Reading the Bible

[Dennis1209]

On 11/30/2019 at 8:09 AM, Melinda12 said:

Are you able to read it in Hebrew?

Just a little nugget I find very interesting. I haven't personally verified it but take scholars at their word. Countries East of Israel writes and reads from the right. Countries West of Israel, writes and reads from the left. I don't believe I've heard an explanation for that, but it seems strange and must have a specific reason for it?

[Blood Bought 1953]

2 hours ago, Coliseum said:

I want to go see "It's a Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood." Fred Rogers was once a man, in my mind, to be laughed at; now he is the embodiment of Philippians 4:8-9 (NIV)
⁸  Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.
⁹  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me--put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

He is everything he was lauded to be and people loved him because he went out of his way to love them in their deepest need. The people others laughed at  he embraced. 

 

 Do you know if he was a Christian?

[johnthebaptist]

9 minutes ago, Dennis1209 said:

I agree, with one little exception. The Bible and events are not put together in chronological order. For a free daily Bible reading plan in chronological order, I would suggest the website "Blue letter Bible". It can be printed out.

The Old Testament starts out with a history (Genesis through 2 Kings, if I remember correctly). Then it comes back and tells the story again and adds to it (1 Chronicles - Nehemiah). Then you have some wisdom books and then the books of the prophets (which maybe take a closer look at specific events). Then it's on to the New Testament with its four gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles, and the Revelation of John. It is a logical, if not totally chronological, order, I think.

[Coliseum]

15 minutes ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 Do you know if he was a Christian?

Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003) was an American television personality, musician, puppeteer, writer, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001.

[dailyprayerwarrior]

Sorry, I know you're asking how we tackle the Bible but I must say, you're method really stirred me up to dig into the Word more than I do. Thanks for posting! I like your method of reading God's Word, particularly when you mentioned that you pick up Bibles from charity shops and book exchange boxes. I like having a real Bible in my hand now and again. God bless!

[warrior12]

On 11/30/2019 at 9:26 AM, johnthebaptist said:

I think one needs to read the entire Bible at least once. Starting at the beginning and reading straight through might be the best way, since that way we read chronologically.

The above is very essential to get a grasp of what God's plan is for our lives, our beginning and our final destination.  Then, listening to sermons, lectures and general discussions would make more sense and will encourage more bible study.  Cherry picking or random reading for the new believer would lead to a bit of frustration in joining in discussions and following topics ect.  Just my experience on when I first started out as a believer.   

Also, IMO, reading some supplementary books of encouragement by authors who has been given the gifts to exhort and pen words of encouragement is good too, example  Tozer, John bunyan, Spurgeon and the numerous others, that a believer browsing through the christian bookstore would browse through and buy those books . There are many online for free too. 

[Blood Bought 1953]

1 hour ago, Coliseum said:

Fred McFeely Rogers (March 20, 1928 – February 27, 2003) was an American television personality, musician, puppeteer, writer, producer, and Presbyterian minister. He was the creator, showrunner and host of the preschool television series Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, which ran from 1968 to 2001.

 

The fact that he was a Minister is a good sign......but there are tons of preachers out there that are unsaved.....Even  Wesley admitted he had preached for years and was not a saved man.....there are others out there  just like him ...I have come across a few of these scary admissions.....I really have no reason to doubt his Salvation and I certainly hope he was saved and I would put money on him that he was saved......I would like to see some of his writings or sermons to better tell if he was a Christian or a Religionists ...

[Coliseum]

23 minutes ago, Blood Bought 1953 said:

 

The fact that he was a Minister is a good sign......but there are tons of preachers out there that are unsaved.....Even  Wesley admitted he had preached for years and was not a saved man.....there are others out there  just like him ...I have come across a few of these scary admissions.....I really have no reason to doubt his Salvation and I certainly hope he was saved and I would put money on him that he was saved......I would like to see some of his writings or sermons to better tell if he was a Christian or a Religionists ...

Attempting to find out biographical information about Mr. Rogers, this is what unfolded. Hardly anything about his deeper Christian leaning was made available in the release of the new movie with Tom Hanks. Kind of scary if you ask me.

Rogers’s widow Joanne recounts a question he asked her when he was near death. He said: “Am I a sheep?” What an amazing question. Joanne then recalls that she said to her dying husband, “If anyone is a sheep, you are.” I don’t want to assume too much about her apparent response to the question. It’s quite possible she said more. But I couldn’t stop thinking about this question and its implications for Fred Rogers, and for you and me.

“If anyone is a sheep, you are.” Whatever you think of Fred Rogers, he was undoubtedly a kind, generous, patient, caring man. He is almost universally affirmed as one of the nicest men ever in public life, nice even to the point of being hated by many as being too nice. He had given his life to making children feel cared for, valued, and encouraged. And he did the same for many adults as well. His wife and kids confirm that the man we saw on the screen was the man they had at home, that it wasn’t an act. He really was a kind and gracious person. But facing the end, knowing he was about to give an account to his Judge, he was still uncertain enough of his goodness to wonder: Was I good enough?

I think this is because Rogers knows what Jesus says in a parallel passage to the sheep and the goats, found earlier in Matthew’s Gospel:

Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?” And then will I declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matt. 7:21-23)

There will be many, I figure Rogers reckoned, who claim their goodness before Christ that find themselves rejected.

So Mister Rogers’s deathbed question was really a deathbed confession. He was confessing that, facing the weight of eternity and the undeniable prospect of his justification before God, he wasn’t sure that his lifetime of “sheepishness” was merit enough. Because of course it’s not.

And if anyone ever asks you, “Am I a sheep?”—or you ever wonder about yourselves, as I hope you would—the correct answer is not “Of course—you’re a good person. Hardly anybody’s better than you. If anyone’s a sheep, you are.” The correct answer is, “You’ve done a lot of good things, but none of them will earn you the credit with God. Nobody is good enough to enter his glory. Nobody, that is, but Jesus himself. And regardless of your morality and in spite of your immorality, you know you are a sheep if you listen to the voice of Jesus and put your faith in him alone. Then his goodness becomes yours. It’s the only way in.”

Your goodness isn’t good enough. But Christ’s is.