I am sure each of us know the importance of Bible Study, but what have others said about Bible Study?
“If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, he will be in the last place the remainder of the day.”—E. M. Bounds
“Wind up thy heart towards heaven in the beginning of the day, and it will go the better all the day after. He that loseth his heart in the morning in the world, will hardly find it again all the day. O! Christians, let God have your morning meditations.”—Thomas Watson
“The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day.”—Henry Ward Beecher
“If I have had any success in life, I attribute it to the habit of giving the first two hours of each day to Bible study and prayer.”—Lord Earl Cairns, Lord Chancellor of England
How will your words be remembered regarding Bible Study?
Each week there are a few things followers of Christ do to strengthen their relationship with the Lord and to enhance their relationship with each other. Though the world sees them as simple, the deeper meaning behind each one is the key to a long lasting, strong fellowship.
Each week, Christians meet to commemorate the Lord’s Death on the Cross (Luke 22.19; 1 Corinthians 11.23-26) as the Christians in the first century did (Acts 20.7). It is during this time each person’s mind should reflect on the sacrifice of Christ (1 Corinthians 11.27-32).
Each week, Christians meet to pray together. The Bible speaks of the power of prayer in passages such as James 5.16, “The prayer or a righteous person has great power in its working.” Christians know not only the power of individual prayer, but also the power of united, group prayer (Acts 4.24-31; 12.5; 20:36)
Each week, Christians meet to sing. Passages such as Ephesians 5.19-21 and Colossians 3.16 speak of the singing of Christians. Their singing was to God and each other, but it came as a result of their salvation in Christ. The realization of salvation from sin should be enough to make anyone sing for joy (James 5.13)
Each week, Christians meet to study God’s Word (Acts 20.7). The study of God’s word was a core practice among the early church and not just on the first day of the week, but through the book of Acts, you will find they were constantly studying the Book (Acts 17.11) because they understood it was their inspired guide to salvation (2 Timothy 3.16-17).
Each week, Christians give. When a need arose, the early Christians sought to fill that need for the brethren. Whether it be a famine, hardships or supporting the work of the gospel, the early Christians stepped up to meet the need (1 Corinthians 16.1, 2; Acts 4.34-35; Acts 11.29)
Each week, and throughout the week, the early Christians met together to draw closer to God knowing that, in turn, he would draw closer to them (James 4.8). Their fellowship with each other was greater because of their desire for God and as a result, they found a greater fellowship with each other.
Let us strive together to strengthen our fellowship by drawing closer to God and closer to each other.
By the time you read this another app on your phone or computer will be facing another update. For some, this means nothing, but for others you will understand it will mean an adjustment to learning the new system and all of its bells, whistles and frustrations.
Every new update usually means another set of bumps and issues. Due to the quickly expanding world of technology, many software manufactures try to quickly get their product into the market and as a result, they can complicate something to the point of angered frustration.
After putting up with several technological issues, I am thankful that God made the plan to live with him simple. Take a moment and read Habakkuk 2:2 and see that God wanted His message written plainly.
“Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so he may run who reads it.”
There is not a technological aspect to the plan God has shown to man through His Son Jesus. God knew man would not be able to save himself, because we were created to make our own choices and in such cases, we choose to leave the foundational principles of the Word of God and make our own path. Salvation through God is simple, but sometimes man creates the problem.
Consider those on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Each person was committed to following God because they had made the journey from other regions to be there for the Pentecost celebration. While celebrating the feast, Peter (along with the 11) became a Spirit-filled spokesman for the Almighty God. The message was personal and pointed. During Peter’s message, the people realize, “What shall we do?” Peter’s answer was simple and pointed.
Peter’s words were…
(1) Repent
(2) Be baptized.
God plan is simple because He wants all me to be saved and come to the knowledge of the Truth. (1 Timothy 2:4)
I am glad God’s plan is not technical, but simple.
The constant battle of the “good angel” on one shoulder vs. the “evil angel” on the other is portrayed as the battle each Christian faces in the midst of daily life. Choices arise every day testing our beliefs and some of those choices challenge us more than others.
How should we handle the choices of good and evil?
The answer is simple but the actions are hard.
We should all put the evil out of our lives in order to serve the Almighty God, but the practical application might not be an easy one. Each person has desires and emotions towards things we may know are wrong but we wish to hang onto those a little longer.
God, knowing the deeds and thoughts of man, instructed the Israelites in the Old Testament to purge the evil from the camp. Consider these verse in your study – Deuteronomy 13.5; Deuteronomy 17.7; Deuteronomy 17.12; Deuteronomy 19.13; Deuteronomy 19.19; Deuteronomy 21.9; Deuteronomy 21.21; Deuteronomy 21.22; Deuteronomy 22.24; Deuteronomy 24.7
At least 11 times in the book of Deuteronomy, God wants the Israelites to purge the evil from their midst.
Looking at the above from a historical point, one can see how the relationship the Israelites had with God grew powerful when they listened to His words, then grew apart when the Israelites did not heed the words of God.
As the creator and provider for mankind, God knows and has seen man struggle with the battle of good and evil on a daily basis, hence God’s words to mankind to “purge the evil” from the midst. God wants the best for man so He provided words to hear.
The apostle Paul understood the influence of one person on the congregation of the saints. When dealing with a continual immoral-living person, Paul speaks of their influence when he says, “Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?” (1 Corinthians 5.6; ESV). Paul knew that even one person’s example affects the whole group.
As Paul continues in 1 Corinthians 5, he says the leaven must be cleansed. Each person reading this understands that the evil must be purged from the group, because of the influence which will rub off on one another.
While one today may think Paul’s statement to be harsh, the history of purging evil goes back to the Old Law.
When evil is not purged from our lives, we become calloused to the emotions we once felt. To give you a modern day example, several years ago the hit television show, “Leave it to Beaver” was censored for showing a bathroom. Have you seen something worse than a bathroom on television today? Has our viewing of television calloused us to the things of the world once thought of as being appalling?
What do you need to purge from your life? What influences are not what the Lord wants?
In just a few more days our calendars will move from 2018 to 2019; Lord willing. Another year has come, and its days have moved quickly. For many, the days of 2018 seem like they just started; for others, they are ready for a new year to begin.
A new year brings a time to begin living better. As it has been said before, “you cannot go back and start a new beginning, but you can start today and create a new ending.” Through the blessings of God, each one of us can begin a new year with a clean slate.
How will you begin 2019?
1. Will you read your Bible all the way through? It is the word of God that is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. (Psalms 119.105)
2. Will you practice a pure religion? James says a pure religion is to visit the fatherless and the widows in their affliction. (James 1:27)
3. Will you attend services to build one another up? The Hebrews writer encourages us to stir one another up to love and good works by being together. (Hebrews 10.24-25)
I love the fact that God sees fit to give us days upon this earth. They are times spent with family, friends, working and doing whatever else our hands find to do. Looking back on our lives, I am sure that each of us will agree that we have been blessed.
How will you bless others with the blessings that God has given you this upcoming year?
As 2018 is quickly drawing to a close. Through the year, we have seen baptisms, restorations, increased moments of fellowship and opportunities to share. You have to say it has been a good year.
Even though the year is drawing to a close, our responsibilities are still active and open. This time of the year provides several great opportunities to share the gospel with someone you know. The Christmas holiday puts many people’s focus on Jesus and provides a great opportunity to share with them the message of what Christmas truly is – it’s about a Savior. When Jesus came into the world in human form (probably around April) the world was going to begin to change for the better and the mystery of God was being revealed.
Remember: Many people look to this time of year, to see Jesus. Each of us can begin to plant the seed, water the seed of the gospel and allow God to give the increase.
This time of year also represents a time where many people begin to make changes for the coming year; most call the resolutions, some call them goals, still others call them promises. No matter what they are called, people want to do better. This is an opportunity which needs to be grasped. The best way to make one’s life better is to change the focus from where it has been and begin to look to where one wants to be.
Remember:As people look to make themselves better, let each of us be sure to share with them the One who makes all things better.
During this time of year, families will make trips from all over the country to be together and celebrate a few days. Family becomes a top priority during the holidays because these are the time where memories are created, and the past memories are shared. When families get together, it is another opportunity to spend time growing closer to each other, but also a time to grow closer to God.
As you can see our work is still vital, and the opportunities are here. Pray that your words will be the right ones at the right time to encourage others to see the One who truly makes life worth the living.
Have a Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!
