Two Visuals: One Cool, One Scary

Just thought I would share two visuals from last week…

The Cool!

I am always looking for cool backgrounds for church and was looking through my “finds” last week and saw the one to the right.  A while ago, I StumbledUpon this site that had a “visual” of the Bible and its linkages.  Visually, it is pretty cool – seeing the rainbows of colors and their interconnectedness.  But…if it ended there, it would be just another interesting image.  The truth of the “coolness” is that this picture represents God’s Awesome Word!

As faithfacts.org puts it:

“…the Bible contains 66 books, written by approximately 40 different writers, over 1600 years, on 3 different continents, in 3 different languages, on thousands of different subjects, yet with one central theme-God’s redemption of mankind from sin won for the whole world by the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.”

The story behind the image is interesting (and sure, you could do this to many other books, including other works related to world religions); but, it is so much more than just a neat image with and cool back-story about how it was made.  WOW!!!!

BTW, there are some other cool visualizations on this person’s site…check them out!

The Scary!

I have been reading through Nehemiah veerry sloowwly in my quiet time, letting the verses sink in (this book is jam packed!) and this past week got a visual that scared me.

I tend to read from the English Standard Version during my study and was in Nehemiah nine last week.  In verses 6-25, the Levites recount the faithfulness of God to the assembled Israelites…then verse 26:

“Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and
cast your law behind their back.”

I just stopped.

In my mind, I saw what it looks like when I sin.  What God effectively sees me doing when I knowingly do or don’t do something He has commanded in His Word.

I effectively take His Word in my hands…and toss it…with disregard… over my shoulder…behind my back.

Scary.

Lord, I know I will never be without sin until I am in your presence.  Thank you for the visual of what my sin says about Your Word.  Help me to remember this visual before I sin; and bring it to mind immediately after I do, so I can maintain a posture of confession before You.  dennis