What Did Jesus Do?
Rob Flood
Family Life
Every night, my wife and I have the same snack just before going to bed: a sliced apple and peanut butter. More times than not, as Gina is cleaning up some paper work she was doing, I am the one preparing the snack. And every night I face the same appalling battle.
You see, no two apples are exactly the same size. When they are sliced and placed on the plate, the question of which apple belongs to me must be answered. And there the battle starts. It's not one of those life-altering battles that define the destiny of nations. It is, however, the type of daily battles that define the character of a man.
I'd like to think that I would take a bullet to save Gina's life. I'd like to think that I would gladly trade my own freedom if it would provide for hers. However, when it comes to apples, somehow doubt and selfishness erupt out of my heart.
Such is the battle for being a godly husband. It doesn't often occur on the battlefield of major issues; it is on the battlefield of thousands of minor ones. How do we determine what decisions, perspectives and actions are best? We could ask ourselves the popular bumper-sticker question: "What would Jesus do?" But let's answer the question that the Bible seems to pose: "What did Jesus do?"
The Standard is Set
Paul is the one who nudges all husbands in this direction. In the book of Ephesians, he gives this amazingly weighty command:
Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church … (Ephesians 5:25)
The command goes out to all husbands, everywhere and at all times. So, as we wrestle with the weight of such a command, we all must ask the obvious question. It is not: "How would Christ love the church?" It is: "How does Christ love the church?" We needn't wonder or postulate. All we've got to do is observe.
Throughout the pages of Scripture, Christ actively loves His church. We could never contain all of the ways He does so in a single article. So let's proceed in answering this big question by asking three more, first of Christ, then of us:
What does He do for the church? (What should I do for my wife?)
What does He think of the church? (What should I think of my wife?)
What has He become for the church? (What should I become for my wife?)
As we answer these questions, we will all understand more fully not what Jesus would do, but what He did do. In that, we have our living model for how we are to love our wives. Don't let the size of the journey ahead of us discourage you. Every journey begins with one step. Let's have the courage to take that first step together.
What does He do for the church?
It has been widely accepted that Christ's activity on behalf of the church can be summarized in these three functional titles: Prophet, Priest and King. A brief look at each will give us keen insight into our role as husbands.
Christ as Prophet: A prophet is someone who brings forth the Word of God to mankind. He is responsible for accurately discerning what God is saying and communicating that to others. Christ performed this prophetic role perfectly in two ways. First, He accurately spoke and taught the Word and words of God to others. Second, He was the actual expression of God and the Word made flesh.
The Husband as Prophet: We have the amazing privilege of bringing forth the Word of God to our wives. While this might involve some actual Bible-teaching time, we need to see the various other forms this should take. We can proclaim His Word and His will as we counsel our wives, as we make family decisions and as we plan for our family's future. The common ingredient in all of its forms is God's Word. Without the Word of God, a prophet has nothing to say; his words are empty and meaningless.
In addition to bringing forth the Word in our actions, we too must personify the Word made flesh in us. We must model the truth we are teaching. We must personify what we desire our wives and our marriages to become. Without personally living the truth we proclaim, we can expect no higher praise from Christ than the Pharisees received. (Matthew 23:2-4)
Christ as Priest: A priest is an intercessor: someone who seeks God on behalf of someone else. As Priest, Jesus is constantly seeking God on our behalf. Through Him, we are made holy, righteous and acceptable to God. Yet, this Priest is different from all others in that He did not sacrifice a lamb, dove or bull. This Priest sacrificed Himself on our behalf.
The Husband as Priest: As we love our wives, we must serve as priest. Our wives and marriages need prayer. We have the privilege and duty of petitioning God on their behalf. We should pray for their purity, their protection, their joy, their faith and their burden. We should pray for their success as a wife, as a mother and as a woman of God.
We must again follow Christ's example and allow our priestly sacrifice to be our very selves. Hebrews 12 tells us that Jesus looked past His own sacrifice to the joy that would occur on the other side. With that in mind, look at all that your wife could become. Consider what God might want to do with her, in her and through her. And, for that joy set before you, willingly endure when you are called to sacrifice yourself. In so doing, you will love your wife as Christ loves His church.
Christ as King: A king is someone who is supreme or preeminent. As our king, Christ deserves our honor, our praise, our obedience and our servitude. He is in charge … the undisputed leader of the church. Paul speaks many times of Jesus as the head of the church. Yet, while this King rules and reigns, He also serves and ministers to His people. His rule is peculiar in that He models leadership by serving. He says that the greatest among His people will be those who serve. He also is an accessible King. In many courts throughout history, subjects were never permitted to be in the presence of their king. King Jesus invites us in; He leaves open the door to His throne room.-
The Husband as King: Ephesians 5:23 makes it clear; the husband is the head of the wife. In essence, kingship undeniably belongs to the husband. As we embrace that, we as husbands must lead. We must lead clearly and boldly. We must be out there on the edge looking to the provision and the protection of our kingdom. To do less is to fall short of our calling to headship. The privilege is ours to rule our home.
However, we are not called simply to take our crowns and dominate our wives. We must rule as Christ rules…with humility. He modeled precisely how He wants us to love our wives. As our King, Christ knelt and washed the feet of His disciples. We must follow His example and serve. Lead boldly, yet serve. Never let the brawn of your leadership outweigh the sacrifice of your leadership. Christ kept them in perfect balance; that is our calling as well.
What does He think of the church?
At various times throughout the past 2000 years, the church has reflected very poorly on Jesus. It has bungled both its doctrine and its practice. During one decade, it is too passive and tolerant; during another it is too judgmental and legalistic. In the middle ages, its pursuit of the lost led to the atrocity of the Crusades. In another age, its indifference to the lost led to failure in spreading the gospel.
With all of the embarrassment the church has caused, you might think that Jesus would rather disassociate with the church. Surely, He hesitates to admit His affiliation, right? Wrong. Through these select verses, take a look at what He thinks of the church.
But you [the church] are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; (1 Peter 2:9)
…I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. (Matthew 16:18b)
…that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. (Ephesians 5:27)
He goes on to call the church His bride, His body and His people. Even in His reproof, we are called His flock and He readily refers to Himself as our Lord, the Shepherd of the sheep. And try as we might to lose His devotion, He refuses to turn from us:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)
What should I think of my wife?
Too often we fall into the trap of allowing our wife's actions to determine what we think of her. We allow her to become less lovely to us when her actions are not lovely. We allow our love to wane when the romance fades and the honeymoon feelings disappear. We allow our thoughts to be shaped in accordance with our changing circumstances. This is not how Christ loves the church.
If we are going to follow His model, we must choose a different way of thinking. We must think of her as Christ does the church. Regardless of the quality of our relationship, Gina is my bride. As members of one flesh, she is in essence my body. And by the joining of two becoming one, she is forever my people.
Once you honestly ponder the person your wife is, I'm certain that you will discover plenty of wonderful traits that you have forgotten to think of. But reach further and higher than that. Think of your wife from a higher position; think of her as Christ thinks of the church: as complete, as made perfect, as chosen by God.
Practically speaking, think of her as perfectly designed by God for your good. As Gary Thomas, author of Sacred Marriage, says, marriage is not necessarily designed for your happiness but for your holiness. This is true of your wife as well. So, let your thoughts be made holy. Think of her as lovely, desirous, and pure. As you do, you will be thinking of her as Christ thinks of the church.
What has He become for the church?
Each of us is known by our names and roles. Personally, I am known both as Rob and as Daddy. I am a husband, father, friend, teacher, employee, etc. You could create your own list for your names and roles. Christ, too, has names and roles, each of which reflects a different facet of His being. All of which reflect what He is for the church. Consider some of the better known names and roles of Christ.
A Strong Tower (Proverbs 18:10)
Wonderful Counselor (Isaiah 9:6)
Present Help in Times of Trouble (Psalm 46:1)
The God Who Sees (Genesis 16:13)
Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
Gracious and Merciful God (Nehemiah 9:31)
Because of who He is and what He has done on our behalf, Christ has become all of these and much, much more for the church. These are not just functions that Jesus performs, they are His character, His very make up.
I can run to Christ not because He provides a strong tower, but because He is one. I can trust Him not because He gives wonderful counsel, but because being a Wonderful Counselor is His very character … it's who He is.
What should I become for my wife?
It is far better to actually be faithful than it is simply to refrain from extra-marital activity. It is far better to be gracious than it is simply to keep your mouth shut. Being is far better than just doing. Jesus does not simply remain committed to His church, He personifies faithfulness. He doesn't just show mercy, He becomes mercy.
In order to love our wives well, we must allow God to develop our character at its deepest levels. We must allow Him to work on us, to change us and to build us into the men he desires us to be. Then, in response to this renewing work, we must live consistently with all we profess. This is precisely what Christ did when He walked the earth. He lived in perfect harmony with what He said and professed to believe.
It is Christ's consistency that makes Him the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) Knowing He'll never change gives us all the confidence to trust and follow Him. As husbands, we must establish a similar lifestyle of consistency.
Many may ask, "What does this look like?" It may look the same on the outside, but the difference is as night and day on the inside. Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. Yet Romans 7:18 says, "For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not." In short, we are called to accomplish something (imitate God) that we cannot do because we lack to goodness to do it.
This is where the great provision from God comes in. Paul tells us in Galatians 5:22-23 that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." As we live according to the Spirit and not according to our own efforts and desires, we are able to actually become in our hearts and our characters what we desire to live out. And the greatest beneficiary of this transformation will be your wife.
The Battle Lines are Drawn
In the warfare that we face as husbands, we must remember that victory is not necessarily in the major issues of life and liberty. It is in the minor issues of sliced apples and peanut butter. It is not when the crowds are amassed; it is when you are completely alone. It is not when you are fulfilling your wife's wishes; it is when you are anticipating and meeting them. It is not in the size of your bank account; it is in the willingness to lay yourself down to be sacrificed.
Loving your wife as Christ loves the church is a very high calling—one that could stop a freight train. Remember, God is the One who has called you to it. He is the One who brought you and your wife together. He is the One who has given His Spirit to help you win at your calling as a husband.
Don't be crushed by the weight of it; but don't settle for anything less than all of it. As you embrace your calling, your wife will feel the difference. And you will feel the smile of your Savior.
Rob Flood is a writer and editor for FamilyLife. He and his wife, Gina, have three sons and one daughter, giving Rob ample opportunity to apply God's Word in daily life. Rob and his family are originally from New Jersey but now live in Little Rock, Ark.
Taken from www.FamilyLife.com by Rob Flood Copyright © 2006 FamilyLife. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
They took prayer & Bible from public schools and now they have shootings!
America was founded upon the Bible and now has forgotten the God of the Bible. Early American schools taught the moral values from the Bible, with school prayer, today's public school system prohibit teaching moral values from the Bible, or even allowing students to pray to a God that a majority of faiths in this country recognize. The result is America has become a land with much looser morals then four decades ago, which is having a negative affect on all sectors of our society.
The U.S. is at the top of the world’s divorce charts on marital breakups.” The United States Supreme court made a terrible decision when they ruled to have prayer removed from schools in 1962. Statistics show that rebellion and violence have dramatically increased since that time. When prayer and Bible was removed from the schools cases of sexual transmitted diseases increased, Divorce rate in increased, (Now U.S. is at the top one of the world’s divorce charts on marital breakups.) unwanted pregnancies,immodesty,abortions, premarital sex,single parents, Vandalism, suicides, Adultery, prisons are full with criminals, arrogant and rebellious childrens, unmarried couples living together, violent crimes , drugs, alcohol, Gun and school shootings, sexual predators, sexual abuse ,pornography, nudity bars, sexual perversions, immorality, Unrighteous ways, Unrighteous philosophies, Unrighteous desires, decline of education, economy and society has been increased. Since God is gone from Schools Higher Education is lowered.. Sin has fascinated them. As a result now America is a lawless, sin filled nation, full of abominations such as Homosexual acts, Hands that shed innocent blood, Wickedness, Violence, etc
Bible is the foundation of our life, if that foundation is not there in the life there is a decline in righteous living and increase in sin living. Paul indicated in his letter to Timothy that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
When you remove God you invite everything that is wicked to come in and destroy. Because some people are destroyed from lack of knowledge and there is a continuous attempt to take God out of everything we do. Here is what the bible says for them.
Hosea 4:5 you stumble day and night and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother-- my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Amos 2:4 this is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."
“In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
Even some of the kids who go to public schools are very arrogant, rebellious, and ungodly. Home is the first school, even in their home there is no Godliness, no prayer, no respect, and most of the kids come from dysfunctional families, broken families where there are crimes, violence, broken relationships, drug abuse etc.Even in their homes they don’t fear God and parents have forgotten to discipline their children according to Gods word and they live according to world’s word which has caused all the chaos and moral decline in our society. God's word provides the best way to raise children and God expects parents to raise their children to serve Him. Before that Parents must be good examples for their children in everything, because children are natural imitators, we must put God's Word first pray in faith, obey God, and walk in love, God will work in our children's lives and change them.
There are lots of people who do not believe in God, who never repented of their sin in our society. The Bible is a closed book to them and they cannot understand it. A lost person without God's Spirit cannot understand the Bible. Lost people tend to seek out and find a false god to worship that will not condemn their lifestyle. If their lifestyle includes porn, sexual immorality, drinking, rock music, or the occult practices such as Halloween etc a lost person will seek out a false god that will approve of such things. When you rebuke their evil life styles they say Judge Not in order to justify their sin and rebellious ways. Public schools and even some private and Christian schools can be spiritual battlegrounds for our children. They may be inundated with anti-Christian doctrine, relative morality, and secular humanistic theories. Children tend to adopt the values of those with whom they spend the most time. In schools, they are exposed to the value systems of non-Christian students, teachers, and faculty. They may be told that homosexuality is simply an "alternative lifestyle," that abortion is acceptable, and sex before marriage is normal and healthy. Killing is not limited to our schools. Street gangs are fighting it out and senseless murders are taking place in our major cities every day in our society.The family structure in our nation has been breaking down over the last few generations with so much divorce leaving children without the proper supervision and home environment to keep them safe.
Blindness is God’s judgment on a rebellious and disobedient people this is how Jesus quoted the verse in John: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them” (John 12:40). God blinded Israel because they had continually rejected God’s word until the Lord gave up trying to reveal Himself to them and caused them to be blinded. That is exactly why some people, even Christians, just don’t get the message no matter how much you explain it, or try to convince them that they need to change. They have been blinded and are under God’s judgment.
This website gives info on the things happening in our schools. http://www.101reasons.org/
Our society has such an obsession with guns .School shootings have been making the remarkable headlines in the U.S.A. at an increased frequency. Also you can see here the list of school shootings in United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting.
A Department of Education Survey which analyzed violence in U.S. schools reported that public schools nationwide experienced more than 11,000 fights in which weapons were used, 4,000 rapes and other sexual assaults and 7,000 robberies. Other reports from Time and Newsweek magazines tell us the suicide rate among U.S. teens has risen 120% in the last 15 years while drug use has risen almost 80% since 1992. The youth of any nation are simply reflection of the parents of that nation. When sin is not dealt with in any society, the result of those sins will always produce violence. The generation living in the days of Noah was similar to our day.
Israel was instructed to teach their children the statutes of the Lord and the essence of that teaching is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7: “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God is One LORD.” This is known as the Shema, which is the first word of verse four. Instructions to teach children are also found in Deuteronomy 4:10 and Deuteronomy 11:19. The teaching of God’s truth to children was the job of the parents and was done in the home. Sadly, this practice is no longer a priority in the homes of many believers, and many leave the instruction in God’s Word to the church or a school or daycares or teachers. The society, school and home need to work together to educate our children in the faith and their by raising Godly children a godly Nation. A Nation that refuses to teach its children right from wrong, good from evil will become a corrupt nation, where sin prevails, evil abounds, and children do as they please according to their own free will. When we remove God's standards, then man is free to substitute his own standards of morality. God's word in Judges 21:25 says, "In those days every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. We are mocking God's Word, we are offending him more than ever, we are allowing women to kill their babies, we are allowing a minority to re-define marriage and family in order for them to please their selfish and abnormal desires, we are allowing people to take drugs legally, we are telling children that masturbation, pornography, prostitution, lesbianism, homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexualism and other deviant practices are fine and even good and healthy. We are clearly living in the last days, as the Bible says:
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
We MUST defend Godliness, marriage and family. We MUST defend religious freedom. We MUST combat drugs. We MUST speak out without fear. And we must do it NOW. Today is the day that we can change things. The foolish, ungodly people are going to fight back and persecute us. Yet we should not be afraid of them, for the Holy Bible says: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1. ""Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10
This is what God wants us to do. He commands us: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light." Ephesians 5:11-13
Expose the evil actions. Be a "good soldier of Christ Jesus" 2 Timothy 2:3.
GOD BLESS you ALL & STAND ON THE TRUTH FOREVER!
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com/
The U.S. is at the top of the world’s divorce charts on marital breakups.” The United States Supreme court made a terrible decision when they ruled to have prayer removed from schools in 1962. Statistics show that rebellion and violence have dramatically increased since that time. When prayer and Bible was removed from the schools cases of sexual transmitted diseases increased, Divorce rate in increased, (Now U.S. is at the top one of the world’s divorce charts on marital breakups.) unwanted pregnancies,immodesty,abortions, premarital sex,single parents, Vandalism, suicides, Adultery, prisons are full with criminals, arrogant and rebellious childrens, unmarried couples living together, violent crimes , drugs, alcohol, Gun and school shootings, sexual predators, sexual abuse ,pornography, nudity bars, sexual perversions, immorality, Unrighteous ways, Unrighteous philosophies, Unrighteous desires, decline of education, economy and society has been increased. Since God is gone from Schools Higher Education is lowered.. Sin has fascinated them. As a result now America is a lawless, sin filled nation, full of abominations such as Homosexual acts, Hands that shed innocent blood, Wickedness, Violence, etc
Bible is the foundation of our life, if that foundation is not there in the life there is a decline in righteous living and increase in sin living. Paul indicated in his letter to Timothy that "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
When you remove God you invite everything that is wicked to come in and destroy. Because some people are destroyed from lack of knowledge and there is a continuous attempt to take God out of everything we do. Here is what the bible says for them.
Hosea 4:5 you stumble day and night and the prophets stumble with you. So I will destroy your mother-- my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. "Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
Amos 2:4 this is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Judah, even for four, I will not turn back [my wrath]. Because they have rejected the law of the LORD and have not kept his decrees, because they have been led astray by false gods, the gods their ancestors followed, I will send fire upon Judah that will consume the fortresses of Jerusalem."
“In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
Even some of the kids who go to public schools are very arrogant, rebellious, and ungodly. Home is the first school, even in their home there is no Godliness, no prayer, no respect, and most of the kids come from dysfunctional families, broken families where there are crimes, violence, broken relationships, drug abuse etc.Even in their homes they don’t fear God and parents have forgotten to discipline their children according to Gods word and they live according to world’s word which has caused all the chaos and moral decline in our society. God's word provides the best way to raise children and God expects parents to raise their children to serve Him. Before that Parents must be good examples for their children in everything, because children are natural imitators, we must put God's Word first pray in faith, obey God, and walk in love, God will work in our children's lives and change them.
There are lots of people who do not believe in God, who never repented of their sin in our society. The Bible is a closed book to them and they cannot understand it. A lost person without God's Spirit cannot understand the Bible. Lost people tend to seek out and find a false god to worship that will not condemn their lifestyle. If their lifestyle includes porn, sexual immorality, drinking, rock music, or the occult practices such as Halloween etc a lost person will seek out a false god that will approve of such things. When you rebuke their evil life styles they say Judge Not in order to justify their sin and rebellious ways. Public schools and even some private and Christian schools can be spiritual battlegrounds for our children. They may be inundated with anti-Christian doctrine, relative morality, and secular humanistic theories. Children tend to adopt the values of those with whom they spend the most time. In schools, they are exposed to the value systems of non-Christian students, teachers, and faculty. They may be told that homosexuality is simply an "alternative lifestyle," that abortion is acceptable, and sex before marriage is normal and healthy. Killing is not limited to our schools. Street gangs are fighting it out and senseless murders are taking place in our major cities every day in our society.The family structure in our nation has been breaking down over the last few generations with so much divorce leaving children without the proper supervision and home environment to keep them safe.
Blindness is God’s judgment on a rebellious and disobedient people this is how Jesus quoted the verse in John: “He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, Lest they should see with their eyes, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them” (John 12:40). God blinded Israel because they had continually rejected God’s word until the Lord gave up trying to reveal Himself to them and caused them to be blinded. That is exactly why some people, even Christians, just don’t get the message no matter how much you explain it, or try to convince them that they need to change. They have been blinded and are under God’s judgment.
This website gives info on the things happening in our schools. http://www.101reasons.org/
Our society has such an obsession with guns .School shootings have been making the remarkable headlines in the U.S.A. at an increased frequency. Also you can see here the list of school shootings in United States.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/School_shooting.
A Department of Education Survey which analyzed violence in U.S. schools reported that public schools nationwide experienced more than 11,000 fights in which weapons were used, 4,000 rapes and other sexual assaults and 7,000 robberies. Other reports from Time and Newsweek magazines tell us the suicide rate among U.S. teens has risen 120% in the last 15 years while drug use has risen almost 80% since 1992. The youth of any nation are simply reflection of the parents of that nation. When sin is not dealt with in any society, the result of those sins will always produce violence. The generation living in the days of Noah was similar to our day.
Israel was instructed to teach their children the statutes of the Lord and the essence of that teaching is found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7: “Hear O Israel: The LORD our God is One LORD.” This is known as the Shema, which is the first word of verse four. Instructions to teach children are also found in Deuteronomy 4:10 and Deuteronomy 11:19. The teaching of God’s truth to children was the job of the parents and was done in the home. Sadly, this practice is no longer a priority in the homes of many believers, and many leave the instruction in God’s Word to the church or a school or daycares or teachers. The society, school and home need to work together to educate our children in the faith and their by raising Godly children a godly Nation. A Nation that refuses to teach its children right from wrong, good from evil will become a corrupt nation, where sin prevails, evil abounds, and children do as they please according to their own free will. When we remove God's standards, then man is free to substitute his own standards of morality. God's word in Judges 21:25 says, "In those days every man did that which was right in his own eyes."
We have worshipped other gods and called it multiculturalism.
We have endorsed perversion and called it alternative lifestyle.
We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.
We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.
We have killed our unborn and called it choice.
We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.
We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem.
We have abused power and called it politics.
We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.
We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.
We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment. We are mocking God's Word, we are offending him more than ever, we are allowing women to kill their babies, we are allowing a minority to re-define marriage and family in order for them to please their selfish and abnormal desires, we are allowing people to take drugs legally, we are telling children that masturbation, pornography, prostitution, lesbianism, homosexuality, bisexuality, transsexualism and other deviant practices are fine and even good and healthy. We are clearly living in the last days, as the Bible says:
"But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of stress. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, inhuman, implacable, slanderers, profligates, fierce, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding the form of religion but denying the power of it. Avoid such people." 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
We MUST defend Godliness, marriage and family. We MUST defend religious freedom. We MUST combat drugs. We MUST speak out without fear. And we must do it NOW. Today is the day that we can change things. The foolish, ungodly people are going to fight back and persecute us. Yet we should not be afraid of them, for the Holy Bible says: "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?" Psalm 27:1. ""Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." Matthew 5:10
This is what God wants us to do. He commands us: "Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light." Ephesians 5:11-13
Expose the evil actions. Be a "good soldier of Christ Jesus" 2 Timothy 2:3.
GOD BLESS you ALL & STAND ON THE TRUTH FOREVER!
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com/
If we do not repent we will perish!
Every man has to repent in order to have a personal relationship with God. God commands everyone to repent and believe in the true Gospel it is our duty, responsibility to obey. Failure to do so is sin .There are some Preachers quit preaching against sins and some preachers themselves live in sin henceforth allowed sinners to stop feeling like sinners which allowed the sinner to continue to live in sin and justifying their sins hence they hardly repent for their sins.
Christian churches stand guilty before Christ for perverting the Gospel, because they teach the doctrine of Balaam, putting a stumbling block of sin before people, seducing people into sin, deceiving people into believing, even with God's Spirit, it is still spiritually impossible to live one's live without breaking God's commandments, and to teach people they can continue to sin without sin's consequences, and receiving the judgment of Christ and that Rom. 6:23 does not apply to their sins. Lasciviousness is shameless conduct that breaks God's Commandments without shame, or repentance, and creates a false obedience of teaching that does not recognize sin, nor defines sin as God's Word defines sin.
True repentance is turning from sin, and turning from sin means to stop sinning, then a person must live a sinless life in order to be saved. Jesus Christ began His ministry of preaching the Gospel by teaching the doctrine of repentance (Mat. 4:17), and everyone that does not repent of his sins which is the breaking of God's commandments cannot enter His Kingdom. Christ later said and taught everyone that does not repent will perish, Luke 13: 3.
If all these Christian Preachers and members don’t repent of these sins, and begin now to teach, preach and obey the true Gospel, they all will soon come under the curse of God--the coming tribulation of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. Mal. 4:1-4, Mat. 3:10-12, Rev. 2:14-15. I Peter 4:17, says " For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?."
Mat. 8:11-12 says that children of this kingdom, church members believing they have been accepted in God's kingdom, but are of another kingdom, Satan's kingdom, following another gospel, or a perverted gospel,
Gal. 1:8-9, will have the curse carried out upon their lives, that they will be cast out of Christ's kingdom: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE."
Luke 24:47 Jesus said to them that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Mark 1:15 ..."The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel."
Ezekiel 18:32:For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Luke 13:3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Acts 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Revelation 2:22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
Revelation 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 9:20-21The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com
Christian churches stand guilty before Christ for perverting the Gospel, because they teach the doctrine of Balaam, putting a stumbling block of sin before people, seducing people into sin, deceiving people into believing, even with God's Spirit, it is still spiritually impossible to live one's live without breaking God's commandments, and to teach people they can continue to sin without sin's consequences, and receiving the judgment of Christ and that Rom. 6:23 does not apply to their sins. Lasciviousness is shameless conduct that breaks God's Commandments without shame, or repentance, and creates a false obedience of teaching that does not recognize sin, nor defines sin as God's Word defines sin.
True repentance is turning from sin, and turning from sin means to stop sinning, then a person must live a sinless life in order to be saved. Jesus Christ began His ministry of preaching the Gospel by teaching the doctrine of repentance (Mat. 4:17), and everyone that does not repent of his sins which is the breaking of God's commandments cannot enter His Kingdom. Christ later said and taught everyone that does not repent will perish, Luke 13: 3.
If all these Christian Preachers and members don’t repent of these sins, and begin now to teach, preach and obey the true Gospel, they all will soon come under the curse of God--the coming tribulation of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. Mal. 4:1-4, Mat. 3:10-12, Rev. 2:14-15. I Peter 4:17, says " For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall be the end be of them that obey not the Gospel of God?."
Mat. 8:11-12 says that children of this kingdom, church members believing they have been accepted in God's kingdom, but are of another kingdom, Satan's kingdom, following another gospel, or a perverted gospel,
Gal. 1:8-9, will have the curse carried out upon their lives, that they will be cast out of Christ's kingdom: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE."
Luke 24:47 Jesus said to them that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Mark 1:15 ..."The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel."
Ezekiel 18:32:For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign LORD. Repent and live!
Matthew 3:8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
Matthew 4:17 From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near."
Luke 13:3 I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Acts 3:19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.
Acts 17:30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.
Acts 20:21 I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
2 Corinthians 7:10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.
Revelation 2:22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways.
Revelation 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
Revelation 9:20-21The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com
A Genesis Bible Study - How to Forgive
Learn how to forgive from this Genesis Bible study
You never know how forgiving a person you really are until someone wrongs you. Can you relate? It seems that in my life something happens almost every week that begs for forgiveness. I thought I was making progress until I found myself repeating a story about someone who had wronged me years ago. I realized that I had not fully let it go.
Learning to how forgive is hard
The Bible teaches that God has totally forgiven us. He is willing to let the past be past. Believing this truth is the only way you will have the ability to forgive others and yourself. Learning to forgive is probably the most difficult lesson for a follower of Jesus to grasp.
Joseph and his brothers
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is a classic story about forgiveness. At age seventeen, Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt. In Egypt Joseph was unfairly sent to prison for several years. But God protected Joseph and enabled him to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him Prime Minister of Egypt right on the spot.
Joseph learned how to forgive
After twenty-two years had passed, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt looking for grain. When the time was right, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and forgave them. He held no grudges. He told them that what they intended for evil, God meant for good. In his excellent book Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall teaches us several lessons from the life of Joseph and his brothers:
Keep quiet about what they did
To ensure privacy, Joseph had everyone leave the room (Genesis 45:1). Why? No one in Egypt needed to know what happened. It isn't necessary to tell people who aren't a part of either the problem or the solution. People often tell negative things about others only to punish and get even with their offenders. When you've been wronged, you have to decide who to tell. Tell the people that can help with the problem or solution.
Put them at ease
Joseph could have made his brothers acknowledge his power. He could have reminded them of his dreams and their disbelief. But Joseph did not want them to be afraid of him (Genesis 45:3).
Let them save face
Saving face means preserving one's dignity. To ease their minds, Joseph gave an explanation for his suffering. It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. . .so then it was not you that sent me here, but God. (Genesis 45:5-8).
Continue the commitment to forgive year after year
After Jacob died Joseph reassured his brothers of his kindness (Genesis 50:19-21). The commitment to forgive is a choice that we will have to renew tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. Satan's favorite strategy is to get into our thought life and tempt us to be bitter. Love pursues a lifestyle of forgiveness.
Author Resource:- Paul Schlieker disciples internationals and business professionals. He attends Christ Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Professionally, Paul is an insurance agent. He and his wife, Peggy have written several easy to use discipleship tools and Bible studies that train believers, introduce Christianity to seekers, and ground believers in Biblical fundamentals. See these resources, subscribe to a free monthly e-newsletter, read more articles by Paul and hear his sermons at www.bible-study-lesson-plans.com.
You never know how forgiving a person you really are until someone wrongs you. Can you relate? It seems that in my life something happens almost every week that begs for forgiveness. I thought I was making progress until I found myself repeating a story about someone who had wronged me years ago. I realized that I had not fully let it go.
Learning to how forgive is hard
The Bible teaches that God has totally forgiven us. He is willing to let the past be past. Believing this truth is the only way you will have the ability to forgive others and yourself. Learning to forgive is probably the most difficult lesson for a follower of Jesus to grasp.
Joseph and his brothers
The story of Joseph in Genesis 37-50 is a classic story about forgiveness. At age seventeen, Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave into Egypt. In Egypt Joseph was unfairly sent to prison for several years. But God protected Joseph and enabled him to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. Pharaoh was so impressed with Joseph that he made him Prime Minister of Egypt right on the spot.
Joseph learned how to forgive
After twenty-two years had passed, Joseph's brothers came to Egypt looking for grain. When the time was right, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers and forgave them. He held no grudges. He told them that what they intended for evil, God meant for good. In his excellent book Total Forgiveness, R. T. Kendall teaches us several lessons from the life of Joseph and his brothers:
Keep quiet about what they did
To ensure privacy, Joseph had everyone leave the room (Genesis 45:1). Why? No one in Egypt needed to know what happened. It isn't necessary to tell people who aren't a part of either the problem or the solution. People often tell negative things about others only to punish and get even with their offenders. When you've been wronged, you have to decide who to tell. Tell the people that can help with the problem or solution.
Put them at ease
Joseph could have made his brothers acknowledge his power. He could have reminded them of his dreams and their disbelief. But Joseph did not want them to be afraid of him (Genesis 45:3).
Let them save face
Saving face means preserving one's dignity. To ease their minds, Joseph gave an explanation for his suffering. It was to save lives that God sent me ahead of you. . .so then it was not you that sent me here, but God. (Genesis 45:5-8).
Continue the commitment to forgive year after year
After Jacob died Joseph reassured his brothers of his kindness (Genesis 50:19-21). The commitment to forgive is a choice that we will have to renew tomorrow, next week, next month and next year. Satan's favorite strategy is to get into our thought life and tempt us to be bitter. Love pursues a lifestyle of forgiveness.
Author Resource:- Paul Schlieker disciples internationals and business professionals. He attends Christ Community Church in Omaha, Nebraska. Professionally, Paul is an insurance agent. He and his wife, Peggy have written several easy to use discipleship tools and Bible studies that train believers, introduce Christianity to seekers, and ground believers in Biblical fundamentals. See these resources, subscribe to a free monthly e-newsletter, read more articles by Paul and hear his sermons at www.bible-study-lesson-plans.com.
I confess but I can not repent!
We see in Acts 17:30,God commands all men everywhere to repent .Even Christ came to call sinners to repentance not the righteous. God call us to repent when we have forgotten and offended him and living in sin or in unrighteous ways.
There lots of people who do not want to repent truly and if they do, they do merely do lip service of repentance .They fail to acknowledge their sins. After their lip service they go right back and sin again. That is not true repentance.
There are also different kind of people who have enough pride who are not willing to look bad, will gladly say sorry” through lip service to save their image. They think if you just say sorry is repentance. This is not true repentance either.
There are few others who think that by saying formula of sinners prayer will save them without being genuinely REPENTED of their sins. Some false preachers say that you can gladly receive Christ without following Him or without obeying his commandments they strengthen the hands of evildoers, comforting them in their sin rather than calling them to repentance humble themselves to Turn from sin.
True repentance is that we must first acknowledge our sins or wrong doing in our heart and have sincere remorse or regret about one’s wrong doing. Then the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ by convicting us of sin which produces a life of holiness and righteousness that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus and the Apostles preached that man must repent and have a complete change of mind and heart in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
There are lots of scriptures which tell us that God wants us to repent.
2 Peter 3:9: God wants everyone to repent
Acts 17:30: God commands all people everywhere to repent
Acts 26:20: Paul preached repentance
Ezekiel 14:6: Repent and turn from all of your abominations
Ezekiel 18:30: Repent and turn from your transgressions
Ezekiel 33:11: God begs us to turn from our wicked ways
Isaiah 59:20: The Redeemer will come to those who repent
Job 34:33: Why do you refuse to repent?
Jeremiah 15:19; If you repent, I will restore you
Luke 13:3: Jesus said that you will perish unless you repent
Luke 15:10: There is rejoicing over one sinner who repents
Matthew 4:17: Jesus told people to repent
Matthew 3:2: John the Baptist preached repentance
Mark 1:15: Jesus said repent and live
Mark 6:12: The disciples preached that men should repent
Rev. 3:3: Obey and repent
Rev. 3:19: So be earnest and repent
Hosea 12:6: Turn to God
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-confess-but-i-can-not-repent.html
There lots of people who do not want to repent truly and if they do, they do merely do lip service of repentance .They fail to acknowledge their sins. After their lip service they go right back and sin again. That is not true repentance.
There are also different kind of people who have enough pride who are not willing to look bad, will gladly say sorry” through lip service to save their image. They think if you just say sorry is repentance. This is not true repentance either.
There are few others who think that by saying formula of sinners prayer will save them without being genuinely REPENTED of their sins. Some false preachers say that you can gladly receive Christ without following Him or without obeying his commandments they strengthen the hands of evildoers, comforting them in their sin rather than calling them to repentance humble themselves to Turn from sin.
True repentance is that we must first acknowledge our sins or wrong doing in our heart and have sincere remorse or regret about one’s wrong doing. Then the Holy Spirit draws us to Jesus Christ by convicting us of sin which produces a life of holiness and righteousness that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus and the Apostles preached that man must repent and have a complete change of mind and heart in order to enter the Kingdom of God.
There are lots of scriptures which tell us that God wants us to repent.
2 Peter 3:9: God wants everyone to repent
Acts 17:30: God commands all people everywhere to repent
Acts 26:20: Paul preached repentance
Ezekiel 14:6: Repent and turn from all of your abominations
Ezekiel 18:30: Repent and turn from your transgressions
Ezekiel 33:11: God begs us to turn from our wicked ways
Isaiah 59:20: The Redeemer will come to those who repent
Job 34:33: Why do you refuse to repent?
Jeremiah 15:19; If you repent, I will restore you
Luke 13:3: Jesus said that you will perish unless you repent
Luke 15:10: There is rejoicing over one sinner who repents
Matthew 4:17: Jesus told people to repent
Matthew 3:2: John the Baptist preached repentance
Mark 1:15: Jesus said repent and live
Mark 6:12: The disciples preached that men should repent
Rev. 3:3: Obey and repent
Rev. 3:19: So be earnest and repent
Hosea 12:6: Turn to God
Author Resource:- http://biblicalproof4catholicfaith.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-confess-but-i-can-not-repent.html
All I Can Do Is Pray
I've heard it a thousand times. I've probably said it a thousand times myself. Someone bares their soul to me, and the situation is terrible, painful, difficult ... far beyond the reach of anything I can do – or anyone can do – to help. And then those six words slip from my lips:
"All I can do is pray."
Even as I write the words, I can hear the defeat resonating from them. Properly translated, what I far too often mean when I say those six words is, "I'm sorry I can't do anything to help. I don't have the resources you need. I wish I did. I'll pray about it, but I know that's just a drop in the bucket to what you really need. I don't expect anything to really happen as a result of my prayers."
Then one day as I said it, God rocked me back on my heels. I realized how much I was cheapening God by the attitude behind my words. Think about it:
"All I can do is pray. I'm sorry – all I can do is call upon the sovereign Lord of the Universe, the One who holds all resources, all grace, all power, all hope in his hands. All I can do is ask the loving God who sent his Son to die for us and then raised him from the dead to help you out. All I can do is ask God to demonstrate his divine character in your life through his unending providence, generosity, love, miracles, presence, and care. Sorry I can't do more."
It comes down to a question of attitude and a recognition of adequacy. As Paul writes in II Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming form ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." Our attitude should be one of humility, recognizing that our adequacy to meet any need or act in any situation is from God alone.
Once we assume that attitude and understand that our adequacy comes from God, we will no longer despair when we are faced with situations that are beyond our control or help. We simply turn in the same humility to the God who is more than adequate to meet every need – and call upon him for deliverance.
With the right attitude and an understanding of where our resources always and only ever come from, we can truly reach out and say with confidence and trust, "I can't help you. I wish I could, but I simply don't have the resources you need. Fortunately, I know the One who does. All I can do is pray – but I know that God will take care of everything else."
© 2009 Paula Marolewski
"All I can do is pray."
Even as I write the words, I can hear the defeat resonating from them. Properly translated, what I far too often mean when I say those six words is, "I'm sorry I can't do anything to help. I don't have the resources you need. I wish I did. I'll pray about it, but I know that's just a drop in the bucket to what you really need. I don't expect anything to really happen as a result of my prayers."
Then one day as I said it, God rocked me back on my heels. I realized how much I was cheapening God by the attitude behind my words. Think about it:
"All I can do is pray. I'm sorry – all I can do is call upon the sovereign Lord of the Universe, the One who holds all resources, all grace, all power, all hope in his hands. All I can do is ask the loving God who sent his Son to die for us and then raised him from the dead to help you out. All I can do is ask God to demonstrate his divine character in your life through his unending providence, generosity, love, miracles, presence, and care. Sorry I can't do more."
It comes down to a question of attitude and a recognition of adequacy. As Paul writes in II Corinthians 3:5 "Not that we are adequate in ourselves to consider anything as coming form ourselves, but our adequacy is from God." Our attitude should be one of humility, recognizing that our adequacy to meet any need or act in any situation is from God alone.
Once we assume that attitude and understand that our adequacy comes from God, we will no longer despair when we are faced with situations that are beyond our control or help. We simply turn in the same humility to the God who is more than adequate to meet every need – and call upon him for deliverance.
With the right attitude and an understanding of where our resources always and only ever come from, we can truly reach out and say with confidence and trust, "I can't help you. I wish I could, but I simply don't have the resources you need. Fortunately, I know the One who does. All I can do is pray – but I know that God will take care of everything else."
© 2009 Paula Marolewski
Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com
How to Improve Your Personal Bible Study
Every sincere Christian wants to have a more meaningful personal Bible study, to understand the Bible better. While learning the Bible is the joyful task of a lifetime, I'd like to offer several suggestions that can enrich your Bible studies.
Bible Reading vs. Bible Study
First, recognize that Bible reading and Bible study are both important, but different. In order to grow, you need to read the Bible every day as part of your time with God -- your devotions or Quiet Time. During this daily time with God I recommend prayer, wide Bible reading, praise, thanksgiving, confession, and meditation -- these are ways to reach out to God with your spirit. Bible reading is one way of letting God refresh your spirit and speak to your mind.If you really want to learn the Bible, I recommend that you read broadly rather than narrowly. A one-verse devotional may be quick, but it won't really help you understand the Bible. I try each morning to read one chapter from the Old Testament, one chapter from Psalms or Proverbs, and one chapter from the New Testament. If I'm consistent, this will get me through the Old Testament once each year and the New Testament twice. That's an example of broad reading and takes five to 10 minutes a day -- 15 minutes if the day's chapters are long.
But Bible reading as part of your daily devotions should be separate from your times of Bible study. Let me explain.
Blocks of Time for In-Depth Bible Study
Bible study, as opposed to reading, concentrates on a single topic, Bible character, or book of the Bible for closer study.For example, right now in the New Testament I'm reading the Epistle to the Hebrews. I'm realizing that though I've read it many times, I need to dig in and figure out what it's really saying. That's where Bible study comes in. Bible study takes a longer block of uninterrupted time. Perhaps you'll set aside 30 to 45 minutes on Tuesday and Thursday nights for in-depth Bible study, or an hour on Saturday mornings before the family is up -- or perhaps longer. Blocks of time are important to Bible study.
Learn to Ask Questions
The real key to Bible study is being inquisitive, learning to ask questions of the text. First, read the passage. Then be a detective; look for clues. What's going on? What stands out to you? What don't you understand? Look for anomalies -- things that you might not expect to find here. Consider, for example, the familiar dialog between Jesus and Nicodemus:1 "Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2 He came to Jesus at night and said, 'Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him.'Several questions occur to me as I read this:
3 In reply Jesus declared, 'I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.'
4 'How can a man be born when he is old?' Nicodemus asked. 'Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!'
5 Jesus answered, 'I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, "You must be born again." 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.'" (John 3:1-8, NIV)
- Where does this incident take place?
- What did members of the Pharisee party typically believe? How were they viewed in society?
- What does it mean that Nicodemus is a member of the "Jewish ruling council" or Sanhedrin? What does this tell me about him?
- Why did he come by night?
- Why does Jesus respond as he does to Nicodemus' introductory remarks in verse 2? Isn't Jesus a bit abrupt or rude in verse 3?
- Is Nicodemus' response in verse 4 mocking or is it a sincere question?
- What does "born of water" mean in verse 6? What does "born of the Spirit" mean? What does "born again" mean in verse 3?
- What does the wind analogy in verse 8 teach us about the Holy Spirit?
The questions will vary depending on the passage you're studying, but here are some typical questions:
- Who wrote or said this?
- When was it written or said?
- Where did this happen?
- To whom was it written or said?
- What circumstance or event prompted this incident or teaching?
- Why did the person act as he did? Or say what he said?
- How can I apply or emulate or obey what I learn in this passage?
Take Notes on What You Learn
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I recommend that you begin a notebook in which to record your observations or research. Forty years ago I began taking notes on 8-1/2" x 11" binder paper. In the left margin I would record the date. In the top right corner I would record the book, chapter, and verses of the passage I was studying. This made it easy to file my notes in scripture order. I began with a single 3-ring binder, but now my binders fill a five-foot bookshelf and beyond. I look back at some of my early insights and am reminded of how the Holy Spirit has taught me over the years.
Start small, but take notes in a way that can be expanded easily. Another approach is to get a bound book that you can take notes in -- a kind of journal. (I've tried that, too.) Journaling has great value, but a bound notebook that contains many topics is difficult to organize or index in such a way that you can find your notes on a particular verse in the future. That's why I really like the binder paper approach. You could also take notes on a computer, naming the files in such a way that you can find them again or search an entire folder for a word or phrase. It's probably a good idea to print out your notes when you're finished and file them, however, since computer files have a way of getting lost after a few years.
I am so glad I began the habit of note-taking with my Bible study. Now when I study a passage again, I know what I learned the last time I studied it and what I need to explore next. For Bible teachers, small group leaders, and preachers, such a notebook of previous studies becomes especially valuable.
Get a Good Translation
One of the keys to learning the Bible is to get a good translation. You know, of course, that the Bible wasn't written in English, but in Hebrew (and a bit of Aramaic) in the Old Testament and Greek in the New Testament. A translation tries to render the original language into clear, accurate English. There are two types of translations:- Literal word-for-word translation. This makes for accuracy, but can be pretty wooden to read out loud. A good example of this type is the New American Standard Bible.
- Dynamic thought-for-thought correspondence. Here the translator takes a thought in the original language and tries to translate it into the same concept in good English, without being tied to the exact words in the original. A good example of this might be Today's English Version (TEV).
Another issue is the underlying Greek and Hebrew text. The KJV translators worked with the best texts available to them in 1611, but in the last 150 years we have gained a much more accurate understanding of what the original text must have been. Nearly all modern translations are enriched by the translators working from the most accurate Greek and Hebrew texts possible.
Here are some of the most popular English translations. Your church or tradition may have a particular preference, but any one of these might be a good choice for you:
- The King James Version (KJV, 1611) is, of course, the granddaddy of our English Bibles. For its day it was a very accurate translation and is still used in many congregations today. In 1984, the New King James Version (NKJV) was published as a whole Bible by Thomas Nelson. Translators modernized the language of archaic words substantially and removed most of the "thees" and "thous," though the original language basis remained the same as the KJV of 1611. For churches with a strong King James tradition, the NKJV is a popular alternative.
- The New International Version (NIV) was first translated as a whole Bible by evangelical scholars in 1973, with revisions in 1983 and 1988. It is an excellent balance between readability and accuracy of translation. For years it has been the most popular newer translation in the United States, especially among evangelical churches.
- New American Standard Bible (NASB or NASV), translated by the Lockman Foundation, was published in the whole Bible in 1971 and revised in 1977. Its big strength is its consistency in literally translating words and tenses. It is known as a very accurate translation, though perhaps not as easy to read aloud as some others.
- New Revised Standard Version (NRSV, 1989) and its predecessor the Revised Standard Version (RSV, 1952) are careful translations in the King James tradition. Several Protestant denominations prefer the NRSV. It is both accurate and readable.
Learning to Use a Study Bible
After you've decided what translation to use, I encourage you to purchase a study Bible, since it will contain a number of tools in one volume that can help you dig deeper. Nearly every Bible publisher offers a study Bible. Your local Christian bookstore can help you figure out which one is right for you. Here are some of the features that you'll come to appreciate:- Cross References. In a column next to the text, a study Bible lists several other verses with a similar idea or theme. For example, for "Nicodemus" in John 3:1, my Bible refers me to John 7:50 and 19:39 where he appears again. For "Rabbi" in verse 2, the cross references send me to Matthew 23:7 which has nine more references on this topic that I can explore. These cross references won't be comprehensive, but will point out the main passages that discuss this idea.
- Bible Book Introductions. It's important to know something about the author, date, themes, circumstances, and intended audience of the Bible book or letter you're studying. In most study Bibles you'll find one to three pages of introductory comments for each book with a brief outline.
- Study Notes or Annotations. Study Bibles have footnotes at the bottom of the page to help explain some of the more obscure ideas you'll run across -- a kind of mini-commentary. Remember, these aren't part of the Bible itself, but can often point you in the right direction in your study. These notes are usually indexed for easy reference.
- Concordance. You've had a verse on the tip of your tongue, but don't know exactly where it is. A concordance helps you find a Bible passage if you can think of a key word or two that the verse contains. A concordance can also help you find other verses that teach a concept or use a word found in the passage you're studying.
- Topical Index. In addition to a concordance, some study Bibles have a separate topical index that helps you find scripture references on a particular topic.
- Maps. Part of understanding what's happening in narrative passages of Scripture is learning the geography, the location of cities, battles, mountains, valleys, enemies, etc.
Specialized Tools for the Next Step
Obtaining a study Bible is the place to begin. But as your Bible studies increase, you may want to invest in some more specialized books. Some to explore:- Bible Handbook. Provides a great deal of information about each book of the Bible, life in Bible times, history of the English Bible, etc.
- Bible Dictionary. Brief articles on each significant subject, word, and person in the Old and New Testaments. You'll often find helpful summaries of Bible teaching.
- Bible Concordance. While study Bibles provide an abridged concordance, you can find an unabridged concordance that helps you find every occurrence of a particular word in the Bible. The best-known of these is Strong's Concordance (based on the KJV) which identifies each Greek and Hebrew word, and gives it a brief definition and a number. Now concordances are available for the NIV and NASB containing Strong's numbering system.
- Bible Commentary. Bible commentaries provide an overview and running explanation of each book of the Bible. A good place to start might be with a fairly recent one-volume commentary on the whole Bible. There are also a number of inexpensive commentary series available that cover each book in the Bible, if you want to study a particular book in greater depth.
- Word Study tools include an interlinear New Testament that shows the Greek text on one line and a literal English translation below it. A Greek-English Lexicon provides clear, precise definitions for each Greek word in the New Testament. Some of these are keyed to Strong's numbers so they can be used by students who haven't learned to read Greek letters. Similar resources are available for Hebrew as well.
- Topical Bible. A topical Bible will give a great many scripture references listed by topic. Great if you're doing a topical or thematic Bible study.
- Bible Atlas. An atlas contains more than detailed maps. It also describes the geography and places of the Bible, usually with fascinating illustrations and archeological details.
These days many Bible study resources are available online at no cost, such as Crosswalk Bible Study Tools (bible.crosswalk.com). You can also purchase excellent Bible study software for your computer.
Don't Forget the Most Important Step
It's possible to be so engrossed in Bible study that you forget the most important purpose of Bible study. It's not Bible knowledge for its own sake nor being able to quote verses and recite orthodox doctrine. Ultimately, the purpose of Bible study is to learn exactly what the Bible teaches so that you can apply its teachings to your life.Perhaps the simplest approach to Bible study is to use the three basic inductive Bible study questions to ask of a Bible passage:
- What does it say?
- What did it mean to those reading it in Bible times?
- What does it mean to me as I seek to apply it to my life?
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