Wow so it's been a little bit since I posted an update, sorry guys. Anyways about 3 weeks ago I arrived at New Tribes Bible Institute in Jackson, MI. I arrived super exciting, however there were many question marks and uncertainties. I kinda turn into the shy person when I arrive in new situations and so the first few days were discouraging, but the Lord is always faithful and I've been making new friends and it's been great. My friend Mark here at school is actually my RA and so that was pretty sweet having him to ease me into life here. I just finished classes in Bibliology, a study on how we got the Bible and why we can believe it's true, and Biblical Foundations, basically an overview on God's redemptive plan from Genesis to Revelation. I am currently taking Hermeneutics, Evangelism in a Post-Modern World, and The Pentateuch. I just got into Hermeneutics which is a class on how to study and interpret the Bible accurately, so I don't really have a whole lot of info regarding that class, but I do know we will be studying the book of Philippians to practice hermeneutical study skills and that's going to be awesome! Also we began to dig into Genesis in the Pentateuch class on Friday and will be studying Genesis 1:1-2:3 on Monday and Tuesday. I'm super stoked about this class. Evangelism class has been incredible. We've bee learning about different worldviews that people have and how to see them, evaluate them, and cause people to question them in comparison to the Gospel. It's been super interesting. We had to do an interview of a person the other day as homework and learn about their worldview. A worldview is basically compromised of these questions: What is reality? Spiritual/Physical? What its truth? How do you know? Where did we and earth come to be? Do you believe in God? Why or why not? What is he like? What is man made up of? What is his destiny? What are morals/values? What is the standard by which you determine those morals and values? What is man's purpose in life? Super interesting stuff, got some unique answers. We have to do another interview in a couple weeks and this time we get to go deeper with the person and reason with them. Pray for an opening to present the Gospel.
So now what I've been learning outside of class. I started reading through the book of Genesis in hopes to read through the Bible in year (that may not happen haha). However, the book has been incredible. I used to see the Old Testament as boring and old, but as I've matured in my walk with God, I love His Word. As I've been reading, I've been learning about the faithfulness of God. Genesis is just a huge story of God's faithfulness. Once he makes the promise of the Redeemer in Genesis 3:15, he is faithful to keep that promise, whether man decides to obey or not. In Genesis 6 when God wipes out humanity in the flood, he keeps the only righteous man left, Noah along with his family. In Genesis 12, God makes a promise to Abraham that he would bless Abraham and he would make Abraham into a great nation, that through Abraham and his descendants all families on the earth would be blessed through him. Abraham goes until he is ages 99 and still has no children and is wondering about becoming this great nation. In Genesis 17 God promises this child in Abraham and Sarah's old age. God was faithful to keep the line of the Redeemer in tack, and Isaac was born a year later. The promise to Abraham was repeated to Isaac and his son Jacob and in Exodus 1, their indeed was a great nation, Israel. Jacob had had twelve sons, which became the 12 tribes of Israel. Going back to Genesis though, in chapter 22, God tells Abraham to go sacrifice his promised son Isaac. Now God has just given Abraham the very child he promised and now he tells Abraham to go sacrifice him? Abraham goes to do what God tells him, without questioning. He lays Isaac on the altar and is about to sacrifice him and God tell Abraham to stop because of Abraham's faith. God says to Abraham "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me" (Genesis 22:12). God then provides a ram to sacrifice instead and the mountain was named "The Lord will provide." God is a faithful God. I'm not sure if Abraham knew what God was going to do, however I believe he rested in the Lord's faithfulness and knew God was going to do something, because he had promised Isaac and that the line of the Redeemer was going through him. And so he did whatever God told him to, no matter how crazy it sounded. I have been learning to rest in God's faithfulness. He will provide, but I must be a man who fears the Lord, believes him and takes him at his word, and a man who does whatever he tells me to do, even if it sounds crazy.
As some of you know finances for Bible school were a question mark, but I trusted the Lord and believed he was leading me to attend Bible school and so went, even with a lack of finances. God has been providing and has been answering prayers. I started doing a job this weekend helping a man do roofing work and that job is going for the next 2-3 weeks and the pay is north of $10 an hour. Also I had a phone interview with the hospital next door to New Tribes and that woman told me that we will most likely be moving on to the next step, an on site interview. The Lord is working, I just need to continue to be faithful and obedient to him in prayer, in the Word, and in life.
Praise:
1. The phone interview and the roofing job. Answers to prayers and definitely the Lord's working. Praise God!
2. Community. I was discouraged my first few days here, feeling like a new kid, but the community here is amazing, we're like one big family and I love it. Also the teachers and deans are always wanting to talk and hang out, so that's been an encourager. The freshman are having a book study on Thursday nights as well and that's been fantastic.
Prayer Requests:
1. Faithfulness to God and His Word.
2. Leadership. That I would point others to Christ is all that I do. I know I am a leader and want to continue to grow in that.
3. Learner's attitude/classes. I want to approach every class with a learner's attitude because I for sure do not know everything and want to soak in all the wisdom I can. Pray that the classes and the information taught would penetrate my heart and that I may bear fruit because of it.
4. Pray that I may not get so deep into theology that I miss the point of Bible school. I want to fall in love more and more with Jesus daily. Basically pray that my heart and head would not be disconnected but that the knowledge would penetrate both.
Thank you for all your prayers!!
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