How to Study the Bible (Part 4)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our with our series titled “How to Study the Bible” for our Christian walk with our Lord Jesus Christ…

How to Study the Bible (Part 4)

Interpreting the Bible ~ Important Things to Avoid!

Here are a few very crucial points to consider when interpreting the Biblical text…

Important Things to Avoid!

1) Do not make a point at the cost of proper Biblical interpretation!

In other words, we don't want to make the Bible say what we want it to say by finding verses to support our preconceived ideas. This man-centered approach to Biblical interpretation is known as “cherry-picking” from the Scripture and is very popular in today’s evangelical environment. When we try to make a passage fit out of context, we will end up forcing the Bible to fit our misunderstanding of the true meaning of the text. But if we try to truly comprehend a passage, a proper understanding and application will flow out of our Bible studies, resulting in a life-style of obedience to Jesus Christ and His Word!

The Apostle Paul says:

For we are not like many, peddling the word of God, but as from sincerity, but as from God, we speak in Christ in the sight of God – 2 Corinthians 2:17

The Greek word translated "peddling" is kapeleuo which is referred to selling something deceitfully in the marketplace – something that wasn't what it claimed to be. We must not force the Bible to illustrate our preconceived notions. Be careful not to interpret the Bible at the cost of its true meaning!

2) Avoid superficial Bible study!

Sadly, to the detriment of God’s Word, many Bible studies consist of nothing more than person's saying something like: "I guess this verse means..." or "What does this verse mean to you?" Basically that's nothing more than a pooling of ignorance – people admitting what they don't know about the verse!

To have a successful Bible study, someone must study the passage beforehand to find out what it really means. Only then can you discuss it intelligently and thus correctly apply it in your life. Proper interpretation requires serious work! Don't take the easy way out and just simply believe what everyone tells you the Bible says. Check out the facts for yourself. Don't assume there are many interpretations of a biblical passage. There may be many applications, but there is only one true interpretation. God's Word is precise. It is not ambiguous and its content is “spiritually discerned.” In fact, God has given the believer the ability to discover the true meaning of the Scriptures:

But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned – 1 Corinthians 2:14

3) Don't spiritualize the text!

For a light-hearted example of this next point, let’s consider the following brief testimony…

The first sermon Pastor John MacArthur ever preached was as he recalls – “really bad!” Mr. MacArthur’s text was "The angel rolled the stone away" taken from Matthew 28 and he entitled his sermon, "Rolling Away the Stones in Your Life." The then young and energetic “twenty-something” Pastor talked about the stone of doubt, the stone of fear and the stone of anger. Doubt, fear and anger are all legitimate topics to be sure – but they have nothing to do with that text! Many people also tend to do this with the Old Testament. These “teachers” turn it into a fairy tale of sorts with all kinds of hidden, secret and mystical meanings – anything but what the text plainly states.

In addressing this poignant point, the Apostle Paul encouraged young Timothy to “carefully” follow his example of faithfulness to God’s Word and “godly” life style in “Christ Jesus” – whatever “persecutions” may come:

But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.  But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work – 2 Timothy 3:10-17

The false teachers of Paul’s day – “evil men and impostors” – were masters at twisting the Scriptures to their own destruction… Don't spiritualize the Bible. It deserves much more respect!

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 <><

Made of Wood

15 The poles for carrying the table were made of acacia wood and were overlaid with gold.  Exodus 37

We don't have pictures of what the tabernacle furnishings looked like.  Instead we have these written descriptions.  So I'm going to go with the assumption that these are wooden poles coated in gold for this devotional.

Looking at a wooden pole covered in gold, what do you see?  You see gold in the shape of a pole.  You don't see the wood underneath.  You only see the prized and perfect outside.  We are called upon to be reflections of Christ - to live a life like Christ lived.  There are two lives that everyone lives.  First, is the life they live that others can see.  This is the gold overlay.  You can do everything within your power to let others see that you are living a life for Christ. Second, is the life that only you know about.  This is the wood underneath the gold covering.  The only person who knows about this is you.

Now, acacia wood was durable and ideal for crafting purposes.  Its consistency was unpalatable to insects, leaving it to be very dense, which made it water resistant and less prone to decay.  This was good quality wood (it also happened to be the only wood in good supply in the desert).  There are all types of wood, each with their own unique characteristics.  Some are strong, others brittle.  Some are dense, others porous.  The point is, once it's been covered in gold, no one knows what wood is underneath.  So, what wood are you made of?  Do you still live for Christ when no one is able to see you?

Change We Can Believe In

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.  These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters.  Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.  He never changes or casts a shifting shadow.  He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.  James 1:14-18

Someone once told me that the only thing in life that you could consistently count on is that it is ever changing.  Since being born again over a decade ago, there has been a lot that has changed for me.  It’s really amazing when it’s something you have never done before.  You gain a strength that you never had, and before you know it, you’ve changed for the better.  That is what this lent season was for me.  God showed me that He would be with me always, and I learned to call on Him when I felt weak.  Thus, I could stay true to His will for my life.  He proven that while He is the same God as He has always been, my relationship is ever changing for the better.

The best rewards are found in our ever changing relationship with God.  Many people have stated that God changes for an ever evolving society.  They most commonly refer to beliefs on slavery and the gay community as examples.  This is simply not true.  God’s word is true, and He is never changing.  What does change is our understanding of His will for our own lives.  Through His grace, we learn to forgive others, and through His love, we learn that love never fails.  Through His wisdom, we make better choices, and by trusting in Him, we find true purpose for our lives.  Through reading His word and growing through His Holy Spirit, we are the ones who change as our understanding is both deeper and greater.

We are all changed through Jesus Christ.  John 1:12:13 says, “But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.”  That moment is only the beginning, and we continually evolve into the wonderful children of God that He loves so much.  What is God challenging you to change today?  What changes can strengthen your relationship with God?  My prayer is we embrace God’s ability to change us for the better for this is as a famous campaign slogan said, “Change we can believe in.”  Amen.

Tues Devo: Fight for me

Psalm 25:1-3 ”Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me. Take hold of buckler and shield and rise up for my help. Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” (NASB)

Hello,

The last few days I have been fighting hard. Sounds great right? Very American of me to fight hard and keep pushing. The problem….I get tired. I can’t win on my own. I realized that I had been fighting hard – but fighting by myself on too many things. We have to allow room for God to fight for us. We must be willing to recognize that we have to slow down or stop and move aside to let God do that for us. That is hard and often frustrating. We see the struggle and perhaps can pinpoint part of the issue –so to step back and not keep pushing. But when we do this, we see how impatient we tend to be. We see how self-centered we often approach life with…and those things hurt.

Sure, having God fight for us sounds easy…but in the heat of the battle, it is hard – and sometimes painful to do. But if we want the best results, we must do it!

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill

How to Study the Bible (Part 3)

Hello Friends!

Welcome Back! Let’s continue our with our series titled “How to Study the Bible” for our Christian walk with our Lord Jesus Christ…

How to Study the Bible (Part 3)

Interpreting the Bible

Once we read the Bible and know what it says, the next step is to find out what it means. Only when we've correctly interpreted a biblical passage can we then correctly apply it to our lives and bring glory to God through faithful obedience to His Word!

Interpreting the Bible

The Old Testament book of Nehemiah shows us the “science” of interpretation at work:

Now all the people gathered together as one man in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate; and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday… – Nehemiah 8:1-3a

Reading the Bible is where understanding begins:

…before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law – Nehemiah 8:1-3b

And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. Then all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground – Nehemiah 8:5-6

The people responded to the reading of Scripture as they “wor­shipped” the Lord. Verse 8 is the key:

So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading – Nehemiah 8:8

That's what's involved in interpreting the text. To “understand” our “reading” we must read “distinctly” from “the book” – the Word of God!

The Apostle Paul also admonished young Timothy:

Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine – 1 Timothy 4:13

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth – 2 Timothy 2:15

This is what “rightly dividing the word of truth” is all about! Sound “reading” leads to sound “exhortation” which leads to sound “doctrine.” Anything less leads to misinterpretation – which is the mother of all kinds of mania. For example, some cults teach their followers that since the Old Testament patriarchs practiced polygamy, so must we. Others say that women should suffer in childbirth as a divine punishment and to not use anesthesia. Such foolish misinterpretations arise when one doesn't understand what the Bible is really saying in context of the specific situation at hand. We must be diligent students of the Word of God regarding “all things pertaining to life in godliness” in Jesus Christ...

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 <><

Unique Gifts

30 Then Moses said to the Israelites, “See, the Lord has chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 31 and he has filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 32 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 33 to cut and set stones, to work in wood and to engage in all kinds of artistic crafts.34 And he has given both him and Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, the ability to teach others. 35 He has filled them with skill to do all kinds of workas engravers, designers, embroiderers in blue, purple and scarlet yarn and fine linen, and weavers—all of them skilled workers and designers.  Exodus 35

Bezalel was given artistic gifts.  It seems there was nothing he couldn't do.  Metalworking, gem cutting, woodworking, and "all kinds of artistic crafts."

I am a mother and a member of a sorority - two groups that have a great love for all things Pinterest and crafty.  I must be doubly crafty then, right?  Nope!  I crochet patterns that I find online and that's about it.  I don't come up with designs on my own from looking at pictures online.  I hate anything that involves working with glitter and have only used it reluctantly on occasion.  I still draw stick figures.  I can't pick out colors to paint in the rooms of my house.  Some people can see colors in their head and know what will look good in a room, or know how to organize a room.  I wasn't born like that.  While I am sometimes jealous of the fabulous creations my friends come up with, I realize that God didn't make me like that.  And that's OK.

He gave me my own set of gifts that my friends may not have.  It is up to each of us to us to discover what those gifts are and find ways to use them to glorify God.  Did Bezalel and Oholiab initially think, "Wow, I love woodworking.  This is the perfect way to glorify God!"  I doubt it.  They probably enjoyed doing their crafts and were doing it for a living.  When the Israelites began to build the temple and furnishings, they were probably champing at the bit and shouting, "Pick me!  Pick me!" because they saw they had gifts and knew that this was what God gave them their gifts for.

We have a tendency to see other people using their gifts for God's glory and think, "I can't do that."  Stop comparing yourself to others.  Every one of you has unique gifts that come from God.  My church uses around a hundred volunteers each Sunday.  There are greeters, musicians, singers, sound technicians, lighting technicians, nursery workers, Sunday school teachers, parking lot attendants, coffee stand attendants, and I'm sure others that I can't think of.  The point is, everyone is doing something that uses their unique gifts.  God has given us a wide variety of gifts so that we may make up a complete body.  Look at your gifts differently and see if you can find new ways to use them for God.

Trumpet Calls

Do you know who first came up with the idea to use trumpet calls?

Numbers 10:1-2 & 7-10          The Lord said to Moses: ² “Make two trumpets of hammered silver, and use them for calling the community together and for having the camps set out… ⁷ To gather the assembly, blow the trumpets, but not with the signal for setting out. ⁸ “The sons of Aaron, the priests, are to blow the trumpets. This is to be a lasting ordinance for you and the generations to come. ⁹ When you go into battle in your own land against an enemy who is oppressing you, sound a blast on the trumpets. Then you will be remembered by the Lord your God and rescued from your enemies. ¹⁰ Also at your times of rejoicing—your appointed festivals and New Moon feasts—you are to sound the trumpets over your burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, and they will be a memorial for you before your God. I am the Lord your God.”

God told Moses to have the priests use trumpets to communicate with several million people! The trumpets were used to tell the people to set out, call the community together, initiate battle, and lead in celebration at their festivals.

Last week we read how the cloud over the tabernacle would lift up off the tabernacle to tell the people when to set out. It was a visible signal. Then, God added an audible signal with the trumpets!

Jesus said God will use clouds and trumpets as visible and audible signs at His second coming, too! Matthew 24:30-31 ³⁰ “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. ³¹ And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.

God is detailed and orderly and gives clear direction visibly and audibly. He has given us His Word to help us “see” His direction and He has given us His Holy Spirit to help us “hear” His call. 

Have you responded to God’s “trumpet call” on your life?

First, to draw you to Himself, and then to send you out?

Are you and I careful to listen to His signals each day?

Or do we allow TV, radio, work, the internet, news, sports, or anything else to drown out His call?

How will you and l listen today?

Alice

The Hard Way

This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.  But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.  John 3:19-21

Back when I was younger, there were many things that I would learn the hard way.  For example, most of us had the experience of the flame on the stove (I have to realize that many of you grew up with electric stoves that have no flame whatsoever).  Mom would tell us not to put our hands near the flame so as not to burn our hands.  My mom would never tell me something to harm me, but again, I had to learn the hard way.  I put my hand out over the flame one time too many and . . . OUCH!  That’s the last time I put my hand over the fire.  I had learned a very simple truth.

This brought me to the question of our knowledge of God’s truth.  We study and read the Bible all the time, but many see God as this mysterious myth or nonexistent being.  Furthermore, they will question whether Jesus Christ existed and how many have used faith for wrongdoing.  How do we know that God is true?

We have been shown the light through our own experiences to know salvation through Jesus Christ.  Today’s verses talk about truth versus evil and light versus darkness.  To know the truth, the simple answer is Jesus tells us so.  However while we believe in God’s word, this is also dangerous because if we just go simply believing ‘because God said so,’ we could just as easily be led astray by someone who puts on a mask saying they are with God (some ‘prosperity’ preachers would fit under this umbrella).  Living in the light does not mean you will not experience struggle or that we will live a life devoid of trials.  What we learn is that God is there with us every step of the way, and when we have made our choices for Him, the experience always shows us light and not darkness.  We find joy and not sorrow.  In time, we welcome the trials where darkness comes because through God’s Holy Spirit, God’s light shines through us for all to see!

The key to unveiling God’s light has always been within us.  Our times of darkness did not oppress us in the bondage of sin.  He sent His Son to show us the light and free us from it.  God’s word is but a reminder of the light we have, and through our experiences, we have proof of its truth beyond a shadow of doubt.  What questions of God’s faithfulness can you answer through your past?  How can this assure you of your walk of faith?  My prayer is that we embrace the light of God given us even if we learn it the hard way.  Amen.

Tues Devo: Restore my roar, Part 5

Hello - This is the final installment from Daniel for now from me.

The latter part of the book is Daniel with many visions and dreams about the future. God used him to tell us a lot of what was to come. But what really struck me was in Daniel 9:2-6 (and past that – but this is the main part)

“in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed and said, “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances. Moreover, we have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings, our princes, our fathers and all the people of the land.” (NASB)

Daniel saw the relationship gap – through sin. He took this seriously, very seriously. He didn’t blame – he referred to “we” and took ownership. He confessed this sin – but not quickly, in detail and with the seriousness that it deserved.

Do you want your roar restored? Take sin seriously, take the time to confess it to God and take ownership of your actions. These actions are not a disqualifier – but dealing with them as promptly as possible and with the gravity that they truly bring, puts you in the position to restore that fellowship with God where power and wisdom come from.

Have a blessed day,

Will Hill