As some of my readers know, I am currently enrolled at Family Ministries Bible Institute, and the course I am taking right now is called Knowing God's Voice. I think this is my 7th semester, maybe 8th. Either way, this past Monday night, after completing our lesson, we watched a clip from a DVD called In the Dust of a Rabbi: Becoming a Disciple. It's a commentary by teacher and historian Ray Vander Laan. Please read about this series here!
The clip we watched Monday night was the first session, which is when the Rabbi says, "Come." The movie was set in Didyma, and I was amazed at all the building I saw. When the Greeks built this temple, the Temple of Apollo, it had hundreds of huge columns all around the front of it. It took an estimated 57 years of a persons life to build 1 column. They dedicated their entire life for building a monument that was not for our true God.
Here I am making excuses about why I don't have time to read the Bible, or I'm too tired to go to Mid-Week service.
Anyway, in this temple, people would travel from all around to get an answer to a question about their life from their God, Apollo. They'dtravel as long and hard as necessary, and would take the whole family, because they'd be gone so long. The family would then wait their turn to go to the massive doors of the temple, where a priest of Apollo would greet them, and simply say, "Apollo will hear your question." Then the head of the family would speak out their question, which could be something like, " Can I switch trades, and if so, will it anger my God?" Then the doors would shut, and the family would wait. Sometimes for weeks. The priest then went to the back of the temple, to the oracle, which was usually an old woman who sat over an opening in the earth, and the commentator from the movie said she was sitting over something similar to glue fumes. Then the priest would ask the oracle the question. Then, when she felt like it, she'd give an answer. Then, when the priest felt like it, he'd go answer the family and they could return home.
The historian went on to say that Rabbis (which is what many called Jesus) studied the Word, lived the Word, and died the Word. They would say, "Come," and a true disciple would follow so that they could learn everything the Rabbi had to say. And as the name of the movie series may imply, "The dust of a Rabbi," the lesson out of the trip to Didyma was to show Christians that if the Pagan Greeks would go through such great lengths to get an answer from a God who isn't real, then we should follow Jesus so closely that we are in covered in the dust of His feet! And that's where I want to be! As the teacher from the movie said, "When Jesus says 'Come,' how close are you willing to follow?" That really got me to thinking. I was so happy our instructor showed the film. I want to see more of it! It has 5 sessions!
So, I had purposed in my heart Monday night after class that I would try to get so close to Jesus that he'd want me to get off His back! That He'd say, "Get back!" Or better yet, when the crowds are around Him, and I press through to get closer, He turns and says, "Someone touched me!" Anyway, what I am saying is, I want to be in the Word more, in prayer more, and love more. I want to know everything I can about Jesus outside in and inside out!
Well, the very next day, while I was on Facebook, I saw where a good friend of mine, who is so stinkin' smart, and has spoken at our Bible Institute, is starting a blog of his own, all about questions and answers from the Bible. His site is found here. I thought how fitting as I had just said I wanted to learn as much as possible about the Word!!! Please go check him out sometime. You will not be disappointed.
And, back to the Bible Institute Course, I believe I know and have heard God's Voice. No, not audibly, and as a matter of fact, a big part of our course is knowing God's voice when it isn't audible. But, I believe myself that after one clip of a video, which opened my eyes to what I should be doing, then the next day, me finding a blog from a well respected man who is very knowledgeable about the Word, confirming what I already felt on Monday night, that I do know God's voice, and I have heard it loud and clear!!!
So, when Jesus says 'Come,' how close are you going to get?
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