I read my bible every day... well, I try to read my bible every day. Life creeps in and whittles away at our time but I really do make an attempt to read every single day. I use the You Version bible app on a tablet or sometimes on a laptop, with an ink-and-paper study bible on hand. Armed with the NIV on tablet, the NASB on paper, a good cigar, and a glass of lemonade I find a shady spot under the linden tree (unfortunately fig trees don't grow in Colorado) and there I read the bible and reflect on what God is saying to me. I sometimes use the Olive Tree bible study app to clarify verses. I'm not saying that this is what you should be doing (especially if you don't like cigars) but it's what I do and have been doing for a couple of years now, and when I don't get a chance to do it due to the world's intrusions on my life I feel disconnected and upset.
Most importantly I really enjoy reading the bible, it's been my full time reading companion and I really really enjoy spending alone time with God under the tree. I always find something new every day I read, and marvel at the new revelations that never fail to leap off the page at me. Unfortunately most Christians don't read the bible daily, or weekly for that matter, statistics show that 25% of Evangelic Christians, 19% of Protestants, and 7% of Catholics read the bible daily while 18% of Protestant never read the bible (as compared with 44% of Catholics). Maybe it's because we're not taught how to enjoy reading the bible. So to help here's a few hints I picked up:
1. Get right with God first. How are you going to love His word if you don't love Him? Ask the Holy Spirit to enter your life and fill you with God's love and guide you as you study His word. Acts 5:32 tells us that God will send the Holy Spirit to us, and Galatians 5:22 tells us the fruit of the spirit. Remember that the Bible is many things, one of which is that it's a letter to you telling you who God is and how much He loves you.
2. Make reading the Bible a priority. You don't have to put aside a huge chunk of time every day, but you should make it an important time. This is God talking to you, it's important, it should be high on your list of priorities. The bible is your Creator speaking to you, listen to him.
3. Reading the Bible is a privilege. Up until the year 1500 the common person didn't have access to the scriptures in his own language, religious politics kept the word of God away from people, thousands of people died as unscrupulous misled religious leaders purged the true word of God from the average person. Keep that in mind as you scan the Scriptures, knowing this has made my daily hour with the bible even that more precious.
4. Read a trustworthy translation. The King James Version is a great translation, but it's written in a version of the English language that hasn't been spoken in over 400 years, it contains many words that are no longer in use, also many word meanings have changed, and quite often the sentence structure is clunky. The NASB is a good accurate translation but it can be a challenge to read. The ESV and NIV (pre-1984) are both good translations and easy to read. On the other end of the spectrum there are very, very bad versions of the bible out there. Books like The Message and the Queen James version are both written with an agenda in mind that does not coincide with God's word.
3. Reading the Bible is a privilege. Up until the year 1500 the common person didn't have access to the scriptures in his own language, religious politics kept the word of God away from people, thousands of people died as unscrupulous misled religious leaders purged the true word of God from the average person. Keep that in mind as you scan the Scriptures, knowing this has made my daily hour with the bible even that more precious.
4. Read a trustworthy translation. The King James Version is a great translation, but it's written in a version of the English language that hasn't been spoken in over 400 years, it contains many words that are no longer in use, also many word meanings have changed, and quite often the sentence structure is clunky. The NASB is a good accurate translation but it can be a challenge to read. The ESV and NIV (pre-1984) are both good translations and easy to read. On the other end of the spectrum there are very, very bad versions of the bible out there. Books like The Message and the Queen James version are both written with an agenda in mind that does not coincide with God's word.
5. Get a plan. There's no law that says you have to read from Genesis to Revelation straight through, if you use the You Version you will find that there's lots of different plans ranging from the full Bible to topical. I found that the plan that did me the most good was the chronological reading plan, it really put the Old Testament in perspective for me
6. Enjoy the bible for its awesomeness. This is not just a book, it is the greatest story ever told, it starts at the beginning of everything and extends to the end of the world as we know it. Every prophesy in the Bible that has come to pass has come true making it the most dependable book ever written. The bible is rooted in history and it's words have been upheld by archeology. It's the voice of God answering our prayers, it's the autobiography of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
6. Enjoy the bible for its awesomeness. This is not just a book, it is the greatest story ever told, it starts at the beginning of everything and extends to the end of the world as we know it. Every prophesy in the Bible that has come to pass has come true making it the most dependable book ever written. The bible is rooted in history and it's words have been upheld by archeology. It's the voice of God answering our prayers, it's the autobiography of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
How interesting. First let me say that I understand what you're trying to say but keep in mind I say what I am saying now in love.
ReplyDeleteFirst you say that “Our heavenly Father will NOT put any child of his into a hell fire no matter what their sins, whether they repent or not.” And that’s not true at all, Jesus was very clear and distinct when he said in Matthew 12:32 "And whoever shall speak a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever shall speak against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age, or in the age to come,"
if we repent and trust in the Lord Christ Jesus we become children of God and will not be cast down into hell, but if we don’t repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and savior we do not become children of God and thereby condemn ourselves into hell. God did not create sin (Isa 45:7 has nothing to do with sin, it has to to with challenges) God created the law, and sin is the act of turning our backs on His law.
God did not teach us about good and evil, if you read more of Genesis you’ll realize that Adam was ORDERED specifically told to stay away from that knowledge in Gen 2:15-17, we were created for good, not evil and were not intended to learn of evil or sin, but that woman thought she knew better than God and condemned us all to death and hell
Jer 7:31, Jer 19:5 are not about hell but about murdering children in the name of God. And when you say that “Anyone preaching a hell fire or second death for any child of God has been deceived into teaching lies” it’s obvious that you really need to ask the Holy Spirit for some help as you re-read the Gospel, as no one in the bible spoke about Hell as much as Jesus did; Matthew 5:28-29, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:33-34, Mark 9:45-46, Luke 10:15, Luke 12:5, Luke 16:23, James 3:6, so is Jesus teaching lies? Maybe you need to reread 2 Peter 2 with some help from the Holy Spirit.
In Revelation 12 God did not chose a woman to be his prophet, he chose her son to be his prophet. Acts 3:21-22 is about Jesus, not the woman of Revelation 12. In fact most bible believers believe that woman to be Israel. Gospel does NOT mean Good Tale it means Good NEWS. A tale is a story which can be true or a made up , NEWS is true. The Bible is not a made up fable and it hurts me that you would make such an implication.
It’s interesting that you open your statement with the preposition that God does not cast people into hell yet you close with Acts 3:23 which proves the exact opposite – that if you turn your back on Jesus you are cut off from God.
I really pray that you turn to your bible and really really read it, the whole book, verse by verse, cover to cover, with the Holy Spirit guiding you. I suggest getting a good study bible such as the John MacArthur NIV, the truth won’t change, but your perception of it will.