The field of linguistics for NT Biblical Study could not be more fruitful! I am in the reading, Approaches to discourse by Deborah Schiffrin and this is revealing to me so many incredible ways to study the Scriptures, I can hardly contain myself: conversation analysis, variation analysis, pragmatics, there is just so many ways to view the Word of God.

The beautiful part about a linguistic study, per se, of the Greek NT is that these approaches apply to any discourse. So, I gain not only an understanding of the Scriptures, but in the process become a lot more familiar with any other piece of literature as well! Not to mention the social scene that goes with those studies, since it is well known that the language of any discourse is simply the manifestation of the social situation out of which it was created, as both reflecting it and accomplishing changes within it (see Halliday, Language as Social Semiotic). I am finding that the field of linguistics tremendously reveals the authorial intent with the greatest level of accuracy. That was the reason it appealed to me so much. Theology is the common means of studying the Scriptures, but I am finding that linguistics renders them with more corroboration, and language-based criteria for conclusiveness. Hence, the theology out of such study becomes more air-tight.

For this reason, theological "studies" of the Scriptures I have simply lost the stomach for. I cannot stand to use theology as the means by which Scripture derives its meaningfulness. This type of study always confirms ignorant, traditional stances, and never renders the language of Scripture with any level of depth. In turn, these older, so called "historical critical" studies have completely fallen from whatever popularity they gained after the second world war. From my experience of them, they are little more than a concordance-level understanding of the words of Scripture driven by the presuppositions of methodology rather than the actual proper rendering of the language as it would have impacted the audience. This is becoming more apparent as linguistically principled studies continue to multiply in Biblical Academia.

Just had my first leadership meeting in prayer and what a blast. Had so many leaders in the congregation tell me that they are glad I prayed for them and that they heartily received my prayer for them. What an encouragement.

I also shared my vision of ministry: A Preaching Institution. My heart is to train people up in the delivery of God's word. Once we have that in place, and more and more people are confident, competent, and effective with the rhetorical delivery of God's word as it would have been communicated to the first century audience just after the resurrection of Jesus Christ, that is the key to the multiplication of the ministry on a grandeur scale like we have never seen.

To be honest, it really is the only part of the ministry that can be truly instructed for effectiveness. Lots of people attempt to instruct in prayer, but this falls short as God hears the prayers of the faithful for their relationship with him rather than their effectiveness of delivery. Lots of people try to instruct in evangelism, but this comes with relationship as well, since people only listen and hear from those they are close to mostly.

I see the vision with terrible clarity: a group of people eager to preach the word. I provide the tools needed to effectively read the Scriptures as the author intended them to be heard (as opposed to buffet-snatching random topics out of it). Once they grasp the idea of Scripture as a social discourse between speaker and audience (which is the way they were intended to start with) then they understand how words will impact their audiences for the faith of Jesus Christ. That is the inchoation of their ministry skills as effect preachers of the word and developers of the faith. Christ was a rhetorician.

That was the point of the faith, or should I say, the modus operandi: effective delivery of the Scriptures. Jesus did not intend to create more Scriptures, otherwise he would have appointed a secretary to dictate his delivery, as God did in the OT to Israel. But he did not do this. What he did do was train up preachers and disciplers in the Scriptures that already had been written and send them off to go create assemblies in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The goal has been set, the vision cast, and now . . .
                 
                       Let the Labor Begin.
                        Come Lord Jesus, Come.

Ever since I have been a Christian, I noticed that there have been two predominant issues on my heart to continue deeper along this walk for Jesus Christ--1) a constant concern to request everyday to "be filled with the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, very God of God," and 2) an unquenchable thirst for more knowledge and understanding of the Scriptures, particularly the New Testament.

I am discovering that there are other people just like me whose primary concern is to grow closer to the Lord Jesus Christ, sole, sovereign Creator of heaven and earth, and they also cling to the ministers who have this same obsession. I find myself forever calling upon the wisdom of God to lead me, clearly a cry from the Holy Spirit in my heart, and a sickening distaste for the words of those who cannot seem to focus their testimony on God, but rather themselves. I find that there really is an equal lack of limitation to the level that a person can reach into the depths of their own imagination (evil), which is analogous to the depth of the wisdom of God in the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ, his only Son and image.

For those who seek the depths of their own evil imaginings, there is no work of God they do not have a heart to destroy and malign. There is no person submitted to the work of God whom they do not have an uncanny ability to twist into the image of a bad-guy. To some of these evil-imagining experts, even the name of Christ itself has become enmity to these wretched, slobbering, mangy, orphan dogs. The name of Jesus Christ, the essence of eternal life, causes division, and earthy, demonic, and sensual wisdom tells us that all divisiveness is the enemy. Romans is true, when one accepts the lies, they profess to be wise, and become fools in the darkness of their thinking. In asserting this state of being, there is neither room for repentance, nor hope, nor light of any kind, for the wisdom of God, which is light, has become their declared object of hatred. Such prove themselves as the spawn of satan.

I'm glad being filled with the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus, God of Gods, keeps my eyes attune to these ignorant lies. The destructive nature of faith in people when this wisdom is practiced becomes obvious to any filled with the Spirit of Jesus Christ, who is God the Son. That is why the Scriptures have become such an imperative for me to research--it all stems from the infilling of the Holy Spirit in my life directing me to the Wisdom of God. What better source than the Scriptures?

I truly am thankful for the Holy Spirit's guidance and protection for those whom are his. And that is just the issue--these people profess their connection to godliness, but are denying its power by disconnecting from the first love--Jesus Christ, the resurrection and life. Those who are not of the fold, no matter how hard they try in their flesh, will never hear or see God because they remain blind to Jesus Christ, the only express image of the entire Godhead dwelt bodily. So to compensate for their distance to God's only Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, they erect a substitution of their own image and are filled with the covetous spirit of satan leading them in a self-destructive direction that ruins not only themselves, but all those they lead simultaneously and thereby heaping up the judgment of the fullness of their sin which God directed like a watercourse from the depths of their own idolatrous hearts. The problem does not stem from their actions, per se, but from their identity--they are not of God, but of satan in spirit, and only God can know it and reveal this with time and circumstance. 

What then is the answer? Their isn't one. To imply that their is suggests that we are in control of the process. To think that we are in control implies that we take destiny in our own hands to meet God in the clouds--this is heresy--their can be no greater lie, no stronger affirmation of the satanic deception which barred our Edenic blessing from the beginning. No, be who you are, stop pretending, and let God sort them out. That's his job--to use the winnowing fork. Those of God cannot help but draw close to him through Jesus Christ the only truth and life, the only Lord of heaven and earth, and those not of God cannot help but draw farther and farther toward the eternal destruction for which they so crave, taking others with them, as their own father does. Each person has only one nature, and that nature determines who you are and to whom you will draw. Choice is merely the slow and ineluctable manifestation of this nature. You are either blessed or condemned to be nothing more than what you are.

Had a vision of Chaplaincy today on my way to Regent. I saw myself standing before the unit wearing a stole, reading a scripture out of proverbs that talks about how the prostitute reduces a man to a crust of bread. Then I then invite them to stand and welcome them to sing along as I introduce the commander as the "faux Phil Collins" where s/he karaokes the song "easy lover."

When they finish their shockingly good time, I then step before them again and pronounce, "God is a real God, he doesn't need Christians to make up a new language for him to be able to use them in his plans, he can use yours just fine. Jesus is the real resurrection from the dead, and if you would like to find out more about accepting him as such, come and see me." Then I grab my rank (presumably CPT) and tearing it off and throwing it to the side, I declare boldly, "Regardless of what I wear, I do not become a chaplain until I am someone's Chaplain, if you would like me to be your chaplain, if I can pray, or help in any way with whatever you are going through in life, I'd be happy to talk about that too."

Afterword, the Commander, and the soldiers recover from their shell-shock, and I have succeeded in breaking barriers to their respect, their lives, and their hearts--I become their Chaplain.

A brief excursus to my Personal Happy Place. . .

The sky is so blue it hurts your eyes just to look at it.
Not a cloud in the sky, the sun is bright enough to light up all the land around the medium length bright green grass that surrounds my old willow tree that I used to play around when I was a kid. I love that tree. It shades me, it challenges me to climb, it stays in one spot and never leaves. Its always there, and doesn't have any care in the world for what my background is, what my accomplishments are, how much debt I have, nothing. Its only interest is in me just showing up and sitting beneath it. His branches seem to wave hello in the wind as the lightly graze me when I walk up to him. He's just a simple, good friend.

I sit and see my puppy min-pin scruffy. His excitement to see me is uncontrollable, he cannot stop wagging his tail a hundred miles an hour, barking up a storm, and acting like I'm just the best thing since sliced bread. No pretension, no conniving hidden agenda, no dull, crusty attitude problem, he's not stuffed full of himself, he's just plain and simple hyperfocused on me. In the moment that he sees me, I'm about the only thing in the whole world that exists in his eyes. Nothing can stop him from tackling me upon arrival, and nothing could possibly ruin or spoil his gladness to see me--nothing--not the disappointment of grades, not the let downs of false expectations, not the abrasiveness of my bossy nature, No--none of it. He doesn't care about any of that, he just barks, wags, and tackles. He's just as ADHD as I am, and we both love every minute together.

No sooner do I hold him in my arms that I look over to my wife, who sees the whole wacky situation and can't help but smile and tell me what a great time she always has with me every time I come over. Her gorgeous, long, silky, curly black hair catches the wind flowing through the willow, and the sun gleaming from the sky, and we sit down together, side-by-side, where I can just lean on her and her on me. In the shade. Together. No deadlines. No debts. No sicknesses. No other priorities besides just being together, and enjoying being together.

That's where we stay. That's what we do. That's how we feel.
No liars. No cheats. No jobs. No competitions. No hate. No fights. No grumpy neighbors. No people judging you who don't understand you anyway. No miscommunication.
Just Me, My willow, My puppy, My Wife, and Our Time Together, Our wonderful Time.

I love education. I love to learn.
I never used to love it as much as when I got Logos Bible Software though. That was the day reading went from being simply whenever I happened to pick up a book, or whenever I happened to hear of a good read, to all the time, everyday, and developing a true desire for it and the kind of subjects that I began to learn about.
God has a really funny way of working what he wants into you despite what your plans are. I never planned being the person I have turned out to be (other than just general prayers for wisdom, and learning to deal with people, which will always be on the go). I never really mapped out the places I wanted to go to, the stuffy I wanted to do. None of it. Outside of just staying in the church.

Yea, I always thought I'd stay in shape, after all, many people do. Now, though, I find myself hardly even caring for it. I'm just concerned about reading, spending quality time with my wife, praying, and listening to music. I've really become contented in these things for some reason. Weird.

I cannot recall all the countless times I have prayed for my school debt (about $50k) to be gone. God, that has been a terribly heavy burden that life has really steered me away from killing. It just seems every time I get the opportunity to find a job, earn money, or pay it off, that my path takes an unexpected direction to keep it there. Doors keep shutting, paths keep steering me away from it. I dunno.

I confess, if I landed any type of full-time or part-time paying job that I could enjoy (like a book store, the home depot, a preaching position, a teaching position, or anything else) I would take it. Flat out. I would. I find myself handing over those $1 bills for lottery tickets with the sincere hope that one of them will finally make it. Crazy I know, you don't have to tell me. But I'm just at my wit's end with the situation sometimes, ya know?

I have always felt the desire for those people who have experienced any success in the network marketing companies out there. I know financially that is the way to go. And I absolutely LOVE the idea of being an employer who can watch people learn, grow, and become financially successful all at the same time. Man. I seriously just love that whole concept. I just have never been able to sell. I take too much of a teaching approach, inundating people with information, then they give me some ignorant, uniformed, emotional response to any one piece in the data and I just don't have the stomach for that crap. People really don't want to do what makes sense. They just want to stroke their phallus. That crap really angers me, because they are not the only ones who suffer as a result. When someone chooses to post-pone life insurance (especially if they have the money), they are assuming they will live another day to find a better deal. That's garbage. Countless people have assumed the same, gotten killed on the way home, and left their family in dire straights as a result. Why? Nothing more than they just could not stomach someone else pointing out the right thing to do--they had to be the one to think it up. Man, that really boils my blood. I could break windows all day on that one thought alone.

I really wish I was just half the level of skill with people that any one of these network marketers are. My debt would be gone completely. I would have a career. I would not have the unnecessary difficulties that I have dragged myself through over these years. There is a part of me that really hates, just genuinely hates that I do not have the appeal that others do. I pray that I can appeal to people in a way the does not have to run into their egos all the time. I'm just sick of dealing with that @#$%ing worthless waste of time, words, interaction, struggle, and life. I'm just sick of it. What a truly stupid and fruitless way to go through this life.

I'd rather be sitting under an orchard tree all day eating the fallen apples, sitting in the tall, cool, green grass, with my pet min-pin scruffy, playing star-wars monopoly on a picnic blanket with my beautiful wife in the shade of a 76 degree, cool fall day in September.