The Most Difficult Question to Ask

To me, we often overlook one of the most fascinating events in Jesus’ last Passover meal with His disciples. When He announces that one them would soon betray Him, each one takes a turn to ask, “Is it I?” These men who had walked closely with Jesus for the last three years recognized their potential to fail Him. Of all the questions they had asked Jesus, this was the most difficult question they could ask. (Matthew 26:20-25)

Are you willing to ask yourself the hard questions? Do we see the potential we all have for royally messing things up?   Some of us need a reminder that we are not always right. No matter how passionately we may feel about something, we are still fallen humans in need of God’s grace. 

Judas was the ultimate failure. But in reality, all failed Jesus except John. They all abandoned Him at the cross except John.  The good news is that Jesus showed grace to all of them when they returned to Him and believed. Peter, who denied Jesus three times in one night, found grace.

Our glorious God is the only one whose opinion of us matters. The good news is that God has accepted those who put their faith in Christ. Our acceptance is not based on our rightness but Jesus’ righteousness.

Don’t get me wrong.  We should try to be right, especially about the Word of God.  But we have to stop the charade of trying to prove ourselves to others.  Or God.  Our even ourselves.  Your worth and value is not in your “rightness,” but who you are in Christ.  

Be willing to honestly self-evaluate. Don’t shy away from asking yourself if YOU are wrong. It is a difficult question, but a necessary one. Check you attitude for arrogance. Then, go easy on those who see things a little differently than you do. You never know – they may actually be right.

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https://www.gocomics.com/peanuts/1976/08/09

Theology Is Critical for EVERY Believer

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I believe the world is in such a mess because the Church is in such a mess.  And the church is such a mess because we have abandoned teaching theology.  A 2022 study by LifeWay and Ligonier Ministries revealed some shocking misbelief among those who identify themselves as Christians.  A recent article from LifeWay Research written by Jen Wilkin and J.T. English highlights four very troubling findings concerning some dangerous misbeliefs. (You can read the entire article by clicking here.)

  • God learns and adapts to different circumstances: 48% of evangelicals agree.
  • Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God: 65%of evangelicals agree.
  • God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Judaism, and Islam: 56% of evangelicals agree.
  • Jesus was a great teacher, but He was not God: 43% of evangelicals agree (up from 30% in 2020).

The high agreement cited in the above statements are from evangelicals.  One of the major tenets of evangelicalism is the belief that the Bible is God’s Word and authoritative.  Yet, high percentages believe truth contradictory to the teaching of the Bible.

The Why of Theology

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Response – Now What Do I Do?

Previously, we have looked at how to observe a Bible text to understand “what” it meant and means.  We also looked at how to find the “so what” application for the days and time in which we live.  Today, we wrap up the process by considering the “now what” – our response to what we observed and applied.

The Importance of Our Response

Studying God’s Word is a great discipline, but it is also a purposeful discipline.  We do not dig into the Bible to gain knowledge; we look for God and His purpose for us.  If all we gain from our study is Bible knowledge, we become vulnerable to religious pride. Read in the Gospels about the Scribes and Pharisees.  Read in Paul’s letters about those who thought themselves superior because of what they knew.  

Through His Holy Spirit, God reveals Himself to us in Scripture to transform us.  The Holy Spirit longs to draw us closer to the image of Christ through each passage of Scripture.  Philippians 2:12-13 teaches us that God is at work in us.  One of the primary ways He works is through His Word.  But that passage also lays on us the responsibility to work out the work that He has worked in us.  He shows us HIs truth then calls us and enables us to live out that truth.

How to Develop an Obedient Response

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Application: The “So What” of Bible Study

In my last article, we looked at the need to begin our Bible study with an observation of the passage. Observation answers the question what those who first experienced, heard, or read what we just read understood it to mean. Careful observation helps us to understand the passage in its various contexts, and context is king in Bible study. Click this link to see how to recognize the various contexts we need to consider.

After learning what the passage meant, we can move to the so what of its meaning for us.  We call this step application because we apply the meaning to our own contemporary context.  In this step we look for parallels between the Bible world and our world.  Biblical truth are universal.  They transcend time and cultures.  The application of those truths, however, are specific to various truths.

Application Step One

The first step is to look for ways in which some of the observations parallel my world.  Below is the picture from the previous article of the observations I made from Colossians 1:1-2.

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Observation: What Do We Need to Know?

Observation

I hope that you are finding these posts on personal Bible study helpful. Today, we are going to look more practically at the first step of personal Bible study.  I call this observation.  In this step we look at WHAT a passage is actually saying to the people addressed in their context.  Remember, context is king.  Many people mistakenly apply what they think the Bible is saying rather than determining its original meaning.  The Bible can never mean what it never meant.

Observation Begins with a Good Background

In last week’s post (click here), I left you with three questions about the book of Colossians.  IF you did your homework, here is a summary of what you discovered.

Paul wrote Colossians around AD62 while he was in prison in Rome.  Colossae was town in Asia Minor that shared a lot in common with two neighboring towns Hierapolis and Laodicea. The church in Colossae was established during Paul’s 3-year ministry in Ephesus.  It was established by a man from there named Epaphras.  Epaphras heard Paul preach in Ephesus and became a follower of Jesus.  He then went home and started a church in Colossae.

The book of Colossians is an epistle, or letter.  So, we can expect the usual opening greeting followed by theological teaching and practical application.  And we can expect the letter to end with some personal remarks to and about mutual friends.

Marking the Text

I am visually oriented.  Marking up a Bible text can help me see the relationships the words and phrases have with each other.  You may or may not like to write on your main Bible.  Here are four suggestions for providing you with a great canvas for your Bible study mark-up.

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Tools that Help Answer WHAT in Bible Study

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My previous post addressed the importance of a template to help us stay on track with personal Bible study.  Today, I’ll share some considerations and tools that help us get the most out of our study.

To gain insight into Biblical truth, we want to ask three basic questions of the passage we are studying. The first question is “WHAT?” and we discover the answer through the process we will call observation.  Observation allows us to gather information about what the passage is saying. 

Basic Considerations

The Bible is a composite of 66 different books written over a period of about 1500 years.  40 authors from three different continents wrote those books in three different languages.  The Holy Spirit supernaturally inspired each writer and each word to give God’s revelation.  While the Bible displays an amazing unity of theme, it nonetheless reflects many different contexts.

To properly get at the “what” of a Bible passage, we start with the various contexts.  These would include historical, literary, and cultural contexts.  We also must consider where that part of the Bible which we are studying fits into the book that contains it.  Then we look at where it fits in the overarching narrative of the Bible and its place in redemptive history.  For a look at how contexts shapes understanding, click here to read my document Context Is King.

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Personal Bible Study Is Not That Hard

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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.

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Are You Spiritually Diabetic?

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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.  

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Eating Like A Bird Is NOT Bible Study

Bird
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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.

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Arbor Day – Are You Planting Spiritual Trees?

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Around the country, today is Arbor Day. Arbor Day serves to remind us of the importance of planting trees in order to maintain the ecological health of our planet.

Was This the First Arbor Day?

While he wasn’t necessarily celebrating Arbor Day, Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba.  Abraham had made a covenant of peace with a Philistine king by the name of Abimelech.  After their covenant, a disagreement arose between some of Abimelech’s people and Abraham’s people concerning a well Abraham had dug. It’s a fascinating story you can read in Genesis 21:22-34.

After settling the dispute, the Bible tells us that Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beer Sheba and “called on the name of the Lord.” The place became a spiritual marker to which Abraham could return to remember God’s favor on his life.

The tamarisk tree served several purposes.  First, it served as an identity marker.  If there was ever any question about the well, all they had to do was point to the tamarisk tree.  When Abraham planted the tree there, he staked his claim to the place.

Also, the tree served as a geographical marker in the area.  You could tell someone to go down until they saw the tamarisk tree (a somewhat rare sight in the area) and follow directions form there.

But the tamarisk tree, when mature served a much more utilitarian purpose.  During the evening hours, the tree would absorb the humid nighttime desert air and store the moisture in its leaves.  Then, in the heat of the day, the moisture would seep out of those leaves. The condensation provided a cool shade in the desert heat.  You could say this was God’s way of placing “air conditioning” in Beer Sheba.

Abraham did not plant the tree for himself; He planted it for future generations.

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The Catch to Abraham’s Arbor Day

The tree fulfilled the first two purposes from the moment Abraham planted it.  The air conditioning purpose, however, only occurred when the tree matured.  A tamarisk tree matured slowly, often taking two or three generations to fully mature.

Abraham was already more than 100 years old (Genesis 21:5) when he planted the tamarisk tree.  He was 175 when he died.  The tree was probably just beginning to reach maturity when Abraham died.  Abraham planted the tree, but did not enjoy its benefit.  Abraham did not plant the tree for himself; He planted it for future generations.

A Spiritual Arbor Day

I am 58 years old as of this writing.  If I plant a tree today, I will probably never sit beneath its shade.  But that shouldn’t stop me from planting trees.  If I plant a tree today, it will be for my daughter and grandchildren to enjoy.  If we don’t plant trees in our prime, our kids and their kids may not enjoy the shade.

But let me give you something more important to consider.  What kind of spiritual trees are you planting for the next generation?

How are you investing spiritually in the next generation?  We have a choice.  Are we going to “have it our way”? Or are we going to love and reach the next generation?  It’s not about me and my preferences and wants.  It’s about passing the faith along to those coming behind me.

What kind of spiritual trees are you planting for the next generation?

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Let me challenge you to start today investing spiritually in the next generation.  Start planting spiritual trees that will serve them well in their maturing years.  The generation before us did the same for us.  How can we not do it for our children and grandchildren?

How are you investing spiritually in the next generation?

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Click here to read a past post, The Biggest Challenge for the Next Generation

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Today’s blog is the result of challenging teaching I received from Andy Cook of Experience Israel Now.  Let me encourage you to watch the video below as he discusses Abraham’s tamarisk tree.  Also, click here to look around the EIN website for more great teaching from the Land of the Bible.