More On The ABC Study Method

 
    I was viewing the statistics of this blog and noticed that the ABC Method is still being looked at. So I decided to major on that subject for this posting.
     First off let me remind you why you are studying the Bible. That is: the goals.

1.      You want to learn more about Christ
2.       You wish to know how to be a more effective Christian
3.        You want to know what the Bible says about a certain subject.
4.         You want to know what does the Bible mean
5.         You want to know how does the Bible apply

      As you study you are asking yourself those questions.
      Since I am still getting a response for the ABC Method I will discuss it a bit more here. I may repeat at certain points what the earlier post has said. That is fine as repetition is good.
       The ABC method is subjective. You are the one who determines what it is doing for you. The ABC method has many variations and is very popular.  It is basicly a simplified analytical approach to the Study of the Bible.
       We work this in reverse order. d,c,b,a.

• D Section is where you "digest" what you have chosen. You read through the passage over and over. Usually you use ten verses. If this sounds familiar it is because in the previous posts to this blog I have been putting forth the idea of reading ten verses at a time. So you are just continuing this habit.
• C Section is where you are doing "cross references" Try to find parallel passages or passage for each verse. It can be related to a word, an idea, or general teaching. You are letting the Bible explain itself.
• The B section is where you are looking for the "Best Verse" in the passage you have read. Ask yourself what is the basic verse or key verse of this passage
• A Section is where you are doing the "Application". Be sure to apply to your life the lesson of this passage. Write something like .." The Bible is saying to cast all my cares upon the Lord so I am doing this, and therefore I will not worry about...".  You shouold be able to find several; applications from the passage you are lookin gat.

     There is an E section if you wish to go deeper. The E section would be an "Extended Paraphrase."
     There you have a further discussion on the Bible Study Method--ABC Method.
     Go and may you grow deeper in the knowledge of God.

It Is Called Ability Giving

       Last Sunday Pastor Joe of ACTS Church gave as his sermon a sermon on ability giving. This is not the same as the Tithe or Law giving. It is giving according to your ability to give. There is noi set level of giving attached to this. Just what you are able to give.
       Most of us think of giving as financi
al so ability giving is giving a portion of what youi are able to make this past week.
       If you are a writer than a portion of your check that you receive.. that portion that is a sacrifice for you. For giving for a Christian seems to be the equivalent of the lamb or dove offered to God in the days of old by the people of Israel.
       Or if you are able to sell a product this past week and have recedived the payment. A portion of that. According to your ability. It is called ability giving.
       The example of the widows mite in the days of Jesus is an ability offering. She gave of her ability. The rich people gave off the top and probably never missed what they gave. But the widow gave more  than off the top..
       Or if you do internet marketing and you get money from this type of business, give according to your ability.
        Remember, it is called ability giving.

How It Is Going

   
      In my last post I was mentioning spending time in God's word every day. It is a method I call the ten verse a day method.. I wish to report I have since the last post been doing the method to see how it worked.
      You choose a book of the Bible to read just ten verses a day. I started in Genesis. In  fact I am still there. I read the ten ]verses. "In The Beginning God created..." and I notice what is being said. I jot down observations.
       Interesting. God created by speaking into existence things He went  day by day. He finished each day that days' work.. He seems to be building up to a climax. As I read I see that climax as being man.
       And so on.
       You can do it also. It is not a hard method. It can get slow. I wouldn't require it as a first method to use in your study of the Bible. I think it should be a method used after you have a good grasp of what the whole Bible says.
       Let God impress on you what is there. This is recorded in your journal. Always keep a pen and paper handy as you do this method so you know where you are.
       Let me know how you are doing.

Toxic Scheduling

       Back on the subject of use of time. Since I am a believer in time being only circulated once in that we can't relive our past. We have only the present to use.And if we are lucky, And God wills, we have a future. But what we do in the present determines that.
       So how is our scheduling of time? Do we plan to spend more time with God? Each day do we spend time studying our Bible? This is where we allow God to speak with us. Do we spend time in prayer? This is where we talk to God.
       I have posted earlier many methods of Bible Study. maybe you can go back and look them over
.     We shouldn't depend on the once a week in church service to be the only time we open the Bible and hear God speak. We must be self feeders. Even if it is only a few verses a day, say ten verses, we should be reading. This is spending time with the important person in your life.
        And you will want to bring something to write on so you can take notes. Record your observations. In fact, journals. are a good idea. Keep one of your daily readings and you will see progress.
        I do it and you can do it too.

Do They Have A Right To The Land?

   

  This is a continuation of yesterdays post. Today I would like to ask-- do the Jews have a right to the land that they are living in? And I would answer, yes. The even have the title deed.
        I am not talking only about the fact God gave it to them. That truth doesn't hold much weight to the present day groups' of people who are fighting them. No. What I am going to point out is that they have a title deed.
        It was granted to them a long time ago. Not as long as the Bible. More like 1917 and the Balfour Declaration written by  the British foreign secretary James Balfour declaring a  Jewish "National Home" in Palestine.
       In 1921 Winston Churchill stated, "It is manifestly right that the Jews who are scattered all over the world should have a natural centre and a natural home where some of them may be reunited. And where else could that be but in the land of Palestine, with which for more than 3000 years they have been intimately and profoundly associated."
       It was article 22 of the covenant of the League of Nations. that transferred the sovereignty of the land to the Jews. This was as a result of decision made by the Supreme Council of the Principal Allied Powers, The United States, The United Kingdom, France,Italy, and Japan  Jacques Gautier  stated, "These five nations...had the legal power of disposition. They're the key victorious nations and they had the legal title by way of peace treaties and they can turn around and give it to others. You can't give rights to others unless you have the right to give them territorial sovereignty.".
       Palestine defines a geographical area not a culture or people. Palestine is a word used by the Romans. Before the establishment of the State of Israel,  Jews were called Palestinians
      They were given, so to speak, a title deed. They have a right to be there. They are not thieves. They have not taken some else's land. Since it is their land they have aright to be treated properly as others who have been able to enjoy the rights they have been given. Since Jerusalem is under international law and the land was given to them under international law they belong there and have a right to exist.

Arab Spring

      Look at your headlines. You notice that there is a lot going on in the Arab world and in the Far East. Look at America and remember Sept 11. What is happening is no accident.
      Let me try to define what is being called Arab Spring. It is a period of time in which democracy is being tried in the Middle East, among the Arabs and Egyptians and so on. But it is becoming an Iranian Winter in that the Muslims want to take over what we call democracy and turn it into a  Jihad, a war agaisnt the area they call "House of War". Everyone but them are in "the House of War". The Muslims see themselves as the "House of Peace". Everyone else is "The House of War".
    They see their purpose to make the whole "House of War" into a "House of Peace". In other worlds, they want Europe, America, and even Israel to be Muslim.
     Iran is watching the democratic attempt going on or the Arab Spring. They want to move in and set up an Islamic leader who will lead a battle to make the world Muslim.
     They have Israel in their sights. They wish to set up the kingdom in the Holy City and rule from there.
     A commentator has said "Indeed, the  Arab Spring doesn't lead to democracy, it leads to Jerusalem"
     I would like to recommend a book if you wish to know more. Read it and be aware of what is going on.

View The Word In Your Mind

   Let  me continue a series on Bible study methods.

    As I have pointed out in the past in the earlier postings, there are many ways to do Bible study.:       
   There is the ABC method and the analytical method
   These were handled earlier and you should be able to go into the directory and locate them.
   This method is to put yourself in the portion you are reading. View it through your own eyes.
    Ask yourself, what am I feeling? What time of day is it? Would I be tired or wide awake.?
   If you were one of the twelve walking with Jesus when this happened, what would you be thinking?
    For example. The feeding of the five thousand.
   These people have followed you all day. You need to rest. You are hoping that Jesus wants to rest. The people have to be fed.
   Are you the one who says send them away? Or are you one who just doesn't care? Are your tired?  
   What did you think when Jesus said to have the crowd sit down? What were you thinking when Jesus took the loaf and the fish? What were you thinking when Jesus held it out and blessed it?
    Put yourself in the situation. Experience it as if you are there at the moment.
     It will take you time to  get through the whole Bible this way but you are studying it and allowing it to get in you and change your thought pattern. And that is good.