Category: Featured Articles

Bro. David Price has been a church planter in France for many years now. We appreciate his wisdom and the thoughts he has shared in the article below on the vital importance of The Church Planter and His Character.

Introduction

Church planting is one of the most challenging, exhilarating, disappointing, and consuming ministries that God can call one of His servants to accomplish. Although I cannot imagine being a part of any other ministry that places such rigorous demands on God’s servant, the challenge is so fulfilling because of God’s leading. The church planter is on the front line, accomplishing God’s plan for this age of grace. Charles Ryrie said it best:
“The importance of the church can scarcely be overstated. It is that which God purchased with the blood of His own Son (Acts 20:28). It is that which Christ loves, nourishes, and cherishes (Eph. 5:25, 29), and which He shall present to Himself blameless in all her glory one day (v. 27). Building His church constitutes Christ’s principal work in the world today (Matt. 16:18).”

Church planting is the direct accomplishment of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; Acts 1:8), making disciples by going, baptizing, and teaching. God’s servant must remember that all other types of ministries should help to accomplish God’s primary goal and purpose–church planting. The world has a great need for a vibrant church that is evangelistic, Christocentric, dynamic, and engaged in society to reproduce itself. Through this type of church, the Gospel of Jesus Christ reaches the lost, bringing them to a saving knowledge of the Savior. The question to ask is what are the requisite qualities of a church planter involved in this type of church?

The Church Planter and His Character

The Lord calls exceptional men to be church planters. The demands of a church-planting ministry are so great that only those with exceptional character and godly qualities will accomplish this great endeavor. In addition to the qualifications found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus, three character qualities should be present in the church planter’s life: (1) spiritual maturity, (2) learning capacity, and (3) vision.

One area that is of utmost importance is spiritual maturity. The church planter must exemplify maturity in his:
Perseverance
Emotional stability
Marital and family health
Prayer life

The church planter must persevere when there seems to be no fruit (Colossians 1:11-12). He must understand that if God has called him, He will bring fruit in due season if the church planter remains faithful. The church planter must also reveal spiritual maturity in his emotional stability (Proverbs 25:28, 12:16). Through disappointments and even failures, he must remember that God is faithful. The church planter must have his emotions based on the things of the Lord and not the circumstances that are before him. This stability will also play an important role in the church planter’s marriage (1 Timothy 5:8; Proverbs 11:29). Simply put, the church planter must have a marriage that those around him envy. He must be 100% devoted to his wife and family, who are his greatest and first ministry.

These three aspects of the church planter’s spiritual character will only be possible if he has a prayer life that reveals an intimate, daily walk with God (1 Chronicles 16:11). The importance of this foundational truth is impossible to express. Prayer makes or breaks the church planter and his ministry.
Another aspect of the character of the church planter is his ability to be a good student. He must be a student of not only God’s Word but also the culture in which he is serving. Charles-Daniel Maire defines culture as “…everything which, through education, passes from one generation to the next, leaving a footprint that expresses the identity of a human being and allows him to recognize himself as a member of the group to which he belongs by birth or by choice.”

Church planting and especially cross-cultural church planting requires men who adapt to the culture within which they serve whether they are in West Virginia or in Europe. A key element to being successful in soul winning is understanding the person in his cultural context and overcoming cultural barriers to share the gospel. The apostle Paul clearly explains this principle in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23. This principle of studying is also seen in language acquisition on the foreign mission field. Many times, foreign church planters, in their zeal, rush and do not effectively learn the language. Without proper language skills, the most important message cannot be communicated effectively, often resulting in the national’s rejection of the message.
The last element of the church planter’s character that is of utmost importance is vision (Psalm 5:3). A vision for the ministry will cause the church planter to be unsatisfied with the status quo and put all of the effort possible on God’s program instead of man’s. A vision will also unite the church plant around one objective using its energy to attain that goal. A byproduct is that much of the discord that may exist in a church will often disappear if everyone is striving to reach the same goal. Vision also gives a purpose for every single activity, from cleaning the bathrooms to teaching a Sunday school class.

Conclusion

The importance of church planting cannot be overemphasized. The church planter’s character also cannot be overemphasized. God needs exceptional men through whom His plan for this age of grace will be accomplished. The result will be a church that is evangelistic, Christocentric, dynamic, and engaged in society able to reproduce itself.

If this has been a blessing to you or you would like to share your thoughts with Bro. Price, you can contact him via email here.

By Dr. Eric Franks

I cannot speak to others, unless God speaks to me.
I cannot teach others, unless I myself am taught of God.
I cannot lead others into holiness, until holiness becomes me.
I cannot make others love the Word, until His Word is my daily bread.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot love others until I realize God’s love to me.
I cannot make others love their enemies, until enmity ceases in me.
I cannot make others to forgive until a vessel of mercy I first trust.
I cannot make others reverent with Christ, until the alabaster has broken on me.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot make others to sacrifice, until I myself become a sacrifice.
I cannot help those that suffer until I myself suffer for Christ.
I cannot ask others to give, until with me is left nothing more to give.
I cannot make others unselfish, until I myself am poured out like Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot make other soldiers of Christ until scars of battle I reflect.
I cannot make others give up their treasures, until my only treasure is Christ.
I cannot make others cease from self, until I cease from my own conceit.
I cannot make others labour, until I am faint yet pursuing for Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot make others meek, until my own self-will I desert.
I cannot make others thankful, until my own unworthiness I confess.
I cannot make others humble, until to God’s sovereignty I first submit.
I cannot induce true values in others, until eternal values I possess.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot make others think Scripture-sense until I cease from my own common sense.
I cannot make others spiritual, until in me, fruits of the Spirit ripen.
I cannot make others trustworthy, until my own suspicions I forsake.
I cannot make others sing with praise, until I myself sing out with broken heart.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot break others, until I myself am broken by God.
I cannot help shipwrecked ones, until I myself on Christ am shipwrecked.
I cannot get others to repent until I myself have changed my mind.
I cannot make others dead to the world, until I myself am from this world freed.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

I cannot make others Christ-like unless I myself am like Christ.
I cannot make others close to Christ until my only love is Christ.
I cannot make others conscious of Christ until I myself consciously reflect Christ.
I cannot make others devoted to Christ until my passion is only Christ.
O God, deal more in me than through me!

In Titus 2:1, Paul instructs, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” Theology is the foundation of our faith. Throughout this year, we will be sharing some articles with you that have been penned by our board members. A few of them have taken much time to research and write about an area of systematic theology. We hope this will be an encouragement to your faith. This month, Bro. Gene Krachenfels has written an article on Anthropology–The Doctrine of Man.

Just a few minutes into a conversation one can tell a great deal about a person’s outlook on life and eternity. The difference between a Biblical and secular worldview is significant and few subjects bear a greater difference than that of Anthropology or the study of man. As believers, we are grateful to find God’s Word gives ample instruction as to our origin, nature, condition, and remedy.

The Creation of Man

Genesis 1:26-27 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

True saints of God accept the Genesis account of creation, which includes the origin of mankind, as literal. God in His wisdom chose to establish man as the pinnacle of His creation. Our chief purpose was that we might worship God in the beauty of His holiness and keep His commandments (Psalm 29:2; Ecclesiastes 12:13). We were created unlike any other being in that we were made with a natural and moral likeness to God which involves our self-awareness in relation to God and this world. Everyone is born with the inherent knowledge that there is a God, there is a difference between right and wrong, and that we are accountable to Him (John 1:9; Romans 1:18, 19; 14:12). This truth is evidenced on a daily basis in the thoughts, words, and deeds of every person who has ever lived.

The Fall of Man

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Though Adam, the father of the human race, was created an eternal being with a holy nature, he was susceptible to temptation. This is evidenced when he, by his own choice, disobeyed God’s divine command and ate fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. This singular act brought about his being expelled from the Garden of Eden and plunged the entire human race into sin (Genesis 3:22-24; Romans 5:12). This in no way implies, as some inaccurately claim, that God is the author of sin, as sin was already in existence with the presence of Satan in the Garden.

The Death of Man

Genesis 2:16-17 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

When considering the Biblical account of Adam’s fall and the resulting curse, there is some confusion about the death of which God spoke. It is obvious Adam did not experience physical death at the time of his disobedience. In Genesis 5:5 we read Adam was nine hundred and thirty years old when he died. This fact in no way invalidates God’s very clear declaration of judgment to Adam and Eve for violating His command. The death of which God forewarned Adam was spiritual death. Simply put, death means separation. Physical death is physical separation from this world, spiritual death is spiritual separation from God, and eternal death (also referred to as the second death, Revelation 20:14) is eternal separation from God. When Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating of the forbidden fruit, their fellowship was broken as illustrated by their attempt to clothe themselves and to hide from the presence of God. It was at that point they died, being separated from God spiritually, and thus experienced the death He warned them about. This is the state of every person born into the world since that time: alienated from God, hopelessly lost, and in bondage to sin. However, we are grateful the story of man’s fate doesn’t end there.

The Hope of Man

1 Timothy 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

Because everyone is born a sinner we are all in need of a Saviour. Despite one’s fallen condition, no one need suffer eternal separation from God. The Good News for all, whatever their sinful condition, is that the Lord has provided a means by which anyone may obtain forgiveness for their sin. God’s plan for the redemption of lost mankind is through His Son (John 14:6), therefore God has commanded His saints to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature (Mark 16:15). The only hope of eternal life for anyone, wherever they may be in the world, is to acknowledge their lost condition, repent of their sin, and receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour (Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9, 10). This does not eliminate (or eradicate) the Adamic or fallen nature of man, as some claim, but as new creature’s in Christ we can have victory over sin through Him (II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:12-18). A lost world needs to hear of the Living Saviour. More details on the topics of Sin, Salvation, the Savior, and Sanctification are covered under other doctrinal studies.

If this has been a blessing to you or you would like to share your thoughts with Bro. Krachenfels, you can contact him via email here.

In Titus 2:1, Paul instructs, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” Theology is the foundation of our faith. Throughout this year, we will be sharing some articles with you that have been penned by our board members. A few of them have taken much time to research and write about an area of systematic theology. We hope this will be an encouragement to your faith. This month, Bro. Fred Daniel, Jr. has written an article on Christology–The Doctrine of Christ.

Hebrews 6:1–2 — Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

The angel said to the shepherds, “Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.” The very object for which He was born, and came into this world, was that He might deliver us from sin. What, then, was it that made us afraid? Were we not afraid of God, because we felt that we were lost through sin? Well, then, here is joy upon joy, for not only has the Lord come among us as a man, but He was made man in order that He might save man from that which separated him from God. (1) 

From Creation through Revelation, Christ is The Theme of Scripture! He is “The Word made flesh,” the embodied reality of the Written Word.

I. He is The Chosen of God – in Him we have the very Best God had to offer for us for salvation, daily life and eternity.
II. He is the Son of God – Jesus brings to the table His Divinity, which will assure us of God’s presence, peace and omniscience. He is The Son of The Living God.
III. He is a man – not just any man, He is God Incarnate. He identifies clearly with us in our humanity.
IV. He is The Lord – He has rule, authority and control over everything. He is now, and will be in eternity, the Lord of Glory. He is our Master.
V. He is The Power of God – He can do whatever is necessary to fulfill the will and purpose of God the Father. He is our Advocate, seeking our best at the right hand of God The Father.
VI. He is The Foundation – He is The Sure Basis of all the Bible teaches, of all we need spiritually.
VII. He is the Chief Cornerstone – He sets the standard upon which the Apostles laid the foundation of the Church. He is The Rock.
VIII. He is The Saviour of the World – there is no other.
IX. He is The Bread of Life – He provides the spiritual food for salvation and sanctification.
X. He is The Giver of Light – He shows the way to salvation and to successful Christian living.
XI. He is The Lamb of God – He is the perfect, one-time, all-sufficient Sacrifice for the sin of all humanity. He is the only Sacrifice for sin!
XII. He is the Reconciler of men – He is the only way for men to be made right and at peace with The Holy God.
XIII. He is The Purger of consciences – He gives peace to those who believe so that they are not condemned by their own knowledge of their wicked past.
XIV. He is The Head of The Church – He leads believers corporately to accomplish the Father’s will on earth.
XV. He is The Hope of Glory – He not only guides, protects and strengthens us on earth, but He is our Blessed Hope for our eternity with God.
XVI. He is The Firstfruits of The Resurrection – He was able to raise Himself from the grave; therefore, He is certainly capable to raise deceased believers’ bodies and rapture them along with living believers on that great day!
XVII. He is The Judge – our salvation and our works are known to Him. He will reward us at the Judgement Seat with mercy and grace.

Christology is the beginning point in a believer’s life. As ministers of the Gospel, we must baptize men in this important doctrine; we must thoroughly ground them in Who He, The Messiah, is. Christology is a foundation, a foundation that is laid once. Upon this foundation men must move on and build the Christian life for this dispensation, for a temporary time in heaven, for the Millennial Age, and, ultimately, for the Eternal Age on the New Earth. Christ is, and will be, our Hope and Stay forever.

If men are to understand the fullness of all God has for them as believers, we must make certain they are solidly immersed in Christology!

No aristocratic Christ have I to commend to you, but the Saviour of the people, the Friend of publicans and sinners. Jesus is the true “poor man’s Friend;” He is “a Witness to the people, a Leader and Commander to the people.” Oh, that each one of us might truly say, “Unto me is Jesus born”! If I truly believe in Him, Christ is born unto me, and I may be as sure of it as if an angel announced it personally to me, since the Scripture assures me that, if I believe in Jesus, He is mine, and I am His, and through union with Him I become a partaker in His everlasting life, and in all that He has. (2)

Pastor Fred T. Daniel, Jr.
Brookhaven Baptist Church
Greensboro, NC

If this has been a blessing to you or you would like to share your thoughts with Bro. Daniel, you can contact him via email here.

Citations:

(1)  Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). Christ’s Incarnation: The foundation of Christianity (p. 25). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

(2)  Spurgeon, C. H. (2009). Christ’s Incarnation: The foundation of Christianity (p. 32). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.

 

In Titus 2:1, Paul instructs, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” Theology is the foundation of our faith. Throughout this year, we will be sharing some articles with you that have been penned by our board members. A few of them have taken much time to research and write about an area of systematic theology. We hope this will be an encouragement to your faith. This month, Bro. Tim Daniel has written an article on Ecclesiology–The Doctrine of the Church.

But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. 1 Timothy 3:15-16

The church is a group of believers called out of the world to go back into the world to sound forth the gospel message of the living God. Everyone in the local church must be functioning and behaving according to God’s truth for world evangelism to successfully take place. The pastor and deacons must be serving God according to His Word. The pastor also must be administering the ordinances of the church for the church to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Baptism is the announcement of a new believer and disciple in the church, and the Lord’s Supper is an opportunity to remind believers of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. These two ordinances bring new life and revived life to the church. The church must be faithful to tithe and give sacrificially for the work at home and abroad to succeed. As the Word of God is entrusted to others in the local church, it will grow and equip the pastors, evangelists, missionaries, and church members needed to carry on the work of world evangelism.

The Church witnesses the truth of the living God in the world.

The church of the living God is the God-ordained organization to witness the Gospel message around the world (Matthew 28:18-20). The church is the “pillar and ground” of the truth of the living God in the world. Jesus promised, “I will build my church” (Matt. 16:17) and He is still doing so! The stewardship of the Word of God by the church will directly influence the building and witness of the church! Whether it is around the corner or around the world, the church is the God-ordained organization to build evangelistic outreach. Other organizations are involved in missions, but the God-ordained institution is the local church. In Acts 13:2-3, the local church at Antioch under the leadership of the Holy Spirit commissioned and sent Barnabas and Paul out as missionaries. They were then accountable to that church for their missionary work. This same process of the church witnessing in the world must be distinctly maintained today! Unless the local church wisely operates according to the truth of the Word of God world evangelism will die!

The Church worships the truth of the living God in the world.

It is through the biblical worship of the living God in the church that world evangelism will be reinforced and expanded. The Word must be preached and practiced to regenerate new life and new service for God. The church is the “pillar” of truth, a place of heralding forth the Word of truth! It is not an entertainment center, social club, theater, or recreational facility. Its main business is the preaching, preservation, and practice of the truth. Worshiping God according to truth produces a continuous cycle of more evangelism, more sanctification, more edification and more equipping (Acts 15:33, 2 Timothy 2:2). Worship builds the church and its missions outreach! Proper worship in the church of the living God produces more and more world evangelism! In order to maintain and move forward in world evangelism, there must be a strong determination to plant more local churches! The more people who properly worship God in spirit and truth, the more warriors will be produced and prepared for spreading the Gospel around the world. Worship in the local church and world evangelism work hand in hand.

The Church wars for the truth of the living God in the world.

The church of the living God is a group of believers who earnestly contend for the truth of God (Jude 3). They will advance against the enemy and false doctrine to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ all around the world (2 Timothy 2:3-4). The world is a war zone for believers! The church of the living God is the “ground” or “foundation” of truth that propels missionaries into the regions beyond. Everything done in the name of the living God must be built on the foundation of truth, which is the Word of God. The church is the source of the called-out warriors to advance with the truth around the world. Therefore, the local church evangelizes, educates, edifies, and equips people to advance the cause of Christ throughout the earth! Without the power of the Holy Spirit in the local church, true world evangelism will be defeated by false religions and God’s enemies!

Without an institution that is functioning well and is identified as the ground and pillar of truth, biblical missions will cease to exist. Thank God, that institution God established for the work of world evangelism is the church. Missions cannot operate biblically or successfully apart from the pillar and ground of truth, which is the church of the living God. May God raise up more pastors who will preach with the power of Holy Spirit! May God enable us to preserve the truth in our generation and behave biblically as we practice this truth in the local church! Truth will triumph in the church, and truth will triumph in world evangelism. The church must continue to function as the pillar and ground of truth! World evangelism will progress proportionately as the truth of the living God is preached and preserved in the local church.

Pastor Tim Daniel
New Testament Baptist Church
Kinston, NC

If this has been a blessing to you or you would like to share your thoughts with Bro. Tim Daniel, you can contact him via email here.

For the next few months, Bro. John O’Malley will be sharing with us from his book, Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles. We know that everyone can use some encouragement to stay in the Word of God on a daily basis, and we hope these articles will be a blessing to you in your walk with the Lord.

The Obstacle of Application–I do not know how to apply Scripture to my life.

Last month, we began looking at Bible study methods to aid you in overcoming the Obstacle of Application. To review the EXAMINE method, click here. This month, we will look at two more methods to help overcome this obstacle: the PRAY method and the Your Best Devotions Ever method.

Like the EXAMINE Bible study method, the PRAY Bible study method is an acrostic. This Bible study method is simple to complete. It places focus on a short passage. This method engages both the mind and heart to find the application of a passage as you examine what is there. I developed this method to help me. I hope it helps you.

Choose one short passage or a specific verse in which you want to discover its application. I find it difficult to do very many verses. I like to find the paragraph beginning and ending and narrow it down to the verse which I would like to discover its application.

P – Pray. I know it seems obvious to say, but pray!

• Ask the Author of the greatest Book of all time to help you discover what He has for you.
• Ask Him for wisdom to understand what is preserved for you in His Word.
• Ask Him for knowledge to learn what He placed in His Word for you.
• Ask Him for His power to discern what He inspired men to write.
• Ask Him for His lesson for you from this passage.

R – Read the passage or verse.

• Read silently five times.
• 
Read deliberately and pause at every punctuation mark.
• Read the passage or verse aloud at least once.
• Read it to hear it. If you prefer, use an audio Bible to listen to that verse being read.

A – Ask yourself these questions:

• Who: Who is doing the speaking? Or to whom is the verse addressed?
• What: What precept, principle, promise, or practice is being expressed?
• When: When is the action in this verse to be taken? Is there a condition or context mentioned?
• Where: Are there places mentioned? Make note of what else happened in the same place in Scripture.
• Why: Why did the subject of the passage or verse need to hear the message delivered? Why do you need to know what is here?
• How: If this was the only thing you ever read in the Bible, how would you change your life because of its message?

Y – Yield yourself to Him.

• Are you submitted to obey His Word? All of it? Every word of it?
• Are you sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s conviction in this passage?
• How does this passage call you to draw closer to Him because you read it?

Lastly, you may find the Your Best Devotions Ever Bible Study Method helpful.

Your Best Devotions Ever Bible study method uses five prompts to help you have the Best Devotions Ever. While the title is ambitious, once you do it a few times, you will see how helpful it is. I began using this method when I was a very young. My father gave me the essence of it. I have modified it over the last forty years. I gave the method a name, but at its core, it is unchanged.

You can use index cards or an index card app. You also could add notes to your digital Bible app or your digital journal app. I encourage you to review the index card at least four times in twenty-four hours. Save your cards as you will enjoy them for years to come.

5 Steps to Your Best Devotions Ever
Passage Read:
Date:

• Write a simple, deep, or catchy title for this passage.
• What is the best phrase or verse that supports your choice for a title?
• What verse challenges you the most?
• Write out a one-sentence prayer that requests God’s help for the above challenge.
• What can you do today that will show you have applied this passage to your life?

While I can show you steps to take and methods to follow, you will need to develop your own set of skills. Do not put too much pressure on yourself. Take your time. If it takes you two days to fill out one of the methods, it is fine. Get a win for yourself by completing one method. Try doing one method for a week. Then try one of the other two methods in this section, which are designed to assist with Bible application, for a week. You will gravitate to one more than another.

My goal is to give you the tools to overcome the Obstacle of Application. When you get stuck, review the three Bible study methods to assist with applying Scripture.

If these thoughts have been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know. If you’d like to purchase the entire Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles book in PDF, Kindle, or iBooks format, click here.

For the next few months, Bro. John O’Malley will be sharing with us from his book, Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles. We know that everyone can use some encouragement to stay in the Word of God on a daily basis, and we hope these articles will be a blessing to you in your walk with the Lord.

The Obstacle of Application–I do not know how to apply Scripture to my life.

I know what it is like to struggle with applying Scripture. You begin to feel inadequate and eventually want to stop reading your Bible. You are not alone. I am right there with you; I know this struggle.

Applying Scripture to your life is what brings the Word of God to life. It takes you from drifting and wondering to life engaged with the Bible. I love when I get the sense of the verse and can relate it to someone else. I tend to preach and write as I understand a verse or passage of Scripture.

You can learn to apply any passage to your life with three Bible study methods I personally use in my life. Each of the three methods is designed to take you from personal frustration with your Bible reading to a place where applying the Bible comes naturally. I want you to learn to inspect a passage and determine what God is saying to you. First, we will look at the EXAMINE study method to help you with applying the truth of God’s Word to your life. The EXAMINE Bible study method is what I use when I struggle with applying what I read in the Bible. The word EXAMINE is an acrostic.

This Bible study method is simple and engages both my mind and heart to find the application of a passage as I examine what is there. I developed this method to help me. I hope it helps you. The EXAMINE Bible Study method helps us cut a straight road (the Biblical words–“rightly divide”) through the passage. We do not want to get side-tracked with other things until we figure out what does this passage or verse mean and then how does it apply to me?

To examine something means check every detail of something in order to gain some information. This method is more for verse studies than it is for chapter studies. You may not have an answer for every point of this method. The first time may be hard for you but push through. If you would like help, email or call me, and I will help you through it.

E – Evaluate the context of the verse. Look at the verse in relation to its surrounding verses. What is being said in the five verses before and after? How does the context prepare or conclude the way for the verse you are studying? The sentence you write should start with “The verses before and after are teaching _________.”

X – X-Ray the contents of this passage or verse. Look intensely at the structure of the verse. (Structure means the phrases, clauses, and marks of punctuation. Does the verse have questions? Commands? Principles? Precepts? Promises?) Look at every clause and phrase marked with its punctuation. What do the words mean in their usual definition? What do this passage or verse’s meanings say to you? The sentence you write should start with “The structure of this verse contains _________.”

A – Analyze the passage or verse for any commandments. Look for any command to obey. A commandment is something we are to do. Look for words like say, do, go, be, or must. Ask yourself, “What should I do as a result of reading this passage or verse?” The sentence you write should start with “I will follow God’s command to _________.”

M – Meditate on the comforts of this passage or verse. List the comforts of this passage or verse. A comfort is something that touches your spirit. It is the emotion tied to the truth presented. What comforts do you find in this passage or verse? The sentence you write should start with “God comforts His children with _________.”

I – Investigate the cause of this passage or verse. Why would God choose to include all of the words in this passage or verse in the Bible? What did someone do or miss in their life that prompted the Holy Spirit to inspire the human author to pen these words? Now, look at your life. Does the same condition apply that prompted the passage or verse to be included in Scripture? The sentence you write should start with “God included this verse to help me to _________.”

N – Note your convictions from this passage or verse. By convictions, I mean list what you believe as a result of studying this passage or verse. What is this passage or verse teaching you to do? The sentence you write should start with “Because this verse is in the Bible, I must _________.“

E – Examine your own comments of this passage or verse. Review all that you have written about this passage and write a summary sentence. The sentence you write should start with “Today, because I have studied this passage or verse, I will _________.”

Next month, I will share the PRAY Method and the Best Devotions Ever method. My prayer is that you will begin 2018 with a renewed zeal for studying and applying the Bible.

If these thoughts have been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know. If you’d like to purchase the entire Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles book in PDF, Kindle, or iBooks format, click here.

For the next few months, Bro. John O’Malley will be sharing with us from his book, Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles. We know that everyone can use some encouragement to stay in the Word of God on a daily basis, and we hope these articles will be a blessing to you in your walk with the Lord.

The Obstacle of Recollection—I wish I could remember my Devotions thirty minutes later. I tried. I failed. It makes me feel the negative emotions of guilt and sadness.

Jesus spoke of the Word of God as a seed being sown by a sower (Luke 8:5-8). The sower goes out to sow seeds. He casts the same seed on different types of soil. The way Jesus explained it, sometimes the seed hits land that is not ready for growth. He spoke of opponents and obstacles to the seed taking root. Jesus speaks of this to illustrate the Word of God going forth and taking hold in the hearts of men.

I do not like the days when I read and forget what I read thirty minutes later. To me, it is like the birds in the parable Jesus told; they come and take the seed of what I read. Then, as if I needed more guilt to carry around, I end up feeling sorry. I let the seed get snatched from my mind. I was not intentional in my thoughts on His Word.

If this happens, I refer to this axiom: read less to remember more.

When I want to remember what I read more than thirty minutes from now, I follow these tips to engage my spiritual senses:

Tip #1: Engage the spiritual sense of sight–the physical Bible or digital Bible you use for Devotions.

Growing up, I remember hearing people speaking about knowing where a verse was on the page. They would make marks in their favorite Bible. Some people like to underline or put a distinctive mark on the passage.
If you are comfortable with doing so, make marks in your Bible with pens or highlighters. Use specific colors for specific things. You could use:

• Purple–when God is mentioned.
• Pink–when women are mentioned.
• Red–when love, mercy, grace, and compassion are mentioned.
• Green–when spiritual growth is mentioned.
• Yellow–when prayer, praise, worship, and heaven are mentioned.
• Blue–when commands and instructions are mentioned.
• Orange–when history is mentioned.
• Grey–when death, sin, hell, and Satan are mentioned.

If you use a digital Bible, you could save your highlights so that they appear in the text. This way of reading your Bible engages your sight which can aid remembering what you read later in the day.

You could also choose, if you are privileged to own more than one Bible, to have a Bible that you use only for reading your Devotions. I prefer a paragraph-based Bible for this type reading if I must use a bound Bible.

Tip #2: Engage the spiritual sense of hearing.

Use an audio Bible:
You could listen to the Bible being read aloud by someone. I know some who holds their Bible open to the passage as the narrator reads it. When you use an audio Bible, it activates three senses: touch, hearing, and sight. Occasionally, I use an audio Bible for my reading to help me connect with His words more. I will also listen to the Bible just for something to listen to while driving, walking, or thinking. I use an audio Bible to help me learn how to pronounce the words. There are excellent recordings of the Bible available. You may have a commute for work and would find this mode of Bible reading helpful.

Reading aloud: You could engage the sense of hearing by reading the Bible aloud. Select your passage and read it aloud. Reading the Bible aloud helps me stay focused like few other things. Yes, it can be weird to do, but it works. Besides, being normal is over-rated! If you are at home when you read, gather your children and read to them. If you and your spouse are alone, read aloud to each other. If you are in a coffee shop, sit outside and read aloud. Engage the sense of hearing when you read to have a memorable reading time.

Tip #3: Engage the spiritual sense of touch.

Your Bible: 
I love the feel of a leather Bible. I love to caress the leather. I like the feel of the Bible’s paper. Holding your Bible while you read engages the sense of touch. It is direct contact with God through His preserved words for you. You are in touch with God. Treat it carefully and respectfully.
You may enjoy taking colored pencils and illuminating your Bible with colors.

Your Bible app: 
The Bible is God’s Word whether it is displayed on a hand-held screen, projected by a projector onto the wall, or on your computer monitor. When you open your Bible app, turn off your notifications if you can and totally engage your mind and hands in the app. You are touching the very words of God. It is not in a museum case or an artifact. It is in your hands; treat it carefully.

Your 3×5 cards: 
I love using 3×5 cards. I enjoy writing ideas, tasks, and thoughts on them. When memorizing Scripture, copy verses onto these cards to help you to meditate, learn, and reflect.

Your notebook:
 I have a personal project I am working on that involves writing with a fountain pen and paper. I practice my handwriting (which needs practice) by copying Scripture from my Bible to paper. This simple act puts me in touch with God’s Word.

Tip #4: Engage the spiritual sense of taste.

Throughout Scripture, God engages the senses through taste. He gave His people manna to taste. He uses the word “taste” figuratively to convey the Word of God is like bread, honey, water, and sweetness. Engaging this sense in Bible reading requires intentional thought. It is taking the words you read and savoring their flavor in your life. Sometimes the Word of God is referred to as bitter taste. Develop taste buds for the Word of God and your taste buds for the world will diminish.

Tip #5: Engage the spiritual sense of smell.

God gave us the sense of smell. Have you considered how important smell is to God? He fills His courts with fragrance. Our praise is a fragrance to Him. Our offerings have a scent to Him. Our sacrifices are a fragrance to Him.

When you read His words, do you catch a fragrance of Him? Your reading of His Word brings you into His presence, and this worship has a fragrance that is pleasant to Him.

If these thoughts have been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know. If you’d like to purchase the entire Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles book in PDF, Kindle, or iBooks format, click here.

For the next few months, Bro. John O’Malley will be sharing with us from his book, Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles. We know that everyone can use some encouragement to stay in the Word of God on a daily basis, and we hope these articles will be a blessing to you in your walk with the Lord.

The Obstacle of Comprehension—I just do not know how to get anything out of my Bible reading.

When it comes to your Bible reading and devotional time, you get to the moment where you will meet God for the day. You open and read your Bible, and suddenly you are seeing a familiar setting (Bible open) with clear markers (books of the Bible, chapters, and verses). However, the moment you start to read the words, you realize you do not understand what is happening in the passage. When you finish reading your assigned Bible reading, you walk away without getting anything out of your time with God’s Word. It is frustrating when this happens, but Bible reading and Devotions do not have to be this way. This scenario is not what the experience is supposed to be for the believer.

When I am in a place of not knowing or getting anything out of my reservation with God, I know it is not Him. I know it is not His Word. So I feel guilty that I am not getting anything out of the Bible. Here I am a preacher, and sometimes even I feel that way.

The tips below to Overcome the Obstacle of Comprehension are what I use when I feel like I am not understanding or getting anything from my time in the Word of God.

Tip #1: Write these statements on a 3×5 card.
Put the card in your Bible or near your devotional book. Copy the words to your reading device and read them aloud before and after your quiet time.

I read the Bible to feel better, not worse.
I read the Bible to grow in grace, not in guilt.
I read the Bible to get to know the Author.
I read the Bible to become who God needs me to be for His glory.
I read the Bible not to impress others.
I read the Bible for God to make an impression on me.

Tip #2: Rest before reading.
The days I feel this way I look at my sleep schedule and consider, did I prepare for my reservation with God this morning by getting proper rest? As kids, our parents would say to us, “Get some rest! Tomorrow is a big day.” For the believer, each tomorrow is a big day. Each day I have a reservation with God. I will meet Him; He will speak to me, and I will talk to Him.

I know for many it is easy to recommend waking up earlier. That is fine if you are a morning person. Sometimes I feel like my “later at night” and my “earlier in the morning” will meet and there will be no more sleep.
You may be in a season of unrest. Your nights are filled with restlessness and thoughts of what might be coming next in your life. God works third shift. He never sleeps.

There have been many nights when I prayed the following based on thoughts of Psalm 127:
Dear Lord,
Your Word tells me you give Your children sleep. I know I am Your child. Please help my mind and body to get in sync to get some sleep. Will You please grant me sleep?
Until sleep comes, lay upon my heart someone for whom I should be praying right now.
Lord, if You chose to awake me at this hour to have me listen to You from Your Word, please speak to my heart.
Help me to have the strength I need for tomorrow.
Amen.

Tip #3: Remove distractions before reading.
My preferred way to read is to have headphones on with either ocean sounds or Baroque period music playing, or instrumental only music. I do not listen to music with words during this time. The music is softly playing.
Secure a space that will allow you a moment of privacy. I know many young mothers who retreat to private areas in the home to do their Bible reading. Seek your spouse’s help to give you the haven you need to have this Quiet Time with God.

Enlist your spouse to help you find a quiet place. Ask them to assist you with what distracts you while you read. Then return the favor to them. Meet God with as few interferences as possible. After all, you have a meeting with the King of kings. Remove anything that is a distraction so you can focus on Him.

Tip #4: Reduce the quantity of verses you are reading.
I know this sounds unusual coming from a preacher. Allow me to explain. If you are in a season of your life where you are not understanding or getting anything out of your time with God and His Word, maybe you are trying to read too much. Instead of trying the marathon (reading the Bible through every six months), try reading from the Psalms each day.

For a two-year period of my life, I read just the book of Psalms for my devotions. Every month or so, I would read it through. I would read and try to imagine what the Psalmist was going through as I read. I slowed down my reading and got more from it. If it takes you five years to read through the Bible, you are not less of a Christian. Read it at a pace that you can comprehend it and receive something from it.

Tip #5: Reset your expectations.
What are the expectations you have when you read the Bible? Perhaps I can help reset them for you. When you read the Bible, you should expect at least one of these things to occur. Copy these five expectations to a notecard, put it in your Bible or on your reading device. Read them aloud before you read the Bible each day.

God will have something for me that day in His Word. I will look for it.
God will teach me a precept, a principle, or a promise. I will look for them.
God will help me discern a solution to a problem I am pondering. I will look for that solution.
God will strengthen my faith in Him. I will trust Him as a result of what I read today.
God will renew my courage to walk on with Him. I will walk today in the light of what I read.
God will convince me of how dearly I am loved. I will meditate on His love for me and the security of His love.

I encourage you to make your own list of expectations of God. Think about the things that you love to look for about God’s character and nature.

Tip #6: Read with a companion.
I would encourage you to have a companion with whom you can seek clarification or get the sense of something. If you do not understand something, how will you learn unless you ask? Do not be afraid to seek help. This companion might be:

• A trusted friend–identify someone with whom you are comfortable being spiritually vulnerable. Contact them. Tell them, “I need someone I can call when I am stuck understanding a passage. Will you be my devotional companion?”
• A spiritual adviser–your pastor, Sunday School teacher, or a deacon at church may help you as you seek clarification.
• A printed Bible reference companion book–a book that helps you understand passages in bite-sized pieces.
• A devotional commentary–a trusted author who gives the sense of the passage and teaches a principle or precept from the passage.

Tip #7: Reflect on your daily reading.
Reading without reflection causes me frustration later in the day. Reflection is pondering the words you read and then looking deeply into your soul and spirit. The time for reflection is the time when you give unrestricted access to God to adjust and remove the elements brought to light from your reading as you reflect on His Word and while the Holy Spirit works on your heart. As you first begin, give yourself thirty seconds for reflection. Work your way up to several minutes for reflecting. I think of it as a time to acknowledge what I read, appreciate what I read, and ask God to change me based on what I read.

Tip #8: Revise your reading plan.
I would not recommend the same Bible reading schedule for every season in your life. I sometimes read a plan of ten chapters a day from random books. Other times I read a plan of themes I can choose within my Bible software on my portable devices and computer. There are times I read a devotional book and its assigned reading. Try different plans of Bible reading; the variety will engage your senses and heart.

If these thoughts have been an encouragement to you, you can email Bro. O’Malley here to let him know. If you’d like to purchase the entire Overcoming Your Devotional Obstacles book in PDF, Kindle, or iBooks format, click here.

Somewhere between saintliness and foolishness, we find a curious creature called a missionary. Missionaries come in assorted sizes, weights, and colors, but all are sent by the one Lord Who commanded this people to evangelize.

Missionaries are found everywhere: going to, lifting up, launching out, coming from, staying with, bringing around, bearing with, and standing for. Christians love them, governments tolerate them, parents pity them, pagans ignore them, and Christ protects them. A missionary is truth with a broken jeep axle in its hand, beauty with a sick child in its arms, wisdom with a Bible in its pocket, and hope with Christ in its heart.

A missionary has the patience of a fisherman, the audacity of a tight-rope walker, the carefulness of a bookkeeper, the vision of a dreamer, the strength of a builder, the intelligence of a teacher, the wit of a humorist, the irresponsibility of a child, and when he attempts something, he is all prayer.

He likes letters from home, children, preaching, mission recruits, returning from furloughs, faith promise rallies, tracts, printing presses, radio stations, translators, mission boxes, airplanes, villages, Bible studies, cities, correspondence courses, and bookstores. He is not much for high-pressure promotions, red tape, devaluation of the dollar, lukewarm faith, hypocrisy, or discrimination.

Nobody else is so quick to care and so slow to give up. Nobody else gets so much fun out of crocodiles, boiled rice, elephants, sunsets, mimeograph machines, passports, electrical failures, pet cobras, earthquakes, visas, monsoons, droughts, and conversations. Nobody else can crowd into a jeep two native preachers, seven singing young people, a cow being taken to the vet, three chickens on the way to market, 35 hymnbooks, 40 Bibles, a pump organ, one slide projector, one electric generator, two tents, and two ox yokes, (one with an ox!).

A missionary is an unusual creature. You can send him to a far off country, but you had better not forget him. You can get him out of your hair, but you can’t get him out of your heart. He is your servant, your right hand, your dependent. He is a Bible preaching, God fearing, God serving, self-sharing bundle of love. When you come to church with that smug feeling that you are a pretty super Christian, he can shatter it with the simple words, “Come and help us.”

– author unknown