This is one of the MOST important ways to develop your relationship with God - you can read about what He is like, How He responds in different situations, Hear what He has to say to you right now and make sure that you are doing & feeling the right things...
Before reading the below, be sure you have gone through the GET SAVED! section.
the Bible is more than a religious book. It can be verified as much more (for more details see the BIBLE section). It is however very important that you note this: Without the Holy Spirit the words on the pages may mean nothing to you. In fact the Bible itself says that it's message is hidden and only those with the Holy Spirit can understand what is said. This is why you need to go through the Get Saved section first.
Ask God to reveal Himself to you and speak to you through the Bible - He will.
Use the Bible to test everything that you hear (yes even in church) or what you experience (the Bible says that satan can pose as an angel of light so be careful!)
GET A VERSION THAT IS ACCURATE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND
I use & recommend the NLT (New Living Translation) you can see it online & search it here.
You don't have to start at the front.
As a start I reccommend to do 80% or more of your reading in the New Testament. Of this 80% in the New Testament I think it is best to best to spend 75% of your time in the Gospels (Matthew Mark, Luke and John) Personally I think that John is the best for people in the Western World - they are all relevant and important. But John centers on the spiritual and the reasons why - often missed in our culture.
It is a great and powerful practise to read ALOUD the Bible in your reading times. That way you are hearing it as well.
Here is a suggested reading plan below:
* Start with the Gospel of John
* Then read Romans
* Read one or more of the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark or Luke)
* Read Acts
* Go through Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipians
* Go back & read another of the Gospels
* Read James, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
* Read the Gospel of John (yes AGAIN!)
* Work through the New Testament like this & then start adding bits from the Old Testament...
Read the Bible like your life depends on it! Read & re-read it over & over.
You literally need to reprogram your mind. The more you read, listen and speak the words of the Bible the more you will find that it comes to life, is powerful and has the truth of God contained within it. Write down in a journal or diary the verses that to speak to you. Search for wisdom and for what God wants to say to you AS THOUGH YOU WERE LOOKING FOR LOST TREASURE!
Sometimes it is ok just to flick open the Bible anywhere - God can speak to you like this, but it shouldn't be the only way you read the Bible...You owe it to yourself to read the Bible as it was meant to be read - a book at a time.
If you have a study Bible or Cross Reference Bible you will find much more depth in what you read. You will start to see how it all ties together.
Another good resource is a Bible dictionary to help you with words & it will have articles that accelerate your knowledge of key terms, places and names. They will also give you the background & history of particular books.
You need to know the author of the Bible. The God of the Universe. His name is Jesus!
Realize that a dry belief of the doctrines of the Bible does not mean you are saved - Jesus came that you would know God the Father - and know Jesus (John 17:3). The word know in this verse actually means in the sense of a husband and wife knowing each other - intimately, honestly, deliberately. Everything in the Bible points towards you having your own experience with God.
The Bible will help you in this - but read the other links in RELATIONSHIP to see other vital ways to get to know Jesus.
Know what the Bible says - don't be fooled by cults & religions
You need to know the message of the Bible as a whole to be safe in interpreting a passage on it's own. For instance: The Bible says that there is no god. But if you read the verse before that it says "only a fool says in his heart". Without reading the verse before you would be a bit deceived! But if you know that the Bible as a whole is about God & how we can have a relationship with Him - when you read that verse you will know that there must be more to it!
The Bible has a clear set of doctrines that you should be aware of. Then if you do know these, you will be much safer when hearing from God or people on matters that matter. Ie if you think "God what should I do" and you flick open to a page & it says Judas hung himself then you flick to another verse & it says go & do likewise then you know that it is not what God wants you to do because you will know that God doesn't want people to kill themselves. He doesn't condone murder whether it be of unborn babies or of one's self.
There are a lot of religions & denominations that use the Bible. Some western churches teach a prosperity (name it & claim it message that is pagan in origin) by mis-using the Bible, while at the other end of the scales some monks wear camel skin & no shoes & own nothing, using the same Bible! Neither have the whole truth but have centered on one aspect.
Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Catholics and other groups teach doctrines that are the opposite of what the Bible says and are very dangerous for your soul. Anglican and Uniting churches have for the most part lost the true message of Jesus too. Even modern Baptist Pentecostal have practises & teachings that are not balanced. Needless to say YOU NEED TO KNOW GOD FOR YOURSELF AND KNOW HIS WORD!! Be Careful...you have ben warned.
Sometimes you will not feel like reading the Bible. This is where a plan can help - the more you read the more your spirit will be revived regardless of how you feel. In fact I also listen to it on CD while asleep - it goes into your soul! The more you read, the more your mind will start to absorb the words of God.
There is much more in the BIBLE section.
How to Read the Bible
You can read the Bible in many different ways, and some general guidelines can help:
* Pray. This is a most important aspect. God will guide you to read the things He wants to talk to you about. Ask God to forgive you any sins and show you if Jesus really is who He said He is…
* Approach it with a respectful attitude. Many, many people have died for simply owning a Bible so it is amazing you have one! More than this – the Bible is God’s chosen way of revealing Himself to us. This is the God who Created you and everything in the Universe – so this is serious!
* Ask God to speak to you through the Bible and ask Him to guide you. Then read where you feel to. Listen for God & follow what you think He is saying – even write down what you think He says.
* Read Slowly. There is a lot of information to absorb. Read each verse a number of times to get the full impact. Don’t rush through it. Read it over & over. In the book of Joshua, the Lord tells him to “meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is in it.” Joshua 1:8. There is a big difference between reading something and really getting it into your being.
* Let the text speak for itself – don’t try to interpret from your own ideas.
* Use an accurate and relevant translation (The New Living Translation (NLT) is very good) – though God can use any. Avoid cult translations like the NWT or book of Mormon that are not accurate
* Get a Bible Dictionary, Cross Reference, Commentary etc to help you.
* Study with others so you can share together what you have found.
Before reading the below, be sure you have gone through the GET SAVED! section.
the Bible is more than a religious book. It can be verified as much more (for more details see the BIBLE section). It is however very important that you note this: Without the Holy Spirit the words on the pages may mean nothing to you. In fact the Bible itself says that it's message is hidden and only those with the Holy Spirit can understand what is said. This is why you need to go through the Get Saved section first.
Ask God to reveal Himself to you and speak to you through the Bible - He will.
Use the Bible to test everything that you hear (yes even in church) or what you experience (the Bible says that satan can pose as an angel of light so be careful!)
GET A VERSION THAT IS ACCURATE AND EASY TO UNDERSTAND
I use & recommend the NLT (New Living Translation) you can see it online & search it here.
You don't have to start at the front.
As a start I reccommend to do 80% or more of your reading in the New Testament. Of this 80% in the New Testament I think it is best to best to spend 75% of your time in the Gospels (Matthew Mark, Luke and John) Personally I think that John is the best for people in the Western World - they are all relevant and important. But John centers on the spiritual and the reasons why - often missed in our culture.
It is a great and powerful practise to read ALOUD the Bible in your reading times. That way you are hearing it as well.
Here is a suggested reading plan below:
* Start with the Gospel of John
* Then read Romans
* Read one or more of the other Gospels (Matthew, Mark or Luke)
* Read Acts
* Go through Galatians, Ephesians, Phillipians
* Go back & read another of the Gospels
* Read James, Jude, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John
* Read the Gospel of John (yes AGAIN!)
* Work through the New Testament like this & then start adding bits from the Old Testament...
Read the Bible like your life depends on it! Read & re-read it over & over.
You literally need to reprogram your mind. The more you read, listen and speak the words of the Bible the more you will find that it comes to life, is powerful and has the truth of God contained within it. Write down in a journal or diary the verses that to speak to you. Search for wisdom and for what God wants to say to you AS THOUGH YOU WERE LOOKING FOR LOST TREASURE!
Sometimes it is ok just to flick open the Bible anywhere - God can speak to you like this, but it shouldn't be the only way you read the Bible...You owe it to yourself to read the Bible as it was meant to be read - a book at a time.
If you have a study Bible or Cross Reference Bible you will find much more depth in what you read. You will start to see how it all ties together.
Another good resource is a Bible dictionary to help you with words & it will have articles that accelerate your knowledge of key terms, places and names. They will also give you the background & history of particular books.
You need to know the author of the Bible. The God of the Universe. His name is Jesus!
Realize that a dry belief of the doctrines of the Bible does not mean you are saved - Jesus came that you would know God the Father - and know Jesus (John 17:3). The word know in this verse actually means in the sense of a husband and wife knowing each other - intimately, honestly, deliberately. Everything in the Bible points towards you having your own experience with God.
The Bible will help you in this - but read the other links in RELATIONSHIP to see other vital ways to get to know Jesus.
Know what the Bible says - don't be fooled by cults & religions
You need to know the message of the Bible as a whole to be safe in interpreting a passage on it's own. For instance: The Bible says that there is no god. But if you read the verse before that it says "only a fool says in his heart". Without reading the verse before you would be a bit deceived! But if you know that the Bible as a whole is about God & how we can have a relationship with Him - when you read that verse you will know that there must be more to it!
The Bible has a clear set of doctrines that you should be aware of. Then if you do know these, you will be much safer when hearing from God or people on matters that matter. Ie if you think "God what should I do" and you flick open to a page & it says Judas hung himself then you flick to another verse & it says go & do likewise then you know that it is not what God wants you to do because you will know that God doesn't want people to kill themselves. He doesn't condone murder whether it be of unborn babies or of one's self.
There are a lot of religions & denominations that use the Bible. Some western churches teach a prosperity (name it & claim it message that is pagan in origin) by mis-using the Bible, while at the other end of the scales some monks wear camel skin & no shoes & own nothing, using the same Bible! Neither have the whole truth but have centered on one aspect.
Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Catholics and other groups teach doctrines that are the opposite of what the Bible says and are very dangerous for your soul. Anglican and Uniting churches have for the most part lost the true message of Jesus too. Even modern Baptist Pentecostal have practises & teachings that are not balanced. Needless to say YOU NEED TO KNOW GOD FOR YOURSELF AND KNOW HIS WORD!! Be Careful...you have ben warned.
Sometimes you will not feel like reading the Bible. This is where a plan can help - the more you read the more your spirit will be revived regardless of how you feel. In fact I also listen to it on CD while asleep - it goes into your soul! The more you read, the more your mind will start to absorb the words of God.
There is much more in the BIBLE section.
How to Read the Bible
You can read the Bible in many different ways, and some general guidelines can help:
* Pray. This is a most important aspect. God will guide you to read the things He wants to talk to you about. Ask God to forgive you any sins and show you if Jesus really is who He said He is…
* Approach it with a respectful attitude. Many, many people have died for simply owning a Bible so it is amazing you have one! More than this – the Bible is God’s chosen way of revealing Himself to us. This is the God who Created you and everything in the Universe – so this is serious!
* Ask God to speak to you through the Bible and ask Him to guide you. Then read where you feel to. Listen for God & follow what you think He is saying – even write down what you think He says.
* Read Slowly. There is a lot of information to absorb. Read each verse a number of times to get the full impact. Don’t rush through it. Read it over & over. In the book of Joshua, the Lord tells him to “meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is in it.” Joshua 1:8. There is a big difference between reading something and really getting it into your being.
* Let the text speak for itself – don’t try to interpret from your own ideas.
* Use an accurate and relevant translation (The New Living Translation (NLT) is very good) – though God can use any. Avoid cult translations like the NWT or book of Mormon that are not accurate
* Get a Bible Dictionary, Cross Reference, Commentary etc to help you.
* Study with others so you can share together what you have found.