Today we’re beginning to release the audio from my recent recording in Indianapolis about how he engages Scripture in his own personal journey. Culminating forty years of study and devotional reading, The Jesus Lens is designed it help people understand how to read and interpret Scripture as the story of God’s unfolding revelation of himself in the world and resolve the seemingly conflicting passages about who God is and how he is rescuing humanity. The first session is included here. Others will be posted in days to come as they are ready. This will all be available on video when it is complete, both online and in DVD sets that will be available through Lifestream. That will take a few months. Even though this has been a costly process we are making this content available through the web free of charge so that the material will be available worldwide. While we do hope to offset some of those costs through the eventual selling of DVDs, we have also been asked by some if they can contribute to helping make these kinds of material available to others. Of course we would welcome that if you are so inclined. Just use the “Make a Donation” button on our How to Help page. 
The Jesus Lens #1: The Starting Point – What does it mean that Scripture is inspired by God after the way it was written and assembled? How do I know I can trust Scripture to reveal God’s truth to me?How do people live who are growing in the freedom of relationship instead of the bondage of religion, and what impact do they have on the world? Wayne offers seven attributes that he has seen in people who live this journey. To download Study Notes and Powerpoint Slides, or for more information on this series please go to The Jesus Lens Pages at Lifestream. You can also subscribe to any new audio postings via iTunes.
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Hi, thank you for doing this. Great start. I appreciate the notes and power point. I think, such as you bring your insights, such as those who wrote Scripture brought theirs, and that is as a reflection of God’s image, however “dimly”. Paraphrasing a thought in the Bible, it is God who hides a matter and it is for us “Kings” to discover those mysteries then apply them to our individual lives, thus affecting the body of Christ.
May we as followers of our Messiah, allow the Holy Spirit to tune our hearts to His voice allowing his voice to be heard through whatever means God chooses. At the end of hearing, may we rest in a whole new level of how much we are loved by Him, as a result, sharing that love, naturally and or super-naturally as will be the case, I feel.
A Jewish-born follower,
Ana
Hi, thank you for doing this. Great start. I appreciate the notes and power point. I think, such as you bring your insights, such as those who wrote Scripture brought theirs, and that is as a reflection of God’s image, however “dimly”. Paraphrasing a thought in the Bible, it is God who hides a matter and it is for us “Kings” to discover those mysteries then apply them to our individual lives, thus affecting the body of Christ.
May we as followers of our Messiah, allow the Holy Spirit to tune our hearts to His voice allowing his voice to be heard through whatever means God chooses. At the end of hearing, may we rest in a whole new level of how much we are loved by Him, as a result, sharing that love, naturally and or super-naturally as will be the case, I feel.
A Jewish-born follower,
Ana
Wayne, thank you for your time and effort in putting this all together AND then offering it for free!!! That is unheard of !!
I do have one point I am trying to wrap around my finite mind. The example of the fig tree and how you used it to show that some of the writers made mistakes or mis remembered some events, has me wondering if that is true then couldnt have they been wrong about importart stuff too.
I have held the view that you first described as “the original text was without fault.” But I see your point in that is kinda of cop-out. I wonder though doesnt suggesting the writers made mistakes open the floodgates to get rid of any scripture you dont like because “it was probably written wrong” or dismiss the entire bible because “it was just written by fallible men and not inspired.”
Thanks again for everything !
Wayne, thank you for your time and effort in putting this all together AND then offering it for free!!! That is unheard of !!
I do have one point I am trying to wrap around my finite mind. The example of the fig tree and how you used it to show that some of the writers made mistakes or mis remembered some events, has me wondering if that is true then couldnt have they been wrong about importart stuff too.
I have held the view that you first described as “the original text was without fault.” But I see your point in that is kinda of cop-out. I wonder though doesnt suggesting the writers made mistakes open the floodgates to get rid of any scripture you dont like because “it was probably written wrong” or dismiss the entire bible because “it was just written by fallible men and not inspired.”
Thanks again for everything !
Jacob, I hope this becomes clearer in subsequent podcasts. I’m not saying one was mistaken, but that they remembered it differently. I think what that shows us is that God was far less concerned with the details as he was the message and he let the uniqueness of human personality come through as well. People have always thrown out (or at least ignored) Scriptures they were uncomfortable with. This is not going to change that or even encourage it. Truth is truth, and when you read Scripture as a story you can at least discern what is truth and what is not. Anyone who determines truth by what makes them comfortable, doesn’t have a heart for truth to begin with….
Jacob, I hope this becomes clearer in subsequent podcasts. I’m not saying one was mistaken, but that they remembered it differently. I think what that shows us is that God was far less concerned with the details as he was the message and he let the uniqueness of human personality come through as well. People have always thrown out (or at least ignored) Scriptures they were uncomfortable with. This is not going to change that or even encourage it. Truth is truth, and when you read Scripture as a story you can at least discern what is truth and what is not. Anyone who determines truth by what makes them comfortable, doesn’t have a heart for truth to begin with….
Wayne, I hear what you are saying, but some part of me wants it to be accurate in all the details also. I like knowing that it is
intellectually sound to beleive what was written in the details. Maybe it is a part of me that needs to die, but I get excited when I hear of an archelogical dig or something in the dead sea scrolls or anything other discovery that shows how reliably accurate the bible is in details. Maybe its just a pride thing or maybe I live too much in the intellectual realm or maybe a little bit of both. Maybe I wasn’t being honest with myself, I probably wasnt really worried what others might do with your perspective, but what that might mean to me.
Wayne, I hear what you are saying, but some part of me wants it to be accurate in all the details also. I like knowing that it is
intellectually sound to beleive what was written in the details. Maybe it is a part of me that needs to die, but I get excited when I hear of an archelogical dig or something in the dead sea scrolls or anything other discovery that shows how reliably accurate the bible is in details. Maybe its just a pride thing or maybe I live too much in the intellectual realm or maybe a little bit of both. Maybe I wasn’t being honest with myself, I probably wasnt really worried what others might do with your perspective, but what that might mean to me.
Jacob, I understand what you’re saying and I appreciate it too when archeology affirms the Biblical record. But I’m not saying the details aren’t accurate, just that some recollections may not be exact. It’s like two people witnessing an auto accident, and yet their perception of it may be different. But the accident still happened, even if people recall it differently. I believe these things really happened and in the case of the fig tree, I don’t think God cared if one said immediately and the other said the next day. That’s immediate enough for God, I guess. 😉
Jacob, I understand what you’re saying and I appreciate it too when archeology affirms the Biblical record. But I’m not saying the details aren’t accurate, just that some recollections may not be exact. It’s like two people witnessing an auto accident, and yet their perception of it may be different. But the accident still happened, even if people recall it differently. I believe these things really happened and in the case of the fig tree, I don’t think God cared if one said immediately and the other said the next day. That’s immediate enough for God, I guess. 😉
Ok Wayne, I think we are on the same page. I am sorry for misinterperting what you were saying.
I have several people that dont like listening to things (they think it is boring), so I am eagerly waiting for the video. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work.
Ok Wayne, I think we are on the same page. I am sorry for misinterperting what you were saying.
I have several people that dont like listening to things (they think it is boring), so I am eagerly waiting for the video. Thank you for your time and keep up the good work.
Wayne- Thank you so much for doing this. I am literally starting from square one when it comes to reading and understanding scripture. What you said about it being a story of unfolding revelation of God and His character automatically shifts my approach in way that is different from the way I saw scripture before. I have been increasingly afraid that I’m really missing something that is critical to how I live my life. I’ve felt spiritually dead for the last two years or so. Honestly, I have not read the Bible through once and I’ve been a believer for over 20 years. The one thing that keeps coming back to me is that I must not know Him. At times have been terrified that I’m not even saved! I know that you are not offering ‘Ten Rules To Follow in Order To Know You Are Saved’, but I do believe that peace can only come from the assurance that I am loved. Until now it’s only been wishful thinking. I pray that I am able to get over my fears and enjoy God’s letter to me in a way that changes my mind. Thank you again. I appreciate your life and your effort on behalf of so many.
Wayne- Thank you so much for doing this. I am literally starting from square one when it comes to reading and understanding scripture. What you said about it being a story of unfolding revelation of God and His character automatically shifts my approach in way that is different from the way I saw scripture before. I have been increasingly afraid that I’m really missing something that is critical to how I live my life. I’ve felt spiritually dead for the last two years or so. Honestly, I have not read the Bible through once and I’ve been a believer for over 20 years. The one thing that keeps coming back to me is that I must not know Him. At times have been terrified that I’m not even saved! I know that you are not offering ‘Ten Rules To Follow in Order To Know You Are Saved’, but I do believe that peace can only come from the assurance that I am loved. Until now it’s only been wishful thinking. I pray that I am able to get over my fears and enjoy God’s letter to me in a way that changes my mind. Thank you again. I appreciate your life and your effort on behalf of so many.
In the case of the fig tree, is it possible that both accounts are accurate? Could it be that when Jesus cursed the fig tree, it died immediately, looked whithered but still green, and by the next day it was totally dried up? One account focused on the died immediately part and gave no more detail. The other one pointed out when it was totally dried up, leaving out the immediate whithering. In this view, inspiration could provide 100% accuracy while allowing for individuality and without word for word dictation. I suppose it could still be word for word if God wanted “kings” to search it out.
Jeff, I most certainly think both accounts are accurate, they are just not identical and that is the challenge. What you assert Bible interpreters have been suggesting for centuries, but what that destroys is the most most natural reading of Scripture. You have to twist the account to get to the conclusion people want who think (mistakenly, in my view) that God dictated the Scriptures therefor their should be any discrepancy. But if men were writing under the Spirit’s inspiration, then there is no issue with different recollections some 30 years after the fact. That shouldn’t bother us at all when the underlying point is that Jesus cursed a fig tree and it withered in a supernatural way/
In the case of the fig tree, is it possible that both accounts are accurate? Could it be that when Jesus cursed the fig tree, it died immediately, looked whithered but still green, and by the next day it was totally dried up? One account focused on the died immediately part and gave no more detail. The other one pointed out when it was totally dried up, leaving out the immediate whithering. In this view, inspiration could provide 100% accuracy while allowing for individuality and without word for word dictation. I suppose it could still be word for word if God wanted “kings” to search it out.
Jeff, I most certainly think both accounts are accurate, they are just not identical and that is the challenge. What you assert Bible interpreters have been suggesting for centuries, but what that destroys is the most most natural reading of Scripture. You have to twist the account to get to the conclusion people want who think (mistakenly, in my view) that God dictated the Scriptures therefor their should be any discrepancy. But if men were writing under the Spirit’s inspiration, then there is no issue with different recollections some 30 years after the fact. That shouldn’t bother us at all when the underlying point is that Jesus cursed a fig tree and it withered in a supernatural way/