Why Study?

For the past couple of months, I’ve wanted to write about why we should study the bible. I started by searching the bible to see what it says. It says a lot. That’s why it took a couple of months to see what it said. There are many Christians who have never read the bible. They hear the preacher give his sermon. They go to Sunday School, but they have never sat down and let God talk to them through His Word. The first reason we should read the bible is because God actually tells us to. (Deuteronomy 31:10-11) “…at the end of seven years … you shall read this law before them in their hearing.” So right there we have the word of God saying read me. He even gives us a time frame. Why does God want us to read His Word? So His children that do not know His Word will learn to fear the Lord. (Deuteronomy 31:13) Seven years, Sixty-six books, that’s not even a book a month. Any one can do that. What else does it say about reading the bible? In Joshua 1:8 God tells Joshua to keep this book of the law on your lips; meditate on it day and night. Meditate that goes beyond just reading. That means stop and think about what I’m saying. Let’s look at some of the promises god makes if we will study His Word. He told Joshua it would make him Prosperous and Successful. (Joshua 1:8) We can find the promise of blessings. Blessed is the one who reads aloud. (Revelation 1:3) Blessed are those who delight and meditate. (Psalm 1:1-2) It will help keep your way pure. (Psalm119:9) It will be our Counselor. (Psalm 119:24) The bible will give you advice that will never fail! We will live long. (Deuteronomy 6:2). The list could go on and on.

Let’s say you’ve tried to read the bible and it is just too confusing. Let’s look at Acts 8:26-10 An Ethiopian official was sitting in his chariot trying to read Isaiah 53:7-8, when Phillip asked if he understood what he was reading. The man replied “How can I unless someone explains it to me?”(Acts 8:30-31) While Phillip might not be nearby when we are studying, the Holy Spirit is. All you have to do is pray and ask God for understanding. (John 14:26) Let’s go back to Psalm 119:18 “Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law” (Psalm 119:26-27) “…teach me your decrees. Cause me to understand the way of your precepts, that I may meditate on your wonderful deeds.”

We have seen that God says we should read the bible. We see why we should study the bible. We know how to get understanding. Now let’s look at what it says about God’s word. (2 Samuel 22:31) “As for God his way is perfect; the Lord’s word is flawless…” (Psalm 33:4) “For the word of the Lord is right and true; He is faithful in all He does.” (Psalm 119:103) “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:105) “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” (Psalm 119:130) “The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.” (Job 23:12) “…I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily bread.”

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” Matthew 24:35

I want to include some links to some study aids and give a few ideas for studying. First and foremost to get anything out of the bible you must pray and ask for understanding. If you have never had God show you something in the bible it will amaze you when he unlocks a secret. Before you try a study bible or a commentary read the bible all the way through. In an average regular print bible you can do that in about 3 months reading around 10 pages a day. 2 pages a day can be done in a year. If you travel a lot get a bible on CD. I have seen several different versions with different people reading them. Find one that you will actually be able to listen to for hours at a time. I personally like the version with Johnny Cash’s voice. It's New Testament only. The Word of Promise is a New Testament NKJV done as a radio drama. It has several well known actors and actresses reading the parts plus sound effects in the background. It’s awesome.

Start looking at the cross references once you have read the bible all the way through. Many bibles have these in them. It will point you to similar verses, which will help interpret stuff. Make notes in your bible or keep a notebook with you when you listen to a sermon. Afterward read the verse and study your notes.

Bibles

. Go to the International Bible Society or Bible Gateway and compare the different translations until you find one you like and can understand. I use about five translations when I’m studying. The different translation of some words can completely change the way you see something. If you like gadgets Olive Tree bible software has downloadable bibles for most phones and Ipods.

Software

There are several bible study programs out there. I like Esword. It’s a free download. It has several bibles and commentaries available. Many of them are free and the rest are at very reasonable prices. It has a built in word processor for doing studies and a tool for making your own commentaries. I use it to do many of my studies and to prepare the lessons for my class.

Other resources

Sermons are a great way to get interpretations. Most of the well known preachers have sermons on their websites. Many small churches are starting to put sermons on their websites. Many times you can find a great pastor by just searching Churches. One Place Now has several Sermons and so does Sermon Audio. Vernon McGee’s Thru the Bible site has the five year radio program available as mp3s. In my opinion this is an excellent verse by verse bible audio commentary. John Mac Arthur on his Grace to You website has sermon transcripts these are a great helps to study the bible.

Now don’t let commentaries and sermons stop you from reading the bible. You still need to devote time to reading in addition to your study time. I also don’t recommend letting commentaries stop you from letting God help you interpret the bible.

Again do not let anything take the place of bible reading.

Slaves of Christ

A couple of months ago I picked up a Holman Christian Standard Bible. As I was reading through it I noticed the word servant was replaced with Slave. I stopped reading to think about the significance of that. I had never seen it used that way before. A short while later I was reading The Christian Journey, a blog I enjoy reading. I noticed he had a post called Servants Or Slaves talking about a sermon John Macarthur had done on the word Doulos (Greek for slave) That transcript is available here. I recommend taking the time to read it. Anyway, I got to thinking about what the word slave means. The dictionary defines a slave as someone who is subservient to a domineering force. A slave is owned by someone. A slave does everything to please his master, without the expectation of a reward. When we accept Christ, we give our life over to Him. He bought us with His Blood. Everything we do should be to please him, not for a reward! In Matthew 6:25 Jesus tells us not to worry about what to eat or what to wear. Everything will be taken care of! (Matthew 6:33) God will provide for us, just as a master would provide for his slave. Now let’s look at what a servant is. A servant is hired. He can quit if he wants. He expects payment for his service. A servant does want his master wants so he can get his reward. A slave is called upon just as God calls us. (Romans 8:30) He can’t quit. He belongs to his master, just as we belong to God and are sealed with the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:13-14) A slave may try to run away, but his master will look for him. No one can snatch you away. (John 10:29) Once you accept Jesus as your savior he pays your debt and you become a Slave of Christ (Galatians 1:10) and that is a wonderful thing to be!
MSW

God Will Provide

Genesis 22:1-14

When Abraham was 75 years old God called him. He asked him to leave his country and his people. (Genesis 12:1-4) God made a promise to Abraham. He promised to make a great nation out of him. He promised that all people would be blessed through him. Think about that, ALL People. Not just some, but all people. Abraham was a man who put his trust in God. He packed his things, left his family, and went where God would lead him. The only family the bible says he took was his wife Sarah and nephew Lot. I’m guessing that Lot was like a son to Abraham. Sarah was sixty-five and Abraham was seventy-five and they had never had children of their own, though it was the wish of both of them. When Abraham and Lot’s herdsman started quarreling Abraham let Lot chose the land he wanted. (Genesis 13:8-9) When Lot was taken captive by the four kings it was Abraham that went after him. (Genesis 14:11-16) When God was going to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, it was Abraham who pleaded on behalf of Lot. (Genesis 18:22-33) Abraham treated Lot as his son. He still did not have his own son with Sarah though! When the Lord came to Abraham and offered him a reward, Abraham said “You have given me no children. A servant will inherit my land.” (Genesis 15:1-3) God took Abraham outside and promised him his heirs would be as numerous as the stars. (Genesis 15:4-5) Several years later Isaac is born. At the age of one hundred Abraham gets his son. Think about this, all Abraham ever wanted was a son. He raised Lot, but Lot was not his flesh and blood. He had Ishmael, but that went badly. (Genesis 21:8-10) Now in his old age he gets his son. (Genesis 21:5) Isaac grows into a young man and then God tells Abraham take your son and sacrifice him for me! (Genesis 22:2) Now notice Abraham never questioned God. He didn’t say let me pray about this for a few days. He didn’t try talking or bargaining God out of this. He got up the very next morning and went to do as God told him. (Genesis 22:3-5) I wonder what Isaac was thinking during all this. So they been traveling along for three days, (Genesis 22:6-8) Isaac’s thinking that the old man has really lost it now. He is getting senile in his old age.

He asks “Hey Dad, you forgetting anything.” Abraham said “Nope nothing I can think of. Why you ask?”

“No reason. I was just wondering where this lamb you are going to sacrifice is at?”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that, “God will provide the lamb.””

So they get to the top of the mountain. Build an Altar and Abraham says “Hey Isaac, Why don’t you lie on this firewood and let me tie you up. Doesn’t that sound fun?” (Genesis 22:9-10)

All right I’m going to get serious now. Isaac is in his thirties he is a grown man able to carry all the firewood up the mountain by himself. If he did not want to be placed on the altar he could have stopped it. He trusted God and his father enough to allow himself to be tied up. Think about that. We have been looking at the trust and sacrifice Abraham had been willing to make for God. Isaac was going to give up his life. Now Abraham lifts his knife and prepares to plunge it into his son whom he loves. Next, God says stop. There is a lamb over there sacrifice it instead of Isaac. (Genesis 22:11-13)

Abraham was willing to sacrifice his son, which he had wanted for so long. God did sacrifice his son. Look at Genesis 22:8 “God himself will provide the lamb for sacrifice.” We can’t make it to heaven without blood to atone for our sins. God provided a sacrifice for us. God loved us so much and wanted us to have eternal life with him so he provided the lamb.

John 1:29 NIV “… look the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

John 3:16 NIV "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Everyday we should think about what God has done for us and thank God that he provided that Lamb in the form of His Son.

MSW

Obama & McCain

On Saturday the 16th Rick Warren held a civil forum with McCain and Obama. I'm going to link to Trevin Wax's Kingdom People Blog for the video's of the forum.The transcripts are available on Rick Warren's news site. This interview has a lot of questions in it that should be important to Christians. I believe that with an upcoming election it is our duty as Christians and American citizens to learn where the candidates stand on issues personal to each of us and get out and vote.
MSW

The Lost

My church is having revival this week and our speaker Dr. Hal Poe kicked off revival Sunday morning talking about what it means to be lost. There was something he said that jumped out at me. “Something is only lost, if someone cares about it and has right to possession.” Yeah, Wow! I’m also currently reading Dr. Thom Rainer’s book The Unchurched Next Door. It’s about the lost and how to witness to them. Dr. Rainer had 300 interviews conducted amongst unchurched people. The points he has pushed so far are that the majority of the lost are open to hearing the gospel, most are willing to go to church if invited, and many want Christians to tell them about Jesus. There was one interviewer who said that when he asked a coworker if he could interview him, the coworker was so excited. The coworker told him, he had wanted someone to tell him about Jesus but noone ever offered. God said we are to be a kingdom of priests (Revelation 1:6) yet many of the people interviewed said they felt Christians were ashamed to talk about religion. If this sounds like you, you are not alone. If this is you, it’s not okay! Peter says we should be prepared to share the hope that we have. (1 Peter 3:15)Yes sometimes it’s intimidating to talk about Jesus to someone who is not a Christian. They might get hostile or they might ask a question you don’t know the answer to. The list of excuses goes on and on. When God told Moses to go talk to pharaoh he responded that he wasn’t eloquent of speech. (Exodus 4:10-12) The thing you must realize is that if God makes an appointment for you to talk to someone, He will give you the words to say. I ask God on a daily basis for opportunities to serve him and I ask for wisdom and the words to say. I may have failed on my part of that deal but God never has! I promise it is a wonderful feeling you get when someone you’ve talked to comes to church or drops to their knees and says the prayer of salvation. It’s hard for someone who goes to church to understand how a lost person feels. Imagine feeling that Christians look down on you. How do you ask someone who looks down on you for help? Imagine feeling that God could never forgive your sin or that you are not worthy of his forgiveness. As a Christian you know all you have to do is Admit there is a God, Believe he sent His Son to die for your sins, and Confess your sins. If you have never been to church, it’s hard to believe it could be that simple. It is our duty as Christians to tell the lost about Jesus. The thought I want to leave you with is what Dr. Poe said in his sermon Sunday morning. “Something is only lost, if somebody cares about it and has right to possession.” In his sermon he referred to that somebody as God. I think it goes further than that. For us to want to see the lost saved we have to care about them. Think about that.

MSW

For Someone to be lost, Someone has to care about them!

Spiritual Awakenings

Revival is upon us once again. What is Revival though? A time when we try to reach out to the lost? Aren’t we supposed to do that all the time? A time when you have to be in church all week? Why? A Revival is a spiritual awakening. Let’s look at revivals in the bible. When Asa became king he removed all the Idols the Jews had been worshipping.(1 kings 15:8-13) He Prayed to God for help.(2 Chronicles 14:11) God sent the prophet Oded to tell him “The Lord is with you when you are with him.” (2 Chronicles 15:1-2)Asa assembled the people and held Sacrifices to the Lord. Then they entered a covenant to seek the Lord. Think about that. Imagine the whole community coming to God and making a covenant to actively seek Him. If you read all the verses that go with this story you will see they came from several tribes because they could see that God was with Judah. (2 Chronicles 15:8-15) Well Judah goes back to idol worship until Hezekiah comes along and makes a covenant with the Lord. He tells Judah to Stand before the Lord and serve Him, to minister before him. (Chronicles 29:10-11) At the age of sixteen Josiah began to seek the God. (2 Chronicles 34:1-3) As the Levites were cleaning out the temple they found the Book of the Law of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 34:14-18 ) He renewed the covenant to follow the Lord and keep his Commandments with all his heart and soul. Then he had everyone in Jerusalem pledge themselves to it. (2 Chronicles 34:31-32 ) Next we have revival after the Israelites were freed from Babylon captivity. Ezra stood at a podium in front of the water gate and read aloud from the Book of the Law. From daybreak till noon Ezra read. As he read Priest and teachers walked amongst the crowd instructing in what it meant, making it clear and giving it meaning so that the people understood what was being read.(Nehemiah 8:1-8 ) For seven days Ezra read the Law. Later that month the Israelites confessed their sins. All of these revivals involved everyone seeking God. They involved studying the word of God. Ezra prayed before revival, “O my God, I am too ashamed and disgraced to lift up my face to you, my God, because our sins are higher than our heads and our guilt has reached to the heavens. 7 From the days of our forefathers until now, our guilt has been great. Because of our sins, we and our kings and our priests have been subjected to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation at the hand of foreign kings, as it is today.” We have to want revival and pray for it. During revival sermons we must listen, understand and study the word of God. For a true revival we must confess our sins to God. Vow to seek Him. Then go out and minister. Imagine standing in the hot sun from daybreak till noon listening to someone read the bible. Some people can barely sit in church for an hour. This was seven days for half the day. I pray that God will use this year’s revival not only to bring in the lost, but also to awaken all Christians.
MSW
"Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nehemiah 9:5 NIV