Lesson #1 How to STUDY the Bible

Lesson #1

LORD, TEACH ME

TO STUDY YOUR WORD

Q. Who are you ASKING to teach you to STUDY the Bible?

A. The Lord.

REVIEW: The FAITHFULNESS of Almighty God

1 John 5:14,15 ASSURES us that if we ASK ANYTHING that is ACCORDING to God's WILL then Almighty God will ANSWER our request without a doubt.

“And THIS is the CONFIDENCE that we have in him (Almighty God, or WHAT is the CONFIDENCE that we have in Almighty God that he is FAITHFUL to DO?), THAT, if we ASK ANY THING according to his WILL, he HEARS us:

15. AND if we KNOW that he HEARS US, (THEN) WHAT SO EVER we ASK, we KNOW THAT we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

Q. So then, since we KNOW that WHATSOEVER we ask of Almighty God that is ACCORDING to his WILL that we SHALL RECIEVE, then is it God's WILL for us to STUDY his WORD, the Holy Bible? In other words, does Almighty God desire for us to know and understand his WORD? Is it ACCORDING to the WILL of God for us to study, know and understand his WORD?

A. If it is WRITTEN in his WORD in such a way that God is asking, instructing, or commanding us to do, then surely without a doubt it is ACCORDING to God's WILL for us!

So then, let us see if it is God's WILL for us to STUDY his WORD by going to the very WORD of Almighty God by reading

2 Timothy 2:15, which is almost given as a COMMAND for us to STUDY the WORD of God, so that we will NOT be confused or ashamed.

“STUDY to show your self approved unto God, a workman that needs NOT to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Also Jesus teaches us in John 8:30-32 to CONTINUE in his WORD, for in doing so, then this WORD of TRUTH will make us FREE.

“As he (Jesus) spoke these words, many believed on him.

31. Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If you continue in my word, then are you my disciples indeed;

32. And you shall KNOW the TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall MAKE you free.”

So then, from these verses alone we can KNOW that not only is it God's WILL for us to STUDY his WORD, but ALSO to CONTINUE in his WORD so that his WORD will MAKE us FREE.

With that being said, let us now go to James 1:5-8 where we are taught HOW we are to ASK Almighty God for WISDOM, or understanding how to APPLY what we have learned from God's word to our lives.

“If ANY of you lack WISDOM, let him ASK of God, that gives to ALL men liberally, and upbraids NOT; and IT (WISDOM) shall be given him.

6. BUT let him ASK in FAITH, nothing wavering . (WHY?) For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

7. For let NOT that man (the one who WAVERS in his FAITH) think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.(Why is this? For or because)

8. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”

Q. So what does these verses teach us?

A. First of all they teach us that God INVITES us ALL to ASK him for WISDOM or the UNDERSTANDING of HOW to APPLY that which we have learned to our lives.

Secondly we learn that Almighty God will without fail GIVE to ALL who ASK of him WISDOM LIBERALLY or generously and that he will NOT upbraid or rebuke any one for ASKING. In other words, God will NOT refuse anyone WISDOM who ASK in FAITH.

So then, we also see a CONDITION that is placed upon our AKING Almighty God for ANYTHING that we DESIRE of him that is ACCORDING to his WILL.

In other words, we see TWO stipulations for ASKING of God in order to RECEIVE the THINGS that we desire of God.

FIRST: What we ASK of God MUST be ACCORDING to his WILL!

SECOND: What we ask of God MUST be in FAITH WITHOUT WAVERING!

Therefore IF these TWO CONDITIONS are meet, then we can be ASSURED that WHAT SO EVER we ASK of God WILL WITHOUT FAIL be GIVEN to us.

I want us to look at a couple more verses of scripture that ASSURES us that Almighty God desires us to learn and understand his WORD. Please read 1 John 2:27, which tells us that God has given to us as believers his Holy Spirit to TEACH us all things.

"But the ANOINTING which you have received of him abides in you, and you need not that any man TEACH you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in him."

The anointing of the Holy Spirit abiding in us TEACHES us all things so that we do not need for any man to teach us. We are told in John 16:13 that Almighty God sent us his Holy Spirit to GUIDE us into all truth.

"Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will GUIDE you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come."

Then we read in 1 Corinthians 2:9-16,

"But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him.

10. But God has REVEALED them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searches all things, yea, the deep things of God.

11. For what man knows the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? Even so the things of God knows no man, but the Spirit of God.

12. Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; (WHY?)that we might KNOW the things that are freely given to us of God.

13. Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teaches, but which the Holy Ghost teaches; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

14. But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

15. But he that is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is judged of no man.

16. For who has known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ."

With all that being said, Let us now ASK of Almighty God to TEACH us to STUDY his WORD and give us WISDOM to UNDERSATND HOW to APPLY his WORD to our lives.

PRAYER:

Hosea 4:1-3,6

“HEAR the WORD of the LORD, you children of Israel:(WHY?) for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, (WHY?) because there is NO TRUTH, nor mercy, nor KNOWLEDGE of God in the land.

2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood.

3. Therefore (or for this REASON. What reason?) shall the land mourn, and every one that dwells therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away....

6. My people are DESTROYED (WHY?) for lack of KNOWLEDGE: because you have rejected knowledge, (then) I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: (WHY?) seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.”

Asking questions of the text to God like; Who is speaking? And to WHOM is the speaker speaking to? And why are these words being spoken? Is called OBSERVATION.

The next step after OBSERVING what the text in saying to us, then we need to learn to APPLY what we have learned from God's word to our lives. We do this by asking more questions like the 5W's and the H questions: who, what, when, where, why, and how about specific KEY words found in the text.

Obviously for me the first question that I would ask is HOW can I apply what I have just learned from God's word to my life?

One thing that some forget is the WHERE question. WHERE do I begin in APPLYING what I have learned from God's word to my life?

Well begin the same way you began to study God's word, which is by ASKING Almighty God the question HOW do I APPLY this knowledge that you have revealed to me O Lord. Seek God in ever question you ask. Yes ask yourself the question, but also ask God to show you the TRUTH of his WORD and that you DISCERN truth from error as easily as you know light from darkness.

The next question would be WHEN? When to I begin to apply God's word to my life? Obviously TODAY is the day of salvation, so begin immediately. Then anytime you hear the prompting of the Holy Spirit leading you to read something in God's word, or to listen to a preacher on the radio, or to read a particular book, then DO IT. Do not put it off for another time. MAKE TIME for God. Draw near unto God and God will DRAW NEAR unto YOU!

Then search your heart for the MOTIVE of WHY you are seeking to APPLY what you have learned from God's word to your live? Is it for SELF first. Or is it for pleasing God first, which will often lead to bringing pleasure and joy to self as well. WHO get the glory would be a good question?

WHAT do I need to do next after I have asked God to help me APPLY this knowledge that I have learned from his word? LISTEN for that small still voice of the Holy Spirit that leads and guides us into all truth. LISTEN for a verse that the Holy Spirit may bring to your remembrance. The Lord may lead you to look up a meaning of a word in the text. The Lord may lead you to pray in a more specific way, or in a different direction. Or the Holy Spirit may lead you to keep on reading the same text over and over, or continue reading more of the context surrounding the text that you are studying. It may be that you get nothing right away, so what I do is have this imaginary shelf, so to speak, where I place what I am studying on this shelf TRUSTING and BELIEVING that God will continue giving me understanding as I continue reading and studying his word in other areas. In other words, have PATIENCE, God is ALWAYS FAITHFUL to answer your questions in relation to UNDERSTANDING and APPLYING his WORD to your life.

Then the final question is WHO. Who do you O God desire for me to SHARE this REVELATION KNOWLEDGE that you have given me that has so blessed my life?

This principal of asking questions of Almighty God of how to APPLY his word to your life is called APPLICATION. And when we APPLY God's word to our life it ALWAYS leads us CLOSER to God and KEEPS us in the WAY that we should go.

Now let us read Hosea 4:1-3,6 again and use our colored pencils to highlight KEY words, such as KNOWLEDGE.

Hosea 4:1-3,6

“HEAR the WORD of the LORD, you children of Israel:(WHY?) for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, (WHY?) because there is NO TRUTH, nor mercy, nor KNOWLEDGE of God in the land.

2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood touches blood.

3. Therefore (or for this REASON. What reason?) shall the land mourn, and every one that dwells therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away....

6. My people are DESTROYED (WHY?) for lack of KNOWLEDGE: because you have rejected knowledge, (then) I will also reject you, that you shall be no priest to me: (WHY?) seeing you have forgotten the law of your God, I will also forget your children.”

Q. Who is speaking?

A. The prophet Hosea is speaking the WORD of the Lord to God's People.

Q. To whom is the Lord speaking to through his prophet Hosea?

A. The Lord is speaking to his PEOPLE through his prophet Hosea WARNING his people that they are and shall be DESTROYED for the very reason that they LACK KNOWLEDGE. And the reason that they lack knowledge is because they have left off or forgotten the law of God. Or in other words they have REJECTED the KNOWLEDGE of Almighty God.

Q. Why? What is the reason for the words being spoken?

A. The reason God is speaking to his PEOPLE is because he does NOT desire his PEOPLE to be DESTROYED. Therefore he is WARNING his PEOPLE to GET and KEEP KNOWLEDGE.

Q. What is God's concern about Israel's knowledge?

A. God is concerned that Israel has left off follow him and that they have forgotten his law or commandment.

Q. Knowledge of what or whom?

A. The LACK of KNOWLEDGE of BOTH God and his WORD.

Q. Where?

A. In the land of Israel.

Q. Who is saying this and to whom?

A. Almighty God is speaking his WORD to his PEOPLE Israel through his prophet Hosea.

Q. What is happening, BECAUSE of NO TRUTH and LACK of KNOWLEDGE.?

A. BECAUSE or for the very REASON of NO TRUTH and LACK of KNOWLEDGE the people have gone away from God to swear, lie, steal, kill, commit adultery and shed the blood of their very own people. When I read; blood touching blood, I though of gang violence where one gang kills someone and another gang seeks revenge and kills a member of the other gang and it just escalates from there. In other words, VIOLENCE filled the land to where the whole land LANGUISHED. Neighborhoods where gang violence is rampant the people live in fear and they languish.

The word “LANGUISH” here means to be weak-willed, to be hot, feverish, to wither, to languish, to fade away, and to grow feeble or grow weak.

(explain about how to use an exhaustive concordance)

More questions....

Romans 15:4 teaches us that the things written in the Old Testament are written for our instruction.

“For whatsoever things were WRITTEN a fore time were WRITTEN for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the SCRIPTURES might have hope.”

We also learn for 2 Timothy 3:14-17 that God's WORD is INSPIRED of God and that all SCRIPTURE is good for INSTRUCTION in RIGHTEOUSNESS.

“But CONTINUE you in the things which you have LEARNED and have been assured of, knowing of whom you have learned them;

15. And that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

16. ALL SCRIPTURE is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: (WHY?)

17. That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

Also read 2 Peter 1:20,21

“Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.

21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”

Q. When you studied KNOWLEDGE did you see anything that parallels our situation today? What was is?

A. 911 and the increase violence in the world that wants to say that there is NO God. Taking prayer out of school and anything that represents the TRUE God in public places. Passing laws that embrace the things that are an abomination to Almighty God, such as same sex marriages, and abortions.

Q. Do you think people are DESTROYED for LACK of KNOWLEDGE of God? How?

A. Absolutely! People are destroyed because of lack of knowledge in general, but even Christians are destroyed by their lack of knowledge of what God has provided for them. Healing for example.

More questions......

Day #2

TEXT: Please read 2 Kings 22:1-20. Read through carefully two times.

“JOSIAH was eight years old when he began to reign, and he (Josiah) reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his (Josiah) mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath.

2. And he )king Josiah) did that which was RIGHT in the sight of the LORD, and WALKED in all the WAY of David his father, and turned NOT aside to the right hand or to the left.

3. And it came to pass in the eighteenth year of king Josiah (8yrs old of first year as king plus eighteen years of reigning equals 26 years of age of king Josiah when), that the king sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, the scribe, to the house of the LORD, saying,

4. Go up to Hilkiah the high priest, that he may sum the silver which is brought into the house of the LORD, which the keepers of the door have gathered of the people:

5. And let them deliver it into the hand of the doers of the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD: and let them give it to the doers of the work which is in the house of the LORD, to repair the breaches of the house,

6. Unto carpenters, and builders, and masons, and to buy timber and hewn stone to repair the house.

7. Howbeit there was no reckoning made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand, because they dealt faithfully.

8. And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it.

9. And Shaphan the scribe came to the king, and brought the king word again, and said, Your servants have gathered the money that was found in the house, and have delivered it into the hand of them that do the work, that have the oversight of the house of the LORD.

10. And Shaphan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has delivered me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.

11. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the book of the law, that he (king Josaiah) rent his clothes.

12. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Michaiah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asahiah a servant of the king's, saying,

13. Go you, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, CNCERNING the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, (WHY?) because our fathers have NOT hearkened unto the words of this book, to do according unto all that which is written concerning us.

14. So Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam, and Achbor, and Shaphan, and Asahiah, went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe; (now she dwelt in Jerusalem in the college;) and they communed with her.

15. And she said unto them, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, Tell the man that sent you to me,

16. Thus says the LORD, Behold, I will bring evil upon this place, and upon the inhabitants thereof, even all the words of the book which the king of Judah has read:(WHY?)

17. Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore (or for this REASON) my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

18. But to the king of Judah which sent you to inquire of the LORD, thus shall you say to him, Thus says the LORD God of Israel, As touching the words which you have heard;

19. BECAUSE (because WHAT?) your heart was tender, and you have humbled yourself before the LORD, when you HEARD what I spoke against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, that they should become a desolation and a curse, and have rent your clothes, and wept before me; I also have HEARD you, says the LORD.

20. Behold therefore, I will gather you unto your fathers, and you shall be gathered into your grave in peace; and your eyes shall not see all the evil which I will bring upon this place. And they brought the king word again,”

So what did you learn from this chapter? Briefly what I learned was that WHEN Josiah HEARD the WORD of the Lord, he was moved with COMPASSION for the people and HUMBLE himself to SEEK the Lord on their behalf. And BECAUSE of this ACTION of Josiah he was REWARDED by Almighty God and Josiah was brought to his grave in PEACE. In other words, the JUDGMENT of God for his people who rejected KNOWLEDGE was suspended until his life was completed and he went to his grave in PEACE.

Day #3

Refer back to Day #2

Day #4

I was 23 years old when I gave my heart to the Lord Jesus Christ and asked him to come into my life and help me live a live that is pleasing to God.

It took a couple of weeks of disciplining myself to read the Bible, but when I read a particular verse and my eyes of understanding were opened, then there came a hunger in my life to read God's word. It was no longer a chore that I had to virtually make myself to do, but rather it became a great joy to read the Bible. It was a hunger in me that compelled me to read the Bible. Something I look forward to doing.

Q. How old was Josiah when he became king?

A. Josiah was just a young boy of eight years old when he became king of Judah.

Q. How long did Josiah rule?

A. King Josiah reigned over Judah for thirty one years.

Q. Where did Josiah rule?

A. Josiah ruled over God's people Israel in the land of Judah.

Q. What was Josiah like?

A. Josiah was a righteous man and did that which was RIGHT in the sight of God as did his father David.

Q. What happened in the eighteenth year of the reign of king Josiah?

A. King Josiah sent Shaphan the grandson of a scribe to the high priest to have the high priest distribute the money that had been collected from the people to workers to repair the house of the Lord. And while this was being done the book of the law was found in the house of the Lord and was brought back to king Josiah and read to him.

Q. How old was Josiah when this took place? Do the math.

A. If Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign and on his eighteenth year of reigning this took place, then 8+18=26 years old.

Now let us do what is called by some “CROSS-REFERENCING” and by others “COMPARING SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE” by reading another account of king Josiah found in 2 Chronicles 34:1-8

“Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem one and thirty years.

2. And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of David his father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left.

3. For in the eighth year of his reign , while he was yet young, he began to seek after the God of David his father: and in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images.

4. And they brake down the altars of Baalim in his presence; and the images, that were on high above them, he cut down ; and the groves, and the carved images, and the molten images, he brake in pieces , and made dust of them, and strewed it upon the graves of them that had sacrificed unto them.

5. And he burnt the bones of the priests upon their altars, and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.

6. And so did he in the cities of Manasseh, and Ephraim, and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their mattocks round about.

7. And when he had broken down the altars and the groves, and had beaten the graven images into powder , and cut down all the idols throughout all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.

8. Now in the eighteenth year of his reign , when he had purged the land, and the house, he sent Shaphan the son of Azaliah, and Maaseiah the governor of the city, and Joah the son of Joahaz the recorder, to repair the house of the LORD his God.”

Q. What insights in Josiah's life did you find when reading 2 Chronicles 34:1-8?

A. Then thing that jump out at me was Josiah BEGAN seeking the Lord in his EIGTH year of reigning and in his TWEVTH year he began to purge Israel form their idols, and yet in 2 Kings we are told he did not hear the book of the law until his EIGTHEENTH year of reign. So WHERE did Josiah get his KNOWLEDGE about God to do these things, seeing he had NOT yet HEARD the book of the law of God until his EIGHTEENTH year of reigning over the land of Judah?

More questions.....

Day #5

Q. When you read 2 Chronicles did you wonder WHY?, or WHAT caused Josiah to BEGIN seeking the Lord at age 16?

A. Yes, I did, seeing in 2 Kings Josiah did not yet HEAR the book of the law until he was 26 years old.

In Zephaniah 1:1 we can again use a CROSS REFERENCE or comparing scripture with scripture to help shed some light on this question.

“The WORD of the LORD which came unto Zephaniah the son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hizkiah, in the DAYS of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah. 2 I will utterly consume all things from off the land , saith the LORD.”

Here we see Josiah being the son of Amon, which means TRUSTWORTHY, and in 2 Kings we saw that David was his father.

Matthew says this about the genealogy of Josiah. Please read Matthew 1:6-11, which reads as follows form the King James Version of the Bible,

“And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;

7. And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;

8. And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;

9. And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;

10. And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias (or Josiah);

11. And Josias ( Josiah) begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:”

So from Matthew we learn that Josiah was a direct descendant of king David, but was the actual son of Amon just as Zephaniah related to us. God's people referred to Abraham being their “father”, and yet they were just descendants of Abraham, so in the same way David was the “father” Josiah, but not his direct biological father, which was Amon.

Q. What did the prophet Zephaniah call God's people to do?

A. The answer is found in Zephaniah 2:1-3, which is where God calls his people to SEEK him.

“Gather yourselves together, yea, gather together, O nation NOT desired; (WHEN and WHY?)

2. BEFORE the decree bring forth, BEFORE the day pass as the chaff, BEFORE the fierce anger of the LORD come upon you, BEFORE the day of the LORD'S anger come upon you.

3. Seek you the LORD, all you meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment; seekrighteousness, seek meekness: (WHY?) it may be you shall be HID in the day of the LORD'S anger.”

Q. What has brought you to the point to do a study such as this? To learn how to study the Bible and seek the Lord?

A.

Q. Have you learned anything that has encouraged you? What?

A.

Q. Do you KNOW that God ASSURE us that if we SEEK him, then we WILL without fail FIND him?

A. Scriptures that teach us this TRUTH. Jeremiah 29:13 is one such scripture.

“Then shall you call upon me, and you shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.

13. And you shall SEEK me, and FIND me, when you shall SEARCH for me with all your heart.

14. And I will be FOUND of you, says the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, says the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

15. Because you have said, The LORD has raised us up prophets in Babylon;

16. KNOW that thus says the LORD of the king that sits upon the throne of David, and of all the people that dwells in this city, and of your brethren that are not gone forth with you into captivity;”

If you think about it, just common sense or mere logic would tell us that God is NOT going to ask us to SEEK him if he could NOT be FOUND. In other words, God is NOT going to ask of command us to do something that CANNOT be done or accomplished.

Here are some more verses of scripture that teach us that Almighty God is FAITHFUL to his WORD that IF we SEEK him we WILL without fail FIND him. Please read Deuteronomy 4:29, which says,

“But if from thence you shall SEEK the LORD your God, you shall FIND him, IF you SEEK him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.”

Matthew 7:7,8 and Luke 11:9,10 says,

“Ask, and it shall be given you; SEEK, and you shall FIND; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:

8. For every one that asks receives ; and he that SEEKS FINDS; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.”

Acts 17:26,27 teaches us that Almighty God desires ALL men to SEEK him and that he is CLOSE to each and EVERY ONE of us.

“And has made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27. That they should SEEK the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and FIND him, though he be not far from every one of us.”

Day #6

The title of Day six is called the impact of FIRSTHAND knowledge. When I read this I immediately thought of when Jesus ask Simon Peter whom do men say that I am? And Peter answered, some say Elijah and others John the Baptist and others one of the prophets. Then Jesus asked Peter directly and said whom do YOU say that I am? And Peter responded back and said to Jesus, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus responded back with something I call FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE. Jesus said to Peter, Blessed are you Simon Peter, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but your Father in heaven has revealed this to you. Go ahead and read Matthew 16:13-18 where we learn that the gates of hell shall not prevail against this kind of FIRSTHAND REVEALED KNOWLEDGE from the Holy Spirit of Almighty God.

“When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am ?

14. And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.

15. He said unto them, But whom say you that I am ?

16. And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.

17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: (WHY?) for (or because) flesh and blood has NOT revealed it unto you, but my Father which is in heaven.

18. And I say also unto you, That you are Peter, and upon this ROCK (this solid unshakable foundation of REVEALED or FIRSTHAND knowledge from the Holy Spirit of Almighty God) I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”

Discuss question in the book.

Day #7

Consider America and how our country has departed from God.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20

“When you are come unto the land which the LORD your God gives you, and shall possess it, and shalt\l dwell therein, and shall say, I will set a king over me, like as all the nations that are about me;

15. You shall in any wise set him king over you, whom the LORD your God shall choose: one from among your brethren shall you set king over you: you may not set a stranger over you, which is not your brother.

16. But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: for as much as the LORD has said unto you, You shall henceforth return no more that way.

17. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

18. And it shall be, when he sits upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall WRITE him a COPY of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites:

19. And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them:

20. That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel.”

2 Kings 23:1-3 teaches us that Josiah made a verbal covenant with God to keep all that was WRITTEN in the book of the law.

“And the king sent, and they gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem.

2. And the king went up into the house of the LORD, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of the LORD.

3. And the king stood by a pillar, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep his commandments and his testimonies and his statutes with all their heart and all their soul, to perform the words of this covenant that were written in this book. And all the people stood to the covenant.”

What is “INDUCTIVE” studying the Bible?

PRAYER: Colossians 1:9-12

“For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to PRAY for you, and to desire that you might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;

10. That you might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;

11. Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulness;

12. Giving thanks unto the Father, which has made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light:”