Do You Study the Bible?

I hope most of you can answer yes to the above question. Studying the Bible regularly is one of the basic ways we as Christians connect with God and get to know Him intimately. 2 Timothy 2: 15 says,  "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The Christian Standard Bible (CSB) for Women says,  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who doesn't need to be ashamed, correctly teaching the word of truth."

This version of the Bible is the most comprehensive study Bible ever prepared for women and by women. Extensive commentary notes, word studies, answers to hard questions, doctrinal notes, “Written on My Heart” applications, charts and timelines, full-color maps and more, all put together in a sturdy hardcover binding with colorful illustrations will not only make you look forward to studying your Bible, but will provide answers to those puzzling questions you had previously.

I started studying the book of Esther and I have gained a lot more information from the CSB for Women than I did from my other study Bibles. If you truly hunger for God's word and want to get a deeper understanding of it, I strongly recommend this Bible.

And now you can enter this exciting giveaway:  https://www.blessedfreebies.com/csbwomensstudybible.html



To purchase:  http://www.bhpublishinggroup.com/products/the-csb-study-bible-for-women-hardcover


 

https://youtu.be/kog6IzWdswI

A Month Of Thankfulness - My Family, God's Intervention and other things

English: Personal bible study Português: Estudo pessoal da bíblia Italiano: Lo studio personale della bibbia Deutsch: Persönliches Bibelstudium (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The weather continues to be a major cause of concern in the US this month. Unusually cold temperatures and snowstorms have resulted in the loss of lives, power outages and a lot of problems for people in some states. In the light of that, our one cold day here in South Florida this week, 48 degrees at daybreak, was a welcome change. But we have had to deal with some rain almost everyday.

You may have heard the saying, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." Well, that may have been the case with me this week. I'd been putting off going to Bible Study on Wednesday nights on account of the distance I have to travel to get home after work, and I don't do well with night driving. This Wednesday I determined that nothing was going to stop me.

It rained all day but I was still determined to go. After work, I went to my daughter's house to wait until it was time to leave for Bible Study. She and her husband said to me, "Mummy, we don't like the idea of you going out on a night like this. It's going to be late when you're leaving church and the weather is not nice." And so they convinced me to go home instead.

So why am I writing this in a month of thankfulness? As I was leaving, my daughter went into her bedroom and came back out with some sheets of paper. She said a friend had given her a Bible-reading plan for the year and she had begun to follow it. She said she uses it because she can't make it to Bible Study at her church because of her family commitments. Therefore her Bible Study time is after she drops her kids off to school and before she leaves for work.

I was ecstatic. I had no idea my daughter had been studying her Bible even though I have seen God working in her life this past year. She has been witnessing to people about Jesus Christ, inviting them to church, and last year she and a friend were baptized on the same day. Isn't God wonderful? My two younger sons are not yet saved, but I believe that what God did for my daughter He will do for them as well. In His time.

So this week I am thankful for my family and God's intervention in our lives. What are you thankful for?

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Versions Of The Bible

According to the American Bible Society, there are about 900 English Bible translations, some of them regarded as incomplete, depending on the religion of the readers. With such a wide variety of translations available, most people may possess more than one version, or they may prefer one over another. I was brought up on the King James Version (KJV), and it remains my favorite to this day.

When the New International Version (NIV)  came out, I found the modern language helpful in understanding some parts of the Bible more clearly. I have since acquired a Devotional Study Bible for Women (NIV) which contains devotionals written by women. Each devotional is placed in the book dealing with the scripture on which it is based. Some of the devotionals have been a source of encouragement and inspiration to me and I go back to them from time to time. I also  came across another version of the NIV called the Student Bible. Each book is preceded by a modern application of  the book along with cross references to similar scriptures and study questions.

Another Bible translation I have in my possession is the New Inductive Study Bible. The language is closer to the New King James Version, however, the layout of this Bible is for the person who wants to do a really in-depth Bible study. From maps, pictures, timelines and insightful passages, this Bible will make you feel like a seminary student. The study method of this Bible is observation, interpretation and application. In observation, the reader is instructed to find out the who, what, why and when. Interpretation deals with grasping the meaning of the scripture and application has to do with what the scripture means to me personally. I have learned a lot from studying the Bible this way and from what I've seen so far, there are no inaccuracies as in the NIV.

So which is my favorite Bible translation? It is still the KJV. Mine is the Scofield reference Bible which provides a lot of wonderful background information on the scriptures.  It has helped me to see that Jesus is not just referred to in the New Testament, as I heard someone say recently, but the WHOLE Bible points to Jesus, from Genesis right on to Revelation. It was also an invaluable resource to me in writing my book Women For All Seasons. But when I simply want to read the Bible without studying, just reading for the pleasure of reading God's word, to feel as if He is right there with me, I take up my KJV. For sheer poetry and imagery it cannot be beat.

Why I Love The Bible

There was a time when reading the Bible was a very difficult thing for me. In those days the King James version seemed as foreign as Greek to me. My mother had taught me to read the Bible from an early age and to learn some popular verses of scripture such as John 3: 16. I also knew Psalms 23 and, of course, the Lord's prayer. I attended a Catholic school and there I was also made to memorize some verses of scripture and I became familiar with many passages. But I never saw the Bible as a necessary part of my life until I was saved and began studying the Bible in earnest. Now I can think of so many reasons why I love the Word of God.

1. The Word is Life
When Satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, He quoted from the Bible saying, "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4). Again Jesus said, "Verily, verily, I say unto you , He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5: 24). There is life in God's word and as you read further you will see why.

2. The Word is a healer

In many places in the Bible we see that Jesus healed people simply by speaking His word over them. In some cases, He wasn't physically present when the healing took place. The centurion said to Jesus, "Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed" (Matthew 8:8).  Jesus said, "Go thy way ; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee" (v 13) . The man returned home to find his servant healed. Psalm 107 : 20 says, "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions."

3. The Word is a protector

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word" (Psalm 119: 14). In the New Testament the word of God is compared to a sword, which is a weapon of warfare. "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: "( Ephesians 6: 17). In Hebrews 4:12, the writer says, "For the word of God is quick , and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

4. The Word cleanses us from sin

"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word" Psalm 119: 9 .  And in verse 11 it says, "Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee." "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me" ( v 133).

5. The Word gives us comfort

Paul says, "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope" (Romans 15:4). And again in 1 Thessalonians 4: 18, he says, "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Who can read God's promises and not feel comforted?

6. The Word educates us

There is no topic known to man today that the word of God does not address. The Bible deals with relationships, business, money, health, marriage, government, history and the future, to name just a few. Deuteronomy 11: 19 says, " And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up . "

So, let me encourage you to make Bible reading a part of your daily routine. Even if you're very busy during the day you can take a few minutes during your lunch hour to read maybe just one verse. And these days you can access the Bible from your cell phone so you don't have to carry around the Bible with you. If you begin to read the Bible daily it will soon become a habit you'll not want to give up. It will be "a lamp to your feet and a light to your path" (Psalms 119 : 105).

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