5 Simple Ways to Read the Bible that will Bless You

Some of the best ways to study read the Bible that will help you fall in love with the God who loves you so much He died for you. #BibleStudy #BibleVerses #ChristianCommunity #CountingMyBlessings

I was supposed to read the Bible from cover to cover in college while taking the required Old Testament 1 & 2 and New Testament … I have to be honest with you and say it was a daunting task I never quite accomplished.

I’ve spent most of my adult life attending church and participating in Bible Study. Of course I have … I’m a preacher’s wife.

And I have to admit that during those busiest years most of my personal time spent in the Bible happened on the nights when stress and anxiety kept me awake in the middle of the night. During the day … it felt impossible to find time for personal anything.

But a little over a dozen years ago, a series of hard years culminated with a devastating loss and as I cried out to God … He drew me to His Word.

So I grabbed hold and read every verse from Genesis to Revelation in just three months. God used His Word to soothe my soul and heal my heart.

And I fell in love with the Bible.

So, I thought I’d share some of the ways I’ve read the Bible that have blessed me most.

5 Simple Ways to Read the Bible that will Bless You

1. Choose an understandable translation.

One that you will actually read!

Over the past 15 years, I’ve read the New International Version, the Amplified Bible, God’s Word Translation, the Holman Christian Standard Bible, The Message, the Chronological Bible, and the New Living Translation.

I believe the two Bibles that have blessed me most are the Chronological Bible and The Life Application Bible – New Living Translation.

I really liked the Chronological Bible as it helped me understand the Old Testament better by putting the words of the prophets into the appropriate times in history.

But I love the LAB – NLT! Last year, I read the text and all the notes. The translation is easier to understand (it’s the one I use most often in posts) and the notes help me think about the ways God wants me to apply all what I’m learning to my life.

2. Pray for the Spirit’s help to understand.

Proverbs 2 says…

Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom!
From His mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Proverbs 2:3–6

And Jesus’ brother, James wrote…

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking.
James 1:5

I truly believe that when you and I sincerely ask God to give us the wisdom to understand the truths found in His Word … that is a prayer He is happy to answer positively!

3. Start where you’ll read.

If you’ve never read the Bible before, I don’t recommend you begin in Genesis and read through the Old Testament. I know too many of us have gotten discouraged in Numbers, Leviticus, 1 and 2 Chronicles, and Lamentations.

My favorite book is the Book of John.

The Life Application Notes include the following words in the introduction to John…

Eternal, infinite, unlimited—He was, is and always will be the Maker and Lord of all that exists.

He is the Word; HE is Jesus, the Messiah.

John loved Jesus and describes himself as the “disciple Jesus loved.” His words are about relationship … the love relationship you and I can have with the Heavenly Father through His Son, the Messiah … Jesus!

After John, I recommend reading Romans, 1,2,3 John, and Proverbs. Then go to Genesis and read. Or if you prefer … there is a very easy to follow Bible Reading Plan at the Back of the LAB – NLT just before the indexes.

4. Look for Jesus in both the Old and New Testatments.

Billy Graham wrote…

The message of Jesus Christ, our Savior, is the story of the Bible … it is the story of salvation, it tis the story of the Gospel, it is the story of life, peace, eternity, and heaven.

Although, I believe there is value in beginning with the books of John and Romans if you have never read the Bible before. I also believe we need to read it all from creation through Revelation’s promise.

There is a powerful quote from Roy Gustafson in this month’s Decision Magazine…

The New Testament is contained in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is explained in the New Testament.
The New Testament is concealed in the Old Testament.
The Old Testament is revealed in the New Testament.
The Old Testament anticipates the New Testament.
The New Testament authenticates the Old Testament.
In the Old Testament the New Testament lies hidden.
In the New Testament the Old Testament lies open.
The Old Testament predicts a Person.
The New Testament presents that Person.

God promised Jesus in the Garden immediately after sin entered the world.

“I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike His heel.”
Genesis 3:15

And throughout the pages of the Old Testament prophets, priest, and kings repeated the promise that God would send a Messiah to save us.

5. Ask questions and take notes.

I keep a highlighter, pen, and notebook with my Bible. I write verses and notes that speak to my heart and I write prayers inspired by the words I’ve read.

You can also ask the following questions:

What does this teach me about God?
What does it teach me about life?
What does it teach me about other people?
Is there a command to obey or an example to follow?
Is this a promise I can claim?
How can I apply this to my life?

5 Ways to Read the Bible that will Bless You - Some of the best ways to study read the Bible that will help you fall in love with the God who loves you so much He died for you. #BibleStudy #BibleVerses #ChristianCommunity #CountingMyBlessings

Friend, I believe…

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

If you were sitting across the table from me right now, I would tell you with tears in eyes how I have fallen in love with the Triune God of the universe through the pages of Scripture. I can’t wait for Him to speak to me each day through His Story.

His promises have transformed my life.

Oh, how He loves you. Read His love letter to you and find out just how much!

Thank you so much for joining me today.

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You Need to Know – Do You Believe the Bible?

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Recently, I read a Gallup Poll Article – Record Few Americans Believe Bible Is Literal Word of God

“Fewer than one in four Americans (24%) now believe the Bible is “the actual word of God, and is to be taken literally, word for word,” similar to the 26% who view it as “a book of fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by man.”

In December of 2015, Gallup reported that 75% of Americans identified themselves as Christians. (I was unable to find more recent statistics.)

Based on those two numbers, we could conclude that although 3/4 of all Americans say they are Christians, only 1/3 of self-identifying Christians believe that the Bible is the Inspired (literal) Word of God.

And then this week, I read the following article … GQ Says the Bible is Overrated. Here’s What They Got Right . by David Rupert

It appears people are talking about the Bible and I told you we are going to search for the answers to hard questions, so here goes…

Is the Bible the Inspired (Infallible) Word of God

You need to know!

Why?

If the Bible is God telling man about Himself, and if God is who He says He is … then the Bible is the MOST IMPORTANT book ever written.

Eternal futures are at stake.

If you watch the news you know that people are wound up about the future of our nation. They’re worried about their relationships, their finances, and how people perceive them on Facebook.

The Bible says all those things we worry about are temporary.

Teach us how short our lives really are so that we may be wise. Psalm 90:12

But the living out of our days often seems long and difficult. Which is one of the reasons we need the Bible … it gives us perspective as well as teaching us wisdom. It gives us the information we need to live today but even more importantly it tells us what we need when our “short lives” are over.

That’s a big deal!

Believe the Bible – my personal story.

The Bible has always been in my life but I haven’t always loved it the way I do now.

Most of my life the Bible was used as an instruction manual of dos and don’ts. Bible lessons for life were part of every day both home and at school. I knew about the commandments … the thou shalts and the thou shalt nots.

Oh, I knew Jesus and I trusted in Him as my Savior but somehow my head told me that the message of the Bible for today was mostly about obedience and “right” living.

I hadn’t read the Bible thoroughly for myself, relying instead on learning about its message through religion classes, sermons, and Bible studies.

Then a life-event dumped me in a pit of grief. I cried out for God’s help and grabbed my Bible. For the first time, I read it from Genesis to Revelation and I did it in just 3 months.

It was unputdownable! (Yes, that’s a word!)

That was 13 years ago, and I’ve read through the whole Bible at least once a year since.

By His grace and through His words in the Bible, God…

lifted me out of the pit of despair,
out of the mud and the mire.
He set my feet on solid ground
and steadied me as I walked along.
Psalm 40:2

God didn’t change my circumstances — He changed me! And every day I continue to learn something new about God’s love and how it applies to my life.

That’s my story – but maybe you’re more of a facts and detail person…

Believe the Bible – a look at some facts.

In the book, The Insanity of Unbelief: A Journalist’s Journey from Belief to Skepticism to Deep Faith, Max Davis wrote:

Look at the unbelievable unity of the Bible. It was penned by forty authors from diverse backgrounds living on three continents stretched out over a period of sixteen centuries. A variety of kings, peasants, warriors, and priests wrote in a variety of languages—Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic.

Without any collaboration what they produced was sixty-six books with 1189 chapters that reveal in harmonious unity the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan for humanity. How is this possible without supernatural guidance?

And then he added…

After centuries and thousands of discoveries, not one single time has an archeological finding ever disproved the Bible.

I love where Davis asks…

Why? Why is the Bible so popular? Why is it so polarizing? Why do some hate it so much that they’d burn it along with its readers while others love it so much they’d willingly die to protect it? Could it be that the Bible itself is God’s Word?

Believe the Bible – what it says about itself.

The Bible is Truth.

Every word of God proves true.
He is a shield to all who come to Him for protection.
Do not add to His words,
or He may rebuke you and expose you as a liar.
Proverbs 30:5–6

The Bible is Inspired.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.God uses it to prepare and equip His people to do every good work. 2 Timothy 3:16

What do you believe about the Bible?

Is it the inspired Word of God?
Is the Bible – God’s Truth?

If truth is relative. Then it really doesn’t matter whether the Bible is Truth or not.

But…

If truth is absolute. Then you and I need to have a source of truth. It must come from someone or something.

I believe the Bible, God’s Word, is that source of truth!

The Psalmist wrote…

The very essence of your words is truth; all your just regulations will stand forever. Psalm 119:160

Jesus said…

Make them holy by Your truth; teach them Your word, which is truth. John 17:17

Peter wrote…

Above all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:20–21

Believe the Bible – read it!

Earlier, I mentioned the article … GQ Says the Bible is Overrated. Here’s What They Got Right.

It begins – “GQ Magazine recently ran an article called, “21 Books You Don’t Have to Read.”

So, I went over to the GQ article and found the following narrative to go with their selection of The Bible #12 on the list of books you don’t have to read…

The Holy Bible is rated very highly by all the people who supposedly live by it but who in actuality have not read it. Those who have read it know there are some good parts, but overall it is certainly not the finest thing that man has ever produced. It is repetitive, self-contradictory, sententious, foolish, and even at times ill-intentioned.

GQ is wrong in their synopsis of the Bible, wouldn’t it be awesome if we proved them wrong about people not reading it, too?

I’m reading the New Living Translation – Life Application Bible and I’ve made it a goal to not only read the Bible text but to read the notes as well.

It’s my favorite! This combination daily draws me in and fills me up.

But if you need one more bit of encouragement, think about this…

God wants you and me to know and love Him personally and intimately so much so that He used 40 writers, over 1600 years, on 3 continents to tell His message. Kings, peasants, warriors, priests and prophets wrote details of His amazing grace, His love … His truth!

I believe…

The Bible is God’s declaratory revelation to man containing the great truths about God, about man, about history, about salvation, and about prophecy that God wanted us to know. The Bible could be trusted just as much as if God had taken the pen and written the words Himself. ~John F. Walvoord, theologian, pastor, and president of Dallas Theological Seminary

What do you believe about the Bible?

Please join me on Friday, when I’ll share additional thoughts about Rupert’s article and the conversations it started.

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This is Important – Why Do You Believe what You Believe?

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Earlier this week, I tweeted: Don’t be shy. God wants us to ask . . . often. http://snip.ly/7kwl8 8 Steps to an Action Plan for Growing in Wisdom #Faith

And received the following reply: I’m curious how you discovered God wants us to ask things?

Great question? Right?

I answered by saying that Jesus told His followers to ask in the Bible.

And that began a discussion about the truth of the Bible and why I believe what I believe.

When’s the last time someone asked you . . . why do you believe what you believe?

Important question, isn’t it?

I know it’s faith. I know . . . you just believe. I know it’s the power of the Holy Spirit. But how would you answer someone who is seeking and wants to know your why?

Don’t you want to know your why?

I was raised in a Christian home. We went to church every time the doors were open. I went to a Christian college and fell in love with a pre-seminary student. I’m a pastor’s wife. I grew up on the Bible.

But…

That’s not my why?

My why is the following:

I believe Jesus is the Son of God because He said He is.

The Father and I are one. John 10:30

I believe He suffered, died, and rose again because He said He would; and men who ran away when He was arrested, after seeing Him suffer, die, and alive again, willingly suffered and died themselves to share that message with others.

From then on Jesus began to tell His disciples plainly that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem, and that He would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day He would be raised from the dead. Matthew 16:21

I believe I am saved by grace through Jesus’ death and resurrection because no matter how hard I try I fall short of God’s standard but Jesus paid my punishment for me to give me a right relationship with God.

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit, God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; He made us pure and holy, and He freed us from sin. 1 Corinthians 1:30

I believe the Bible is God’s Word because it’s a miracle . . . 66 books, with 40 different writers, over 1500 years all with one central theme. God’s love. His desire to know and be known by the people He created. And the price He willingly paid (through Christ Jesus) to have a personal relationship with each of us.

All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 2 Timothy 3:16

I believe God has the power to change lives through faith in Jesus because I used to be afraid now I’m not. I know God’s peace that passes all understanding.

Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

That’s faith . . . lives changed by God today and eternally. My life changed. I can’t explain it but I know it’s true.

But what does faith have to do with wisdom?

Faith is the foundation of wisdom.

Fear of the LORD is the foundation of wisdom. Knowledge of the Holy One results in good judgment. Proverbs 3:5

It is my faith that makes me want to live wisely. I want to know what God says is wise and because I believe His ways are best, I want to do what He says is wise solely dependent upon His faithful grace when I fail.

Finally, one last question from my Twitter chat…

What would have to happen to know you were wrong?

Wow, that one made me think. In fact, I’m still thinking about it.

I’m hoping you’ll think about it too. It’s a question you’ll have to answer yourself.

My answer:

There is nothing in this life that could change my mind. I’ve seen God’s grace alive and active in my life and in the lives of others. It’s faith, not pie in the sky by and by, but grounded on the foundation of Jesus, the Word of God and a host of others who have searched, studied, and clung to the evidence that supports the truths of the Bible.

For more information on those who have searched and studied, read Myth and the Claims of the Bible Writers.

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Humble and Gentle

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Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you,
because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30

Always be humble and gentle.
Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.
Make every effort to keep yourselves united in the Spirit, binding yourselves together with peace.
Ephesians 3:2-3