Christian Readers discussion
Four Effective Steps to Studying the Bible
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Awesome David. Important stuff.Here's my method: "Get Bible, Read Bible."
But we both know it's not always that simple. I recommend a good study Bible with nearly every verse commented on. I love the E.S.V. Study Bible.
You often must read the Bible on a mission or quest. Open it with a purpose. For instance: What does the Bible say about Sex, violence, world religions, family, money, hatred, cultures and history.
I found that many Christians make horrible Bible study buddies, so now I chat with atheists, Muslims, Mormons...You will soon see your Bible as a valuable tool AND WEAPON. You can't live without it.
DO either of you use different bibles for comparison and reference? I have several bibles, however I spend a lot of time looking up specific passages to apply to everyday situations and circumstances. I have yet to find anything in my life that I cannot address with scripture and apply every day.
In other words the bible is not a book to me it is a vital part of my day each day and I use it constantly.
If I am in prayer I also find it useful to have my laptop ion front of me when I pray so I can access any scripture I need quickly and I can have all the different versions right there for reference.
I bookmark as well as cut and paste scriptures directly into my prayer journal for future reference.
Good stuff Jen.I have many Bibles. Mostly now I use Biblehub or Bible gateway on the net. With those you can have a verse in 25 Bible translations in 10 seconds. Very cool.
I also use the ESV Bible on the net.
Like Rod, when I am researching a specific topic I use many translations, and utilise E-Sword which provides several translations as each has its own strengths and weaknesses.However, although it was only translated in 1611 and since then many Biblical manuscripts have been discovered that are older and more accurate, my personal preference is the NKJV; as it includes the several missing verses from the newer translations, and places the correct emphasis on certain words that the newer translations (e.g. the NIV and NASB) omits and alters (e.g. in John 4:42 "the Christ" in that verse is omitted and replaced with "this man/One").
Despite these difference however, none are of any significance. None of them change the crucial themes of the Bible, nor do they have any impact on Christian philosophy — Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection, Christ as the only way of salvation, heaven and hell, sin and redemption, and the nature and character of God.
I like the King James Version because I experience a heart connection or anointing during study. I do use other versions. Currently, I am using the Reformation Study Bible in the ESV for my daily devotional. I read one chapter in the morning; mark the date in the margin, until I have finished. It takes about 3 years at one chapter a day, but that works for me. There is no substitute for a Bible concordance. The translators use theological bias. The word “soul” was first used in Gen. 2:7; but the translators substituted “life” instead of “soul” in other verses. For example, Lev. 17:11 should state, “for the soul of the flesh is in the blood.” Instead, they used “life”. This has a profound influence when you try to locate where the soul is. From Biblegateway.com, only 4 translations reference soul in Lev. 17.11. The main thing is to study and mediate, but don’t let one verse concrete your theology while ignoring other verses. This is common today.
Rare Spiritual Robotics
I was wondering, I guess, about how you apply what you are studying from the Bible to your every day life. Like I was saying for me I am constantly looking up scriptures that I can use on a moment to moment basis. I sat down and read the bible cover to cover a few times throughout my life. Yes I can see how this helps to understand the entire picture, but I think for me the bible is a living breathing tool that I need every second of my day. So taking a block of time and just reading is not as helpful to me as having the scriptures at my fingertips 24/7 so that I can read them and apply them to whatever situation I a dealing with in the moment.
What I did on my website was to troll through the Bible and identify every scripture dealing with the following topics:(a) Faith
(b) Favour
(c) Health and Healing
(d) Prosperity and Provision
(e) Protection
(f) Righteousness
All the scriptures relevant to one of these headings were then recorded. Hence I now have a database of scriptures for anyone visiting my website and wanting specific scriptures for one of my identified topics without having to search the Bible for themselves. I guess that you can make similar lists for yourself, that when you need encouragement in a specific area, or want to share a word of knowledge, you can quickly access your scripture database.
Click on the following link to see what I am speaking about: http://www.davidcorbin.org/faith/
Cool David, that is exactly what I am thinking. I copy and paste scriptures directly into my prayer journal and use them for prayer and meditate on them throughout my day.
David; Do you know why I drove from Casper to Laramie Wyoming for the 400 year anniversary of the King James Bible of 1611? In the question and answer period at the end, I asked the man if he ever considered that Satan wrote half of the New Testament, and Paul of The Acts was a false prophet. One man stood up and asked me by what authority do you have in saying this? I told him I was a prophet. Malachi 4:5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: Or Isaiah 14:13---------I (Satan) will sit also upon the mount (all the churches and religious organizations) of the congregations, in the sides of the north: (America) 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. (God) He needed an advocate. St John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: (Jesus) if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (or believe) (Paul) In Paul's conversion (where) is the power of God? St Matthew 22:29 ---Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. The explanation of St John 3:3-5 is found in Ezekiel 36:26-25-27 26 A new heart also will I give you, 26 and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, (Your sinful heart) and I will give you a heart of flesh. (From God) 25 Is what happens before the Holy Ghost will enter your body (it must be clean, I quit drinking, smoking, swearing, and fasted 3 days and nights) (I received the Holy Ghost 30 days after the born again experience) 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, (It was (like a dove "blob" in St Matthew 3:16 that went in Jesus mouth)------.St John 14:17---but ye know him, Holy Ghost) for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. [https://www.createspace.com/4612897}
I trust that you got out of the meeting what you were hoping for Mickey.I do not agree with much of what you have written, and I am not going to argue with you, but your emphasis on cleaning up the outward appearance is not God's way. God says that we are to clean our inside and the outside will be clean also (Matt. 23:26). If you wanted your external circumstances to change, all you had to do was to change your philosophy. Waiting for the Holy Spirit to enter you after x days is just not scriptural; oh but then you believe that God’s Word was written by a false prophet?!
For the silent readers to this thread: Christians have to establish in their hearts that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. There is so much proof that the Word is accurate, that it is God-breathed, and that it is God-inspired. If you ever start thinking the Bible is merely a book written by men about God, Satan is going to eat your lunch and pop the bag. You will get into serious trouble if you ever adopt the mindset that the Bible has some truth in it, but that it also has all kinds of error — leading you to go through and only pull out the parts that you think are relevant. If you do that, Satan will have you as surely as he had Adam and Eve, and we all know how that ended!
Hi, I'm new to the group, but would like to chime in here. I also tend to use the KJV because most of the added words have been italicized & I have a lot of reference books correlated to that. However, I have a number of other versions. While I have esword, I prefer to use books on paper for the most part.There are different ways I approach time in the Bible, depending on the need at the time. To read in the morning, I prefer to just read the scriptures with no devotional guides as I tend to find those distracting. If I want to study something in the Bible, such as a word, a topic, a passage, person or book, then I will get more into a study mode. I usually try to work it on my own first, and then read what others have written afterward, but sometimes I do it the other way.
I agree with David that change comes from the inside; that's found right in Romans 12:2, for one verse. Being transformed is passive (is in the passive in Greek, too); the action is the renewing of the mind. Otherwise it's easy to simply be a whited sepulchre. That said, it takes some effort to renew your mind, to learn scripture, to pray, to learn to walk with the Father. But it's got to be by faith (in Hebrews we have to believe that God is and is a rewarder of those who seek Him), for we are saved by grace through faith unto good works and not the other way around. Many people can quote scripture all day who have no faith.
Karin wrote: "Hi, I'm new to the group, but would like to chime in here. I also tend to use the KJV because most of the added words have been italicized & I have a lot of reference books correlated to that. Howe..."Karen, Your definition of faith will determine your understanding. Faith is a substance (greek hypostasis Heb. 11:1). The same greek word is used of Jesus as "Person" in Heb. 1:3. Faith is the DNA code of God when implanted into a human heart produces a righteous walk in step with the will of God. Faith comes by hearing the Word, hoping to receive or by prayer. A partial, yet accurate definition of faith was given by an atheist that said, "he did not have faith." If you believe that faith comes from within the heart of man, you are feeding on the bottom. Faith is not contingent on the works of man. Faith is a gift (Eph. 2:8). Many reject this because they accept the idea that God has chosen everyone and you choose God. Man can choose in the natural, but the Spiritual world belongs to God. This is the Armenian/Calvinism debate, but I could not understand many Scriptures until I embraced Calvinism. Calvinism and conditional immortality (the unsaved perish or annihilated) work together for me.
John wrote: "Karin wrote: "Hi, I'm new to the group, but would like to chime in here. I also tend to use the KJV because most of the added words have been italicized & I have a lot of reference books correlated..."Please spell my name Karin as it is not Karen.
I think you misunderstood what I wrote about faith. Do a word study on pistis, and you'll see that there is the faith God give man, but at times it also means trust, faithfulness or believe. Greek, like English, has a number of words that don't have one narrow meaning. Why is this important? One eg is: Because it says that Abraham had faith, pistis, but we know that Jesus hadn't yet brought that other faith.
I totally agree with you Karen, the New Testament word for ‘faith’ in the Greek is pistis (Strong’s Expanded Exhaustive Concordance, Greek Dictionary Number: 4102). The word group attached to pistis encompasses a wide range of secular and religious ideas (but never hypostasis), but the underlying root for this word indicates relationships established by trust and maintained by trustworthiness. The pistis word group used in the New Testament depicts a person committing himself/herself totally to Jesus Christ, for our faith is into Jesus (Eph. 1:15; Col. 1:4; 2 Tim. 3:15). In John 14:6 we read Jesus saying “...I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. God revealed Himself through Jesus, and set Jesus before us as the One to whom we must entrust ourselves for salvation.
John wrote: "This is the Armenian/Calvinism debate", this has nothing to do with that, but rather the Word of God. God’s Word is the only sure foundation on which to build a Christian philosophy.It always surprises me that when Christians dissent from a Calvinist's soteriology, they are considered to be Arminian. Unlike Christianity, which is based on Jesus and His finished work on the cross, if you will reassess Calvinism and your belief regarding the nature of man in his sinful state, you will realise that once that dogma - Total Inability - is removed, the entire TULIP superstructure crashes under its own weight.
For our silent readers: Calvinism is based on 5 points, of which Total Inability impacts the rise and fall of the other points. According to Calvinism, Total Inability is said to arise out of mankind's sinful state, and his complete spiritual ruin in Eden. This has apparently left mankind incapable of doing anything good, or even desiring it. Hence, mankind is disabled and can neither "will" nor "obey" any spiritual command - even the invitation to receive Christ.But let me reassure you: God gave all people a free will, and God will not violate that free will except in judgment. Even in judgment, God is only enforcing the choices that people have already made of their own free will. All people have a God-given right to go to hell if they want to. Romans 8:28 assures us that God works everything together for good for those who already love Him; and even then He does not take away their free will!
Remember, God's foreknowledge is not the same as predestination. In Romans 8:29 we are told that God foreknew who would receive Him by free will, but we are not predestined to salvation or damnation. It is our destiny after we have believed that is predestined. This is as per Ephesians 1:4 that states that those who are saved have a predestined destiny, and not that our salvation was predestined.
Also, the word ordained in Acts 13:48 means "to appoint, arrange, order, ordain or decree". Therefore when we read verse 48 in context, where Paul is in Antioch in Pisidia, ministering to Jews refusing the message of God's grace, and no mention of predestination. Salvation is for "whosoever will" (Rom. 10:11-15), and what has been predestined is the outcome of that saving faith. Those who believe in Christ Jesus have a predestined eternity.
David: I couldn't write it any planier than Ezekiel 36:26-25-27 but it isn't in sequence you have to jump from 26 to 25 to 26 to 26 new Spirit and than 27 to get the message. Ezekiel never received the Spirit or Holy Ghost so he never knew what he was writing down. You should study what I have wrote the first time and not skim over it like it seems you, and the meg-ga-preachers-do. I could name a few but won't.
Mickey, you are definitely distorting the Word of God. Do not take it out of context or read it as you see fit. If God wanted us to read the Bible as you have described, I'm certain He would have written it as such. Then regarding your claim that you are Elijah the prophet... seriously. Read Matt. 11:12-14 and hear Jesus tell you that you are wrong... Jesus said John the Baptist was Elijah!
Great to hear from you Mickey. (endlessly entertaining.)It's fascinating how lately it seems many Christians do not read the Bible properly. They grab a verse here and there - and yet fail to see how it fits into the paragraph. False religions have been doing this for centuries.
Then we get the problem of people like Mickey: who grab larger parts of the Bible that they like - and yet don't get the larger picture of how it's all about Jesus.
So what exactly is your understanding of Jesus Mickey? Is it all about him? Are we a Gift from God (the Father) to Jesus (the Son)? Or are you more of a humanist who thinks we are AMAZING creatures and God owes us something?
Many Christians falsely read the Bible thinking Me, ME, ME...MEEEEEEeeee! They look for themselves in every verse, every story, even Heaven they assume is all about them and how God is begging them to show up.
Reading the Bible carefully can be a very challenging thing. I was challenged awhile ago to: Find Jesus in every book of the Bible. I've never read the Bible the same again.
Karin wrote: "John wrote: "Karin wrote: "Hi, I'm new to the group, but would like to chime in here. I also tend to use the KJV because most of the added words have been italicized & I have a lot of reference boo..."Sorry Karin, I work hard not to be an offensive know-it-all, yet if I can't spell your name correctly, why trust me with the Word of God? I'll try to improve next time.
20 David: With Thomas Jefferson's intelegence he said Paul was the first corupter of the doctrines of Jesus, it is to bad the religious leaders can't or don't what to know this. They would have to stand up before thousands of followers and say they have been wrong and start working for a living. The Holy Ghost let me know this as a fact. Even the KJB of 1611 is a mess, I know preachers like to wave it around to one another to impress each other but they are wrong. St John 5:44 How can ye believe, which receive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from God only?
Ezekiel 36:24 Has nothing about cleaning your body, there must be a beginning like removing your heart and giving you a new heart (Physically) from God to start the process of cleaning a persons body. 25 To get it ready to receive the Holy Ghost or new Spirit.
I told you the Bible is a mess in regard to St Matthew 11: 12-14 Was John the Baptist living in the end time? No he wasn't, and Elijah was to come "before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord:" Malachi 4:5 Read St Matthew 17:10 And his disciples asked him. saying why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come. 11 And Jesus answeared and said unto them, Elijah truly shall first come, and restore all things. (explain the parables) 12 ? 13 ? 11 coincides with Malachi 4:5 Another KJB says Elias truly shall first come and restore all things: BUT the same Bible in Malachi 4:5 wrote Elijah
21 Rod: luke who traveled with Paul he said in 4:4 go by all the bible St Matthew 4:4 Go by what comes out of the mouth of God. (Jesus) St John 5:43 I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive (believe) me not: if another shall come in (his own name,) him ye will receive. (believe) 8:45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. (Jesus) If they wouldn't believe Jesus how can I expect me-ga-preachers to believe me?
God has always chose certain individuals to do certain jobs, like Noah, only eight people was on his boat. St Matthew 24:37 But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
You evidently believe God died on the cross, to find Jesus in every book. The God head is quadruple with God as the creater of his three helpers, spirit in Genesis, Jesus (the Word was made flish St John 1:14) and the Holy Ghost or Spirit (to be given to those that become saved St John 16:7 or 14:15-26 And Ezekiel 36:26-27
22: John That is true people strain at a gnat and swallow a camel. Like you get 70 virgins or 70 select measured men, or purgatory,or that cow could be your x-wife, or the only ones going to heaven are the five wives that mary one man Etc.. Rod he's a believer but God made believe a (condition) for the Spirit in Genesis to act, or be a catalyst for the beginning of the salvation plan. BUT as the preachers say God does this also, like he enters your body when you raise your hand and want it.
And Mickey your long winded point is what?? We should all throw down our bibles and declare war on Paul and Peter and John and Luke. Whatever! They were human and yes they fell far short of Christ. They could never have lived up to him not ever. You seem to just like to argue. The point of the bible is a very personal one for all Christians. For me it is the word of God. God is what makes his word meaningful and I have faith in my God that he will live up to his word no matter how many things you point out are wrong in the bible my God is what makes it all right. Your argument means nothing. God is still God he still sits on the throne he never changes and he will honor his word no matter what the disciples (or you) said or did not say.
Thanks Jen.I feel sorry for Mickey. Chatting with him is like attempting to talk logic and love with a mentally handicapped person. At least those people have loving/sharing hearts that often long for kindness and truth.
I hope the best for you Mickey - but you are following a dangerous path. It's clear from your posts (over the last year) why you are on that path. Are you not accountable to anyone? There are some great theologians throughout church history that you can learn from - please try. You appear to be doing all this lunacy on your own.
How many groups do you chat with? Are you accepted anywhere? We welcome you here as a fellow human-being with the potential for God's love - but nobody here has bought any of your Biblical beliefs...so far you are wasting your time.
I do enjoy sharing with you though Mickey.
24 Jen: only Paul and Peter 2:38 is what John the baptist was preaching and he said himself that it wasn't the salvation plan. St Matthew 3:11 25 Rod In the Acts it reads they loved Paul and Paul loved them is that biblical. Those that preach the truth will be hated. St Matthew 10:22 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved.
It is seldom that I get kind words Rod, I'm not accepted anywhere but will be when nature contines to fall apart. Noah they say, he wasted 100 years so I have about 70 more years to go. I can't help it if people can't read all I can do is point.
Do you not question your actions Mickey? Do you not challenge your thoughts and compare them to the Bible as a whole? How are you so sure you are correct? All religions claim miracles and healings and visions and self prophecies. What makes you any different than Joseph Smith or Muhammad or Buddha? Or Benny Hinn for that matter?
Mickey maybe I should be more clear. First I have issues with some of the things Peter taught on. The point is I take those issues to God. The Holy Spirit in me teaches me and guides me. Peter was a man and even he said repeatedly that he was not Jesus. Second is really a question to you. You are spouting this stuff here, why? I don't get what you are trying to prove. You are not God. Not even close. I think you should stop trying to speak for him and let him speak through you. There is a huge difference. And I do not think that God would call out his own disciples teachings in the manner in which you have done. Examine yourself closely and see if what you are doing here is really what the Lord would have you to do. I agree with Rod on this. You are in very dangerous territory. I will pray for you and this is all I have to say on this matter I am not returning to this thread. Be very blessed Mickey I pray you find a way to reconcile with the word of God.
Oh and Rod. How funny. Benny Hinn. LOL I can't help it Lord forgive me but that did make me smile. I am praying for him too.
Thanks Jen. I laugh every time I think of Benny Hinn as well . My Mom loves the guy. I don't tolerate him for a second. There's a Star Wars video on YouTube featuring Benny - it's hilarious. Keeps everything in perspective. Lol
Not one person is following me because I speak the truth that is the difference. The reason I know I'm correct is I felt the heart being removed and a light replaced it with one from God. After my body was clean 30 days later a white blub came through the windshield of a 1959 Ford Thunderbird and went in my mouth. Than I found verses in the KJB of 1611 that verified this. Why stop at just those I could name several maga- preachers that are about as entertaining that is why I don't go to any church.
Jen: I don't know of one preacher that could tell you what the Holy Spirit is, I know they say it enters your body when you raise your hand and want it, but it don't.
All I can do is, I have spent from $30,000 to $50,000 on three books of my own money, explaining the way I received the born again and Holy Ghost. If you don't get a book I have know way of knowing how you can become saved. If you write me at P O Box 1344 Casper Wyoming 82601 with $14.99 Mickey R Mullen or [https://www.createspace.com/4612897} "Mutton's Decadence" or "The Way The Truth And The Life" or at that address "Elijah The Last Prophet"
Great quote Mickey:" If you don't get a book I have know way of knowing how you can become saved."
You sound exactly the same as a money grabbing television preacher Mickey. So funny!
Last time I checked - the Bible is more than enough for the Holy Spirit to guide someone into God's truth. Your book is NOT necessary.
I do recall Joseph Smith and a few other cult leaders making the same comments as you Mickey. Does that not concern you???
But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. II Tim. 2:23
32 Rod: That was a stupid sentence I have the way of salvation wrote out thousands of times. When I decided to seek God, instead of joining the choir as Billy Graham did, "to scope out the girls" that most preachers emulate. On Saturday night I got drunk and had as much sex as I could handle from different girls if that be the case. Sunday night instead of setting in the a-men corner I set on the back seat over two months. Get it, drunk, smoking, swearing, until about the sixth protestant church I went to an Altar at the front of the church. I know you will replace drunk with, "went home and read the bible after church, no, I got drunk on Sunday night also. "Smoking and swearing" you will replace that with I seeked out a preacher so he could lay his filthy hands on my head so I would go to the same place that he was going. No, after I left the church building, at a gasoline service station, "where you get gas" on a pay telephone on the outside wall I believed in my heart that I could heal my mother. The rest of it you can read in Ezekiel 36:26 A new heart replaced by a light---25-26 born again, and I will take away the stony (sinful) heart out of your flesh, and I (God) will give you a heart of flesh (From God) 30 days later a new Spirit 27 And I will put my Spirit (within you) In about 30 seconds I quit drinking, swearing, smoking, sex, and fasted 3 days and 3 nights. Get it, you will replace this with I seeked out a confesional or became a martyr, or, repeated the sinners prayer, and the spirit came in my filthy body after the water was thrown all over my head after we had a little, fruit of the vine and crackers. Don't forget the beads and purgatory.
No I never saw the light in the woods nor did a light fill the room nor was a golden book given to me that know one else ever saw but Joseph emulating Paul. I believe every family will re-pop-ulate a planet like Adam and Eve. If you have five wives that is five planets. If it was my luck, I would be put on Pluto that lost her being a planet status. And the Sun travels around the earth.
Mickey wrote: "ce. The reason I know I'm correct is I felt the heart being removed and a light replaced it with one from God. After my ..."Are you saying that experience equals truth?
John wrote: "Karin wrote: "John wrote: "Karin wrote: "Hi, I'm new to the group, but would like to chime in here. I also tend to use the KJV because most of the added words have been italicized & I have a lot of..."Apology accepted. We all make typos & mistakes, but for some reason it never seems like my name in print when it's spelled differently :).
1. Purposely set aside time. I make an appointment with God in the mornings, but if that doesn’t work for you, find a time that does…even if it’s not every day. Whatever you can do, that’s what you need to do. Just start somewhere and you’ll see the fruit that this time brings to your life!
2. Make preparation for your Bible study. Have a place that you enjoy being—a room in your house where you can be alone. Somewhere you are comfortable and like to be.
3. Have all your materials available. You’ll want of course your Bible, but also get a good Bible dictionary, concordance, a pen and paper. That way, you don’t have to stop every few minutes to reference something or write something down.
4. Prepare your heart. Talk to God about things you may need to confess, and enter your study time peacefully and without anything that may block you from receiving revelation during your study.
Make the time in your life to study because there is power in it to change your life and become the person God wants you to be. Once you do, you will experience the peace and joy to enjoy every day of your life!