Brandon's Bible Adventure: Monday, May 3

Hey bros. I don't have much of an update in my personal life - so let's hit the old Bible.

Reading for May 3
Judges 17:1-18:31
I gotta admit - I'm losing motivation here. This section is about the Danites and how they are searching for a land to call their own. They find it and live there and rename it Dan. It's not very interesting.

I don't know why I'm so unexcited about this right now. A few days ago I was on fire, now I'm forcing myself to do this. I am pretty tired, maybe that's it...

John 3:1-21
Here it is - the most famous line in the whole Bible - John 3:16. Let's all say it together:

¹⁶"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

This is also the text where I believe the term "Born Again Christian" originates:

"I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.^[a]"

Jesus here obviously isn't talking about reentering the womb, but rather spiritual rebirth. Creating a new life for yourself - or allowing the Holy Spirit to give you that new life - in the light of who Jesus is and what he's done for us is the central message of Christianity.

Psalm 104:1-23
Sorry, I'm tired. Nothing really sticks out in this one.

Proverbs 14:20-21
²⁰ The poor are shunned even by their neighbors,
but the rich have many friends.
²¹ He who despises his neighbor sins,
but blessed is he who is kind to the needy.

I think I need some sort of motivation. Leave some love in the comments.

Running Questions

1. Why does God seem to hope for things if he is all knowing? - Theory: God is in fact NOT all knowing.
2. Why do natural 'act of God' disasters happen if God is all loving? - Theory: God is in fact NOT all loving
3. What things from the Bible can we dismiss as cultural norms of the time? Theory - Nothing can be dismissed as cultural norms. God's actions and rules seem so severe because of the relationship between him and man and man's tarnish because of sin.
4. What's the freaking deal with the God sanctioned genocide of the Midianites?
5. Is the God of the Old Testament the same as the God of the New Testament?
6. Is God, in fact, all knowing, all loving, and all powerful?

Goals

1. Read the entire Bible by December 31, 2010 - FAIL
2. Look for images of God and know what it means to fear God
3. Take the Bible at its word and don't impose my preconceived notions on the text.
4. "Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures."
5. Cook a large dinner and invite the poor and needy. (Luke 14:12)
6. Be able to quote the Bible as readily as the Simpsons (3 year goal)
7. Be able to define God based on all the evidence in the Bible

3 comments:

peteMay 3, 2010 at 11:48 PM
i love you
andy newberryMay 4, 2010 at 12:53 AM
hey brandon,

I'm glad to read your blog. I hope you do hang in there. It has been such a big part of getting the orblog up and running.

And as Pete said, I love you too
cdlcMay 4, 2010 at 7:55 AM
love! love! love!

But seriously, keep going! Even through the boring parts.

If it gives you an incentive, I think you'll love OT books like Esther, Job and Ecclesiastes. At least I do. They're very intelligent and nuanced.

This Week's Challenge

Monday, May 3

3 comments: