My Journey Through the Bible

It took me a year and a half, but I managed it and loved it. I was using the NCV Youth Bible which I found an easier read than the NIV. I heartily recommend anyone spending the time and reading it right through, I seriously grew in my knowledge and relatinship with God and have strengthened my faith. This is my journey:

^20.04.03I've actually read it all, and really can't quite believe it. I'll be back soon to give you my final thoughts and possibly form a guide entry.

^07.04.03Well quite amazingly I'm just embarking on Revelation, the final book of the Bible, and as I've read it before a couple of years ago, reading Jude was the last book that was new to read. Quite a lot has been happening since the gospels took place, with the truth about Jesus spreading like wild fire throughout the region. These odd blokes that Jesus told to go out, actually went and saw the amazing wonders of God's love for everyone, Jews and non alike. The experiences of the apostles just show the power of what happened 2000 years ago and challenges us as to what should be going on now. Christians have this relationship, personal and full of love, with Jesus, this amazing guy who 'came and told people how to be nice to each other'_{DNA - ish} and through him to God, who created everything. I recently had a run-in with him, I'd been basically relying on my own thoughts and following what I thought was God's will until he pointed things out as to where I was misleading myself. It was quite amazing that he could have popped me out of existence, I realised his awesome power and really felt very small¹.

Anyhoo these guys are wondering around sharing their lives and the realisation in people they meet is wonderful² and that is a real call as to what we should do. I must also point out that I immensely enjoyed reading 1 and 2 Peter, he's a really lovely writer, quite unlike the others, and I would heartily recommend reading the tow books, and what's more there only very short!
So just one more left

^10.02.03You know it just gets better and better. The gospels completely rock with just amazing stories of what Jesus got up to here on earth with miricles and an amazing love for all. The things he siad are so challenging now, not just back then, and not just for us little christians in our little homes but he speaks to all and challenges everyone. Even if you do not have faith in God, this guy is worth listening to as he talks about our attituds to the world and others that relate to us living here, what he says is true.
Anyhoo then he goes and dies on us. The followers run and it seems like it was all for nothig. But you know the drill, third day he rises and appears to over 500, quite a mass hillucination. So onto Acts and this tells of the reaction of the followers to his life and the comming of the Holy Spirit. These gyus then go out and tell of the Good News in a way that challenged me to the way in which the Church is today, we just don't appear to care.

^1.12.02Oh my, I now know what all the fuss was about, I've hit the revelation of Jesus. The final few books of the Old are great, especially Jonah with his wonderfull (and way too familier) 'like I'm going over there God' attitude which can be related too. There are also laods of prophecies about Jesus, who the saviour will be, what he'll do and how it is God's plan to relieve the sins of his people. Then BANG and incomes this child, Jesus, into the world by this virgin named Mary and promptly starts out getting attacked by Herod and others. He's then baptised by this dude named John from the desert, the one sent to prepair the way for the Messiah, and recieves the Hold Spirit and sets off into the desert where he is tempted by Satan. Jesus then starts to gather this bnunch of fishermen and others, who leave everything to follow him, and then meets the locals to whom he teaches and preaches and loves. I mean this guy is good, he says radical amazing things that are quite mindlowing, and it's not like 'well they were good at the time', no they are relevant now. Please pick up Matthew and read with me, it's just so cool, Jesus rocks!

^13.11.02WOW, this is just completely storming now, I can't believe what's going on. Basically I nipped through the previously unknown Lamentations into Ezekiel which was quite a read. He really had some fantastic visions from God, and alot of it seemed like Revelation which I'm sure is important. The end section mentions the River of God which we then studied at Church just as I reached that exact chapter. Then Daniel came along and boy was that an even greater read. I had never read it before (which one of my friends made fun of me about - great attitude there!), and if you haven't then I recomend it, as it's a really uplifting read. Cool things that happen include proof that being veggie is great, visions of Jesus as well as the famous 'writing on the wall'. Now I'm getting into the 'minor' prophets at the end of the Old Testiment, and then it's Jesus! They might be minor but they still seem pretty important and are quite favourable being a short read! Rock on.

^18.09.02 Well Jerimiah is cirtainly dipresssed! I'm now well over half way through the bible with many of the fun bits still to come, plus the point of the whole thing which should now make sence. The end of Isiah was phenominal with prophesies left right and center about the saviour and some really uplifting suff. But then Jerimiah comes along in a very dipressed state and complains about many things including how quite God often seems to be. This is rather cool as it makes me feel better and not alone in the thinking that God is often all too silent.

^29.07.02 Well I've now read the longest and shortest verses, the longest and shortest chapters and, with the completion of Psalms, the longest book. So it's just the shortest book to go oh and about 40 others! The last 10 psalms are really invigoraing and round up the whole book well, it was especailly powerfull as I read them aboard a ship surrounded by the vastness of the created sea and wind. I'm now just on the last chapter of Proverbs which has been quite an eye opener to what God is looking for and also great fun in places. But now I stand on the shores of the prophets readying to jump in and discover Gods plan, word and deeds...

Yippee! Finially I have reached the Psalms which is just great and I'm really looking forward to it, some light relief from some of the more heavy books receently. Job was quite something, with just 4 blokes in the desert debating wether Job disereved the trials Satan had put him through. I loved it though, not only for the uplifting love of God but also the science that was riddled throught out, some great observations about people and the Earth, intreguing (so much for the scientific revelations of the Qu'arn).

Lots has been read since chronicles, well 3 nice little books protraying the lives of the Isrelites as they have returned from excile. They were taken by Nebachenezza and have returned to Jerusalem to rebuild it after it was destroyed. Then in the book of Esther we are told about how she becomes the Queen of Susa and saves the Isrelites from being eliminated by the evil Hamen. In that book God is not ever mentioned but the evidence of his work is demonstrated all the wasy through.

OK so this Chronicles book seems to recap ove the whole of what's been happening in and around Israel since they moved in. It consists of ALOT of names and family trees, not the most riviting of reeds. I plod on... However the second book does seem to have more action and amazing bits about God which is allways uplifting to read. I'm getting twords the Psalms, my first real goal.

By now the prommised land has been divided into Judea and Israel with different kings ruling each. It seems that the Kings of Israel arn't really very good at following God and keep leading the Isrealites astray to worship Baal et al. The Judean Kings seem generally better but do have lapses however the last king has just lived and so the future looks uncirtain as to wether God's people will remain in their land...

What?

Ignoring when I was just into junior school and I started skiming through Genesis, I have just embarked on reading the Bible for the first time from the beggining, Genesis. It will be tough, long and slow but it could be interesting and I don't know what I might find. I'll keep you up-to-date on mu progress and any cool things I find.

Why?

Basically I went to a talk about what the Bible is and why it's a good thing to read it and though, 'well maybe I should being a Christian and all'. Now I don't like reading, I'm painfully slow, and so this really will be an undertaking. The HHGTTG trillogy took me a complete year and so I expect this will take me longer.

I hope that from it I will learn a complete understanding of where Christianity has it's roots, who this God person is and why/what I beleve. It will be challenging ad I pray that I will be changed by it.

Why did I decide to start from the beggining? Well that's how it starts and I'm no good if I read bits all aroung the place I need some order so I started at the beggining and will hopefully finish at the end.

And I'm quite enjoying it.

Current Cool Quote:

Your love must be real. Hate what is evil, and hold on to what is good. Love each other like brothers and sisters. Gove each other more honour than you want for yourselves. Do not be lazy but work hard, serving the Lord with all your heart. Be joyful because you have hope. Be patient when trouble comes, and pray at all times._NCV

Romans 12: v9-12

Read:

Comedy Moments - Vegetarians

One person believes it is right to eat all kinds of food. But another, who is weak, believes it is right to eat only vegetables._NCV

Romans 14: v2