Study the Bible

: Image by waɪ.tiː via Flickr

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15

Study.On the wall of the Palo Alto High School Main Library are bold signs: SQ3R.

SQ3R is a mnemonic device (memory helper) for a study method that has been used in education since the mid-1940s. Each letter stands for the first letter of a word (there are three “R” words). Here is the translation:

Survey (or scan) the material (homework or job-related work), looking for the most important points and the basic flow of the content — or just the headings.
Question — Write down several questions as if you were a teacher preparing a test for someone else.
Read the material, looking for the answers to the questions you wrote down. (Don’t underline.)
Recite — Write down the answers.
Review — Check the answers against the material.

This description of a method of study is taken from the Palo Alto Medical Foundation website. I want to adapt it to our study of the Bible. I will add a “P” before the “S.” This “P” is for pray. The Lord is with us; His Spirit resides within us. Yet we pray as we begin our study of His Word. Our pray is like greeting our teacher before class. We greet our Lord in an attitude of praise for His deeds and worship of Who He is. We commune with our Lord. We “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1)

Now we open our Bible. Perhaps we continue from a previous reading, or we find ourselves led to a different place, a Psalm perhaps. We “survey” the material. Perhaps we don’t really know how much we will read. But we scan through a few paragraphs or a few pages looking for at headings. Anything pop out at us? Does a question form for which we will want to discover the answer?

As a bit of an aside, let me say that there are times when I read a chapter that I don’t want the chapter headings or sub-headings to interfere with what I read. I want to delve into the Word without preconceived notions of what the Word is going to say. And that’s okay, too.

The initial reading, or survey, should bring about some things that we want to know more about. We then jot down some thoughts, questions that arise. Then we actually read, looking for answers. It is during this reading of the scriptures that we can also read comments if we have a Bible that has comments. We can look at places that are referred, usually notes in the margins.

Now is the time we make our own notes in the margins, jotting down our own thoughts to go along with the questions. Hank Hanegraaff, who hosts a radio show on the Bible, promoted a Legacy Bible in which extra room was provided to make notes. These Bibles were intended to be handed down to our children so that they might see what we saw. It is a way to fulfill the command to teach our children: “Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons.” Deut 4:9.

Finally we must review. I really think this is conducted throughout the day. We review in our minds what we’ve read. We can return to the pages of our Bible later in the day, looking over the notes. We can reflect upon the Word that is sinks deeply into our soul. It becomes part of our life. It comes out of us in our actions. “For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.” James 1:24, 25.

As Hank Hanegraaff often exhorts us, let us study the Bible for all its worth.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Who’s the Deceiver

“Amid honor and dishonor; in defaming and evil report and in praise and good report. We are branded] as deceivers impostors, and yet vindicated as truthful and honest.” 2Co 6:8

“For there are many disorderly and unruly men who are idle vain, empty and misleading talkers and self-deceivers and deceivers of others. This is true especially of those of the circumcision party who have come over from Judaism.” Tit 1:10

“For many imposters seducers, deceivers, and false leaders have gone out into the world, men who will not acknowledge confess, admit the coming of Jesus Christ the Messiah in bodily form. Such a one is the imposter the seducer, the deceiver, the false leader, the antagonist of Christ and the antichrist.” 2Jn 1:7

Here in America, shortwave radio isn’t too popular. While many cars in other parts of the world are able to receive shortwave broadcasts, most cars in America only receive “AM” and “FM” bands. There are a lot of good broadcasts on shortwave, too. There is a shortwave broadcast around 9 MHz that I listened to the other day on my ham radio that I’m not too sure is good, however.

The “pastor” spoke about deception. He called Mr. Scofield and Mr. Ryrie liars and deceivers. He quoted from Acts 2:38: “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” He then “explained” how the Mr. Ryrie in the Ryrie Study Bible mistranslated a word from the Greek, and that he used that to say that Baptism wasn’t necessary for the remission or rolling back of sin. This “pastor” then quoted Mr. Ryrie as saying: “[the word] for [in the scripture] may here mean “because of,” as in Matthew 12:24.” Again this “pastor” called Mr. Ryrie a liar.

This “pastor” spoke about the false belief that we need not be baptised to remove our sins. He spoke about Christian sects that believe that way, and that it is so wrong. He said baptism is for the forgiveness of sins.

Okay, so I got home in the afternoon and dug out my Ryrie Study Bible to have a look. The complete comment on Acts 2:38 is as follows:

Repent. To change one’s mind; specifically, here, about Jesus of Nazareth, and to acknowledge Him as Lord (= G-d) and Christ (=Messiah). Such repentance brings salvation. There is also a repentance needed in the Christian life in relation to specific sins (2 Cor. 7:9; Rev. 2.5). be baptised. . . for the forgiveness of sins On baptism see note on Matt. 3:11. Water baptism is the outward sign of repentance and forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness is through faith in Christ, not through the act of baptism (for may here mean “because of,”. . .

So, this “pastor” crying out about deception and liars took a small piece of Mr. Ryrie’s comment on Acts 2:38 to run off about. What I hear happening is this: Tear down the work of such people as Mr. Scofield and Mr. Ryrie and substitute a dependence upon themselves for the “correct” interpretation of the scriptures. This, I believe, is happening all over today. Little by little, earlier work is being denigrated, maligned, abused. Eventually these pastors and leaders and teachers gain a foothold in the minds of G-d’s people and will lead them astray. Y’shuaJesus said this was going to happen. And so it is.

What I “hear” Mr. Ryrie saying is that we are forgiven by Lord Y’shua and this is a work within us; We then outwardly display our faith and forgiveness through baptism. Don’t you see the difference?

Let us beware. Let us take all things in devout prayer to our only Savior, our Lord Y’shuaJesus. Let us be gentle yet also wise. Let us investigate what we hear, what we read, what we are encouraged to believe. If we were to be asked by our Lord, “Why did you. . .” What would we reply. Would we say, “Well, the pastor said this was the truth.” Would Y’shua just say, “Oh, sure, okay, no problem.” If we are questioned, we must be able to give answers based upon what we believe, and what we believe must come from our faith, and our faith must come from our Lord.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Mountain of Glory; Valley of Need Part Two

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transformed in front of them. . .” (Mark 9:2 HCSB)

The sermon outline—RBC Ministries pastor resources at http://pastor.resourcesforyourministry.org/— is broken into two parts. The first part examines Mark 9:1-8, the transfiguration of the Messiah. We are told that this is one of three times that our Lord’s identity has been displayed to some of His followers. The outline for part one concludes with the following statement: “We need time away from the demands of the ministry to commune with the Lord of glory. It is the only fitting preparation for ministry.”

Part two of this outline comes from Mark 9:14-29, which tells of Jesus and the three disciples descending the mountain and confronting desperate need. The outline briefly discusses the challenge of three great needs: A desperate parent; a demon-possessed child; and the defeated disciples.

These outlines are great for providing starting points for our sermons and teachings. What I think is so very special is that there are lots of other stimuli that occur during the week to augment the outline. For instance, a song on the radio tells of a mother whose three-year-old child died. We are told of her pain, and the singer says he doesn’t know what to say to this women in her anguish. All the singer knows is that the Father in Heaven will turn this pain into joy some day. The singer allows us to feel the anguish and the hope.

In a news report I am told of all the marvelous drugs that are prolonging the lives of people who are HIV positive. Unfortunately, according to the report, there are no drugs helping children who are born HIV positive. These children die in agony, early.

And if all this isn’t bad enough, anti-Christian activists in the United States are so happy that the tide is turning in American culture and politics. The “religious right” have been defeated and a new, liberal regime is in power that declares the United States is no longer just a Christian nation. A newspaper article informs us that the traditional view the Bible and Christian faith is seriously being challenged. A professor is declaring that the Bible is not the literal word of G-d. There are simply, according to him, too many inconsistencies. This professor even declares that the early apostles thought Y’shuaJesus was coming back, but later realized, when He didn’t, that the world was just going to go on and on. This professor tells us that it was only later that the idea of a second coming was brought out.

It is fascinating to me that the professor is doing exactly what Peter warned: “First, be aware of this: scoffers will come in the last days to scoff, following their own lusts, saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they have been since the beginning of creation.” They willfully ignore this: long ago the heavens and the earth existed out of water and through water by the word of God.” (2 Peter 3:3-5 HCSB)

In thinking about seeing needs, it is clear to me that one of the dangers of this seeing is becoming overwhelmed at the immensity of the need. So it seems that we come off the hill of glory after revelations of Y’shuaJesus are given to our hearts, our eyes are opened, and we face a needy world. We face this needy world until we no longer can do so. Then we go back up the hill, to regain our selves with Y’shuaJesus. We go back to the roots of our faith, gaining strength from our encounter with Holiness. Thus we walk in a cycle of communion and service.

So let us climb the Mount and be transformed with Messiah. Let us see Him anew. Let us be changed, too. And let us come down to see the needs, know how to proceed, have the strength to work. And when finally we feel finished and used up, let us once again return to the Mountain of Glory. All the while, let us keep watch for Y’shuaJesus’ appearance, for He comes like a thief in the night.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .

Mountain of Glory; Valley of Need

“After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves to be alone. He was transformed in front of them. . .” (Mark 9:2 HCSB)

Computers and the world-wide web offer us tools we can us to enhance our understanding of the Word of G-d and help us in our ministries. For years I’ve received and enjoyed Our Daily Bread. It is a monthly pamphlets containing devotionals by various staff writers of a ministry in Michigan, USA. Our Daily Bread is also available, updated daily, on the internet at http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb.shtml .

The same ministry, RBC Ministries, has pastor resources at http://pastor.resourcesforyourministry.org/ . The sermon outline titled “Mountain of Glory; Valley of Need” caught my attention this morning. It is an expository on Mark 9:1-28 in two parts. The background for the sermon introduces the scriptural connection between a mountain and a need waiting in the valley below. This sermon is based upon a book, Mountains and Valleys, by G. Campbell Morgan. Some examples of mountains and valleys are: after Moses ascended Mt. Sinai, he descended into the valley to face a people in need of discipline; Y’shuaJesus gave the Sermon on the Mount and a very needy man with leprosy waited in the valley below; in the transfiguration story, the glory of the Mount is followed immediately by a great need in the valley below—a demon-possessed boy and his desperate father who hopes for deliverance that the nine other disciples of Y’shuaJesus are unable to give.

The author of this sermon outline takes us through the transformation providing some interesting points about it with some supporting details. The following are key points: 1) The Experience; 2) The Appearance; 3) Celestial Visitors; and 4) The Suggestion. Furthermore, the outline author points to various “affirmations” of the identity of Y’shuaJesus as Messiah. This question is one that is put to the disciples, as told in the preceding chapter of Mark. “Who do people say I am? Who do you say I am?” In the conclusion to part one, we are told: “We need time away from the demands of the ministry to commune with the Lord of glory. It is the only fitting preparation for ministry.”

I don’t think the outline is meant to provide a sermon-in-a-can for us. It is, however, a great way to begin our own thinking process, and it provides references to help us out. For instance, I came to the following conclusion from reading this outline: During the times in which we are refreshed, there is a tremendous communion with Y’shuaJesus, and His identity as Messiah is affirmed to us as well as our identity in Him. It is a transformation of seeing Y’shuaJesus in a different, holy way. Y’shuaJesus isn’t the man we’d seen before. He is elevated into the heavenly realm, made pure and shining white. He is neither the baby in the cradle nor the man dying on the cross. He is G-d. And we stand before Him.

As we too make this connection, this communion with the Apostles who stood on the Mount with Y’shuaJesus, another transformation occurs. It is us who are transformed in the way we see ourselves. We are elevated to a heavenly status, too. We are in the company of angels and martyrs and saints. We are included in the people of G-d, with our names written in the Book of Life.

Finally we are transformed in another way as well. We now see others differently than before our elevation with Messiah. We were in the valley before coming to the Mount. There in the valley were needs. Desperate fathers, demonized sons, poor, outcasts. All were there. But we didn’t see them. We didn’t have the eyes. Then we stood on the Mount with Y’shuaJesus. He was transformed. We saw Him anew. And we, too, were transformed. We come down the Mount and we see the need around us. And now we are empowered by the Messiah to meet that need.

Let us climb the Mount and be transformed with Messiah. Let us see Him anew. Let us be changed, too.

Lord Bless, Keep, Shine. . .