"My Bible reading is dry . . . It's boring and a drag!" "Thanks God for His precious Word. Just this morning spoke to me again . . ."
There are comments I often hear from friends. I wonder why Christians could have such contrasting experiences as they read the Bible. Why the difference when both are reading the same Word of God? As I pondered this question, the Holy Spirit gave me the following insights on how to reap benefits from the Bible reading.
Group prayer and worshiping God
A young man once confided to me, “I am really confuse, I’m the only Christian in our family, so I am praying that God will transform me so I can be a witness at home. But my behavior at home is far from ideal! My brother criticizes me and asks me questions like, “Are all Christians like you?
“Why have I not changed? Is God powerless to change me or id He unwilling to do so? It doesn’t make sense.” I asked him, “Have you been totally open with God? Have you been obedient to Him even in the smallest way that you know of?” He became thoughtful for a moment and then answered, “No.” “Then, “I said, “That is how you should start.”
Overcome Fear
The Bible says "Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened." Fear can be a major obstacle to our growth as a Christian. Jesus said, "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28). In most instances, fear is the opposite of faith.
Sacrificial Giving
"Cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you." In the stock market , there are ranked varieties of mutual funds available for purchase. These are ranked according to risk. The ones with the highest risk also have the potential for the highest return. The ones with the lowest risk give the lowest return, but the return is much more sure. The person who takes the higher risk would do well to educate himself more thoroughly in the market conditions than the one who only selects low risk options. Success is not guaranteed, but he would be more likely to be successful with thorough preparation.
Sunrise . . . worship God for everything . . .
What are the means for spiritual growth? Hear are spiritual disciplines that the Holy Spirit uses to help us grow spiritually.
Preaching: Martin Luther and the Reformation Movement in the 16th century, declared that the primary means of grace is the preaching of the Word of God. We get to know God primarily through His Word. As we humbly listen and positively respond to the faithful proclamation of God's word, we grow spiritually.
Unhappy
After I decided to address the topic of worry and its relationship to giving, I worried about it all week. We have many basic things to worry about: Where am I going to get the money to pay the bills? What if I lose my job? Will my son go to war? Will he survive? Is flying safe? There are millions of things to worry about. We could spend our whole life doing it. I know some people who show they care for me whole life doing it. I know some people who show they care for me by saying that they worried about me. Some people worry their prayers. Do you? Is that the right way to pray?
Happiness
What we’ve just looked at is only part of a bigger picture. It is natural for a person who is not a Christian to be unhappy because he does not know God personally and he is not at peace with God. But even if he becomes a Christian, he does not automatically become happy. Although all Christian have the potential to be happy, not all experience happiness consistently. It is only when our mind, body, spirit and outlook are in tune with what God wants that we can truly being happy. So consider these four habits.
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