Be not afraid to trust God utterly. ‘As you go down the long corridor you may find that He has preceded you, and locked many doors which you would fain have entered; but be sure that beyond these there is one which He has left unlocked. Open it and enter, and you will find yourself face to face with a bend of the river of opportunity, broader and deeper than anything you had dared to imagine in your sunniest dreams. Launch forth on it; it conducts to the open sea.’ Be not afraid to trust God utterly. Lord I believe; help my unbelief.
“When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’
“‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. And when the blood of your martyr[a] Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
“Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ “
Paul, an apostle, (not of men, neither by man, but by Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead). And all the brethren which are with me, unto the churches of Galatia: Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ. For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace. To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood: Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days. But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord’s brother. Now the things which I write unto you, behold, before God, I lie not. Afterwards I came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And was unknown by face unto the churches of Judaea which were in Christ: But they had heard only, That he which persecuted us in times past now preacheth the faith which once he destroyed. And they glorified God in me.
“But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.”
Jesus asked the question: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”(Mark 9:23 NKJV) The man’s response is immediate: “Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24 NKJV)
Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,
To the church of God in Corinth, together with all his holy people throughout Achaia: Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort.
We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us again. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers. Then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.
Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies that we have conducted ourselves in the world, and especially in our relations with you, with integrity and godly sincerity. We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom but on God’s grace. For we do not write you anything you cannot read or understand. And I hope that, as you have understood us in part, you will come to understand fully that you can boast of us just as we will boast of you in the day of the Lord Jesus.
Calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”
The Bible was not written to us, but for us. Scripture was written to real people in real places.
When it comes to Bible reading and studying it diligently, remember one thing if you'd forget all else — Context is King — do not isolate texts from each other.
I'm not a fan of Bible chapter divisions and verses. There were not there; they are not inspired. Strive to read your Bible in paragraphs, not verses. The only "use" of these chapter divisions and verses is for easy location. Still, I exhort you to read in paragraphs.
All Scripture study must be opened by a key called Prayer: "Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law." ( Psalm 119:19). To go to God, we must come with God.
They that would faithfully be instructed by Scripture, should have their — hermeneutic — science of interpretion — right!
Essential questions to ask yourself in personal study of Scripture:
(1) What does it say? (2) Why does it say it here? (3) What does it mean? (4) What is its significance? (5) What is the authorial intent? (6) Who is the audience? (7) Why was this book written?
We must strive to understand the doctrine first, application comes last. But alas, we err most terribly when we start with us, "What does this passage say to ME?"
It is crucial to understand the place of significance in biblical passages. Ask yourself these questions:
(1) Are there direct statements of purpose? (2) Are there any appeals or commands? (3) Are there any repeated words or concepts? (4) Are there any difficulties or things I should look up? (5) Are there any theological concepts? (6) Is there anything being taught about God? That is, how does this accomplish God's plan for this world? How is God working out his plan in individual lives? (7) Why did God place this in the Bible?
The Bible is very vocal about man's failure, but more vocal about Christ's power to save any man, "Whosoever cometh...!"
God is an Author. Dear writer, there's your highest motivation to write!
Jesus did not speak English. Of course, He knows English — He is God! Plainly put, Jesus thought in Hebrew, spoke in Aramaic, and the New Testament was written in Greek.
Jesus, English? Not a chance!
It is a great privilege to read the Bible in its original tongue: Hebrew Old Testament (with some Aramaic), and the Greek New Testament. I highly recommend you to them!
God has SPOKEN in His Word. It is us who do not LISTEN to Him.
The four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, are not biographies of Jesus.
The prophets spoke in God's place, "Thus says the LORD." Be wary of speaking like Hananiah when you're not sent like Jeremiah.
To understand the biblical prophets, few questions and nuggets are necessary:
(a) Who is the audience? (b) What's the time frame? (c) What is the situation (around their works)? (d) Who is the author, what is their background, time frame? (e) Think in terms of oracles or sermons, if you like. (f) Identify Israel's iniquity and/or God's love and a pronouncement of the resulting curse or blessing.
Old Testament narratives is a description of events, not a prescription of how people should act. Note:
(a) Not all things people do are good. (b) They are selective and incomplete.
Old Testament narratives purpose is to show God at work in His creation and people, not to teach a moral of its own. Note:
(a) They don't usually teach a doctrine directly. (b) They often illustrate (explicitly or implicitly) a doctrine taught elsewhere.
God is the HERO in EVERY NARRATIVE, not man!
Jesus, English? Not a chance!
The Bible can simultenously soften a man's heart and harden the sinner.
Every theological book(s) ever written, presently being written, and those that are planned to be written, all try to explain the Bible. Who can know the mind of God? The Bible is the Book of books — a library of books — biblia!
Bible knowledge is commendable, but beware [most] especially of that knowledge which boasts in itself and not the God of the Bible. Head knowledge is the undoing of many "good" men.
Are we walking Scriptures, or just precepts? That's the question!
The Bible agrees totally and fully with itself; man is a contradiction of himself.
"Hit-and-run Bible reading can often become hit and miss."
"There is more to Christian growth than knowing what the Bible says; nobody is ever nourished by memorizing menus."
The Word of God, which is Scripture, is never friendly and playful with sin.
Do not bring the world to the Bible, bring the Bible to the world.
Our prayer is instructed by our knowledge of God, personal knowledge of God. The best prayers are written and inspired by God Himself. Know the Psalms?
Ignorance of the Bible is the rejection of God.
O LORD God, make us men and women of the Word, not technology!
"If I were the devil, one of my first aims would be to stop folk from digging into the Bible."
“There were some present at that very time who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And he answered them,
The Fall of Jerusalem.
“Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered in this way?No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them: do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others who lived in Jerusalem? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.” - Luke 13:1, 5, emphasis mine.
Paul was very modest not to scare men away with his great mind. Read him and you'll be astonished by the magnitude of his reasoning. Whatever the old theologians knew, they learned from Paul. And what Paul knew, he got it from Christ, the summum bonum [chief good].
Jesus really loves children. The little children did not run away from Him, but to Him. Jesus, as it were, must have had a big smile to attract the attention of these little children, for, children scarcely approach an angry man—children are able to read facial expression better than many a man.
We can all learn something from this account. Like little children, let us run to Christ and not away from Him. I need this reminder daily. Undoubtedly, all of us being children, Christ Jesus bids us,
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”
We are all children. And God is, “Our Father who art in Heaven.”
Broken For Christ 