"Do Unto Others"

Today I was sitting and watching the first 45 minutes of "The Last 10 Yards" (because after coming home from watching 27 3-4 year olds all day I need just a little time to veg out). While three of the characters are getting something to eat they begin to briefly discuss their "religion." Jimmy Tudeski looks at Nicholas Oseransky and says "Do unto others before you're turned into a pillar of salt" Oz relplies "A pillar of salt?" Then Jimmy retorts "Ya! Moses said that. Read your Bible Oz!" I laughed and then went on to do some things around the house. A little later that conversation played back in my head and I began to think of how sad it is to think people really do have that little knowledge of the Word of God. I know, I know it was all meant to be funny, but it's not so funny when it happens in real life.

Jay Leno used to do (and maybe still does but I have not seen his show in forever) a segment "Jay Leno goes Jaywalking." He would walk the streets of New York and ask random people general questions about life. In at least two of these Leno asks questions concerning the Bible. It is crazy how many people out there do not have a general idea of what the Bible says or teaches. And it is not just the "unchurched" population that doesn't know.

I attended Central Christian College of the Bible from 2006-2011 (i graduate in May!!). It has been a wonderful experience and I have really learned above and beyond what I ever expected. I was very surprised to find though, in the first few New and Old Testament classes we took that we had to memorize the books of the Bible in order. This was something I had learned in Sunday School in the 6th grade. Now this is not meant to be a rant on how superior I was, rather it was surprising to me that people who had grown up in the Church could not do this task.

How do we expect the world to come and find the truth revealed in Scripture if we do not know it ourselves? It is impossible to lead a person to a place we have not gone. How safe and confident would you feel if you were going sky diving, spelunking, walking down the Grand Canyon, or going on any kind of guided tour and the tour guide started out by saying, "Ladies and Gentlemen thank you for accompanying me today. I'm sure we are going to have a lot of fun. I have never actually done this before, and I have no idea what I'm doing, but I am sure I can get us through this." If your answer is anything but "um, no thank you," there is something seriously wrong.

We must begin to get into the Word of God ourselves on a daily basis so that we can lead people to Jesus. We must be experiencing the love of Christ, the active work of the Holy Spirit or nobody is going to come follow our lead, or if they do, we will be leading them in the wrong direction and the Bible is very clear about how important a teaching position is. Let's start each and everyday (or end it but I prefer to start I believe it sets the tone of my day) in God's word. Let's memorize it, "hide God's word in my heart," and let it change us. See the Holy Spirit really does work through the Scripture and reveals things to us and changes us. It's when we begin to allow God to work in our lives, when we begin to really know Scripture that we are going to be able to teach it to others, and then lead them to this wonderful salvation that we are commanded to tell the world about! Let us from this day forth continue to be changed by God so that we can "Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength, and love your neighbor as yourself."