Tag Archives: Bible study

Bible Study, Prayer

Reading, Reflecting, and Studying the Bible

The Bible – We should all be reading, reflecting, and studying the Bible because it is God’s gift written especially for us. God uses this book, also known as “God’s Word” or “The Scriptures,” to proclaim his deep and abiding love towards us by showing how we can live a Godly and glorious life.

Written by different authors and editors, the Bible is our guidebook for living — our main source for clear guidance on His will for our lives. Many themes are within the pages of the Holy Bible, such as redemption, forgiveness, judgment, Holy Spirit, instruction, and faith. The Scriptures consist of 39 books in the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. The Old Testament covers the creation of the earth, the lives of Israelites throughout history, many prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ and more. The New Testament covers the life of Jesus and the writings of his early apostles and disciples through the prophecies regarding the end times in Revelations. Below is an easy breakdown of the 66 books of the Bible.

Old Testament

  • The Pentateuch [The Law]: Genesis – Deuteronomy
  • Historical: Joshua – Esther
  • Poetry and Wisdom: Job – Song of Songs
  • Major Prophets: Isaiah – Daniel
  • Minor Prophets: Hosea – Zephaniah

New Testament

  • The Gospels and Acts: Matthew – Acts
  • Paul’s Letters: Romans – Philemon
  • General Epistles – Hebrews – Jude
  • Revelation

The Bible answers big questions about God, i.e. where do we go when we die, why is there so much evil in this world, how do I know who to marry, what house should I buy. But, it also answers our everyday questions like — how can I pass this test; where should I go to college; and how can I stop sinning. Many people do not think the Bible is relevant in their lives. In 2013, Religion News took a poll and discovered that “more than half of Americans think the Bible has too little influence on a culture they see in moral decline, yet only one in five Americans read the Bible on a regular basis.”¹

Many believe that the reason why the Bible isn’t meaningful to people is because they just don’t read the Word of God. Biblical values and teachings can help us tremendously in our spiritual walk, but they cannot help us if we don’t read the Word and know what it says. And, this is why we need to know how to read it, reflect upon it, and study it.

There are different ways to view the time one spends in God’s Word. And, it is necessary to understand the differences.

Reading the Bible

This is where one reads the Bible for personal enlightenment. Many read the Bible during their daily quiet time or devotional time. When one is reading for their personal edification, reading is usually at a quite leisurely pace. However, it can turn into an intense pleading or calling out to God for answers.

As a rule, sitting around with a bunch of concordances, Bible dictionaries, or Christian theological books is not the preferred reading here. Reading to see what God is saying personally and getting to know God better should be the goal during this reading time. It is an occasion to learn more about God, his precepts, and character, and how He desires to mature you in your faith. This is the reading time that allows God to speak to you personally through His Word.

Tips for your devotional time

  • Try to sit in the same chair/place each sitting;
  • Use a Bible reading plan so you will already know where in the Bible you are going to start reading;
  • Pray for the Holy Spirit to guide your reading;
  • Focus on verses or chapters relating to what is going on in your life or the life of family and/or friends;
  • Have a journal or notebook handy so you are ready to write important verses, thoughts, or promptings down;
  • Have a pen, pencil, and/or highlighter readily available;

On a personal level, I like to use a Bible without all the study notes and footnotes during my quiet time. I have found the notes distract me from just plain old reading God’s Word. I want the Word to speak to me and not feel obligated to read what someone else has said about the verses I am reading; although, I have had to look up a few things along the way. But, that is a personal preference. There is no right or wrong way to have a devotional time – personalize it to fit your likes and personality.

Reflecting on the Bible [Meditating]

Reflecting on God’s Word is the time one spends just contemplating what you have read or heard. Giving time to think about what has been read or presented is powerful. During meditation time, one should remain in a prayerful mode internalizing the Scriptures so it can become ingrained in our life. Don’t allow yourself to be hooked into any special technique or program during this reflective time. These can easily become so legalistic that one could have difficulty absorbing the significance God has for your time here. Remain in a prayerful spirit and as 1 Chronicles 22:19 states, “Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God.” In your spirit, listen to the Lord. It is here where we can really internalize God’s Word so it becomes so ingrained in our life that the Bible principles and God’s values and His character become our own. It is quite possible that during this time, one will be prompted to involve themselves in benevolent activities, i.e. calling someone in a nursing home, writing a letter, offering your time or service to someone in need.

Studying the Bible

A comprehensive study of the Scriptures is what is involved here. This can be achieved by spreading out all your commentaries and Bible study tools on the dining room table and studying a person, character trait, or historical event; attending an in-depth Bible study program; participating in a Bible seminar; and many more such things.  Studying the Bible and trying to understand it in the correct context is applicable in this kind of studying. The Bible covers a long period of history and many cultures and ages. During a study such as this, one should plan out their study and decide if a group study or individual study is best for the purpose desired. Being organized is the key to developing a productive study time. Pastors and Sunday school teachers frequently spend hours at a time studying and developing their sermons or classes respectively. Studying God’s Word this way requires a lot of research skills, concentration, and prayer. It is very important that you become familiar with Bible doctrine if you are studying deeply, especially if you are studying to equip others, so you take care not to lead others astray.

Studying the Bible Photo Credit: Thinkstock
Studying the Bible
Photo Credit: Thinkstock

Whitney T. Kuniholm, President of Scripture Union/USA says, “Be careful not to be arrogant in the course of studying. It’s so easy to boast of your findings rather than prayerfully meditate on the. Studying extensively is good. Remember even those who are illiterates can have a deeper understanding of the Word and deeper relationships with God than you because they meditate on it. Simply knowing names and things is not good enough. You must practice and preach what you practice.”²

This information might be overwhelming to you. Being a student of God takes time. Your style develops over time. When I was younger, I never wanted to write because I felt like there were so many good writers out there and that I could never compare to them. It was only through my devotional time and Bible study that I began to realize that God makes us all different and even our writing styles vary. Your Bible study times should be geared to your personality. Maybe you like to sit outside on your back porch and read your Bible; maybe you like to participate in an in-depth Bible study at someone’s home; maybe you like to reflect in the park. Whatever works for you, do it. Don’t put off being taught by the Word of God. Get organized and get going.

As for me, in 2016, my serious Bible study time will take place at my dining room table, but for my quiet and reflective time, you will find me in my upholstered recliner in our downstairs library with my freshly brewed Folger’s Classic coffee placed neatly on the marble table next to my chair. How about you?

Blessings Always,

PATTIGREENE.eps-(1png-300x9

Bible Reading Programs [You may need to sign up]:

Bible Gateway – Reading Plans

Bible Study Tools – Reading Plan

Bible Verses:

God’s Word is profitable to mankind. The Bible . . .

Prayer:

Dear heavenly Father. Let me start the New Year with a deep desire to know you more and more. Allow your Holy Spirit to infiltrate my life so that desire stays strong and active all the way from January through December. Help me to organize a plan for reading my Bible every day and give me the stick-to-itiveness to follow through. It is my earnest desire to become more Christ-like as I read your Holy Word and pray this year. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

 

¹ Bell, Caleb. “Poll: Americans love the Bible but don’t read it much”. Religion News. April 4, 2013.

Web. December 27, 2015. www.religionnews.com.

² “How to Study the Bible.” Wikihow. Web. December 27, 2015. http://m/wikihow.com/Study-the-Bible.

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God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, Life Issues

Shoes, Sin, and Savior

My excitement began when I put on my brand new pair of silver high-heeled shoes! While I don’t have an obsession with shoes, most women [like me] feel pretty confident slipping their feet into a new pair of sandals, wedges, boots, flats, heels, or tennis shoes. I am no exception.

Yesterday, I was “pumped” gracing my feet in this new pair of shoes for their first time. My shoes and I were going out-on-the-town for the first time to Sax Fifth Avenue in Houston’s Galleria to enjoy lunch with my good friend Dorothy. I stepped out of the house with my serotonin level bouncing high!

As I pulled out of my driveway, I noticed my garbage man (okay, sanitation worker) had come, and I needed to bring the garbage can to the back of the house. I exited my car and dragged the garbage can to its resting place. But then the unthinkable happened. I was heading back to my car and I stumbled on the front of my right shoe. Right then and there, I experienced grief, regret, and discouragement all at the same time. Nothing affects a girl’s mood more than getting a tear in a brand new pair of shoes tear the first time they wear them.

But, I continued to the Galleria with the express thought that I would stop at the shoe repair store on my way home and see if the cobbler could somehow prevent my shoe from tearing more. On the drive to the Galleria, my tiny tear somehow became a BIG rip in my mind. When I walked into the Galleria, I was so conscious of the tear in my shoe that my mind even thought, “The Galleria is so fancy that no one should be wearing a torn shoe here.” Crazy, right!

After a lovely lunch with my friend, I decided to drive directly to the cobbler to fix this problem before it got out of hand. In my mind, the cobbler had all of a sudden become elevated to having a doctorate degree in ‘Shoe Repair.’ If anyone could fix my shoe, he could!

I arrived at the shoe repair shop, parked my car in the parking lot, and began pondering and contemplating whether I should go in or not. I finally decided that I was putting way too much emphasis on my new pair of shoes. To make a long story short, I decided not to spend $10.00+/- to get a small tear fixed when my shoes only cost $39.00. I drove home without entering the hallowed doors of my savior –THE COBBLER.

So, why am I compelled to tell my shoe story? It is because all through the day my mind was drifting to find a spiritual meaning to this event. For now though, let’s pretend the small TEAR in my shoe is SIN and the COBBLER is THE LORD.

Just like the cobbler wants to fix our shoes, God wants to fix us. When you and I first sin, we would be wise to go to the Lord immediately to get our sins forgiven and deal with it before we sin more. We all sin, but do we always turn to the Lord after one little bitty sin? Sometimes we do, but other times, we wait until our sins mount. The longer we wait to go to the expert, the problems and consequences of our sins (our tears) get bigger and bigger.

Take the prodigal son. He went off with his inheritance. Excited about his new adventure, he squandered his wealth and became involved in ungodly behavior. He enjoyed himself until one day, he found himself eating with the pigs. His sins accumulated, but finally he decided he had it better at home and he returned to his father. And, the good news is his father accepted him. It would have been best if the ‘prodigal son’ never left home and sinned, but he did.

Sometimes however, we  try to avoid our Father. When avoiding Him, He will be constantly pursuing us to come to Him or to come back to Him. When we postpone or reject God, our situation and consequences usually get worse. The longer we wait the harder it becomes, but remember that God continues to pursue us until the days of pursuing are over.

Whether we have been involved in a crime; had an abortion; deceived our spouse, or other actions, God still loves us. He cares about us, and He will continue to put spiritual people, spiritual literature, spiritual songs, and more in our pathway as he convicts us to return to Him. Our Heavenly Father sees the small tears (sins) in our life, and He wants to fix them as soon as possible before they turns into large tears that come with more dire consequences.

By deciding not to go to the cobbler, I didn’t get the small tear in my shoe fixed. But, it’s just a shoe!!!

Our lives are more important than shoes. God is there to heal all the small tears and big tears in our lives. When we turn to Him, we experience true freedom and well-being. Actually, it can mean the difference between heaven and hell. Wherever you are in your spiritual walk, choose God. Don’t wait. He loves and cares for all of us.

Make God the Master Cobbler in your life. Today!

Bible Verses:

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

But if we keep living in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7 NIV

And he said, “There was a man who had two sons.  And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of property that is coming to me.’ And he divided his property between them.  Not many days later, the younger son gathered all he had and took a journey into a far country, and there he squandered his property in reckless living.  And when he had spent everything, a severe famine arose in that country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. And he was longing to be fed with the pods that the pigs ate, and no one gave him anything. “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’ And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet. And bring the fattened calf and kill it, and let us eat and celebrate. For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.’ And they began to celebrate. Luke 15:11-24 ESV

Prayer:

Dear Jesus, Thank you for being with me today. Lord, show me my sins – even those little ones that I barely notice. I confess both the small sins and the big sins to you right now. Let me quickly recognize when I hurt others. Lord, you are better than a cobbler who is limited to their expertise. You can fix everything. I ask you to fix me and forgive me for where I have failed you. And trust you as my personal Lord and Savior. Amen.

I hope you enjoyed my blog today, but I’ve got to run. I saw these really cute pair of red strappy sandals . . .

Patti

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using the BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com

 

Christian Living, Prayer

Sabbath Rest

Sabbath Rest has become a popular term in the Christian circle vernacular. Using my own words, a “Sabbath Rest” means living a daily life of peace, trust, and security in our Heavenly Father.  We can achieve a “Sabbath Rest” by following these actions in our lives:

  • Preparing;
  • Dedicating;
  • Spending;
  • Bearing;
  • Trusting;
  • Expecting; and
  • Turning.

How to prepare for your Sabbath rest

We must plan for our Sabbath Rest. In Mark 3:9, Jesus was teaching and the crowds were pushing in on him. “And He told His disciples to have a little boat in [constant] readiness for Him because of the crowd, lest they press hard upon Him and crush Him.”

*Linked verses are in NIV translation for more clarity!

We see Jesus planning ahead. He knew that there might be some tough and anxious moments ahead, so he pre-prepared for a boat to be available as a retreat. Many times in the New Testament, Jesus retreats to a boat for rest.

The same goes for us, we should plan ahead to have a quiet time alone with God. God knows if we have children, jobs, and spouses to care for. This week, let’s try to do what Jesus did by planning ahead for time away from people and for time alone with God.

How to dedicate yourself to the Lord

We should ask ourselves if we have a saving relationship with Christ through the forgiveness of our sins. If so, are we daily dedicating our life to the Lord?

In Mark 4:8, we see seeds planted in different types of soil and a description of the soils. As believers, we should be people planned in the good, rich soil.

Jesus said, “And other seed [of the same kind] fell into good (well-adapted) soil and brought forth grain, growing up and increasing, and yielded up to thirty times as much, and sixty times as much, and even a hundred times as much as had been sown.” [Mark 4:8]

As believers, we are like the good seed. Through our dedication to the Lord, we should be growing up and increasing like the seed. Our Christian growth should be in a constantly growth and germination mode.

We do that by being sure we are truly dedicated to the Lord. Settling our salvation is the most beneficial and joyous way one can truly know God. We accomplish this through confession of our sins and acceptance of Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Only then can we have the strength and support to live in a daily relationship with the Lord through the power of His Holy Spirit.

“For on this day atonement shall be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before the Lord. It is a Sabbath of [solemn] rest to you, and you shall afflict yourself (by fasting with penitence and humiliation) it is a statue forever.” [Leviticus 16:29-31]

How to spend time with the Lord through Bible study and prayer

We need to take the time to consider and understand the Lord through His Word and Prayer.

In Jesus’ words, “He said, He who has ears to hear, let him be hearing [and let him consider, and comprehend.] . . .  And He said to them, To you has been entrusted the mystery of the kingdom of God [that is, the secret counsels of God which are hidden from the ungodly]; but for those outside [of our circle] everything becomes a parable . . .” [Mark 4:9-11]

Jesus is saying that once we have truly entrusted our life to God, and are reading our Bible and praying, we will begin to see mysteries and things of God through the Holy Spirit. We will begin to understand the Bible and we will learn how to listen to God. *If you do not own a Bible, I suggest purchasing an easy-to-read version. Many Christian bookstore employees are willing to help you find one that will meet your needs or reading ability.

Without being able to connect with the Lord, our business is seen through our eyes only, but now we can begin to see things through God’s eyes.

How to bear fruit

As we spend time with Him through Bible study and prayer, we will notice we are beginning to develop the fruits of the spirit.

“And those sown on the good (well-adapted) soil are the ones who hear the Word and receive and accept and welcome it and bear fruit.” [Mark 4:20]

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22 NIV '84
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22 NIV ’84

“But the fruit of the [Holy] Spirit [the work which His presence within accomplishes] is love, joy (gladness), peace, patience (an even temper, forbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness, Gentleness (meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law [that can bring a charge].” [Galatians 5:22-23]

How to trust Jesus for protection and security

Let’s go back and look at the seed and how by planting our lives in the good soil of Jesus Christ we are protected and kept secure in Him.

In Mark 4:32, Jesus says, “It is like a grain of mustard-seed, which, when sown upon the ground, is the smallest of all seeds upon the earth; Yet after it is sown, it grows up and becomes the greatest of all garden herbs and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air are able to make nests and dwell in its shade.” From a small start (like a seed), we can become strong in the Lord. God’s branches will protect us as we grow in Him and His Word.

As we grow, we will most likely notice people come to us for Godly advice or others asking us to participate in Christian service with them. This is because God is ready to empower us for His service. Everyone has different gifts and callings. Sometimes it takes trying a few different “projects” to see what our gifts are. I once volunteered to help in a pre-school choir class. Almost immediately, I realized that was not a position for me. But, I was thankful for the opportunity to try it out. It moved me along to the next step to see what God had for me. In my case, most of my service has been along the lines of writing and using words in some capacity. I laugh sometimes when I think of that because I failed my first college writing assignment I wrote as a freshman. God does have a sense of humor!!!

Expect Storms

“And a furious storm of wind [of hurricane proportions] arose, and the waves kept beating into the boat, so that it was already becoming filled.” [Mark 4:37]

In this situation, the disciples were scared; they called to Jesus for help. But look what the end result was – they looked to Jesus (as we should) and Jesus was right there taking care of their business.

How to turn continually and consistently to Jesus

One time Jesus was in a boat with his disciples and a storm erupted. The disciples were scared, but they turned to Jesus Christ to help them – as we should also.

Where was Jesus when the storm prevailed? “He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on the pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest though not that we perish?” [Mark 4:38]

These steps are not necessarily to be followed in a chronological order but in a cyclical order. As you see the cycle chart below, you may jump from one step to another one. Notice how the arrows change representing the different paths God may use to get us from one step to another. As long as we are rotating within the cycle – even jumping across to a step (not shown in the diagram) – Jesus is right in the midst of our own personal journey with His hands reaching out to us guiding and loving us. Only then will we experience a true Sabbath Rest.

Cycles to a Sabbath Rest Image Credit: Copyright Greene Family
Cycles to a Sabbath Rest
Image Credit: Copyright Greene Family

I love Psalm 37:25 when King David says, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.

That is because God is doing His thing and He knows what He is doing. Remember, God sees the big picture of our life, and we don’t.The sooner we understand this foundational truth, the sooner we will experience His peace, His trust, and His security in our lives.

God Bless You and may you find HIS REST this week.

Patti

Bible Verses: See above.

Prayer:

My Heavenly Father, You have walked where I have walked. You know what struggles I have. You know what decisions I have to make. You know what paths You want me to take. Lord, I want to dwell daily in Your presence. Allow me to use this cycle to guide me to be all I can be for You. I want to be in a “Sabbath Rest” every day. With Your help, I know I can. I love you, Lord.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Bible Gateway Blogger Grid (BG²) is an international network of independent bloggers who meaningfully blog—and who are serious—about matters relating to the Bible. Follow the members on Twitter using the BG² List.

www.PattiGreene.com