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Bible in 90 Days: What's in a Name

"I can't pronounce the names, so I'm just going to skip over them, that's all."

Not to be rude, but that's pretty rude!

As I noted in the Bible in 90 Days FAQs, those lists of names in the Bible are there for a very important reason.

First and foremost, God the Holy Spirit put them there. That should be reason enough to read them. Second of all, we can learn a lot about someone by their name; at least that's what we used to do. Third, how would you feel if God had your name written in His book and people simply decided to skip over it because it was difficult to pronounce?

Many people become frustrated when reading the Bible because of the seemingly "unnecessary" long lists of names or genealogies found throughout both Testaments. This is especially so in the Old Testament.

Modern Parables: a Wrap

Whether we like it or not, all stories have to come to an end. There has to be a conclusion even if it's our heart's desire that the story never ends.

The parables of Jesus, as recorded in the Bible, are timeless stories. Their truths stay in our minds and play over and over in our subconscious. The Holy Spirit brings these ongoing truths to mind to further instruct us not only in daily living but more importantly for the continuing spread of the Gospel and God's Kingdom.

As Christians, we have a duty to participate in the building of His Kingdom.

Before we review and wrap up this series, let's put a couple of things into their proper perspective and context. As you look at all of the parables found in the Gospels, you see that many of them are told in large mixed groups. What I mean by "mixed"is the the fact that there were believers and non-believers present. There were sinners and scribes, prostitutes and priests, the lawless and the Levites. Almost everybody wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

Modern Parables: the Prodigal Sons, Part 2

The parable of the Prodigal Sons is a story of a father and his two sons; one "good", the other not so "good".

There are a lot of qualifications needed there.

First of all, we need to understand what "good" is. Jesus said it best, "there is none good but God."Mark 10:18 and Luke 18:19.

Second, not one of us is a "good" child. We are prodigals in our own way.

When it comes to being "good", all of us - no matter how "good" - fluctuate between the "goodness" of the older, more mature, more dutiful (tending toward self-righteousness) son and "not so good" younger, less mature, less dutiful (tending toward selfish or self-centeredness) son. I think each of us can recall the various times in our lives when we have acted as either boy (or girl as the case may be).

The funny thing is, God allows us to traverse these two roads in life. Sometimes they intersect, sometimes they merge. Often times we don't see when we cross over from one to the other. Many times we don't know which child is the self-centered one or the self-righteous one. Frankly, it doesn't really matter. The father is looking out for both. And remembering that fact, sometimes God even allows us to be the Prodigals' father.

Bible in 90 Days Reading Challenge: FAQ's

There are always a few questions about anything new or something that may seem daunting or downright "impossible". The Bible in 90 Days Reading Challenge is one of those events.

Yes, I can hear the "But, but, but..." Now just stop that and allow me to answer a few recurring Frequently Asked Questions; FAQ's for short.

Before I get to the questions, let me say that this is a "read through" of the Bible. It's NOT a heavy word by word study. As mentioned in the first post of this series, we are simply reading through the entire Word of God, the Bible, in 90 days. And this is not an impossible task!

For those of you who have read "long novels" such as the "Harry Potter" series or the "Lord of the Rings" series and have gone through those books in a week or less, reading the Bible in 90 days is going to be a breeze. Besides, you'll have the Holy Spirit Himself to guide and prompt you.

After reading the FAQs, take a look at the video below. It features a 10 year old young man...