For some time now, I have been known in some parts as knowledgeable on the Bible. For a similar time, I have been attempting to put together a pamphlet on the subject of Bible study.
Why?
In my first attempt at Bible study, I began (without any one's assistance) with Genesis Ch. 1 and soon crashed and burned badly. My second round was more successful - I read all of the Bible , but ultimately proved Acts 8:30,31 (where a disciple asked a man "do you understand what you are reading" and the reply was "how can I, unless someone guides me?"
In addition, I have made some brash statements in this blog and on Combat Effective about what I do or don't believe, that I fear theocracy, and that I feel the Roman Catholic Church has been leading people astray. Well then, what do I believe? I believe each and every Christian who has normal mental faculties should read, study and learn (and learn about) the Bible for their own self.
That is all well and good, but I just got through saying that my first two tries were less than successful, so why do I try to hold my fellow Christians to such a high standard? Because, for one, the Bible says we should (but I'll get to that later). There are other reasons. Mainly so that other, less scrupulous people won't lead them astray. And to aid in their study, I am embarking on a series of articles to help them through that first few months of study where most people seem to flounder.
As I said at the beginning, I have been trying (without much success) to put this all into pamphlet form. There are many good books, some hundreds of pages long trying to cover this same subject. But face it, if you were inclined to read them, you would be inclined to have read the Bible by now. On the other hand, I have found getting this into pamphlet form near impossible. So the next best thing is a series of interlinking articles, where you can skip around, and pick and choose what you need, when you need it.
I call the whole thing the Ephesus project. A detailed study of the ancient city of Ephesus and a study of the Bible would explain why I chose that name, but for now, it is just a name to make it easy to find my articles on this subject.
I will be looking forwards to writing more on this, and I hope to get some feed back along the way.
Sunday, December 23, 2007
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3 comments:
Rex I'm always inspired by the Christans in matters of good. From my supportive rhetoric you would never guess the serious reservations and questions, the contridictions with rational thought nor the negativre poilitical refferences that could easily describe God and at times his people.
By their fruits ye shall know them. I believe what I can see first and fromost. That is the only reason I wholy support Christains and no individual bad sect or intermittent bad practice will change my mind as secular man and pagan beleifs are far far more dangerous.
Our time in the sun here and now doen not fool em into thinking all is well, nor that the nightmares our ancestors fought with are no more.
Anyway. Thanx Rex for a good year of debate and discussion. Learned alot from you.
The best to you and your loved ones.
This is the first Christams that my grandson of 10 yrs has spent without me and I doan like that at all. Somehow, having just heard the story behind the author and a musician that gave us 'Silent Night' I feel comforted.
I feel that even if the virgin birth were a fairy tale, it is the most beautiful fairytale man can imagine. Almost like the saying 'ya just can't make this stuff up'. Anyway I also have an opinion of people that inspires me today.
I told you of my Guatemalan friend that I helped with his house. Turns out he was Costa Rican. Anyway;
I first met him visiting a mutual friend and the cnversation drifted towards his experience comming through Mexico to get to the US. I thought'great'! Nother illegal stealing a good job with the State and displacing an American for political correctness.
Turned out he was legal from the start, and in hearing our mutual friend always refer to him as 'the boy' in coversations made me see him as a good young man working hard for a better life. He was very proud of his Anglo wife and she too worked very hard. Both had two jobs and worked weekends and some week days on repairing their purchased fixer upper home, hoping to move in before the year end.
He suffered some bad deals with fly by night contractors and a major theft of his tools. After helping him he told me that he had given up and wanted to take his wife and go back to Costa Rica but having met myself and our mutual friend was what kept him from seeing all as a waste.
This story is common. many people helping eachother in many ways.
What suprised me was a third friend he had helping him.
This boy was determined to pay me back somehow and I was an arrogant jerk and would not let his give me money or favors, or even help me with my own work.
Anyway, my truck broke down literally two days before I was to leave Cali and come to Kansas. He brought over a mechanic and being the jerk I am I did not want him to work on my truck but he just started and did it anyways. What he could not do that day he gave me easy instructions to finish the next day. I tried to pay him and he refused. I told him I did not want our friend owing him favors on my behalf and he ignored me. He did let me get him some quality beer. lol
I asked my Costa Rican friend, where did you meet that guy. He is a good man. He said that he had run out of gas on the road and was pushing his car and the guy stopped to help him. They were good friends ever since.
Myself, the Costa Rican boy, the mechanic, and our mutual friend. We are good guys, and funny how good guys manage to link up in time of need. That is my year end inspiration and even though I sorely missing the grandson I am with my brother. Can't have it all! But then again, nothing wrong with wanting it all.
Marry Christmas.
I am glad you have friends that are true friends in time of need.
While I did not create the Ephesus project for you (more about that in my mext follow up) I hope you will find some of it enlightening, and welcome your comments on it.
TRex
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