Friday, June 28, 2019

Resources for the Learning Christian

Here are some suggested resources for anyone interested in Bible study and apologetics. I am not personally endorsing sites in particular; I provide these links as springboards to information focused on the Christian faith. I've worked on this off an on for a while and will be updating it as often as I can. Please, share and enjoy.


Apologetics & Tough Questions 

For Nerds (Sci & Tech & Gaming interests)

(By the way, the Wikipedia listing of Christians in the science arena is rather incomplete)

Social Media People, Accounts, and Stuff

Bibles and Bible Study Tools

     **Bibles & Translations**
     **Online Bibles**
     **Bibles for your phone & tablet
Blue Letter Bible
Communities and forums

Miscellaneous and random
You can also search out podcasts that deal with Christian issues. I have the iTunes app on my computer but use the Podcast Addict app on my phone. Most of the above-listed resources have phone apps. Just search the Android or iPhone apps stores. 

I have provided these links for you to peruse but you're responsible for what you do with them. I will warn you to scan everything before downloading files and programs. 


Peace
--Free


** Jewish and Orthodox Jewish Bibles (OJB) are called "Messianic" Bibles and sometimes labeled as Hebrew Names Versions (HNV).



 NOTE that I can not personally endorse all information provided in these links. It's best to check sources to see if they fit your own statement of faith. As always, be prayerful and Spirit-led when ingesting ideas and information from any source.)
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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

**Cross posted** Can't See For Looking

This is a post from my other blog, but it definitely belongs here.

 Okay, folks, I'm going to "go religious" on you but, hang with me because there's something in here that even atheists might like.

How do you picture Jesus? I'm sure people of all faiths (or none) would be interested in knowing what he actually looked like. I have started reading other versions of the Bible in my personal studies. This weekend, I read passages from some of the Messianic Bible versions.

Years ago, my mother regularly watched a show called Zola Levitt Presents. Every now and then, I would sit and watch with her. That was the first time I ever thought seriously about the fact that Jesus was Jewish. As silly as it sounds, up until then (and I had to be at least 22 or 23) in my mind's eye, Jesus looked like this:

That's not Jesus.
That's Robert Powell

The actor Robert Powell isn't a savior but he played one in Jesus of Nazareth. Such a beautifully done movie with an amazing cast. Before that movie came along, I had imagined Jesus looking like the classic painting that was hung somewhere in the homes of most black families. You might remember the ensemble of paintings your grandma gave pride of wall space to - Jesus, MLK, and JFK.

 However, my mind's eye (and the movie and paintings and so many church fans) got it wrong.  Jesus was a Jewish man so he most likely did not have those brilliantly blue eyes and I'm pretty sure he didn't have the whole rock star look. Looking back on that movie now all I can think is that the late Michael Hutchence would've wished to be that fine. I'm not being flip. Just look at that photo again.

According to the Bible “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.” (Isaiah 53:2 NIV) It's been opined that based on his racial makeup and manual labor occupation as a carpenter, he was probably of a darker complexion and had some sun damage to his skin. Along with the Bible identifying him as being not very handsome (whatever that means), he may have looked more like this:


Source: Popular Mechanics

That's more plausible, right?  The article at Poplar Mechanics makes a lot of good points. Our minds are so polluted with stereotypes about people that we want to think good people must be physically attractive. Just think of that so-called black doll/white doll syndrome - as true or untrue as that might be. Or the fact that attractiveness can play a huge role in our lives.

Listen, I am not pointing fingers at anyone else's ignorance here but my own. Not only did I have the wrong idea about Jesus's appearance, but I just about had heart failure when I heard the Lord's Prayer spoken in the languages Jesus used.





Uh, why doesn't he sound British!?!?!? I'm just kidding. Some filmmakers aren't kidding.

Now, it had at some point in my much younger life occurred to me that we Westerners had the wrong impressions of Jesus. And some people were just completely stupid on the subject. I can remember some kind of anti-semitic rally or demonstration taking place near wherever my family was living back in the mid-'70s. My mother and her friends stood in support of the Jewish people. What was so silly is that there were only about 6 Jewish people in that community. Maybe the racist idiots just wanted something to rally about. Who knows? But I remember my mother shaking her head in disgust at the people carrying crosses while they chanted about "dirty Jews". Much like the Klan and other so-called 'Christians' who hate just to hate or judge in hate, these people forgot, I guess, that their Savior was Jewish. (And, by the way, the saying is not "Judge not" with a period at the end. It is "Judge not lest you be judged."  People always forget that last part. So, you can judge others if you're free of sin. Anybody? Go ahead. I'll wait. I'll just be over here taking this plank out of my eye.)

My whole point is, I have never fully appreciated everything about the Lord I serve. Like most people (I'm assuming), I tend to think only in flavors I know of. Now that  I have it in the forefront of my mind that Jesus talked, walked, ate, prayed, and lived Jewish, I get it. I can see a little deeper into my study of what he said and did while on Earth.

Just like I did in seeing Jesus in my shallow and one-dimensional way, I do the same thing in other areas of my life. I have got to work on that. I need to start viewing people as they are and not how I want or imagine them to be. Same goes for life and situations in general.

One of the sayings I remember from my childhood in Texas was "Can't see for looking." It was your response when you saw something shocking and someone asked if you "saw that". I apply it to my life in other ways. Sometimes, when I make an immediate judgment about a person or situation based only on shallow information, I later realize I missed the bigger picture. Can't see for looking and sometimes, can't hear for listening.

I'm not the only one with this weakness. This is the reason that a lot of us have shallow and ever-changing standards of beauty. It's why we assume intelligence based on slick looks or words. It's why we so often don't see the full worth of people and life. We're too busy looking at the cover to read the book. Because that takes time, doesn't it?

At any rate, I'm really enjoying my Bible studies now more than ever. By the way, for those of you who may not own a Bible - or a lot of Bible study resources - you might want to check out eSword or My Sword  Both have a variety of Bible versions, concordances, commentaries, and other help. Both are free (with expanded options for purchase). I've been using eSword and I'm amazed at the number of tools available in both the app and pc versions.  Usually, when studying my Bible, I have to sit by my computer with 20 browser tabs open to all the different resources. A single app or program is more productive. Actually, the modules for the two 'sword' products are somewhat interchangeable and updates are being made all the time. Check out both no matter which operating system you use. I'm currently using eSword on both my Windows pc and Android phone. Here are the links:

By the way, there are huge selections of language options in both programs. There's a slight learning curve but, hey, I managed to figure it all out so...

That's it for now. I hope that at least some of this information is useful to you guys out there. Even if you're not "religious", information is always good to have.

Peace
--Free



Sharing a few of the songs I've been listening to this evening


Amazing, amazing, amazing grace





I have loved this song for years



Oh, blessed Prince of peace




"Stop fighting a fight that's already been won."
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Sunday, April 29, 2018

Surviving a Temporary World

This has been a time of deep depression for me. I suffer from "the blues" off and on and have gotten used to the feelings. Usually, I work through the bad days by reminding myself that the sadness is temporary. I try to think of the last time I felt such a way and remember that I came through it. There are times though when the dark despair grabs hold and just sinks its teeth in. The past week has been one of those times.



What I am reminding myself of today as I wait for the depression to ease up is that not only is the unexplainable sadness temporary but this whole mortal life is not forever. I also remind myself that these attacks are the work of Satan - or at least the work of sin and consequences.

I suppose one of Satan's most gleeful accomplishments is when he can get our human hearts to look away from God to focus on everything but what we have to be thankful for. I have so much to be grateful for: a roof over my head and food and medications and people who care about me. But even if I were the most bereft person with nothing but life and breath, I could be thankful that there is a Savior who died for all of us.

All this for me

Of course, I am human and of flesh so I often find myself floating around in my misery.  The other day, I felt as if I was shut away in the darkest kind of darkness. I felt chained to the dark.



For those who don't know or who cannot understand, depression is real. I've heard some Christians say that depression is just self-pity or that it's something we just need to pray about. The first is not usually true and the second, while true, doesn't help the sufferer deal with the moment they are in. I pray all the time and I know that I will come out of my bad moments - one way or the other - because I do have a Savior who loves me. But it's the moment we sufferers live in that is the danger. How many people have not made it through that moment? How many people weakened during one of those moments?

I don't want someone telling me to "be a warrior, not a worrier" when I am fighting depression. If you want to do something for a person in the grips of depression, you pray for them. You be their prayer warrior.

Source

So, yes, this too will pass, I know that. It's the surviving until then that I struggle with. I will wait it out, ride it out, pray it out, and I will come through. I just pray for the people who don't have that faith or hope. But I do have that faith. I do have that hope that comes from knowing that all this world can take from me is this body. My soul is safe.



I never forget advice from a favorite song: to stop fighting a battle that has already been won because I am redeemed.

Peace
--Free
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