The Journy of Paul

This essay goes along with the previous blog, “God in a Box.” This blog is entitled “The Journey of Paul.” It spans 20 years, starting with my missionary journeys to China, Vietnam, and Hong Kong. Now it is covering my faith journey as in individual. I was telling my wife the other day, “If I had kept all the books I have read, I’d have my own little private library.” I’d have about 1000 non-fiction books, most on theology. So? What’s the point? Let’s see, in Judaism, the religious leaders created what was called the “Oral Torah.” These were spoken commentaries on the first five books of the bible, “The Torah.” These five books were committed to memory and transmitted from generation to generation, complete I might add. The Oral Law was also transmitted orally from generation to generation. However, due to various diasporas, religious leaders began to write the Oral Law down along with other commentaries which would later form what is called the Talmud. In Judaism, the Talmud is con...

I once attended a class entitled, Creation vs. Evolution. I thought it was a given because the class was being taught by a group of Reverends, theologians, doctors, professors. I mean, seriously, thought this was going to be God created the heavens and the earth, hands down, discussion. I was surprised to find out it was not. However, the point of this is a presentation that was made by the eight professors teaching the class. They presented the eight models of God. Each presented a box into which they shoved God. In this case, eight boxes, but boxes, nonetheless. I don’t believe we can put the Lord in one or a million boxes. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Moses goes on, verse 26, Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness.” There are three points to this. First, the concept that God created everything in six days, or not. Second, the plurality of “Let us, in our image.” Finally, the use of the words, image, and likeness. These are al...

It’s a toughie I don’t know how to say it then just being blunt! I know of God. I believe in God. I worship Him, love Him, and praise Him. But I don’t know God. I’ve heard that small voice speaks to me several times, had prayers answered. I’ve studied Him, read His word, taught His word but there is one thing that keeps nagging at me. The more I know, the less I know. Knowing the Lord is like understanding not only the universe and Einstein his theory of relativity vs. quantum mechanics. Ain’t gonna happen. In other words, our intelligence and brain capacity are miniscule regarding what is needed to have the capacity to understand the Universe and the theories of how it operates. I have resigned myself to trying to understand what the Lord wants me to do. Nothing more. Having said that, man, since the beginning of dawn and believing in a God or gods, has tried to understand that higher power. In doing so, they have defined God/gods ad-infinitum. As it pertains to Judaism and Christi...

I spent a good part of my life chasing titles, money, earthly things; even though, at some point in my life, I came to the understand that love and family is more important, I still chased those earthly things. Even after becoming a follower of Jesus, I still chased those earthly things. I am 64 as of this writing. It is a sad situation that we need to make a certain quantity of money to live. The question is, of course, to what level of living? To be truthful, I’d love to own a large house on about 10 acres or more. The house would not many rooms, instead, bigger rooms. I like big rooms. I would live to have a dining room big enough for a table that would comfortably seat ten people. This is an Earthly thing. What I own is a 1300 square foot manufactured home in a very nice park. I am thankful for my home. If we pin our happiness on our desires, on our grandiose expectations, then we are seeking earthly things. I help led a church teen group to Mexico where we built a house for a ...