Beloved,
While "devoting" as part
of preparing for 12/31's brief intimacy commencing at 11:50 p.m., I
listened to the archived version of 12/30's second worship service in the
sanctuary.
It confirms what I said to elders a
few months ago - that we have elders who are called to bring messages to the
family when our Lord has other plans for me and we do not need to bring in
hired fire. Indeed, as the revival deepens, broadens, and expands on the
corner of Lincoln and Main, more and more and more gifts will be unleashed akin
to the glorious message on 12/30. If you have not heard it, please do not
deprive yourself and go to www.bnnsradio.com
and click on the archived version. If you need help in finding it, call
815-544-6402 between 7am-noon.
I am praising the Lord for Elder
Ev's obedience to the Word and courage to communicate His heart to...
I have been asked why I no longer
announce when I will not be cooperating on the Sunday message.
If you know someone who has asked this question, that person really needs to
listen to the message on 12/30.
Also, you may want to catch the
archived version of what happened at our "unfenced" table on
12/24 via www.bnnsradio.com.
Religion has ended on the corner of
Lincoln and Main in Belvidere.
The relationship(s) has/have begun.
Praise the Lord!
I pray your/my/their/our 2013 is
filled with an intimacy with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit that exceeds anything
heretofore experienced breeding refreshment, strong calm sanity (OC), and
supernaturally enabled obedience to honor Him in holy, holy, holy gratitude.
Blessings and Love!
Scratching the Surface
of
Bible
Reading
(A
Brief and Incomplete Guide to Devotional Bible Reading)
The Bible is our manual.
It tells us about God’s love for us and how
we can love Him back.
While it’s sometimes/often hard to obey His
Word in Jesus as attested in the Bible, it’s more truthful than cliché to
admit, “God said it! We believe it! That settles it!” We don’t dare say, “We know that’s what God
says in Jesus and the Bible, but we think…”
Fortunately, we know Jesus forgives how we
don’t measure up to the manual as long as we trust Him as our Lord and Savior.
Simply, the Bible is a personal love letter
from God to us.
Whenever we read it, we get closer to Him and
experience more of His love for us as we are increasingly compelled to love Him
back.
A little exercise with 1 Peter 5:6-11, which
can be applied to almost any part of the Bible, illustrates our personal
relationship with Him. Read the
following sentences aloud and say your name when a ___ appears:
If
___ will humble her/himself under the mighty hand of God, in His good
time,
He will lift ___ up. Let Him have all
___’s worries and cares, for He is
always thinking
about ___ and watching everything that concerns ___.
Trust the Lord; and
remember that other Christians all around the world
are going through
these sufferings too.
After ___ has
suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through
Christ, will give
___ His eternal glory. He personally
will come and pick ___
up, and set ___
firmly in place, and make ___ stronger than ever.
To Him be all power
over all things, forever and ever. Amen!
Devotional Bible reading, discovering God’s love for us and how we can love
Him back, includes approaching every word reverently, redemptively,
realistically, and regularly.
Reverently – Because
we believe the Bible is inspired or God-breathed, we approach it with attention
not contention. Our
privilege/responsibility is to read it and enflesh its clear truths into our
lives.
Redemptively – Because we believe God wants
us to know about His love for us and how we can love Him back, we know
immersing ourselves into more intimacy with Him through devotional Bible
reading will supernaturally restore more love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness/humility,
and self-control into our lives.
Realistically – English
is a notoriously imprecise language; hence, there is not one
translation/paraphrase of the Bible that is pure and perfect in every way. That’s why taking the time to read the Bible in
different translations/paraphrases will yield more clarity and certainty about
the content.
Regularly – Giving
the first and last words of the day to God in devotional Bible reading is a
good start! Be sure to include parts of
the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament in your daily plan; and while daily
plans vary, remember this cardinal rule for devotional Bible reading: read
the book more and more and more than books about the book!
I would never suggest my daily plan is better
than anybody else’s; however, I am reminded of Moody’s retort to someone who
didn’t like the way he did it: “I prefer how I do it to how you don’t do
it.” While I tend to stay with the NET,
NIV, NKJV, NLT, RSV, Message, and Voice, I start every day by
reading parts of the Hebrew Scriptures and New Testament, read one book from
either sometime during the day, and ask the Holy Spirit to direct my final
reading of the day.
Yes, I look at the originals on occasion and
often become preoccupied with one book over others for seasons; yet regardless
of the reverent, redemptive, realistic, and regular plan, Eugene
Peterson’s conclusion has convinced me by experience/expression: “As we read,
and the longer we read, we are in conversation with God.”
Please note this is a brief and incomplete
guide to devotional Bible reading!
Devotional Bible reading is different from
reading the Bible to prepare a Bible study lesson for Sunday School,
homily/sermon/message, write a paper, or some other kinda academic,
ecclesiastical, or professional pursuit.
Devotional Bible reading is more about
increasing our personal relationship with God than preparing to help someone
else through exposition of a text(s); meaning we allow Him to direct us as we
encounter Him in the Bible more than decide how we want to communicate Him to
others.
Devotional Bible reading recognizes the
necessity of getting closer to God in a personal way as a prerequisite to
communicating in a corporate way.
Finally, my home pastor Harold F. Mante
suggested this general rule for getting closer to God that can be applied to
devotional Bible reading: “Be slow! Be
steady! Be solid!”
Intimacy with our Lord increases as we increase intimacy
with
Him through worship, prayer, Bible study, fasting,
sacrament,
silence, stewardship, and regular
fellowship
with His family of faith
uncommonly
called the Church.
Are
you still looking for a different way to do church?
Are
you tired of the SOSO RELIGION?
Are
you put off by posers in pews, politics, and pulpits?
Are
you searching for something/Someone real, honest, timely, and true to…?
Try
our family of faith on the corner of Lincoln and Main!
(Belvidere,
Illinois)
Sundays
at 7:20 and 10:00 a.m.
And
so much…
No comments:
Post a Comment