I am a sinner. I sin daily, I’m an imperfect Christian. But I’m trying to get better. And I get better by maintaining a relationship with Jesus, and while most of that is through prayer, you really become connected when you study the Bible.
I’ve heard the phrase “What is the meaning of life?” used many times in many different ways; from people who are confused about their being, for people who feel they are in a rut and don’t know which way to turn, I’ve heard it used in comedy and in satire, and I’ve heard it used in those “feel good” movies in which the plot supposably tells you all you need to know.
I’ve figured out the meaning of my life, but I didn’t know what it was until I started studying the Bible. You see, I believe The Meaning of Life has been under our noses, within reach, readily available, ever since Moses set pen to paper, or scroll if you will.
The Bible will tell you how our world got here.
The Bible will tell you how you got here.
The Bible will tell you the purpose of life itself, and if you contemplate your own life, you will sure see why God put you on this earth. There is a purpose for everyone.
But studying the Bible is a daunting task. I’ve read it one and a half times, I say “half time” because the first time I started I was so lost and confused that I gave up. I soon learned that the Bible was not compiled in chronological order, so it can be confusing to read about David in the Chronicles when he died in the book of Solomon, I believe, or was it 2nd Kings? See, I need further study.
After I read it one and a half times, I read it again, this time using a free Bible Study app called “eSword” that allows you to read the Bible, reference commentary by theologians, take notes, and compare various versions of the Bible.
The next year I embarked on a year-long study of the Book of Revelations, verse by verse. And this past year, I finished another year-long study of the Bible from an online program called “The Bible Recap”.
But I’m not an expert, and I need to study more.
We fast-forwarded a bit too far, let’s back up and talk about the chronology of the Bible. The Old Testament has been compiled first with the five book written by Moses, sometimes called the “Decalog”, followed by the leadership of Joshua, then the stories of the judges and the kings, then the chronicles of the kings, the the books of the Major Prophets, followed by the books of the Minor Prophets. But the events told in each of those sections and books are not in the order in which they occurred, and once I discovered the true chronology, it was much easier to understand.
The New Testament is compiled first with the four Gospels, followed by the Acts of the Apostles, and ending with the Book of Revelation. In between Acts and Revelations are a collection of letters, mostly by the Apostle Paul, but some by Peter and John, but they are organized in order of size. Yes, they are compiled in order of size. That is why the Book of Jude is the last book before Revelations, because it is just one chapter.
So if you really want to understand what you are reading, I highly recommend reading the Bible in chronological order. You can purchase Chronological Bibles, and there are many websites that list the order of the books of the Bible chronologically; and while they differ somewhat, the differences are really not that important.
For example, one of the Psalms was written by Moses, pertaining to an event he lived through. Would you not understand the situation that Moses was in, how he felt, why he was compelled to write a Psalm, if you read it right then and there when it was applicable, rather than writing it later in the book, long after Moses had died?
So, because I need to study the Bible more, because I need to read it yet again, and because I have exhausted all normal courses of Bible Study, I’m starting this blog as a new and unique way of studying the Bible. I’m putting into this blog my interpretation of the scripture. And I’m doing so because I have become a cynical old man and I find it hard to trust any theologian because I feel in this day and age, it is really difficult for them to remain unbiased. They are either set in their ways, the ways they were taught in theology studied, or they’re too scared to tell the truth, or perhaps they want to tell the truth, but they feel it will be treason to their church, or perhaps they simply make more money doing what they’re doing. For example, you will find out if you follow along, that I do not believe in hell. And it was reported that once a Baptist Pastor, centuries ago, admitted that there was no hell, but he said if he didn’t preach hell fire, he couldn’t fill the pews. He had to preach hell fire to scare his congregation into coming to church.
So, I look at things a bit differently. And you will likely disagree with me. But hopefully I’ll learn more from this experience, and perhaps I will inspire you to study more. Who knows, if you disagree with me badly enough, maybe it will challenge you to open the Good Book and find ways to debate with me. I hope you do.
Finally, since the title of this page is “About”, I guess I better tell you.
I’m a sinner, who is widowed and the guardian of three special needs adults who live with me. My wife and I were foster parents for a long time, something she wanted to do, but I wasn’t very fond of it. Two of our last foster children were unadoptable, so when they were coming of age and about to be kicked out of the system, we became their legal guardians and kept them in our home. The oldest girl had been with us 30 years! She turns 40 this year, and although she is no relations whatsoever, I consider her my daughter. And then we picked up an adult male along the way. All three are mentally retarded with behavior disorders, so it is always interesting in my home. And the two girls both have seizures from their brain damage, and the youngest is also a Type 1 diabetic.
I always said that when my wife passed, I would have to quit being their guardian, that I in now way would be able to care for them by myself. But when my wife passed, and I was faced with just that, I found that I couldn’t do it. I had grown to love each one of them in their own way, and I just didn’t have the heart to kick them out.
And while I dedicated my life to serving others, first through 18 years of service as a firefighter, then 26 years of service in Emergency 911 Communications, I believe my true calling, the Meaning of My Own Life, is to take care of these guys.
So, welcome to my blog, I invite you to follow along, if you choose not to, that is perfectly fine as well. I’m not here to convert anyone, if you are to be converted or “born again”, God will see to that.
The Meaning Of Life 