Assignment for February 28th

Read all the blog post that start with, "The Goal of Bible Study." Then do the assignment from; The Goal of Bible Study:  Information- Part 3- Study Example from Psalm 90.

The Goal of Bible Study: 2. Illumination- Part 1

Until now our focus has been on discovering, accurately, WHAT our scripture portion says and means.  Reading and studying are important first steps because they become a safeguard for us. We now know WHAT the portion of Scripture says and means.  Just as important, we know what it does NOT say or mean. So, as we move into personal application of the Scripture, we have a built-in check and balance system.  We need to know if we are truly hearing God's voice.  If what we are hearing does not line up with what we have learned, we know we are not hearing correctly. Why? Because God will never contradict His Word. On the other hand, if what we are hearing does line up with the Word we have assurance and confidence as we move forward. So, our focus now moves from WHAT the Bible says to what it says to ME. We want to personalize the truths that have come to light.  To do so, we have to have confidence that we can hear God’s voice.  Jesus taught us, “My sheep know My voice and they follow Me because they know My voice.” (see John 10)

There are 2 Greek words in the New Testament translated “word.” One is logos, which refers to the written Word of God.  The other is rhema, which refers to the spoken Word of God.  Reading and studying focus on the logos.  Starting with this step we will are seeking rhema. This is where God speaks to us personally out of His Word.  Rhema brings faith and faith is what will please God. Romans 10:17 says, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word (rhema) of God.” When I hear what God says to me personally, faith arises to take hold of His personal promise to ME.  So, during this step we are asking Him to reveal His rhema to us.

The Goal of Bible Study: Information- Part 4- Study Example from Psalm 103:1-5 and 2 Corinthians 9:8

Another method of Bible study to gain information is to take note of repeated words in a passage.  As you look at these passages what repeated words do you find? (Note: They don’t have to be exactly the same. If they carry a similar meaning, add them to your list.) Let me know what you discover and why these discoveries are important for us to know.

Psalm 103:1-5  Of David. (NIV)

1 Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.

2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—

3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,

4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,

5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Some discoveries we made:
A small repeated word is "all." This word becomes one key to unlocking these verses, especially verses 1-3.  How are we to praise?  With all of our being. For what are we to praise Him? All of His benefits. These include forgiveness and healing. We noted that it does NOT say, "some of our sins," or "some of our diseases."  We asked, "Are we living up to the full benefits that are ours through Jesus? As we praise Him, we are to remember our spiritual history. We were redeemed from a pit of sin. Never forget from whence you came. This, in and of itself, will give us enough to praise Him for forever. But wait, there is more. We are crowned with something. What type of people receive crowns? Only Royalty. This is our status in Christ. Love and compassion our ours. Our desires are all met with good things. And inwardly, we are being renewed day by day. We ended with the verse:
"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day."  2 Corinthians 4:16 NIV

2 Corinthians 9:8  (NIV)

8 and God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

Again, the repeated word is "all" and we included "every" as it is similar.  We concluded that we have every hope to believe that our needs will be taken care of. Not just some of them but all of them. Not just some of the time but all of the time. Not partially met but fully met. The purpose of this is not just to bless us but to make us a blessing to others by doing "every good work."

The Goal of Bible Study: Information- Part 3- Study Example from Psalm 90

In one of my previous blogs, “Is Failure Always Final?” from February 2, 2018, I referred to the story in Numbers 13-14. Here are 2 facts about Psalm 90 that you can easily discover with a Study Bible:

 1.  It happens to be the only Psalm written by Moses

       2. He happened to write it during the events recorded in Numbers 13-14.  

This information is an example of how 2 facts can help us understand a portion of the Bible.  So, reread my blog entry and Numbers 13-14. Then read Psalm 90 and share with me how these 2 facts open up your understanding of this Psalm.

The Goal of Bible Study: Information- Part 2: Studying

Reading is the first step.  After reading a larger section, we want to focus on a smaller section like a chapter or a story. Let’s say half of our bowl of cherries. We now move into Bible Study. This is where we gather facts. We ask the news reporter’s questions:  Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? We will want to refer to other books to help us understand things such as the historical context, the meanings of the original words and how the part we are reading fits into the story of the Bible as a whole.  Most Study Bibles are helpful in this quest and there are many websites that have this type of information. Some you may want to check out:
https://www.biblegateway.com/
http://biblehub.com/
The goal here is to obtain facts not opinions.  The accumulation of these facts gives us knowledge. Gaining knowledge is a very important 1^st step in studying but we must not stop there.  The world says, “Knowledge is power.” While this statement has truth to it in the natural, we will never reach the goal of Bible Study by knowledge alone.  The Bible says, “Knowledge puffs up while love builds up.” (1 Corinthians 8:1 NIV)  Mere knowledge, knowing lots of facts, can lead to pride.  The goal of Bible Study is for us to be built up and to build others up. It is a common mistake to believe that if I have accumulated a bunch of Bible facts I am growing in my faith.  Facts are necessary but they are only the start of our journey toward spiritual maturity. So at the start, dig deep for facts. Write them down as you discover them and be grateful for deeper understanding.

The Goal of Bible Study: Information- Part 1: Reading

We start with the whole bowl of cherries. We want to understand the big picture. We do this by reading the Bible as a whole. It is important to read ALL of it and not just our favorite parts. Don’t get too concerned about not being able to understand what you read. Understanding will come as you are consistent. The book of Revelation is a great encouragement for us in this regard.  It says in Revelation 1:3, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy,...” (NIV)  The book of Revelation can be one of the most confusing books to understand. Does this verse tell us that we will be blessed if we understand the book?  No! It says we will be blessed if we simply read it, and read it out loud. Just reading the Word of God brings blessing to us. Reading it out loud adds another dimension of blessing. So, crack the cover, dive in and enjoy reading. There are many reading programs available to get you started. In my next blog I will give you a website where you can find some. Choose a simple one to start with. For right now, just choose to start. A short amount is fine to begin with. Anything will help you. Consistency is the key.  Read something everyday. Eventually you will want to try to read in the Old Testament, the New Testament, Psalms and Proverbs. You will be blessed as you do and Holy Spirit, who is our Teacher, will give understanding as you need it.

The Goal of Bible Study

I will be discussing the sequence of events that need to take place for us to get all we can out of our time in God’s Word.  We will discuss the following steps: 

  1.  Information

  2.  Illumination 

  3.  Revelation 

  4.  Application

  5.  Transformation

  6.  Multiplication

Don't let the large number of steps overwhelm you before you start. We will be discussing each one in depth so as to bring understanding and clarity to you. However, once you know the process, you will be able to flow through these steps fairly quickly. Here is a picture of our goal: 

Think of a big bowl of cherries.  Everyone of them is appealing but there is one special one that is perfectly ripe.  Our goal is to find THAT cherry and allow it to change our lives and the lives of those we touch.

Accelerated Fruit

A quote from my Pastor, Jeff Johns, last Sunday, "Wise people have no problem spending 50 years of their life preparing for the last 5."  Think of Moses.  He spent 40 years of preparation in the royal palace of Egypt.  His 2nd phase of preparation, again 40 years, was spent in the wilderness tending sheep. He was then ready to lead the Israelite's out of Egyptian bondage, at age 80. This is encouraging to those of us who are older in life. All the things we have experienced to date have been a part of our preparation- EVERYTHING!  This includes the good times and the bad times. The times we were obedient and the times we were disobedient. Nothing is ever wasted. God can use anything and everything we have encountered to quickly bring explosive growth to the fruit He has desired to bear through us, if we press on.  If you feel you have fallen short in reaching your potential in God, realize that you have been and are still being prepared to do so.  God has not forgotten why He placed you here and He can bring His will to pass quickly.  Don't give up.  This truth will also help our young people who are students. Have you ever said, "Why am I being forced to take this class?  It won't help me after I graduate."  Don't be too sure.  We never know what God will use. He loves to use the most unsuspecting things to reach people. So be patient, do your best in every class and let God prepare you for His purposes.

About Me

This is a blog that has been resurrected from 6 years ago.  It used to be called "P-Squareds Blog." This name came from a nickname that the teens gave me while I was a Pastor in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  It was their shortened form of "Pastor Paul." I have been led to restart it with a different name and make a fresh start. I realized yesterday that still there were some names, with their email addresses, connected to this blog who would automatically receive an email every time I posted something.  If you are one of those and you do not wish to receive these, please email me at sewell.paulr@gmail.com and I will remove you.  Blessings to you all!  Paul Sewell

Is Failure Always Final?

Thoughts on Numbers 13-14.  This is the story of the 12 spies being sent into the Promised Land to scout it out.  Upon their return, 10 of them gave the nation a bad report and 2 of them a good report. One report was full of fear and doubt and the other was full of faith and life. The people chose to follow the bad report and as a result judgment came upon the entire nation. Anyone over 20 years old would not be allowed to enter the Promised Land. The nation would spend 40 more years wandering in the desert until all of these people had died.  Then, the next generation would enter the Promised Land (along with the 2 spies who gave a good report- Joshua and Caleb).  From the moment of their decision to sin, the nation was divided into 2 groups:  Those who would go in and those who would would not. Most of the time we focus on those who would enter the Promised Land.  I have been pondering the group that died in the wilderness (remember that Moses was also included in this group). Was there any victory possible for these people after their choice to disobey God?  Were they doomed to finishing out their days in defeat and discouragement? As I read my Bible, I have to say a big "NO!!" to those questions.  True, they could not enter the Promised Land but they could choose their attitude and heart posture while wandering in the desert.  They could continue in a "pity party" mentality and grow bitter or repent and call upon the God who is full of mercy and forgiveness and grow stronger in faith. They were given the chance to make the most out of their circumstances, regardless of how they got there.  They still had the ability to choose victory or defeat for the rest of their days.  As far as I can tell, the Bible is silent on which decision they made.  However, I believe it is safe to assume that people decided in both directions.  What did the days consist of for those who chose life?  I believe they reached out to the next generation to help prepare them to enter the Promised Land.  They taught them by their mistakes and by the miracles they had witnessed in their lifetime. They warned them of the folly of sin. They declared to them the victory of faith. In short, they turned to God with their whole hearts and He redeemed their remaining days by restoring His vision and call to them. 
This sounds a lot like many of us.  At times, we have all chosen the wrong fork in the road and reaped judgment. God wants to encourage us today that that judgment is not final! There still remains a purpose for us to fulfill in God. That purpose has not changed and if we return to Him with our whole heart, He will redeem the time we have left. Our latter days can be better than our former days!  We can bear fruit, more fruit and fruit that remains for the next generations. There is victory in the wilderness.  I encourage you to choose life and life more abundantly for the rest of your days!