So it begins.
My wife has been saying to me for years that I should start a blog to talk about Bible questions and theological issues. My friends raised the money for me to have laser eye surgery so I could write a book (unfortunately this failed as I am so blind that they would have to turn my eyes into marshmallows). People who know me would say that there is no way that this will last. Our family missions blog seems to be more of a monthly newsletter than our daily journey over here in Asia.
So why start this site and start writing now? Maybe it is because I am almost 40 years old. Turning 30 sounded cool to me, the same age as Jesus when He started His ministry. I thought there would be some monumental change in my ministry then. I am not sure if I thought I would suddenly become a Levitical priest or a long-haired prophet, but life continued the same that year. Turning 40 seems more ominous, like there are black clouds looming on the horizon, and some wise old man is leaning over and whispering into my ear, “Carpe Diem!”
Wow, I can see that blog writing can quickly turn into a narcissistic exercise of epic proportions! Let me get to the point. I love God and I love the Bible. I love to talk and write about the Bible. I could sit around until the wee hours of the morning debating eschatology, so I know I have a beneficial, lifetime condition. I am a Bible nerd, and proud of it. In this blog, I will offer up my humble offerings to all the wisdom that is currently out there on the net, and contained in a multitude of writings.
Why read my blog if there is so much good stuff out there? Ummm, this is the point where I wax eloquently about my many accomplishments and impress you. I think I will take a lesson from Paul’s boasting in 2 Corinthians 11. I have a degree in political science, not in Biblical studies. I have never studied Greek or Hebrew, nor any other ancient languages (unless you can count Chinese). There are no letters after my name. I have written zero best-selling books, and do not currently have a mega church.
Impressed yet? I have been a missionary for the last 17 years, and have been involved with teaching missionaries how to study the Bible inductively. I have run 9 month Bible schools for 10 years, and have taught in Canada, the U.S., Asia, and Europe on the Bible. I know that I have so much to learn about God and the Bible, and will never be the “Bible answer man”, or “Bible answer person” to be politically correct. If this blog helps you, keep reading it and tell a friend. Check out some of my podcast Bible teachings at www.thesbspodcast.com.
Above all, I pray that my blog helps you love God more, love the Bible more, and keep hungry to learn so that we can share the blessings of God with a world in need of much healing.
The Bible Nerd 