Bible Triple Espresso

Some people gain great comfort from reading the bible before going to bed. Some people teach that it is a necessity of life. Not so for me. Reading the bible before bed is sure to induce insomnia. Scripture is the sword of the Spirit and divides soul and body. The bible sets me to passion. Reading it before bed is like a triple espresso that sets my mind on fire. I have a very active, analytical mind and it ponders and churns and constructs. I usually drink [update 08-08-08: I usually drink a beer - didn't want to give the impression that I hit the bottle hard] before I go to bed to dull and numb my mind so as to get any sleep at all.

666

666 is the number of the beast, right? Okay, it's also the number of posts I've made on this blog. This is number 666. For those of you religiously stupidstitious people, stop reading this. If you've made it this far, it's too late, though, curse is on you. Curse? Whatever you make it to be. Maybe I'm the antichrist. Bwahaha!

Do You Know Jesus Christ?

John Armstrong asks this question in the body of his post, "What is a Christian?" :

I think this is the question: Do you know Jesus Christ? Not, "Have you prayed a prayer to accept Jesus into your heart?" And the question is not, "Are you a church member?" Or, "Do you know the Bible?" Or, "Did you get training in theology?" It is not even about the sacraments or holding to the correct creedal understanding of salvation. The question is: Do you know Jesus Christ?

This question has always been a difficult one for me for a number of reasons. Mostly due to the extra-biblical baggage added to it by whatever circle I've been part of. Evangelical types often place importance on whether somebody is a true Christian by the quality and consistency of one's "personal quiet time", how often they "witness", etc. Staunch Calvinists often require that one know all their pet doctrines. Others place special emphasis in knowing Jesus on gushy feelings or other-worldly experiences or formulas for victorious living.

Well, I'm personal quiet time challenged, I'm not an evangelist, and we're saved by God's grace, not by knowing the correct things about God's grace. I'm not "intimate" with God as many people require. I'm not "intimate" with anybody, really. Okay, I am married with children, but I'm not overly emotional and am not a touchy feely type. I don't spew my feelings every five minutes. "Abba" Father is portrayed a bit more intimately than I'm used to in relating to others.

Maybe I really do know Jesus because all the other junk doesn't register with me.

Heat Wave and Warm Summer Nights

We're having a heat wave this week. It reached 109 degrees today, almost 10 degrees above the forecast. The weatherman missed. This summer I have a car with air conditioning. Wahoo! With our six year old out in the back yard in the dark, it's still about 95 degrees outside. He's playing with the neighbor kid over the fence. I remember those care free warm summer evenings of my childhood. To be a kid again.