Bible Study How much Bible study/ reading do you do?

[Taafe]

Hi, Taafe:
I read some NT every morning with breakfast, and a little bit of OT later in the morning.
And I always take my bible to the restaurants I visit, and read while dining.
I also have a pocket-bible that I pull out when I am waiting in line somewhere like the grocery store.
Having a set-aside time for reading, is one of the best habits a man or woman can have !
Before I will eat lunch, I recite all the chapters of the bible that I have memorized. (Just 3, to this point)

That's a great idea with the pocket Bible. I might buy one and carry it with me during my workday, as there are times when it would be wonderful to just pick it up and read. Thanks

 

[ezrider]

That's a great idea with the pocket Bible. I might buy one and carry it with me during my workday, as there are times when it would be wonderful to just pick it up and read. Thanks

I have a Bible App on my iPhone that also syncs to my iPad and my computer from Olive Tree that I use. You can purchase as add-ons any Bible version, a number of different study tools, commentaries..... With an account you can also create notes for yourself and have them shared across all your devices.

I like using the app because if something comes to my mind, I can easily do a word search to find what I'm looking for. But I do not study nor read the scriptures for myself any longer, not for many years.

 

[jasonc]

2 Corinthians 10:12
12...But when they measure themselves by one another and compare themselves with one another, they are without understanding.

My grandfather was in the habit for most of his adult life of rising at 4 am and studying God's word and praying 'til noon. Many days, he'd study the Bible for the entire day, taking only necessary breaks (meals, bathroom breaks, etc.). During his life, my grandfather studied (not merely read) his way through the Bible several hundreds of times and could recite from memory a truly freakish amount of Scripture. Anyway, having aspirations to the pastorate, my younger brother set out to emulate our grandfather, maintaining the same schedule of study and prayer as he did. My brother, though, had a young family, and a job and quickly found himself utterly exhausted by the effort. Frustrated and concerned, my brother shared his failure with our grandfather. To my brother's surprise, my grandfather laughed and said, "You aren't me. You've got to have your own time with God that you establish with Him within the constraints of your own life. I would never recommend anyone do just as I do in their time with God." My brother was very relieved to hear this and abandoned his 4 am Bible study for a more suitable study schedule.

My point in this story is that we all have our own life with God, our own unique journey with Him, and while there are common features shared among every one of those journeys, they are by no means all identical and shouldn't be.

My life is such at the moment that, from 7 am until noon, or 1pm, I am studying, reading and writing about my faith, memorizing Scripture and talking with God about various things I read, or that He brings to mind to pray about. I haven't always been able to do this, of course, but in the last decade or so, this has been my common practice. Compared to my grandfather, however, my efforts are pretty lame, but this is the danger in such comparisons: We often either fare too well by them (by comparison to the worst person we can think of), or too poorly (by comparison to those we idolize/admire), in either case, not really getting to the truth of things about ourselves.



The Bible exists, not just to inform us about the doctrines and practices of the Christian faith, but to reveal to us a Person so that we might enjoy direct, personal, life-changing fellowship with Him. See: 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 John 1:3b, Revelation 3:20; Philippians 3:7-14. Too often, though, these days, Christians make the mistake of confusing spiritual maturity, which is inextricably entwined with fellowship with God, with accumulation of data about the Christian faith. In other words, the more a person knows about the faith, the more spiritually mature they are assumed to be. It's because this thinking is so prevalent that many pulpits have been occupied by highly-credentialed men whose lives are filled with secret sin. Just consider Ravi Zacharias, or Steve Lawson, or Tony Evans, or Bill Hybels, or James MacDonald, and on, and on.

So, then, by all means study God's word, and do so often and assiduously, but don't take up the idea that gathering data about the faith is the same as actually knowing and enjoying God, in so doing walking well with Him. While every person who would truly know and enjoy God must know His Truth well, it is by no means certain that every one who does know His word well, knows and enjoys Him, as they should.



Though face-to-face discipleship is best, failing that, I would recommend the following:

www.ttb.org
www.gty.org
www.reasonablefaith.org (search: Defenders course)
www.thenarrowpath.com

my memory is something just happens if I do it often .what was it that I told Doug at work ? I showed him and led him to each address on the route ,he shadowed me for about two hours . I would call out meter numbers at times or addresses to locate
34125 was one ,3085 10th CT was another .
just by being on the route and moving as I do it . it works with me with the bible that way at times .

 

[hawkman]

But I do not study nor read the scriptures for myself any longer, not for many years.

Why do you no longer read or study the scriptures for yourself ?

 

[ezrider]

Why do you no longer read or study the scriptures for yourself ?

The short answer is I am no longer under the schoolmaster. But that really doesn't explain my journey which has brought me to no longer studying or reading the scriptures.

When I was younger, I used to study the scripture intently, daily, and even took looking up the words in Greek and Hebrew in the Strongs Concordance looking for the deeper meaning. I was influenced when I first started studying the scriptures by the likes of Arnold Murray; line upon line.

I dug too deep seeking the knowledge that the scripture had to offer, and the Lord took it from me, and closed up the words of the book. I would open it and try to read it, but it was as if I were staring at a blank page. That lasted for some time until I gave up. Years passed as I maintained my faith that the Lord had closed the scripture to me and told me not to touch it, and so I didn't. What it left me with was pondering all the doctrines I had been taught and the things I came to believe.

Looking back now that was my transition leaving the schoolmaster behind and beginning a spiritual walk in Faith. In time, after discarding most of the doctrines I had been taught and thinking only on the words of Jesus, if a scripture came to my remembrance, I would use the word search tool to look up the scripture just to refresh my memory; but I would take it no further.

My spiritual journey has taken me from the cross back to the Garden of Eden, where the Lord showed me the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; the Bible. Yes, I saw the Bible in the same, it is the Knowledge of Good and Evil; a fruit to make one wise. I saw when I ate of its fruit, my eyes were open; open to sin. Sin and Death. Surely as the Lord had said, in the day you eat thereof you shall surely die. Then the Lord showed me how I had taken the sacrifice of Jesus as my fig leaf to hide from the wrath of God.

Lastly I saw that my pursuit had been for the knowledge, and the grave temptation and strong delusion that came with that knowledge; to use that knowledge and judge as if you yourself were God. Many today quote the scripture and then act as if they are actually speaking for God himself because they can read the words of a book. They read the words of the book and and then judge the sins of others. Sins of the flesh that you can see because you posses the knowledge of good and evil and the laws of God.

Jesus said all these sins are forgiven unto man, all but one sin. The sins of the flesh have been laid to rest in Christ and have been forgiven. But the sin that remains is the sin against the Spirit; taking the words of the book, the scripture, the knowledge of good and evil, and claiming for yourself the judgements of God.

Forgiveness is not found in the law, nor in knowledge; but in empathy and understanding. If I judge a man as a sinner against God because the words of the book claim they are, then do I find myself standing in judgement of God.

I would not try and discourage anyone from reading or studying the scripture, just be cognizant of your own intentions knowing the temptation that comes with eating the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. It is for this spiritual journey of mine, seeing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil as the scripture itself, that I will no longer study nor read the scriptures for myself.

 

[Anchor Of Hope]

Thank you, Jim! I've added this to my Amazon Wish List and plan to purchase it soon. Right now, I have a small backlog of books that I want to read, and I’ve promised myself not to buy any more until I've finished what I already have. Ha!

Taafe, thank you so very much. The Lord Jesus said in Matthew 5, those who hungers and thirst for Righteousness will be filled. My dear friend, I truly believe you are hungry for Truth, and I know the Lord sees you, and admires you, and loves you. Keep your eyes on Jesus, He will lead and guide you into ALL TRUTH. Lord bless you and your precious family in Jesus Name.

 

[Fish153]

Hi, Taafe:
I read some NT every morning with breakfast, and a little bit of OT later in the morning.
And I always take my bible to the restaurants I visit, and read while dining.
I also have a pocket-bible that I pull out when I am waiting in line somewhere like the grocery store.
Having a set-aside time for reading, is one of the best habits a man or woman can have !
Before I will eat lunch, I recite all the chapters of the bible that I have memorized. (Just 3, to this point)

Hopeful---

It's great you are memorizing chapters of the Bible. I once memorized John chapter 1-6 (I was going to try to memorize the Gospel of John). I still remember "parts" of these chapters but unfortunately I did not continue to memorize, and also failed to repeat daily what I HAD memorized, so forgot a lot of it. But I really believe that memorizing scripture is very important! All the best to you in memorizing more!

 

[WIP]

Hopeful---

It's great you are memorizing chapters of the Bible. I once memorized John chapter 1-6 (I was going to try to memorize the Gospel of John). I still remember "parts" of these chapters but unfortunately I did not continue to memorize, and also failed to repeat daily what I HAD memorized, so forgot a lot of it. But I really believe that memorizing scripture is very important! All the best to you in memorizing more!

We have a local pastor that has memorized the Gospel of Mark in both English and Norwegian. Most recently he also memorized Ephesians, I believe. That's way above my pay grade.

 

[Fish153]

We have a local pastor that has memorized the Gospel of Mark in both English and Norwegian. Most recently he also memorized Ephesians, I believe. That's way above my pay grade.

That's pretty incredible---in both English and Norwegian! Yup---way above my pay grade too! lol.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Hopeful---

It's great you are memorizing chapters of the Bible. I once memorized John chapter 1-6 (I was going to try to memorize the Gospel of John). I still remember "parts" of these chapters but unfortunately I did not continue to memorize, and also failed to repeat daily what I HAD memorized, so forgot a lot of it. But I really believe that memorizing scripture is very important! All the best to you in memorizing more!

Having memorized it once, should make it easier for you to pick it up again.

 

[Fish153]

Having memorized it once, should make it easier for you to pick it up again.

Hopeful--- yes---very true. I'm sure that if I began to re-read John 1-6 and started the memorizing process again it would come back easier than before. Kind of like riding a bike. If you don't ride for 20 years you can still do it after some quick practice.

 

[Hopeful 2]

Hopeful--- yes---very true. I'm sure that if I began to re-read John 1-6 and started the memorizing process again it would come back easier than before. Kind of like riding a bike. If you don't ride for 20 years you can still do it after some quick practice.

Best wishes for you...

 

[Fish153]

Best wishes for you...

God bless you too!!