Challenge Completion, New Testament Reflection and What's Next

Challenge Completion

I have done it. On Sunday, October 13th, 2013, I completed a complete read (listen) through of the New Living Translation Bible. That is a major accomplishment for me. It has been a great learning experience for me, both personally and spiritually.

Personally, there are two major things I have gotten from this experience. First, I prefer to listen to books. Not only am I able to pay attention better, but having headphones eliminates distractions. It also allows me to be active while I read. Second, I now have a regularly scheduled time everyday that I take time to read God's word; one that I am not wavering from. As a minister, it is vitally important that I do not neglect my own spiritual nourishment and development. This is a vital key in that process. Being constantly filled with God's word every morning give me perspective throughout the day.

Spiritually, I feel like I have a better grasp on God's story as a whole. I feel like I can better place where events take place, why they happened, and what importance that meant at the time. I have also realized how much about the Bible I have yet to learn. I am able ti visualize the parts that I am still in need of instruction.It is very humbling. But part of continuing in my walk with Jesus is continuing to learn. And I am looking forward to learning more in the future!

New Testament Reflection

The New Testament is a very different animal from what the Old Testament is. There is a different feel to it; it is much deeper and more complex. Its size can be deceiving. The authors, such as Paul, were very good at injecting a lot of information and ideas into very compact spaces. This is why the New Testament is so goo to chew on. The more time you spend with it, the more is revealed to you.

It is also apparent in the New Testament that our relationship with God changed from what it was in the Old Testament. It used to be a more cause and effect type relationship: we sin, and sin, and sin until God can't handle it anymore, there is consequences, we repent, repeat. Even though God very apparently displays His grace in the Old Testament, we seem to see His justice quite often. But that changes in the New Testament with the arrival of Jesus. He talks about what our relationship with God is supposed to be like, and then dies to make it that way. And now, we are free. Free from what? Sin. Being slaves to sin. And since we are free from sin, we are free to be completely in relationship with God, just like we were meant to in the first place. There is no longer sin hovering over our heads. It is gone. The Old Testament promised it was to come, and it is now here. And I can't help but rejoice and thank God every day that this is the case today.

What's Next

I am now listening through a book called "The Story." It is a book from Zondervan that puts the whole Bible into one continuous story. It is not a chronological Bible. It takes excerpts from the Bible and strings them together into a familiar chapter by chapter format. Not all stories or events are covered, but there are written explanations that connects the gaps and provide story-like commentary. I am 3 chapters into it, and it is very interesting. I am interested to see what is left out, how the book as a whole is put together and what value this book has in a personal study environment.

A Year and a Half Ago...

...I started a challenge: read the entire Bible before I get married. The short version is this: that didn't happen. As I stated in my last blog post I had "bite(n) off more than I can chew."

There were a couple of specific things that led to this failure. (1) I had no previous system for reading in place. I was expecting myself to complete this task without first having the discipline of reading firmly established in my life. Basically, I started running a marathon without any training expecting to finish. (2) The timing was less than ideal. I had only 5 months to read the whole Bible, the 5 months before my own wedding. This time period was stressful on its own and full of more distractions than I could counteract. These two things were the two biggest factors in failing to reach my goal.

But the calling to read the whole Bible was still strong in my heart, and I was confident God was still calling me to complete that challenge. This called for a change in tactic. I would not read, I would listen.

Many of you have heard of the YouVersion.com Bible app. This is the app that I use. Not only does it have almost every version of the Bible at its disposal, it also has audio versions of the Bible in parallel with what you are reading. I am able to listen to the Bible one chapter at a time. When one chapter is finished, it automatically starts the next chapter. I would then use the bookmark feature to save my listening spot to pick up later.

Why would I listen to the Bible instead of read it? There are many factors that led to that decision.

1. I am a verbal processor and an auditory learner. This does not mean that I learn best this way. It is simply the way that I prefer to learn; it is the way that is most comfortable to me.
2. Listening made it possible for me to read the Bible during down time and menial tasks: mowing lawn, driving, walking the dog, etc.
3. The Bible was originally read out loud to a crowd of people. Listening allowed me to hear the Bible as it was meant to be heard.

Fast forward a year and a half, I now have a set pattern for reading God's word. It is a part of my daily routine, and I think one of the first disciplines for me to really take a hold of. I am feel excitement whenever I prepare to listen to the Word of God.

Just yesterday, I started listening to Matthew. That means that since I started listening to the Bible in June of 2012, I have listened through the whole Old Testament! That is quite an accomplishment for me. I want to take a moment to reflect on what I learned.

First, I now have a better understanding on the Old Testament timeline. I understood the basic timeline, but I could pick out where each book took place.

Second, I am struck by how patient God was with the Israelites. It is a stark contrast to how people usually view the God of the Old Testament. But He is the same God that we know today, patient, just, gracious and forgiving. When God did act against His people, or even against other nations, it is only when they have demonstrated no interest in repenting. Only then did He act. If fact, I could feel God's sorrow when He did have to act. He constantly refers to Israel as an adulterous wife. Yes he was angry and frustrated with their actions, but He stilled loved them and that caused Him pain.

Third, the Old Testament has changed how I worship. I have a firmer grasp on the reverence of God. When we worship, we are stepping into the throne room of God to let Him know what He means to us. I now approach with fear, awe and a whole heap of respect. And that permeates my worship.

Now, I am on to the New Testament. I am excited to see the continuation of God's story, and how He worked to make us a part of His great epic.

Challenge: The Bible in 140 Days

I have decided to take on a personal challenge, read the entire Bible before I get married.

In the last year, I have been hearing and teaching a lot about evaluating your commitment to God. When I was on a mission trip to Florida this summer, I heard a sermon about idols. The pastor said that you can tell what is important in a persons life by how they have their house set up. Where is the focus of the room at? For most people, it is the TV or computer. Something that really hit home for me was looking at the amount of time I spend on things. For instance, I spend more time on the internet and playing video games than I do reading my Bible or talking with God. I don’t like how that looks on paper.

So, I am aiming to change this. It is a daunting task, and I may be trying to bite off more than I can chew. However, there are a couple of things that are driving me. First, I feel that God is compelling me to do this. He wants me to know more about Him, and this is a great way to continue that process. Second, I feel that this is something that I should have accomplished already in my Christian walk. Third, when read out loud, the KJV of the Bible only takes 72 hours (3 days) to read. I feel that I have no excuse for not having done this already. So I am stopping making excuses and diving in head first.

Challenge begins today.