My View of the Bible

In revisiting my beliefs, I found my journey first starting with the Bible. I'll be honest, I was a bit surprised by this being the first car in the train. As I reflect on this, I see why this makes the most sense.

I would have thought salvation, sin, redemption, the Deity of Christ, etc., would be first on my list of topics to explore. Instead, I pondered the Bible and how I approach the Scriptures. This now makes sense in my mind, as everything we know about God starts and ends with His Word. This is especially important as I explore prophesy and some of the so-called Charismatic gifts.

I've found that, in some ways, I've tried to make the Bible fit me, not allow the Bible conform me to the image of Christ. Much of that came from how I approach the Bible. If I don't read the Bible appropriately - and apply it correctly - it will lead to all sorts of unusual views, such as those that use poisonous snakes in worship services.

What I have learned is how to better read the Bible. I found that I was ignoring the totality of Scripture when I read the Bible. Sometimes I dismissed passages, sometimes subconsciously, because I didn't understand the tapestry woven into the scriptures. Sometimes, I would take a passage I really liked, but I didn't apply it correctly; this was especially true with promises I really liked. Sometimes I chose to ignore cultural or linguistic nuances, and that led to wrong interpretations.

What I now understand is that the Bible was written as a total package - the entire book is God's Word. I cannot discount the parts I don't like, I cannot "cherry pick" the verses I like, and I have to understand the context in which it's written. This has greatly expanded my vision of the Word, has deepened my love for the Bible, and has placed more weight on the Written Word as a trusted authority.

There are lots of good resources, such as "How to Read the Bible for All its Worth", and I would recommend something like this resource for further research, so I won't go into great depth here.

As I close, here is an acronym to help spur Bible study: SPECKA. I heard this a couple of months ago, and, while I've applied it informally for some time, I'm more conscious of it now. After reading a passage carefully, debrief using the following questions:

S - Sin. Is there a sin to avoid?

P - Promise. Is there a promise to claim?

E - Example. Is there an example to follow?

C - Command. Is there a command to follow?

K - Knowledge. Is there knowledge to store up in your heart and mind?

A - Application/Action. Is there an application or action to follow through?

Mary Did You Know - Mark Lowry

Who would think that commedian Mark Lowry could so elloquently capture the first coming of Christ. I love the line, "This Child that you delivered, will soon deliver you;" typing that out brought tears to my eyes.



Merry Christmas.

One King - Point of Grace

This song always brings a tear to my eye. I'm not a big fan of many modern Christmas songs; this one is an exception. This one captures the essence of the Christmas story; we bring our meager gifts - even riches - and He brought Salvation.

O Come O Come Emmanuel

Whenever I hear this song, I find myself singing the same words, only I'm longing for the second coming. "Maranatha! Come, Lord, quickly!"

My Beliefs Revisited

The past few months I've spent some time unpacking my Christian faith. It's been a slow, but fruitful, experience. Where I am at right now is rest stop, rather than a destination, and I am taking the time to outline some of what I've been learning.

As part of my journey, I've tried to look every aspect of my faith. I've expored everything from what I believe about sin (I found my view was far too lenient), to salvation (I rediscovered just how much I need a Savior), to prayer (which is a journey I'm still on), to the Scriptures/Bible, to Charismatic gifts, to the role the Church should play in society, to the way Christians should act.

In some cases, this reinforced what I believed - which led to worship. In other cases, my study led to repentance....which, again, let to worship. And, in some cases, I've been left pondering...and that has led to worship.

I look forward to sharing some of my thoughts with you.

Book Review - Then Sings My Soul Special Edition

One word sums up this series of books: Incredible. I cannot describe these books in any other way.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. We have the first two books from the series, and I am very interested in every one.

Growing up in the church, we sang many of these. To read the stories behind them makes these hymns and songs come alive. It breathes new life into them. I find the songs much more meaningful knowing the history behind the song or the writer(s).

This edition was especially timely, as the first hymns are devoted to Christmas songs. I found it very enjoyable to read these songs during the lead up to Christmas.

I would highly recommend all of the Then Sings My Soul books as devotionals. This edition would be a wonderful edition to Christmas and Easter celebrations. I will be re-reading this at a slower pace, most likely during the Lent season.

Get this book today, especially if you grew up with these hymns, like I did, without knowing the history behind the song or writers.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”