Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Unity Of Bible

   Hi. It is a bright new day. God got you up this morning and allowed you to pop open your computer and scroll to this page and read this blog which is at the moment on a series covering Bible Study Methods.
  I found when I started in on the program I had to hold to some truths. First of all that the Bible is a unity. By this I mean it has a supernatural unity. It took over 1,500 years to become what we have today, using at least 35 human writers. Still it remained God breathed.
  Secondly I accepted the truth that it is a book that talks of one God and contains all we need to know about Him. God is knowable. He is not silent. He has communicated and put down his communication in 66 separate books.
  Thirdly I came to the Bible study accepting that it contained the story of man from God's viewpoint.. his creation, his fall, his present condition, and his future.
  So I looked at this collection of 66 books and noticed in its unity it also had divisions.  The natural divisions were two unequal sections I saw as the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each section had books within them. I soon learned through much study that the chapters and verses we see there were not in the original manuscripts but placed there by man to make it easier to memorize verses and sections, Which I hope those who are reading and following this series are doing. That is memorizing as you go along.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Study To Show Yourself Approved

Fine. Let's continue in this series, and it will be a series, on Bible Study Methods.
 Bible study is like a treasure hunt. There is so much there. Another way to look on it is that you have a picture puzzle that you need to put together. Each piece makes it easier to see the whole picture. Of course, you are coming to Bible Study with the motivation to hear what God has to say to you. It is therefore different than that sermon on Sunday or whenever you have your church service.
 There are many reason to study the Bible, I have found. They are known as study skills that need to  be mastered. You won't have them all at once. It is progressive. The important thing is to study to apply it to your life.
  Why study? Because study is essential to your growth. I Peter 2:2 tells us that.
  Please,it will be easier for you to have your Bible near you and open to flip to these passages. I find it easier to read the passages as they are mentioned. I like to follow the flow of thought of the discussion, and sometimes I find myself stopping to question the posting.. is that really what it says?  If I can't come to some conclusion I table it for later.
  Also if you want a vital prayer life Knowledge of the Word is essential. And  may I suggest as you continue in Bible Study that you pass on what you are learning. Maybe in a small Bible group if at all possible.  At least journal what you are learning.
  Stay disciplined. Don't get discouraged. You can do this by setting study goals.The way I did it was to decide to study a small passage and master it. Maybe memorizing a verse from the study. .the most imposrtant verse I found in that section. This made it easier for me to meditate on scripture.
   Also if you need help don't be too proud to ask for it.  You need to understand the passage and sometimes others have an insight you haven't thought about. Don't try to do it as a Lone Ranger Christian. Stay in fellowship..
  This posting has covered ground. This ground will be plowed as a the postings go on.
   Of course the most important factor. Are you a Christian? If not, than what I am posting should make no sense to you.  You need Spiritual understanding and that comes only by a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ. 
    

Sunday, August 28, 2011

Let's Start Studying

 I have found that it is very important for me to study the Bible to really start to hear what God is saying. This is more than a daily morning devotional read. And I thought, say, wouldn't it be nice to share with others how to do it.
  In sharing this with the public I realized it will take many postings. That will be fine because this blog is in the growth phase and what better way to allow you, the reader, to grow with it.
  So the most important thing to consider as we start in on a study program is to find a spot free from distractions and noise. I found by my doing so it made it easier to concentrate. I would use a pencil to jot down my observations.
  Next I would pray. Since this was God's Holy Book I was holding in my hands and attempting to study. I realized I needed the Holy Spirit to help me understand it. Psalm 119:18 was an appropriate prayer for me to use. "Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of your law."
   Next I would read and look up Scripture the Holy Spirit would bring to mind. Always in context. As the posts go on we will explore this in more depth. But each Scripture has a background. When written. To whom written. What was going on at the time.  read, reread, study aand think about what was read. these were steps I was taking to study the Bible.
  And I jot down what I was learning. And I would apply it., Praying at all times that the Holy Spirit who was abiding within me would be my teacher.
  Soon I began to realize that the more I knew the more I was responsible to live up to it
   More later..

Church Attendence

I just want you to know it is important for you to be in a church somewhere on Sunday. Not just any church now, but a Bible believing and Bible preaching group.
  Let me tell you what I mean.
  The church is not the building but the people gathered. When I say a Bible believing I want to point out that there is only one authority that should be used to  teach the people.. If the Bible is not being taught from, the truth is not being transmitted.
  Why go? Because it is a duty. "Do not forsake the assembly of yourselves together",God says. But not only a duty. It is a privilege. Where else can you go and be in the presence of a Holy God? You can't see Him. No. But you can hear what He has to say and you can respond in worship through songs and action. And you can serve. That is a part of worship too.
  And you can listen to what the preacher says. As long as he is saying what God says, he is okay. But you must test what he says. As long as what he says squares with what God has said in the Bible the test has proved him true. Prove all things. Hold fast to that which is true.
 

Friday, August 26, 2011

How to Memorize

We should all learn how to feed ourselves. The pastor can only do so much and then only on that Sunday or whenever your church group meets. Plus the Bible says "Your word have I hid in my heart that I may not sin against You". Psalm 119:11.
  Each Christian is given at the  moment of becoming a Christian the Holy Spirit. That is the third person of the Godhead who comes to dwell inside you. You become a temple of the Holy Spirit. He is your teacher/counselor. He it is who brings to your memory what God has said in the Bible. Remember, my position is, that God communicates and He has allowed His communication to be recorded. The Bible was given for us to read and study and memorize.
   I am not going to dogmatically state here just where you should memorize. Memorize according to your need. But do memorize scripture. You won't always have a Bible with you and you will want to quote scripture when you talk to people. Believe me. You will.
  So, how do you begin?
  Choose a verse. One that you need. Read the verse a few times.. oh, say, five. Pay attention to the word order and the words used. You want to memorize exactly as it is written in the translation you are using. Always use the same translation in all your memorizing.
  Memorize in small chunks until you have the whole verse or verses down in your memory. Later you can do sections  or paragraphs. But to start your program one verse will do. Now having read it that number of times, look away and repeat to yourself the verse. Check from time to time. Get it exact. Hook the location with the verse as I have done above with Psalm 119:11. This will help you when you talk to others and they ask where is it located.
 

Preparation

As I have posted earlier, Pastor Joe, the pastor of Acts-A Church That Studies-- believes in  preparation. Not all of us, of course, can spend the time to go to a campus and get our education. Some of us are working a full time job and can't get away. But now since the internet is here, it is possible to get an education on line. Just make sure the online degreee comes from an acccredited organization so that the credits transfer should you want to do something with it. A Masters from some unknown or small independent university that only exists on line in cyberspace is in the long run  useless.
  But if you just want it to look good on some resume and you have the money to throw away....
  And when it comes to the preparation for the pastorship of a church, take the time and do it right.

Monday, August 22, 2011

New Birth

It is exciting to be in on the ground floor of a new church plant. On the 27th we are having a baby shower for the new venture. As I have posted earlier some person will be walking away with a new IPad2. But that is not the reason a person should get excited. A person should get excited because God is at work.
  Lots of prayer will be needed. Prayer is important. The fervent prayer of a righteous man is very powerful.
  The mother church is Acts. Pastor Joe wouldn't be backing this venture if he didn't know the new pastor he was backing. Pastor Daryl has worked under him for twelve years, most of these years getting trained. Daryl is a graduate of Biola University and presently is attending Talbot Theological Seminary. Pastor Joe, the pastor of Acts, feels that when God saves you He gives you a gift. Also when God calls you to the minisrty it is a call to prepare.And once a person is prepared God will open doors.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Obama is in the fight

With unemployment at an all time high here in Santa Monica where I post it doesn't look good for President Obamas' efforts to get the economy going again. It seems the more he does the less he accomplishes.
  Not that I don't appreciate what he is trying to do.  But as President Truman said, "The Buck Stops Here.' Obama seems not to be following that advice. He is still at the level of a blame game. He blames the Republicans for the situation he is in. He needs to look around and see that not only the Republicans but also the Democrats who are trying to advise him. He must stop being a Lone Ranger type person and stop and listen.
 God is in control. He needs to stop and pray and seek God's face before he makes his next move. God has placed him in authority. Why? Because this is what He has done in response either to our seeking Him or not seeking Him. God allows things to happen according to His Will. He listens to those who seek Him and blesses accordingly.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

And to finance the new church

Never throught it could be done.  Even Pastor Joe of Acts, jokingly of course, said that it was something the Catholic Church  down the block did on a regular basis. And this being a new Baptist fellowship.. Victory Christain Fellowship, to be exact, for them to raffle off an IPAD2 for the price of $25 a ticket, why, it was just something that was ingenous. Victory is going to reach the young college age group. This is something that they are going to respond to. I know the group of Acts is putting in their money. I have. My wife has. Some lucky person will have a wifi IPad2. Launch party will be the 27th of this month. I guess that that is the time it will be raffled off. The winner doesn't need to be present. I will probably be working at Ralphs on that day. My Saturdays are not my own.

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Obama and his plan

Seems our Presdient Obama is trying to spread the blame again and zeroing in on the Republican party as the main blockage to his plan. I don't think this is wise for him to do. It has always been said that when you point at a person you have fingers pointing back at you.
 He should get on with leading the counrty and forget trying to divide between the two parties. Both Democrats, Republicans, and Independents have to work together. And he as the president has to mediate not blame.
  In actuallity the United Staes is in God's hands. He is the one who elevates countries and brings down countries I would have people pray fopr wisdom for Obama and peace between the two parties in Washington D.C. Yes, pray that we not cause harm. Also for great wisdom for President Obama.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

God blesses

God wants all to come to the knowledge of Him. It is the desire of the author of this blog that you read, respond by asking questions that can be responded to. Feel free to comment. And have a nice day.

God Wants you Free

Let me talk about finances. More especially about money. God is very interested in how you use money.
 Basicly it is not yours. Oh, yes, I know you work for it. You work hard for it and at pay day it is eatten away by all those deductions. So much so that you wonder how you are going to be able to pay for food, buy clothes, pay for lodging, whether that is an apartment or a house. Unless you were wise enough to seek early financal help and had taken that help to a level where you were able to be financally free, you feel it is impossible to get free.
You don't make enough in your paycheck to dream with. Cash flow is hard. Especally in these present days where the stock market is doing a great imitation of a roller coaster.
  Let me recomend a great web sitre. http://www.daveramsey.com/ is the site. I wish i had heard about him earlier. I get no kick back by mentioning the web site. No commission. Just something I feel I should tell you about. He will offer a total money makeover starting with 10 steps you can do now. And it doesn't start out with the line"If you send me ___"

Friday, August 12, 2011

Blog guide

People reading this may say "so, on what are you going to base your answers?' which, if you think about it, is a very good question. We all are people who have opinions and most of us like to share our ignorance daily. And frequently.
  A good portion of what I will share and talk about will be filtered through God's word, the Bible.
God has a lot to share with man. He is not silent. He communicates. And all He communicated was set down in the 66 books found between  the covers of the Holy Bible. It is very important we listen and memorize portions we find helpful for our situation.
Psalm 119 says "Your word have I hidden in my heart  that I might not sin against God." Also "Your word is a lamp onto my feet and a light unto my path."
  In a later posting I will gladfully share how to do that.

New Day

This is the day the Lord has made. Let us thank God for it. Earlier I blogged a post about prayers and I expect I will blog more.The day begins and ends with God in control.
  I wonder if President Obama realizes that. Also that God elevates countries and brings down countries. I only hope that the USA is not being put down by God.
 Obama as well as other rulers are in God's hand, even those who are not His by virtue of the new birth.
  Let us continue to pray for him. He needs wisdom and good advisors. He can't do it by himself. He must also learn how to use both the Republicans and Democrats to get his agenda done. He shouldn"t try to push through his own agenda and stand alone. It doesn't seem to be to be a sign of wisdom. He must not try to be a cowboy.


Thursday, August 11, 2011

Help for the Seeking

I decided to post here some links to web sites that may be helpful.
 Let me first say that the author of this blog is a Biola University Graduate. Their link would be http://www.biola.edu/. A person I will try to get to contribute on this blog is pastor Daryl McKillian. His church site is http://www.evictory.org/. He also is a Biola University Grad and presently a Talbot seminary student. Finally a great link for sermons can be found at http://www.ustream.tv/ and put in achurchthatstudies in the search box. These are services recorded each week when the camera is working. The pastor there is Rev. Dr. Joseph P. Metoyer, Jr. He also is a Biola University Grad. His web site is http://www.achurchthatstudies.org/.

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Metaphors for Life

I was handed a copy of Power Point print-outs the other day in my Transformation group which meets on Sunday after service when ever possible.. There are five of us in this group. Pastor Daryl is the head guy. There is really a group leadership going on. The handout was a five page PowerPoint presentation on the 4 metaphors for Life. On the left side of the page was "In  The Flesh" -City Builder -Fire Lighter -Wall WhiteWashers -Well Digger.
  On the right was "In The Spirit." -Kingdon Builder -Trusting Follower -Risk Taker -Water Drinker We have yet to hold discussions on the print-out but it will no doubt prove to be an exciting and mind expanding discussion. I will keep you posted as time goes on..
  Men should have groups for development. It just so happens this is an all mens group. It wasn't meant to be that way.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

God's View On Work

In the beginning when it all began, when God created all things, He created Adam and Eve. He placed them in a garden and gave them the job of tending it. And God looked and saw everything was good. And He blessed it.
  Work was right. Work was good. This was a form of worship. As man worked he showed his dependence on his Creator for all he had and was given. This pleased God and even today it pleases God.
   When Adam and Eve listened to the serpent and sinned, even then, God had man work for the things that He, God, their Creator, gave them. Now it was not to be a pleasure to work but a hardship. Work was not going to produce all it used to. Man was now going to have aches and pains.
 

Thursday, August 4, 2011

In Need of Prayer

The Bible tells us to pray for those in authority over us. This means that we should be praying for President Obama. He needs wisdom and good advisers. The Bible doesn't say to pray only for other believers only. Obama is not a Christian. He may from time to time go to a prayer meeting or show up at a church service or carry around a Bible. But those activities don't make you a Christian. Any more than going to a parking garage makes you a car.   No, you need to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus. He is the way to God. He is the truth you are looking for. He is the life you need.

More of the Same

Well, President Obama has put off the balanced budget until 2012. He blinked and the Senate and House pushed. No one in the long run got what they wanted. This puts pressure on Obama and who ever is going to run for president next year. It seems to me that neither side won. Just slowed down or put off the problem. It doesn't seem to have given Obama any points. On the other hand the other sdie doesan't get points either. A stalemate.