Biblical Authority: The Bible as God's Word

Yesterday was our Women Fellowship Bible Study. We had eleven for the first time. Two of our older members came for the first time and one woman brought her daughter. It was good to share our observations about the Bible and the role it plays in our lives.

I continue to be wonderfully challenged as I write a devotions each week. This is especially true as I report back to school at the end of next week. I pray I can keep the momentum with the writing; classes start on August 8th. Even though the break was quite uneventful, it was  restful time. My goals for the break were reached and I've come to enjoy my almost daily walk/jog, or Nigels, as we call the path at school.

Now as I head back for a new school year I pray that I can begin the year excited for the new challenges and my new students. It will be a heavy year as I may have five classes and five preps, but I'm excited to teach African History again and look forward to the others as well.

We pray for continued peace in Jos journey mercies as staff and students return.

The Bible as God's Word

Matthew 24:35     John 17:17       Ephesians 6:17   Colossians 3:16

Have you ever thought about how the Bible came to be? How it has the Old and New Testaments and that it has so many authors? Have you ever read the Old Testament and noticed that it sometimes talks about Jesus’ coming and how the prophetic words came true?

I admit, I take the Bible too much for granted, but when I pause to wonder how men of ancient days recorded the Israelites’ history, and added their prophecies, praises, and brought their concerns to God, I am in awe of how it all came to be. The details added in the New Testament are also amazing. As one of my favorite authors wrote, the story of Jesus and the details recorded by the disciples are just too amazing, unbelievable and even funny at times. Today if someone tried to write such an account, they would have a terrible time finding someone to publish the story.

Nonetheless, as we understand how the Bible was divinely inspired by God and as he inspired a variety of authors over many years, it truly is amazing! We should never doubt the power of the Holy Spirit in our own lives if we believe the Bible to be God’s word. As Christians, we are called to believe in the Word of God. It may not be necessary to agree on exactly who wrote every book or exactly when they were each written, but the essence of the books should not be doubted, this is the second most important Biblical Truth.

For us today, the Bible offers guidance in matters of life and faith. With it, and with our acceptance of it, God can work in our lives to restore us into His image. As we open His Word, we should pray for the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding so that we might be drawn closer to him in both our hearts and minds and all that we do.

Another Day

It's a Saturday as I write this. Kauna, my sister-in-law that lives with us, and I just returned from our Women Fellowship Bible Study. We were four when we started today, then one came mid-way, and another came at the very end. Whether they come, or they have other engagements I try to get a study paper to them. Today we read "Seeking God".

I was reminded that not all children are blessed with parents who are Christians or who are concerned for them to develop a relationship with God. One woman mentioned how she had to find God as an adult because her father had no concern for religion and her mother only went to church on Sunday. As one who was brought up in the church I realize that fewer and fewer children are brought up to have concern for God. Perhaps some parents are even criticized for raising children to believe there is only one God.

I saw on Facebook and the news that the Muslims have begun the Ramadan season. Last night I was prompted to send a greeting to a family from school that I have had much contact with over the past years. Even though we may not believe in the same God, I still sent them a message hoping for a peaceful Ramadan season and I pray that they might enter into a time of personal growth.

Over the years, one element of my faith that has become more important is the awareness that God can work in more ways than I can imagine. He can work in the lives of the women I fellowship with, with friends I see during the week, in the lives of my students who enter my classroom, and in the lives of my family as we interact at home or through the internet. If we are open to God working in us and through us in any way, then we become God's tool.

Soon my summer holiday will end and I will head back to school for another academic year, less than two weeks before I report and less than three before classes resume! As I prepare for the new year I pray that students will not only be ready to learn, but that they also feel free to express themselves in my classroom and that they might see God in my life. That is my prayer every day; may you too be open to God both revealing himself to you and that others might see him in you. Have a great day!

Seeking God

Last week we began a study of the Biblical Truths and first looked at the need to recognize God as the one true God who is the perfect, all-knowing Creator. Today I would like to continue to look at who God is and why we seek him.

Many of us began our searching for God as young children. We attended Sunday School class, perhaps some (especially those in Africa) studied him in primary school. I can imagine us as children being dropped off by our parents and running to the classroom, bursting inside and exclaiming to the teacher or our friends, “I’m here!” or at the very least, we arrived at school with an eagerness to learn and make our parents proud.

Now as adults, we often find our main tools for understanding God are still those we gained as children. This is in spite of the fact that many of us gained critical, analytical tools to study other disciplines as a young adult, but rarely do we apply our academic skills to our study of God. Granted, our study of God needs to be far more than an academic approach, but we must use that approach if we hope to understand God at a higher level. Too many of us fail to realize that our adult-level of faith leaves us un-inspired simply because we have neglected to find ways for our faith to grow at the same rate as the rest of our body and mind. We have become adults with our adult needs and desires, but our faith in and our understanding of God is still the same that we had as a child.

Though there is one thing that do still need from our childhood; we still need to understand that that energy that often brought us to burst into a room has now evolved into a restlessness that still brings us to seek for something to fill our hunger for More. Often that hunger for More is fed by our desire for success, a need to satisfy our appetites for sex, power, material pleasures gets fed worldly gains, and we fail to grasp that the what we as humans seek is not born of an earthly thirst, but was planted in us by God and can only filled by God. This, I believe, is why so many adults are unhappy and end up asking, “Is this all there is?”

The world tries feed this hunger by claiming our desire to feed our self is normal and can best filled by what our own human self can come up with; self-awareness, self-help books, self-appreciation, and more. We are applauded for our efforts to gain reason and led to believe that Man can do anything we put our minds to, often forgetting or denying the Creator and that He designed our searching minds.

As I teach about the Renaissance, Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment periods I remind students that these periods were Man-oriented, and that it should be no surprise that just as the Ancient and Classical periods included the formation of all the major religions or belief systems, the modern age had the Reformation and Counter Reformation where we began to apply our new skills of reason to our understanding of God.

Today though, the Age of Science tells us that our desire to seek God is unreasonable. Few people realize that Mans first approaches to understand God and seek Truth were made by the same theologians and philosophers that developed the first principles of math and science. Our need to seek for answers cannot be met by man-made principles, but by the Designer that created us. Even today, if you go to a library you will discover that theology, or the “study of God’, is right next to the studies that today try to deny God’s presence. I think early man’s approach to understand God was far more accurate than many thinkers today. Granted, they too often failed to recognize who God is, which is why going back to our child-like need seek God and our fascination with God’s creation and love to ponder Jesus’ birth satisfies our hunger for More far better than any academic study.

May our eagerness to learn and our desire to seek God be merged into one effort and may we begin our search with the Bible where so many answers are found.

One Day at a Time: Considering Biblical Truths

Today we were only four at fellowship; one was home with a sick child, others had traveled, and still others were kept home by pouring rain. Nonetheless, God met those present with challenges, hope, and encouragement.

The week was a challenging ones for Nigerians in Jos as over 100 were killed during two incidents when a funeral for multiple villagers killed the day before was ambushed. Two politicians were among those killed at the funeral so the shocking event is drawing even more concern from the government. We pray that the government will be more serious about solving the problems in the country.

Some mornings I wake up consider the day before me and ask, “Is this all there is?” or “How can I find strength to get through the day?” Perhaps you sometimes ask the same kinds of questions. For some, one of these questions might come because they are coping with the loss of a loved one, others might be struggling with financial issues; still others might be overwhelmed by the stresses in their life, or dealing with the consequences of bad decisions.

Whatever the cause, there are some Biblical truths we can remember. There are many to consider so I’d like to use them for a series of devotions. But first, what are Biblical Truths? Biblical truths are points that are found in the Bible and are critical to our faith if we are to live a Godly life. They are called “truths” because the points are stated throughout the Bible and cannot be denied by professing Christians.

The most important truth that we begin with is that there is only one God and He is the Perfect Creator of All. If we can remember that each day then that truth can support all we believe that God is and what he has planned for us. In America we have a saying, “God doesn’t make junk”, or to put it in Nigerian English, “God doesn’t make rubbish”.

Sometimes when we go through frustrations or struggles in life we often begin to think we have done something wrong and if we were better in some way, then things would be different. If you ever have thoughts like that, then you can remember that when God created us he did a great job of it. Remember the phrase in Genesis, “and it was good”. That means we too are “good”. We may not be perfect like God, but God graciously forgives us when we do make mistakes.

Likewise, we can say that since all men are created in God’s image, there is an innate, or inner, good in everyone. That means that if we begin to complain or gossip about others we are also speaking ill about God. Next time you find yourself complaining or gossiping about someone, turn your complaints or mean words into prayers for change. Just remember, God’s ways are perfect and if we pray for change he may show you that the change should come from you.

Another aspect of this Biblical Truth is that all men, or people, are created to worship God. Remember in Matthew 5:23 it says if we bring our gifts to the altar and have a problem with someone, we should first go and reconcile with our brother before we present our gifts to God. God deserves our praise, worship, and our gifts that are signs of our love for Him, but if our relationship with his other children are stained in some way, then so is our gift.

One way we can try to remember this first Biblical Truth is by proclaiming that God is the perfect creator of all and that as part of his creation, we too should work hard to be perfect. Since we are far from perfect this may begin to cause even more frustration or stress. If that happens, just remember that God is always nearby to help us out. As we read in Psalm 23, God is there beside us, leading us, restoring us, guiding us, and comforting us. Reflect on this next time life brings its challenges. In time, the joy that can only come from God will return.

Keeping the Door Open

 This morning I used this reading as a devotional in our congregation's women fellowship group. We were nine in number, more than we have had for some time.

Most of the women shared, some more than once. It is a joy to be part of the group and to both minister to them, and be ministered by them.

We are one of the few women's groups in our church that use English as their primary language and most of our women have post secondary education so I enjoy the fellowship much as we relate well to each other.
      
Daniel 3:1-23

In this passage we find that God spoke to Daniel when he didn’t speak to the many others in Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom. He had called many “magicians, enchanters, sorcerers, and astrologers”, but none could know what the king had dreamt about. As a result the king became furious and ordered the execution of all wise men in Babylon, including Daniel and his friends.

But then Daniel offered hope. Once he understood the situation he used “wisdom and tact” and asked for a little time. Daniel knew the source of the other wise men’s wisdom and knew his wisdom came from God. The other wise men had a closed door to God’ wisdom and power, while Daniel’s door was always open.

What about us? Do we keep our door open to God working in our lives? There have been times in my life when God seemed so close and other times when I could only trust that he was still listening. Some preach in ways that make us feel like we’re missing out on something if we don’t feel like we’re on top of the mountain with God’s power rushing around us as if we were in a storm; I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to live in the midst of a storm.

We need to remember that keeping the door open to God by reading our Bibles, attending church, meeting him in prayer, and turning from evil is the day to day experience of staying close to God. Daniel had the habit of praying often and trusted God was present in his life so when he went to God with the king’s concern, God was there for him. That’s the same for us; God is there for his faithful followers. Call on him in faithful sincerity and trust he will work in your life.

1 Peter 3:10-12

In the Midst of Summer Break

The break continues on. I continue to walk/jog every weekday morning. It is a good way to start the day. The boys continue soccer camp and Annette tries to find things to do. I'm enjoying more baking and watching a little TV, but mostly reading. I've read several books for fun, some for school, and have even started some prep work for classes next year and did some organizing in my classroom.

I learned a new word the other day, "Stay-cation". I guess that describes our holiday this summer. While I"m enjoying the pace, it would be nice to go some place! Even so, it's good to be relaxed and take more time to do things with the kids and have time to exercise. There have also been various activities this summer in the mission community and it's been good to connect with others. We had about 90 last night for a 4th of July dinner and games. I guess that's always part of my desire for vacation time, time to connect with others, so I'm glad that is still happening.

I need to write a new devotional blog for the women's group at church. We have started to use some that I have posted here and the other women seem to find them encouraging and I am encouraged to write more. Time to do some thinking and reading for inspiration.