All In (Pt. 1) A little background before we dig in...
by Roberto Esponja on Saturday, June 25, 2011 at 2:51am ·
Anonymous responses can be made at my blog: http://phreshwater01.blogspot.com/2011/06/all-in-pt-1.html
(It's 3.05 am, I'm tired. I didn't edit anything, I barely used spell check. You'll just have to get over that, it's probably close enough, you'll figure it out.)
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Pt. 1 The Bible: 66 of the least read and most misquoted classics...
One of the first rules of effective writing, at least to me, is not to state the obvious. That said however, I don't really know who my audience is. In fact for a good while, I didn't even know I had an audience. Mind you, not that I set out to have one. I, not unlike many others, use writing as a means of therapy (of sorts) as it helps me to see my thoughts expressed and I seem to think a little more clearly like this. I have written my thoughts for my own clarification for years now and have not shared them, recently however I have felt compelled to make those thoughts available. I'm not entirely sure quite why, as it seems to be costing me a good deal more than I thought it would on a personal level.
So, I am about to violate the a fore mentioned rule, simply to make things clear to those who may read this, but not really know me.
I am without a doubt a truth seeker, and in Jesus I believe I have found that truth. Outside of the Bible and and few mentions of him by the Jewish historian Josephus, we don't find much. So, we can't really know Jesus outside of reading the ever dreaded, archaic and boring Bible. I'm certain this is by design. (By the way, those terrible feelings subside once you take an active interest in it.)
Consequently, while I don't site my specific references, a good deal of what I write can actually be found in the Bible, and stated much more clearly, without my take on its meaning.
For your own sake I would encourage you, please, to look for yourselves at the text through the lens of your own understanding, rather than taking my thoughts and opinions (or anyone's for that matter) as factual teaching. This, as I said, was never my intent. I am just one rather messed up guy, trying to figure these things out. Again, go to the source, and ask God to reveal His truth to you. It is clearly stated within the Bible many times over that God will not refuse your request of such.
Our failure in doing so has been the key to success for many cults.
Anyway, that said, I know a good deal of the people who read this probably won't take that advice. Religion has been substituted for faith in many of our lives, and religion itself serves many crushing blows. I speak from experience, but would encourage you to press on if your quest is in deed for truth. Know that this too was problem that Jesus dealt sternly with and offered no kind words to those who would crush the faith of others under the burden of religion.
Even of those that do take this advice, many will ask questions of God, for which the answers will prove to be difficult, or perhaps even impossible for them to accept or understand. (Jesus talks about this too.) I believe this is natural and happens whenever the finite attempts understanding of the infinite. I too have been (and still am) there, and I don't think that ever ends. To you however, I would offer this feeble attempt at encouragement; those who would not follow, can not then expect to be lead.
Of course, God will do what He sees fit, and the Bible too is filled with those for whom the answers proved to be too difficult at the time, and yet God used them as well. I certainly could not have foreseen Him using me as he has, and to what ultimate end I may never know.
Rest assured, that you matter greatly, to both your creator and those around you. You never know who is watching or listening to you as their example and taking those things to heart. As a father, this point is shown to me in a very tangible way, but it was very much driven home to me one desperate night when I heard what I now call the five words that saved my life, "I'm glad I met you." But that's a whole other story. Suffice to say, only God knows a man's heart and the ultimate impact we have on others.
If only to that end, we owe it to ourselves and others to be the best that we can be. To my understanding, part of being the best that we can be is by seeking to know our creator, and our purpose in him through our own experiences. The best is what He desires and created for us for, however unnaturally that path may seem to take us, I do not believe we were created for the sort of mediocrity which we seem content to settle for. I have addressed this, to a degree, in many of my previous notes and so will expound not further here.
None of this is why I started writing tonight, but thought that it was good background for you to have before starting my actual intended subject.
Beer number one finished, cigar now half gone...beer number two now opened, I will continue...on to part 2
d(-_-)b
(It's 3.05 am, I'm tired. I didn't edit anything, I barely used spell check. You'll just have to get over that, it's probably close enough, you'll figure it out.)
________________________________________________________________________
Pt. 1 The Bible: 66 of the least read and most misquoted classics...
One of the first rules of effective writing, at least to me, is not to state the obvious. That said however, I don't really know who my audience is. In fact for a good while, I didn't even know I had an audience. Mind you, not that I set out to have one. I, not unlike many others, use writing as a means of therapy (of sorts) as it helps me to see my thoughts expressed and I seem to think a little more clearly like this. I have written my thoughts for my own clarification for years now and have not shared them, recently however I have felt compelled to make those thoughts available. I'm not entirely sure quite why, as it seems to be costing me a good deal more than I thought it would on a personal level.
So, I am about to violate the a fore mentioned rule, simply to make things clear to those who may read this, but not really know me.
I am without a doubt a truth seeker, and in Jesus I believe I have found that truth. Outside of the Bible and and few mentions of him by the Jewish historian Josephus, we don't find much. So, we can't really know Jesus outside of reading the ever dreaded, archaic and boring Bible. I'm certain this is by design. (By the way, those terrible feelings subside once you take an active interest in it.)
Consequently, while I don't site my specific references, a good deal of what I write can actually be found in the Bible, and stated much more clearly, without my take on its meaning.
For your own sake I would encourage you, please, to look for yourselves at the text through the lens of your own understanding, rather than taking my thoughts and opinions (or anyone's for that matter) as factual teaching. This, as I said, was never my intent. I am just one rather messed up guy, trying to figure these things out. Again, go to the source, and ask God to reveal His truth to you. It is clearly stated within the Bible many times over that God will not refuse your request of such.
Our failure in doing so has been the key to success for many cults.
Anyway, that said, I know a good deal of the people who read this probably won't take that advice. Religion has been substituted for faith in many of our lives, and religion itself serves many crushing blows. I speak from experience, but would encourage you to press on if your quest is in deed for truth. Know that this too was problem that Jesus dealt sternly with and offered no kind words to those who would crush the faith of others under the burden of religion.
Even of those that do take this advice, many will ask questions of God, for which the answers will prove to be difficult, or perhaps even impossible for them to accept or understand. (Jesus talks about this too.) I believe this is natural and happens whenever the finite attempts understanding of the infinite. I too have been (and still am) there, and I don't think that ever ends. To you however, I would offer this feeble attempt at encouragement; those who would not follow, can not then expect to be lead.
Of course, God will do what He sees fit, and the Bible too is filled with those for whom the answers proved to be too difficult at the time, and yet God used them as well. I certainly could not have foreseen Him using me as he has, and to what ultimate end I may never know.
Rest assured, that you matter greatly, to both your creator and those around you. You never know who is watching or listening to you as their example and taking those things to heart. As a father, this point is shown to me in a very tangible way, but it was very much driven home to me one desperate night when I heard what I now call the five words that saved my life, "I'm glad I met you." But that's a whole other story. Suffice to say, only God knows a man's heart and the ultimate impact we have on others.
If only to that end, we owe it to ourselves and others to be the best that we can be. To my understanding, part of being the best that we can be is by seeking to know our creator, and our purpose in him through our own experiences. The best is what He desires and created for us for, however unnaturally that path may seem to take us, I do not believe we were created for the sort of mediocrity which we seem content to settle for. I have addressed this, to a degree, in many of my previous notes and so will expound not further here.
None of this is why I started writing tonight, but thought that it was good background for you to have before starting my actual intended subject.
Beer number one finished, cigar now half gone...beer number two now opened, I will continue...on to part 2
d(-_-)b
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