In my last two blogs, I have addressed the issue of spiritual illiteracy.  (You can read them here and here.) Many Christians do not know the Bible like they think they know it.  The reason for this alarming illiteracy is a lack of personal Bible study.  

We have the Bible available to us in so many readable translations.  Many people have access to God’s Word on their phone, tablets, and computers.  And if your bookshelf is like mine, there is no shortage of printed Bible copies either.

Sadly, the spiritual diet for many Christians consists of what someone else writes or says about the Bible.  But the GOOD NEWS is that is doesn’t have to be this way!  If you are a Jesus follower, the author of the book lives inside of you.  One of the Holy Spirit’s roles in a believer’s life is to teach that believer Bible truth.  You don’t need a seminary degree in Bible to study it.  So outfitted with a Bible, a few simple tools, and the Holy Spirit, you can feed yourself on God’s Word.

Three Keys to Fruitful Personal Bible Study

To seriously look at God’s Word, the believer must being with three foundational elements. First, you need a productive time.  Try to choose a consistent time each day when you are most mentally alert.  For some that would be mornings, for others during the day, and still others in the evening.

Second, choose place with as few distractions as possible.  Turn off electronic notifications.  Look for a place with the perfect amount of quiet to help you focus on your study.  While a consistent time and place may prove most helpful, some will need flexibility in their scheduling. 

Finally, you need a dedicated plan.  Bible study doesn’t happen by accident. One of the most difficult obstacles to overcome in Bible study is choosing what to read.  That is why some opt for reading a devotional book.  Remember, we are trying to wean ourselves from regurgitated Bible truth and feed ourselves.  You will enjoy a more fruitful Bible study if you have a template to follow.  That is where I want to help you.

In April 2007 I was diagnosed as a Type 2 diabetic.  Ironically, I received call from my doctor with diagnosis as I was finishing a luncheon at church.  He called me about halfway through my second piece of coconut pie!

Since that time, I have gone through cycles where I managed my diabetes well and not so well. Bloodwork from the first of this year revealed worse readings since my diagnosis.  I realized some things needed to change drastically and quickly.

What had happened?  I had eaten in abundance what should I have eaten in moderation.  Conversely, I had eaten in moderation things that I should have eaten in abundance.  I settled too often for easy treats rather than wholesome choices.

Sadly, I believe many Jesus followers have treated our spiritual nutrition with the same neglect.  In my last blog, I lamented that much of what is called Bible study these days isn’t really Bible study.  It more resembles the regurgitated food a mommy birds feeds to her nestlings. Too many Christians spend more time reading what others write about the Bible than actually reading the Bible for themselves.  

We have a lot of birds in our yard.  I love to watch them and listen to them communicate with each other.  I love to watch the care a mom and dad bird give their new hatchlings in the nest.  

Of particular note is how mom and dad birds feed their young.  The parents go out and capture and eat all manner of juicy and protein-rich bugs and worms.  Then the parents come to the nest and regurgitate what they just ate right into the hatchlings mouths.  You can click here to see a video…if you dare.

Yeah.  I agree with you.  YUCK! It’s bad enough they have to eat worms and bugs.  But they have to eat them only after their parents have vomited them up right in their mouths.  The hatchlings have to wait several weeks before they are able to eat such juicy fare on their own.

A Shocking Comparison

Sadly, I see a correlation in the 21st century American church.  Much of what we call Bible study is not, in fact, Bible study.  Much of what is called Bible study is nothing more that studying a book somebody wrote about the Bible.  Rather than feeding themselves, many Christians have grown content  “eating like a bird” when to comes to Bible study.  They would rather read someone else’s Biblical regurgitation than feed on God’s Word for themselves. That is when Bible study becomes eating like a bird.

Take a look at the “Bible study” offerings at many churches.  You will find impressive lists of various studies written by gifted Bible teachers.  Many of the courses labeled “Bible study” are in actuality studies of that author’s study.

Subtle lies are the devil’s oldest trick.  The Bible introduces him in the Garden of Eden as more “subtle” than any other beast of the field. (Genesis 3:1). He duped Adam and Eve into believing his subtle lies about God.  That tactic has worked on all of us ever since.

In his book You Can Change, Tim Chester asserts that behind every sin and negative emotion is a lie.  We exchange the truth about God for a lie. (Romans 1:24-25)^[1]  “Did God actually say…?”  “You will not die.”  “You can be like God.”  The devil knows we are too aware to fall for blatant lies.  We would not listen to lies that question the existence of God or the most basic truths of the Bible.  So instead, he plants the tiniest seed of doubt and seeks to cultivate it into full grown disobedience.  If we are not careful, the weeds of subtle lies begin to crowd out and choke the truth in our lives.  

Here we are again.  The start of a New Year.  A couple of things over the last month have put me in a pondering mood at the onset of 2023.  My 58^th birthday on December 9 reminded me that I have come a long way.  Then a week off after Christmas gave me time to reflect back and think forward.

One Scripture provided the catalyst for my meditations.  In Acts 13, Paul and Barnabas had the opportunity to preach in the synagogue at Antioch of Pisidia.  In his Gospel explanation, Paul presented the case for Jesus as Messiah. Part of his case included the Davidic line qualifications of Jesus.

In making that case, Paul pointed out that David was a great King. But Jesus was the Messiah.  Jesus died, was buried, and rose again.  David died, was buried, and his body decomposed.

Yeah, I know.  I’m getting a little morbid here but stick with me. 

December is one of my favorite months.  My birthday is the 9th of this month.  Of course Christmas is “the most wonderful time of the year.”  And the end of December closes out a year and welcomes the prospect of a clean slated new year.  For many, however, Christmas gets out of hand. My goal for this season this year is to simplify Christmas.

Recently, a sermon by one of my favorite preachers, Voddie Baucham included something that set me to thinking.  He stated that the Guinness record for the most expensive decorated Christmas tree stands at just over $11 million.  Some of you husbands may want to ask your wife to submit their receipts to Guinness.  They may have surpassed it!

Since Thanksgiving Day is the 24^th of this month,  I want to share with you 24 things for which I am most thankful in 2022.

1.  I am eternally thankful for the grace of God that brought me salvation – past present, and future.  Ephesians 2:8-13

2.  I am thankful for my beautiful bride.  God created a special woman when He created Andrea.  Proverbs 31:10

3.  I am thankful for the world’s greatest daughter. She has been such a joy and blessing from God.  Psalm 127:3

4.  I am thankful for God’s Word. I can testify that is a lamp to my feet and light to my path.  Psalm 119:105