I have something to confess. From the time I entered LeClair School for kindergarten in 1961, until I graduated from Edwardsville High school in 1974, I don't remember ever reading an entire book. I am quite sure of it! My learning took place from what little I paid attention to in class, and a little bit of reading here and there from the hundreds of text books that I rarely took home.
The cost of me not reading, many missed life opportunities. This life of not reading changed during my college years when I began reading ferociously. It was then that I discovered what an amazing world I had been missing. My appetite for reading since then has never changed. I had a lot of making up to do. Reading has changed and continues to change my life.
Of course what you read is very important. Reading about others thoughts on ideas or on things that interest you can be fertilizer to your brain. Reading not only can teach us, but it stimulates new possibilities within us. The bible calls this new knowledge "revelation!"
Now, most of my reading is Christian oriented. However, I love to read opposing material and books written by people who think differently than I do. It expands my perspective on where people are coming from.
I have found through simple polling that today many people who identify themselves as Christians rarely, if ever, read the bible. Yet, I find many times the people who are the most opinionated about Christian doctrine, are often people who have spent very little time, if any, reading the book that evokes so much emotion.
Top reasons people don't read the bible:
1.) No time...too busy.
2.) It's boring!
3.) Too hard to understand. So I go to church and let the pastor explain it.
4.) Not a priority!
I would say I have used all of those excuses at one time or another in my younger days!
Today I am going to answer the first two. I will get to 3 and 4 on the next post.
We all have three options when it comes to finding time to read the bible. They are:
1.) Before
2.) After
3.) Instead of
You can read before you get into your day, which could mean getting up earlier. You can read after your day, which could mean going to bed later. Or, you can read the bible "instead of" ...well you name it. Now on to it's boring.
The bible was boring to me until I learned that God still speaks to us individually through this spiritual book. It's called "Revelation!" God will speak to you personally when you begin reading the bible not as a text book or some ancient history book, but as a communication device that has infinite spiritual wisdom encrypted into the words that will unlock the heavenly vault of wisdom to those who are earnestly seeking God. You want your life to be filled with the things of God? His direction, His protection, His wisdom? Then seek Him in the bible. The words you read as you are seeking Him turn into a combination which unlocks the vault to God's Kingdom for your life! You won't understand this until you experience it!
Good reading! See you soon. Love, pastor kent
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