It is Finished....

It has taken me over a year and a half, but I have read the Bible from cover to cover. I started way back in July of 2004 and I just finished reading Revelation this evening. My father was doing a vacation fill-in for a pastor about 30 miles away from here for two Sundays and I went along for the ride and the experience. There were two services, so I would go to the first one and then sit in the car and listen to the radio, but I brought my Bible with me. I found myself getting bored so I started reading Genesis one Sunday and I just kept reading.

I didn't read a chapter a day or anything like that, but I tried to be consistant with my reading. I tried, and usually succeeded, in reading before bed or in the afternoon before work three or four times a week. Sometimes I'd end up reading just a page, or a few verses, sometimes I'd read whole sections and once or twice I found myself reading whole books (granted they were usually the smaller books at the end of each testament, but still...)

It has been quite a journey. A lot happens to a person in a year and half. I have grown in my faith and stronger in my convictions for Christ. I feel more comfortable when I proclaim Christ and this is a good thing. This blog has changed tone in the last year and a half, and I think that my Bible reading had something to do with that-- I needed some place that would let me "wrap my brain" around the things I was reading, this blog kind of, sort of was that place. Through the course of writing here I have found others of faith and I am edified in their writings and faith and am challenged to rework, relook, and re-evaluate my faith:true blessings from God, for sure.

The Bible is an amazing book, as funny as that might sound, but it really is. At times it is almost a bodice ripper at others it is a hard-boiled slasher book and at others it is a beautiful book of poetry. It has been interesting to see "Middendorf's Bow Tie" be fleshed out in my mind-- Middendorf's bow tie is the way Dr. Middendorf, a professor of mine viewed the Bible. He said it was like a bow tie, the Bible starts out wide in Genesis, narrows as it gets to the New Testement and then starts to widen again around Acts or so as the Word of God is spread to all nations.

There are things that I read that I don't understand (I'll have to talk about Revelation sometime). There were somethings I found scary and others I found gut wrenching, but through it all my faith grew. Daniel is an important book for me; in Daniel I can read prophecy and in my history books I can see the prophecy fulfilled. The Song of Solomon opened my eyes to something I'd never thought of before-- God's love is more than just Father to child love, it is the love of lovers... SoS was a love play, God trying to woo us.

James is still a very important book to me. That is often a good old metaphysical and spiritual two by four to the noggin.

I think that Paul was writing to me, I think he should of started all of his letters "Dear Karl" and continue on with "boy, do I have something to tell you!" I found myself getting lost a few times with Paul, though. Sometimes his ideas went too far, or too fast, and many times I just couldn't keep up intellectually.

I don't think I'll be building any temples any time soon, I don't think they make rulers with cubits any more.

I'm still trying to figure out how one guy can kill thousands upon thosands of people with a jaw bone of a donkey. Speaking of donkeys... if a donkey ever started talking to me, I do believe I'd run away, at least freak out.

Luke and Acts are amazing books. Talk about history! Wow!

I found myself getting lost in John's Gospel in the poetic language.

I found great comfort in the Epistles of Paul and the minor prophets of the OT were fascinating.

In short, I'm glad I did this. I need to do it again and again and again, over and over again.