so my friend hasn't asked me a question he said all these different people are
saying you need a study this or you need a study this and and he opens the Word
of God and I'm sure it's curiosity sees all of these different subjects and he's
just like Oh No where do I start and he's not it seems like I need to know
this right now and I I realized that she has this question and I'm sure many of
you guys did too because I know I certainly did this was something that I
was struggling with when i first started studying the scriptures I just didn't
know where to begin so today I'm going to answer the question the Bible is very
big where do I start and before we get into that I want to deal with some
principles this is where you start in the book of John verse 17 717 scripture
says if any man be willing to do his will he shall know of the doctrine
whether it be of God or whether I speak of myself this is one of the fundamental
verses of the Bible if you want to understand the doctrine which means
teaching then you need to be willing to apply it to your life that is who God is
going to teach God is looking for obedience that's why in second I mean in
John chapter 12 verse 20 verse 35 jesus said unto them yet a little while is the
light with you walk while you have the light less darkness come upon you for he
that walketh in darkness know not whether you go is so the principles if
you want to understand the scriptures apply what you already know to your life
and God will give you greater light because knowledge is a responsibility
Luke chapter 12 verse 47 says in the servant which knew the Lord's will and
prepared not himself neither did according to his Will shall be beaten
with many stripes but he that knew not and did commit things worthy of stripes
shall be beaten with few why foreign to whomsoever much is given of him shall
much the shall be much required and two men and to whom men have committed much
of him they will ask more so knowledge is a responsibility when God says let's
shed light in your path the important part is not so much to gather up to try
and collect everything right now but is to ask yourself am i living up to the
light that I have because if I'm living up to life that I have God will give me
a greater light God loves you too much to continue to teach you spiritual
things and give you more revelations of his will if you're not walking in the
light already because when you don't walk in the light darkness proportionate
to the light that you've had falls out and we aren't held accountable for what
we know so especially in the beginning it's very important to surrender our
hearts surrender our plans to God every morning it's not something you just do
once surrendering your will to God is a moment by moment decision so walk and
live up to the light that you have in Luke chapter 16 verse 10 scripture says
a very important verse this is actually one of my favorite verses in the Bible
he that is faithful and that which is least is faithful also a much he that is
unjust in the lease is unjust also and much I know when we first begin we want
to gather up everything we know and say I want to understand at all and that's I
was and I really was thirsty I wanted to study the scriptures because I realized
that the more I applied the scriptures to my life the better my life got that
sin is the reason of all my pain my sorrow my sufferings my trials my
shortcomings everything negative in life that I was experiencing was a result of
thin and first John 34 says sin is the transgression of the law the lot is the
word of god it's the Ten Commandments yes and it's also all of Scripture so
when we go against the will of God which sums 40 verse 8 says I delight to do thy
will oh my god gays I law is within my heart the Word of God is the expressed
will of God and when we deviate from that that's where the pain and sorrow
comes so the sooner we learn the sooner we can apply to our life because if I
don't have an intellectual understanding of what God's will is no matter how
willing I am I can't apply it to my life so God looks up man looks on the outward
appearance but God looks upon the heart and you can see the willingness that we
have and if we are willing he will continue to teach us greater things but
the key is to be faithful in that which is least that is your preparation for
having greater knowledge that's your preparation for having greater
responsibility in the work of gods are telling your true purpose in life to
glorify Him so another principle that we should see is that truth is progressive
proverbs chapter 4 verse 18 said but the path of the just is as a shining light
that shyness more and more unto the perfect day when you think about a
shining light that grows more and more to the perfect day that's represented as
the Sun when you look in the morning the day dawn it is total darkness there's no
understanding it's nighttime but then the Sun comes up and it gradually it's
not just the day break of dawn and then full noontide the perfect day it's a
progression God shows us in proportion to the light that we want and so when
you look at nature itself when you plant a seed it doesn't just grow and bear
fruition if I planned the tomatoes Eden then I'm not going to get a tomato the
next day no matter how much I want and also a principal in Galatians says what
you sow is what you read if I planted tomato seed I cannot expect a watermelon
likewise if I'm filling my mind with trash really bad music or television
video games media stuff all these things that distract the mind from God if I'm
filling my mind with novel readings and I'm and I'm not things that compared to
the eternal words of God that can save our souls don't hold any value or don't
have any weight to them then I can't expect to understand the scriptures if
much of my study time my precious devotional time is spent in fictitious
reading and things that are of little or no value so what you sow is what you
read Matthew chapter 13 describes that our understanding of the scripture is
represented in a parable of the sower that went forth is so as
the good seed is the word of God so our understanding is represented as a plant
that is growing towards the Sun and when you look at the trees a tree will
continue to grow and what I like about the trees as many trees are actually
they look like arrows and they point to the Creator and they're growing up
towards the Sun and nature and revelation a light testify of God's love
and so those trees they're pointing up to heaven and they're growing towards
the Sun just like any plant they need the Sun to survive and just arrived
Malachi 42 says but I'm to you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness
arise with healing in his wings and you shall grow up and go forth as as a
castle installed so if we fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom the fear of
the Lord is to depart from evil so that if we fear God's name that's to whom the
promise of the Sun the path of the just the shining light that shines into a
perfect day is going to arrive in your hearts and bring forth healing but when
you consider that analogy of the plant your goal is a son your mark is the Sun
but you're that plant never reaches the Sun it is such a high mark that it is
impossible for that plant to reach the Sun nevertheless that's its direction
that's its growth that's where it is going towards that's why I really like
likewise it is impossible to exhaust even one subject or one promise in the
Word of God we will be studying the Scriptures throughout this ceaseless
ages of eternity remember that we will be studying forever and we will be
learning your things so don't think that God expects you to know everything right
now patience is an important part of the
everlasting gospel in Revelation chapter 14 verse 12 the third angels message
includes here's the patience of the Saints here are they to keep the
commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus and I really like how Paul put
it in Philippians 3 12 through 14 he says not as though I had already attains
either were already perfect but and in verse 14 he says I press toward the mark
of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus so we don't get to a point where
we are perfect or that we have this that is our goal Christ is our example the
righteousness of Christ the perfect reflection of the character of God and
we press towards it there's never going to come a time where you're just going
to say I understand all things of the Bible and there is nothing else for me
to learn the truth of the matter is the more I know the more I know I know
nothing because the more that you know the more you're able to know and that's
the beautiful thing you'll never quit learning a principle that I'd like to
share with you when studying the scriptures is that don't just read the
bible study it when i looked through the scriptures i tried to search far and
wide I was looking for somewhere that the Bible commanded us to read to
surface read the scriptures I found I read every verse in the Bible that said
the word read readeth reading I found not one but you know what i did find is
in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 15 it said study to show thyself approved unto
God the workmen at me is not be ashamed rightly dividing the word of truth and
then I found in John Fox learning 9 search the Scriptures for enemy think
you have eternal life but they are they which testify of me so every verse of
the Bible testifies of Christ and God tells us to study to search and then
when I go to proverbs chapter 2 verse 3 and 4 it tells us a cry after knowledge
to lift up our voice for understanding we want to understand the Bible how do
we do it God's promise is are all conditional he says in verse 4 it's thou
seekest heard understanding and knowledge as silver and searches for her
as for hidden treasures then shopped out understand the fear of the Lord and find
the knowledge of God so the promise of understanding and having knowledge of
the scriptures is only given to those who search for it as for hid treasures
and as for silver and when you think about treasures that are HID they're not
found on the surface when was the last time you were walking through the
streets on the surface and you tripped over a golden or and that just doesn't
happen the precious truth of the word of God are found deep into the mind of
truth so we need to take our shaft and we need to dig for the truth as for hid
treasures it's not going to be found on the surface surface reading the
Scriptures is better than nothing but it's not going to give you the value
that Christ desires to teach you that you might say well this is new to me
well let's look at the example of Christ if there's anyone in the scriptures we
can trust and follow the example of Christ how did Jesus study the
scriptures Matthew chapter 24 verse 27 describes the road to Emmaus the Christ
had just died and he resurrected but his disciples didn't know that he had some
disciples walking on this road they were very sorrowful and they were burdens and
then in verse 25 jesus said Oh full slow part to believe all that the prophets
have spoken ought not Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into
his glory so what they were currently going through crash was saying look
didn't the prophets testify of me so what did he do in verse 27 this is how
Jesus studied the Bible with his disciples and taught them to do also
beginning at Moses the Alpha of the Bible and all the prophets he expounded
unto them and all the Scriptures the things concerning himself wow that is a
nugget right there Moses is the first five books of the Bible Genesis Exodus
Leviticus numbers and Deuteronomy and then all the profits every book of the
Bible was written by the Prophet so when Jesus gave a Bible study he didn't just
read one book and read one chapter and go into next chapter and go to the next
chapter that's not how he did it he brought all the scriptures together on
the subject that he wished to know then let every word have its proper bearing
and if he could form the theory without a contradiction it cannot be an error
this that's Miller's third or fourth rule and that's how to study the Bible
and when we look at Jesus he brought all of the things concerning himself
specifically the sufferings of Christ the cross of Christ he was taking them
through the Bible this is what we call proof texts method that's how God wants
us to study not just read but to study the Bible and you know in my and we have
several videos on our youtube channel it on how to study the Bible I'd really
encourage you to look at some of the other videos they will help you to give
you other principles to do that but we don't want to do that right now I want
to share with you my testimony when I first started
ah there were so many different subjects there was a lot of different experiences
I didn't know where to begin so what I ended up doing it's kind of like a
curiosity shop I saw this subject and that subject in this subject and then I
would read and it seemed like I'd go down this subject and I'm like oh wow
that now I learned this new subject and I go here and it seemed like I was just
skipping along the surface I was I would study subject by subject but I didn't
have a deep understanding of any subject I just was surface reading and it seems
like it was like bunny hopping so for me when I tried to study all of these
different subjects at once I didn't get very far and all I began doing was I was
familiar with a lot of different keywords and phrases and maybe I knew
about what someone was talking about but I couldn't give a Bible study on it I
couldn't explain it for myself I didn't really understand what was being talked
about because I just dealt from topic to topic topic to topic and I just quickly
went through at all I recognize that it concerned me because I couldn't teach
these things it made it to where it was easier to accept them without actually
studying to show myself approved so one thing that I would encourage you one
thing that I realized that tremendously helped me is the best way to study is
not to take all the subjects at once that's how like false education in the
schools they teach you you have seven different periods you learn all of these
different classes all that wants and cram it together that system of cramming
discourages independent thought and it doesn't allow us to really get do well
one thing at a time and in order to be successful we must study one thing at a
time study it thoroughly even though you can't exhaust it study it well because
once I found when I started to take one subject
then I studied it thoroughly and I was like okay now I understand then I moved
on to the next subject studied it thoroughly but it actually helped me to
understand that better and I realized that these two subjects are connected
with as perfect links in the chain of truth that can never be broken and the
more you learn the more you will be able to learn if you study one subject deep
then you study another subject deep you will see how those verses are connected
and then the third study becomes easier to understand and then you'll have three
subjects that you can see the connections with and make better links
and and it will help you to go further faster but you're not going to
understand the scriptures if you are just surface reading and going from
subject to subject to subject take one subject concentrate your powers if your
mind wanders bring it back study the subject learn it well then and don't
stay better because people who stay with one subject there what we're told are
called mono maniacs and these people can only see one subject they urge it on
everybody and this oftentimes breeds fanaticism when there's just one thing
that you get stuck on and because that's the deepest thing that you know in the
Bible and that's the first thing that you really studied the most you urge
that upon everyone else you need to study that you need to study that you
need to study that and because you don't know what I know then you're lost or
because you don't know what I know then then I'm questioning your religious
experience and people like that they try to play this burden especially on young
people that you need to study this right now this is this is the message of the
hour and that may be the only thing that they've had that has really helped them
to study the Bible and I'm used that to give them a deeper experience but again
truth is progressive God wants us to walk by faith and not by
you want just to make continual advancements that's why our ministries
called walks with god ministries not stand by God ministry or stand with God
it's walk with God it's a progression our walk should never cease with one
subject when you study that thoroughly this is an important part move on to the
next subject study that thoroughly and that is how you will get a depth and
breadth of understanding of the scriptures and it will help to balance
your mind so you won't be fanatical or one sided or one man message you will be
able to see how things connect together and God will expand your minds so when
you're dealing with one subject at a time now the question I imagine comes or
which subject should I start with and I would say study what is relevant in your
life what questions do you have about your Christian experience what
objections have you heard from others that you try to share your faith with
what concerns do you have what temptations are you currently struggling
with and whatever temptations those are study the opposite traits of character
in the scriptures and you will find victory so for instance if I'm lady and
I recognize I'm lazy i'm lacking motivation I wouldn't necessarily study
like the word sluggard although there's a lot of council on that I would study
the opposite and study diligence or in industry or perseverance study things
the opposite traits of character because the tears of the grave and all your
negatives like dwelling upon your faults dwelling upon your mistakes and all
these different things that just discourages you but when you set your
eyes what second Corinthians 3 18 says by beholding we will become changed so
if you behold yourself you'll you'll never rise higher than whatever you set
your eyes to so when you behold the Sun of righteousness you look at Christ
perfect example you look at the cross which is a perfect reflection of the
character of God the diligence of perseverance you see that Christ wasn't
lazy when he went to the cross he loved you his motivation was because the joy
that was set before him he endured the cross despising the shame it wasn't easy
for him he prayed in the garden good send me lower father never if it be
possible remove this cup from me but nevertheless not my will but thy will be
done he was willing to do God's will so study those opposite traits of character
and you'll find victory but when you study if you want to have a righteous
life if you want Christ's righteousness imparted to you is the difference
between imputed and parted we won't go into that right now but if you want to
experience the righteousness by faith that experience with Christ notice how
the righteous study the Bible and studying things in proverbs 15 20 28 it
says the heart of the righteous study to answer but the mouth of the wicked poor
without evil things the key is to study to answer don't just study to learn
study to teach you if you have questions answer them if you hear objections from
others answer them and then answer and study to answer them and then share with
others the difference between the righteous and the wicked but we can have
questions they don't and finances but we can have objections and they just hang
their hats upon their hooks of doubts and they never come to the knowledge of
the truth so God has called you you have a divine Commission a great commission a
divine duty an obligor ille obligation to share with others what God has shared
with you knowledge is a responsibility he's not just teaching you so that you
can hoard all this knowledge and be a spiritual glutton
so eating and eating the little book and eating the scriptures but not working
for the salvation of souls to work off those spiritual calories in proportion
of what you're learning you have a responsibility to share with others will
god I shared with you like and many times we feel oh no I need to understand
the message we first before I can share but the truth of the matter is you will
never understand until you share what you know first look at the woman at the
well in John chapter 4 this woman was living an open sin Jesus took the time
to share he had a faithful regard for the one so audience and that one soul
took the message to thousands of people she couldn't give a Bible study on
Daniel 9 and explained the very year and season when the Messiah would come she
couldn't prove text through the Scriptures like Jesus did on the road to
Emmaus and say look is he not the Christ no he shared his experience she said
come see a man who told me all things that I ever did is he not the Christ how
simple is that if what you understand is simple share it if what you have is your
experience share it your testimony is value valuable your testimony is
powerful revelation 12 11 says they overcame the devil by the word of their
by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony that is where we find
victory by helping others overcome we will overcome that is the secret of
victory we need to share with others that the best way to learn is to teach
Deuteronomy chapter 11 verse 33 gives an indication of how we know if we truly
understand something because if you understand something what will you be
found doing according to Daniel chapter 11 verse 33 it says and they that
understand among the people shout instruct many so the real test if you
truly understand is if you can instruct can you explain it can you teach it
because if you can't teach it then you don't understand you are studying to
learn not studying to answer therefore God is not going to teach you and he
will not give you understanding throughout studying the Bible surface no
you're not then the then the Lord wants you to climb up higher he has something
better and so that is the best way to try and figure out if you understand
something but it's not only can I teach it but second Timothy chapter 2 verse 2
gives another principle when you study the Scriptures this is what God wants
you to do and the things that thou has heard of me among many witnesses this is
Paul talking to Timothy the same commit thou to faithful men who shall teach
others also so Paul preaching a sermon Paul speaking the gospel he says this is
your responsibility what you heard of me sharing on youtube on in the
congregations in the audience's when you listen to sermons my friends study to
answer and study to instruct many but in order to do that you need to take notes
take notes on this lesson take notes on this video and then go over those notes
see if it's true what I'm saying pray to the Holy Spirit I pray to the Father
through Christ that the Holy Spirit will help you to understand what you're
sharing what you're learning and then go forth and share it with others and as
you instruct many your goal is not just to extract them but to instruct them in
a manner that they threw your understand your explanation will be able to teach
others also that is a true goal if the people you teach can teach others then
you understand then you understand it that is the goal of bible study and if
you follow these principles i believe God will be with you God will teach you
God will help you in your life will you will find in God's Word it to be the joy
and rejoicing of your life and he will help you to overcome whatever you're
struggling with and at the beginning it may seem overwhelming but be of good
cheer my friends because through faithful in the little things we buy
diligent effort what is difficult at first eventually becomes habit and once
it's habit it's a consistent thing that's not as difficult I hope this
helps answer your question the Bible is very big where do I start have a great
day and God bless
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