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Study Habits
By Rev. Marion Pastore
| Acts 17:11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in
that they received the word with all the readiness of mind, searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
John 7:17 If any man so his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.
Max Lucado writes:
The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and
ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. Kings have branded it as
illegal. A thousand times over it the grave has been dug and the
dirge has begun, but somehow the Bible never stays in the grave. Not only
has it survived, it has thrived. It is the single most popular book in
all of history. It has been the best selling book in the world for years.
There is no way to explain it. Which perhaps is
the only explanation. The answer? The Bible’s durability is not found on
earth; it is found in heaven. For the millions who have tested its claims
and claimed its promises there is but one answer – The Bible is God’s book
and God’s voice…
The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim God’s plan
and passion to save his children.
That is the reason this book has endured through
the centuries… It is the treasure map that leads us to God’s highest treasure,
ETERNAL LIFE!
A. Preachers on average deliver a Bible message one hour a week;
is that enough?
1. Rarely is more than a few verses covered
in depth.
2. Average church going Christian attends
1.5 services a week.
a. Includes Sunday
School, Worship Services, and Bible study
3. R. A. Torry said, “Nothing goes further
to help one understand the Bible than resolving to obey it!”
Jesus said, “If any man so his will, he shall know of the doctrine,
whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself.”
a. You must
study God’s Word in obedience!
b. Jesus wanted
us to know the Word that He preached was of God.
c. He gave us
this passage to teach us to study and obey the Word, letting us gather
our knowledge from the Scripture and to test His ministry for validity.
d. Should we do less
because we have a pastor and we attend 1.5 church services weekly?
e. How clear would
the passages that confuse us become if we studied daily and gave complete
passion to the irrefutable Word of God. |
B. How do I study the Bible daily?
1. Set aside a time for study.
a. Regardless of your
schedule make time for study.
b. Get up a ½
hour earlier than you do now.
c. Use breaks and
down time to read
d. begin a journal and systematic
study
1.
Lay the foundation
2.
Systematically in John if a new Christian. Luke, 1Thes., 1 John, Romans,
and Ephesians
a. read 5 times - once out loud
b. natural divisions
c. most important facts in order
d. principal lessons
e. central truth
f. key verse
g. your definite resolve due to this chapter
3. Read
comprehensively
a. read entire book to get complete picture
b. Main subject
c. principal thought - one sentence
d. Truth most clear to you
e. Who are the principal characters
f. What does it teach about Christ
2. Study Dutifully
a. Study the entire
Bible - don’t restrict yourself
b. Look up the words
not understood
c. don’t be hasty
d. get a Strong’s
Concordance
e. Let the study be
joy in your duty
f. Be ready for change
in your life - new orders from the King!
3. Study Prayerfully.
a. Let the Holy Spirit
be your instructor
b. Let God be your
interpreter
c. Ask Jesus to be
your tutor
4. Study and believe. These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all the readiness
of mind, searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
a. The Bible IS the
Word of God
b. Compare Scripture
to Scripture
c. Best commentary
on Bible is the Bible itself
d. Rely on the promises
- absolutely
e. Each day
look for the promises
f. Claim the promises
for yourself as well as others
g. Commit to memory
C. What version of the Bible do I use?
1. First of all, God is not the author of
confusion. God desires to reveal Himself to man.
2. In Eph. 3:3,4 Paul said: "that by revelation
there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief. And
by referring to this, when you read you can understand my insight into
the mystery of Christ,"
3. God wants to reveal His will to man, not
hide it in a cloud of multiplied interpretations. The reason so many interpretations
are accepted is because of ignorance. People do not know what the Scriptures
say, so it's not difficult to make some grand pronouncement and have a
number of people accept it.
It's like the ancient Chinese story about the young Chinese boy who
wanted to learn about jade. He went to study with a famous old teacher.
This elderly gentleman put a piece of jade into the boy's hand and told
him to hold it tight. Then the old man began to talk of philosophy, men,
women, the sun, and almost everything under it. After an hour, he took
back the stone and sent the boy home. The procedure was repeated for weeks.
The boy became frustrated. When would he be told about jade? he wondered.
But he was too polite to interrupt his venerable teacher. Then on day when
the old man put an ordinary stone into the boy's hands, the boy cried out
instantly, "That's not jade!" the boy now knew the feel of jade. He would
not be fooled by something artificial.
The F.B.I. investigates all reports of counterfeiting in our country.
Do you know how they train? By looking at the real thing long enough that
the counterfeit is easily spotted.
4. Hosea 4:6 (NASB) "My people are
destroyed for lack of knowledge."
5. Get the best version that suits you first
a. King James considered
the original
1. is a dead language but still one of the most reliable
2. NKJV, NLT, Life Application. Amplified, NIV & others
a. Start with the version that you can read and understand best
b. branch out to multiple versions later
Conclusion:
God demands obedience to His word. The scriptures tell us to
receive the Word. Our knowledge of the Bible is the guide to a beautiful
existence. Great joy and abundant happiness is ours if we follow the plan
God has set forth for us if only we adhere to the instructions given. He
will guide us, He provides a systematic comprehensive plan laid out for
us in His voice. God has provided, it is up to us to have the readiness
of mind to know and obey His Word. Do not be destroyed for lack of knowledge.
Open your Bible, read His words. How great is it that when we open this
Book we have the privilege of God Himself to be with us. Begin today, brighten
your path with the light given by the most high himself. Search the Scriptures
daily and be prepared to accept God’s highest treasure, ETERNAL LIFE! |
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