The Church Series: I DON'T NEED MY BIBLE
"But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."
-Matthew 4:4 (KJV)
In this day in age, a great number of people have not read the Bible in its' entirety. Because of this, they are left to go on "gut feelings," what others have said, and what they see. We have a tendency to believe whatever society states is deemed correct! Not so! If you call yourself to be a true Christian, Believer, Follower of Christ, you would want to be fully equipped with Thee Truth, and BEST direction? Where would the source of these come from? The Bible!
The Importance of Reading
The significance of reading the Bible is the same concept as a student would use. If you were a student whose aim was to get all A's in your courses for a particular semester, would you go only off of what others have said they have done for those courses? Would you purposefully not read, and study the TEXTS that were assigned to ensure your goal was met? If you did ignore all the study guides, syllabi, and preparations, would you fail the tests? The semester? Your straight "A's" goal? Yes, you surely would! So why not read the Bible for yourself? See at FIRST-HAND with YOUR OWN EYES what GOD has written.
When you allow yourself to let others tell you what "GOD said," you are left vulnerable to the "Telephone Game." Remember, back in our younger days when we were either in recess or after school care, and we would all sit in a circle. The first person would have to create a message, whisper it to the person next to them, and this would continue until it got to the last person in the circle. The last person would then have to repeat out loud the message received, and the first person would have to confirm, yay or nay. It is guaranteed, what was originally stated to what was repeated at the end would NOT be the same.
Consider each child, being a different generation. Instead of reading the Bible for themselves, they allow only "word of mouth" to be the "validated" source. What happens? The information from the Bible, in the first generation, is distorted and conformed to whatever society (people) norms are in placed. Why? Because the Bible was not properly read, and practiced in each generation. This is where we are today. Folks are choosing to disregard the Bible, and take the words of others as truth. I, too, was guilty of this. I changed all that when I set a goal, about a year ago, to read the Bible in its' entirety.
Why I Read the Bible
How could I call myself a Christian, but not know one part of Thee Word, aside from what I have seen and learned from others? I begin to read it not for attention, gratitude, but for my own personal gain, and growth. I NEEDED TO READ THE BIBLE FOR MYSELF. I took my time. A couple verses a day. I read the King James Version (KJV), which is said to be the closest version of the original writings in English translation. At first this was really hard! I literally had to read it twice; second time would be in the New Living Translation (NLT). There was no race here. Plus, when you are reading the Bible for the first time, it is truly overwhelming! I always counted how many more books I had left to read, which always seemed long! [Laughs]. The purpose here was to get it done. I did so in about a year, and three months. I could not believe that I actually did it! I FINISHED! What a great spiritual accomplishment! You must be patient with yourself. If you believe you will get it done, then you will! Now I am on my second round of reading, and it feels like I am flying through!
Benefits of Reading the Bible
Well obviously, you will know what the Bible REALLY said. Reading the Bible only once will not cause you to know where EVERY THING is, but you may have the capability of recalling what you have read. For instance, if someone begins speaking of a book (in the Bible), you may be able remember the core of it, but not all the details. In addition, when someone may be incorrectly reciting the Bible, your recall may pick up on it, and cause you to say, "I don't remember reading that." Now you may begin to decipher between what is Biblical truth, and societal truth; breaking that “telephone message.” You will become more confident in knowing what GOD said, and therefore will not be fearful of having conversations regarding the Thee Word.
Another benefit in reading the Bible is when your are in attendance at church, you will be able to quickly understand where your Pastor is going with the sermon. The context of the message will be revealed to you through the scriptures that are being focused upon. Often times, we do not understand what is being taught, and the core of it because we do not have the proper knowledge to do so. You may begin "spacing out," and become confused because what the Pastor is expressing appears "strange" to you. “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6, KJV). You will become frustrated, and this may be unknowingly or knowingly a lack of doing on your part, and not the Pastor's. You did not do your research. Take responsibility for yourself, and do what you need to do.
One great benefit that I have gained from reading the Bible, is seeing how the story ends. “There is nothing new under he Sun.” The Bible speaks of everything that has come, and will pass. It is just as relevant as it was yesterday, as it is today (Matthew 24:35)! Many people are “surprised,” and even terrified to see what is happening in the news, and around the world. When you read the Bible you understand what is going on, and what it is leading up to. The “shock factor,” also can be seen as the “fear factor,” can throw those who have NO CLUE of what is going on into frenzy. However, those who have read the Bible receive conformation, and knows what is going on. Therefore they are able to prepare themselves for what is to come! In other words, there is a sense of security! Fear comes from the unknown.
To completely understand the above, you must read your Bible.
The Bible's Connection to GOD
When you realized that Bible is not just any book, but THEE Book of LIFE, then you will see why it is so powerful and necessary! GOD's' direction is found in The Word! YOU CANNOT KNOW GOD, AND NOT KNOW HIS WORD! “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1, KJV). That is an oxymoron! It does not work like that! That is like calling yourself a doctor, but never going through medical school, and residency! You would not trust that “doctor” because it makes no sense! You cannot practice what you do not know. GET IN YOUR WORD! To know GOD is to know His Word! This is how you build a healthy relationship. This is how you feed your Spirit Man. This is how you stay anchored in a world that sways to and fro flesh-feeling trends. This is how you save your soul. This is how remain consecrated. Reading the Bible has taught me discipline, patience, and peace!
The beauty of this was I finished reading the Bible BEFORE I got Saved (See "About" tab). Look at GOD! I did not realize it then, but my steps were being ordered! Through Biblical knowledge, I was equipped with the foundation of being a true Follower of Christ! I was not taking on the Baptism of the Holy Ghost, blindly. I knew what I was doing. Granted there is so much more to learn, but reading the Bible is the MOST important!
This post was not about listing all "what society says" versus "what the Bible says." I am not here to do that for you. You have to have the desire for yourself to read, and discover the truth. Further more, that is what church is for! You are seen as sheep, and your Shepherd is supposed to keep you through teaching, and ministering to you. The Bible was created to guide you, and lead you to everlasting life (Psalm 32:8; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:9)! It show us how people either prevailed or perished when the faced problems. The enemy knows when you start acquiring Biblical knowledge, he is in trouble! How? Because HE IS A LIAR, and the Bible is THEE TRUTH!
There is more to this world, than what is seen. There is life after and death.
You will not be able to fulfill your true purpose, know who you are, and survive in this world if you do not read the Bible.
There is no way.
Pick up your Bible, and starting reading today. What is really at risk?
Selah...♡
(picture courtsey of: https://drawception.com/pub/panels/2012/12-11/GNncPq4xjq-6.png)
