Jesus Heals

“Is not God as willing to show the mercy of healing to His worshippers as He is to show the mercy of forgiveness to His enemies?” (Romans 8:32) – F.F. Bosworth in “Christ The Healer“

He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? Romans 8:32 NKJ

The Amplified Bible is often helpful for explaining the meaning of words in a passage (amplifying them):

“He who did not withhold or spare [even] His own Son but gave Him up for us all, will He not also with Him freely and graciously give us all [other] things?” Romans 8:32 AMP

He sends forth His word and heals them and rescues them from the pit and destruction.
Psalm 107:20 AMP

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is [deepest] within me, bless His holy name!

Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not [one of] all His benefits—

Who forgives [every one of] all your iniquities, Who heals [each one of] all your diseases,

Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, Who beautifies, dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;

Who satisfies your mouth [your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation] with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s [strong, overcoming, soaring]! Psalm 103:1-5 AMP

There are many, many more Scriptures about healing, as well as many examples of healing in the Bible. There are also many books written about healing, but not all of them line up with Scripture. In my study on healing I’ve ran across several books that completely disregard what the Bible says about it. I’m currently reading “Christ The Healer” by F.F. Bosworth, as I’ve quoted above. I’m not finished with it yet, but my opinion about it so far is good. The book is mostly a compilation of Bosworth’s sermons, with some incredible and encouraging testimonials from people who were healed of various ailments and diseases, several which were life-threatening.

Have you read any good books on healing that are based on Scripture? If so, please share them in the comments.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

This week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is to “share a picture that means MINE to you!”

The Bible in this photo is mine. I love reading and studying from my Bible because its got my notations, my highlights, and my underlining of specific Scriptures. My markings remind me of passages and verses that have been especially meaningful to me during difficult times, or that God used to speak to me at one time or another, or that have become my favorite verses. My Bible isn’t a fashionable color or in the latest style; its plain black cover is worn around the edges, and its binding is loose in places. But it’s mine, and it’s worth its weight in gold to me. The words on its pages are priceless, timeless, and inspired by God.

The glasses on top of my Bible are also mine. In recent years I’ve had to use them when reading my Bible, or any type of reading, writing, or studying.

The wood cross in my photo was hand carved by a retired pastor friend; the hand painted flowers are Dogwood blooms. The glass dolphin is a keepsake from my aunt who passed away a few years ago. Both of these are special to me, but neither of them have eternal value like the words written on the pages of my Bible.

More submissions to this week’s WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Mine

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A Letter To Be Read

Read the Bible, not as a newspaper, but as a home letter. If a cluster of heavenly fruit hangs within reach, gather it. If a promise lies upon the page as a blank check, cash it. If a prayer is recorded, appropriate it, and launch it as a feathered arrow from the bow of your desire. If an example of holiness gleams before you, ask God to do as much for you. If the truth is revealed in all its intrinsic splendor, entreat that its brilliance may ever irradiate the hemisphere of your life. F. B. Meyer

I rejoice at Your word as one who finds great treasure. Psalm 119:162
Psalm 18:27-29
Luke 5:16-18
James 4:3

Revelation 12:11

The first photo is my Bible.  The 4 photos that follow it are random snapshots of a few passages I have marked in my Bible, sometimes more than once. 

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Reading Proverbs In October

As September comes to a close I wish I could say I’ve finished reading the book of Psalms, but I still have a few chapters to go. I’m reading the Psalms from the King James Version Bible, and reading them out loud, which is slower for me than if I was just reading silently. I can read a novel in a few hours and enjoy the story, but I don’t want to read the Bible like a novel. I want to take more time to think about what I’m reading, and how it applies to my life. Even when I don’t read out loud, I like to take time to study and think about what I’m reading.

Tomorrow begins “October is for Proverbs“, and reading a chapter a day from the book of Proverbs — 31 chapters, 31 days in October. I’ll be switching back to New King James Version to read Proverbs.

I hope you’ll join me in reading Proverbs in your favorite Bible version, or even in a different version for a change of pace. If you don’t have a hard copy of different Bible versions, there are several online Bibles to use. I like Bible Gateway – http://www.biblegateway.com – mainly because of the extensive features available, and the search functions.

 

 

 

 

 

(Graphic is from http://www.timothyreport.com)

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Read The Psalms In September

For those of us who participated in “Reading the Entire New Testament in the Summer of 2011” we’ll be finishing Revelation this month, unless you have already finished it as some have.  I finished a few weeks ago and went back to read the rest of Jeremiah, which I had started before the New Testament reading plan.  I just read the last chapter of Jeremiah today, and I’m ready to get a head start on Psalms, one of my favorite books of the Bible.

I normally read my Bible every morning as part of my quiet time, but I didn’t usually follow any specific outline or reading plan.  Even though many of the New Testament passages are very familiar from previously reading, it has been a wonderful experience to read through from Matthew to Revelation as a daily reading plan.  God has so much to say to us if we just take time to read His Word and be quiet and listen for His still, small voice.

The summer reading plan for the New Testament was designed and promoted by The Timothy Report author, who noted that more than 600 people had responded to read through the New Testament the summer of 2011.  That’s incredible!  And that’s just the ones who responded to be counted, and doesn’t count the numbers from churches or Bible study groups who participated.  But it’s not about the numbers, it’s about the idea of getting into the habit of reading the Bible.  It’s about God’s people determining that we want to know what He has to say to us, we want to know Him better, and we want to live our lives to please Him. 

Just as our bodies could not stay healthy if we only ate snacks, our spiritual health suffers when we only read bits and pieces of Scripture, just “snacking” on God’s Word.  Most people take time to sit down to eat a meal at least once a day, if not two or three times a day, depending on their lifestyle.  Taking time to sit down once a day with our Bible and reading a chapter or two, or at least several passages will give us much more spiritual nourishment than the “snack” of a verse or two. 

If you’re not comfortable following a Bible reading plan that someone else designed, make up your own.  Choose a book of the Bible and set a goal for reading every day until it’s finished.  The next group Bible reading is to read the Psalms during the month of September.  There isn’t a specific reading plan for this, just to read it at your own pace.

If you have a church ministry or host a Bible study, you can use the graphic below to promote reading the Psalms during the month of September in your church or Bible Study group.

For best and original graphics quality, download directly from The Timothy Report  website.

(Graphic is from http://www.timothyreport.com)

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Summer Reading Plan Starts Tomorrow!

Reminder:  Tomorrow is the official kick-off day for “Reading the Entire New Testament in the Summer of 2011”! 

Since I was trying to find a stopping point for reading through the prophets, which I highly recommend reading sometime, I didn’t get a head start like some people have.  But that’s okay.  I was so immersed in reading the book of Jeremiah that I just set my start date for reading the New Testament as tomorrow.

I was also finishing a novel, because I plan to read only the New Testament (no novels, e-books, magazines, blogs, etc.) until I have my weekly reading section read.  I’m an avid reader, so that’s a challenge I’m giving myself to make sure I focus only on my Bible reading commitment, and ponder only what I read in the Word, with no interference from other reading sources.

If you’ve seen the  free pdf reading guide  you know that the first week is to read the Gospels of Matthew & Mark.  That’s a total of 44 chapters, and week 2 is to read the Gospels of Luke & John, which is 45 chapters. 

Yes, that’s a lot of reading those first 2 weeks!  But that allows for our tendency to go into a new commitment with great fervor, then taper off as the weeks pass by.  So after the first 2 weeks, the weekly reading section drops to just 28 chapters, with as few as 8 & 9 chapters some weeks, only one other week of 29 chapters, and most weeks being between 12 & 16 weeks.  It sounds complicated, but if you look at the reading plan it’s much easier than it sounds.

If you just don’t have time to commit to reading the New Testament this summer, or if you struggle with reading, you can also choose to listen to the New Testament selections in your favorite audio format.  There’s a link at the bottom of this post for an online audio Bible.

It has been suggested that some people may choose to read the selections from a different version than they usually read, to see how the passages read in another version, and to avoid skimming verses because you have them memorized in your favorite version.  If you choose to do that and don’t have a Bible in another version Bible Gateway has many other ones to read from, see link at the bottom of this post.  Other online Bible sites do as well, but I’m most familiar with BG.  I  like using their parallel feature when studying specific subjects or passages, too.

As you can see, the reading plan is customizable to fit what suits you best, and the commitment is yours to make and to keep.  But remember, the main point of “Reading the Entire New Testament in the Summer of 2011” is to get into the habit of reading the Bible. 

We can’t know what God has to say to us if we don’t read His Book.

May your path be well lighted.

Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

Go here to download the  free pdf reading guide  if you haven’t : http://www.timothyreport.com/newtestament.html and join the hundreds of us around the world who will be “Reading the Entire New Testament in the Summer of 2011”.

Bible Gateway’s audio Bible is here: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/

Bible Gateway:   http://www.biblegateway.com/

Do you read the Bible?
Take the Bible reading poll and be counted!: http://wp.me/PT3BE-8Z

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Summer Reading Plan

I’ve never been good at following the Bible reading guides that take you through the Bible in a year, which usually includes reading a passage daily from both the Old and New Testaments.  I start out with good intentions, then get behind when I have to miss a day or two.  It’s hard to catch up once that happens, and then the whole reason for reading the Bible turns into a challenge of just trying to read the daily requirement. We don’t put that kind of pressure on ourselves for any other book we read for insight or reflection.

And if we’re not spending that time with God because we really want to,
what does that say about how we really feel about Him?

I do believe we should read the Bible daily, even if it’s only a few verses in a quiet time set aside to focus only on God and His Word.  He doesn’t have a chance to speak to us through His written Word or to speak into our heart, if we don’t sit still and spend time with Him.  I also believe we should have some kind of reading plan, whether it’s to read through the Psalms, the Gospels, or other books of the Bible, by reading a few passages at a time and reflecting on them.  Skipping around from one day to the next can make it more difficult to stay focused, except when studying a specific subject and looking up the related passages.

Often our choice of Bible reading will be to seek out and read about a specific subject because of issues we are facing in our life. Or we might just want to learn more about what God’s Word says about something.

Regardless of our method, there is no substitute for time spent reading God’s Word,
and no measure for the positive impact it will have on us.

This summer I have decided to read through the New Testament, and I’m even going to follow a guide.  I know, I opened this post saying those don’t usually work for me, but this one is different.  This guide is set up with weekly passage selections, and is designed to make it easier to stick with it.  Not only that you have a whole week to read that section, but also the longest section is at the beginning, then tapers off.  Sort of like we are inclined to do, start off doing great with a new resolution, then we fall behind and are tempted to just give up.  The sections are divided as weekly, which you can divide into your own daily sections, but the point is to make it easier to set your own reading pace.

Actually, the main point of “Reading the Entire New Testament in the Summer of 2011” is to get into the habit of reading the Bible.  We can’t know what God has to say to us if we don’t read His Book.

There are hundreds of other people from around the world committing to this summer reading of the New Testament.  The official kick-off is designed to be Sunday, June 5, 2011, the first full week of June.  But you can start as early as today if you want to get a head start on the first section.

The Bible is on my recommended reading list, and the New Testament is on my summer reading list.  I hope it will be on yours too, and you will join me in this great summer adventure!

You can get more information and download the free pdf reading guide here: http://www.timothyreport.com/newtestament.html

Do you read the Bible?  Take the poll and be counted!  http://wp.me/PT3BE-8Z

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Life With A Very Special Book

The Plinky question is, “What book could you read over and over?”

My answer is, “only one!”

Although I am an avid reader and read several books a month, the only Book that I would want to read over and over is the Bible. I’ve read a few good books twice, but I’ve been reading the Bible for decades.

The Bible is the only Book I purposely study and memorize passages from, take notes on, highlight and underline in, and read over and over.

Yet I still find fresh insight within the pages, and find answers and hope not found in any other book.

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