We have been working lately on getting our finances in order.  But what for?  So that we can retire and do nothing except play golf and hang out?  I don’t think so.  Once we get a little financial freedom and I get through school, it will be time for ministry full time.  Sometimes I wonder why I am doing going to seminary now.  It sometimes seems like a waste of time as I am not a “spring chicken” anymore.  But I truly believe that God wants me there and has some reason for it.  Even though I may not have as many days on this earth as some, there is a reason for me to be studying right now.  One thing is sure…..it isn’t so I can spend my “retirement” chasing after the empty stupid things of this world.  But some will say that developing relationships and letting your light shine will suffice…..DON’T GET ME STARTED. 

One thing I can say about getting older is that heaven is getting more of an issue.  I want to spend eternity celebrating with others in the Lord’s rewards.  What a tragedy to show up in heaven with “smoking robes”, and with all the empty worldly stuff burned up as loss.  1 Corinthians 3:12-15. 

What the ministry details will be is something that will be determined.  If the Lord wills, we will be in His service sharing the gospel to the lost somewhere, but the specifics are just not there.  But that is OK.  I need to be faithful now in studying, working and evangelising.  I trust God in the details of the future. 

The following is a video about this.

     We had a great day of teaching evangelism yesterday.  Thanks for your prayers. 

     Afterwards, we had a group of seed sowers and students go out to Memorial Park to put what we have learned into action.  There was a Triathalon competition going on and a bunch of family reunions, so the fishing was great!  We spoke to many folks and shared the gospel with over 50 people.  Most of the unsaved folks were former church goers that got “tired of going” to their respective churches.  Most of them listened intently to the message of the gospel and had great questions. 

     Please pray for Antonio, Denny and Michelle.  They seemed very convicted and eager to follow up on what was shared.  The following is a picture of me sharing with Michelle and a friend of hers. 

     She was wearing a shirt and had a necklace with a “pentagram” or a word she said was similar to that.  She was a former catholic who was now just “spiritual”.  She was spiritual, alright, but what kind of “spirit” is the question.  She said that she was going to go home and read the gospel of John.  May God work in her heart through His Word(Isaiah 55:11).

Another BEAUTIFUL day yesterday, here in Colorado. Folks from the Bible Institute met for a picnic.  Subjects of discussion…

• Mac vs Windows…students get a discount on Mac, but probably still not necessary unless doing graphics or more advanced stuff.
• Compassion…lots of stuff going on there.  Departments are getting relocated all over the new building.
• Best “sinners prayer” in the bible is the tax collector pleading with God to “be merciful to me, a sinner” no one(btw) lead this guy in this prayer
• Only true sacrament is “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God”.

It is certainly strange to go back to college.  It has been a long time since Pharmacy school.  Getting a Masters Degree in Biblical Studies is quite diffferent, however, and it is awesome so far. 

Because most of my focus is on evangelism, I see most of the subject matter in that light.  For instance, my class on Hermaneutics.  Hermaneutics is the science and art of interpeting the bible.  As I look into correctly interpreting the bible, the question arises…why do so many people complain that the bible is too hard to understand?  Well, there are many reasons for that, but most of the time this line is used by those who are using that excuse to dismiss what the bible has to say.  They are not willing to obey, so it is better to make a blanket statement and walk away.  Nevertheless, there ARE some parts of the bible are hard to understand as Peter talks about with Paul’s writings….. 2 Peter 3:16  “He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction”.     Quite a warning about “destruction” in this passage…like eternal destruction. 

Those that dismiss the authority of the bible and distort scripture to prove a point that they want to make, are headed for destruction.  This applies to the folks we talk to on the streets, as well as some of the Emergent preachers out there. Scripture is sometimes hard to understand,  but so are people.  Scripture is God revealing Himself to us from folks, inspired by the Holy Spirit, writing down what God wants us to know about Him.  Getting to know someone takes time and effort.  If you don’t care about someone, you won’t take the time or effort to get to know them.    Such is the case with the bible. 

Anyway, some parts of the bible are very plain…  The Gospel.  When I talk to folks on the street, it is alway easy to just get back to the “cross and Him crucified”.  Don’t let a dismissal of how difficult the bible is supposedly, to understand, to get you off track.  Ask them if they have actually read the bible.  The bible is the best selling book in the world, and they haven’t read it?  Tell them that, maybe they are not as knowlegeable as they think they are.  Tell them that there are some things that can be difficult, but there are difficult things that must be known to understand anyone.  Get back to the cross…that is easy to understand.

Well, we went to our first night at the Front Range Bible Institute.  Very impressed.  Lots of folks who have “been there and done that”.  Great teachers.  We will be very busy, though.   Got to get a new bible…The New Revised Standard Edition, text only.  This is necessary for the hermaneutics class.  We also met a guy who spent 2 years the the Masters Seminary in California(John MacArthur’s seminary).  They were taught Way of the Master evangelism there and also did some street preaching as a part of the curriculum…WOW!

It seems that we have been drawn to the Front Range Bible Institute to continue our education.  We will be following the mandate of the Lord to…” Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth”(2 Tim 2:15).  They offer a masters degree in Biblical Studies, which I will enroll in.  And Connie will get her Bachelors degree.