How to Study the Bible (Part 1)

Hello Friends!

The Bible is an awe-inspiring book. However, as Christians, we must not merely admire it – we must understand it and thus be able to live by it!

In fact, the majority of people who have an opinion about the Bible – either positive or negative – do not understand what it says. Such understanding is crucial because the Bible is the very Word of God – a fact that becomes especially apparent as we study it! Therefore we need to know how to study the Bible...

This monumental endeavor encompasses four important aspects to consider regarding studying the Bible as we obey and in turn learn to live out God’s Word in our lives:

Reading

Interpreting

Meditating

Teaching

Please join us over the coming several weeks as we learn more about this very important aspect of the Christian life – Enjoy!

How to Study the Bible (Part 1)

Reading the Bible

Obviously, Bible study begins with reading. Yet, quite frankly, many Christians never get to that point! At best, they simply “nibble” at the text. Although they may often read books about the Bible or devotional materials loosely based on it, they don't read the Bible itself. Good Christian books and magazines that supplement our Bible reading are wonderful to be sure. However, there is no substitute for reading the Scriptures!

The Old Testament

There are thirty-nine books in the Old Testament. If you read about twenty minutes a day, you should be able to finish it in one year.

The Old Testament was written in Hebrew, a comparatively simple language to understand. It doesn't have the nuances of Greek language of the New Testament. The Old Testament isn't a theoretical or philosophical language with a lot of abstraction. It is very concrete.

The Old Testament is a historical narrative interspersed with biblical laws, poetry and prophecies. It is best to read from Genesis straight through to Malachi, indicating in your margin or a journal the passages you don't understand. If you do that, you'll find an interest­ing thing happening: As time goes on you will be erasing many of your markings. Why? Because as you read and reread Scripture, you will have a broader perspective that will answer some of the questions you had originally. Incidentally, what you can't answer in your reading, you can study later with a commentary or other source that will provide for you the true meaning.

One potential cause for confusion in reading the Old Testament is that it is not always in chronological order. One resource to consider is The NarratedBible which rearranges the entire Bible in chronological order – a helpful tool. For instance, in it you'll read the Psalms of David interspersed at the appropriate times in his life and the words of the prophets as they relate to the kings in power at the time. It is helpful for those who have never read the Bible before or who want a fresh perspective.

The important thing is to be reading through the Old Testament on a regular basis, because you'll be amazed at what you learn! For as the Apostle Paul states in the New Testament:

For whatever was written in earlier times [the Old Testament] was written for our instruction, that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope – Romans 15:4

Thank you for reading! Don’t miss next week’s continued investigation of How to Study the Bible…

May the Lord Jesus Christ continue to bless you with His perfect love, mercy and grace!

Keep looking up and sharing the Gospel while there is still time… Hallelujah and Maranatha – come quickly Lord Jesus!

Blessings!

Shane <><

Caring for Orphans

Some of you know that Joe and I have not been able to have children. We got pregnant in our first year of marriage, but miscarried at 13 weeks. Since then, we haven’t been able to get pregnant again. For a while, we thought it just wasn’t God’s timing.

A couple years later, though, we were studying the book of Isaiah and I was challenged by God’s command to take care of widows and orphans.

Isaiah 1:17                                

Learn to do right; seek justice.
    Defend the oppressed.
Take up the cause of the fatherless;
    plead the case of the widow.

James 1:27             Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.

Joe and I prayed about whether God was directing us to take care of orphans by pursuing foster-to-adopt. We attended a conference about it and then signed up for an official orientation class in our area, but the doors were locked when we arrived (2 minutes late, because of some slow traffic). We knocked on doors and called numbers we had, but to no avail. We took that as literally a closed door, at least for a time.

Four more years past, yet another fertility doctor visited, and we continued to pray about what God wanted us to do. So, last May, Joe went ahead and scheduled another foster orientation, but this time they came to our house. After many training classes and home visits, we were finally licensed for foster-to-adopt a few weeks ago!

Who else are the orphans, widows, or oppressed around you and me?

How might God want you and me to help those around us that are troubled, oppressed, or mistreated?

Alice

The Inner Voice

Be on your guard; you will be handed over to the local councils and be flogged in the synagogues. On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.  Matthew 10:17-20+

For years, I never had an exercise routine.  Sure, there were times that I would start doing it for a few weeks and maybe even a month, but ultimately, it would not last.  Even health concerns raised by my doctor had not fully gotten me on board.  However when I started not feeling as well as I thought I should, I tried one more time.  This time, I measured my success focusing on overall wellbeing and not exercising.  When I did not feel up to it, this inner voice would say, “Ok, Kent.  You have to get out tomorrow and do it so you will feel better!”  That subtle change in the message made a wealth of difference.  In month number three, so far so good (someone check on me in June  J).

Witnessing for God is about trusting the Holy Spirit within you.  My pastor is passionate about winning others to Christ, and he is very good at it.  While I am passionate about winning others to Christ, I still need a lot of work at it.  Yet even though I struggle at and am not comfortable with doing it, I am not absolved from trying.  By trying, I realized I am not good at being direct (i.e. Do you know who Christ is?).  God did wire me to ask really good questions leading to others self-discovery (Why are you here with me today?  Why aren’t you happy?  What’s missing from this picture?  Could I share what I know with you?).  Your message and approach will be very different from mine and many others.  However you must trust the Holy Spirit within you (some might call it lending a voice to it) to be able to truly witness for it.

God did not give us gifts to let them stay idle.  He gave them for His glory such that each are to be used to as Jesus says, “Go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28:19)  Let go of your fears and trust God to guide you where you need to go with others.  What is the Holy Spirit within you saying?  Who do you know that is waiting to hear God from you?  My prayer is that we share with others by submitting to the inner voice of the Holy Spirit within us.  Amen.

Restore my roar, Part 3

Daniel 5:13-17 “Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you. Just now the wise men and the conjurers were brought in before me that they might read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not declare the interpretation of the message. But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.” Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.” (NASB)

Ah, the crazy hand story! During a large celebration the king (Nebuchadnezzar’s son Belshazzar) was having a great time until a strange hand appeared and wrote something on the wall. Unable to know what it said or meant, he went searching for someone who could help. Someone remembered how Daniel had helped his father, so they called him and offered him a great reward for interpreting this for the king. After he accomplishes this, Daniel is given the great reward – even though he does the key thing in verse 17, and tells him to keep the gifts – but he will still interpret. Here is where Daniel showed a simple step – it wasn’t about him. The first time he interpreted there was threat of death – but by now he was a known commodity, so there was just a reward for him to “do his thing”. But Daniel knew it wasn’t about him, it was about God. He wanted that clear – so he stated to keep the gifts. He knew that doing what God had gifted him to do under reasons of personal gain would change that relationship and possibly how God was able to use him. He wanted to maintain proper motivation.

If we want God to restore our roar – it must be about Him and not us.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill