Phoenix Bible Study

Mark Finch started Phoenix Bible Study August 16th 2018 in Phoenix Arizona.  Mark has spent a bit over the last three years with the Holy Spirit studying the Bible cover to cover several times.  At first with no intention of ever starting a Bible Study but as time progressed realizing that the Lord’s intention was for him to share what he had learned.  He started trying to pull things together.  

At first it seemed it would be easy but like most things it soon became bereft with adversity.  Which Bible to Study?  What denomination?  Saturday or Sunday Sabbath?  Focus on the Old Testament or New?  Gospels or Epistles? It was all overwhelming.  Add to that Mark lost his Mother to Leukemia, his own body becoming ever more fragile and weak.  It seemed to much.

A bit of prologue:  Mark grew up in a Christian home, but like many in his generation by the time he was in High School public education had mostly convinced him there is only science.  God is just a figment of peoples imagination.  The years between High School and when Mark started seeking God are a book unto themselves.  Suffice it to say Mark became more atheist living a very ungodly life.  Events in the 2010’s caused Mark to recall stories from the Bible and Mark thought maybe it wasn’t imagination after all.  So Mark started researching the events and saw parallels and in particular the mass deception in politics and the media as well as a great falling away of faith.  So Mark committed to studying the Bible to really see what it said.

Like most journeys it all starts with a single step.  Mark spent several years chasing down all those questions and it only left him more perplexed.  Pastors didn’t have the answers, they simply relied on the traditions of men.  Mark in a way gave up that search since the answers didn’t seem to lead anywhere except circular reasoning and decided to focus in on the Gospels and on what the Lord said.  It seemed as good a place as any to start.  At this time the Holy Spirit wasn’t providing much guidance.  Mark read the Gospels several times.  One thing was abundantly clear.  This was written to the Jew.  Mark showed the passages to his mother and she didn’t know except that it was tradition (Mark later learned the term most churches teach replacement theology).  Or that Christians replaced Jews.  That didn’t make sense, so Mark put the Bible away.  It wasn’t written to him, it’s the Jews Religion.  Some time passes.

Then one day while tending the chickens Mark had to separate one of the girls (Lucy) who was eating eggs.  He felt sorry for her being separated from the other chickens but she literally would lay an egg and wait until Mark was out to tend them and when she knew Mark was watching her she would eat the egg.  So she remained separated.  (Stay with me dear reader this is going somewhere.)

One day Mark was outside and it was Phoenix summertime hot!  She had been separated all spring.  Mark was at his wits end.  He didn’t want to leave her couped in the dog kennel, but he couldn’t let her back in the large enclosure with the cooling misters because she was still eating her eggs.  Worse intentionally disobediently eating them by waiting for Mark to be outside so he would see her eat it.  On this day Mark had a random thought.  It gave him a chuckle.  The thought was “This must be what God felt when dealing with Israel.”  He separated them out of humanity gave them his attention and they continually thwarted his attempts to have them become the people he wants them to be with their stiff necks.

At this moment the Holy Spirit over whelmed Mark.  He was chuckling over the absurdity of it all, and crying seeing the pain God felt for humanity.  The Holy Spirit told Mark to go inside and turn on the TV and change the channel.  It was late around 10am but Mark complied.  On the local Ion TV channel God said to stop.  It was at commercial break.  When the break finished a strangely relaxing tune came on and soon an old Oklahoma farmer was on the screen talking about announcements and how great the cookies in the back were. 

He wasn’t pretentious at all, in fact just a down home mid-western style cattle rancher as Mark has ever seen.  He wasn’t wearing a tie and suit, just a clean shirt and slacks.  God had just introduced Mark to Les Feldick.  That day Les was covering what basically could be called dispensation.  Exactly what Mark needed.  All the pieces started clicking into place and Mark was able to understand.  It all makes perfect sense.

God has a plan for you too!  He might not land the Holy Spirit down on you as he has Mark.  It might be just a light tug at your heart.  Regardless as how he works if you have made it this far you must feel it.  Join us as we study the scriptures and help each other.  May God Light your path and bless your journey of faith.