Let's Meet with God

Francis Chan paced the stage at Passion 2015 in typical Francis style. He spoke of spending time with the Lord.  He shared about Moses going into the tent of the meeting in Exodus 33. The people would come out of their tent and watch Moses go to the tent of the meeting where Moses went to meet with God face to face like a man speaks to his friend (Ex 33:11). Francis talked about how rare and unusual it was for any man to meet with God, let alone in such a personal way.

What an awesome and precious thing. Not just anyone met with God. Yet, I have the opportunity to meet with God every day. Do I truly meet with Him?

Sure I sit down with my laptop to read my devotion. I finish reading but instead of talking to God, I get on Facebook to get my daily dose of communicating with people (without having to communicate with them). What is wrong with me??? When did anything become more important than meeting with God? When did my time with HIM become a box to check.

As Francis spoke, two gentlemen brought a camping tent onto the stage. Francis shared his heart for this generation to delight in spending time in the tent. To realize what a precious thing it is to meet with God. Seriously?! He is the God of the Universe! WHY would I not meet with Him?? Why would I not run to the tent every day.

I don’t have a good answer for you. It’s shameful I know.

I KNOW how to get in the Word. I KNOW how to pray to Him. But I allow OTHER THINGS to take up my life.

My life hasn’t always been this way. There have been seasons where I clung to Him with everything. I needed Him moment by moment. A season of sweetness hungering to be in the presence of Jesus.

As Francis spoke I felt God stir and flutter something in my heart. Something that was more than just a box to check. He gave me a desire to run to the tent and meet with Him. To speak with Him and delight in His presence. To once again have that sweet communion with the Father.

So let us draw near to the throne of God. Let us run to the tent of meeting with delight and expectation. Lord grow a great prompting in our hearts to meet with you.

Forgiveness the Key to Letting Go

Recently I have been struggling with forgiveness. There are ways I have been hurt or things that have been done to me that I just did not want to let go.

Maybe you are like me. As I sat down and looked at what God's Word said about forgiveness, God radically changed my perspective of what forgiveness is really all about! I encourage you to check out my latest blog for Transform Student Ministries to find out exactly what God showed me! 

It's Vital: How I Study the Bible

Sitting down on my bed, I pick up my Bible. I open it up and begin to search the Scriptures. I have questions and I need answers.

For the past 15 years I have been studying the same way. As a teenager I went to a camp where I learned how to study the Word of God. The tools I learned I began putting into practice as a college student. In college I began teaching the Bible for the first time. Now as an adult I continue to use the tools I learned as a 9th grader as I teach others how to study the same way.

When I began working with students 11 years ago I quickly realized how little they knew about the Bible. It appalled me that no one seemed to be doing anything about it. During this time the Lord grew in me a passion to teach the next generation how to study the Bible.

We don't Know God
Knowing the Bible is vital to any believers growth. You cannot know love God without knowing Him. You cannot follow God without knowing Him. To not know God is very dangerous, we see what happens in Judges when a generation rises up that does not know God. Unfortunately I see many in the next generation that are doing what is right in their own eyes.

We Too Easily Trust Man
There is another problem I see arising. That is the problem of trusting man's words over the Bible. The Internet and YouTube have given us countless preachers and pastors we can listen to and learn from. The problem lies when we only listen to these pastors and preachers and do not study the Word for ourselves.

So how do we then learn how to study the Bible for ourselves? I would like to introduce you to the way I study. It's not something I made up, so I cannot take any credit for any of these tools!

The Inductive Study Method
The way I study is called the Inductive Study Method. I first learned this attending a summer camp at Precept Ministries International. The premise of the this way of studying is that you learn directly from the Bible, not from reading books or commentaries and not from listening to a pastor talk about it on YouTube.

The Inductive Study Method is comprised of three easy steps: Observation, Interpretation, & Application.

Observation
Observation is the first step I use when studying. Observation is simply focusing on what does the Bible say. There are several tools we use when observing. The first is called reading with a purpose. Reading with a purpose is simply reading through a passage of scripture with intention and focus. It means as  I read I am asking myself questions and looking for the answers. I ask things like who is writing, who are they writing to, why are the writing, etc.

The next thing I do is I mark key words. Key words are repeated words or phrases that unlock the meaning of the text. Some easy key words I always mark: author or main character, recipient (who the author is writing to), God, Jesus, Holy Spirit.

Next, I make lists. Almost all of my lists are focused on my key words. I write down everything that I learn about that word.

There are other steps that help me observe scripture. I look for contrasts & comparisons, I look for terms of conclusion (word like therefore), and I mark time & geography. Once I have done all of these I start looking for themes. I might be looking for the theme of the entire book, a chapter, or a paragraph. Sometimes the writer will tell me why the book the written, but other times I use what I have observed to determine the theme. Most often this is determined by the key words I marked & listed.

Interpretation
Interpretation is the next step I use when studying the Bible. Please note, proper interpretation can only happen when we properly observe scripture. Interpretation is focusing on what the Bible says. There are two phrases I want you to remember with interpretation: context is King & scripture best interprets scripture.

Context is King because it rules in interpretation. I develop context when I intentionally observe the text and take the entire book and it's theme into consideration as I study.

Scripture interprets scripture is something called a cross reference. A cross reference is when I look at another place in scripture that talks about the same idea or key word in the book I am studying.

Along with context and cross references, word studies are important when determining what the Bible means. Word studies are one of my favorite parts of Bible study. A word study is when I look up the Greek or Hebrew definition of a word. You see we don't realize it, but we often come to scripture with a modern day perspective or connotation of a word. Word studies help us understand what the words means instead of thinking we already know what it means. The easiest way to do a word study is with Blue Letter Bible. They have great tutorials that will show you how to do a word study!

Application
After I have learned what the Bible says and what it means, then I must turn inward and consider how it applies to me. Application happens when I allow what I learn in the Bible to change the way I believe  or how I live my life. Ultimately, application is the purpose of Bible study. I always want to finish my time studying with asking "What does this mean for me?" "How should this truth change the way I live my life?"

So there you have it. This is how I have been studying the Bible for the last 15 years. I pray that it encourages you to pick up your Bible and study it for yourself. I encourage you to check out what Precept is doing and pick up one of their Bible study books.

Feed Yourself

I love food and I love to cook. I am not one of those girls who doesn't eat. In fact I get cranky if I don't eat regularly. And trust me, you don't want it to get to that point. I am positive that I am not alone in this. 

However, when it comes to the Word of God most of us are anorexic. Most of us do not even realize how little we spend in the Word. As believers it is crucial that we feed ourselves spiritually. The only food that satisfies is the living and active Word of God.

So, why should we care? Why does it matter if we are feeding ourselves spiritually?

It Matters in the Day to Day

Whether or not I am in the Word affects me each day. Getting into the Word each morning sets my mind on spiritual things. It prepares my mind for the day. It directs my heart toward the Lord. The days I don't start in the Word are different and not for the better. I have learned over time that being in the Word daily is crucial. 

Fill Up to Pour Out

As a spiritual leader, how can I expect to take someone anywhere I have not been myself. As a leader I want to take people to the Word. But if I am not in the Word myself, I have nothing to offer those I lead. I need to be intentional to fill up on the Word so I can pour it out to others. As a leader it is easy for be to be drained and daily time in the Word encourages me and revives me so I can continue to lead those around me. Psalms 119:107 encourages us toward this, it says "I am exceedingly afflicted; Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word." 

Reading vs. Studying

Please note that there is a difference between just reading and studying the Word of God. Reading can be done by anyone. Reading is often mindless and short. Studying takes time. It involves digging into the Word. When I just read something I can easily walk away without really learning anything. Studying allows God's Word to be written on my heart. 2 Tim 2:15 calls us to "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth." I encourage you to consider whether or not you are a workman who does not need to be ashamed. Are you accurately handling the Word of God?

Duty vs. Delight

I ask you to consider your time in the Word. Why do you do it? Are you spending time in the Word because you know you should (or someone told you to), or because you have a desire for it? When I first started studying it was more out of duty. I knew that was something that Christians were supposed to do, so I did my best to try. I was looking more to check something off my "Being a Good Christian List" than I was concerned about truly knowing Jesus and spending time at His feet.  Psalms 119:16 calls us to something greater than our "Good Christian" list. It says "I shall delight in Your statutes; I shall not forget Your word." So consider, do you see the Word as a duty or a delight?

It Guides Us

The Bible is a crucial guide in our life. Psalm 119:105 tells us "Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path." The Bible guides and shapes it. God uses it to transform us from the inside out. Studying the Bible is how baby believers become mature Christians. I often tell my girls that you don't become a mature believer through osmosis, you have to actually spend time in the Word to know it and for it to transform you. Have you considered if you are allowing God's Word to guide you?

It Brings Sanctification
The Bible is the only thing that can bring about our sanctification. When Jesus prays in John 17:17 He says "Sanctify them in truth, Your word is truth." Sanctification is to be set apart or made holy. Holiness is something God calls every believer to holiness (1 Peter 1:15-16). Holiness can only be achieved through the Word of God. It is not something I do myself, but something God does through me in His Word. 

I ask you to look at your daily walk. I ask you to consider the importance of personal Bible Study in your life. I pray that you will see that the Word is as crucial in your life as food is to your body and in turn you will seek to feed yourself!!

To read more posts I have written on Bible Study follow the links below:

Do you Really Know Him?

Resolve to Be Accountable

Never Be the Same