I got my first Rubik's cube when I was in highschool, way back in 1980.  They were all the rage back then. I played with it until it was stolen on a field trip in grade nine.  I find in interesting to see the resurgence of interest in these toys again.  I often see young people spinning this cubes gracefully in their hands, solving the 3D combination puzzle with what looks like the skill of a mathematician.

 When they first came out there was really only a few ways to figure it out.  You worked at it till you got it, you bought a book to learn how or you found someone who had figured it out and they taught you. We had no Internet or you tube to help us solve this dilemma,  it took an investment of time.  I am embarrassed to say, it has been over 30 years since I got that first Rubik's cube and I have never, not once, solved the puzzle.  I toyed with this game, but I never became a master of it.  The question that I ask myself periodically is, “Could I have mastered this puzzle?”  I mean really master it, not taking the stickers off and putting them back on like some people did.  You know who you are and we know you cheated!  The answer I believe is a resounding yes.  My excuses are that I didn't have the proper tools, it was too hard, someone stole my cube (The fact that I mentioned this twice probably shows I'm still ticked off about this) and eventually I just lost interest.

On Sunday, we talked about another one of the principles of the Way of Jesus, that we are to learning the teachings of Jesus,  The main place to be learning the teachings of Jesus is in God's Word: the Bible.  I sometimes see comparisons between my treatment of God's word and my Rubik's cube.  I have been reading my Bible since I was a teenager.  Even though I have attended Bible College, I feel like I have toyed with God's Word more than I have become a master.

2 Timothy 2:15, known as the AWANA verse at our church, because it is that ministries theme verse and where it derives its name: Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed, encourages us to: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the truth.”  If you have seen someone who is good at a Rubik's cube, you know they can correctly handle it.  The spin and turn with a confidence that is amazing to watch.  For those of us who are followers of Jesus, we should be handling God's word with the same kind or expertise and precision.  Or as the modern vernacular puts it,  “Handling it like a boss!”

The writer of Hebrews tells us that the passage of time should be moving us deeper in our understanding of scripture, so much so that we should be teachers of this biblical knowledge to others. (See Hebrew 5:11-14).  The writer notes that often times though, we remain novices instead of moving towards maturity and mastery

In order to move in that direction it is going to take a commitment of time, energy and application.  We are going to have to commit to daily getting in to God's Word.  We can not just merely toy with the Bible either, it is going to takes some dedicated effort on our behalf.  We also need to realize that studying God's word is not merely an academic, knowledge-based pursuit, it always needs to be working itself out in the context of real life.  Some of us through time have started to use my excuses that I used for not being good at the Rubik's cube and have lost interest in God's word.  Let's pray that God rekindles a new desire for learning the teachings of Jesus.

Last week, a man set a new world record by solving 5 Rubik's cubes, with one hand in 1 minute.  You can check out the video at the following link

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-03/rubiks-cube-world-record/6278176

Just imagine what the church would be like if we could handle the Word of God with that same type of competency.

John