SBS--School of Biblical Studies

I realize that I have not kept up with this blog very well for the past year, but in my opinion I have a good reason. And this is the reason : I have been studying a school called the 'School of Biblical Studies'(SBS). This may not sound like a legit reason to disappear off the face of 'blogging planet' world, but trust me, I was busy.
   SBS is  a 9month school of intensely studying the bible using an inductive method. So basically, we have class 3 times a week then go through the Bible in a very self led bible study way. By the end we read the bible 5 times.  It was super super cool, but require perseverance through 50-60hrs of study a week.  (More info on what a SBS school is  http://uofnbattambang.com/sbs/ )
     If I were to discribe my SBS experience: both the practical circumstances and what God was doing in my heart I would use the words "challange" and "humbling".
      SBS was a huge challange for me to do--but more importantly than that God was majorly challenging my heart. It was a time of really searching and questioning--who is God?--what do I believe?--why do I believe what I believe?  God was challanging me on who I am and what my life is for.....and that is also why I would say that this past 9 months was 'humbling'.
      Coming into this school I had never read the entire bible, and quite frankly I didn't enjoy reading the parts that I had read. I found it frustrating, random, uninteresting, and super difficult to understand. But my whole perspective has completely changed after studying through it! (....as it probably should), and  very surprisingly the Old Testament has been my favorite to study.  The question everyone has is what was my favorite book to study---but that is so hard to answer. However, some books which I never expected to enjoy so much includes: Job, Ezekiel, 2Corinthians, Leviticus, John, Jonah, Revelations, Luke.  It was exciting and mind blowing to see that right from the beginning, and all the way through, everything was/is for God's glory. His creation, faithfulness, people, promises,judgment, mercy,sacrifice, victory, his Presence on earth--it is all for God's glory. And this challanged me so much daily if the choices I was making, and the things I was saying, was glorifying to God or not.  God's deep love and faithfulness to his people~and how through them He has chosen to be glorified is incomprehensible.
     God through this time has given me a huge heart for the lost~~but also for His church. The picture painted of the church being built up as the temple of God, and also the imagery of the church being like the body of Christ, is so incredibly beautiful and reflects so much the 'role' of God's people in His Plan, and their responsibility. It also really helps clarify so much of the Old Testament and how God's plan and desire for his people never really changed. His desire is to be with them, dwell with them, and to be glorified in the them and through them. As someone who grew up thinking 'church' was more the actual building, or a group of leaders (even though I was always taught otherwise), this was a simple yet important revelation to me. It helped me see that as a church-as God's people-we need to be unified and so grounded on God and His Word as we obey Him. He is most glorified through the church when our hearts are most surrendered to Him. And I see something throughout history, and even so prevalent today, and that is that God's church can become so focused and divided over issues that have become more important than God and living for His name's sake. Through this, God has challenged me to intercede for the divided church  body--and to be praying for my brothers and sisters in Christ that I don't even know!
Through out this time I have also been challanged to live a life that honors and genuinely loves people. Something that is not easy for me,and quite frankly does not come naturally--but is something God is continually teaching me more about and guiding me in. This includes viewing people as the special and unique individuals whom God has created, and to whom HE has uniquely spoken to and revealed himself to. I've realized that through other people  and the unique relationship they have with Christ, God can teach me so much.
   My priorities, and the 'lenses' of my life God has also been challanging and fixing. Through His Word, God has been showing me and challanging me on my priorities: if He is the top of my priorities and my worship to Him. obedience to Him--even when it means sacrifice, or humility and selflessness, or risk, or 'uncertainty'-- needs to take priority over my own emotions and will.
The 'lenses' on how I view God,myslef,people, and situations, God's Word, injustice, life, hardship, etc.. has also been seriously challenged and altered. God has been teaching me about having an 'eternal perspective' of looking at life on the foundation of who God is , and his promises, and the reality of what is really important in life. God has also been speaking to me about viewing and looking at people the way he sees them. Doing this, in turn, has challanged me to be submissive to God's leading Holy Spirit in me, in order to have so much more love, patience, honor, interest, and grace for people.
   By studying through the Old Teatament and through the Prophets, I have been blown away by the greace and generosity of Christ's scarifice on the cross and the Holy Spirit he has given to live in us. This just left me humbled and in awe.
   Another thing which God has been working in my heart on is my extremely stubborn, strong willed spirit. He has been challanging and guiding me to use this for His glory in carrying out his plan --and not just for myself being stubborn to get what I want.
     SBS has been a very difficult, hard time for me--but also a very sweet, beautiful time of going throgh the Scriptures with God. I realize that it isn't common or very doable for many people to beable to have the full time reponsibility to be studying the Bible for 9 months, so I value and am so greatful for this experience I had. However, at the time, it was extremely difficult to keep this mindset. Some people for some reason say I am 'smart' for the work I did, or 'academic'. But that is not true at all. I can honestly say this without doubt that all I learnt and wrote down was not from me or my own 'smartness' or understanding(I came from the point of not having the faintest clue of what scripture is about, and finding the Bible weird and boring)--but that left me in the state of trusting God and leaning on his strength and not my own. The Holy Spirit was the One giving me understanding and revelation~ yet I know that there is still so much for me to know. It was only by God's grace and through His strength and teachings that I survived such an academic school.
  Before SBS had started I was super anxious and freaking out, and I remember praying and God  clearly saying  "not you......us together"-- and He has been so faithful to that! He has been so faithful in guiding me and leading me and enabling me to do this. He is faithful--and through this time it has really be en highlighted to me how faithful he has been to me throughout my life.
  It has been a privilage to sit down and study the Truth, and to have him lead me through it.

Wow.....that was long. I didn't realize I had so much to say about SBS! Besides studying, I also would hang out with students at the Youth Center which teaches english/guitar/conversation/bible classes, etc. I also had the privilage of teching a small Bible group there! My days also consisted of chores, eating(if I had time, lol), bike rides, swimming, frisbee, hanging out, more bike rides, movies, moto rides, more bike rides, picnics in random fields and bridges..... oh! And becoming an auntie  :)

Yep! That pretty much summarizes the past 9 months.....

Well, peace out!