My Writings.
How to Read, Examine, and Understand the Bible VI
// May 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blogs, Featured Articles
Having gone this far, I should take time to ensure you know just how crooked and arrogant it is to try and superimpose your own interpretation upon God’s Word, the Bible. To read and examine God’s Word with the intention of making it teach what you want it to teach, is to align your will with the devil’s will.
Satan was created by God, as an angel to worship God. God named him Lucifer and he led heaven’s angels in adoration of the Lord. The Bible describes Lucifer as a beautifully adorned angel. At some point, Lucifer made the horrific decision of being so enamored with himself that he led a rebellion against God. He became jealous of the attention given to God and preferred to receive the adoration of heaven for himself. One third of the angels of heaven followed Lucifer in the rebellion. God judged them for their arrogant rebellion and cast them down to earth, hence they are called “fallen angels,” having fallen from heaven to earth. Lucifer’s name was changed to Satan. The New Testament frequently refers to fallen angels as demons. Continue Reading
How to Read, Examine, and Understand the Bible V
// May 17th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blogs, Featured Articles
Well, at this point, we are ready for Principle #2. Principle #2 is “Use Simple Observation to Determine What is Present.” This begins with the simple…read, reread, and re-reread. Again (from Principle #1), as you are reading, have an ear open to the voice of the Holy Spirit. You will be amazed by what you gain in understanding by simply “camping out” in a passage in this way.
This kind of reading is very much like meditating. The Biblical discipline of meditation is the least appreciated, most underutilized, but possibly the most important of all the disciplines encouraged in Scripture. Biblical meditation is far different from the unfruitful discipline practiced by the middle eastern religions. Rather than “emptying your mind,” Biblical meditation is the practice of allowing your heart and mind to be filled by “chewing on” or “pondering on” God, His works, or a passage or a verse, much like a cow chews on its’ cud. A cow chews on the grass, swallows it, partially digests it, brings it up to the mouth and chews again on it…and repeats this action several times. It’s the necessary process for the cow to successfully digest food. Continue Reading
How to Read, Examine and Understand the Bible IV
// May 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Blogs, Featured Articles
Again, just as a reminder, as we delve deeper into this…the rest of these principles on growing in “How to Read, Examine and Understand the Bible” are simply to assist us in hearing the Holy Spirit as we read God’s Word, which is our first and foundational principle.
The rest of the principles address the “how to’s” of Apostle Paul’s fatherly exhortation to his spiritual son and protege, Timothy…
“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Tim 2:15 NASU
