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"Finding the sweet spot" could be a phrase for living in a place of enjoyment, peace and rest in relationship with God, and staying in balance and harmony with His design for our life. This is where the maximum Kingdom result is accomplished. It isn't about trying harder or spinning the wheels faster, but about relaxing into all that God has given and then joyfully working with Him in the Kingdom. HIS WAYS VS. OUR WAYS Proverbs 16:9 - "a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." We know that God's Kingdom works in a very different manner than man's world and that His perspective is much higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). Human thinking is often focused on the fastest way to get from A to B – the shortest line between two points. It is often all about the destination, getting things done, and accomplishing our goals and agenda. God's thinking is much more relationally focused, and His concern is our transformation along the journey. He just isn't that concerned about us getting from A to B in the shortest time possible! God wants to meander along the trail with us for a while, more than being in a race to get to our next stop. His focus is to spend time with us so we get to know Him and His ways. His goal is to transform us into His image, rather than just have us check off the next item on the "dreams and goals" list. In other words, He wants us to ENJOY the journey WITH Him, taking in the many nuances that a relationship with the Most High involves: seeing Him in His goodness, experiencing His kindness along the way, reveling in His love, and dancing in His joy. These inward characteristics are all accessible to us no matter what is being accomplished on the outward journey of goals and pursuits. LEARNING TO REST Even when the outside pressures squeeze in. We are learning how to say, "It's been a good and fulfilling day," even when we can't check off all the things on our to-do list. When we don't perform to meet other people's expectations, or even our own, we can still live in the love and acceptance of the Father. It isn't about striving, performing, or accomplishing. It is about finding our pleasure in Him, living in the overflow of who He is and His pleasure toward us. We learn to live in the space of God's love, grace, peace and joy, and maximize the results of our energies spent. It's not so much about WHAT we accomplish, but HOW we live life during that process. ENJOYING THE JOURNEY As we step back and take the pace of life down a notch or two (maybe even three), we take time to reflect on His love and His good pleasure, no matter what the outward journey looks like. Are we operating in His agenda or ours? "Think of your sufferings as a weaning from that old sinful habit of always expecting to get your own way. Then you'll be able to live out your days free to pursue what God wants instead of being tyrannized by what you want." - 1 Peter 4:2, The Message We want to be free to pursue what He wants and not be driven by what WE think needs to be done. We hear the still, quiet voice that says: "Stay by My side and enjoy the journey, regardless of whether or not you can see where it's going." "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way He works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how He works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." - Matthew 6:31-33, The Message AN EASY YOKE In this age of adrenal fatigue and living a driven life, perhaps we all need the Spirit to show us which purposes are really our own agenda, and just how driven we, as a Western society, have become. Is it possible that our "goals and good activities" are running us ragged as we pursue God'sPURPOSE for our life (our CALLING in Christ), serve other people's needs, and try to achieve a host of other goals? If these not done from the right place and at God's pace, we may lose the peace and enjoyment of the Kingdom life. Contentment is a good measuring stick. Like Paul, can we have an abiding sense of being content regardless of what is happening around us? (Philippians 4:12) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, 'O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord'" (Ezekiel 37:4). Everywhere the Living Water flows, life will suddenly spring up! The more the Word is preached, prophesied, declared, affirmed, discipled and confessed the more the dry bones will rattle and rise from death to resurrection power as an exceedingly great army. THE FLOODING OF GOD'S SPIRIT IS COMING Let's all draw near to Him and ask Him to flood our individual lives and the lives we touch and minister to -- for everything the water touches will spring to life. Let's spend more time raising our spiritual consciousness with the truths of our inheritance in Christ from the Bible so that there are no "empty places" in our souls. Let's spend more time worshiping the Father and praying each and every day, letting the Living Waters fill us and then flow out of innermost being to the people whose lives God has given us to affect and change. Let's flood the atmosphere around us every day with the glory of God! For He is the Kingdom and the power and the glory. As we do this, then we will see exactly what Habakkuk 2:14 says - "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

I minister to others as a leter from Christ, not written with pen but with the Spirit of the Living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. - 2 Corinthians 3:3 I am a minister of the Spirit since God has made me fit and worthy and sufficient as a minister and dispenser of the new covenant. - 2 Corinthians 3:6 As the Spirit of the Lord works in me, I become more and more like Him. - 2 Corinthians 3:18 Since God, in His mercy, has given me this wonderful ministry, I never give up.- 2 Corinthians 4:1 For God who said “let the light shine out of darkness”, made His light shine in my heart to give me the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. - 2 Corinthians 4:6 Every day I experience something of the death of Jesus, so that I may also show the power of the life of Jesus in my body. - 2 Corinthians 4:10 My eyes are fixed, not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen: for what is seen passes away; what is unseen in eternal. - 2 Corinthians 4:18 I live by faith and not by sight. - 2 Coirinthians 5:7 The love of Christ controls me. - 2 Corintians 5:14 He died for me so that I who live - having received eternal life from Him - might live no longer for myself, to please myself; but to spend my life pleasing Christ who died and rose again for me. - 2 Corinthians 5:15 Since I am ingrafted in Christ I am a new creature altogether: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. - 2 Corinthians 5:17 God has given me the ministry of reconciliation, that through Jesus Christ, I might bring others into harmony with Him. - 2 Corinthians 5:18 I am an ambasador for Christ. - 2 Corinthians 5:20 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him I might become the righteousness of God. - 2 Corinthians 5:21 I am the temple of the living God. - 2 Corinthians 6:16 ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

"Therefore, since we are receiving a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire." - Hebrews 12:28-29 Even though things are being shaken where we currently stand we have access to a Kingdom that is shaken by NOTHING. If He has spoken that we win, then, we must continue to fight in FAITH until we win! Our God is with us and He is an all-consuming fire! Part of our mandate as Christians is to raise the breathing dead who have no life and no hope - they exist everywhere. (Ezekiel 37) ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Luke 8:47 is the story of the woman who had an issue of blood who desperately pressed through the crowd to lay hold of the hem of Jesus' garment: "Then the woman, seeing that she could not go unnoticed, came trembling and fell at His feet. In the presence of all the people, she told why she had touched Him and how she had been instantly healed." When she reached out and touched Him, full of faith and expectation, Jesus stopped and said, "Who touched Me? His disciples replied, "Lord, many are touching you...we are in a crowd!" But Jesus said, "No, someone purposely touched Me because I felt virtue/power go out of Me." (See verse 45-46). And the woman was immediately made whole. GOD IS WAITING ON US TO SET THE TIME Most of the time when Jesus was healing the crowds of people He was doing that which He saw the Father doing. But in this instance it wasn't Jesus that "set the time" for this woman's miracle, but rather the woman "set the time" through her faith, desperation and determination. Many times when we are believing for a miracle we may feel we have positioned ourselves and we are waiting on God, when in fact, God is waiting on us to activate our faith to "set the time" for the release of the supernatural turnaround. In the words of John G. Lake, "If the Spirit doesn't move me, then I move the Spirit!" Now is the time for us to "set the time" and put a demand on the anointing of God to release miracles of provision, turnaround and healing. Pull your future miracle into the NOW by activating your faith and pressing into His presence as never before. Remember, every day is Jubilee when you are in Christ! ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Since the moment we first came to Christ, there has been an updraft of the Holy Spirit, a constant drawing from God lifting us upward toward the fullness of His Presence. Lets surrender to this wind of God and allow Him to carry us into our holy future (our DESTINY). The disciples did not just pray and sit around waiting for God to enter the "playing field" to convert the world on His own. They went out into the world so that the Holy Spirit might go into the World. "The Lord worked with them." - Mark 16:20 God plants His purpose in our lives in the epicenter of our heart and it will fuel new exploits in our lives. The first step to getting out of the box is to fellowship with the God of the breakthrough.The Holy Spirit will charge you with fresh vision and boldness. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Psalm 91:1 He that dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. The secret place of the Most High is the human spirit which is the habitation of God. The spirit is deeper than man’s consciousness: it is the place unreachable by man’s findings. It is the place that man fellowships with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be preserved complete, without blame at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s order is spirit, soul, and body – the spirit controls the soul, the soul controls the body. The fallen order is soul, body, spirit. John 6:63 It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. Jesus tells us that the spirit gives life and that is why we want the spirit to control the soul. Luke 1:46-47 And Mary said: My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior. My soul ‘magnifies’; my spirit has exalted. The spirit must first exalt before the soul can magnify the Lord. The spirit firsts communicates the exaltation to the soul; the soul expresses this exaltation through the body. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Originally published September 28th, 2008 In as much as several of you lately, and many over the years have asked how I go about Bible Study and why I think my approach is a good one, I have decided to blog on that topic.First off, I do three different types of Bible studies. Expository, topical, and word studies.As I define the terms, an expository study is one were I select a passage, a chapter, a whole book, or some other contiguous grouping of words from the Bible, and then go verse by verse, looking at the verse, it’s context, the intended audience, the historical setting and any parallel or related passages, to gain an understanding of the grouping of words which I am examining.I would say that a topical study, would be an examination of a specific subject, such as abortion, the rapture, tithing, marriage, etc.Finally, a word study is where I begin by looking at a word in a verse or verses in English, where either I am uncertain of it’s usage, or just want to more fully understand it’s significance and nuances, Then look ate the original Greek or Hebrew word that was translated into the specific English word at the location in question. Once having identified the original language word, I then look at every occurrence of that word in the Greek or Hebrew to see the ways the word is used, and also consult works written for the purpose of original language study, such as Lexicons.My favorite type is the topical study, but the methods I use are based on principles that can be applied not only in these different studies, but can be applied to other historical literature as well as current literature.There are rules of interpretation than most conservative theologians agree upon. By and large, they look to me to be good common sense rules, so I try to stick to them. This minimizes the “that’s your interpretation” phenomenon, which is so silly. I prefer to have a good interpretation any day, than MY interpretation. Many of these rules come from traditional Jewish rules of interpretation. Now immediately, we must concede, that there are obviously limitations to these rules, or most Jews would have recognized their Messiah. The problem is, that we are human, we make mistakes, and we bring our own prejudices and preconceptions to the interpretive table. It is true for me, it is true for you also. So, sound rules are a foundation for understanding the Bible in a consistent manner, they are there to help you see past your own prejudices, but they will only work if you are willing to be consistent, and not change the rules to suit an interpretation you prefer.So what are some of these rules? In no particular order. Always examine a verse or passage in it’s contextThis means that you look at the verses leading up to that passage, and following, so that you can see what the cubject actually is, being discussed. Ignore the chapter heading and number, these are man-made, it is up to you to determine when a subject begins and ends. Examining a passage in context, also involves not just reading and understanding the nearby verses, but also identify who is being addressed in a passage, for whom is the message intended. Sometimes it is a specific individual, some times Israel, sometimes the church, sometimes it applies universally to mankind, determine this. The historical context is also important, Understanding things about a time and place, can affect how you understand the passage. Context, is one of the most important aspects of Biblical interpretation.Okay, suppose we have done all that. We have arrived at what we think the verse is saying and to whom. Remember that the scriptures are divinely inspired. Therefore, they will never contradict each other. We can use that to help us check our understanding of a verse or passage in question. The next rule is: Compare Scripture with ScriptureHere, we search out other passages on the same topic. For example, let’s say we examined the ten commandments, and saw there: “Thou shalt not kill.” We have now the understanding that it is always wrong to kill. However, as we read in other places in the Bible, we find that God ordains wars, and prescribes putting people to death for certain crimes. Knowing that the God does not contradict himself, we understand that we must have a faulty understanding of “thou shalt not kill”. This brings us to another rule of interpretation. Examine the Verse in the Original LanguageTime was when you had to own quite a library to follow all of these rules effectively. In modern times, there are theological libraries in the form of software, which are substantially less expensive than they would be in printed form. Additionally, many of these helps are online. Go and experiment with sites such as blueletterbible.org, biblestudytools.com, and/or biblehub.com. You will find many things to aid your understanding on those sites. In the case of thou shalt not kill, we would find that a better translation of the Hebrew would have been “You shall do no murder”.Another tool which is indispensable is a concordance. A concordance let’s you look up Bible verses by words that exist in English in the verse. For example, if you looked up the word “locusts”, you would discover the word occurs in 17 verses. The concordance would show you part of the verse - a partial context. This is useful if you want to find verses that have a word in common with a verse you are examining. Seeing the context, lets you see if the verse is related to the topic you are studying, or to the verse you are studying, In the Gospels for instance, the different authors some times have additional details that another Gospel writer left out. Perhaps you are wanting to find a particular verse you are thinking of, a concordance can be useful for that. This can also be done with online Bible search sites.The next ones are not rules, but recommendations. Read a passage in several translations. Translations are not all alike, nor equally good, and none is without error. Most are pretty good for casual reading of the scriptures, but by reading a passage in a different version, you can often uncover some nuance, that you may want to explore further.Additionally, it is a good idea to to read about a given passage in a commentary or two, or three. In that way, you reap the benefit of the work that someone has already put into understanding the passage you are looking at. Here again, none is without error. In fact, by reading commentaries, you may come across views you never considered. Consider them, but stick with the Bible text itself, which brings me to the next rule. Let Scripture Interpret ScriptureWhat do we mean by that? Sometimes a verse you may be considering, is already discussed in another passage in the Bible. Since the Bible is inspired by God, you have to accept the Bible’s explanation of itself. How would you know that a passage is commented on in another section in the Bible? My primary answer is read the Bible until you are familiar with it. I realize than not everyone will follow this advice, so there are other ways. The commentaries I spoke of, will often point such passages out. A good reference Bible, such as Thompson’s Chain Referance Bible, will show related passages - a very helpful tool. When reading a passage, assume it is literal, unless there is a compelling reason not to. In John 10:9 (NASB) Jesus says:“I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”A literal translation of that would be to think of Jesus claiming to be a slab of wood on a hinge. There is no need to be so literal. The context of the passage will usually indicate what the author was saying. Parables and visions, similes and metaphors are frequently used in the bible. There is an excellent book on parable and metaphors, learn to spot them. Some times it may not be so obvious:John 11:11-15after that He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, that I may awaken him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples therefore said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14 Then Jesus therefore said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead",(NASB) In the passage above, we see that even the disciples took things too literally. Understand the Historical Background This takes some digging, but it is most helpful to understand figures of speech, customs and historical circumstances surrounding a passage. Where is the author, why is he there? To whom is he writing and why? These type of things are very useful to stay aware of. For example, some passages are written directly to a person of a people, and may not apply universally. Strive to avoid interpreting through the eyes of your own experience and culture. A helpful tool for this is the book: "The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah" Keep with precedentsSome people love inventing new meanings for words. Understand what the words meant when they were written from the original languages, if you are working in your own language, understand the meaning of the word when they were translated. For example, you may run across the word “quick” in the King James Version. Quick meant ‘living’ or ‘alive’ in 1611, not ‘fast’. Many modern commentators have erred by insisting that certain words mean certain things that they did not mean when written, don’t make the same mistake and don’t make the mistake of assuming that what they say is true, do your own research. Use Common Logic This one seems like a no-brainer that I should not even have to mention. Ask yourself, if a given understanding of a passage makes sense. Be careful here though, not everyone thinks alike. When I say to ask if it makes sense, I don’t mean does it make sense to you! I mean is the conclusion a rational one given the words used, the circumstances etc. is it where the majority of scriptural evidence points you? Don’t make the mistake of using you logic to over-rule the plain revelation of scripture. For example, I don’t like hell. It makes no sense to me that such a place would exist, why punish someone eternally for things done during the short span of a lifetime. However, I must keep in mind, that my thoughts are not His thoughts, and my ways are not His ways, so, I go with what scripture plainly teaches - there is a Hell. Recognize and determine the validity of inference This is similar to the above. You may find it difficult, for example, to discover a verse that indicates God is a triune being. However, you might fine a verse that refers to a person known as the Holy Spirit, and that the person is called God. You might find a reference to the fact that there is a person called the Father, who is also called God. Then you may find a reference to a person who is called the Son, again, He is called God also. You will find verses that indicate the these person are distinct. You will also find versed that categorically state that there is only one God. Putting them all together, we realize that there are three separate persons who are each God, and there is only one God. Therefore, the three persons are the one God. That is inference. For some, this makes no sense, I have no problem with it. This is a case however, where you may have to suspend what you think is logic, and accept that this is what is revealed in scripture, we have no right to over-ride revelation with our opinions. Recognize the unity of scripture The 66 books that make up the Bible each has it’s own story to tell. However, there is one author behind each of them, and He has His story to tell as well. When you read and study the Bible, be aware that there are themes that thread their way through the various books of the Bible, some books cannot be fully understood without the benefit of the other books. If you have an interpretation of a passage, that is a contradiction to another passage, then you have not reached a correct understanding, for God does not contradict Himself.There may be more that I am forgetting, I will add them in if they occur to me, but that is the way that I approach the study of the scriptures, I hope some of these principles, are ones that you will find helpful in your own studies. Be Blessed! Ω Omegaman 2.0 This page has been visited 11,913 times since September 28th, 2008 5 Responses to “How I Study the Bible - one approach” Sharon Graham Says: December 12th, 2008 at 9:58 am Thank you for explaining how to study the bible it is a big help. FresnoJoe Says: February 28th, 2009 at 9:39 am “there is one author behind each of them, and He has His story to tell as well” Oh So Amen Dear Brother, So Amen! “Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me,” Psalms 40:7 “Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God.” Hebrews 10:7 AyinJade Says: March 2nd, 2009 at 7:27 pm Lol Mega, with a date of Sept 28th, you are always assured of having this post as the first one seen in the admin blogs. I had a hard time finding my latest blog entry until I realized that the date of this blog was incorrect. Omegaman Says: March 4th, 2009 at 3:09 am That is when it was posted, Sept. 28th, 2008 jayblayze Says: April 23rd, 2009 at 6:11 am Thanx for your thoughts and all the support at http://www.worthychat.com tonight april 23 You keep on speaking the truth will ya. Thanx again, Jamie

It's time for your DESTINY to be set in motion. Nothing will stop you now! His Love for you overshadows you and those dreams that were incubating in you almost birthing at times will now come forth. There is a glory - a glory of love coupled with your faith that is bringing in that which He has promised. What price can be put on this glory realm? The entrance to the door of this realm is your 'overcoming spirit', wanting at times to give up but not giving into that. You will ride the wave of an overcoming spirit. You overcome in the onslaught of the thoughts of your mind. You overcome in the mundane daily activities. You overcome in the rejection of man. You overcome in the betrayal of those who persecuted you. You overcome in the darkness. You overcome when all you could see was the opposite of what you had living inside of you. He has hidden manna for you (Rev. 2:17) ,that will sustain you and nourish you in ways you have not known. He has given you big dreams to dream and walk out and greatness of heart and bounty of spirit. There is a readiness -- you will go forth NOW and overcome. You will conquer, and as you go and as you pursue, you will increase and you will overtake, for He is with you and His Word is in you! You thought you lost it all but carry this as you go: today you are recovering your dreams He gave you, for you will see what He has said all along become your reality. No more backing up and no more backing down. IT'S TIME! It's yourDeuteronomy 1:11 that says -- "....He will bless you just as He has promised you." ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

One of the dimensions of living the way of Christ, besides living a life of love, forgiveness, and service is embracing the spirituality of DOWNWARD MOBILITY. This is a willingness to modify our career, change our location, or whatever other sacrifices we are called to make, for the sake of following Christ's purpose for our life (our destiny). Jesus came so that His Blood may cover our sins. His grace and mercy overflow to us so that we may be all that He has created us to be. He is determined to help us find our destiny into His perfect plan for us. His grace has made it possibe for us to see our destines fulfilled. SIEZING OUR DESTINY Nothing takes the place of stepping out of your comfort zone and out on the limb. Faith is always spelled R-I-S-K! In order to seize your destiny -- step out, God's not only good, He will catch you if you fall and help you to get up and try again! Don’t worry about the people in your past, for the Lord placed them there. He has an important reason why they won’t appear in your future. "Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13-14 Are we willing to spend and be spent; not seeking to be ministered unto, but to minister? ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1050-1-corinthians-inheritance-affirmations/

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1049-the-reward-of-seeking/ The true supernatural flow of the Holy Spirit gives you.......................

Hi all, My friends and I have made a short video giving a brief update on our thoughts regarding how the Brexit could relate to prophecy. We're not interested in sensationalism, but we do see that there are significant developments in world politics happening which bear a strong resemblance to what we see in prophecy. The video is a few minutes long and represents only a brief introduction to how we view this event as possibly being important. I look forward to hearing what others think of our suggestions.

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1044-a-testimony-of-jesus/ The ultimate quest of every Christian is to................................

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1041-reaching-through-to-him-meditations/

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1040-the-veil-of-self/ When the veil of self cloaks our hearts, our perceptions are...........

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1037-moving-in-overcoming-faith/ Without a revelation of what God intends to do with.............

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1036-standing-your-ground-in-fait/h You will triumph every time in Christ when.................................

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1033-walking-in-a-greater-dimension-of-fulfillment-with-expectancy/ To understand God's purpose for our lives we need to................

http://www.christianityboard.com/blog/48/entry-1031-power-study-c61/ INTERCESSION

Luke 17:20,21 - "The kingdom of God comes not with observation. For behold, the kingdom of God is within you." IF WE WAIT QUIETLY BEFORE GOD AND LEARN TO TURN THE EYES OF OUR SOUL TO THE INWARD PARTS OF OUR BEING -- OUR SPIRITS -- WE WILL ENCOUNTER HIM IN THE DEEP LEVELS, AS THAT IS WHERE HIS SPIRIT DWELLS. Matthew 25:30 - "And cast the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." Affirmation: THE HOLY SPIRIT IS GIVING ME WISDOM AND COURAGE TO STEP OUT AND BEGIN TO FULFILL THE DREAM HE AS BIRTHED SO DEEPLY INSIDE ME. Jude 22 - "And of some have compassion, making a difference." Affirmation: MY HEART RELEASES THE COMPASSION OF JESUS CHRIST TO HELP DELIVER PEOPLE CAUGHT IN THE DECEPTION OF SIN AND DARKNESS AND SET THEM FREE. ALBERT FINCH MINISTRY

Science, creation, and truth. We need to reason together, and come to a sound conclusion. I would like to have a discussion about why creation is the truth, while evolution is a lie that must be stopped. As I said in another post, it is a poison and our youth is its victim. Please, let us have a rational debate, and come to a truthful resolution... While I have studied evo vs creation for nearly 10 years, I am by no means an expert in all fields. With that being said, I do know a thing or two about what is going on. I am neither right wing, nor left wing, and I most certainly am not politically correct. I am not racist, and I have no agenda. (Creationists like myself are now called racist because we do not agree with evolutionists, and other...(just type into your browser, 'are creationists racist'?)) I simply see with my eyes, smell with my nose, hear with my ears, taste with my mouth, and feel with my hands. Anything said to me beyond this is your opinion, and one that should be kept to yourself. This is for anyone who wants to know more about evo vs creation.

Often times, I find the Bible hard to read and understand and I know that many New Christians have the same problem. So to all those experienced bible readers, pastors, evangelists, ministers, disciples and generally those who served our Lord Jesus Christ for a long time, how do you read the bible? I'm brand new to the faith so bare with me. I'm still a "babe in Christ" if you understand.

I have serious doubts about not only Christianity but Religion in general...Anyone care Explain why I should Listen to "Gods Word"

What do you think of Biblioatry? Had you heard the term before? I read this article and thought I'd get some feedback: I think that I am more inclined toward the last definition. Why? Because I have known many hardcore fundamentalist Christians who attempt to interpret the Bible “literally” and who have extreme “reverence for the letter of the Bible” but who did not “worship” the Bible in any real sense. To put it differently, they never placed the Bible in the place of God. So, here’s my definition of biblolatry: Worshiping the Bible instead of the God of the Bible. I want to unpack that a bit, because the phrase “worshiping the Bible” can be easily misunderstood. According to the Bible itself, there is only one object of worship which is worthy of worship: God alone. We see this most plainly in the first commandment: “You shall have no other gods before me” (Deuteronomy 5.7). Only God deserves that loftiest position. And yet, from time to time and in a variety of ways, we may place the Bible in that position. How might we do this? All the things I’m about to list are things that I’ve been guilty of from time to time in my own life. But they are all things that I now try to avoid: Treating a copy of the Bible we own with an unusual and superstitious amount of respect. I’m sure you’ve seen what I’m talking about — not letting the Bible touch the floor, obsessing over the condition of each page of the Bible, never placing another book on top of the Bible, etc. This is just silly. The copy of the Bible in question is simply a collection of paper, ink, and (p)leather. It is not God. Viewing the Bible as some sort of magical device to help us feel better. I’ve done what I’m about to describe more often than I’d like to admit. I’m having a bad day, so I flip his Bible open to a random page and scour that page for something to help mefeel better. This is just silly. Treating the Bible this way equates it with other silly things that people make into idols: like horoscopes and the like. Thinking that the words of the Bible are more important than the God who inspired them. This one is harder to nail down into a concrete example. But I fear that sometimes we all get so wrapped up in the words of the Bible itself that we become blinded to the God who stands behind them. Again, this is just silly. God is to be worshiped, not the Bible! So perhaps from time to time we all need to lift our noses out of our Bibles and remember to direct the vast majority of spiritual attention toward God himself. Even our study of the Bible should direct us toward God. Instead of reading it for its own sake, maybe we should look for how our reading of the Bible points us to God, and dwell there instead of on the words themselves. Thinking that there exists within the Bible itself some secret code that will unlock the mysteries of the universe, the end times, etc., etc. This isn’t one that I’ve gotten into much, though I dabbled in it a bit as a late teen thanks to my obsession then with eschatology. This mentality has been most clearly seen in the all the Bible Code books (I’ll let you find them on your own if you want to). This is just silly too. The words of the Bible aren’t magic and they aren’t hiding anything. Instead, they’re intended to turn us toward God, not Christian conspiracy theories! Why Does Bibliolatry Matter? You might be thinking something like this: Who cares Matt! As long as someone is reading the Bible, that’s a good thing, right? And you aren’t completely wrong. It is better that someone worship the Bible than something else, I guess. But in the end, bibliolatry is just as wrong as any other form of idolatry. Why? Because it violates the first commandment, plain and simple. So then, if bibliolatry is wrong, which it is, and is to be avoided, which it should, then what is the correct way to view the Bible? I’m so glad you asked! Jesus talks about this very topic in John 5. I’ve written some about this chapter of John before (here and here), but I’ll set the scene again. Jesus healed a man who had been suffering for many, many years (John 5.1-9a). This healing happened on the Sabbath, which made some Jewish leaders angry because they believed that what transpired was considered work and Jews weren’t to work on the Sabbath (John 5.9b-16a). So these leaders confronted Jesus (John 5.16b) and Jesus came back at them with a long diatribe in which he expertly defended himself (John 5.17-47). And during part of Jesus’ long speech he said this: You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. (John 5.39-40) Ouch! Jesus really hits them where it hurts. These Jewish leaders were likely Pharisees, who were considered to be experts in the law and taught it to the people with regularity. And here Jesus tells them that their life’s work, studying the Scriptures diligently. was ultimately misguided. This must have really struck at their core identity, which is never fun. To put all of this in different words: Jesus told these Jewish leaders that they were guilty of bibliolatry. They were worshiping the Bible and not the God of the Bible. Specifically, they thought that they could be receive eternal life through their study of the Scriptures, when their only way of accessing eternal life, Jesus himself, was standing right in front of them! So, to bring things back to today, bibliolatry matters because when we worship the Bible instead of Jesus, we run the risk of placing our faith and the hope of our salvation in the wrong place! How Can We Respond to Bibliolatry? Here are a few ideas about how to respond to the threat of bibliolatry: Focus on Jesus. What makes the Bible special is that it is inspired by God and through it Jesus is best revealed to the world. Thus, as we read the Bible, we should focus more on Jesus and less on the words themselves. I know this is a fine distinction. But we can easily be bogged down and miss Jesus who is revealed all throughout the Bible! Allow the Bible to do its job. In 2 Timothy 3.16-17 the job of the Bible is described this way: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” So as we read and study the Bible, are we allowing it to teach, rebuke, correct, and train us in righteousness? And is their proof in our lives that our Bible reading and study is working? What might that proof be? Well the passage from 2 Timothy plainly tells us that if we let the Bible do its job in our lives, then we will be better equipped to do every good work. Mindblown. The true test of whether or not we are using the Bible properly just might be whether or not we are doing the good works that God has prepared for us to do (Ephesians 2.10)! Read the Bible with others. Like many other things in life, community can help! If we only read the Bible alone, then we very well may become worshipers of it instead of Jesus. Conversely, if we read and study the Bible with others, especially if that group of people is diverse in a variety of ways, then we can build in safeguards against bibliolatry. (Please note that I’m not saying that we should never read the Bible alone. I am, however, saying that we should always have a healthy dose of communal Bible reading!) Obey what we read. Perhaps the truest sign of bibliolatry is that we spend all of our time reading and studying the Bible and spend almost no time doing what it says (other than the whole “meditate on the law” part!). Jesus didn’t die so that we could all sit with our faces gazing down at our Bible-filled laps. No! He died so that we could join him in his cosmic mission to make all things right by reconciling them himself! And as we read the Bible, it should inspire us to join in that mission, not avoid it by merely learning more about it! Please don’t misunderstand me. Studying the Bible is greatly important! I’ve devoted my entire adult life to this task. But our love for the Bible should never rival our love for Jesus and our devotion to the Bible should never deter us from living out the mission of Jesus in the real world. The danger of bibliolatry is real but quite subtle. Do you agree? If so, let me know how you think we should deal with this danger in the comments below. If not, why not? God bless, GE