Monday, April 25, 2011

Bible Reading is crucial





Let's read our Bibles this week.

Will you commit to daily reading? Even if only one sentence?

I know you will benefit.

There are many people that I know that have recently plunged into their Bibles and they are FULL of surprises and valuable insights and extremely happy to get TRUTH into their lives.

The way things are in many of the churches (in the USA) people are not really learning the Bible. They "think" that they are, but they are not always. They FIND OUT when they read for themselves how greatly deceived they have been.

The "social" gospel as it's sometimes called, has blinded many. Church has become a "club" meeting much like going to the Elks, or to a Country Club for socialization.

I'm not one to accuse ministries and throw around alarming emails. If you know me at all then you know this is true.

What I'm attempting to do here is get you into the Word of God anyway that I can for your own benefit, not mine.

Two weeks ago I was telling a woman that reading the Bible is a very good and needed thing for her to do. She says she is a Christian and I know what church she attends. I used to go there. As I advised her to get reading I mentioned that Bible reading is the BEST way to be "cult-proof" to which she remarked, "What is a cult?"

Okay, there you have it. But that's not all. As she and I went over some Bible passages for one hour it was clear that she did not know the Old Testament from the New Testament. She did not know the gospels from the epistles, she had zero Bible knowledge. She attended church for over 1 year and came out knowing very little. She only knows what the pastor said in the way of sermons. I've checked with myself and others that went there about what we recall from these sermons. You know what? It appears that those who attend his church, those I know, have zero recall. Isn't that a little bit strange? I think so.

I think it means there is very little content, at least nothing memorable.

I also know that folks don't take a Bible with them when they go on Sundays. I know from attending the mid-week home groups that the regulars who have attended there for over 10 years cannot turn to I Corinthians or Romans because they don't know where that is in the Bible and they freely admit that they have never read major portions of the Bible. One grown man from there recently remarked that He did not know that the Holy Spirit is "in" the believers of Christ. He got out a pencil and made a note of that when one of my children mentioned the concept in an ordinary conversation. This is someone clearly not well versed in Romans, Galatians and many other passages yet he never misses a Sunday at a so-called Bible believing church.

I also know that the "token" verse on the overhead screen is not enough to feed and nourish a Christian. It would be like living off of one green bean a week. It just doesn't work. A physical body would perish! What would one's spirit do with such a lack of nourishment?

I can tell you the "fruit" of this particular church but it would not be "G" rated. I know because I have seen the "fruit" of this type of "church" ministry.

You will know THEM by their fruit---plain and simple!!

When the fruit is adultery and leaving the faith then you're not witnessing the fruit of the Holy Spirit which is so evident that it cannot be mistaken for flesh (sin nature).

What is even more frightening is that I'm not just picking on this one church in any sense of the word and it's not the ONLY church in my city that is ignoring the Bible and having the same outcome.

I know another Christian woman who attended a similar church very near by. We met for discipleship for over one year. She did not know who Judas was. This positively floored me. She has gone to church her entire life!! Her entire life!! The "Judas" example is only an example and certainly not the only bit of information that she lacked.

I don't want to sling mud at anyone. I only want to wake up possibly one or two of you that might be spiritually asleep. You might be one of two that goes to church regularly and thinks that you are gaining spiritual strenght and Biblical knowledge. Yet, you might find that by getting into God's Word for yourself that there is a giant, huge, bigger than you yet know world of knowledge about our God, about our relation to Him, and about our very salvation.

Please try. Please pick up your Bible regardless of how busy you are and read some of it.

Side NOTE: The women I met with 2 weeks ago also freely admits that she doesn't know "how" to pray. How does she walk with the Lord? How does she know HIM or the things OF HIM? She doesn't read the Bible and never has, she doesn't pray and she no longer attends the game playing church that seemingly does not feed the flock. I can't understand how she "follows" Christ Jesus with no knowledge and no contact with Him.

And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.~~Jesus






4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Yes, it is Clevsea. Nothing in sermons can take the place to true bible reading.

It is the only way you will know what is truth and lie.

Mrs. M.

Trish said...

Good grief!!
It's frightening to hear things like that, Clevsea.
I understand how you feel.
My hubby and I have not been in a 'fellowship' for most of the past year.
We were so disheartened to see our church family falling for all the sundry 'new' ideas that every visiting preacher brought with them.
Nobody seemed to question or challenge things which were unbiblical coming from these teachers.
It is a sad truth that many christians either don't know the Scriptures.. or are too intimidated to question a wrong interpretation lest they 'offend' someone.
You are right.
We must know the Scriptures!
St Jerome taught that "ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ"!
Trish

clevsea said...

I have heard that comment many times and I think it is very wise.

To be ignorant of the Word of God is to be ignorant of Jesus and nobody wants to be ignorant of HIM.

As to churches being wrongly influenced by "fads" I could write a book-lenght essay on that. I once had a sweet Pastor. He was old and experienced but he read those "grow your church" type books and he led his flock thru many fads.

Those man-made teachings don't help. It is all the Lord's Spirit and power and love and concern that will help.

We are to abide in Christ, not rely on silly "here today, gone tomorrow" books.

Thanks for your comments Maria and Trish!

Maj said...

"yet he never misses a Sunday at a so-called Bible believing church"

Exactly. Let people say I'm weird for carrying a Bible, but....