GodRules

The purpose of Bible study:

Romans 10:17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.

The written Word/Bible contains all the attributes of God Himself. That is why He said in Ps 138:2 He has magnified His Word above all His name. Therefore as we read/study/meditate on the Word, His attributes are simultaneously being imparted to us, as we grow spiritually.

Through Faith we understand... Any real UNDERSTANDING of the Word of God/Jesus will come through Faith. Understanding does not come by education or intelligence. You apply or accept acquired knowledge to your faith and it develops UNDERSTANDING

The whole point of any study in the Scriptures is for our spirit to be nourished by the Spirit of the written Word of God and built up in the knowledge of God. It is not for simply gaining knowledge about God, but about gaining knowledge that helps us to know God better. It is about seeing the will and purposes of God confirmed and established in our lives as the Spirit of God makes the teaching and record of the Scriptures become alive within us. It is about being transformed by the very power of God into unique Sons of God who shine forth His glory to others in every circumstance and in all that we do. It is about being healed from the inside out - healed from our sins, healed from injuries inflicted by self/others, healed from the corrupt nature that produces these evils, released from the destructive effects of human traditions/generational curses passed down through one's family, religion, and culture.

We start with the nuts and bolts (basics) of relating to God through the Bible. In the Letter to the Hebrews, it is written »For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it« (Heb 4:2, KJV). This is also true of the things written in the Scriptures. First and foremost, we must believe the Scriptures. This does not mean that we understand everything, but that we consciously place our faith and trust in the God of the Scriptures, Yahweh, who has revealed himself in the New Testament as the “Father”, the “Son of God /Jesus Christ”, and the “Holy Spirit”. Therefore, you should be asking Jesus to open your heart and mind to the things of God on the one hand and to open the Scriptures to you on the other, for he has prevailed to do just this (Rev 5:5). Prayer, that is, talking to God and asking Him questions, is absolutely essential to any study or learning of the things of God recorded in Scripture.

The Bibles that we use are mostly translations of much older texts. Almost all of the Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew. Some parts were written in Chaldean. And the New Testament was originally written in Greek, although some parts, notably the Gospel of Matthew, may have been originally written in Hebrew. These languages are very different from English. As a result, some passages in the original texts are difficult to translate exactly. Some passages can be translated in several different ways. This is the reason why there are so many different translations of the Scriptures in various languages. The good part is that all translations generally agree when compared to one another. And from my studies, I can also say that the translations that are available to us are good enough to let us see God, because the Holy Spirit is the one who applies it to our heart and HE has no problem with any translation. The important thing is simply to read through all of the books of Bible so that you can gain an acquaintance with the content that is actually in it.

FAITH and PRAYER always go together. Prayer is simply talking to Jesus. This talking can be questions, requests, confessions, simple expression, sharing your love/thoughts, singing, Praise, or whatever. Jesus hears very well. It's not the activity of prayer that does anything, but Jesus, the God who hears and responds.

Let this be your goal as you study God's Word.  Blessings  Bill Powell

EMAIL ANY AND ALL COMMENTS TO:    billydpowell@hotmail.com