Read the Bible
Notes
Transcript
Verses
Verses
The law of the Lord is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the Lord is sure,
making wise the simple;
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Definition
Definition of reading
Reading is defined as a cognitive process that involves decoding symbols to arrive at meaning. Reading is an active process of constructing meanings of words. Reading with a purpose helps the reader to direct information towards a goal and focuses their attention.
From Webster’ s : to learn from what one has seen or found in writing or printing
Reading is a skill that is emphasized from a very early age.
Now let’s understand Why we need to Read the Bible
Why
It is the inerrant word of God and is from God.
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
I would strongly read Chicago statement of Biblical inerrancy.
For sanctification
Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.
To have Joy
But now I am coming to you, and these things I speak in the world, that they may have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
There is a fullness of Joy that we will miss if we do not continually read the Bible that has the word of God
To Believe
“I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word,
To understand God’s salvation to know Jesus Christ the Gospel
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
To stand against the schemes of the Devil
and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,
To Express our Love for God
Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.
To minister to Christ-followers and to those who have yet to respond to the gospel, experiencing God’s approval for work well done
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
• to experience consistent joy (Ps 119:111)
• to sort out our thoughts and motivations (Heb 4:12)
• to guard ourselves from sin and error (Eph 6:11–17; 1Pt 2:1–2)
• to know God in a personal relationship (1Co 1:21; Gl 4:8–9; 1Tm 4:16)
• to know truth and think clearly about what God says is valuable (2Pt 1:21)
• to be built up as a community with other believers (Ac 20:32; Eph 4:14–16)
• to reject conformity to the world as we renew our minds (Rm 12:1–2; 1Pt 2:1–2)
• to experience God’s freedom, grace, peace, and hope (Jn 8:32; Rm 15:4; 2Pt 1:2)
• to live well for God, expressing our love for him (Jn 14:23–24; Rm 12:2; 1Th 4:1–8)
• to minister to Christ-followers and to those who have yet to respond to the gospel, experiencing God’s approval for work well done (Jos 1:8; 2Tm 2:15; 3:16–17)
Who needs to Read Bible
Those who desire not to Sin
I have stored up your word in my heart,
that I might not sin against you.
Those who need guidance and desire God’s will
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
Those who desire to be fruitful
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.
This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
What is reading the Bible?
It is communication
It is adoration
It is learning
It is knowing God
This is God’s Word. The God who spoke the world into being has spoken his truth about life through the Bible, so that we might know what he intends for this world and how we might live for his fame. Thus the Bible serves as the foundation for understanding who we are and what we should be doing in this world.
Where should we read the bible?
This would be a silly question to determine a place where one should read bible.
It could be any where any time possible.
I have seen kids taking Bible to school, work, tourist destinations. Gideon ministry places bible in hotel for travellers to read. Bible is read at pulpit. Scripture is read aloud in congregation as found in many examples in Old testament and New Testament.
Joshua Barnes read a small pocket Bible which he always carried with him—over 120 times. Robert Cotton read the whole Bible through 12 times a year.
Cramer could repeat the entire New Testament from memory, learning it on his journey to Rome.
Where do I start reading the bible
A lot of new and seasoned Christians have a story about their attempts to read the Bible cover to cover that goes something like this: It was going great as they read through Genesis and Exodus, but somewhere in Leviticus or Numbers, they started to get bogged down in details they didn’t quite understand. And by the time they hit Deuteronomy, they were done.
While it’s true that “all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16), we need to recognize that the Bible is not like any other book. It isn’t necessarily meant to be read from front to back. In fact, the Bible is actually a library.
When should we read the bible ?
Studying the Bible every day is not a direct command. It’s not a sin to skip reading your Bible. I don’t want you to look begrudgingly at studying Scripture as a duty that you need to fulfill daily. Rather, ask yourself what you have to gain from reading Scripture, such as finding out and reminding yourself of Who God is, how to follow Him, and what truths He teaches. It will equip you for a godly life.
The is no set time when you should read the bible. It is not a Sunday only activity or early morning activity.
rather “shall meditate on it day and night” Is a phrase found in many occasions. Any opportunity you get should be.
When you need direction
I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
When you need comfort
When you need wisdom
Oh how I love your law!
It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged,
for I keep your precepts.
When you hear humans pastors or people preach or hear a message to examine if the scriptures align with the word you heard
Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.
We are admonished to read and teach our children
And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
How to Read the Bible
Read the Bible prayerfully: Engaging the Bible regularly is a spiritual exercise, and you need spiritual power and discernment to do it well. As you begin your Bible reading, ask God for a receptive and disciplined heart, ask him to speak to you through the Word, and use the passages you read as providing you with thoughts and words you can use as you pray to God.
Read expectantly and joyfully: As you pray over your Bible reading, also read it expecting to hear from God, being joyful and thankful for what you find in the Scriptures. Allow the “music” of the Word to give you joy in your walk with God.
Meditate on what you are reading: To meditate means to mentally “chew” on what we are reading, to think about what the passage means as well as its implications for belief and practice. Just as food chewed and swallowed too quickly gives indigestion, so we will not be able to digest our Bible readings unless we slow down and consider the “meat” we find there.
Read for transformation: The Bible is not meant merely to inform—it is meant to transform us in accordance with God’s truth (Rm 12:1–2). Therefore, read with expectation that you will hear from the Lord. Be thinking about ways to apply God’s truth to your life as you read.
Read with perseverance: Commit yourself to being consistent for the next 10 to 12 weeks, which is about how long it takes to form a long-term habit. As you are faithful with your Bible reading and begin to see it make a difference in your life, you will begin to hunger for your time in the Word.
Be realistic about the goals you set, and have a good plan: If you take just 20 to 30 minutes per day, you can read through the whole Bible in a year. In just 10 to 15 minutes per day, you can read through the whole Bible in two years. The key is not volume but consistency and a clear plan.
Set aside a consistent time and place to read and study the Bible: Make it a time and place that guards you from distractions and allows you to be consistent, missing no more than a handful of times per month. When you do miss a day, just pick back up the next day.
Read with a few good tools at hand: Along with this study Bible, have a good Bible dictionary on hand. These typically provide outlines and message summaries of each book of the Bible, plus quick entries on theological, historical, and cultural elements.
Read with a pen in hand: Underline key passages and make notes in the margins as you read. As the saying goes, the lightest ink is stronger than the strongest memory. If you prefer a keyboard to an ink pen, store your notes on your computer.
Read in light of the immediate context: Not only do we need the “big picture” of the Bible’s overarching story, we also need the “little picture” of the immediate context. So read with an awareness of where you are in the development of a particular book.
Do your Bible reading and study as part of a community: It helps if you have family or friends who also are reading the Bible, for they can encourage you and discuss the Bible with you. Become part of a community of Christians, a church, so you can have a place to celebrate what you are learning, to pose questions that come up in your study, and to use your spiritual gifts in ministering to others.
Read in light of the overarching story of the Bible: Reading the Bible is much more meaningful if you read it in light of its overarching story. As you read, notice great interwoven themes such as how creation in Genesis 1–2 relates to creation themes in Psalm 8; Isaiah 65:17–25; John 1; Romans 8:19–22, and Revelation 21. Read book introductions in your study Bible, noting where each book fits in the overall development of God’s story. That story can be outlined in three great Acts.
As we read, memorize, meditate, and pray the Scriptures, may God plant us by streams of grace so that we may bear fruit in season, for his glory and our joy. If we do not it is our loss, we are not being sanctified, we will not be able to resist the evil , bear fruit and will not be a testimony of God’s love toward us and express our Love to him. If that is the state you are in, let’s repent and seek his grace to cultivate the habit.