Learn to Read the Bible
“I don’t understand what I’m reading.”
“I don’t feel smart enough to read the Bible.”
“Where do I start?”
“I don’t have time to read the Bible.”
Do any of these excuses sound familiar? Beginning to read the Bible can be intimidating. And like the many excuses listed above, it can be overwhelming trying to understand where to start or what to read.
When I started attending church regularly, I had many insecurities related to reading the Bible. Many people around me appeared to have “grown up” in the church and some had even gone to Christian schools. It felt like everyone was familiar with the Bible except for me. Of course, I wasn’t the only one new to the Bible.
Thankfully, I found encouragement from others as I began familiarizing myself with the Bible and learning how to read it. When we turn to God’s Word, we only hunger for more. Here are some practical tips as you start reading the Bible…
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Good advice Amber! Now that we have online capabilities like never before as I do remember having only a Bible at home and outside of going to the Chuch for the Mass having to study the old fashioned way of just reading the whole thing and trying to gain understanding in time with hopefully the Holy Spirit giving me some help where needed!
You give the right suggestion for folks to start out and I find online sites like biblegateway.com or biblehub.com are great to look up particular Scriptures or even ask some questions in the search box and they have accompanying text with explanations too. Another site I stumbled upon recently catholicbridge.com had a quote from Martin Luther King back in 1963 that I thought, how profound, as that was when the Catholic Vatican II Council had finished making some major changes to the inner core of the Catholic faith that would have repercussions for decades resulting in the mess we have now in the Church; but how what Rev. King said back then has certainly taken to a fever pitch these days as far as enemies of the Christian Church and the faith for all!
“I have a dream…when we let freedom ring… all of God’s children… Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands.”
(Martin Luther King, “I have a dream,” Washington D.C., Aug. 28, 1963)
https://www.catholicbridge.com/
“Our Evangelical friends see that we’ve surrendered to Jesus and say we are “born again” but some have trouble understanding why we became Catholic. On the other hand, some traditional Catholics are afraid that dialog with Evangelicals is flirting with modernism. The truth is the body of Christ is divided. We want to be a bridge. Things are heating up against Christians, and our enemies do not distinguish us.
We are not trying to gloss over differences but our hope is that all Christians will love one another as He has loved us (Jn 13:34). We don’t have to agree with each other to love one another. This site is a response to Jesus’ prayer “that they may all be one, as you Father, are in me and I am in you.” (Jn 17:21) “Let us not give up meeting together… let us encourage one another.” (Heb 10:25), “Wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.” (Mat 18:20).
Well, Amber they said it better than I could, and I hope and dream; that all Christians will meet on the same page before Heaven and His kingdom come! Amen.
Very well stated, and thanks for sharing that. I will have to look into those sites. My prayer for this year is praying for unity in the body. The Holy Spirit has directed me to study more of the early church and the differences in denominations lately. I recently started following Gospel Simplicity on YouTube. It’s a young man who identifies as a protestant but meets with Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran church leaders to discuss their faith. I’ve also watched a few videos of Francis Chan meeting with Hank Hannegraff on his decision to become Eastern Orthodox. It’s wonderful to see these conversations happening. The body of Christ needs to come together in whole. I’m tired of so many pastors bashing other denominations. Of course, we don’t all agree on everything, but Jesus is what brings us together. God is definitely at work!
Amber, that is a beautiful and I think perfect timing Mission for this year! “My prayer for this year is praying for unity in the body. The Holy Spirit has directed me to study more of the early church and the differences in denominations lately.”
When there is obviously so much happening so quickly now around the globe putting man’s affairs into a tailspin of sorts and tearing nations as well as families apart society in order to survive absolutely needs what Rev. King stated all those decades ago and now a clearly defined means of joining Christians to see the Truth and find their common strengths of faith; while honestly searching out what has happened to the fundamental foundational practices of the original Church when the Disciples were with Jesus, and how can we all be going off in our own directions or making them up as we go!
Too cliché here but I guess I mean let’s all find the “bottom-line” and be honest with ourselves and each other as to how can we get on the Church Path, the “Whole Truth and Nothing But the Truth” that Jesus intended for all of us to be set upon, establishing the Church or Body in and by our worshiping God through Him! Perhaps all the negative I see like you and anyone who is paying attention and thinking as I do at times that it’s all going to hell in a hand basket, might be that another reaction or process is evolving within that chaos, which will bring together all of God’s Elect and that is what I sure want, so none will be lost; while they will help the Church by leading countless others to the Faith in the process! Amen.
A thought came to mind here as I was closing, are God’s children being obedient to the Will of God and His Church raised up by the Body and Blood of Christ Jesus or are the Children expecting the Church to be obedient to them and their earthly worldly evolving needs or ways which are obviously influenced by the prince of this world as time passes and convention or times change, which are manmade; therefore the average person thinks the Church can change according to his or her own standards or like the old saying; “it works for me!” Jesus and God are the same always, and its we who have strayed from first Eden, then after God came down as the Son of mankind the Perfect Son of God the Father, who was always meant to be, and is the risen Christ the Savior; we have run amuck again, and just keep adding insult on top of injury?
Thanks for a great “Blog Posting and Plan” that you have initiated!
God bless you and yours! Amen.
Lawrence
P.S. Vey inspiring as this sounds and looks great, Amber!
Great advice! I really need to purchase a better study Bible this year. I have a book called “How to Read the Bible for All It’s Worth” that I had to read in college. It’s quite helpful but somewhat overwhelming, too.
Interesting! I will have to check that one out. Thanks for sharing. Did you go to a Christian college, then?
Yes. I went to Liberty University. 🙂