Sunday, August 12, 2007
readSimple - Getting to Know the Bible
I so appreciate the Bible. It is a book that has survived bans, burns and banishments... it has continued to thrive as the world's best selling book in spite of extreme scrutiny, judement and attempts to discredit... and yet... it sits on shelves and in the back seats of many believers' cars... unread and unheeded.
Okay, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just want you to understand what an amazing book you, as a follower of Jesus, have in your possession. It consists of 66 books written by over 40 authors in multiple languages over thousands of years and yet maintains consistency and integrity concerning the plan of God for His creation.
Difficult to understand? It can be, yet it's worth the effort to dig in and study. It speaks to all of life's issues, not always in specifics, but definitely in principle.
Translations? Take your pick, there are more than I can count at this time. I prefer a combination of the New American Standard (more literal and accurate) and the New Living Translation (more casual and narrative in it's style).
Why am I telling you this? Because if you don't get into God's Word, then God's Word cannot get into you and like I always say, "No Word, No Power! No Word, No Victory! No Word, No Life!"
Another amazing thing about reading the Bible, is that you are not reading it alone! The Apple Store has the "MacGenuis." These are people who know Mac computers backwards and forwards and can take complex procedures and break them down for those who have made the switch from PC to Mac.
As a Christ Follower, you have the Holy Spirit of God to assist you in reading and understanding the Bible. It's like having Steve Jobs in your living room while you're unpacking your new MacBook! "Hey Steve? Why did you put the x button in the left corner instead of the right? What are these Widgets all about?" Because it was his idea, he can tell you exactly why he built it that way.
It's the same way with the Bible... because it was God's idea, He can tell you exactly why it says what it says! There's nothing like having the author of book living inside of you to help you understand the book! LOL!
So what? Read it. Saturate in it. Ask God to help you understand it and then do what it says! Maybe it's time to fish that Bible out of the back floorboard of your car and sit down with a triple grande, non-fat vanilla latte and dive back in to God's Word for you... and remember to keep it Simple.
Reading Simple,
Jimmy
PS: For a more personal-tone blog you can go to: http://jnapruitt.typepad.com
Okay, I'm not trying to make you feel bad, I just want you to understand what an amazing book you, as a follower of Jesus, have in your possession. It consists of 66 books written by over 40 authors in multiple languages over thousands of years and yet maintains consistency and integrity concerning the plan of God for His creation.
Difficult to understand? It can be, yet it's worth the effort to dig in and study. It speaks to all of life's issues, not always in specifics, but definitely in principle.
Translations? Take your pick, there are more than I can count at this time. I prefer a combination of the New American Standard (more literal and accurate) and the New Living Translation (more casual and narrative in it's style).
Why am I telling you this? Because if you don't get into God's Word, then God's Word cannot get into you and like I always say, "No Word, No Power! No Word, No Victory! No Word, No Life!"
Another amazing thing about reading the Bible, is that you are not reading it alone! The Apple Store has the "MacGenuis." These are people who know Mac computers backwards and forwards and can take complex procedures and break them down for those who have made the switch from PC to Mac.
As a Christ Follower, you have the Holy Spirit of God to assist you in reading and understanding the Bible. It's like having Steve Jobs in your living room while you're unpacking your new MacBook! "Hey Steve? Why did you put the x button in the left corner instead of the right? What are these Widgets all about?" Because it was his idea, he can tell you exactly why he built it that way.
It's the same way with the Bible... because it was God's idea, He can tell you exactly why it says what it says! There's nothing like having the author of book living inside of you to help you understand the book! LOL!
So what? Read it. Saturate in it. Ask God to help you understand it and then do what it says! Maybe it's time to fish that Bible out of the back floorboard of your car and sit down with a triple grande, non-fat vanilla latte and dive back in to God's Word for you... and remember to keep it Simple.
Reading Simple,
Jimmy
PS: For a more personal-tone blog you can go to: http://jnapruitt.typepad.com
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
Doing Way Better!
I really hung my heart out there on that last blog... depressing to read! LOL! I'm doing much much better. The biggest difference?... a couple of good night's sleep. That's it mostly... it's amazing that sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is sleep!
I also realized I had been listening to some music that was causing me to "go inside" way too much! The last place I need to be gazing is inside of me... no, I tend to function much better when my gaze is on God. If I look inside for too long all I begin to see is me... a dangerous situation!
Solution? I put on some Daughtery and rocked out for a couple of days... ahhh... much better!
Rockin'
Jimmy
I also realized I had been listening to some music that was causing me to "go inside" way too much! The last place I need to be gazing is inside of me... no, I tend to function much better when my gaze is on God. If I look inside for too long all I begin to see is me... a dangerous situation!
Solution? I put on some Daughtery and rocked out for a couple of days... ahhh... much better!
Rockin'
Jimmy
Monday, August 06, 2007
I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For
I woke up early this morning. Partly because my neck was hurting and partly because my mind was running. I do this fairly often. At 45 you begin wondering, "Have I really accomplished anything of significance? Have I made a difference in this world? Am I considered successful?"
I suppose many of these kinds of questions can be attributed to the natural developmental stages of any individual. Perhaps I'm more "normal" and prone to typical human patterns of behavior than I would like to admit.
There was a song running through my mind at about 3:45am. It was a line from a song by U2 that says, "But I still haven't found what I'm looking for." Obviously this begs the question, "So, Pruitt, what are you looking for?" The answer is fairly obvious, "If I knew what I was looking for I wouldnt' be asking the question!" Okay, that made me laugh!
To be really honest, simplistic and trite answers aren't cutting it for me these days. No, something deeper is nagging at me. It's a sense that time is running out. For the first time in my life I don't feel like I have my whole life in front of me. It's a sobering thought and an usettling feeling.
Time to pray.
I suppose many of these kinds of questions can be attributed to the natural developmental stages of any individual. Perhaps I'm more "normal" and prone to typical human patterns of behavior than I would like to admit.
There was a song running through my mind at about 3:45am. It was a line from a song by U2 that says, "But I still haven't found what I'm looking for." Obviously this begs the question, "So, Pruitt, what are you looking for?" The answer is fairly obvious, "If I knew what I was looking for I wouldnt' be asking the question!" Okay, that made me laugh!
To be really honest, simplistic and trite answers aren't cutting it for me these days. No, something deeper is nagging at me. It's a sense that time is running out. For the first time in my life I don't feel like I have my whole life in front of me. It's a sobering thought and an usettling feeling.
Time to pray.
Thursday, August 02, 2007
On a More Personal Note
On a More Personal Note
I've been in a lot of pain lately. I have had chronic neck and headaches for about 20+ years. I've managed it, lived with it, medicated it, cried over it and prayed about it. I recently went to my doctor and told him about the situation and he had x-rays taken of my neck and shoulder area. He came back saying I have athritus in my neck due to football injuries in high school and a college swimming accident. Great.
Over the last few days it's been raining, cloudy and extremely humid... thank God for the rain, but the headaches and neckaches are almost unbearable. Why am I writing this... just to whine I suppose or perhaps someone somewhere will read this and breathe my name before Abba Father just one more time.
It Just Works!
I love this ad slogan from Apple. Steve Jobs and his genius marketing gurus have tapped into a nerve in our culture. They realize that people are tired, stressed and overloaded. So, they have brilliantly marketed the concept of "Simple." They have taken what has for years been a major source of stress and fear to the general public, i.e. computers, and have alleviated the "fear factor" of not knowing how to operate a complicated computer program. How did they do this? They simplified the process. Just plug in a Mac right out of the box and "presto!" It just works!
When it comes to life and faith, things can get complicated pretty quick! We become overloaded, overstressed and overwhelmed! It feels like we are in the Hitchcock movie "Vertigo." We can't tell which way is up... we've lost our point of reference. Frankly, we need help!
God's word, the bible, has much to say about overload, stress and busyness in general. One such passage reminds me of Apple's motto, "It just works." It's found in the book of Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, it says, "For the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword." It has that ring of "It just works!" I love it! Nothing complicated, no periherals or add ons necessary... the Word of God "just works!"
Let's take a hint from Apple. Let's simplify our faith and get back to the simple things that just work. Start today with the word of God... keep it simple and basic. Pray today, but I'm not talking about deep and ethereal, I mean just talk to God, like He's real and like He's right there with you... (smiling).
Spend some time journaling your thoughts and feelings. Document your walk with Jesus and keep it simple. De-clutter your faith. Delete those unecessary "trial programs" that came with the package when you were born and simplify.
Keeping it Simple,
Pastor Jimmy
MSCC Abilene
Loving God, Loving People, Loving the World
When it comes to life and faith, things can get complicated pretty quick! We become overloaded, overstressed and overwhelmed! It feels like we are in the Hitchcock movie "Vertigo." We can't tell which way is up... we've lost our point of reference. Frankly, we need help!
God's word, the bible, has much to say about overload, stress and busyness in general. One such passage reminds me of Apple's motto, "It just works." It's found in the book of Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12, it says, "For the word of God is alive and powerful, sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword." It has that ring of "It just works!" I love it! Nothing complicated, no periherals or add ons necessary... the Word of God "just works!"
Let's take a hint from Apple. Let's simplify our faith and get back to the simple things that just work. Start today with the word of God... keep it simple and basic. Pray today, but I'm not talking about deep and ethereal, I mean just talk to God, like He's real and like He's right there with you... (smiling).
Spend some time journaling your thoughts and feelings. Document your walk with Jesus and keep it simple. De-clutter your faith. Delete those unecessary "trial programs" that came with the package when you were born and simplify.
Keeping it Simple,
Pastor Jimmy
MSCC Abilene
Loving God, Loving People, Loving the World
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