What Tools Do You Use for Bible Study?

I came across an article today that got me to thinking about some different tools which we use for Bible study. Many of us who are preachers use concordances, lexicons, commentaries and other resources to help us in preparation of our lessons. Many people use highlighters to make certain passages stand out in Scripture. Others might use sticky notes to mark certain pages. How many of us use something like razors and glue sticks in our Bible study?

One of the most recognizable names in the history of the United States of America is Thomas Jefferson. He was our third President (1801-1809), he was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence, he is one of the faces on Mount Rushmore and he is on the two dollar bill. While he is recognized as one of the greatest figures in the history of the United States, there is something many people don't recognize him for that can be quite troubling.

Thomas Jefferson was an individual who didn't believe a lot of what is in Scripture. He didn't believe in the virgin birth, the divine healings, the exorcisms and resurrections from the dead. It is stated that he felt these parts of the Bible were "superstitions, fantacisms and fabrications" (http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/11/my-take-how-thomas-jeffersons-secret-bible-might-have-changed-history)

With a razor and glue brush in hand Thomas Jefferson would set out to create his own version of the Bible for his private study by cutting out the passages he didn't believe and glue the ones he wanted to keep in his perceived order. He aligned all of these using English, French, Greek and Latin translations. I've heard of picking and choosing, but this puts a whole different perspective on that.

We are told by an inspired Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 "all Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work." It is not our liberty to believe some parts of Scripture and cut out what we want to dismiss. Even with some of our older generation who have viewed the Old Testament as unnecessary for us today, I have heard statements like "I don't want that Old Bible because we don't go by that," yet Paul told us "for whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope" (Romans 15:4)

The next time you sit down to study your Bible, what will you use? A highlighter or a razor? Will you accentuate or will you eliminate? The choice is yours!

They are pushing their agenda!

Last night on Grey's Anatomy, a show which I do not usually watch, part of the episode centered around a father having a discussion with his daughter who was a lesbian. He was trying every way possible to convince her that the type of lifestyle she was living was sinful. He pulled out passages dealing with the gross immoralities of Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19; 2 Pet. 2:6-7; Jude 7), the commands of the Mosaical Law forbidding homosexuality (Lev. 20:13) and Paul's description of their behavior being unnatural (Rom. 1:26-27). Despite his best efforts, his daughter kept quoting the words of Jesus from the Sermon on the Mount, as well as the command to love one another, but she was using them out of context.

It shows to me that people can twist the Scriptures to their own benefit. Even though those in a homosexual relationship are going against God's Word, they will still find a way to make it appear that those who oppose such actions are being judgmental. Politicians are pushing such agendas to eventually make it where even communication about their behavior being sinful (yes, even from the pulpit) would be considered hate speech. What they don't understand is that we do love them. We love their souls, and we want them to be saved. Peter said the Lord doesn't wish for anyone to perish, but He instead wishes all people would repent (2 Pet. 3:9). How would it be considered hate speech when we tell someone who is a gay or a lesbian that Jesus showed all of us how much love God has for us by dying on the cross for our sins?

What are you devouring daily?

We as human beings ingest many different types of written material on a daily basis. Some people can't start the day unless they have a cup of coffee in one hand and newspaper in the other. Others have their daily fix on whatever type of magazine they prefer. Granted it can be a great thing to be able to devour the information contained in these for our consumption, but how often are we devouring the information contained in God's Word, the Bible?

The Bible is and will continue to be the world's best-selling book, yet sadly it is one of the most neglected. The majority of all American households own at least one copy, yet I wonder how many of those have pages who have never or seldom been turned. What keeps people from devouring the Word in contrast to other forms of written communication.

The way I see it, the reason for a lack of daily Bible study is due to two things: lack of time commitment and lack of love. It's not that we don't have the time available in our daily schedules; it's that we devote our time to other things instead of making the time for Bible study a priority. It's not that we don't love the Bible; it's that we love other things more, and we show it by the activities and material things to which we attach ourselves rather than God's Word.

Let's make sure we're giving daily attention to God's Word by making the commitment and showing our love for the Bible. The Psalmist says in Ps. 119:97 "O how I love your law, it is my meditation all the day." We learn from the early church the importance of studying the Scriptures. The Bereans were considered more noble-minded than the Thessalonians, "for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11). Also, one of the things that Paul told Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:15 was that we gain God's approval by studying His Word, as we diligently digest God's message for us.

I see three things that we can take from the early church. First, we need to put an emphasis on daily Bible study. The Bereans were searching the Scriptures daily, and so should we. Second, we need to put an emphasis on personal responsibility. The Bereans weren't taking Paul's word for it; they were looking for themselves to see whether these things were so. Third, we need to put an emphasis on God's approval. Are you being diligent to present yourself approved unto God? What kind of approval rating would you give yourself? Better yet, what kind of approval rating would God give you? What are you devouring daily to further enhance your knowledge and walk with God?

I Didn't See That Coming!

I was waiting for George Lopez to come on television, so I caught the last few minutes of Malcolm in the Middle on Nickelodeon. I never watch that show, but I saw one of the funniest things. There was a huge traffic jam, and everybody was outside of their vehicles waiting for it to be resolved. The dad on the show saw a pigeon rolling on the ground, as it had been caught up in a plastic, six-pack holder. He wanted to do a good deed, so he freed the bird and watched it hover from his hands. Out of nowhere, a dog leaps up in the air and chomps down on the freed fowl. All you can see are feathers flying everywhere!

Isn't life a lot like that? Every now and then we have things pop up out of nowhere and take us by surprise. Whether at home, work, etc., we all have times when we didn't see something coming. How can you respond to an unexpected surprise? Remember the five P's: Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. I think this can especially hold true for someone surprising you with questions about your faith.

Peter says we need to always be ready to give an answer for the hope that is in us (1 Pet. 3;15). The best way to do this is be a diligent student of the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15). Has anyone surprised you lately with a Bible question? Let's study our Bibles to make sure we're prepared to handle what pops out around the corner!

It's Feeding Time!

At the present time there are five small largemouth bass in our aquarium. We were going to get tropical fish, but Chandler couldn't keep his hands out of the aquarium when there weren't any fish in there. We managed to catch some small bass one day, and now we have pets!
You should see these dudes when it's feeding time. I take the boys outside every other day to catch grasshoppers for the fish. We put them in an empty water bottle, then Conner dumps them into the aquarium. I know this is on a very minute scale, but they look like sharks coming to chum!
I wonder sometimes how life might be different if more people would be that hungry for the Word of God. I am as guilty as anybody of neglecting holy writ while I let the good book sit. Jesus said "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied" (Mt. 5:6). The Bible truly is sole source for leading us to righteousness. David, speaking of the Lord in the 23 Psalm, said "He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (3b). If we're willing to follow the Lord, great things can happen in our lives. We've got to be willing to follow His direction. It's feeding time: are you hungry?

I Hadn't Noticed That Before!

Do you ever see things that you knew were there all along but seemed like they suddenly appeared to you? I'm sure you've heard people use expressions such as "I couldn't see the forest for the trees" and "if it would have been a snake, it would have jumped up and bit me!" Sometimes we just don't pay enough attention to our surroundings to see something important. The reality is that although we might not have noticed that something, it was really there all along.

Such was the case with me yesterday while I was out looking for another treestand location at a spot I hunt here in Columbia. I had been looking for a spot to put an extra ladder stand, but I was having trouble finding the right tree. I don't know how many times I had walked by this one spot, but it had never entered my mind that it could be the one spot I wanted to find. Covered up by quite a bit of brush and smaller trees was a humongous red oak. It was only when I fixed my eyes on it that I realized how good of a stand location that could be, especially given the cover that is around it. I immediately began to think ahead to next year thinking what I would be planting to hold the deer there.

The tree had been there the whole time, but I never got a good enough glimpse of it due to all of the brush in front of it. Somtimes Bible study is like that. How many times have you been reading a passage of Scripture when you discover something new? I've heard many people utter a phrase similar to this, and I've even experienced this myself. God's Word is so full of information, we can't help but discover new things if we continue to study it. Are you going to look for things that you haven't noticed before?

2 Tim. 2:15
"Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth."