Getting Into the Book

So as most of you know (if you’re reading this, you’re most likely a decent friend of mine), the last eight months have been a huge time of growth for me. I did my best to explain all the growth in a nutshell in my last entry. God has opened me and changed me in so many areas. One of the greatest things is that He has started giving me a craving for His Word. He has recently started illuminating the Scriptures and shown me so much more of the passages that I’ve been reading all of my life. It’s been cool to get this new perspective and fresh look.

However, one area that I am still majorly lacking in is my comprehensive understanding of the Old Testament. Sure I know the high points and the overall meaning. But as far as even basic details or the finer points go, I’m honestly at a loss for the most part. And I can attribute this lacking to the fact that I’ve never really spent a whole lot of time reading the Old Testament. I’ve read Job, most of the Psalms, a bit of Proverbs, and Song of Solomon. But as far as I can remember, that’s about it.

Recently God’s made me more and more aware of this, and I feel like it has to change. The Old Testament is there for a reason. It is just as much Scripture and just as applicable and life-changing as the New Testament. So I’m going to start from the beginning and read my way through the entire Old Testament. I’m not sure how long it will take, but I’m determined to read every word of it. I pray that God will reveal to me more of Himself through this and give me so much better an understanding of His Word.

I’ve also been intrigued by Paul and his epistles. I recently started studying First Thessalonians and it has absolutely blown me away. The love and genuine care that Paul displays in his ministry to those people is humbling and compelling. This got me interested more in Paul and the rest of his ministry.

So this has lead me to the decision to start studying the epistles chronologically in supplementation with Acts. I’m excited about getting a deeper and broader perspective of the early Church and apostles and all of their ministries. Again, I’m not sure how long it will take, but I’m so pumped to see how God will transform me through this.

In case anyone was wondering, here is the chronology for the epistles of the NT that I will be studying (information from the ESV Study Bible): James, Galatians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Romans, Hebrews, 1 Peter, Ephesians, Phillipians, Colossians, Philemon, 1 Timothy, Titus, 2 Peter, Jude, 2 Timothy, 1-3 John.

Another exciting prospect is that I will be taking an Old Testament Survey course next semester at John Brown, while I am studying the OT on my own. It will be cool to see how God uses these two different plans to connect my thoughts.

If you are reading this, I would like to ask a favor of you. If it ever comes to mind, will you pray that God gives me the grace and will to stick with this plan? It will take a good amount of determination to get through and abstain from taking shortctus, especially when I reach the names and laws and numbers. But God is good, and I know He will give me the strength to complete this task. Also, would you occasionally keep me accountable by asking me how God is using His Word to grow me? Those two simple things will help me immensely in this endeavor. Thank you guys!

May all glory go to Jesus alone.

I’m out.

CRT13

My Life

So, remember how I said I was going to start blogging again? Yeah, that worked for three entries. I would have loved to have gotten it really going. But, I finally realized one small fact: I can only write on rare occasions. If I try to force any writing, it sucks. I just have to let it come. And it usually doesn't come but once or twice a month (if I'm lucky). My last "journal" entry was eight months ago. There's another thing that I've realized, though. I feel like God uses my writing as almost prophetic. Not to say that I can prophesy or anything like that. Just that, as I've looked back on my journal entries over the past three years (there's only around ten), it's almost scary how much God has worked and how much is foreshadowed in my life from my writing even two weeks before. Take this for example. Here is my journal entry from September 30, 2010:

"Has it really been eight months since I last wrote? Have I really been to Africa and back? Have I really started my senior year of high school? Now that I look at it, a bunch has happened since I last wrote. I honestly have no idea where to begin. I almost feel like I'm a completely different person compared to eight months ago. I've changed so much. Some for the better, some for the worse, some for the I-have-no-idea-what-has-happened-to-me. I guess I'll start by saying that my schedule has been loaded. School [including AP Calculus, AP Literature, Shakespeare, Anatomy, Creative Writing, and Newspaper editing], tennis, working, mentoring ten sixth-graders, trying to find time to workout, trying to find time relax, be by myself, and get in the Word. And lately my schedule has been getting the better of me. I haven't been doing my homework, so I've been getting really behind in school. I haven't really had time to workout. And most importantly, I haven't really been making time to read the Word, or even acknowledge God at all. Which is the reason everything else has been out of whack. Sure, I could tell you that. But in all honesty, I have no idea how to even begin to fix it.

I guess after that it really becomes a matter of priorities. Where are they [mine]? Again, I could tell you where they should be. Where they need to be. But I know they're not there. I have no idea where my priorities are. And again, I have no idea how to change that. I want to be in the place where I desire God. I want to be in the place where I have motivation to read and pray. I want to be in the place where God is working in me and through me. But everything just seems so foreign to me."

Little did I know that just seventeen days later (October 17, 2010) would be the catalyst for the course of the rest of my life. I know that sounds extremely drastic, but now that I think about it, it's true. On that Sunday, I met the guy that God has used to impact me in eternal ways. This man has been God's instrument to reveal to me purpose and true Christianity. Since then, Jesus has been radically growing me. I am a completely 100% different person than I was when I wrote that last entry. I have begun to see real fruit in my life, glory going only to the Holy Spirit. Jesus has truly been working in and through me, in a way that only He can receive the credit. I have been experiencing true life these last eight months. God has shown me that life is in absolutely no way meant to be lived for myself. I have been called to love God and love others. Nothing more, nothing less. And God has been faithful to show me what that means, and what it looks like as I seek Him. He has shown me what true ministry and true evangelism is supposed to look like, and given me amazing opportunities to practice them.

I am by no means "grown" or "mature" or "there". I've just been opened up to a legitimately fulfilling, satisfying, and fruitful life in Christ Jesus. May He continue to transform me by the renewal of my mind. May He continue to become greater, and I become so much less. May He continue to break my heart for the lost and give me the grace to move into their lives. And may He continue to open me up to shine His beautiful Light and be a testament to the Life that is only found in Christ. May I be faithful in the little things and love well.

All I am, I want to lay down at Your feet.

I'm out,

CRT13