MARANATHA MESSENGER. The Discipline of Effectual Bible Study

Transcription

1 MARANATHA MESSENGER Weekly Newsletter of Private Circulation Only MARANATHA BIBLE-PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 21 December 2014 Present every man perfect in Christ Jesus (Colossians 1:28) Address: 63 Cranwell Road, Singapore Tel: (65) Fax: (65) Website: Sunday School: 9.45 am Sunday English / Chinese Worship Service: am Sunday Chinese Worship Service: 7 pm Wednesday Prayer Meeting: 8.00 pm Pastor: Rev. Dr. Jack Sin (HP: ) Introduction The Discipline of Effectual Bible Study We are often called the people of the Book. The entire Christian life is governed by one unique 66 Book of books; the authoritative, inspired, perspicuous, inerrant and sufficient Word of God. This book is to be the sole directional guide for the believers pilgrimage and the infallible manual for both Church life and the family. Paul in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17 taught the important 4 fold use of the word in, All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. There is a serious biblical illiteracy as many are unfamiliar with the word of God. We have a spiritual famine in the land today and we neglect the Bible to our spiritual detriment for the prophet Hosea in Hosea 4:6 says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children. What should be our response be to the Word of God? A negative response to the Word led to 70 years of Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which is found in 2 Chronicles 36:16, But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. Do not take lightly the teachings and warnings found in this book There is a three fold action. 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. To be disciplined and diligent to meditate and study the Word carefully to the spiritual nourishment of our souls. Consider what the prophet says in Jeremiah 15:16 says, Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts. There is to be an application and a serious commitment to keep the Word in our daily lives. My life verse is Ezra 7:10, For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. There is also an instruction or inspecting of the Word to others. Revelation 1:3 says, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 2:2 says, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of 1

2 the word, that ye may grow thereby: Hebrews 5:13, 14 say, For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. There should be a sincere desire to grow in the maturity of the most holy faith by understanding and applying the deep truths of sound biblical doctrines. Finally Joshua 1:8 says, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. There is to be a constant rehearsing and the disciplined study, memory and meditation of the Word that will keep us successful (i.e. not necessarily in a financial way) in our lives and in the ministry. The secret to success or spiritual blessing is a holy commitment to seek out and to carefully observe the laws of God (i.e. the Decalogue). We need to make a conscientious effort to dig deeper into the truth systematically in daily Bible Study, NBCs, worship, prayer meetings our monthly fellowship meetings and worship services. When was the last time that you set aside quality time to read the Bible seriously or a book on the Bible wit your family or the children and ground them in the faith? Use a devotion book written by men like Spurgeon or Oswald chambers or the daily manna. Consider the following inputs below : Is the Word of God the centre of your life? Do you make a conscious effort to hear, read, study, memorise, mediate and apply it? Jesus says in John 5:39, Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me. Paul is careful to warn and teach the word to feed the people with the truths of God. Paul shares in Act 20:28, Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood. One way to learn and remember the Word is to sing the word in sound edifying hymns, songs and psalms and ponder the lyrics as you sing them (consider hymns like Come thou Fount, It is Well with my soul, The God of Abraham Praise etc). In Colossians 3:16, Paul says, Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. Be a doer of the word as well as James 1:22 says, But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Consider the following counsel below on how to study the bible effectively. Practical Tips on Devotional Bible Study 1. Begin your Bible reading with prayer (Psalm 119:18; John 16:13-15). 2. Take brief notes of what you read. Keep a small notebook for your Bible Study. 3. Read slowly through one chapter or 2 or 3 chapters or perhaps just one or two sections of it. After reading, ask yourself what is this passage trying to teach? Then reread it and meditate on its content and application. 4. It is helpful to find out the true meaning of the biblical chapter or passage to ask yourself the following questions, then write the answers in your notebook. 2

3 a. What is the main subject or theme of this passage? What is the geographical / cultural background or historical context? b. Who are the persons revealed in this passage? Who is the author? To whom is he speaking to? Who are the main people mentioned and what did they do for or against the Lord? c. What is the key verse or thought of this passage? Is there any important emphasis? d. What does this passage teach me about the Lord Jesus Christ, church and His doctrines? e. Does this passage contain any command for me to obey or warnings of dangers to avoid? f. Is there any promise for me to claim or lessons to learn and apply? g. Are there any reproof or theological instruction or doctrines for me to learn or admonition to pay heed to? Conclusion This God breathed book of the Bible has transformed many lives and will continue to do so. It is a joy and privilege to have the inspired, sufficient and inerrant Scripture (i.e. no more extra biblical revelation in so-called dreams, prophesies and visions) as our daily guide and map to direct and lead our footsteps daily in our decision making lest we go astray. Psalm 119:105 says, Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path and Isa 40:8 says, The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. Cherish and relish the word of God and let us be disciplined to search and meditate on the Holy Writ and be challenged, revived and refreshed by it daily. Jack Sin from Country X November is an enriching month. Through the preaching of the Word, the lectures and training in the Truth, the believers at the Church have gained much knowledge in the scriptures within a short span of a few months. I am aware that the pastoral ministry and the teaching of the Word is a long drawn out battle. It takes time for the believers to gain and grow in spiritual maturity. I also need to devote much time to the study of Scripture and the reading of Christian literature. The goal that I have set for myself is to complete reading and studying 1 to 2 such books each week, on a topical basis, in a systematic manner. I would also read and meditate on at least 20 chapters of the Scripture each day, coupled with prayers. Only through this can my spiritual needs be satisfied (Luke 12:42). As I do not have a spiritual leader close to me, I remind myself to be cautious at all times, lest I fall into the trap of arrogance or self-will, thereby hindering the advancement of God s kingdom. May I seek your 3

4 prayers in the Lord, to strengthen me with might by his Spirit in the inner man (Ephesians 3:16). We do not have much to prepare for our wedding as it will be kept simple. Please pray for us before the Lord that our matrimony will be a good testimony, a God-honouring and holy one. Recently, my wife to be s mother, probably due to some gynaecological disease, has not been well. In her physical weakness, may the Lord grant her the grace and strength she needs (James 5:16). I am filled with thanksgiving after seeing the photographs of your short ministry in Australia, your sweet fellowship with the believers there and how they must have benefited spiritually (2 Corinthians 1:15). I believe you must have been busy in the work of God and I pray for the Lord to grant you strength, peace and joy. The Lord has blessed my family and me too. My daily meals, laundry, lodging are well taken care of, thus enabling me to focus on equipping myself for His work. Thank God. Church X was packed with activities in the month of November. Tuesdays were scheduled for tracting, Wednesdays for visitations, Thursdays and Fridays for Bible study groups, Saturdays for either prayer meetings or children s programme. We have different classes on the morning, afternoon and evening of the Lord s Day. I preach and share about nine to ten messages each week for I am involved in almost all of these ministries, thank God. I am aware that the believers here do not have the spiritual maturity to share the burden of teaching yet, but there may be opportunities next year, with more exposure and training in sharing during prayer meetings and bible study groups. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required (Luke 12:48). Although the task of teaching is strenuous, I never fail to be encouraged nor inspired and ended up benefitting much. We had a gospel Rally The Road to Peace on the last Sunday of November. Two new comers joined and one of them was willing to commit more time for listen to the Word. We may need to start a Catechism Class for the purpose of Baptism preparation next year. We may have Baptism annually and we hope Pastor can conduct this personally. We already have a new believer who comes and worships with us every Sunday but she has yet to go through the Shorter Catechism class. We hope to help her to understand God s word and to baptise her appropriately next year. I am particularly thankful for the regular attendance (slightly above ten) have at the Youth Fellowship, which I mentioned to you previously. We anchor them in the Word of God and pray that the Holy Spirit will aid them in their understanding (2 Timothy 3:15). According to my observation, the next generation here in Country X are lost. Even children from Christian families have no knowledge of God or worse still, possess an attitude of unbelief. This pathetic state could be due to ignorance or the failure to see the importance of educating their children in the faith on the part of the parents (Jeremiah 4:22). However, the youth ministry is not one which can be done without much thought and effort. We need to be practical in our approach and be willing to sacrifice our time to guide and lead the lost back to the Lord. My strength is limited but the co-labourers share the same burden. However, to further this Ministry would first require the spiritual growth and maturity of the co-labourers. The initial phase of leading this youth has taken much of our thoughts and time in planning. We look to God for enablement and that more youth will come to know Him. Coming up next in December is the Christmas Gathering. We put up some simple decorations and are preparing for some activities. We hope the believers will bring their unbelieving family members to Church to hear the Gospel. May the Lord lead and 4

5 guide our ministry here. Preacher Barnabas Song from Cambodia I would like to say thank you for your book which was sent to me (How to Study the Bible Profitably and Read Edifying Christian Books). I have used this book in sharing with youths many times. It is really a good book in helping in their Bible study and school work. I myself have digested and learnt many lessons from it and also used this book to teach the Bible school students. I also have translated this book into Khmer for the benefit of other Christian youths and students who are not able to understand English. Please pray for the printing of this book too. God bless you and Maranatha Church Members. Pastor Bun Phanna Phnom Penh, Cambodia Thanksgivings to God Ebenezer BP Church Melbourne Session and congregation thank God for His wonderful providence of both of you to minister in our midst. We have benefitted much and have been deeply blessed by your ministries. May both of you continue to a source of blessing to all you meet in this life s journey. Dn Chew Hou Lian On behalf of Ebenezer BP Church Melbourne I admire and praise God for you two working so much so hard everyday of your lives. 5

6 May the good Lord continue to keep you both in good health and strength. I personally appreciate and thank God for your spending this November / December with us at Ebenezer BP Church Melbourne. God bless you. The missions you both do is great. May the Lord be with you. Elder Edward Meyale Ebenezer BP Church Melbourne

7 Theme for the Quarter : Finishing the Final Lap of Life (Studies on the book of 2 Timothy) Rev Matthews Abraham speaks on Faithful and Unfaithful Comrades (2 Timothy 4:11-22) [End of MM] 7