Reading from Monday, October 25

Oh yeah.

Reading for October 25
Jeremiah 48:1-49:22
This section, God talks specifically to a few different nations of people and how he is going to bring the pain on them. Honestly, I skimmed it. There's not too much in there that I'm interested in...sorry...

2 Timothy 4:1-22
I like this. If, at the end of this project, I am fully convinced in my faith, I would like to try and live by this challenge.

 ¹In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge: ²Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.

He follows that up immediately with this little number:

³For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. ⁴They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

This is incredibly perceptive of Paul. There are many groups of Christians out there who believe some wacky things and interpret the scripture in bizarre ways - Westboro Baptist, I'm looking in your direction. We - myself certainly included - need to remember that what's in the Bible will likely not be popular. I still get made fun of to this day for my decision to wait until marriage to have sex. But get enough people around you, telling you to interpret the Bible in this way or that, and you will start to believe it.

I still have trouble accepting the condemnation of homosexuals. I can't believe that God would create something to be so inherently against his will no matter how many ways I look at it. I still have trouble with the fact that God was a giant ass in the Old Testament - but these issues aren't something I ignore. Rather I am challenged by them and I hope to eventually see and accept the truth of the scriptures.

Psalm 95:1-96:13
¹¹ Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
       let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
 ¹² let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them.
       Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy;
 ¹³ they will sing before the LORD, for he comes,
       he comes to judge the earth.

Proverbs 26:9-12
 ⁹ Like a thornbush in a drunkard's hand
       is a proverb in the mouth of a fool.
 ¹⁰ Like an archer who wounds at random
       is he who hires a fool or any passer-by.
 ¹¹ As a dog returns to its vomit,
       so a fool repeats his folly.
 ¹² Do you see a man wise in his own eyes?
       There is more hope for a fool than for him.

Verse 11 is a popular one.