Kings and Chronicles - Who Really Writes the History

Over the years I have had a privilege of receiving quite a few official announcements about certain personnel changes delivered in a typical bureaucratic cadence accompanied with the usual politically correct verbiage. Sometimes I am a privy into what is really going on behind the scenes, and sometimes I can only scratch my head. Since I am fully aware that curiosity killed many a cat, I generally don't seek out undisclosed information knowing I am better off remaining ignorant on certain matters, especially when I can rest in the fact that God knows and He is never fooled by 'official announcements'. And I never cared for publicly humiliating anybody, no matter how well deserved it might be. Tabloids are full of such stories, and none of us is more noble or loving for reading them

I must start with a disclaimer here, for there is much more to both Kings and Chronicles than what I share here. I give credit to all four books for playing a major part in my freshly aroused love of history. When accompanied with reading the prophets, one gets to enjoy quite a geo-political-religious-psychological feast that gets to be very personal at times... But, I also understand that not everyone shares my weird taste for this form of spiritual nourishment...

Back to the opening paragraph and official records... The Books of Kings and Chronicles remind me a lot of such 'official' and 'unofficial' versions of the same events. The former describes the condensed version of 'government approved record' of historic events. The latter gives us a peek into what God, who reads our innermost thoughts and intentions of our hearts like an open book, knows is going on behind closed doors. It's like reading a column in Wall Street Journal and a personal diary of the main character that the column writes about side by side... Don't you ever wonder about the stories behind the news clips or am I the only one?

I used to be terrified of such knowledge, such exposure. I would bristle when others would quote that character is who you are when no one is looking. I was appalled at the discrepancy a visible presence of just one person makes in how I conduct my life. And it was perplexing that God's presence, even though invisible yet equally real, didn't seem to affect much change.

Today, for some reason, awareness of such intimate knowledge is an incredible source of comfort and hope. I can release my grip on demand for justice and fairness into His perfectly capable hands. I can rest in His timing. For God is a meticulous book-keeper. The insufferable wrongs will be fully and completely righted. Moreover, the Scripture says that not even a glass of water goes unnoticed by Him when given out of love and reverence for Jesus Christ. Regardless of whether anybody else sees it or not.

What the Great Flood, the Hurricanes and Tsunamis all have in common?

What amazes me the most whenever I read God's Word is how over and over again God chooses deeply flawed individuals to be His instruments. There are few noble men and women, to be sure, but for the most part one can't help but cringe when reading public accounts of their colossal stupidity on display for all to see. God, on His part, seems to reveal no shame or concern as to the embarrassment that His people are to Him and His reputation. On the contrary! This might be because it becomes quite impossible to confuse Him with His people, and one clearly recognizes that if there is anything good, noble and holy anyone can detect in these shady characters, it must be of God, for in and of themselves, they seem incapable of any true goodness and morality.

For some reason, this gives me great comfort when I feel overwhelmed by the flood of vanity, ignorance, arrogance, insecurity, pettiness and jealousy that threatens to overtake my life. These flawed individuals didn't have it easy either. Just consider, we barely make it to Chapter 4 and there is a homicide in the first family! And by chapter 7 the humanity has gotten so irreparably rotten God decides to unlock all the double-pane windows holding the water above the sky (Genesis 1:7) and flood the earth?!!! Now, how would you feel if you were God and the creation which just a couple of chapters ago you called 'very good' is flushed down the cosmic toilet?!!

I remember several years ago when the levies gave out in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina and the entire city of New Orleans was flooded. I remember the shock, the pain, and grief and weeping over the devastation, the loss of lives - both human and animals - and this was just one city....

I remember the tsunami in Thailand and another which struck Japan not too long ago... Both forever changed not only the landscape of these countries but also the landscape of the people's minds and hearts... The horror-ridden stories of survivors, the recurring nightmares one doesn't wake up from... A face of a woman survivor telling her heart-wrenching story of needing to let go of one of her children in the overpowering waves because she couldn't hold onto both anymore... There is a rock in the pit of my stomach just hearing her account... but that was just one of many and their stories went on, and on, and on...

I remember when we lived through three hurricanes that visited central Florida in a few short weeks... It was a newsworthy story that was transmitted around the world. For a short time our ADHD global village heard about it, but then everyone else moved on with their lives while the rest of us remained stuck in a time warp, dealing with no power, empty grocery stores (never thought I would live to see this day in the United States of America!), the mountains of yard waste framing the streets like snake-infested walls, construction damage repairs, insurance claims, re-roofing,...

As I reflect on this, I feel like with each of these experiences I get a glimpse here and a quick look there what it must have been like for Noah the survivor of the great flood, and his three sons with their families... for they were people just like us - the same weaknesses, the same or similar challenges... And I experience the truth of John Donne's words:

No man is an island,

Entire of itself.

Each is a piece of the continent,

A part of the main.

If a clod be washed away by the sea,

Europe is the less

As well as if a promontory were.

As well as if a manor of thine own

Or of thine friend's were.

Each man's death diminishes me,

For I am involved in mankind.

Therefore, send not to know

For whom the bell tolls,

It tolls for thee.

True as this may be, this is not how and where the story ends. For, ultimately, the same God of Hope whom Noah trusted with his life, and the life of his family, is the God who gives us

the silver lining behind every cloud,

a rainbow after every storm, and

a promise of resurrection from the dead

at the end of every, even the worst day

nourishing the hope that

that day

the last tear will be wiped away...

and all will be well

For the earth will be filled

with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD

as the waters cover the sea.

Habakkuk 2:14

Dangerous Discipline of Bible Reading 101 History is His Story!

those who ignore history

are bound to repeat its mistakes

As I said, starting to read Bible as objective, specific, geographic, chronology of events - both personal and national, even global - was... well, eye opening, to say the least. This not only revolutionized my view of history in general, but also redefined my own personal history. Of course, the effect of such drastic paradigm shift reaches far beyond my view and understanding of the past, for they spill into my to-day and reorient my perception of the future.

What once used to be the most boring, out-of-date, instant-insomnia-healer became by far the most rewarding social media hub full of losers and socially awkward freaks just like me. The more I hang out with the likes of Job, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, Daniel, Peter, Paul, John and ultimately Jesus, the more I find them fully 'relatable', even more so than most of my contemporaries...

For these guys are certainly not what I call 'social thermometers' - people governed by majority opinions, polls or the latest political and religious band-wagon all their friends are jumping on. They strike me more like spiritual thermostats, with the Lord God Himself their only setting, to which (or rather to Whom) they refer, and relate, and respond in all the changing circumstances of their ever-turbulent lives.

And I find their God far more reliable and trustworthy than all the pundits interviewed on CNN combined, although at times difficult to see and comprehend for His unorthodox ways of dealing with humanity.

And I am struck by the fact that this God is anything but

aloof,

absent,

impotent,

mute or

deaf.

In fact, I find Him the most

passionate,

engaged,

observant,

active,

loving,

unpresumptuous person

with great sense of humor who is also

infinitely patient

towards any idiot like you or me foolish enough to

turn his or her back on the clamor of this world for two and a half seconds and

tune in to His wavelength and

recognize the game of charade everyone is playing and

grasp the overwhelming weight of evidence that speaks for

this seemingly invisible and

seemingly inaudible

reality.

And, to our amazement,

in His presence,

we find we grew an extra ear and

developed an additional eye

and we can actually hear Him speak to us

and we can actually see Him who is invisible

and there

in His presence

find

rest...

and more rest...

and

joy

inexplicable joy...

and

contentment...

contentment that surpasses any satisfaction

we may have when we finally

get what we always wanted,

when our thirst is quenched with water

when our hunger is sated with food

when our loneliness is ended with embrace...

And to our surprise

we discover

that

In Him

and Him alone

we are home

at last.

History - The Unusual and Cruel Punishment of BOREDOM!

Throughout my education, history was my least favorite subject. One word summarizes the reason - boring!

Born and raised in a monolithic political party system I was taught that there is only one truth, and that truth is held, expounded and taught by the Communist Party. Needless to say, all the major events were interpreted through this narrow filter of truth and all dissenters were... well, either mocked, scoffed at, socially and politically ostracized or, if they were causing too much trouble and were perceived as a threat to "peace", sent on a very long vacation on a very small shrub-less island far, far away.

I was explained that 'we' are the good guys and everyone else, including the aforementioned dissenters are the bad, bad guys. No God. No soul. No eternity. Jesus? A myth. Some kind of ancient, irrelevant freak. Not worth wasting your time on it while you have more important things to do in building brotherhood and unity based on.... Hmmmm? Never went that deep into it...

These beacons of light and truth had their work cut out for them, for sure... Imagine trying to eradicate God out of all art... out of all literature... Imagine reading Dostoevsky while dismissing a possibility of the existence of God?!! Imagine looking at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel and saying it's all a charade conjured up by the ignorant, uneducated masses. Of course, the implication is that those lowly 'they' are so very much unlike us, THE educated, THE enlightened, the pinnacle of Darwin's evolutionary ladder, the fittest to survive and consequently powerful enough to rule and make history according to our ingenious design!

However, there was no such 'ingenious design'. Just vaguely covered up greed, immorality, arrogance and abject stupidity exalted to positions of leadership and authority. Upheld by either bribery and manipulation or fear and intimidation. So we can all live happily ever after.

That was my 'historical' background before I met Jesus Christ and begun to read the Bible not as a random compilation of fairy tales, myths and legends but as a verifiable historical account.

Starting to read Bible as objective, specific, geographic, chronology of events - both personal and national, even global - was... well, eye opening, to say the least.

Think of the movie Sixth Sense.... If you've seen it, you'll know that the information revealed at the end of the movie changes everything, so you absolutely have to go back to the beginning and watch the entire movie again from the perspective of this new paradigm.

This is exactly how I felt once I realized that the Bible is a historical book, deeply rooted in specific times and places, real (perhaps maybe even too real for my taste!) people like you and me ... and most importantly, real, living, active, observant, passionate God who is not aloof, and not absent, and not impotent and mute and deaf, as some people think Him to be.

Deep Sea Diving Locations - The Beginning or How We Got So Badly Screwed Up?

The Book of Beginnings.

Isn't it what we all want to know? How it all started?

As an infinitely ambitious college student, I was determined to discover the origin of life. This is why I pursued double-major in Comparative World Literature and English Language and Literature. The comprehensive scope of the studies gave me a strong hope that some day I would surely find what I was looking for. During that time my Dad almost got killed in a head-on collision with an out-of-control public transportation bus. In the days while his breath was precariously suspended between what we, a family of atheists, thought we knew of life and what we didn't know of death, my pursuit of the origins moved from the sphere of philosophy and literature into the realm of medical science. Genetics was just emerging on the scientific horizon at the time, and I became one of the fifteen students awarded a full scholarship in the Molecular Biology and Genetics program at the University of Belgrade. It is that summer that I had a head-on collision with the Originator of Life Himself.

But, I am getting a little distracted...

We all ask ourselves the big questions at some point in our lives or another:

Where did I come from?

Where am I going?

Why is my life such a train wreck? Is there hope for me, even me?

In the Book of Beginnings the foundations are laid out for us. For this is where we see the Artist at work.

Brooding. Pondering. Mapping. Waiting.

Stirring. Moving.

Then we hear the Word of God.

Spoken.

Bam!

And it was so!

If this is not power, I don't know what is. I try this every day with my children, and, I tell you, my word with them carries approximately the same power as a discarded AAA battery.

We see the marvel of creativity at its best. The wonder. The fireworks! The Awe. The Glory. The Joy.

The Rest.

And we also see... The mystery.

The crack.

The Enemy.

The deception.

The fissure.

The brokenness. The pain. The banishment.

I look over these first few pages and in them I find this incredible destiny to be a reflection of... GOD?!!? - His character, His person, His heart and His brain on this Earth! The amazing calling somehow both resonates deeply and intimidates me to the nth degree ... for, despite this noble destiny, I also see the mirror of my soul - my mind and my heart - shattered by pain, injury, lies, betrayal, lust, fear, shame...

In this soil of the first few chapters of the Bible, I find the root of all your screw-ups and mine - you name it - marital issues, parenting, comparison, sibling rivalry, communication, blame-shifting, cover-up, murder.

And, lest we think that our redemption is just an afterthought of the mind of God, a scrambled-together patch-up solution to the cosmic experiment gone badly wrong, in these pages we also see the price.

The battle.

The scar.

The price that the One and only hope for our redemption, healing and life is going to pay... has paid... so that you and I can have life that is life indeed.

And so The First Book of Moses Commonly Called Genesis becomes a place I keep returning to whenever I feel lost, or confused, or bewildered along the journey, its truths drawing me back home like a powerful rubber-band of naked, unsanitized truth.

Choosing your Diving Location

It is my firm belief that

Every part of Scripture is

God-breathed and

useful one way or another -

showing us truth,

exposing our rebellion,

correcting our mistakes,

training us to live God's way.

Through the Word of God

we are put together and

shaped up for the tasks God has for us.

(2 Timothy 3:16,17 Message)

Now, I also understand that many people (yours truly included) have gotten lost in the deep weeds of genealogies, or laws, or even certain imageries that seem to be waaaay beyond our ability to grasp (try Ezekiel 1 if you don't believe me). However, rather than throwing the entire book across the room and leaving it there to collect dust-mites and attract silverfish, I have been encouraged to be patient, stick with what the Lord Jesus has revealed and explained, and slowly build on this knowledge and understanding until He illumines the more obscure portions of the Scriptures. As a result, the margins of my Bible are filled with question marks to be addressed at some later date according to God's wisdom and timing.

This approach has served me very well over the years. Believe it or not, many, many of those questions have been answered to my intensely argumentative satisfaction! And now you can toss me just about anywhere between the covers of my Bible, and I would find the diving location oh, so deliciously satisfying the effort and very much living up to the promise of 2 Timothy passage I quoted above.

In the spirit of intentionality and being systematic, we must address the issue of going back to the beginning, since the beginning is generally a good place to start.

Now, I must add a disclaimer here. I took probably a decade or so to read through the New Testament over and over again after I had my initial head-on collision with Jesus Christ. During that decade I paid quick visits to more familiar portions of the Old Testament - like Psalm 23, the Book of Proverbs, famous quotes from the Book of Isaiah, and, O.K. I admit I was sneaking into Song of Solomon under my bed cover, even though I wasn't married at the time.

Having finally gotten to a place where I felt I could trust the heart and the brains of the Author of this book, I got to a place where I felt I could go to the Book of Genesis without my deeply ingrained former atheist, 'scientific' bias totally warping my perception and give it a fair shot as to the possibility of how it all started.

And even with all this, the scoffer in me would still argue from time to time, and roll my eyes, and dismiss altogether the revelation of the first few pages of the Bible.

Now, I promise you, if this is the attitude of your heart and your intellect as you approach God's Word, you are wasting your time. You'll get NOTHING out of it, and you will be worse off for reading it, than not reading it at all. My friendly recommendation to you is, "Stop it!" No one has argued with God and ever won the argument. And, trust me, you are not going to go into history as the first... just one in the string of many ignorant idiots who tried and failed to their own demise.

Anyway, having failed many a time in my arguments with my Creator, I finally got my attitude adjusted as to the issues of arrogance, prejudice and bias. I was ready at last to actually benefit from the most amazing story unfolding before my very eyes.

And so, Genesis, the late bloomer in my study of God's Word becomes one of my "favorite children".

Even Deeper Deep Sea Diving into God's Word

Lest I get too cozy with God's extravagant patience, understanding and tolerance of my frequent temper tantrums in His royal court while the watching angels and living creatures surrounding Him cringe and marvel at my ignorant audacity...

Lest in my presumptuous state I begin to make up lame excuses for my pitiful condition as His image-bearer and ambassador to this world, clinging to my favorite,

Well, nobody is perfect, you know... we are just humans...

Lest I skew the Word of God to make Him fit my personal preferences, opinions and agendas...

I turn to the Gospels where I plow into Jesus, front and center, flesh and bones, hair and blisters, always there like a brick wall of down-to-earth holiness, simplicity and clarity of vision, who seems totally unfazed by the insurmountable limitations of my wretched humanity, calling me with the voice of carefree authority to be and do the impossible...

You are to be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect...

So deliciously politically incorrect...

Unless your righteousness surpasses that of theology students and Christian workers there is no way you'll go to heaven...

...And...

Don't give what is holy to dogs and don't throw your pearls before pigs... (Did I just hear Him calling people names?!!!)

But, of all Jesus' many, many outrageous statements, I find by far the worst the following:

Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you... Rejoice and be exceedingly glad when men cast insults at you, and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, on account of Me...

I look, and look, and look for just a little wiggle room here...

For a tiniest little loophole... And I find...

None!

And I ponder, and ponder, and ponder who is crazy here....

The world I live in OR Jesus?

Am I crazy?

Or, is Jesus the crazy one?

And I wonder what kind of psychiatric medication and at what dosage would my psychiatrist prescribe to my Lord to help Him chill out....?

Suddenly the seriousness of my religious calling hits me like a ton of brick.

For I am faced with a choice...

And the choice...

The choice sits like that ton of bricks in the pit of my stomach. For I find myself simultaneously irresistibly drawn to this strange Person depicted in the Gospels, and equally terrified of His proximity and Presence.

And even though He could easily overpower me with the slightest breath out of His nostril, He actually simply stands and waits for me...

to make that choice...

free

un-coerced

un-intimidated

no bribe

no manipulation...

A free choice to say 'yes'

or to say 'no'

Knowing that the answer to this question will determine the course of my earthly life and my eternal destiny.

Deep Sea Diving into God's Word

The best way I can describe my approach to reading God's Word is going...

Deep Sea Diving!

My favorite entry points are Proverbs, Psalms in the Old Testament and any one of the Gospels in the New. Sometimes, I just stay there and dive under, for any of these books offer ample room for going as deep as you wish.

I love the fact that in Proverbs I am oh, so matter-of-factly reminded every day how stupid I am and how much I need God daily to give me ample supplies of common sense, which doesn't seem to be so common after all. For, there appears to be a world-wide shortage of this commodity, if I might add, especially among those who call themselves God's people.

Another word for common sense is wisdom... and it is often associated with old age. Sadly, just because somebody is old doesn't necessarily mean they are wise either.

If I had to choose my favorite book of the Bible (I know, I know, it's like asking a parent which is his or her favorite child...), I would go with Psalms. I think there is more passion packed inside these poems than all the early afternoon soap operas of the world combined. Love, hate, hope, despair, loneliness, stabs-in-the-back, rest, joy, depths, heights, freedom, bondage, ... you name it. What Psalms tell me every day is:

It's O.K. babe, God loves you just the way you are. You can be real with Him. He already knows it all anyway. Don't fake it. Lay it all out before Him, He can handle it. He knows and understands you better than you know and understand yourself. And with Him it's always safe to be real... And that's the only pathway to true growth... Stepping out of the shadows of pretense and hiding and coming out into His light....

Who Wants a Drunkard as a Surgeon?

Dear His Writer,

How is it possible that the same words from the Bible can in some instance bring hope and healing and in another discouragement, depression and hopelessness?

Scratching my head in Seattle...

Dear Scratching-Your-Head-in-Seattle,

I am not sure whether this is going to help or not, but check this out:

Like a thorn which falls into the hand of a drunkard,

so is a proverb in the mouth of fools.

Proverbs 26:9

The Word of God is spoken to us by God Himself only and always to bring His redeeming grace and restoring truth into our lives. However, because of our rebellious condition, sometimes He needs to use it as a surgical scalpel in the hand of a skilled Physician to cure deadly soul disease - our willful independence and indifference towards our Creator and Redeemer. The Holy Spirit is the Physician and He alone knows what we need and when we need it. So, when the Holy Spirit speaks His Word to our hearts, even if it hurts, the Word also brings healing, hope and genuine growth in our lives.

Sadly, based on the above Scriptures, in the fallen world we live in, many fools take upon themselves to play the Holy Spirit in our lives (been there, done that, never-ever want to do it again!) , and rather than using the Word as skillful Surgeon, they resemble more an out-of-balance, out-of-control intoxicated alcoholic.

Needless to say, there is a huge difference in having a scalpel in the hand of a skillful Surgeon and in the hand of tottering drunkard. If I need a surgery, guess which one I would rather go to?

As if this is not horrible enough, there are people who actually hire fools and give them power and authority to carry on their destructive mission. I guess most job interviews don't screen applicants for their wisdom vs. foolishness quotient. A fool can be smart enough to fool even the most intelligent individuals by their deceptive words, especially if they carry themselves as experts and authorities in any particular field, religion being the most dubious field of all. This is why I wouldn't be too severe on the employers of the fools, although they certainly bear some responsibility:

Like an archer who wounds everyone

so is he who hires a fool or he who hires those who pass by.

Proverbs 26:10

As you can see, we live in a treacherous world where God's Word, meant to be used as source of life, salvation, truth and grace is often turned into an assault weapon in the hands of fools. You and I need to be aware that God's Word is never spoken in a spiritual vacuum. The Enemy of our souls who very much alive and active, knows the power of God's Word and will stop at nothing to thwart God's children in knowing this and appropriating their rightful place in the spiritual battle. For, according to Ephesians 6:10-18, the only offensive weapon given to the child of God in this war is the Word of God. Our capacity to stand in the evil day will be in direct proportion to our knowledge of the Word of God Himself.

Hope this relieves at least a little bit of that itch on your head. I am sure it has opened up other, perhaps even bigger area of itching, but keep always in mind

You are from God, little children,

and have overcome them:

because greater is He who is in you

than he who is in the world.

I John 4:4

The Enemy is a defeated foe, who knows that his clock is ticking.

Dangerous Discipline of Bible Reading 101 Indeed!

Of course, I would be a liar if I didn't warn my readers that reading your Bible with the help of the Author Himself is anything but an innocuous activity.

In fact, I would say that turning haphazard, random, periodic, unsystematic Bible-reading into prayerful, consistent, intentional, faithful, Author-seeking adventure may actually invite a host of troubles your sleepy, self-satisfied, distracted, haphazard, self-sufficient, independent Self knows nothing about. The trade-off is well worth it, but quite beyond the grasp of self-indulgent individuals who only want what they want, when they want it, in the exact way they want it - and all this applies not only to their drive-through burgers and fries, but also to the Almighty God. Neatly packaged, like an Advil PM... called upon to mainly treat the unpleasant symptoms of life's tragic journey, rather than addressing the deadly disease buried under the surface.

Perhaps this is why Jesus says in the Gospel of John,

He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.

I would be an idiot if I didn't realize that there is a rather severe competition for our time and affection. God is not helping the matter in the way He presents Himself to us. He is sooo... how shall I put it???... so unimpressive, and unobtrusive, so.... humble, that it is really easy for us to ignore Him, avoid Him, mock Him and completely miss Him!

When you look over my bookshelves, nothing sets the Bible apart from any other book. Every morning, I have to choose to ignore hundreds other books and choose His Word instead. Every day, I have to choose from a gazzillion opportunities knocking on my door, promising health, wealth and prosperity, and ask God:

What about You? What would YOU like me to do today?

It's hard to be constantly barraged by so many good offers and not be able to just surrender to the torrent that everyone else is surrendered to - bigger, better, faster, more hi-tech, easier, quicker, pain-free, have-your-cake-and-eat-it, and on, and on, and on...

Sometimes I wonder am I the last fool remaining on this planet that's going down the tube - admittedly fancy, impressive tube, but down the tube nonetheless... But, then I remember all the other fools the Bible talks about - Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Daniel, David, Job, Peter, Paul, or ... or even JESUS???? And I find myself in a dran good company!

For I would much rather be counted a fool with these guys than win anything this world has to offer, no matter how alluring the promise may be.

Dangerous Discipline of Bible Reading 101

Isn't reading the Bible on your own dangerous? My spiritual authorities tell me I need help understanding my Bible, since it is such a difficult book to understand.

Yours truly,

Confused

Dear Confused,

Thanks for bringing this important issue up. Like with any other book, you really need to understand the intent of the author in order to understand the book he or she wrote according to his or her original purpose. Despite the fact that the Bible was written by many different individuals over the span of many centuries, the real Author of this book is God Himself! I think this is incredibly cool!

And, if I can be bold in stating this, fully aware that I am not God nor do I know all (or much at all, for that matter!) that is in God's infinite mind, He wrote this book as a self-revelation and invitation to His straying humanity to come to Him and know Him in a personal way since He Himself is a person.

Now, there are many other bonuses that come as a part of the package, but we need to keep the main thing, main thing - all the time!

So, in a sense, I agree with your spiritual authorities that we need help in understanding the Bible. But, the help we need to seek is from God Himself, not necessarily or exclusively from so-called spiritual authorities (there is a reason to this I hope to get to in subsequent entries).

Coming from decades of daily experience (I guess I am appealing to you through my 'spiritual authority'), may I suggest a good way to read your Bible? Here it is, the spiritual atomic bomb unveiled for all to see:

Dear God, How amazing that You desire me to want to know You! Please help me understand Your written Word in such a way that it enlightens my eyes and my heart so I can know You indeed and love and worship You as You deserve. Help me not to get bogged down by things I don't understand about You yet.

In the name of Jesus, who revealed You to us by His Word, His life, death and resurrection perfectly,

Amen

Blast from the Past - Bible, Important, Boring and Irrelevant

For the sake of continuity, I feel like I really need to share here an older post that depicts my earlier manner in which I used to read the Bible. As they say,

Confession is bad for reputation but it is good for the health of one's soul,

and since I care much more about my heart's health than about my reputation, here's a rerun of the post originally published on April 10, 2012 as a part of a larger series on Intergalactic Communication

Bible - Important, Boring and Irrelevant

Judging by the number of copies of the Bible I have in different translations, including some that showcase the languages I don’t even know or recognize, one would think I am quite an expert on the subject of listening to God. But, my 'expertise' has been largely focused on ferreting out a single verse, ripped out of its context that ‘speaks’ fireworks into my darkness. The same God who spoke Light into darkness, I gather, aims this little laser at me, fires it, and, Ka-boom! - the light switch is suddenly turned on, my ears tingle and I am mildly dizzy from the intensity of the revelation.

Wow! That was soooo COOL! Do it again, God!

Now, I am not saying that God can’t or doesn't speak and encourage us through this laser gun approach in communicating with His children. In fact, sad as well as embarrassed to admit it, but most of my Christian life has been sustained through such fireworks display. The array of verses has grown over the years, of course, but they read more like a Webster dictionary rather than a compelling, intriguing, heart-wrenching and sometimes hilarious true love story. If watching 24 doesn't seem like a lullaby in comparison, and Jack Bauer's life doesn't illicit an occasional yawn, could it be that there is something terribly wrong with the way I approach God's Word? Could there be a better way to listening to God speaking instead of playing this celestial laser-tag?

Glad to inform you, Mrs. His Writer, the answer to your question is unequivocal,

YES!

CopyCat 007 - Filial Relationships... The Many Faces of Love Part 11

As Oswald’s piercing words about the apparent lack of evidence of sainthood in my life still ring in my ears, I gulp the rest of the coffee down to the dregs and stumble into the kitchen for round two.

Having the last shred of excuse clobbered out of me by Mr. Chamber’s uncompromising dedication to the Lord Jesus and to my becoming a saint (whatever that means), I find myself suddenly rather awake and wondering what on-line Webster would say about the meaning of the word ‘saint’... or Wikipedia... or perhaps, even Vine's Dictionary of New Testament Words... I know, I know, I am nuts about words... it's my background, guys! C'mmon, I am a literature geek!

However, instead of being distracted by my perpetual curiosity and running down the rabbit trails the life so aptly affords me all the time, I write the word down on my mental chalkboard for future further exploration. Even though in my humble opinion it is quite antiquated, it seems rather important in the economy where Oswald Chambers lives and operates. Over the years I've learned, if it is important to O.C., it'd better be important to me

My ego thoroughly bruised, my second cup of coffee in my hand, I know I am ready for the real thing. So, I turn on the shiatsu massager for my soul, AKA as The Holy Bible and crack the book open where I last left it off.

I must admit here that for quite a while I wasn't accustomed to doing this. In fact, I used to have a shot-gun approach to reading the Bible.

But then I heard a story about a man who is asking God to reveal His will to him through reading the Bible and the first verse that his eyes fall on after praying and opening the book were,

Judas went and hang himself…

The man is shaking his head, thinking,

Lord, this must be a mistake! So, he closes his Bible quickly and reopens it again, and the next verse he sees is,

Go and do likewise.

By now the man is shaking in his boots and with his trembling fingers, he tries it one more time.

His misty eyes fall on the words,

What you do, do quickly!

I may not be the sharpest knife in a drawer, but upon hearing this story I started wondering if perhaps there could be a better approach to reading my Bible than this random 'shot in the dark' spiritual roulette.

Mercifully, during that time I also learned about the importance of reading individual biblical passages within their immediate context (chapter/s, entire book), with view of the audience (who is it addressed to) as well as the writer’s intent and purpose for writing (why is he writing to this particular audience). This approach involved a bit more work, but it was well-worth it.

Then I also heard somebody talking about the importance of continuity as we read the Scriptures. And that simple word, continuity, seemed to forever change the way I read my Bible.

You Can't Change the World Without Causing a Little Trouble!

We interrupt our regular programming to bring you

this important message

Dear faithful, wonderful global readership of Second Cup of Coffee,

First of all, thank you for your interest in my spiritual 'ramblings'. Your curiosity to hear what this fool has to say brings great joy to my heart. I always pray that whatever you see and hear through this blog would wet you appetite for more of Jesus and more of His amazing, unparalleled Word, both of which you can (and should if you already are not - I am a mom, I am entitled to giving advice!) pursue on your own and with other believers around you, in every area of your life.

I never want to be a competitor for the time and attention the Lord Jesus deserves, and heaven knows, there are a lot of competitors. Even this blog, no matter how much 'good' it serves, can over time turn into a competitor. Plus, if I encouraged you to only consume regurgitated food somebody else has digested for you, I would be neither your nor Jesus' friend.

Having said all this, I want you to be aware of a very interesting opportunity (you can call it an experiment) that I have been considering for a while. It's so wild, and crazy and counter-intuitive that it fits me like a glove!

Anyway, I want you to know that effective July 1, 2012 Second Cup of Coffee will become a private blog. This means I am still around, writing and posting and getting in a little bit of trouble. As my son once said,

Mom, you can't change the world without causing a little trouble!

So, if you care to stay in touch and keep sampling the 'fresh out of the oven' goodies, you will need to sign in/sign up/subscribe, or whatever 'right' techie term you want to use. I want to assure you that this is not a scam, but I will leave it up to you to decide what you want to do. If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them as much as I am able.

Yours for enjoying the ride, no matter what twists and turns might come our way,

Sincerely always Yours and His,

His Writer

CopyCat 007 - Filial Relationships... The Many Faces of Love Part 10

Will Not - Believe Not

Why are you not a saint? WHY?

The tone of O.C.'s roar is a mixture of desperate love song, passionate appeal and murderous threat. In the moment, all I can do is repeatedly blink, wondering if he actually expects me to answer the question. My confusion is relieved, or rather aggravated - it all depends how you look at it - when he gets me off the hook and graciously answers his own question.

It is either that you do not want to be a saint, or ...

I close my eyes tightly, shuddering with expectation for the next blow.

... Or that you do not believe God can make you one.

I cautiously open my eyes, wondering if he is done or should I expect another swing of the mallet. Feeling a bit dizzy, I am somewhat surprised that I am still alive after all this pounding. It's not just my head that hurts... I feel like my entire body has been pummeled and battered. But, despite the pain, deep down I know I got exactly what I needed, if perhaps it wasn't quite what I expected or wanted.

Having accomplished his God-given mission for the day, O.C. slowly sets down the mallet, looking ablaze from the inside out as he stands in the morning light. Then he crawls back onto the top of my nightstand, makes himself comfortable, and peacefully goes to sleep.

So far, I've only taken a sip or two out of my first cup of coffee. And I feel quite awake, thank you very much... in fact, perhaps more awake than I ever care to be at such early hour of the morning.