Study to Show…

January 26th, 2013 dsisler

If you read my blog yesterday, you know that I’m going to give you some tips on how to study the Bible today. I may go overboard…if I do, please accept my apology.

 

Reading God’s Word and studying it are two different things. Yes, we must read the Bible, but when we go a little farther, dig a little deeper, we come to understand all of God’s message. And what a message it is!

 

To begin, we must understand that there is purpose for studying God’s Word. We find three in the New Testament. First, Bible study is useful for transformation. Romans 12:2 (NIV) says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

 

Bible study is also useful to equip us for service. We read in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) that “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

And finally it is useful to impact our world. Jesus mentioned in Matthew 5:13-16 that we are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world. And the reason? “In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16 – NIV)

 

After you understand the purpose of Bible study, the first thing I would say is to get a good study Bible. Now some of my peers may be cringing at this point. But new Bible studiers must start somewhere and I believe an excellent choice is Zondervan’s NIV Study Bible. The version is easy to read and the notes are pretty decent.

 

You may want to gather some items before beginning as well. You may need a diary or notebook to take notes of your study. You may need a few pens or pencils. I have found that Sanford makes a good dry pencil specifically designed for Bibles. They come in multiple colors and you can use them to highlight verses in your Bible.

 

Of course, this brings up the question of whether to write in your Bible or not. It really is up to you. There is nothing in Scripture that says we shouldn’t. But I have found that if I don’t write it down, I will forget it. So if I find something useful to write in my Bible for teaching purposes, I will write it or underline it in my Bible.

 

After you’ve gathered your materials, you then must choose a book to study. You might consider 1 Peter, 1 John or perhaps James. Once you’ve chosen your book, the studying begins.

 

Take some time to learn about the book, the author, and the setting of the book. This is where your new study Bible will come in handy. All of this information is available just before the book.

 

And ask yourself these questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why? The reporter questions. Find out these important elements and you’ll already have a better understanding of the book.

 

You’ll also find an outline of the book listed in this section of the study Bible. After you’ve studied the book, you may want to re-write the outline. Make a personal outline of the book.

 

Then you will want to read through the book several times. Get to know the style of the writer. Get an idea of what’s coming up. You also might consider listening to the book. I have a full set of audio CD’s of the Bible, and I love listening to what God is saying. I hear things that I don’t read. This is a valuable tool for me.

 

Then it’s time to begin the study. Read a verse or a section of your chosen book and see how this passage is to be interpreted. The content and context of the passage is important and relevant. Far too many have chosen a verse to back up a point where the verse was completely taken out of context. We must be careful to know how to use God’s Word.

 

Of course, if all of this Bible study doesn’t change us, what good is it? You’ll ask yourself that question several times if you chose to study the Book of James! There must be change, therefore there must be application.

 

After studying the book, ask how does it relate to my life? Where does this book specifically speak to me and my life?

 

Then meditate on what you’ve learned from studying this book. You may ask yourself, how might this knowledge effect change in my life? What does God want me to learn from this book?

 

Finally, practice what you’ve learned. As you implement these principles into your life, you will see the good in studying God’s Word and you’ll be ready to start again with another book.

 

I pray that you will become excited about studying Scripture. That a great desire will rise within you to seek the presence of God in His Word. For me, it’s what drives me. Learning something new from the Bible each day. Oh, and that’s an amazing thing about studying. You will never know it all. There is always more to learn.

 

If you have any questions about what you’ve read today, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I’d love to help you get started.

 

It’s not too late in the year to set a resolution. Maybe this year you might resolve to study several books of the Bible. It just might be the best resolution you’ve ever made.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Are You Sure It’s Friday?

January 25th, 2013 dsisler

My daughter and I were at the checkout at our local grocery store yesterday and there seemed to be some confusion ahead of us in line. One customer had forgotten a bag, so they were trying to find her and get it to her. Then the lady directly ahead of us seemed to be out of sorts herself.

 

In her conversation with the cashier, she mentioned the fact that she very happy that it was Friday. Apparently it had been a long week and she was ready to enjoy the weekend.

 

Candace and I listened to this conversation and I never once disagreed with her. It was Friday and I too was looking forward to Saturday. All the grandkids were coming to Baba’s house. If it was Friday, they’d be there the next day. I was very excited.

 

About half way home, I said, “It’s not Friday is it?” Candace quickly said, “No, it’s Thursday. I think the woman in the checkout line is going to be disappointed when she finds out she has another workday this week.”

 

To be honest, I was happy it wasn’t Friday because today (Friday), I have a meal to prepare for 170 people. If yesterday had been Friday, I would have been late getting started. I was relieved.

 

What caught my attention through this encounter was how easily I believed it was Friday. I knew it was Thursday, but just a little conversation with someone and suddenly it was Friday.

 

How did that happen?

 

Perhaps my mind was on other things. Maybe I really wanted it to be different. Perhaps I was hungry, or tired, or weary from shopping. Who knows? But this was a stranger and I believed her.

 

I think this can easily happen in our spiritual walk. We hear a message from our local pastor and we never open our Bibles to see if it is in line with God’s Word. We listen to radio preachers in our cars and, since we’re driving we cannot check it out and it becomes part of our belief without any digging on our own. We have such faith that our teachers know everything there is to know about the Bible that we never look into it for ourselves.

 

This can be dangerous. And I’d like to suggest (again) that you take the time to check out the concepts, the ideas, the Scripture that I use in my blog. Don’t accept what I say to be spot on with God’s Word 100% of the time. I do make mistakes. And I’m not the only one.

 

God’s Word warns us of the false teachers we encounter.

 

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves.” (2 Peter 2:1 – NIV)

 

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” (1 John 4:1 – NIV)

 

Obviously, not every person you hear or read is a false teacher, but we must be aware that they are out there. There are false teachers who deliberately teach a false doctrine for their personal gain. And then others may just misunderstand a passage or misspeak.

 

So what I might suggest is that we are to be studying God’s Word to know it for ourselves. May I offer a few more passages to consider?

 

“Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 – NIV)

 

You may recognize this verse from the King James Version. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God…” The only way we can handle the word of truth correctly is by knowing it. We must study it for ourselves.

 

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16-17 – NIV) There is much good found in God’s Word, but when we use it for preparation to do good works, then the Bible is being used to its full potential.

 

Timothy was also encouraged to be prepared to use God’s Word in all areas of his life. I believe we can accept this verse for ourselves as well. “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Timothy 4:2 – NIV)

 

We’ve seen that studying God’s Word is useful to ourselves and others. And to add extra understanding, let’s look at these two verses to see that knowledge leads fullness of God, truth and freedom.

 

“To know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” (Ephesians 3:19 – NIV)

 

“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32 – NIV)

 

You may have a deep desire to study God’s Word but are uncertain where to begin. Join me tomorrow. I’ll share some ideas on how to begin a Bible study regimen so that you too will be prepared with the knowledge of God’s Word.

 

For today, let’s bask in the fullness of God’s Word as we’ve read today. Understanding that we are to be looking into God’s Word for ourselves will nourish the desire to dig deeper. And the deeper we go, the desire grows and grows.

 

It’s Friday. I have lots to do today. But armed with God’s Words in my heart, I am able and capable of walking into each situation today. Let’s head out into this world as fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Filled with the knowledge of God’s Word and ready to do some good things for Him. Friday isn’t so bad after all!

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Roaming

January 24th, 2013 dsisler

I must admit that yesterday had its ups and downs. I was thrilled to be sharing about my journey to SE Asia, but as the day unfolded, it wasn’t all that great.

 

People, attitudes, rushing from one place to another, and a myriad of other things can get in our way of having a good day. Especially when we have something important to do.

 

We may lose confidence in ourselves. We may not feel up to doing the important thing. We may feel insecure. And as we combine all these things, we suddenly don’t want to do what God wants us to do.

 

You see, the devil is a busy guy. His agenda is to trip us up. As we are walking down the smooth path of life, Satan is there to throw obstacles in our way. Big or small, the size doesn’t matter. If it’s on the path, we just might stumble.

 

Peter warned us of the devil in 1 Peter 5:8 (NIV). Peter knew what the devil was capable of and how he worked. “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

 

This verse is almost frightening. No one wants to be devoured by a prowling lion. That’s the exact reason Peter gives other advice to go along with this bit. Be self-controlled. Be alert. As we have control of our emotions and our bodies, we have a better chance of spotting the lion before it’s too late. The same can be said of being alert.

 

But Peter goes on in this passage to share some more advice. “Resist him (the devil), standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering.” (1 Peter 5:9 – NIV)

 

Resist him. The problem with this piece of advice is that the devil changes his tactics. He tempts us with bigger and brighter things. He knows where we are weakest and he attacks us there. But still, we must resist him.

 

Now my issues today may not be someone else’s exact issues, but I know I am not in the boat alone. Satan is attacking all over the world and I find strength in knowing there are other Christians who are resisting the devil’s temptations. I can do it as well.

 

Now here’s the good news. Peter then continues with an assurance that I find great comfort in knowing. “And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.” (1 Peter 5:10 – NIV)

 

God is with me through it all. But He is doing more than just being with me. He is restoring me. He is making me strong. He is making me firm. He is making me steadfast. I am only able to get through this life with God on my side.

 

It’s through my faith in God and His grace, strength, love, and forgiveness that I can wake up each day and say, “Good morning! Let’s do it!”

 

And as the devil is prowling around looking for someone to devour, God isn’t sitting idly by and watching. 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NIV) assures me, “For the eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.”

 

If this verse isn’t an encouragement to you today, I don’t know what else I could share with you. God is searching for those who need strength. If that is you today, He is looking and He will provide.

 

But we also see from this verse that He doesn’t just hand it out to anyone. He is looking for those who are committed to Him. Maybe that’s where we need to start today.

 

As I read through these passages, I’m able to face today with all its troubles and temptations, knowing that I am not in the day alone. God is right beside me. Loving me and comforting me along the way. I pray that you can say the same.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Make a Difference

January 23rd, 2013 dsisler

Today is a special day! I have the opportunity to share with a group of ladies about my journey to SE Asia and how God continues to use me through that journey.

 

It’s been good to look back on my trip and see how God used me then and how He continues to use me now. To see the lessons I’ve learned along the way and am still learning. So here is piece of what I’ll be sharing with this group.

 

One of our goals was to increase the worldview of ourselves and the American Church.

 

My personal worldview changed beyond what I could have imagined. I’d never been outside the United States (except Canada). I didn’t know what to expect. So everything I saw, heard, tasted and learned from the beginning was a worldview changer for me.

 

My experiences in SE Asia are still kind of hodge podge. They are all jumbled together into a large picture. Maybe one day I’ll be able sort them all out and present them as individual experiences.

 

But while I am still trying to figure some of it out, here are a few things I believe that has changed for me.

 

I have brothers and sisters in Christ all over the world. They listen to K-Love radio. They read the same Bible. They are gifted in the same ways that I am gifted. And above all, Jesus loves them as He loves me.

 

I also have come to realize that Christ’s Church is persecuted around the world and that we take far too much for granted in America. When asked how the American Church could prepare for persecution, we were told to study and memorize God’s Word.

How often do you take the number of Bible’s sitting on your shelf or table for granted? Believing they will always be there? Before I went to SE Asia, I know I did this quite often.

 

Now I understand how desperate I would be without God’s Word. The solution? Memorize Scripture. Don’t allow Satan to make us believe that we cannot do this. Let’s allow God to show us how easy it is with His help.

 

I also learned how good it is to see dedicated workers in the field. Those who are willing to be persecuted for their faith. Those who know the truth and aren’t afraid to share that truth with others.

 

I have often ignored situations or turned my back on those who need to hear the Gospel. And I can share God’s love freely with those I encounter. I used to take this freedom for granted…just like so many others. But now I know how important it is to make the most of every situation. Making each one count for God.

 

In Ephesians, Paul encouraged his fellow Christians to “Be very careful then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16 – NIV)

 

And also in Colossians, Paul says, “Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity.” (Colossians 4:5 – NIV)

 

What opportunities have you missed? I know I’ve missed plenty. But you and I woke up this morning with the possibility of new opportunities. Today we can hear Paul’s words and do as he asks. Make the most of every opportunity.

 

God has taken me on a journey. My journey isn’t finished yet with SE Asia. And for that I’m thankful. I don’t want to stop being stretched until it’s time for me to see Jesus face to face. I pray that your worldview of Christians in SE Asia has changed just a bit too.

 

How can you make a difference? What can you do? Maybe you could send a card of encouragement to a missionary. Maybe you could send a gift. Maybe you could add them to your prayer time. Maybe you could open your heart now for God to prepare you to join me on the next service trip to SE Asia or another area of the world.

 

There are many ways you can make a difference. Be open to God’s leading. You never know how He will use you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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Just Plain Crazy!

January 22nd, 2013 dsisler

I have seen some crazy things on the roads of Colorado in the past few years. A few have had me scratching my head and saying, “How did that happen?”

 

For example, I saw a car on the median barriers. You know those large cement barriers. Like a teeter-totter. It was dangling, balanced as if a giant had come along and placed it strategically in that position. Now, how do you explain that to your spouse or your insurance company?

 

And then there was the time I saw a large moving van stopped along the highway. Smoke was streaming out the back end and flames were visible. The moving van was on fire! Again, how do you explain this situation to the people whose belongings have just burned up?

 

And last year with our dry, hot, windy weather here in Colorado, I passed by a wildfire on the highway. It was frightening as traffic passed the whipping flames not more than 10 feet from our cars. That was a memorable, yet crazy moment.

 

I’m sure if you took a moment to think about it you too, have seen some unusual happenings around you. Situations or scenes that seem very out of place and yes, even crazy.

 

I wonder if that isn’t how the local people of Jesus’ day reacted when He visited their villages. There were strange words spoken. There were strange and even crazy scenes witnessed. Jesus brought an entourage with Him that I suspect folks were leery of.

 

But the people were drawn to Jesus. They couldn’t help but sit and listen to His words. They were mesmerized by the miracles He performed. There was nearly always a crowd. But why do you suppose that is?

 

Although Jesus’ words and actions were unfamiliar to these people, His words and actions were filled with hope, love, acceptance, forgiveness, and honesty. They were exactly what they needed to hear. What they needed to see. Feel what they needed to feel.

 

As we read the accounts of Jesus’ interactions with others, we also might say something like “that’s crazy!” But to be honest, we are drawn to His words just as much as the villagers were 2,000 years ago. Because we too need the hope, love, acceptance, forgiveness and honesty that Jesus offers.

 

Crazy? Some may think so. But for me, to hear or read Jesus’ words in the Gospels fills my heart with joy. His words spoken all those years ago were spoken and recorded for me to read today. His words are just as relevant and meaningful today as they were then.

 

So as you continue through your day today, think of the craziness in your life. If you haven’t already done so, isn’t it time to give that craziness to Jesus? He would love to take it and make it into something beautiful and useful for His kingdom.

 

Just read what Jesus had to say about it. “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 – NIV)

 

It may sound crazy, but it isn’t. It’s rational. It’s reasonable. It’s sensible. If you’re looking for hope or love or acceptance or forgiveness or honesty, Jesus is your last stop on the searching train. He offers it all to you and me.

 

Today I pray that you will stop and listen to the words Jesus is speaking. They are for you.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

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  • About Me

  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

  • I am passionate about helping women find their way to Jesus through Bible study, teaching, speaking, inspirational writing and creative Bible journaling.

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    In September 2012 I went to SE Asia on a service trip. For more information, check out preachitclearly.blogspot.com.

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