:2.

We are to stand out in this world as The Savage did. We are to stand out for God in this secular world, even if it brings upon us persecution and tribulation. That is our Christian call and credo. That is a radical discipleship.

Unorthodoxy of Behavior

"I know. But that's all the more reason for severity. His intellectual eminence carries with it corresponding moral responsibilities. The greater a man's talents, the greater his power to lead astray. It is better that one should suffer than that many should be corrupted. Consider the matter dispassionately, Mr. Foster, and you will see that no offence is so heinous as unorthodoxy of behavior. Murder kills only the individual - and, after all, what is an individual?" With a sweeping gesture he indicated the rows of microscopes, test-tubes, and incubators. "We can make a new one with the greatest ease - as many as we like. Unorthodoxy threatens more than the life of a mere individual, it strikes at Society itself. Yes, at Society itself," he repeated. "Ah, but here he comes."

-Aldous Huxley
Brave New World

On Words

"Oh, as far as they go." Hemholtz shrugged his shoulders. "But they go such a little way. They aren't important enough, somehow. I feel I could do something much more important. Yes, and more intense, more violent. But what? What is there more important to say? And how can one be violent about the sort of things one's expected to write about? Words can be like X-rays, if you use them properly - they'll go through anything. You read and you're pierced. That's one of the things I try to teach my students - how to write piercingly. But what on earth's the good of being pierced by an article about a Community Sing, or the latest improvement in scent organs? Besides, can you make words really piercing - you know, like the very hardest X-rays - when you're writing about that sort of thing? Can you say something about nothing? That's what it finally boils down to. I try and I try..."
- Aldous Huxley
Brave New World

Eat Me!

“Then Jesus said to them, ’Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life… For my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink.’”
-John 6:53-55

Have you ever noticed how on Sundays, the sample tables at Sam’s are the only things being looked at? People show up and pretend to peruse the aisles, when in fact their eyes are on the Free-Food Tables.

My friends, Jesus is no Free Food Table!

When Jesus fed the five-thousand (scholars actually believe the number is closer to 15,000 due to the fact that only men were counted, excluding women and children), He wasn’t saying “Free food! Come and get it!” That is exactly what the people whom He fed thought though. They even followed him around the lake looking for more free handouts.

When they finally caught up to Jesus they tried to be nice, but He saw right through them and said, “You just want to fill your stomach with a food that provides a temporary solution, I offer food that will always satisfy you.”

They asked how they could get this food, and Jesus replied, “Believe in me.”

The crowd must have been a few french fries short of a happy meal because they still didn’t get what He was trying to say. They asked for some sign to figure out if He was indeed the one sent by God (but I guess they had forgotten about the previous day when He fed nearly 15,000 people with a few loaves of bread and some fish), they said that Moses had given them manna (which is bread from Heaven that God gave His people when they were going to The Promised Land). Jesus was starting to get frustrated because they still weren’t getting what He was saying, so he told them, “Moses didn’t give you bread, God did… and oh yeah, He sent me, His son, so listen to me!”

Now this is where the crowd really proves its mental power. They say, “Um, Sir, could we have the bread anyways?”

So Jesus replied, “Okay guys. Let me spell it out in crayons for you. I am the bread of life. Whoever listens to me, that person won’t be hungry. And oh yeah, I’m the one God sent. If you listen to me, if you truly listen to me, then you will live forever.”

So the crowd talks and they are go, “Hey, wait a second. Aren’t you Joseph’s kid? That carpenter guy? Then why are you saying that you have come down from Heaven?”

Jesus replies, “My Eternal Father, that’s God, sent me down here so that I can save you. Listen to me. I am the bread that God sent here. If you eat my bread, you won’t be hungry. This is not complicated. Listen to me.”

The crowd replied, “How can you give us food to eat, how can we eat your bread if you are the bread?”

Jesus finally just says it. “Eat Me! Eat My flesh! Drink My blood! If you don’t you will die! If you do eat My flesh and if you do drink My blood, then you will live! Listen and eat!”

You see, the crowd got too caught up on the physical world; they failed to realize that Jesus was talking using symbols. He didn’t mean that they should actually turn cannibal and eat him. He meant that we are supposed to crave Him, that we as his people are supposed to need him in the same way that we need sustenance to survive. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.” (Matthew 5:6) Long for Christ with all of your being (another Bible verse reference).

Jesus didn’t use terms associated with basic human needs by accident. You’re supposed to have a deep life-or-death need for Christ, because without Christ you will die. It’s not a physical death though, but rather a spiritual death.

What you see, what you taste, what you touch, what you hear… it’s all temporary. Don’t let the temporary illusions distract you from the Ever-Lasting truth. While our time here on earth is real, it’s not reality. While life here on earth is A reality, it’s not The Reality. That belongs to God and God alone.

I urge you not to get confused like the crowd did. Don’t miss out on the Ever-After because all you see is the Here-and-Now.

The quotes aren’t exact quotes; they are more along the lines of a paraphrase. I used John 6:22-59 with a particular emphasis on verses 53-55 with reference to Matthew 5:6 and Deuteronomy 6:5.

Evolution, a Discussion

“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” – Genesis 1:1

I spent a couple of days at my grandparent’s house this week. Tuesday morning me and my grandpa went to a little breakfast that this one church hosts. It’s a great time to get together and fellowship with friends, but also to do a little Bible study during the week. This morning we watched a video though. Christian apologetic Ken Ham discussed about how Genesis is the foundation of all Christian doctrine and theology. It was kind of interesting, but I disagreed with his opinions on evolution and homosexuality (I’d rather discuss evolution right now, but we can most assuredly discuss homosexuality at a later date).

Ken Ham said that he believed in a very strict word-for-word interpretation of the book of Genesis. He believes that Adam was the first man, Eve the first woman. He believes that there really was a snake that tempted Eve and Adam into eating the fruit from The Tree of Knowledge. He believes that God created every living creature. He believes that God really did flood the entire earth.

And I completely agree with that.

But he stated that since those are correct, that God really did create the world in seven days and that evolution did not and does not occur.

I disagree.

Firstly, symbolism is used throughout the entire Bible. The number ‘seven’ is seen as the number of perfection, of completion. The use of ‘seven days’ might just be a symbol of how when God created the world it was perfect. Also, God’s time is not measured the same as our time. God promised his chosen people that he would send them a savior soon, Jesus didn’t show up on the scene for another 2,000+ years. So the use of ‘days’ may just be a symbol for a period of time; the first period of time being when God created the day and night, the second period of time being when God created the earth and the seas, etc.

Secondly, I do believe that evolution has and continues to occur. Example: watch any nature show about birds 15 years ago. The birds hop to get around when they aren’t in flight. Now go outside and watch the birds move around on the ground. They walk. That’s an evolutionary effect that has taken place in the just last 10 to 20 years. Birds have adapted so that they now have the control over their legs to walk instead of having to hop around. Another example, look at bacterium. When penicillin was first discovered it was over prescribed because it effectively wiped nearly every known harmful bacterium. Now we’re seeing a rise in ‘super-bacterium’ that are immune to penicillin and other antibiotics. These are just two everyday examples that evolution does occur.

Now let me make this clear for you. I am a Christian and I am a Creationist. You will never hear me say that we as humans have evolved from monkeys into the creatures we are today. But in my opinion it is absolutely silly to say that evolution is a myth. By acknowledging that evolution happens is not the same as saying that Creationism is bunk.

I’m not saying, and will never say, that my views are the end-all-be-all final answers to the theory and problems of evolution. I would love to hear your views so that my understanding of this issue can grow and mature. Remember, you don’t have to have a Blogger ID to leave a comment. Thank you for your input.

Scriptures referenced are Genesis 1:1, 1:3-6, 1:26, 2:22, 6:9-9:17.

Preparation...

I have ane excellent post ready for whenever I get back to Waco. For those of you who didn't know, I'm spending the week at my grandparents house, but I sadly cannot get connected to the internet on my laptop. So isntead I will take this time to tweek my evolution post. I would like everyone who happens to stumble across my site to leave a comment or two about the evolution post. I would love to hear your thoughts and get feedback so that I may grow in my understanding and knowledge, but also so that you may perhaps grow as well. Thank you. The post should be on here Thursday afternoon. I hope ya'll will have some amazing stuff ready for me!

What if Jesus came back today?

”Generally, I don’t think Christians would like Jesus if he showed up today as he did 2,000 years ago. In fact, we’d call him a heretic and plot to kill him, too.”
– Brian McLaren

What would we do if Jesus showed up today? How we would react if the one person whom we claim to try to emulate came up to us and said, “Here I am. Follow me.”

The Jews were the chosen people of God. They were promised that the son of man would come and deliver them. They just misinterpreted it to me a great king would come to emancipate them from the Romans. I wonder though, is our vision of Jesus any closer?

The famous picture of Jesus that we all know today, is a picture of a handsome young man with a well-kept beard standing on a hill with his arms spread open. His robe is blindingly white. His teeth are straight and perfect. He has dark brown puppy-dog eyes.

That isn’t the Jesus that created such a scene 2,000 years ago though. That Jesus was a radical! That Jesus told his followers to forget about what this world thought of them and to care only about what their God thought of them. That Jesus told his followers to give away all of their earthly possessions and follow him. That Jesus told his followers to show mercy and grace where it was underserved. That Jesus called his followers to a radical discipleship.

That was a tough message to swallow then, and it’s an even tougher one to swallow today.

I’m afraid that we as a collective Christian community have marginalized that part of Jesus’ message. We focus too much on his birth and burial (yes those are important), but we tend to gloss over his time between that. Jesus wasn’t just sent to seek and save the lost; He was sent to show the lost how to live.

How would we receive Jesus Christ today? Would we throw away our worldly possessions and follow him, or would we instead ridicule this radical and send him to a die on a tree…

Blessed be Your name!

Blessed be Your name in the land that is plentiful
Where Your streams of abundance flow
Blessed be Your name

I’ve always loved that song. It’s just so powerful, so moving. But I don’t think I ever really listened to the words until tonight.

I mean I’ve known the words for a long time, but I’ve never listened to them with my heart. I’ve just sung the words on the screen never realizing the magnitude of the words I was speaking.

And Blessed be Your name when I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name

The verse that inspired this song is Job 1:21. If you aren’t familiar with the story of Job, I’ll give you a quick summary.

Job, simply put, was a man of God. He had the perfect life; wife, kids, camels, sheep, tents, servants, and loads of money. So the devil thought he could make Job lose his faith in God, but God said that no matter what the devil did Job would never waver in his faith. So the devil could do anything to Job except kill him.

So the devil took killed Job’s wife. The devil killed Job’s children. The devil took away Job’s servants, his camels, his sheep, his tents, and his money. The devil made Job covered in sores and live in pain.

Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise
And when the darkness closes in Lord still I will say
Blessed by the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

Even through all of this Job never shook in his faith.

“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I shall return. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord!” – Job 1:21

Wow! How strong and deep Job’s faith was. I can only hope that I could achieve that intimate of a relationship with God. Where even though my life is falling down around me I can stand up and say, “Thank you Lord for what you’ve done for me! Blessed be Your name!”

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord blessed be Your name!

Spelling Solution - Shorten the Alphabet

What if we decided that the letter ‘c’ should be dropped from the alphabet and should be replased by either the letter ‘k’ or ‘s’, and also that the letter ‘x’ should be removed? The only kase in which ‘c’ would be retained would be in the ‘ch’ formation.

Then you might deside to reform the use of the letter ‘w’, so that ‘which’ and ‘one’ take the same consonant, and you might replase ‘y’ with ‘i’ and fiks the ‘g/j’ anomaly wonse and for all.

Jenerally, then, the improvement would continue iear bi iear bi doing awai with useless double konsonants, and modifying vowlz and rimeing voist and unvoist konsonants.

It wud finali be posibl tu meik use ov the ridandant letez ‘c’,’y’ and ‘x’;- bi now jast a memori in the mindz ov uold doderez- tu riplais ‘ch’,’sh’ and ‘th’ rispektivli.

Finali, xen, afta sum 20 iears ov orxogrefkl reform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirent speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

-Eats, Shites & Leaves

A. Parody

thank you marc and shari

On Volunteering...

So today I got the chance to go volunteer to serve a group of volunteers. I got the chance today to go and help with the appreciation luncheon for the RSVP. The RSVP is a group of retired seniors who do volunteer work.

Now I helped set up for the luncheon last year, but I didn’t help with the actual banquet. This year though I was able to attend the luncheon.

Wow. That’s really all I have to say. Those people were so amazing. They were funny and nice and kind. They truly were some of the nicest people that I think I have ever met.
They worked over 125,000 volunteer hours last year. If they had gotten paid minimum wage, they would have earned 2.2 million dollars! How crazy is that?

Now the rest of the luncheon was a different story. For awhile it just turned into political campaign with Chet Edwards giving a 20 minute speech about a bunch of political BS. I mean really, just thank the people who worked so hard, don’t try to campaign. But then again he is a politician…

The music they had this year was pretty nifty too. They had the Texas Country Gentlemen which is like a 15 member barbershop quartet. They were pretty decent and sang some good songs.

My favorite part of the whole thing though was when the TCG sang their last song. They sang God Bless America. For the last verse all of the RSVP members stood up and sang the last verse together. I got the chills. It was so powerful to see 700 retired seniors stand up, unprompted, to sing God Bless America. There was one vet who was near me who almost cried.

All in all it was an amazing time. I really am looking forward to it next year. I never thought that serving food to a bunch of elderly folks would be so great. Plus I got this nifty vest thing I’m so wearing to church tomorrow.