Paul reminds us that ultimately our Life In Christ is about our relationship to HIM not our performance of someone’s prescribed religious do-goodings.
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4 Things Everybody Needs to Know About the Bible
When I think of all the important theological truths that we Christians need to understand, I have to begin with teaching about the Bible. If we know the textbook well, even have it memorized, but the textbook has errors, then our knowledge is flawed.
So as we begin this journey on Fridays looking at essential doctrines about which believers should be knowledgeable, we begin with the Bible. God’s Word is our standard for truth and there are four things about the Bible we need to understand before we can learn about the other important truths.
- The Bible is the Word of God.
The Bible is not just a word from God, it is the word of God. In 2 Timothy 3:16 Paul tells us that all Scripture is inspired by God. To day God’s Word is inspired is not to say that it inspired like a modern work of art, poetry, or song. The word literally means to be breathed out by God. God is the source of the Bible.
The Bible contains 66 books written over a 1600-year span by 40 authors from 3 different continents. These authors include shepherds, kings, scholars, fishermen, a priest, a butler, and a even a military general. In spite of all of that, the Bible maintains a unique unity from beginning to end. It is a redemptive story from creation, through fall, and continuing in redemption, leading up to our ascension to Heaven.
All the words and each individual word in the Bible comes from God.
- The Bible is our ultimate source of authority.
In 2 Timothy 3:17, Paul asserts that the Bible produces a mature person, perfectly equipped for EVERY GOOD work. The Bible’s teaching is comprehensive. It contains all we need to know to live obedient lives and in obeying it, we are made complete and enable to handle what comes our way in life.
- Bible truth is timeless and always relevant.
In Psalms 119, David tells us that the Bible will keep our way pure (vs 9), keep us from sin (vs 11), and give direction and guidance (vs 105).
Isaiah 40:8 reminds us that unlike flowers and grass, God’s Word does not fade, go dormant, or disappear.
While others claim the teaching of the Bible are foreign to today’s culture, we realize that the Word should inform, instruct, and guide our living in our contemporary culture. What God said was TRUTH then is still TRUTH today.
- Obeying the Bible leads to a successful life. (Joshua 1:8; Psalm 19:10-11, Matthew 7:24-27)
Self-proclaimed secrets to success change with every generation, but God’s Word has stood the test of time. We can trust God’s Word to guide us directly down a path to the success that God has for us.
Our knowledge of God, His Son Jesus, and all other important Christian doctrines are only as reliable as our source for that knowledge. You can trust that we have a sure and certain Word of God that reveals all He desires us to know.
Fan or Follower?
For several weeks, I have been thinking about how often we “play” at our Christian discipleship. We believe in Him, and we claim to be His, but do we actually follow Him? We are big fans of Jesus. We like what he does for us; we like that when we die we can go to heaven, but are we truly His disciples? If we are following Him we are living the way He would prescribe, we are following HIS steps.
In Mark 8:34, Jesus said,
…“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.
This week I had the privilege of teaching a seminar on team building to a group of Community Ministries Directors from across Georgia. During the second day of the seminar I greatly enjoyed the presentation by Beth Ann Williams, Executive Director of the Woman’s Missionary Union of the Georgia Baptist Mission Board. As I continued to think about one of the handouts she shared, I am reminded I cannot follow Jesus until first I take up my cross and deny myself.
Read carefully the excerpt below from the handout Beth Ann gave us.
Now read Galatians 2:20 and Romans 12:1.
Challenging isn’t it?
Are you merely a fan of Jesus, or are you ready to be a follower?
Jesus doesn’t call fans. He calls followers.
Getting Started with Personal Bible Study
In an effort to have a healthier body, every day I take a multi-vitamin and a couple of other supplements to provide my body with important building blocks for health. If the truth be known, I probably wouldn’t need them if I ate healthier foods in healthier forms and healthier portions. The supplements replace what I should get naturally through my diet, and no matter how faithful I am to take them, the supplements do not provide all the full benefits I would get from a healthier diet.
Unfortunately, for many of us, we apply the same lack of discipline to our spiritual side of life as well. God has given us His Word to feed us spiritually, but we tend to settle for supplemental materials that are inferior to the great Spiritual Diet God has provided. We may feed our soul on Sunday school, sermons, TV preaching, video series, and even Christian music. These are all fine tools to have, but they cannot replace the value we receive in studying the Bible for ourselves on a regular basis.
Over the next few Wednesdays, I want to share with you some things that have helped me in my personal Bible study.
As you begin, the first thing you need is a PLAN. I suggest two types of Bible reading – first, read larger portions of Scripture. You may want to try a One Year plan that takes you through the whole Bible in a year. Several types of those plans can be found by clicking here.
One way lately I have been reading larger portions of Scripture is to choose a book of the Bible – or if it’s a large book, parts of the book – to read every day for an entire month. After finishing this current series on Colossians, I will be preaching a series on the Armor of the Lord from Ephesians 6, so I will read the entire book of Ephesians every day in May. Yes, I will read Ephesians 31 times this month.
In addition to larger parts of Scripture, I also read a smaller portion for that day’s meditation. I usually work my way through some sort of devotional guide that gives me a passage for that day. I highly recommend, My Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers, Morning and Evening by C.H. Spurgoen, and Connect the Testaments by John Barry and Rebekah Van Noord (this is the one I currently use.
I will share a little more next week about how I probe a Scripture passage to mine the truths God has for me to hear that particular day. In the meantime, choose a plan, pick up your Bible, and start to read. It is food for your soul.
Questions to consider:
What plan will I follow for reading larger portions of Scripture on a daily basis?
How will I choose smaller portions of Scripture to probe each day?
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk,
that by it you may grow up into salvation… 1 Peter 2:2
A Word of Encouragement to the Hopeless
“I hope so.” I’ve heard that many times; often from my own lips. Of course, when we use the word “hope” we are expressing a desire, but an uncertainty as to the realization of our desire.
“I hope it doesn’t rain.” – Maybe it will, but I’ll take an umbrella just in case.
“I hope I get some good news.” I really would like that, but I am bracing for the worst.
“I hope the preacher doesn’t preach too long today.” Oh, who are we kidding?!?! LOL!
Unfortunately our world is filled with a lot of hopeless people. They feel overwhelmed by circumstances and trapped by insufficient resources. They want to think better days are ahead, but no evidence lies before them. The best a hopeless person can do is just survive.
Maybe you are one of those hopeless people. Your circumstances seem insurmountable and your abilities to cope with those circumstances seem seriously lacking. The good news is that the Biblical concept of hope differs 1800 from our contemporary definition. Our hope is uncertain and subjective, but Biblical hope is objectively assured. When the Bible speaks of a hope, it speaks of something that is guaranteed.
Allow me to poke a pinhole in the dark wall of hopelessness and shine a laser beam through it in the form a Bible verse.
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13.
Don’t miss that last phrase: “abound in hope.” Not have a little, not just enough to get by, but ABOUND. More than you need. Overrunning. Excessive. God offers the hopeless not just a ray of hope but a blinding floodlight. That pinhole in the dark wall becomes a shaft of warm, life-giving light.
First, notice the source of hope: God. He is the God of hope. Our hope does not lie in our abilities, resources, or even in the betterment of our situation. HE is the creator, author, and bestower of hope. When you feel hopeless, turn to Him and rest squarely in the knowledge that He is good and that He is in control. By the power of His holy Spirit, He will give the abundance of assurance.
Second, see the results of the hope God gives – He fills with joy and peace. Joy is not dependent on circumstances, but rather a settled inner assurance that no matter how things look at the moment, when God decides to change it, He will…for the better. Peace is not the absence of hostility or anxiety, but the quiet heart that rides out the storm knowing who is the Master of the Wind.
Finally, notice how that hope is appropriated – in believing; that is our part. I have often defined faith as “an active trust in all that God has said concerning His person, His promises, and His precepts.” To live in hope, we choose to believe what we KNOW about God over how we FEEL in our circumstances.
Tony Evans says it this way:
“Faith is acting like it is so, even when it’s not so, in order that it might be so, simply because God said so.”
In those hopeless moments, return to the light that God’s hope gives. Choose to trust Him and He will bring you through your storm.
New Features Roll Out This Week
Normally in the Monday slot you see the video from my sermon on the previous day, but today I want to use the space to tell you about some changes coming on the blog and why those changes are afoot.
God has used Colossians 1:28-29 to cement in my heart what He wants to do through me.
Him [Jesus] we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.
In my heart I am and always have been a coach, and that heart for coaching translates into ministry as a discipler. As the heading to the blog indicates, I desire to help YOU grow in faith, knowledge, and life. I want to have some part in presenting you before the Lord at the last judgment as a mature follower of Jesus. THAT is why I blog – to provide you with tools, resources, inspiration, and information to help you in your walk with the Lord.
I established the survey last week because I want to know what would be most helpful to my readers so I can streamline my effort and output to be more effective in that goal. With that in mind, here is how the blog will look for the time being.
Mondays will still for the most part be the sermon video from the day before, at least for the time being. The Monday post provides an opportunity for members of the church I pastor as well as others who might be interested, to hear a sermon they may have missed. I understand not everyone has the time to listen, the bandwidth to download, nor the vested interest in my messages, but for now they will remain for the benefit of those it serves.
The overwhelming majority of respondents indicated the Tuesday and Thursday written blogs were their favorite feature. I am flattered by that, and honored. Those two days will remain the same.
I will replace the Wednesday Vlog for the next several weeks with a series on how to do a personal Bible study. Respondents indicated the Vlog as their least favorite feature and most indicated a desire for me to provide more resources on Bible study.
Many respondents also indicated that the Flashback Friday feature was one of their least favorite as well. That feature titled “Four Things Everybody Needs to Know About…” This will be an overview of some of the most important theological themes all believers need to understand. I will continue to share quotes and articles that are meaningful to me through my Twitter. If you are on Twitter, you can follow me @JimDuggan.
I do consider the blog to be a static production and more changes and tweaks will take place as the opportunity arises. As always, I welcome your feedback either through comments on the blog or through email contact. Thanks again for reading and I pray something I share will move you closer to Jesus.
Change Is in the Air
Next week look for some exciting new things to appear on the blog. Through the Spring 2016 Readers’ Survey, you provided me with some great feedback and ideas for ways I can make this space more useful to you in your Christian walk.
Look for those changes somewhere around the middle of next week. I am excited to bring some fresh, new content to you!
If you haven’t had the chance yet to take the survey, please take the time in the next couple of days. I want to provide resources and add value to your life as you seek to grow closer to God and your feedback will help me accomplish that goal.
The survey is short, only five questions, but for me the feedback is priceless. After you take the survey, you click on the “next” button and it will take you to a link where you can download my A to Z Bible Memory Sheet. This resource has been one of the most helpful I have created, and I still hear stories from people who have used it to hide God’s Word in their heart. It’s yours for free as a token of my appreciation for your time.
Click here to take the Spring 2016 Readers’ Survey
An Alternative View of Death
Saturday will mark the day seven years ago that my dad passed from this life to his heavenly home. The memories are still fresh and in many ways I live as though he were still with me because in my mind and in my heart he is. I miss his physical presence and the opportunities and blessings that would afford, but I would not wish him back to earth from heaven for one moment for that would be the cruelest of all wishes.
Recently, in our church we buried four church members in a 26-day stretch. That is a lot of grieving and our church members miss each of these dear souls greatly. I had a similar experience at a previous church where I preached 12 sermons over a 6 month period, 4 of them in one month alone. Those are difficult times for a pastor, a congregation, and even more so for the families involved.
During this most recent stretch, I heard a church member comment about the death of one of our members by saying, “That sure was bad about ______, wasn’t it?” I’ve heard statements like that before, and even said them myself.
As I thought about the upcoming anniversary of my dad’s death and as I prepared for the funeral of one of our dear saints from our church, the Lord reminded me that the answer to the question is “no, not for the Jesus-follower. It’s not bad.”
Psalm 116:15 reminds us that the death of one of His saints is PRECIOUS in God’s eyes. Yes, you read that correctly, PRECIOUS. The Hebrew word rendered “precious” in that verse refers to something that is of high value like a precious stone. The Jesus-follower can view death as a valuable event rather than a sad moment. Remaining family and friends may be saddened by the death, but for the believer, it is VALUABLE.
Most of us have too high of an estimation of our earthly existence. We tend to over-value this life and all that accompanies our life here. We overwork and over-extend ourselves to amass earthly goods, we bend over backwards to attain earthly credits and praise, and we prioritize our time, energy, and resources around things that are earthly.
Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-2 to set our minds toward and seek things that are eternal instead of things that are earthly.
What kind of view do your priorities reflect? Do you wear yourself out living for life on THIS side of eternity when there is a far more valuable life awaiting you? Jesus reminded us not to lay up treasures here on earth, but to lay up treasures in heaven. (Matthew 6:19-21)
How can you reorder your priorities, resources, plans, and practices to reflect an eternal view? When you pass away will it be a bad thing because you are leaving behind what was most valuable to you or will it be PRECIOUS because you will finally reap the heavenly investment you made here on earth?
You Can’t Live on Spiritual Supplements
Reader’s Survey and Free Gift
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The Battle for Your Mind
The struggle is real, indeed! As believers, we have a very real enemy and he doesn’t play nice. Over the past two-weeks, I have encountered intense spiritual warfare raging in my mind and heart, and believe me, this was not my first rodeo with the devil.
One of the biggest mistakes believers make is to at best minimize the devil’s influence and at worst to disbelieve in him or his work to distract, demoralize, and derail your joy and service for God. I am saddened that there are people who do not believe in God, and I pray that their eyes would be opened to the truth, but the saddest of all to me is the one who does not believe in the existence of the devil.
The devil’s main arena is our minds. Therefore, He likes to mess up our thinking and confuse us with his lies. Deception is the name of his game. At the very first encounter a human being had with the devil, he tried to confuse her thinking and understanding of God’s truth. Genesis 3:1-7 recounts the very first sin committed, and the bait the devil dangled in front of Eve was in the question of verse 2, “Did God really say…?” (emphasis added)
The devil is not very entrepreneurial. He has been creating confusion and doubt in the minds of the creatures about the Creator’s explicit truth forever. God’s Word is VITAL (I cannot overstate this notion) to our spiritual effectiveness. The Word is both an offensive weapon, the sword of the Lord in Ephesians 6:17, and a defensive tool, the word hidden that we might not sin according to Psalm 119:9,11.
Intentional Bible Study
This is why I challenge you so often to be intentional with your Bible reading and study. If we fill our minds with God’s truth, we are more equipped to fend off the devil’s attempts to confuse and delude us. For the believer, spiritual victory begins and ends in the mind. Read, study, memorize God’s Word so you will be armed and defended against our very real enemy’s attacks.
You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free. – John 8:32
I want to help prepare you to memorize Bible verses for when you don’t have a Bible handy. Below is a link where you can download for free my A to Z Bible Memory sheet. The sheet provides you with 26 Bible verses each beginning with a successive letter of the alphabet. You can memorize and have them ready when the devil tries to deceive you.