Paul’s epistle to the Philippians is one exuding with great joy, praise and adoration. In this epistle, you encounter words like “rejoice in the Lord” (3:1); “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” (4:4). What is most fascinating is that Paul wrote these words while in prison. The epistle to the Philippians, therefore, is one of Paul’s prison epistles. Now it is fascinating because, in our normal human reasoning, a man in prison shouldn’t be exuding with such admonishments to be joyful. John MacArthur notes that “In spite of Paul’s imprisonment, the dominant tone of the letter is joyful (1: 4, 18, 25, 26; 2: 2, 16– 18, 28; 3: 1, 3; 4: 1, 4, 10)”¹. Philippians without doubts contains great themes not only of joy, but also of the humiliation of Christ and the great exchange that took place:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Here is a Christological statement telling us of the humility, humiliation, and exaltation of Christ. Albeit, despite these great themes, there is one text in Philippians which is often widely quoted, and often widely misinterpreted. That text is Chapter 4:13. It reads,

I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.

Paul’s words here have been interpreted to basically mean the ability to achieve great feats in whatever endeavour a believer sets their minds to. A believer has exams to write, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A believer is attending a job interview, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. A Christian businessman is chasing a contract, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” A believer competes in a sports event, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me“. An online article aptly describes how this text has been used in the sports arena by some athletes.

Tim Tebow put Phil 4:13 under his eye before football games. Jon Jones, the former UFC light heavyweight champion, has it tattooed on his chest.

What we must not do is pluck biblical texts out of context to say what we want them to say. Unfortunately, that is what many believers have done with Philippians 4:13. In hermeneutics, that is, the science of biblical interpretation, this is called eisegesis—reading into a text a meaning that is not there. On the contrary, we must be doing exegesis—reading meaning out of the text. Now, it doesn’t matter how sincere we may be with a text; once it is taken out of context we are being unfaithful to God’s word.

So, you may ask, how must we view Philippians 4:13? In dealing with any biblical text, the immediate context and the larger context of the bible is to be taken into consideration. We shouldn’t, for example, interpret a text in such a way that other passages of Scripture are contradicted. Thus, in the immediate context of Philippians 3, what do we learn?

Not A Booster for Great Achievements

Firstly, Paul’s words “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” should not be taken to mean the believer can do any great thing they set their minds to. In fact, with a correct understanding of the text, I dare say “you cannot do all things through Christ who strengthens you.” Eyebrows raised? Of course, the text says exactly that so why am I saying otherwise?
Please hear me out. The fact is, Christ doesn’t empower you to be able to do ‘everything’ you want to do. If you are not a trained surgeon, for example, you cannot perform a surgery simply because you believe “you can do all things through Christ”. This may sound an extreme example but that is a perfect picture you paint if you believe you can do all things. You cannot pilot a plane if you have not been trained to do so, simply because you can do all things. In fact, you cannot fly because you believe you can fly. You are not a bird.

It has been noted earlier that Philippians is a prison epistle. Think of this: what greater feats is a man in prison attempting to achieve when he writes “I can do all things…?” No, Paul cannot do all things in the sense of achieving whatever great feat he can set his mind to. This is someone in prison, who is probably bound in shackles and couldn’t even move about freely. Achieving arbitrary great feats will not be his focus at that time. A man in prison will perhaps be making good use of the limited time he has. He wouldn’t be having “conquering the world in great achievements” on his plate at all.

Contentment

In Philippians 4:13, what Paul is speaking about condenses simply into contentment. You see, Paul is in prison and the Philippians church have finally had an opportunity to show their concern for his upkeep: “I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me, but you had no opportunity” (v.10). It could be that perhaps hitherto, they had not had the opportunity to show their concern to Paul in prison, yet, through divine providence, it had become possible and Paul shows gratitude for their concern. However, perhaps for them not to feel compelled under duress to further provide for him, Paul quickly explains he is not appreciating them out of need. He tells them: “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be a content” (v.11).

Paul here makes it clear he has learnt contentment in whatever situation he finds himself. And this is the crux of the whole text: contentment. Building up to v.13 Paul will again speak of how he has learnt contentment in every situation:

” know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need (v.12). This is very instructive to us today in a world that constantly calls us to crave for more. A consumerist spirit has gripped many and they are never content with what they have. But not so with Paul. He tells us he has learnt to endure both plenty and lack. Where did he learn this from? He learnt it by emulating Christ. Remember, earlier he had advised the Philippians to “have this mind among [themselves], which is yours in Christ Jesus.” Learn from Christ, he is saying. Set your mind upon him. Let his humiliation be an example to endure whatever situation you find yourself. Be content with whatever you have and learn to trust in God in the bad and good situations.

Logically, if you have read v.12, the meaning in v.13 must now begin to stand out when Paul says “I can do all things through him[Christ] who strengthens me.” The ‘all things’ refers in the first place to coping with need or plenty. The apostle’s words are better translated ‘I can do all things in him…’. It is ‘in Christ’ that he has learned to do this.² If you have never seen contentment in Philippians 4:13; begin looking at the text in its context. I will conclude with the words of Sinclair B. Ferguson in his book ‘Let’s Study Philippians’:

Christians today live in a society which is permeated by a spirit of discontentment. Greed has destroyed gratitude, getting has replaced giving. But in the pursuit of self-sufficiency, we have lost our way. We have developed spirits driven forwards to gain more, incapable of slowing, stopping and remembering that those who sow the wind reap the whirlwind…It is time to pause and to ask: ‘Am I content, in Christ?’ If not, it is the first thing I need to begin to relearn³.

Notes:

1. Note on Philippians 4:13 from The MacArthur Study Bible, 2006, Thomas Nelson.

2. Sinclair B. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians (Edinburgh:Banner of Truth, 2005), 108

3. Ferguson, Let’s Study Philippians, 109

The post Philippians 4:13: What Did Paul Really Mean? appeared first on TGN.

“Tolle, lege! Tolle, lege!” (“Take up and read; take up and read”). These are the words of St. Augustine recounting his conversion in his most popular work, Confessions, where, in a state of weeping and brokenness of heart, he hears a voice echoing from the neighbouring house to pick up his Bible and read. Augustine would recount how, upon reading Paul’s words in Romans 13:14-15, “instantly at the end of this sentence, by a light as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”[1]

This event was pivotal in Augustine’s conversion to Christ, as is the preached word in the conversion of sinners. The believer is born of the Word of God (Jas. 1:18; 1Pet. 1:23) and sustained by the same Word. Moreover, Jesus said that the Word of God is the agent by which the on-going sanctification of the believer comes about (John 17:17). Perhaps one of the best statements of the indispensability of the Word of God in matters of faith and life for the Christian is found in the following passage which prefaces Gideon’s International Bibles:

The Bible contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable.
Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. Here too, Heaven is opened and the gates of Hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened at the judgment, and be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, rewards the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.

“No Spiritual Discipline is more important than the intake of God’s Word”, says Donald Whitney. “Nothing can substitute for it. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from a diet of the milk and meat of Scripture.” [2] As true as this is, yet how many Christians read the Word of God every day? How many have attempted to read all of it? A study that was conducted nearly three decades ago showed that less than two out of every ten professing born-again believers read their Bibles every day, and–even more depressing–another one in four had never read the Bible before the time of the study. [3] What might your response be if you were to partake in a similar survey today?

Read Your Bible Every Day

In Secondary School, the Scripture Union (SU) had a motto which said, “read your Bible, pray every day if you want to grow”. From this was coined the sub-motto which is captured in the acronym, NBNB, “No Bible, No Breakfast!” It was customary at the time for any fellow member of the SU you met to ask, “what did you have for breakfast today?” to which you were expected to share a summary of what you learned from your Bible during your morning devotion or “quiet time” as it was termed back then. Recognising the importance of Bible intake to the spiritual growth of a Christian, a great deal of emphasis was placed on daily personal Bible study and sharing what one gleaned from God’s word with others.

Regrettably, this discipline is fast dying out among professing Christians today. It has been remarked that the biggest dust storm in history would occur if all the church members who were neglecting their bibles dusted them all off at the same time! “Oh, but very few people use hard-back or leather-cover Bibles these days”, chuckled someone. Therein lies the greatest irony. Today, more than ever before, the Bible is perhaps more accessible than it has ever been in the history of the Christian church. We have it readily available on our phones, tablets, and computers, yet we read so little of it! We carry our phones literally everywhere, we have Bible apps installed on our phones, yet we would rather spend hours in a day browsing social media than turn to our Bibles. Our lethargy to God’s word is truly lamentable—and this accounts largely for the superficial Christianity that is so prevalent in the Church today.

That we need to read our Bibles every day is quite indisputable. John Blanchard, in his book “How to Enjoy your Bible” is very convicting in putting it across this way:

Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D. L. Moody put it, “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.”[4]

Read All of Your Bible

The question remains: why do we read so little of our Bibles? The answer, in my honest opinion, is simply that we lack the resolve. Tape recordings of the entire Bible are readily available today from most bookshops in various versions. These have shown that the Bible can be read through in only 71 hours [5]. Fifteen minutes of reading a day is enough for one to get through the 1,189 chapters of the Bible in less than a year; five minutes a day is enough to complete the Bible in less than three years.

“But”, says someone, “I don’t want to read the Bible like a storybook. I want to take my time and study it.” That’s a fair point. However, I fear that this pretext has been the undoing of many a Christian in never reading their Bibles from cover to cover. Bruce Ware, in his online article “Advice for Another Year of Bible Reading” shares how much Christians stand to benefit if we trained ourselves to read the Bible in two different forms: in a fast-paced manner, and in a slow-paced reading. Fast-paced reading, says Bruce, is necessary if we are to cover the whole of the Scriptures at some kind of regular interval. Reading through the Bible is done at this pace. Slow-paced reading, on the other hand, allows us to “soak in and glory in the beauty and texture of so many passages of Scripture.” This is the pace at which in-depth study and memorisation of Scripture are done.

“But is it necessary to read through the entire Bible?” asks another. The answer is an emphatic yes! If we believe that the entire Bible is the inspired word of God (2Tim. 3:16), then we would do well to read all of it, from cover to cover. Jesus certainly would have expected us to read all of it when he said that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4). Will you discipline yourself to read it? There are several Bible reading and study plan options worth considering. These will help you stay focused and consistent in your daily Bible intake.

Let me conclude with these words from King Josiah.

And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes, with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book. (2Chron. 34:31).

My prayer is that King Josiah’s resolve in the verse above will be ours in 2018. So, take up your Bible and read!

Notes:
1. Aurelius Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine, translated by Edward Pusey. Vol. VII, Part 1. The Harvard Classics. New York: P.F. Collier & Son, 1909–14; Bartleby.com, 2001. www.bartleby.com/7/1/, Book Eight, Chapter 12, Paragraphs 27-28.
2. Donald S. Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, NavPress, Colorado Springs, 1991, page 28.
3. Bookstore Journal, as quoted in Discipleship Journal, issue 52, page 10
4. John Blanchard, How to Enjoy Your Bible, Colchester, England: Evangelical Press, 1984, page 22.
5. Donald S. Whitney, in Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, page 33

The post Take Up Your Bible And Read appeared first on TGN.

The righteous flourish like the palm tree and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God”. Psalm 92:12-13, ESV

A cursory look at Christian programs on TV reveals a worrying trend in our churches. Almost every Christian channel one turns to has material prosperity as the content of its message. One wonders if the gospel is only about material prosperity. The teaching of the unadulterated word of God has been replaced by an undue emphasis on the “non-weightier matters”. While I am not against material prosperity, I believe true Christian prosperity — which is not limited to material blessing — is being rooted in the Word of The LORD.

We are still in the early days of the year, it is essential for us to reflect on our walk with God and seek to be grounded in our relationship with Him.

In this beautiful Psalm of thanks and praise to God, the Psalmist describes the righteous as flourishing like a palm tree and growing like a cedar in Lebanon (v.12). He continues in v. 13 by saying they are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.

What does the Psalmist mean by these Agricultural analogies?

In describing the believer’s life, the Psalmist uses terms that symbolizes growth and thriving. And he does so by using two of the toughest trees one could find. These trees have very unique properties that speaks volumes to the believers’ life. They both grow strong and firm in the ground. They can withstand harsh conditions without withering. Unlike the wicked, who are compared to grass that sprouts and withers, the righteous will flourish. Notable also is the longevity of the Palm and Cedar trees and their continuous bearing of fruits.

These analogies describes the life of a Christian in terms of growth, maturity, holiness, fruit bearing and eternal life. How sad we hardly hear about being planted–growth, maturity, holiness, and fruit bearing– on many pulpits.

How Can We Be Planted?

The most reliable source to keep us planted in the house of the Lord is the word of God. Growth and maturity in Christian living do not come by accident. They require deliberate effort and empowerment by the Holy Spirit. The story of Joshua has much encouragement for us as we seek to be planted in God’s house. Joshua was given the mandate to lead God’s people to the promised  land. He accepted the task with much uncertainty and fear, having seen first hand the stubbornness of the Israelites under the leadership of Moses. But God reassured him and pointed him to His word:

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success’ (Joshua 1:8).

The command of God to Joshua in not allowing His Law to depart from his mouth, but to make it his whole life preoccupation is something that holds instruction for us. J. C Ryle, has said ‘the Bible is the true lantern for a dark and cloudy time, let us beware of travelling without its light’. There are many things that will seek to take our focus away from God each passing moment, but it is the Word of God that will stamp our persuasion in Christ Jesus.

Paul in his letter to the Corinthian church admonished them to “…keep the ordinances…”(1 Corinthians 11:2, KJV). He says to the Corinthian church as he does to us to hold fast the whole body of truth of the Gospel as has been delivered to us in the Bible.

A lot of false teachings abound that seek to take the focus away from Christ Jesus, who is the Author and Perfecter of our faith. It behooves us to keep the Word of God, to be planted in the house of God. Make the word “a lamp to [your] feet and a light to [your] path.(Psalm 119:105).

The post Planted In The House Of The Lord appeared first on TGN.

There are many reasons Christians and church attendees fall for these falsehoods. Notable among them is that we all seek an improvement in one area of life or the other. Indeed, the times are hard. If there is the possibility of a sudden breakthrough or miracle that will change our lives, why not?

Unfortunately, many are driven by this quick-fix mentality in our churches. I am sorry to disappoint and burst your bubble. But the truth is that “you will not experience a sudden miracle or breakthrough that will attract global attention in 2016”. In Acts 2:46-47, Luke tells us something uniquely usual about Christianity:

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved

In contrast to a sudden breakthrough and miracle, the Christian life is a day by day experience in the presence of God. We find our joy and excitement in mundane Christian living rather than a sudden unexpected miracle. An ordinary life of obedience in a rebellious world was what drew the attention of the world to the first century church. This was the secret of their power and effectiveness in the then world. They did not gather to amuse themselves through declarations and decrees. Rather, they daily attended to the apostles’ teaching and devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 4:42).

As you journey through 2016, don’t fall for a life that promises sudden breakthroughs and miracles. Resolve by God’s grace to travel the well-trodden path of Christian disciplines.

What do I mean by Christian disciplines? I will expound on three below:

1. Reading of Scripture

This must be obvious for a Christian. But not many give heed to the Bible. God is a communicating God, and he has chosen to reveal Himself and speak to us in a book–the Bible.

Spending time in God’s word is the best way to know Him and what He requires of us. Recently, we did an article, The Resolution Every Christian should Make in 2016, to highlight the importance of consistent bible reading. Nothing can replace the word of God in the life of a believer. Luke’s commendation of the Bereans in Acts 17:11 is a great yardstick to inspire us to reading the word. “…these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily to see if these things were so” Note our word again: “daily”. The Bereans searched the scriptures daily. There are no shortcuts when it comes to the Christian life, and more so when it comes to Bible reading.

There are many Christians who elevate the words of their preachers above the bible, but like the Bereans, our sole authority must be the word itself.

2. Consistent Prayers

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:6-7).

If there is anything that creates anxiety more than any other, it is a broken promise. It is instructive to note that Paul wrote the letter to the Philippians from jail, and yet the book overflows with joy and excitement. The apostle found his “breakthrough”, not in ‘material blessings’, but in a life of daily consistent prayer. Now, I don’t need to be a prophet to predict that those declarations of breakthroughs and miracles will not happen, because God hasn’t promised any of them.

The result will be disillusioned Christians who might shipwreck their faith, blaming God for failing them yet again. On the contrary, we should walk the path of consistent prayer throughout the year. We should faithfully and trustingly bring all our supplications and requests with thanksgiving to the Sovereign Lord, who works all things in accordance with His will and purpose.

3. Selfless Service to God and His People

We live in a world that teaches us to look out for ourselves, minding our own business. If we must help, we should do so when the timing is right and the conditions are just perfect not forgetting what is in it for us. This is the doctrine of the world; a mind-set that elevates self above any other consideration (all the clamouring for breakthrough is self-centred). It is within this context Jesus calls His followers to a life of servitude– giving up ourselves for one another and thereby proving our discipleship. Jesus, the eternal Son of God cast aside all His ‘Godly’ privileges and took on the form of a man, came into our world and gave Himself as a ransom for many.

In John 13:12-15, Jesus gave us a picture of how this life would look like in service to others. In these verses, He stooped so low as washing the feet of His disciples (the most menial of all tasks) — a bold statement of how service should look like. He did this to show us an example in serving one another. Christ is calling us to a daily life of expending ourselves for others in the church throughout the year.

There are many other Christian disciplines I have not mentioned. But I believe they are central to the Christian walk.

In 2016 don’t fall for the promises of sudden breakthroughs and miracles in your life. The Christian life is a day by day experience and not so dramatic and sudden. We are on a pilgrimage to that celestial city whose founder and builder is God, our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we eagerly await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:20).

The post Your Breakthrough Will Not Be Sudden And Dramatic In 2016! appeared first on TGN.

I am convinced you are going to — if you have not started already–write down resolutions for 2016. I will too. I especially desire spiritual growth and maturity; and one of my resolutions will be to read through the Bible–old and new testament–in 2016. Is it something you would want to consider? I think you should.

For the believer, new year resolution is an opportunity to evaluate our lives and see how God glorifying we have been with our lives–time, gifts, opportunities, work, etc.

Socrates, the Greek philosopher said “an unexamined life is not worth living”. Paul said “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test! (2Corinthians 13:5). Examining our lives doesn’t only involve evaluation of past events in our lives. It also involves planning and making decisions for the future (Proverbs 6:6-11, Luke 14:28).

You see, one of the many areas believers falter in our walk with the Lord is diligent Bible reading and study. But as believers, Scripture is the only credible source of truth in our walk and we must as a matter of duty, read and study it.

As one theologian puts it,

I could plead with you to study the Bible for personal edification; I could try the art of persuasion to stimulate your quest for happiness. I could say that the study of the Bible would probably be the most fulfilling and rewarding educational experience of your life. I could cite numerous reasons why you would benefit from a serious study of Scripture. But ultimately the main reason why we should study the Bible is because it is our duty. ~ R.C. Sproul  ¹

In a recent blog post, I wrote a two part series–Regaining Lost Passion for The Bible One & Two — and I wish to adapt from that post as a guide to help you if you making a  resolution to study and read through the Bible in 2016.

1: Desire to Study.

A lack of desire is one major reason most of us don’t study or read the Bible. Many of us know the significance of the Bible in the believer’s life, but somehow, the desire to study or read it is absent. We live in a busy and competitive world. Nothing around us suggests “read your Bible”. The cares of the world clutter our minds and the Bible seem not a priority. But, it should be, if we are going to make any progress in our walk of faith and please God. In 2016, desire to read and study the Bible. There is no source of intimate fellowship with God apart from time spent in His word and prayer. So, as the deer pants after the water brooks, our souls must thirst and pant after God through His word (Psalms 42:1-2). You however can’t by your own will power create this desire. You should pray to God that through the Holy Spirit, a desire will be stirred up in your heart to study and read the Bible this coming year.

2: Make The Time To Study

A desire only is not enough. You can have the desire, but if you don’t make the time to study and read, you will make no progress. You must seize time, set it aside for use in studying the Bible. The best time, in my opinion to study the Bible is in the morning. This might not work for everybody because of time schedules, but I believe it is the most reasonable time. In the morning, our mind is fresh and alert. In Mark 1:35, Bible tells us about Jesus’ devotional life: “And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” Rising up early to pray and read is a good practice, yet a difficult one. But once the habit is formed, a successful Bible study plan will follow. You must labour to study. Make the time.

3: Have A Plan To Study: Study Systematically

You have to open the Bible and read it in a systematic way. Not cheery picking verses from different places in the Bible every day. What I mean by systematic is simply in an orderly manner. With this organised reading, you will grasp the whole storyline of the Bible. You should follow a systematic pattern through the Bible. Here are a number of bible reading plans you can adopt.

4: Keep Notes

For the study of the Bible to be fulfilling, keep a note book and a pen any time you are reading. Make notes, write things you believe God is communicating through His word. A study Bible will be helpful. Also, make some investments in Bible commentaries, Bible reference materials, bible dictionaries, etc. If God is that important to you, you must spend to know more about him through Bible reading. Also use more than one Bible translation if possible.

5: Meditate on The Word

Desire and studying Scriptures alone will not produce the full benefit of the word in your life. We have to take desire and study to another level—meditation. Meditation is contemplation and reflection on the word we have read. Meditation allows the word to settle in our hearts and become part of us. It is said, if you know how to worry, you can meditate on the word. Just worry about the word. Ask questions in your mind. Turn the word around. My most favourite explanation of meditation is the analogy with a ruminant chewing its cud. (Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Joshua 1:8 and Psalms 1:1-2).

6: Obey The Word

Studying and reading the Bible must not be an end in itself. Bible study must lead to living the word, obedience to the word and fruitfulness in our Christian living. In the Bible, we encounter God and our lives are changed.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18).

There are indeed many benefits to reading through the Bible. Here are a few articles you can refer to: Daily Bread, 5 Reasons to Read the Entire Bible in 2016. If you have questions as to why you must read through the Bible, this FAQ will be helpful.

We at The Gospel Network wish you a Happy and fruitful New Year as you take steps to master the Bible for it to master you.

Notes:

1: Knowing Scripture, Intervarsity Press, Second Edition © 2009 by R. C. Sproul(Kindle page 35).

The post The Resolution Every Christian Should Make in 2016 appeared first on TGN.