Thank you for reading my posts. If you are one of the two people that read my posts then thank you! I greatly appreciate it. I pray that what I write not only interests you but moves you. If what I write does not lead one closer to Jesus and/or His Word then I haven’t done my job. If you have benefitted from any of my posts, please drop me a line and let me know. You can send an email to Larry@LarryPittman.com or comment below.

Please take a few moments and read Jesus’ famous last words…

Matthew 28: ¹⁸ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. ²⁰ Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

It’s never about the Church. When I say Church I am referring to the Body of Christ. The people that have faith; whose hearts are sincerely seeking Him and “believe that He rewards those” because of it (Hebrews 11:6). Of course, if you are a part of the Body, then you know that it has flaws, just as you have flaws.

Romans 3:²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.

Do you lead people to church or the Head of the Church?

With that being said, who are you pointing people to? Do you direct them to your church, as in the local body of believers that regularly meet down the street? Or are you leading them to the Holy One, the One who will never disappoint or deceive? Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great churches around, but who would you rather place your neighbor or friend in the hands of? A flawed body of people who can come across as weirdos sometimes or the person of Jesus Christ whose very words are perfectly placed in that big, dusty book on your shelf?

The Holy Word of God never disappoints.

John 1:  ¹⁴ So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.

People accept Him or reject Him. For those people in your life that you identify as seekers, you can direct them to the Word of God today!

2 Corinthians 6:2 ² For God says,
“At just the right time, I heard you.
On the day of salvation, I helped you.” (Isa 49:8)
Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

First of all, I think that many people are much more receptive to the Living Word than a strange and sometimes creepy place, with sometimes creepy people. Let’s face it, visiting a church for the first time is intimidating even for believers, let alone the uninitiated.

You don’t have to wait for Sunday services or Wednesday youth night when you can get them reading the Word of God today!

John 1: 45 Philip went to look for Nathanael and told him, “We have found the very person Moses and the prophets wrote about! His name is Jesus, the son of Joseph from Nazareth.”

After your friend meets God, He will lead them to His Church, that’s one thing we can be sure of.

Are you becoming more like Christ?

What is your testimony anyway? Is it “This is what the Church has done for me!” or is it “This is what God, the Creator of all things has done for me!”? A person with an open heart will meet God every time they read the Good Book, but will they meet Christ in church? Maybe.

Very Important: 

If Christ is in you, then your friend or relative will meet Him through you. If their hearts are receptive then they will be open to reading (or listening to) the Word. If their hearts are hardened then you will probably hear every excuse under the sun as to why they will not go to church with you.

If you are not regularly consuming the Word, then I think it’s time to ask yourself these questions:

• Do I want to grow in the Lord?
• Am I meek enough to expose myself to the convicting Word of God daily?
• Should I consider learning a little more about God every day?
• Is my faith in God important to me? Why?
• What am I currently valuing more than God?

For the person that is not actively seeking God through the regular reading of the Bible: If you’d only realize what you’re missing out on. God wants you to get to know Him better and pursue Him. He will transform your life if you make yourself available to Him daily.

Don’t get me wrong

Just one more thing: If God lays it on your heart to invite someone to church, do it. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t. What I am saying is that we should take our relationship with God seriously and when that happens, we become like Jesus and those seekers will be drawn to us and we will not have to wait for Sunday morning to introduce them to Him.

Acts 2: ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Will you pursue Him?

“Dear Father, help me to know you more so that I can lead people to you. Give me the right words to say and a boldness to speak to others about you. Thank you for teaching me new things and helping me grow. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash

Why do you read my messages? Why do you read the Bible? If you are a Christian, why? Why do these things matter to you?

I know one thing, if I stop reading the Word, hang out with the wicked, watch a lot of TV, regularly read periodicals such as the newspaper, Newsweek, National Geographic, Self, or People, my belief in God will become more and more irrelevant. The Bible will become meaningless to me. Pretty soon I might either believe that all “paths” lead to God or that there is no God at all.

Do you read the Bible to be good, or to be “made right with God” and learn how to love Him?

Are you aware that some people believe that there is no God?

Psalm 14: 1 Only fools say in their hearts,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt, and their actions are evil;
not one of them does good!

Do you know that some people believe that “God is everything and everything is God”?

Genesis 1: 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

Have you been informed that some people worship the universe, nature, the sun, and the moon?

Job 31: 26 “Have I looked at the sun shining in the skies,
or the moon walking down its silver pathway,
27 and been secretly enticed in my heart
to throw kisses at them in worship?
28 If so, I should be punished by the judges,
for it would mean I had denied the God of heaven.

Has it ever crossed your mind that some people believe that there are many gods?

Old Testament answers:

Deuteronomy 4: 39 “So remember this and keep it firmly in mind: The Lord is God both in heaven and on earth, and there is no other.

1 Kings 8: 60 Then people all over the earth will know that the Lord alone is God and there is no other.

2 Kings 19: 17 “It is true, Lord, that the kings of Assyria have destroyed all these nations. 18 And they have thrown the gods of these nations into the fire and burned them. But of course the Assyrians could destroy them! They were not gods at all—only idols of wood and stone shaped by human hands. 19 Now, O Lord our God, rescue us from his power; then all the kingdoms of the earth will know that you alone, O Lord, are God.”

Isaiah 45:
18 For the Lord is God,
and he created the heavens and earth
and put everything in place.
He made the world to be lived in,
not to be a place of empty chaos.
“I am the Lord,” he says,
“and there is no other.

New Testament answers:

Romans 3: 29 After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. 30 There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.

1 Corinthians 8: 4 So, what about eating meat that has been offered to idols? Well, we all know that an idol is not really a god and that there is only one God.5 There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords. 6 But we know that there is only one God, the Father, who created everything, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom God made everything and through whom we have been given life.

1 Timothy 2: 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

Isn’t the Bible clear enough about who God is? What do your friends and relatives think about God? Does it matter to you what they think?

Romans 14: 12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.

What do you think would happen if they started to read these “life yielding” words?

Have you even considered that this special knowledge that you have comes with it special responsibility?

Luke 12: 48 But someone who does not know, and then does something wrong, will be punished only lightly. When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required.

What will you do with what you know?

“Dear heavenly Father, You alone are God. Thank you for giving us your Word so that we may know the Truth. Help me to know you more so that I can share your greatness with those around me. Reveal yourself to me so that I may know that you are God. Give me the strength and courage to speak up when you ask me to. This world is defaming you constantly, help me to spread the Word about your true nature and set the record straight. In Jesus’ name, I pray, Amen.”

Photo By: Robin Benad

When you were younger, were you ever forced to take sides on the playground? Perhaps two older kids, maybe bullies, wanted a “side-kick” and that put you in a pickle. If I choose to hang out with Billy, Micky might get angry, and vice versa. Those are hard decisions. For me, I just wanted to run and hang out with people that were less demanding.  I was not a fighter and went out of my way to avoid fights. It is the same with confrontation, I avoid it as much as possible.

The more I read the Word, the more I realize that I am being called to fight and to choose a side, daily. There is a battle going on, on many fronts, and I don’t think the battle lines could be drawn any clearer than how Jesus said it:

Matthew 12: 30 “Anyone who isn’t with me opposes me, and anyone who isn’t working with me is actually working against me.

This is just like saying if you are not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem. Have you ever stopped to consider how this verse applies to your daily activities or friends you hang out with?

Here’s another passage that defines the opposing forces:

Ephesians 2: ¹ Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

This passage startled me when I last read it, of course, that is one reason I love the Word. It helped me to look at the world from a different perspective. If I am not obeying God, I am obeying the devil. I obeyed the devil before I came to Christ and even uncle Bob, who is so friendly, but does not know Jesus, is also obeying the devil. (uncle Bob is fictitious, by the way)

These verses make it clear that there is no middle ground.

I don’t know about you but this really changes my expectations of people. What’s most important for me to remember, however, is who the actual enemy is. Although people I know may be obeying the devil, this does not make them the enemy:

Ephesians 6: ¹² For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.

But you may ask, “How could people be working for the devil and not know it?”

John 12: ³⁹ But the people couldn’t believe, for as Isaiah also said,
⁴⁰ “The Lord has blinded their eyes
and hardened their hearts—
so that their eyes cannot see,
and their hearts cannot understand,
and they cannot turn to me
and have me heal them.”
⁴¹ Isaiah was referring to Jesus when he said this, because he saw the future and spoke of the Messiah’s glory.

This is where we come in and where our challenge lies. Knowing that we are called to make disciples and lead people to Christ and ultimately give all the glory to God, what do we do? What does any good soldier do? They make sure they hear what their commander says and carries out the orders. Jesus understood this perfectly:

John 12: ⁴⁹ I don’t speak on my own authority. The Father who sent me has commanded me what to say and how to say it. ⁵⁰ And I know his commands lead to eternal life; so I say whatever the Father tells me to say.”

Do you know what God wants you to say? When people belittle the political party you associate with, do you ask God how you should respond? Do you know His commands?

You do know that God wants us to be like His Son, don’t you?

Romans 8: ²⁹ For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³⁰ And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

³¹ What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? ³² Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? ³³ Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. ³⁴Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

That is good news, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty secure.

Is it time for you to take a stand? Is it time to arm yourself for the great battle before us?

Ephesians 6: 17 Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

There’s no question in my mind that God has a job for each of us in His army. As the last verse states, our weapon is the word of God.

Do you find yourself taking cover because you have no sword in your hand? Or are you prepared to stand up to the enemy because you know how the war will turn out?

Here is one last verse to encourage you:

Revelation 17: 14 Together they will go to war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will defeat them because he is Lord of all lords and King of all kings. And his called and chosen and faithful ones will be with him.”

Will you take up your weapon and fight?

“God I praise your name. Thank you for calling me to be on your side and opening my heart to you.Please forgive me for not taking this war seriously for so long. Will you please help me develop a daily habit of reading your Word so that I will be properly equipped? Lord, please help me to be a light to others so that I may win souls for you. Help me develop a better prayer life so that I can be more effective for your battles. In Jesus name, Amen”

Photo by Andrew Yardley on Unsplash

In my last post, “Are you pleasing God? part 2“, we began our discussion of growing our faith, which we learned is essential to pleasing God.

First, let’s give credit to the One who makes our faith grow:

1 Corinthians 3: ⁷ It’s not important who does the planting, or who does the watering. What’s important is that God makes the seed grow.

How has your faith endured this year so far? Were you able to stand firm by putting your trust in God knowing that He is always there for you? Or was it a difficult year, one without peace? Would you like knowledge of how to grow your faith?  Knowledge that is based on Biblical truths backed by God’s steadfast promises that will rely only on your efforts to seek Him? If this is the case, then read on…

I love this definition of faith:

Hebrews  11: ¹ Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see.

When someone first comes to God it makes sense that there are few basic requirements which are stated very well in this verse:

Hebrews 11: ⁶ And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

We only need a little bit of faith:

Matthew 13: ³¹ Here is another illustration Jesus used: “The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field. ³² It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches.”

We are learning how to grow that mustard seed. Isn’t this exciting?

Listen to what the Apostle Peter wrote to the newly converted:

1 Peter 2: ² Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, ³ now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

What I love is the words “grow into a full experience of salvation” which I take to mean that salvation is not only a gift, rather it is an experience and something to look forward to when I continue to grow.

Continue seeking, growing in faith

I hope that by now you’ve learned that we all share a common purpose of growing in spiritual maturity so that our faith will develop and we will live up to our potential in God’s eyes. Let this purpose be the driving force that causes you to continually seek Him. This is why Jesus says:

John 6:27 But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

Speaking of perishable things: Let go of your bills, family issues, tax issues, job issues, school issues, money issues, marriage issues, and every other “fill in the blank” problem of your life and cast these cares on Him. Let go of all of it so that you can focus all of your attention on the One that can truly deliver you into a greater peace. Which leads us to the next practical way to grow your faith. Last week was reading the Word of God and this week is prayer:

Don’t worry about anything

Philippians 4: 6 Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 7 Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

This is verse is most worthy of putting on your wall, dashboard, nightstand and book marker until it gets burned onto your heart.

It goes without saying that prayer is absolutely essential to develop our faith. We need to continuously turn to God in prayer in order to develop our relationship with Him. This will grow our faith.

Are you praying about everything?

“Dear Lord, you know my heart. You know that I have a great tendency to worry. You are the One who gave me life. You created heaven and earth, and here I sit worrying about you not taking care of me. Help me to grow up, Lord. Change my heart and teach me your ways. I want to look at my life and those around me through your perspective, not mine. May your will be done, not mine. Thank you for the wonderful things that you will be teaching me. In Jesus precious name, Amen.”

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

Before we discuss pleasing God, I just want to share something personal.

It is my goal to encourage and inspire millions of people to seek God through the Spirit and regular Bible reading. Will you join me in this vision? If I haven’t shared this before, my passion is to help people develop their own faith.

2 Corinthians 1: 24 But that does not mean we want to dominate you by telling you how to put your faith into practice. We want to work together with you so you will be full of joy, for it is by your own faith that you stand firm.

Do you stand firm in your faith?

In other words, it’s like teaching people to fish rather than serving baked fish. Instead of inviting people to church, why not invite them to get to know your God personally by reading the Bible and prayer? Why wait until Sunday (or Saturday) when there’s something you can do today?

The main question is not “Are you living without sin?”, “Are you serving in a ministry?”, or “Are you in a Bible study?”. The main question is “are you pleasing God?”

What is essential to pleasing God?

Hebrews 11: 6 And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.

So at the very least, we know that we need faith. I can personally testify that you can play the part of being a Christian, say all the right words, and go through the motions without having faith. I’ve done it.

Here’s my favorite example of faith…

Daniel 3:  14 Nebuchadnezzar said to them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, that you refuse to serve my gods or to worship the gold statue I have set up? 15 I will give you one more chance to bow down and worship the statue I have made when you hear the sound of the musical instruments. But if you refuse, you will be thrown immediately into the blazing furnace. And then what god will be able to rescue you from my power?”

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. 18 But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.”

Can you imagine? This is amazing! God did not promise that they would live but they stood firm in the face of death.

Let’s discuss how we can stand firm in our own faith, are you ready? This is the first of at least three messages on how to grow your own faith.

Are you eating enough?

If you buy a plant and the plant expert tells you to water it every day, what will happen if you water that plant only one or two days out of the week? What results would you expect? Will the plant be strong, able to withstand the sun? Will it develop a strong root system so that a strong breeze won’t affect it?

In order for anything to grow, we need to take the time to care for it and give it nourishment. Time is something that we can control, and we recently spent 3 messages discussing time. Care is treating it carefully or being serious about it. This is commitment.

Nourishment is feeding it. Let’s see what Jesus had to say about this:

John 6: 32 Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, Moses didn’t give you bread from heaven. My Father did. And now he offers you the true bread from heaven. 33 The true bread of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.”

34 “Sir,” they said, “give us that bread every day.”
35 Jesus replied, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. 36 But you haven’t believed in me even though you have seen me.

In verse 34 the people said, “give us that bread every day”. Jesus then makes it clear what that bread is in the next verse. So how do we consume this bread and living water?

What other word describes Jesus?

John 1: 1 In the beginning the Word already existed.  The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He existed in the beginning with God. 3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.

To summarize this I think that we can say that consuming the Word of God, whether it be through reading or listening to it is how we feed ourselves in order to grow spiritually. It is my opinion that daily devotionals, Christian books, and sermons are NOT substitutes for the daily Bread. They may contain a crumb or two or maybe even a half a slice, but is that enough? Even if it is enough, it is relying on the sermon, devotional, or book which are human sources. Add to that those sources are not necessarily divinely inspired (they might not be Spirit-led). There are plenty of “universalist” churches out there that serve up heaps of garbage on your plate. Sure it will fill your stomach, but with what? Did you ever eat a whole package of Twinkies?

Learn to feed yourself.

The real problem with other people spoon feeding you is that you are relying on a fallible person to process the bread for you and they put their own “spin” or perspective on it. While this may provide you with nutrition, I believe that when we choose to go directly to the Source and eat the organic Word of God with enough faith that He will speak through His Word, then it becomes a feast. When we’ve developed a habit of feasting on a daily basis, what started out as “I need to read the Bible” turns into “I’m really hungry and I strongly desire to read the Bible”. But let me explain something so that you are not misled. This growth that we are talking about is not visible from day to day. Growth takes months and years and it’s not always obvious.

Keep reading or listening!

The foundation we are building takes time and this is why we need a commitment. When we get to a point when we’ve been reading daily for a long period of time, the sermons, the books, the devotionals no longer satisfy. They are not enough. Our appetites have grown and we are hungry for more, day in and day out. The growth of this daily habit is seen here:

Psalm 1

What side of this equation are you on right now? Are you delighting in the law of the Lord every day? Notice that the trees bear fruit all season as their roots are getting fed from the river. (See also Josh 1:8, Ezek 47: 1-12)

Compare that to this passage which basically says the same thing:

John 15: 5 “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. 6 Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned. 7 But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! 8 When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.

Are you a true disciple?

“Dear Lord, I choose to be your disciple. I will commit to seeking you with every fiber of my being. I know that I do not feel spiritual and that I am mostly a casual follower. But you’ve called me to love you with all my heart and that’s what I would like to do. Please forgive me for not taking your Word seriously. Thank you, Jesus, for what you have in store for my future, for I believe that you will lead me to truth and everlasting life as long as I continue to follow you. In Jesus’ name, Amen”

Would you like to get the most out of your reading, check out the website for reading tips: theBibleTeam.com/Tips.asp

Photo by Liane Metzler on Unsplash

What you focus on will determine your destination. The trick is maintaining it!

This is a challenge common to everyone, keeping our focus on the Lord. We all have busy lives and need to keep up with a number of diverse activities. These activities include work, family, church, bills, sickness, sports, hobbies, etc. and they all compete for our attention. But we all need to stay connected with the Source of Life in order to stay grounded and Spirit-filled.

John 15: ⁴ Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.

This is one of my favorite episodes because the message is so clear:

Matthew 14: ²⁸ Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.”

²⁹ “Yes, come,” Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted.

³¹ Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?”

Can you imagine this?

What happened? He lost his focus when he took his eyes off Jesus. Peter started focusing on the worldly circumstances rather than the One keeping him afloat. He was walking on water and being like Christ, yet He took his eyes off the One that gave him the ability to do the impossible.

Are your bills causing you to sink? Are you out of work? Is someone close to you dying? Is your marriage on the rocks?

I am not without my own troubles, this message is just as much for me as it is for anyone else.

But these verses give me hope:

Romans 5:  ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

Romans 8: ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Here’s a passage to remember for staying focused…

Colossians 3 Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. ² Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. ³ For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Understand this… unless we regularly consume the Word of God, how on earth can we stay focused on Jesus and His love for us?

Visit TheBibleTeam.com today and create your own reading plan, it’s free.

Keep reading, stay focused!

“Dear Lord, you are my hope and my comfort. I take refuge in you. Please forgive me for worrying and focusing on the problems in my life. Please give me peace and thank you in advance for helping me through this difficult time. In Jesus Name, Amen”

My last post, “Are You Eating His Word?”, ended with the question “How hungry are you?“. Have you thought about that? How much do you desire to read God’s Word? You could be someone that really wants to read it but just not setting aside the time. Or, you could be indifferent towards it, just not excited about picking it up.

I promise you this…

As long as you are seeking the Lord in the Spirit…

The more you read the Word, the more you’ll love the Word, the more you love the Word, the more you’ll need the Word. The more you need the Word, the more you’ll value the Word and the more you’ll appreciate and adore its Author.

This is why the Devil does not want you to read the Bible!

When you do read the Bible, do not to read it just to read it, the goal or objective when reading the Bible should always be to know the Lord more, attempt to understand the passage and apply it to your life. What is He saying to you? If you struggle to understand, find someone that can shed light on it. This is where discipleship comes in which I wrote about recently in “Are You Being Discipled?”.

What more can I say? How about this promise for daily scripture reading:

Joshua 1:⁸ Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.

Are you excited now?

Are you ready to get into the Word? “Where do I start?” you ask. That’s a great question! Because it can be difficult in knowing what to read daily, I’ve developed a reading plan creator on TheBibleTeam.com which allows one to pick whatever book or books, determine the date range and it will create a plan for you. You can find that here: Reading Plan Creator

I don’t think it matters where you start, Matthew, John, Genesis or Jonah. What matters is that you start and get the Bible into you so that the Lord can do a mighty work through you!

I’ll close with this:

1 Chronicles 16: ¹¹ Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.

My friends, if you are continually seeking and are committed to being a disciple of Christ, then what better way is there than to develop the habit of daily Bible reading? Do you spend a day without eating food? I believe that if believers got as excited about reading the book of Job as they do about eating a BLT, the Church would be a force to be reckoned with.

Will you eat His Word?

If you are serious about developing a daily reading habit, here is some practical advice from my friend and motivational speaker Chris Widener. This may or may not work for you… “So this is how we can achieve all that we want to: develop those actions into habits! Action Point: Pick the area of your life that you want to change for good. Now put the action into your schedule every day for the next 21 days. Make it at the same time every day. In fact, if you can, connect it with another habit that you have each day. This will force it to become a habit right alongside the other. After doing this for three weeks, every day, you will find yourself naturally doing it from then on. Then you won’t need motivation – you’ll have a habit that will carry you through!”

“Dear Lord, help me to develop a habit of meeting with you and reading your Word daily. I thank you for nudging me in this direction as I continue seeking you.”

My last post, “Are You Being Discipled?”, discussed the importance of allowing God to transform us through His Spirit and other Christ filled men (or women). This message, “Are You Eating His Word?“, is just as essential for spiritual growth. Just as our bodies do not grow without nutrition, neither will our souls…

Do you read much? What I mean is, throughout your average day, is there anything you typically read? Is it e-mail, websites, blogs, Facebook posts, the sports page, financial section, novels, magazines, technical journals, devotionals, Christian books, etc.?

Do you see where I’m going with this? There is a lot to read on a daily basis for many of us in this age of information overload. It’s crazy what the Bible has to compete with these days. It’s no wonder that much of our Church suffers from Biblical illiteracy.

What are we to do?

We have a culture that was at one time rooted in Biblical beliefs and understanding. Our schools (before the government took over) used to teach our children how to read using the Scriptures. Now, many decades later, the Bible is widely regarded as mostly irrelevant.

Maybe I didn’t have to tell you that, but I’ll get off my soap box now. 🙂

What I really want to get across is that there is no shortcut to spiritual maturity.

If our desire is to love God then we must get to know Him.

It’s kind of like buying my wife a green purse when her favorite color is blue. This simply means I don’t know her well enough to please her. Either she’s told me her favorite color is blue and I wasn’t listening, or she’s never told me before. It doesn’t matter, I’ve missed the mark. Do I still have that receipt?

Here’s a sobering thought:

John 3: ³⁶ “And anyone who believes in God’s Son has eternal life. Anyone who doesn’t obey the Son will never experience eternal life but remains under God’s angry judgment.”

The question I have is:

How would we know how to obey Him if we’re not continually trying to know Him?

Read what Moses and Jeremiah had to say about God’s Word:

Deuteronomy 8: ³ “…man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of the Lord.”

Jeremiah 15: ¹⁶ “Thy words were found and I ate them, and Thy words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; For I have been called by Thy name, O Lord God of hosts.” (KJV)

Yes, Jesus is the bread of life!

I think we’ll get it if we truly understand these passages:

John 6: ²⁷ But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. For God the Father has given me the seal of his approval.”

Tie that with:

John 6: ⁴⁸ Yes, I am the bread of life! ⁴⁹ Your ancestors ate manna in the wilderness, but they all died. ⁵⁰Anyone who eats the bread from heaven, however, will never die. ⁵¹ I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and this bread, which I will offer so the world may live, is my flesh.”

And now with:

John 6: ⁶⁸ Simon Peter replied, “Lord, to whom would we go? You have the words that give eternal life. ⁶⁹ We believe, and we know you are the Holy One of God.”

In Summary:

Spend your energy seeking that which gives eternal life by eating the bread from heaven, the bread of life.

OR:

Spend time daily seeking eternal life by reading your Bible.

How hungry are you?

Being discipled plays a big role in God’s plans as you’ll learn today. In my last post, we discussed what God wanted us to do, consider this part 2 of that message. As a reminder:

John 6: 27 “But don’t be so concerned about perishable things like food. Spend your energy seeking the eternal life that the Son of Man can give you. …”

But I thought, “Hey, I gave my life to Christ when I was 12, I know I haven’t been the “ideal” Christian, but I’m saved, right?, I don’t really “have to do”, anything right? Isn’t the gift of salvation free, not based on works, why bother?”

I always clung to John 3: ¹⁶ “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

But now I am convinced that I never really understood that verse. At face value, in modern day English, it’s very simple and I was led to believe that it doesn’t require any effort on my part, other than to have an intellectual belief that Jesus paid the ultimate sacrifice for my sins. I guess I just didn’t get it.

I’m sure I’ve read this verse before but glossed over it:

Matt. ²¹ “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter.

Your Bible is calling out to you, “Read me, read me!”

What’s interesting is that although I might’ve had that belief for many years, I knew that I knew that I knew, that I should be reading my Bible regularly.

And then there’s church.

Some years I regularly attended church, Some years I did not. Of course, when I regularly went to church I felt closer to God. I felt better about myself and overall it had a positive impact on me and my family.

Although I was attending church, something was missing. When participating in Bible studies, that helped, where we’d actually open the Bible and discuss what God would say, that gave me some Divine inspiration, but still, something was missing.

I get it now.

I understand what I was missing, and that is discipleship. What’s amazing to me is I’ve read about the twelve disciples and heard about them, but never thought that the concept applied to me, or I just never considered it I suppose.

Maybe I wasn’t attending the right church, a church that took discipleship seriously. Or maybe I just wasn’t open to it. It doesn’t matter now, I am on the path that God wants me on and it is an incredible journey. He’s using my past to teach me what doesn’t work and I can use that to teach others:

2 Timothy 2: ¹ Timothy, my dear son, be strong through the grace that God gives you in Christ Jesus. ² You have heard me teach things that have been confirmed by many reliable witnesses. Now teach these truths to other trustworthy people who will be able to pass them on to others.

There are two ways to be discipled.

The way I see it, there are two major ways to be discipled, and I believe both are absolutely essential for spiritual growth. The first is to be discipled directly from God.  This occurs when reading the Word and praying. I believe King David knew this very well:

Psalm 25: ⁴ Show me the right path, O Lord; point out the road for me to follow. ⁵ Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you.

My friends, God is in the discipleship business, but that is not enough. We, humans, were meant for relationships, therefore the second way of being discipled, which is just as important, is meeting with someone else that has a common goal of seeking God:

Proverbs 27: ¹⁷ As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

I take this literally to mean that we’re quite dull (ineffective) if we are not learning from and serving our Christian brothers and sisters.

Let God transform you

Here is what I think it really boils down to, and if this makes you uncomfortable, good. A “Christian” that is not discipled in either of these ways will not be accused of being a follower of Christ. They might be a good person, have great morals, maybe even be a pillar of society. But if they are not allowing themselves to be influenced by God or by other Godly people (disciples) on a regular basis, then how effective will they be and how would they know God’s will for their lives? If you are uncomfortable, then read this carefully:

Rom. 12: ¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ² Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

In contrast, I think this next verse applies to many churches today and the North American Church in general. This passage is directed toward the church of Laodicea:

Revelation 3: ¹⁵ “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! ¹⁶ But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! ¹⁷ You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

That being said, do not wait for your church to start a discipleship program if they don’t already have one. Pray that God will lead you to someone that you can learn from. I like Bible Studies, but it’s not nearly the same as one-on-one or very small groups.

I was lukewarm for far too many years.

Today I am determined to stay on His path.

At TheBibleTeam.com we offer a weekly opportunity to learn and grow, and that is our weekly Bible Team call. This is an informal time of discussing the Bible and what everyone’s been reading. It’s open to the new believer as well as the most seasoned, everyone learns something. For me, it is the fastest hour of the week.

Are you a disciple?

“Dear Lord, thank you for your patience. Teach me your ways. It is my true desire to learn more about you and I need help with that. Speak to me in your Word and teach me how to pray. Lead me to others that can encourage me and help me grow as well. Please don’t give up on me. Thanks in advance for where you are leading me.”

Did you commit last week, referring to the last post? Committing to Jesus makes all the difference when challenged.

When God challenges you, you will either draw closer to Him or stray further away. God is testing you and how you respond makes all the difference. Read carefully to understand your role in this.

If you committed yet feel like a failure, relax. Loving God and making it a daily practice is not that easy and some days are downright challenging. What’s amazing is that I can go to bed at night feeling down, exhausted and frustrated yet I cast my cares on God. Then somehow, some way, tomorrow is a new day. God has a way of picking me up and changing my perspective on things. He miraculously gives me a new attitude. I’ve come to realize that this is a process. Growth does not happen overnight and growth will not occur unless we are challenged.

Consider this passage…

Luke 13: ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, ²⁴ “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. ²⁵ When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’

Who ever said the Christian life was easy?

Although this is a simple message:

John 3: ¹⁶ “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

It does not mean it’s easy, this is why Jesus also says:

John 15: ⁵ “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.

The key is to remain in Christ.

Remaining/abiding in Christ requires us to be proactive which will bring adversity.

The parable of the sower is a great passage that illustrates how life’s daily challenges can inhibit our spiritual growth:

Matt. 13: ²² The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God’s word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.

This is the example of the person who strays. They are allowing worldly concerns (worries, wealth, lust, etc.) to come between them and Jesus.

Contrast that verse with this:

^{Matt. 13: 23} The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!”

Let me be clear, being in good soil is reading with Word, being in prayer and in close fellowship with other believers frequently. These are the activities that will keep you in Christ. Learn this and you’ll stay in good soil.

For those greatly challenged…

Rom. 5: ³ We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. ⁴ And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation. ⁵ And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.

This is why it is essential to make time for God each day. Prayer, reading the Word, and regularly spending time with other committed believers is essential to “abiding in Him”.

For resources that may help you in this endeavor of remaining in Christ, visit TheBibleTeam.com.

Does this change your perspective on being challenged?

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.