Making Bible Reading an Act of Worship

Here is a tip from theologian author, J.I. Packer for you to keep in mind as you read the Bible (and always remind yourself of what the Bible is: It is the revelation of the nature, character, ways and will of the God who designed us, created us, and even now sustains us).

“How can we turn our knowledge about God into knowledge of God? The rule for doing this is simple but demanding. It is that we turn each Truth that we learn about God into matter for meditation before God, leading to prayer and praise to God.” (J.I. Packer in Knowing God)

So as you read, ask yourself, "What is this passage teaching me about God ... His nature, character, ways and will?" Then take your answer and spend some time mentally chewing on it (which is what meditation is all about, chewing over something in your mind). Finish up with prayer and praise concerning whatever it is about God upon which you have been mediating. Do this, and your Bible reading will be much richer! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . and SEIZE THE DAY! 
pj

Read Your Bible More and More

Author and pastor John Piper comments on why we need to be regularly in the Bible. I encourage you to take a moment and read what he has to say ... it is GOOD stuff!

Don’t rest on past reading. Read your Bible more and more every year. Read it whether you feel like reading it or not. And pray without ceasing that the joy return and pleasures increase.

Three reasons this is not legalism:

1. You are confessing your lack of desire as sin, and pleading as a helpless child for the desire you long to have. Legalists don’t cry like that. They strut.
2. You are reading out of desperation for the effects of this heavenly medicine. Bible-reading is not a cure for a bad conscience; it’s chemo for your cancer. Legalists feel better because the box is checked. Saints feel better when their blindness lifts, and they see Jesus in the word. Let’s get real. We are desperately sick with worldliness, and only the Holy Spirit, by the word of God, can cure this terminal disease.
3. It is not legalism because only justified people can see the preciousness and power of the Word of God. Legalists trudge with their Bibles on the path toward justification. Saints sit down in the shade of the cross and plead for the blood-bought pleasures.

So lets give heed to Mr. Ryle and never grow weary of the slow, steady, growth that comes from the daily, disciplined, increasing, love affair with reading the Bible.

Do not think you are getting no good from the Bible, merely because you do not see that good day by day. The greatest effects are by no means those which make the most noise, and are most easily observed. The greatest effects are often silent, quiet, and hard to detect at the time they are being produced.

Think of the influence of the moon upon the earth, and of the air upon the human lungs. Remember how silently the dew falls, and how imperceptibly the grass grows. There may be far more doing than you think in your soul by your Bible-reading. (J. C. Ryle, Practical Religion, 

Thanks for stopping by . . .
pj

Why Even Bother to Read and Study the Bible?

Earlier this month, pastor-author Kevin DeYoung released a book titled, Taking God at His Word. The book is a brief introduction to the area of theology known as bibliology (the doctrine of the Bible). It is one of the best books I have ever run across of its kind. It is readable, relevant and in today's world of the church, refreshing. Concerning the Bible, DeYoung writes that "it is final (the authority of the Word), it is understandable (the clarity of the Word), it is necessary (the necessity of the Word) and it is enough (the sufficiency of the Word). 

So why even bother to read and study the Bible? DeYoung would answer "Because it is knowable, final, necessary and enough." And he's right! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . 

pj

Another Person Weighs in on the Value of Our Carpe Diem Initiative!

Here is another story about the benefit a participant is gleaning from our Carpe Diem spiritual growth initiative: 

"I always enjoy spending time in God's Word and discussing what I am learning with other people who love God's Word too, but I have never been in a situation where I was able to have conversations with people who are reading the same exact passages as me! There has been a bonding, intimate experience to know that the things that I am reading are also being read by the people in my church family. Truly an experience of Christ's Church, Our Family" 

This is good stuff! And remember, it's never too late to get started! 

Thanks for stopping by . . . and remember: SEIZE THE DAY .... by knowing and living the Word of God! 

pj

Is Bible Reading All That Important?

In the midst of life's busy routines, we often need a good reminder that taking the time to read and reflect on God's Word is time well ... VERY well ... invested. Here are some thoughts from others about the importance of spending time in the Scriptures.

"Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." (Jerome, A.D. 340-420)

"THIS BOOK contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilgrim's staff, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword and the Christian's charter. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand object, our good is its design and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents." (Anonymous)

“The more you continue to read Scripture, the more you begin to think as He thinks and act as He acts. And that’s how, over time, you gain the wisdom of the ages.” (Wayne Corderio)

Thanks for stopping by . . . and SEIZE THE DAY! 

pj

Here's a Note from a Couple Who Are Seizing Their Day!

Here is another note I received when I asked our church family for stories about their involvement in our Carpe Diem spiritual growth initiative for 2014. 

"My wife and I would not consider ourselves Bible scholars—but we have been regularly students and readers of God’s word for many years.  Many times we/I have started an annual reading program and sure enough, early in the program I fell behind-- and never caught up again—BUT this year under the challenge or our Spiritual Growth initiative at Grace—my wife and I have been doing the complete reading/journaling together.  AND we are right on schedule. Today we just finished Numbers—and we are enjoying all the detail of God’s story—many details that I have skipped over before.

Thank you for encouraging this program and holding us accountable."

Thanks for stopping by ... and SEIZE YOUR DAY ... by knowing and living God's Word! 
pj

So ... What Is Meditating on the Bible All About?

One of the mandates of the Bible is that we meditate on what we read from the Bible. For example, in Joshua 1:8, Joshua is commanded by God to mediate on the Law "day and night" and in Psalm 1 we are told that we will be blessed as we do so! Given that mediation on the Scriptures is so vital to our spiritual growth, what is it? How does one go about the practice of biblical meditation? Rick Warren offers up the following simple and practical explanation: 

"I can remember hearing great sermons or in-depth Bible teaching and wondering how the teacher found all those great nuggets of truth in God’s Word. That’s why I wrote my first book 35 years ago: to help people like me. “Rick Warren’s Bible Study Methods” shares 12 methods of Bible study, such as the chapter summary method, the topical method, and the verse-by-verse method.

One of my favorites is the devotional Bible study method. If you were to summarize the devotional method in one word, it would probably be “meditate.” For many, the word “meditate” is a bad word. They associate it with Eastern or New Age religions. Some Christians, when they think of meditation, picture people folding their bodies into pretzels and contemplating the lint on their navel.

That may be Eastern or Buddhist meditation, but it’s not Christian meditation. The Bible uses the word “meditate” 29 times in the New International Version to describe a believer’s devotional life. God wants us to meditate.

He promises us that if we meditate on Scripture, he’ll bless us. Joshua 1:8 says, “Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful” (NIV).

So, according to God, you have to meditate on his Word if you want to be successful.

So how do you do it? Grab a dictionary and look up a synonym for “meditation,” and you’ll probably find the word “rumination.” You probably don’t know that word unless you happen to be a farmer. Rumination is what a cow does when she chews her cud. She rolls her cud over and over in her mouth.

That’s similar to how you meditate on Scripture. Cows eat the grass, chew it up, and send it to their stomachs pretty quickly. There it lies in the stomach, soaking up all of those acids and chemicals. Then, after a while, the cow burps it back up with a new and renewed flavor, chews on that grass and some other grass, and does the whole process over again. Cows repeat this several times. They get every ounce of nutrition out of the grass.

Biblical meditation is kind of like that; it’s thought digestion. God wants us to get every ounce of spiritual nutrition out of his Word. He wants us to chew on it, digest it, and then chew on it some more." 

Thanks for stopping by ... and SEIZE THE DAY! 

pj