As Expected...

I was afraid this would happen. I over committed, guys, and failed. You see, I just am not a morning person. In order to blog and have a quiet time before I have to go to class, I have to get up around five, and that just hasn't happened. So, here's what's going to happen:

1) The "Thoughts from the Retro Bible" are now extinct. I know, it was very short-lived. However, they required time and effort that I do not have, especially in the morning. Besides, I felt kind of lame ripping off things from someone else....

2) The "Country of the Day" posts will continue. Now that school has started, I know that I have a window in my schedule of classes between 11a-12p that I will now be able to consistently do a country post during. These countries were my countries the past few days that did not get covered, and therefore we will be covering them for a few days instead of moving forward and skipping them in blog form:

Cote D'Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus

Today's would be the Czech Republic, but the Czechs will be scooted back so Ivory Coast can be covered today.

3) I will hopefully be able to do some deeper posts soon, including a blog version of the testimony/mini-sermon I spoke at church on Sunday. Stay tuned for those.

Thanks for everyone that reads this, and I hope you email me so we can talk! :)

Thought From the Retro Bible: The Guide

"4 Show me your way, O Lord, teach me your paths; 5 guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long." -Psalm 25:4-5, NIV

David didn't straight up ask for a new brain. He wasn't like Veruca Salt, saying "Daddy, I want it right now!" No, David instead asked God to show him and guide him to more knowledge. He knew this was the correct way to become wise and mature (heavily modified from Revolution: The Bible from Teen Guys).

Thought from the Retro Bible: God Will Guard

"4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me." -Psalm 23:4, NIV

What is the closest you've ever come to being in the "valley of the shadow of death?" God is the only one who can offer the kind of comfort and security you need in the worst times. Your best bet is to draw close to Him, as much as you can. He will guard your every step (paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

This is amazing that the Retro Bible's post for today's reading would be Psalm 23, as my family, friends and I mourn the loss of our friend Anthony Horsman. God is truly in the valley with us, always. He is there to comfort us and lead us back out the other side. Never forget that He's with you.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Rippin' on People!

"1 Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? 2 He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart 3 and has no slander on his tongue..." -Psalm 15:1-3a

Trashing other people makes us feel good. For some reason, we enjoy putting other people down in order to lift ourselves up. That's why we make fun of people, points out their faults, and spread rumors and gossip. The truth is, though, that is directly against what God has called for us to do.

A person that talks bad tells more about that person than the person they are dissing. Ask God to give you a heart that isn't bitter and feels the need to put others down.

This thought is paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: You Aren't a Loner

"1 Help, Lord, for the godly are no more; the faithful have vanished from among men." -Psalm 12:1, NIV

Ever feel like you are the only person you know that is trying to follow God? Don't let that discourage you! Someday, your faithfulness will be rewarded by God. He promises this.(Paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

Don't fret about being alone. Lots of Christians feel this way. That's because we live in a world full of Satan and his promises to the masses of wealth, power and happiness. The thing is, his promises are not only shaky, but earthly. Eventually, we will all die. That's a generally accepted fact. The question is: will all of what you do on earth matter after death? Only one accomplishment matters, and that is that you believe in your Lord and Savior. If you do this, you will desire to glorify God, and that is the point of our lives. After all, wouldn't it be great to live for something bigger than ourselves? God is really, really big.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Don't Stay Mad!

"36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.' 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches." -Acts 15:36-41, NIV

We don't know who was right or who was wrong in this argument between Paul and Barnabas. The Bible didn't tell us. The importance is that they didn't stay upset with each other; We can see that they were friends again in 1 Corinthians 9:6, and again in Colossians 4:10. This is the importance: despite their difference, they were brothers in Christ with the same goal. That same goal was to share the Good News of the Gospel with the world.

Are you in disagreement with someone right now? That disagreement may be affecting your ability to follow God's will, and therefore you should fix it. Your relationship is more important than the argument you are in.

This thought was paraphrased and added to from Revolution: The Study Bible for Teen Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Powerful Prayer

"5 So Peter was kept in prison, bu the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the enterance. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. 'Quick, get up!' he said, and the chains fell off Peter's wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, 'Put on your clothes and sandels.' And Peter did so. 'Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,' the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but had no idea what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came through the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked tohe length of one street, suddenly the angel left him." -Acts 12:5-10, NIV

Never, EVER, doubt the power of prayer, particularly the power of prayer when it's offered by a group of faithful believers. God has unimaginable power at his disposal (including a huge group of angels like the one that helped Peter) to respond to your prayers.

This Thought from the Retro Bible is brought to you by Revolution: THe Bible for Teen Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Keep Your Rep Straight

"21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, 'Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?'" -Acts 9:21, NIV

Do you know anyone who'd be shocked to hear you talk about Jesus? What's your reputation with those people? Think about what you can do differently to let everyone know just how serious you are about your faith.

This thought is brought to you by Revolution: the Bible for Teen Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Evangelize. There's No Excuse.

"13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." -Acts 4:13, NIV

Lots of people like to use this excuse as to why they don't tell people about Jesus: "I'm just a regular person. I don't know anything theological." Peter and John weren't theologians; they were fisherman, just your everyday blue-collar workers. That's what makes their ministry so great, as only God could have empowered them to speak, heal and minister like they did (paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

Are you making excuses? Everybody is capable of telling the Good News of Jesus Christ. Go do it.

Thought from the Retro Bible: Team Captain

"15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” 16 Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.” 17 The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep. 18 I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”" -John 21:15-18, NIV

The Lord is a master recycler. He can make something new and useful out of something that seems broken or used up. Just ask Peter. No matter how bad you've failed, Jesus offers you the promise of forgiveness and a bright future (Direct from Revolution, The Bible for Teen Guys).

Yesterday, we looked at Peter being a choke artist. The game was on the line and Peter air-balled. He struck out. But Jesus gave Peter another chance to hit the game winner. Isn't that great? If we miss the shot, the coach will still put us in with the game on the line. All we are asked is that we honor Him.

Jesus loves you. All He asks is that you believe in Him and return the love. So, will you step up?

Thought From the Retro Bible: Choke Artist

"27 Again Peter denied it, and at that moment a rooster began to crow." -John 18:27, NIV

Yeah, Peter screwed up here. It's not everyday that you deny knowing who Jesus is THREE times (hopefully never!). It was a major choke. But this wasn't the end of Peter. Jesus forgave him, and he became the man Jesus trusted most in building up what would be the Church.

Did you do something really stupid? Do you continue to do the same really stupid thing? Remember Peter: there's always redemption through Christ.

Today's Thought from the Retro Bible was paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: I'll Be Your Servant This Evening

" 13 'You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. 14 Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you should wash one another's feet. 15 I have set an example that you should do as I have done for you. 16 I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. 17 Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." -John 13:13-17, NIV

Foot washing in Jesus' day was a nasty job. The roads back then were mostly dirt, and pretty much everyone wore sandals. You can imagine how nasty people's feet were after walking on the roads, in those shoes, all day. Usually, a servant would get stuck with washing people's feet, but here, we see Jesus doing it. Jesus showed His disciples, and anyone who wanted to follow Him, that we have to be willing to do jobs that no one else wants to do. How about you? You willing to get down and dirty to help others?

This thought has been paraphrased from Revolution: The Bible for Ten Guys.

Thought from the Retro Bible: You Ain't No Judge

"24 Stop judging by mere appearances, and make a right judgment." -John 7:24, NIV

Jesus accused his opponents of making shallow, biased judgments of his ministry. That's the problem with judging strictly by appearance: your conclusions about someone else may be superficial and inaccurate(This thought was brought to you courtesy of Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys).

Are you being judgmental with someone around you? Maybe it's someone at school that seems a bit snobby, or someone at work that's kind of weird. Jesus taught us to love everyone, and that's precisely what we should do. As hard as it is, let's try to keep it in perspective and get to know people (I mean, really know. Not learn about them through gossip) before we make any kind of judgment. We are all made in the image of God; who are we to judge His image?

An Update, and Something New to Do

Hey guys! I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas. I know my family and I did. It's always good to have a white Christmas, and we certainly did here! I love it!

It's been a few days since I posted, and I have a reason. I have been quite sick, and simply didn't feel like posting! However, the Lord has allowed me to start getting better, and therefore I return to you. This is not a deep, long-winded post, as that should come tomorrow (I'm working on one). I do have a few things to address, however. :)

First, I want to thank everyone that read my last post. I received a lot of nice feedback, and I really appreciate that. I makes me desire to write more about the wonders of God, if I feel they are reaching people. Which leads me to my next point..

We've made it to China! For anyone that doesn't know via Facebook, I'm really pumped about that. China is a Communist country, and thus does not promote anyone having religion. While they are not as strict as some other countries, they are tough enough that yesterday, during his Christmas speech, the Pope felt the need to call them out for their attacks on Christianity. In fact, Christianity is only allowed to exist because it profits China's ever-growing economy. When some of your biggest customers are nations like the US, Britain and Australia, which all have large Christian populations, it isn't good business to imprison their kind.

Regardless, this blog got into China, and that shows that the Internet may be an effective way to reach the people of China and other nations that are hostile to the Truth. Other countries we have reached, as of today, include: Canada, Netherlands, Azerbaijan, Germany, Croatia, and Slovenia. This is great news to me, that people all over the world can be touched by God's Word through this blog. It's also a lot of pressure to make sure I do what He tells me to write, as well!

One last thing: an update on my "expedition" through the Bible in a year. I am now nearly at the end of my stay in the New Testament, as only the Books of John and Acts remain (yes, I went out of order). As I go through, I want to share something with you each day, more than a long post every few days. Therefore, a feature I kind of started on my old blog, Life in a Mason Jar of Lightning Bugs (if you would like to know the meaning behind both of these titles, please leave a comment. I will post an explanation) will be resurrected. It will now be called "Thoughts from the Retro Bible."

This will be a daily thing. My old "teen" Bible has all kinds of little boxes in the middle of passages, highlighting meanings and themes. For each day, I will find one that pertains to what my reading was. Some days I may paraphrase the Retro Bible's "helper box"; some days I won't. As an example, today's reading was John 1-4. My Retro Bible post begins now.



Thought from the Retro Bible: Stay on Your Toes

"5 His mother said to the servants, 'Do whatever he tells you.' 6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons. 7 Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water'; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.' 11 This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed at Cana in Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him." -John 2:5-11

There's an important lesson here: Always be ready to do anything for God, however crazy it may seem. You never know when there's going to be a miracle just around the corner.

This thought was brought to you courtesy of Revolution: The Bible for Teen Guys.