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Bible Questions and Spiritual Discussion
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My journey
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well, I have been led on an interesting journey. However, I have recently burnt out. The approach I was taking to scripture I feel is partly to blame. I feel that the conservative line I took was contrary to my desired lifestyle. Basically, what I mean by that is that when it was said "variety is the spice of life", I felt as though I had bogged myself down in contemporary evangelical groupthink, which is not me. I have always been an "around the edges" academic, critical thinker. Nor do I think that having "unbelieving" friends to challenge your thinking is a bad thing, although there is the extreme of "becoming one of them" - 2 Corinthians 6:14.
It has hurt to read scripture lately because of my interpretation, which led me to figuring "well, I'm going to hell anyway, what's the point?" if you know what I mean. In the meantime, with everything else to do, I will be finding time to I guess re - evaluate how I read scripture, although right now I'm reading some classical philosophy by Aristotle, and will read some Plato later (good stuff!). That, and I would be broadening my music variety to more than just christian contemporary. I always have had an affinity for hair metal - now, notwithstanding some stuff I would never go back to listening, there were good ballads there, for those of you familiar with the era...(not to mention the new material some of these bands are releasing today.)
What do you think? Where are YOU? How goes your walk, when you toss aside the high - church persona and tell us who you REALLY are, and how you REALLY act day - by - day?
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Bibleman 04/13/2011 08:56 |
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Ted C
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04/13/2011 10:24 |
Here is the day my Christian walk changed, and it has never been the same since. This was the key for me. BTW, I enjoy hair metal and regularly queue up selected albums from Dokken, Van Halen and Def Leppard, etc. (some of the artists who were in it for fun and didn't overtly try to glorify darkness). The following is unabridged as written in my journal:
6-2-95
Tonight I had a life changing revelation about God, and earth-shattering, deep revelation about His nature and character with wide-reaching theological implications. Wow! Are you ready for this?
God is Good
That's it!! Isn't that amazing!!! Think about it. God is good. He's always good. He's always 100% good, 100% love, 100% Peace and grace. God is good.
I came out of college thinking God was basically good but you had to fear Him. Sometimes He wasn't nice. He could be mean...
The idea came from condemnation and guilt, along with a twisted view of scripture.
Tonight God told me to junk the view of Him I have had for the past 7 years. He said, "Ted, I'm good! I'm good! I seek your good!"
I had a wrong view of Jesus as mean and ogre-ish. He's not! He's love. He's peace. He always desires our Good 100%! He always desires the best for us- peace, health, and prosperity. He's good, not bad. There is no bad in Him!
This is Jesus I met 10 years ago - and fell in love with. This is God I can worship, love, and spend time with - God who's 100% good!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!
I don't care what anyone thinks- I'll act like an idiot!
GOD IS GOOD!!!
I want to shout it!
I want to say it until everyone is sick of it
GOD IS GOOD!!!
GOD IS GOOD!!!
I want to worship Him!!!
God is good. God's word is life, health and medicine to us (Prov 4:20-23) and He desires to give good things to us (Jeremiah 29:11). He desired to give good things to David (2 Samuel 12:8):
"If that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!!!"
That's why I have to stick close to Him and His Word; His Words are life. It really works. So I must store up His Word in my heart (Psalm 119:11) and guard my heart (Prove 4:23) for out of it flows the issues of life.
God is good.
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Kurt
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04/22/2011 08:09 |
Ted, that was encouraging and true. Good to know that God is really working powerfully in your life.
I find that too. The other day I just woke up feeling drained, completely tired emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I did not want to wake up and go to work. Just felt how the world just drains you, makes you feel numb, and tired.
I got up early. Putting on worship music I worshipped God. This brought me renewal and a desire to pray and just sit before the Lord. After reading the word of God, I felt revived and rejuvenated spiritually, emotionally, and physically. I am realizing to more and more just how dependent we are on Jesus and his word.
Romans 10:17
"Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of God"
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Kurt
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04/22/2011 08:19 |
Bibleman,
When I opened up this topic I somehow scrolled down and missed your original post.
My thinking is this. Yes, God puts restraints on our life, but just like Ted says he is always looking out for our good. I am praying for you that reading the bible that God will bring you to a point of surrendering to him. That the Holy Spirit will bring the bible alive to you. That the Lord will speak to you thru his word.
That you will realize that you do not have to go to hell. Jesus paid the penalty for your sin and loves you with a supernatural love. He wants you to come home. He wants you to confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that he died on the cross to save you. His blood covers over sin.
Praying for you that you would seek above anything else to have a personal relationship with Jesus. That he would reveal himself to you, convict you where conviction is needed, and fill you with his love and forgiveness as only HE can do. No other philosophy or teaching or person can bring this unconditional love.
God bless you.
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Bibleman
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04/22/2011 12:41 |
let me put it this way. The legalistic teaching that goes with a lot of modern evangelical thought really scares me. It's disguised, but it is legalism. They won't agree if you call them on it tho.
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Calico
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04/23/2011 18:38 |
I like your above quote there, James: "The legalistic teaching that goes with a lot of modern evangelical thought (is)... disguised, but it is legalism."
There are often tendencies in the evangelical world to cite biblical principles which are indeed good and true things, but in applying some of them over-generally as a one-size-fits-all answer, they can often have their root meaning be lost while ignoring/overlooking specific cases. I've experienced some of that, in a couple of different places. Missing out on the details of a scenario can mean that "the truth" is often spoken without love. Dr. James MacDonald has offered an equation of "All Truth + No Love = Brutality" and I keep trying to remember that.
Our efforts might rather be: "with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit — just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call — one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift. Therefore it says, 'When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.' (In saying, 'He ascended,' what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." (Eph. 4:2 - 16; ESV).
Just thinking-on, and thought to throw this into the thread....
Good to have talked with you James, hope we can continue.
Praying with you,
Tom
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Ted C
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04/24/2011 14:11 |
Wow, Tom.
That brings up the question of whether there can even be such a thing as "All Truth + No Love". The reason that question popped into my mind is because the One who is the Way, the Truth and the Life is also Love (John 14:16; 1 John 4:16). So if someone's truth has no love to it, I would question if it really is truth after all...
Fascinating thought. That helps me understand the nature of spiritual abuse.
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Kelley
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04/25/2011 22:27 |
James you have been on my heart. I love all the posts shared here. (((Ted))) (((Tom))) Both of you always manage to speak into my heart when you are moved of God like today. James, when I first came back to DAB you seemed very bright in knowledge and intellectualism but often missing the point of the person's heart you were addressing. I have watched you grow and shift. Like watching you become the man God was seeing as He formed you. Because you are expressive we have had the wonder of watching your ups and downs, the shifts and changes. I want you to know that seeing this lived out in another is more moving to me then someone can be who thinks they have all the answers. Most of us aren't in either our before or after picture. We are in the middle, in process, in the confusion and at times out right dismay of faith upheaval. What does it look like to believe in something you cannot see? How do you walk in footsteps you must feel with your Spirit to even know they are there moving ahead of you with grace and purpose? I don't have advise for you James, only to say keep walking, trust Him, you are not lost to Him, your upheaval is the falls and spills of life being lived out to the full. You have a good heart. You are no longer only thinking with your brain, which is by far easier.... now you are having to use both your mind and heart and feel your way as you read your way, and walk even as you are learning how. This is what it is like to grow. You'll make it. You encourage me with the honesty of your life.
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Bibleman
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04/25/2011 23:04 |
And kelley, I thank you for likewise being expressive in full!
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