How to read the Bible? A beginner's guide: The Christian Messenger, March 2021 issue

14 ways to protect your marriage

‘The mistake we made with Ravi Zacharias’

THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER INDIA’S EVANGELICAL NEWS MAGAZINE Vol. 17, No. 9 | MARCH, 2021 | Rs.20/-

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A Beginner’s Guide

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Uphold our mission fields in your prayers Please pray that the believers would know the hope God gives (Ephesians 1:18) and that the Holy Spirit would strengthen them (Eph. 3:16). Pray persecuted believers would know how much God loves them (Eph. 3:17), pray they would know how to share the gospel (Eph. 6:19). Also, pray persecuted believers would fearlessly tell others about Jesus (Eph. 6:20).

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COVER FEATURE

How to read the Bible?

A Beginner’s Guide

BY ROBIN SAM

3 simple rules of thumb to effectively read the Bible and complete it in a year.

IN this article, we are discussing the topic of reading the Bible in a year. Remember, I am not talking about how to study the Bible. That’s totally a different matter altogether. This article is for those who are either new to the Bible or have trouble reading the Bible.

However, it seems most Christians have trouble reading the Bible. The American Bible Society and the Barna Group conducted a survey recently. The survey finding said the percentage of adults who say they use the Bible daily dropped from 14 percent to 9 percent from 2019 to 2020. Covid-19, lockdown, social distancing and closure of churches were cited as reasons for this decline.

You can dismiss the finding as only reflective of the US society but the worldwide behavior of Christians vis-a-vis the Bible is not drastically different from the average American Christian’s.

We all have trouble reading the Bible. We either read it or we don’t. If we read it, we don’t read it regularly. If we read it daily, we have trouble loving the routine. So, whether you are a beginner or an experienced spiritual Christian we all need help in reading the Bible.

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I have been serving the Lord for 20 years and one of the things I have come across is that most people simply do not know how to read the Bible. Among those who read the Bible, some either read only the New Testament or the Psalms every day. I have seen some people randomly open the Bible and read whatever they fancy for the day. Most Christians don’t know why they should read the book of Leviticus or Numbers or if they read them they don’t know what to make of the books.

I am going to give you 3 simple rules of thumb to read the Bible effectively and finish reading it cover to cover within a year.

1. Follow a devotional book If you are new to reading the Bible or have trouble reading it every day, a devotional book will help. Our Daily Bread is a popular devotional book that helps you navigate through the Bible with a devotional, a passage on which the devotional is based and a few chapters to be read in the morning and in the evening. If you follow this pattern you will be able to wrap up reading the Bible within 365 days.

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MARCH, 2021

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COVER FEATURE four months. Repeat the same exercise for the entire year and you would have read through the Bible three times in 365 days.

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3. Select a book and read it in ‘x’ number of days

What happens if you skip your reading for one or two days? Don’t worry. Beginning it again is a good way to set things right. Don’t feel compelled to read all the backlog in a day. That way

This method is for those who want to take it easy.

If you cannot allocate a certain amount of time every day in the morning and in the evening and you don’t want to be burdened by the pressure of reading through the Bible in a year you can opt for this method.

The Bible is made up of 66 books, 39 in the Old Testament and 27 in the New. Although all of the Bible is breathed by the Holy Spirit, some books are special. For instance, the Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - have to be read and re-read to

you will be under enormous pressure and you may even give up reading the Bible altogether. Choose a day when you are relaxed and free to read up the passages you have left out.

If you are not a book person, you can even look for Bible reading apps that help you stay close to the Word of God. YouVersion is a very good app. You will be able to download it from Google PlayStore or Apple Store. You can either go with the online version or the offline version. This app has several Bible reading plans that you can choose from. Like the Bible in one year plan. You can also have short 7day, 10-day, 21-day plans that narrow down your reading to a certain book in the Bible and help you get the most out of it.

If you were to ask me, I would say use the App for weekends but use the Bible every day. There’s nothing like using a physical copy of the Bible.

Touching it, feeling it, reading it, writing notes in the margins, underlining verses that spoke to you are experiences that an app simply cannot offer you.

You can download this app from Google PlayStore or Apple Store. You can either use the online version or the offline version.

understand the essence of the teachings of Jesus Christ, His birth, His crucifixion, the principles of the Kingdom of God and His second coming.

For instance, if you read 5 pages a day you can complete all the Gospels in 26 days. Once you are done with the Gospels go on to the book of Acts and then Romans and then the epistles to the church at Corinth and so on. If you are ready to read 10 pages of the New Testament a day you can complete it in 30 days. Galatians to Colossians (four epistles) can be completed in 2 days if you are ready to read 10 pages a day.

After reading the NT, you can go on to Genesis, then Exodus and jump to Deuteronomy and follow through to Joshua, Judges, the Kings and Chronicles.

You can always come back to Leviticus and Numbers later.

Reading the prophetic books back to back in a certain number of days may be a hugely rewarding experience as you will see there are prophecies that have already been fulfilled and prophecies that are yet to come true and may be fulfilled in our day or in the days of our children.

Whatever method you choose to read the Bible, allow the Spirit of God to deal with you. Begin your reading every day with a short prayer, ask God to show you what you need to know and follow. Check if God is asking you to do something - confess a sin, forgive someone, seek forgiveness, call up a friend, reconcile with a relative or simply go out and help someone who is in need. Reading the Book of books and living according to what God has commanded in it is the only way we will stand unashamedly before the King of kings one day.

2. Break down the Bible into ‘x’ number of pages per day I have a New International Version of the Bible on my table as I am writing this article. I personally prefer the KJV or the NKJV versions of the Bible for my daily use as I have my reservations against the NIV but I am using the NIV for the purpose of illustration.

The OT in this Bible version is spread across 1030 pages. The New Testament is in 306 pages. Now, a simple plan to read through the entire Bible within a year is to add up all the pages and divide the result by 365.

In other words, if you read close to 4 pages a day, yes just 4 pages a day, you can complete the OT and the NT in a year comfortably. But, this plan may not be very exciting and challenging enough for most of us.

So, what must we do? Simply try reading the entire Bible in 3 months. So, if you read 12 to 15 pages a day you can complete the entire Bible within THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w MARCH 2021

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FOR REFLECTION

3 benefits of reading the Bible CONSIDER with me just three of the many benefits of reading the Bible and as you read them, ask God to give you eyes to see the worth of the Scriptures and to waken in you an unyielding desire for the Word of God. 1. The Word of God Awakens and Strengthens Faith The Holy Spirit does not awaken and strengthen faith apart from the Word of God. ‘Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ’ (Rom. 10:17). The reason for this is that the Spirit has been sent into the world to glorify Christ. But Christ would not be glorified if the Spirit wakened faith in the absence of the revelation of the glory of Christ in the gospel. ‘When the Spirit of truth comes,’ Jesus said, ‘He will glorify me’ (John 16:1314). If the Spirit brought us to faith in the absence of the proclamation of Christ in his Word, our faith would not be in Christ, and He would not be honored. Therefore, the Spirit binds His faithawakening ministry to the Christ-exalting Word.

2. Through the Word, God Supplies the Holy Spirit The Spirit of God produces both a subconscious influence bringing us to faith, and a conscious

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experience of power and personal fellowship that come through faith. This explains two things: a) This is why the Bible can speak of the Spirit blowing where He wills and having merciful effects in our lives before we were able to choose them (John 3:68; 6:36, 44, 65). In other words, by His unconscious influence He works in us to enable us to hear and welcome the Word. b) And this is also why the Bible speaks of the Spirit coming through our hearing the Word of God. Conscious fellowship with the Spirit is given when we hear the Word of God with faith.

3. The Word of God Creates and Sustains Life Jesus said, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). To that end he taught many things, and then gave His life so that we might have life, eternal and abundant. We are born again into new life by the Word of God. “You have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. . . . And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (1 Pet. 1:23–25). “The words that I have spoken to you,” Jesus said, “are spirit and life” (John 6:63). “These are written so that you may . . . have life in his name” (John 20:31). All the Scriptures lead to life.

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INDIA REPORTS

Indian Christians oppose Saraswati puja circular AN Indian human rights group that monitors atrocities against Christians has expressed opposition to a directive by Daman’s administration requiring the mandatory veneration of the Hindu goddess of knowledge.

The New Delhi-based United Christian Forum (UFC) has urged the administration and the Directorate of Education of Daman to immediately withdraw the circular. The circular issued on Feb. 11 directed all government, government-aided and private schools to conduct prayers and veneration of goddess Saraswati and to submit compliance reports and photographs by Feb. 17.

The circular stated: “We know that the Vasant Panchami is celebrated as the birthday of goddess Saraswati, who symbolizes knowledge, wisdom, purity and truth.”

All principals and educational heads of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are requested to celebrate the festival of Vasant Panchami on Feb. 16. and organize programs at school level.

“The directive gravely impinges on the right to freedom of religion and freedom to establish and administer educational institutions of their choice as guaranteed and protected in the constitution of India for all minorities,” A.C. Michael, convener of the

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UCF, said in a press note on Feb. 15. The secular ethos of the country places a Constitutional embargo on the government from giving preferential treatment to any one religion.

“Even in 2019, the same administration attempted to cancel Good Friday as a gazetted holiday.

However, the Christian community approached Bombay High Court and got the order reversed,” it added.

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Why is the Lebanese president always a Christian?

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• THE distribution of power in Lebanon is governed by a non-written “gentleman agreement” from 1943 known as the Nationl Pact.

• It was based on the 1932 census and was reached between President Beshara Al Khoury and his Prime Minister Riad Al Solh in 1943. It stipulated that the presidency from thereon would always go to a Maronite Christian, while the premiership would be for Sunni Muslims.

• The president was given wide executive powers, due to the then-numerical superiority of Lebanese Christians. Among those powers was the right to hire and fire his prime minister, which continued to be the norm until September 1989.

The rule continued to be observed, even during the bloody civil war (1975 to 1990), but was first broken by President Amin Gemayel when hours before leaving office in September 1989, he appointed then-Army Commander, Michel Aoun, as PM. He was the country’s first non-Muslim premier since 1943. The decision raised concern, as many lawmakers argued that it was a breach of the 1943 National Pact. Aoun remained undaunted, however, refusing to leave Baabda Palace.

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GUIDE POST

14 ways to protect your marriage EVEN if you are married to the best spouse in the whole world, if you do not guard your heart, you may end up ‘falling in love’ with someone aside your spouse and eventually ruin your marriage.

No one gets married and plans to have an affair but lots of married men and women are into affairs today because they slept when they should have been wide awake with their five senses alert.

The recent sex scandal surrounding well known Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias should come as a wake-up call for all of us - lay believers and servants of the Lord.

Here are 15 things you should be aware of to safeguard your marriage.

1. Don’t be too friendly with the opposite sex.

This is where lots of married people land in trouble. Over spirituality and pride will destroy your marriage! You can’t handle close friendship with the opposite sex as a married person. Your heart is involved. So you must learn to do the following six things: Set boundaries.

Be disciplined.

Be cordial.

Be respectful.

Be godly.

Be holy.

2. Don’t share your personal problems with a friend from the opposite sex.

It will bond you together. Problems bond people.

3. Don’t contact anyone from the opposite sex you are fond of. If you secretly admire them, you are fond of them and there is a tingling in your heart at the mere thought of them, don’t contact them!

4. Avoid unnecessary eye contact that lingers with the opposite sex.

5. Don’t tell an opposite sex that he/she is romantic or sexy. That private information is for your spouse only.

6. Avoid discussions with the people of the opposite sex when you are tired, sad, depressed, sorrowful, drowsy, sleepy or sick. This can cloud your judgment and make you say silly things. Talk to your husband/wife instead. Better still, talk to God. He knows you, He listens to you and He cares for you.

7. Avoid giving unnecessary compliments to the opposite sex.

8. Stop saying ‘I love you’ to anyone (other than your spouse) from the opposite sex. Why would you

want to ‘love’ them when your own wife / husband is alive?

9. Work on your marriage. Keep the fire of love and romance alive in your marriage. Plan frequent outings with your spouse. Pray with your partner.

10. Never flirt with the opposite sex.

11. Mind the pictures you post on social media.

Limit pictures that show your curves or portray you as sexy.

12. Do not contact your exes after marriage.

13. Don’t chat with the opposite sex on days you feel aroused.

14. Stop focusing on your spouse’s weaknesses and appreciate their strengths.

If you always see the bad side of your spouse, you will be angry, bitter, critical and look for someone who can ‘understand’ you and make you happy. That is the beginning of an emotional affair and an eventual sexual affair. It is the beginning of the end of a once glorious marriage! What you will not eat, don’t bring to your nose. Don’t smell it! Avoid all emotional and sexual affairs. They will destroy your marriage!

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RED ALERT

The mistake we made with Ravi Zacharias

BY RAY COMFORT A man is either ignorant or a fool who thinks he will find honey in a wasp nest. Mess with a nest and the odds are wasps will chase you and possibly sting you to death.

Ravi’s wasps chased him into his home, into his ministry, and then stung and stunned millions of his faithful followers.

The RZIM Ministry Board of Directors recently released an open letter regarding the investigation of misconduct.

His fall was painful because his name was synonymous with integrity. He was the gentleman’s gentleman; the proud mountain of intellectualism to which we pointed as evidence that Christianity isn’t just for the fool on a hill.

Yet at the same time, his eloquence concerned me.

I often expressed that concern in a self-deprecating way by saying that I listened to him in awe, but would come away not having a clue what he had just said. I even addressed my concern (in fear and trembling) in one of my books.

The big lesson we should all take from this tragic situation with Ravi is to listen to our apologists and ask, “Are they preaching sin, righteousness, and judgment? Are their hearers being impressed

THE CHRISTIAN MESSENGER w MARCH 2021

with eloquence, or have they been awakened to their terrible danger? Do they tremble, as did Felix, after hearing Paul preach (see Acts 24:25)?”

Intellectual preaching produces intellectual converts who name the name of Christ, but are strangers to the new birth. Each of us should be asking if we were talked into our faith or if we had an encounter with the living God. If we came through the door of argument, then all it will take is a better argument to cause us to leave by another door. Take to heart Paul’s warning about such so-called conversions in 1 Corinthians 2:1-5.

We are called to be witnesses of Christ. No judge wants an eloquent witness. He just wants to hear the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And the truth is in Jesus. It is in Christ crucified for the sin of the world. Fail to preach that ultimate truth and we are not true and faithful witnesses. We are wasting both our time and the time of our hearers.

As a ministry, we believe in the use of apologetics as is commanded in 1 Peter 3:15.

But we have a problem when we elevate apologetics above the gospel, and never preach the actual good news of salvation. Paul reminds us that it is the gospel, not apologetics, that is the power of God unto salvation (see Romans 1:16).

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Support our VBS ministries

WE are introducing Lord Jesus Christ and His love to over 1,000 children this year through the Vacation Bible School ministries in May and June.

As usual, VBS will be held in June in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh. In MP, Odisha and Chhattisgarh, VBS will be conducted by end of April or in May. I urge you to prayerfully support the VBS ministries.

Pray that God will remove every obstacle that prevents children from getting close to Him. Pray also that the teachers’ VBS training will go on as scheduled and every child who comes to the A/C Name : Messenger Missions VBS gatherings will accept Jesus Christ as his Lord and Saviour.

A/C No : 913020055473409 Each child’s expense per day will be Rs.50/- Going by that estimate, Account Type: Current the VBS ministries across all our fields in India will require a Bank Name : Axis Bank considerable amount for the three-day meetings. It’s my hope and Branch : Mogappair, Chennai. desire that this expense will be met by your prayers and generous Branch : 345 contributions. May God bless those who support this ministry a IFS code : UTIB0000345 hundredfold! Your brother in Christ, Robin Sam You can send your donations by NEFT / IMPS / RTGS or MO. Website: www.christianmessenger.in Email: contact@christianmessenger.in

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