I’ve begun a long, slow process of getting my Bible study notes in the computer rather than just in scattered notebooks. (I know- good luck with that.) I wanted to share some notes from Luke 10 on following Jesus.

Following means
1.) to accept as authority; obey
2.) to copy after; imitate
3.) to engage as a calling or a way of life

Do I truly follow Jesus? Do I accept His authority? Do I watch Him carefully so I can imitate Him? Is this my way of life or just another activity?

To be a Follower means
1.) to be in the service of another
2.) to hold to the opinions or teachings of another
3.) to imitate another

Do I serve Jesus- or my own idea of what Jesus ‘needs’? Do I hold to His teachings on everything, not just the ones I like, or the ones that are easy? Could someone else recognize who I’m imitating?

Following Jesus means
1.  Personal sacrifice – I give up MY agenda.
2. Death – Figuratively for sure, and following may require physical death as well.
3. Commitment with no shame – Shame implies I don’t really believe all I say I do about Jesus. He’s not really Lord.
4. Great things revealed to the obedient – He calls us His friends and opens Himself up to an intimate relationship.
5. God expects us to follow Jesus – This is the only expectation God has for me. This is how I please Him.

This is not something to be taken lightly or given mere lip service. Jesus said take up your cross, not your picnic basket, but He doesn’t ask anything that He didn’t do Himself.

Welcome back to the blog and a new study tip. I think I have things in hand well enough to get back on schedule. Thank you for your patience!

Next time you begin a new study of a book of the Bible, sit down and read the book through in one sitting. (Okay, Genesis, Psalms, Jeremiah and some of the others may take more than one.) Don’t make any notes- just read it like you would any other pleasure book. Take the pressure off yourself to retain, or to analyze it. Just read it. This does two things for you. First, it makes Bible study less of a chore and more like enjoying time with your Father while you read this wonderful journal He left for you. Second, it gives you context for deeper study.

This quick, overview read is like a view from a helicopter. When you fly over an area, you get an idea of the topography, the roads or waterways, and the landmarks. In a quick read, you get the tone of the book – Job ’sounds’ different than Jeremiah. You also get the big themes and ideas. If you read the Kings, you see there were good kings and bad kings. In Leviticus, there’s a lot about offerings and feasts. In Luke, the Son of Man is on a mission. In Philippians, there is joy.

I admit, this is a tough one for me. I like the details, and I find myself easily pulled into a word by word examination. However, the overview is critical for a deeper understanding of Scripture, especially how the parts relate to the whole. It may help to read in a different translation than you typically use, especially for the narrative books like the Old Testament histories or Acts or even the Gospels.

Next week, we’ll try a ‘drive-by’ reading to follow the ‘fly-over’.

Image by ecstaticist via Flickr

Hey- thanks for stopping by. I’m on a little hiatus right now. Feel free to browse around. Check out some of the older posts or when all else fails visit Cheezburger.

I don’t have any profound words today- Just some that God said…

Also, do not take to heart everything people say… (Eccl. 7:21)

But it’s hard not to. However, God’s words are the ones that count and He said “I have loved you with an everlasting love…” Jeremiah 31:3 and “You did not choose Me, but I chose you…” (John 15:16).
Then there’s Isaiah 43:1-3. “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you. And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned. Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

I need to focus on God’s words which are eternal truth.

Many times, my Sunday school kids will read a verse or two, and then I’ll ask them what the verse said. We have a long awkward silence, then they give me any number of blank looks. It’s not just kids either. Scripture is written in English, usually on a 6th to 8th grade reading level depending on your translation, but for some reason, when we read Scripture, the words don’t connect. We read too passively. Most of the study tips I pass on are to help us become active readers, to interact with the text so that not only do we understand it, we remember it. Two weeks ago, we looked at ‘who’s on first?’ and examined all the ‘whos’ in a passage- the author, the folks being addressed or the subject. Last week, we did ‘what’s on second?’ to examine what the purpose, the main idea or event in the story or passage. So this week, we’ll take a look at ‘I don’t know’. (By the way, if you’ve never seen the Abbott and Costello bit, or if it’s just been a while, it’s worth a look.)
Active reading is not like the beach read you skim through. It takes time, and it needs to be done in small chunks. Unless you’re a Pharisee and already know everything, reading should bring up questions. Maybe they’re about factual information, like background, and history. I chase these rabbits often. It helps me picture the events if I have some historical or cultural context. (I also like to compare them to our culture, especially with my kids. For instance, in John 21:7, after Jesus’s death and resurrection, Peter has gone back to Galilee to fish with some of the other disciples. At daybreak, Jesus appears to them from the seashore. The verse says, “[Peter] put on his outer garment (for he had removed it) and plunged into the sea.” I told the kids Peter was out fishing in his boxers.
Some of the questions will be a little deeper. 2 Timothy 3:16 says “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction , for instruction in righteousness,” (Okay- if you’ve been with me you know that stopping in the middle of a sentence is a bad idea, but for the sake of giving an example, give me a pass. Thanks.) What’s the difference between reproof and correction or between doctrine and instruction? There must be some difference or Paul wouldn’t have listed the four so specifically. The quick answer, at least as I read it, is that doctrine is ‘theory’ and instruction in righteousness is how to put it into action. Reproof is ‘don’t do that’ while correction is ‘do this instead.’
Here’s one from my notes- I never thought of joy and shame being opposites, but the question led to some uplifting realizations.
Isaiah 65:13  “Behold, My servants shall rejoice,  But you shall be ashamed;”
So- is joy the opposite of shame?  I would have said “pride”.  From what I’ve studied on pride, though- it’s shame wearing different pants- all about the self.  Joy is a confidence that is future focused.  No matter what happens NOW, I know what will be (through faith, I know it).  Shame dwells on the past.  Shame says, Because of what happened THEN, I know what I am… (through experience or through someone else telling me, I know it)  Joy is to trust God.  Shame is to trust man -self or someone else.  Joy empowering.  Shame is debilitating.
The other implication here – My servants =REJOICE    you=ASHAMED
Being one of God’s children cannot co-exist with being ashamed.  He removed the shame when the salvation transaction was completed.  I’m the only one who can allow the shame back.  Satan will carry it, but I have to open the door.  Again shame comes from the outside, joy from within.