аЯрЁБс>ўџ >@ўџџџ=џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅТ7 №П0v$bjbjUU ,87|7|\ џџџџџџl€€€€€€€”МММ8є 4”Ај@@"bbbbbb/111111$Ј ШtU€bbbbbUр€€bbjрррb"€b€b/рb/ртрТŽƒh€€ b4 а!Ў иЪ”( М„ы $€0Аћ<šF< 𔔈€€€йREAD IT!!! Gerald Bennett ___________________________________________________ One of the first things that we need to learn as we strive to become the best possible Bible student; or the best possible Bible teacher is the fact that we must read the Bible. We must become good Bible readers in order to become good Bible students. A person who does not become a regular Bible reader will generally not become a good Bible student. The basis for all learning is reading. Tim LaHaye in his little book, How To Study For Yourself said, “If you are going to learn the Bible, you will have to develop the habit of reading large portions of scriptures.” So I am convinced that if a person will discipline himself to read the Bible on a consistent basis he will be inspired to study the Bible and therefore become a good Bible student. Homer Halley in his Bible Handbook says, “Individual direct contact with God’s word is the principle means of Christian growth. All leaders of spiritual power in Christian history have been devoted readers of the Bible.” And with this point I whole-heartedly agree. If we are to be spiritual leaders today whether it be as elders, preachers, teachers, parents, or whatever the area may be we too must be devoted Bible readers. And if we do, then we will be in the great company of such notable men as Abraham Lincoln who said. “I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given to man. All the good from the Savior of the world is communicated to us through this book.” Also we will accompany the great poet Alfred Lord Tennyson who said, “Bible reading is an education in itself.” Another notable whose company we will be in is Horace Greeley who said, “It is impossible to enslave mentally and socially a Bible reading people.” The principles of the Bible are the groundwork, not only of these, but we will also have the former president John Quincy Adams as one of our peers in acknowledging the importance of Bible reading when he said, “So great is my veneration for the Bible that the earlier my children begin to read it the more confident will be my hope that they will prove useful citizens of their country and respectable members of society. I have for many years made it a practice to read the Bible through every year.” But the greatest men that we will be in the company of is the apostle Paul and Jesus Christ our Lord. The apostle Paul as he awaited his own personal outcome in prison told Timothy in II Timothy 4:13, “When you come bring the cloak which I left at Troas with Carpus, and the books, especially the parchments.” Jesus, our Lord was a Bible reader. In Luke 4:17-21 we find that this is true. (Take the time right now to read these passages.) “Oh to be like blessed redeemer. This is my constant longing and prayer.” And so, you see that it is imperative that we become Bible readers. PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS Here are some practical suggestions to help you in your Bible reading. 1. HAVE A REGULAR TIME TO READ. This may be your devotional time with God. Do you have a set time to pray, to talk to God? Then by all means have a time for Him to speak to you through His word. This should be a time when the body and the mind are fresh and not weary, a time without pressure or distractions. Don’t wait for an opportune time, schedule your time to read. 2. HAVE A SCHEDULE OF READING. Work up a schedule of reading, or get one that has already been prepared. Get one that alternates between the Old Testament and the New Testament. If you are reading to teach a particular book of the Bible, read it through several times and have a schedule that allows you to read through that particular book at least once a week. 3. HAVE A SINGLE VERSION FROM WHICH TO READ. Concentrate mostly on that one version and use other versions only as comparisons. 4. HAVE A GOOD EDITION OF THE BIBLE FROM WHICH TO READ. Use a Bible with large and clear print, preferably one with generous space in the margins for notations, marginal notes and cross-references. Also it is better to have one that is in the paragraph format. This enables you to pay better attention to contexts. Remember that the verse divisions are good helps, but that they are man made divisions. READING SUGGESTIONS Now we are ready to begin reading our Bible. Suggestions that will help you as you do so. Here are some: 1. Read aloud and interpretively, with meaning and feeling! Try as best you can to put yourself in the setting of that portion of scriptures you are reading. 2. Read carefully! Devotional reading and study reading should be done slowly, carefully, weighing every word and punctuation. Don’t tour the country so fast that you do not see the landscape. 3. Read repeatedly! One thrust of the spade does not unearth all the gems of the Bible mine. If you were a miner digging for gold, you would dig ‘til you found it and then you would dig until you’ve got it all. So it is with Bible study, we must dig, dig, dig, --work, work, work! 4. Read so as to keep your eyes and mind upon the surrounding context of the words you are reading. Stay with what you are doing, the words you have to read, the words you are reading and the words that you will read. REFLECTION SUGGESTIONS Along with reading there must also be reflection. These two things go together to help us in our Bible study. They are so closely linked together that this should be considered part of our reading. You must think over what the eyes have seen with intensity. Below are some helpful insights that will aid you in your reflection. 1. Reflect Purposefully A. So that you might not sin. Psalm 119:11 tells us - “Thy word I have treasured in my heart that I might not sin against thee.” B. So that you might know the truth. John 8:31 and 32 speaks thusly, “If you continue in my word then are you my disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” 2. Reflect Imaginatively! A. Visualize yourself as being involved in the action as best as possible. (1. Visualize the setting. (2. Try to put yourself in the middle of it all. As an illustration remember the apostle Paul with the Athenians on Mars Hill, Acts 17. (1. Try to see Paul in the setting and hear him speak. (2. Imagine his feelings, etc. Then read it as though it is happening to you. 3. Reflect Humbly. A. As you read the Holy and Divine word of the Holy and Infinite God, remember that the way up is down! B. Peter tells us, “Humble yourselves before the mighty hand of God; that He may exalt you at the proper time.” I Peter 5:6-7 4. Reflect Prayerfully! A. You might pray as did the Psalmist in 119:18, “Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from thy law.” B. Or you might pray for wisdom as James tells us to do in James 1:5. 5. Reflect Patiently. A. Don’t be in a hurry! B. Take your time and remember what you are reading. RECORDING SUGGESTIONS Along with reflection ought to be recording. An old Chinese proverb tells us “the faintest ink lasts longer than the longest memory.” You ought to have a notebook or something to record your thoughts and/or questions about the passage read. Remember reading is just the beginning of studying. So you may in your reflection want to ask yourself some questions. 1. What is the main point? 2. What in this passage is difficult? 3. What question or questions arise in my mind as a result of this reading? 4. How does this apply to my life? RESPONSE SUGGESTIONS Then finally, there must be a personal response to that which we have read. We must believe what is said. Also there must be an admission of guilt when we find our lives and beliefs are out of harmony with what we have read. And we must be obedient to that which we have read if we are to live lives pleasing to God and be able to teach others to do so. READ IT!!! Now that we have learned how to read the Bible, we are ready to begin our study of it in earnest. But let me hasten to remind you how important it is for you to read the Bible. G. Campbell Morgan is reported to have said that he would read a book at least fifty times before he would endeavor to teach it! How do we study the Bible? READ IT! ! 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