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[0:00] Thank you for choosing to listen to today's message by Reverend Dr. David Entry. We know you will be blessed as you seek and serve God. We believe that this message will stir up a desire for more of God even as you listen.

[0:14] Be blessed. Hallelujah. In our last Sunday, as you know, I was teaching on how to study your Bible and I said I'm going to continue.

[0:25] And last Sunday I spoke about the fact that every believer is not enough to be a Bible believer. You must be a Bible reader in order to be able to be what God has called you to be.

[0:40] Do what God has called you to be. Be effective in your work with God. There is always the need to be not just a believer of the Bible, but a reader of the Bible.

[0:51] You must be a voracious reader, a consumer of the Bible. It says your words were found and I did eat them. Jeremiah 15, 16.

[1:01] Your words were found and I did eat them and your words became the joy and the rejoicing of my soul. Hallelujah. So the word insight. He said, oh, how sweet are your words to my taste.

[1:13] The word of God must be your desire. Job 12, 23. I think so. He says that I've loved your word more than my necessary fruit. So every believer and everyone who works with God must work with God in the depths of his word.

[1:28] The deeper you go in his word and in knowledge, the more effective and more, the stronger your relationship with God and your work with God.

[1:38] In the days of trouble, he said, he that hears my words and put them into action. It will be like a man who builds his house on a rock, you see. So we are building. You are all building.

[1:50] But building on the rock has to do with first hearing God's word, receiving the word of God and then putting it into action. The Bible also says in the book of James that it's laying aside all superfluity of naughtiness.

[2:04] Let's receive James chapter one. Let's receive the engrafted word of God. So we have to receive the word. When you receive, he said, which is able to save your soul. Receive the word, which is able to save your soul.

[2:17] Bible says when the apostles heard in Acts chapter eight that Samaria had received the word. Samaria had received the word. So the word of God is meant to be received.

[2:28] So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed. Acts chapter 19 verse 20. The word of God must grow and prevail. And it starts by growing in the believers. Amen. So how does the word of God grow in you?

[2:39] You must give yourself to the reading or the hearing of scripture. How to, I spoke about five ways, steps to grasping the word of God. Number one, give yourself to hearing of scripture.

[2:50] Number two, read the scripture. Number three, study the scripture. Number four, share or teach. Okay. Share the scriptures or teach the scriptures. And then number five, apply the scriptures.

[3:02] This is how to have grace, grips total, to grasp the word of God in your life totally. All right. So with that, in the days of adversity, you don't fall off.

[3:13] So I'm talking today on how to study your Bible part two. And I want to talk, I've spoken, the other time I spoke about how to hear the word.

[3:23] Now reading the word. So here, and then now the second part is read the word. In Revelation chapter one, verse three, it says that blessed is he that reads, see, read it.

[3:38] Blessed is he that read it, read it, that read it. And they that hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for, for the time is at hand.

[3:52] Blessed. Blessed. There's a lot to do. The blessing that you're preaching has a lot to do with the word that you read, you hear, and you apply. Hallelujah. So how can you apply a word you are not reading?

[4:06] So you have to read the word. Read the word or hear the word. But it's all important aspects of our Christian work. Deuteronomy chapter 17, verse 19 says that, So it speaks about it shall be to him and he shall read therein all the ways.

[4:44] He shall read therein all the days of his life. So all your life, the word of God must be coming. Keep your eyes open. When we were children in church, we were taught this and we have left, many of us have just left it for children.

[4:57] No, but it's for actually adults. Hallelujah. If you want to grow, if you want to grow, read your Bible. Pray every day. Read your Bible.

[5:07] Read your Bible. Read your Bible. In Carriks, we are reading Hebrews chapter 10 and I stumbled across something that was a blessing to me. In Hebrews chapter 10, verse 26 says that, For if we sin willfully, after that we have received the knowledge of the truth.

[5:26] Okay. See, so if we sin willfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, what have we received? The knowledge of the truth. Because it is the knowledge of the truth that determines your mastery over sin.

[5:38] That determines the quality of your work with God. The quality. So he said, he gave them apostles, pastors, evangelists, prophets, teachers, for the equipping of the saints.

[5:49] So we all, verse 13 of Ephesians chapter 4. So we all come to the unity of faith. To the fullness of the stature. To the stature of the fullness of Christ. All right.

[6:00] Or the knowledge of Christ. Talk about knowledge. Knowing him and coming to the fullness. So it's not what Bible says in 2 Peter chapter 2 verse 18. Grow in knowledge. And grow in grace and in the knowledge.

[6:12] All right. So it's always important. That is why in the Bible, Paul's letters, you keep hearing, I do not want you to be ignorant. I do not want you to be ignorant. And then in Romans chapter 8 verse 20, it says, And we know, we know, we know, they that worship their father must worship him in spirit.

[6:30] And in truth, you know. It's not feelings, but it is insight, knowledge that generates insight. It is so important that everyone gives himself to study of scripture.

[6:42] So we have to hear and then read. There's a difference between read and study. I will tell you in a minute. In 1 Timothy chapter 4 verse 13, it says that, Thank you, Salah.

[6:53] Give attendance to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine. Reading. Give attendance to reading. Give attendance. Brothers and sisters, I know your life is very busy. You are a very, very busy person, but don't be so busy, you can't take your medication.

[7:06] Don't be so busy, you can't have time for your children. Don't be so busy, you can't have time for your marriage. Don't be so busy, you can't have time to eat. Don't be so busy, you can't have time to freshen up and wash.

[7:18] Don't be so busy, you can't have time to do, what? normal you can't have time to sleep all right it's dangerous so um i had a story of a certain professor went to a classroom and then took a big jar a jar and filled with big big rocks filled with rocks and he asked to the top and he asked the students is this jar full and they all how many of you think is full and he said yes it's full the jar is full with the rocks and then he took later on then he took pebbles smaller rocks pebbles and then poured them into the the bottle all right it was able to pour and they went in and filled those spaces that the rock couldn't fill and he asked them is it full they say yes it's full all right then he took sand and pour and there was space for sand even though it was full there was space for pebbles and even though it was the pebbles filled it there was still space for sand all right and there will be space for water so but and then he said that you see life is like that you have to eat and then he said what about the other way around if you fill it with the sand you don't have time for pebbles and you don't have time for the rocks and he said the rocks are the critical and important things of your life so like marriage like your health okay like your work with god so your work with god your marriage your family life your health these are major and if you're a student your studies this career these are major aspects actually first of all your marriage your your work with god your family life your health these are major aspects of your life unfortunately we don't give those things a priority we give the priority to things like your job which are pebbles your job your bank account your the things that the house you live in the car you drive all those things and then the sand things are just friendship relationship how people think about you all those things are but unfortunately sometimes people fill their lives with those things first and they actually do that at the detriment and the expense of their work with god their health their family praise god so he said so i come give attendance to reading give attendance because it's important so reading of your bible now quickly what's the purpose the main purpose for reading your bible is not uh to know points for argument to be able to go no the main purpose for reading your bible is to know jesus or or is to feed your spirit okay so to know jesus that's why you read your bible is to know jesus and to be closer to god hallelujah now what are the tools for effective bible reading if you want to read your bible what do you need so you can have effective bible reading number one actually i don't want to call this number one it's purposes of explanation let me call it's like the things you need what you need in order to have effective bible reading number one is the holy spirit is the holy spirit because it's the spiritual things you remember when i was teaching about last in our last session actually the very last session when i was teaching about um the proper right approach to uh um the bible okay the i spoke about the getting the most of your bible i spoke about vital keys for understanding the bible yeah the vital keys for understanding the bible i spoke about how um um it is spiritualia spiritualite examinat which means it takes spiritual things to design spiritual things okay spiritualia spirituality examinat which is i told you that will underget a lot of the things that we're teaching so don't forget that principle that it takes spirituality to get spiritual things and the bible is a spiritual material all right it's meant to feed your spirit so if you are going to feed you need the holy spirit so number one is the holy spirit is a holy spirit and then number two uh thing you need for reading your bible uh to have an effective bible reading

[11:19] it's a bible you need the bible how can you read the bible without having the bible all right so number one is the spirit number two is is the bible or you let me just take the spirit out because it's it's it's it's essential so you need the bible besides the holy spirit you need the bible number two you need a a heart a heart a heart a heart to which is hungry for god a heart that wants to know god a heart that wants to get closer to god you remember spiritualia spirituality examinat which means that the bible can only be understood by somebody whose spirit is open to god in reverence you actually really want to know god you want to get close to him so it's it's actually a great asset asset in reading your bible so number one the bible the spirit all right spirit you have the bible number three a heart okay a heart for god number number four i think it's good to have a writing instrument pens and markers things you can underline when you are reading the bible the bible is for reading okay it's not it's not for decoration so sometimes okay it's okay to underline things in your bible mark things mark things it's a steady material when you are reading it's good to underline things so you need a pen and then you also need a note pad after you you note something you write it down so that it's very important i've noted this down and then um you need this is very important you need your teacher's voice what do i mean by your teacher's voice you see who teaches you who help will determine how well you'll be helped in the scriptures in the scriptures in hark chapter 8 i think there's 32 or somewhere in the 30 31 32 he said do you understand what you read okay do you and how can i accept someone explains it to me so sometimes when you are reading you need your teachers for instance let's say you are going to read on salvation or justification it is good that you have already had a teaching on justification that's your teacher's voice that's why every christian must have your teacher you need your teacher's voice what do i mean by your teacher's voice you need to be broad-minded but to to be able to do effective reading there is a voice a trusted voice that you need or one two three not too many voices bible says that you don't have uh you you can have 10 000 um um first corinthians chapter 4 verse 15 it says for though you have 10 000 instructors in christ yet have you not many fathers okay many fathers didn't say one father many fathers so there are some people who play fatherly role in your spiritual journey okay and it's always good to hear the voice of your teacher it's very important the voice of your teacher so you are going to study justification you hear what pastor david entry has said about it you hear what other other authorities that you're you're actually the people in line with your teacher or your teacher's teachers okay or who your teacher make references to sometimes go to hear them what they've got to say on the subjects as you study all right or i'm tuning steady a lot but as you read your bible so you need your teacher's voice and then also need a dictionary because you may come across some words for instance concupiscence you come across a word that might not be familiar with you so it's just quick and nowadays because of technology sometimes you might have a dictionary on your phone and it will help you and then it is also helpful to in reading your bible it's helpful to have one other translation at least just reading because you are reading something and you want to make sense of what you've read but maybe you read it in king james or new king james or niv and you are not quite sure so it's just good to maybe let's say you have one other usually when i'm doing bible reading i tend to have the new king james king james and niv or so if i'm using new king james just new king james and niv just

[15:27] bible reading so i'm i might come across a phrase a statement that is not very clear i just go let me see how it is rendered in the new king james someone i saw someone saying that all the bibles are different bibles are saying different they don't say different things please the bibles you see here they are not a bible is a bible they are all saying the same thing but they've been rendered differently the original is greek hebrew and aramaic okay the old testament is from hebrew and part of it is from aramaic and then the new testament is greek it's the same greek that practically so it was all translated but you know king james said dowdy there new king james does not use all those shakespearean english and then um niv uses much more modern language modern language there are more technical aspects of it but i don't want to it's not necessary to go into that but for your state for your reading it's just good to know what other versions have said if you are reading for instance let's say i'm reading hebrews like i said yesterday this month encourage you are reading hebrews so i'm reading like i just quoted hebrews chapter um chapter 10 verse verse 23 let us hold fast the profession of our faith this this that is um king james then i this is niv i take niv and then i read from the niv let's see hebrews chapter 10 verse 23 niv says let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess did you see that let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess how does king james put it king james says that let us hold fast the profession of our faith it's the same thing those who say oh there are different versions i said don't mind them they don't they don't they are just looking for reason to accuse the word of god okay so it's the same thing but did you realize that it's been put in the king james said let us um let us hold fast the profession of our faith whilst niv says that um let us hold unswervingly so holding fast means unswervingly when you read another maybe more lighter verses it may use different but this is reading reading is when you are just going through just from maybe verse one reading all the the way to the end of the verse just reading to have a general idea of what it's saying okay that is reading so to read your bible is just you take it and you start reading reading reading why do i need a pen just you see something you mark it as you keep reading reading so your focus is on the whole text that you are reading the whole verse or particular maybe the whole chapter i'm sorry the whole chapter all right or maybe two chapters you're just reading to be familiar with what it's saying and what the subject of the chapter is that's reading that's bible reading and you need so you need a dictionary you need pens and markers and then you need a translation so let me recap you need your the holy spirit the bible your heart your pens and markers notes your notes uh notepad your teacher's voice dictionary and maybe one more version a different version of the bible it helps read now how to read your bible you have to read it purposely so now how do i go about not reading these are the tools that how what do i do when i'm coming to read my bible schedule number one schedule time schedule you need a schedule that okay 6 a.m i'm going to be reading my bible it's always important to have a schedule you are following it will help you some people just uh today okay i'm free now don't read your bible when only when you are free schedule time to read it don't wait for a free time because you will never have free time because free is subjective the term it depends is the it depends on what is important to you anything that is important you make time for it everything important you make time for it when someone's i'm busy i'm busy i can't come to church because church is not that important i'm busy i can't

[19:28] talk to you on the phone because you are not that important it's true you are not that important at the moment i'm doing this someone can imagine someone calls me on the phone no no i can't talk this is more important at this moment than any other thing so when people say i don't have time it's because you are it's just a rate is it is that rating it based on your importance so make shed schedule time for god's word this is how you read your bible other than that it doesn't come automatically schedule time to read your bible number two choose so like in charis we are reading this month we started with romans romans ends on fifth chapter 16 so we finish on the 16th of this month we ended romans chapter 16 and then we went on from hebrews so romans the 17th of this month we read hebrews chapter 1 18th of this month hebrews chapter 2 so yesterday yes um yesterday being 26 of this month we read hebrews chapter 10 okay and today being 27th we are reading hebrews chapter 11 and hebrews that you see so you must choose so if you are doing your own bible reading you must choose don't do this no don't do that don't read it like jackpot arbitrarily like some of you might have heard this story where someone was doing that and then open and he said then he said and judas went to hang himself oh no i don't want it's not nice then he opened again put his finger there and open and he says go and do likewise i said no no i don't lie down and did again open he said what do you have to do do quickly all right don't read the bible like that don't read the bible like that have a schedule and choose me so to this month this week you are reading timothy or first timothy so read it systematically okay so okay pastor do i read it from genesis or no no don't start if you want to don't start reading from genesis okay if you are new to the bible don't start reading from if you want to read through the bible start reading from the new testament and simpler books like first john second john third john james then you may be after you can start with first john then after you finish first john you can choose to finish second john and third john and then you come to the book of john potentially it's good the book of john the gospel according to john you read john then when you finish maybe you can go to mark or you can go to james you see so take it book after book and then begin to read it systematically and then you can go into the psalms and then the or this because other than that when you start reading first chronicles first five chapters will discourage you and this begat this begat begat and begat begat begat this begat like genesis chapter chapter one sorry genesis chapter five and this one begat this like it's oh you get bored easily all right so it's good to start from stories the stories the narratives and the didactics so start from a smaller book so shadow and then choose where you are reading number three so when you come and sit down you have scheduled a time you sat down choose and then number three you're about to read about pray ask the holy spirit to speak to you what should be your prayer topic when you're about to read the bible you have to pray holy spirit speak to me god let me see jesus let me understand let me grab something and then change me see this are when it comes to study i'll go a bit more into that and then um number four read start reading read number five make notes number six mark mark things that you notice and then make notes okay that's just quick reading that's not studying that's just reading reading is just your reading going through and then number seven try and memorize so john three i always say john 3 16 i don't know okay so let's say um uh what should i go okay romans chapter five verse eight it says that god commended his love towards us this way that whilst we are sinners christ that so memorize something try and remember commit something to

[23:30] memory when you read something and then so to help you memorize all right you can have a small card or something and you write the text on it it's in your pocket as you are you go on your lunch or you are in the bars on the bars sometimes look try to remember okay say it and then check check yourself you are saying it right sometimes give it to somebody and try and say it is good exercise it's not only for children it's good for adults or the children of god hallelujah all right so um and then so memorize and obey obey obey obey obey obey so read honestly prayerfully with an open heart simply put when you are reading read honestly prayerfully with an open heart just open some people come to the bible and they know what they are looking for i won't go to say these things so they are not reading with an open heart whatever god has to say you have to pray that god speak to me so recap how how to read your bible schedule number one is to schedule number two is to choose the book okay you're reading or choose where you're reading number three um pray number four start reading read it number five make notes number six mark number seven memorize number eight obey all right so first of all to grasp your bible here read steady how do you study your bible in proverbs let's look at a few texts proverbs chapter 15 verse 28 says that the heart of the righteous steadies to to answer but the mouth of the wicked pour out evil things the heart of the righteous steadies to answer but the mouth of the wicked pour out evil things in isaiah 34 16 the bible says seek ye out of the book of the lord and read no one of these shall fail none shall want her mate for my mouth it has commanded and his spirit it and his spirit all right and his spirit is shall it it has gathered them all right so it said just seek ye the book read read the book read okay so we have to study give it as critical attention to study means you are giving critical attention to um the words the structure and i'm going to go into that how to so you are giving critical attention as you are reading a critical attention analysis to what you are reading analyzing what you are reading in a critical fashion and comparing it to other stuff so um ecclesiastes chapter 12 verse 12 talks about the writing there's no end to writing of books and much studying where is the soul much studying so there's always a steady opportunity to study there always be books but but the fact is studying is part of development of life amen and then in acts chapter in 17 verse 11 bible talks about the birrian christians they went back to search the scriptures to see if the things paul was saying was so so they went back to search the scriptures daily so search the scriptures in john chapter 5 verse 39 jesus said he said the scriptures thinking that in them you have eternal life all right so they search the scriptures search that is way to study you are searching in fact uh let me may i say this to it's my interest you to know that the bible when it was written the bible was not written and divided into chapters it's only books because i told you the bible is biblia which means library so book books books books book one book 66 books in the bible now the books were not written based on chapters it was somebody who later a scholar a christian scholar who felt like it's to make it easier for people they divided it into chapters so they divided into into chapters now then someone later on so so christian leaders fathers divided into chapters and then later on someone also said i think we should do it versus every chapter the reason why the reason why it was written in books without verses and chapters is so that

[27:36] for instance if i say man must not live by bread alone matthew the book of matthew says man must not live by bread alone you have to go and now search through matthew to look for where it's written it helps you to be more familiar with the bible that's one of the things about supermarkets every now and then you see supermarkets will rearrange everything they show so what you know you find usually here by the time you get there you have seen other things you know have you how many of you have noticed that sometimes you are reading your bible and you are looking for something but by because you have to read a whole chapter to find it by the time you realize you have seen other things that you didn't go looking for yeah so studies help to search and they used to search the scriptures so that's how they used to do they used to search look for it look look over there turn to this place turn to that place that reading it just go through but searching is just you have to turn pages check the other page make references all right so um in all right let's go to uh may i now talk about wow 10 steps to studying your bible in second corinthians chapter 3 verse 18 it talks about we all with an unveiled faces as beholding us in a glass are being transformed so you need to see beyond the veil see beyond the veil that is why spiritualia spirituality examina to becomes a very important principle in studying the bible because if you step bible says in first second corinthians chapter 3 verse 16 that nevertheless when they turn to the lord the veil will be taken off nevertheless when they say up to now if i think there's 15 14 13 14 somewhere they said up to now even veil a veil covers their face where faces when moses is right right up to now but i said that the veil will be taken off when they turn to the lord verse 16 when we turn to the lord the veil will be taken and bible says verse 17 the lord is the spirit so when you turn to the spirit who is the lord hallelujah when you turn to the spirit who is the lord the veil is removed hallelujah i hope you are getting something so it says that now we all with unveiled faces okay so if your faces are not veiled there's not much you can see you won't see squared in god's way where our faces must be unveiled how do we unveil the faces when we turn to the spirit of the lord that is why this principle of spiritualia spirituality examina to is such a crucial principle which means that the scriptures can only be understood by someone whose spirit is open to the lord with reverence okay which actually means spiritual things are under are understood spiritually spiritually it takes bible says that which the holy which we speak one one corinthians chapter two verse 12 and 13 13 said which we speak with words not which not with words which man's wisdom teaches but with words which the holy spirit teaches so holy spirit is our main guide is like a tall guide into god's word he says that when the spirit of truth comes he will guide you john 16 13 he will guide you he's the spirit of truth the spirit of reality the word of god is truth and he is the spirit of truth that's why i said there's no clearer and greater sign that the holy spirit is with you than when your heart is in towards the scriptures and you are understanding the scriptures is is the main one of the chief jobs of the holy spirit of the holy spirit of the holy spirit so the spiritual things when we turn to the spirit the veil is removed now we all with unveiled faces beholding the verse 18 of second corinthians chapter 3 when the veils are removed we all beholding us in the glass okay we all beholding us in the glass okay we all beholding us in the glass have been been invited we all with devotees we all vibrama Excellent the veil remember this to a

[31:39] node we all beholding us in the glass of the earth okay we all hopefully watching us in the glass we reek Mam Hands Inside Three So what you are beholding is what determines the quality of your transformation beholding which is the function of the Holy Spirit in the word of god hallelujah cooperating so it's I've been important to give ourselves to steadying now let me add this it is could it's called it applies to both study and reading now when you come to the Bible decided and read this is so Let me just even focus on reading.

[32:04] When you come to the Bible and read, sometimes you feel like, oh, I didn't get anything. I didn't feel anything. I didn't feel anything. No, please don't judge the quality of your reading based on what you felt.

[32:20] Just open your heart and keep reading. Okay? It's very important. You know, there are times you read and you feel all over. The other times you read and it's just blunt. But keep the rhythm.

[32:34] Keep the shadow. It's important. Keep the shadow and keep the rhythm. Do you know why? Because it's not every time you eat and the food eat. No, there are times you eat. You go to a place, you eat and it's just okay.

[32:45] It's just okay. It's just food. Other times, oh, ha ha. This is the food. I don't, I will pay anything for this food. I love this food. Like when it's your special days, your birthday or special functions, you go to a particular place, restaurant, and you go and eat this food.

[32:58] You can't wait to eat that crispy, aromatic deck. Yeah. You can't wait to go for that food. You know, but it's not every day you are, you have to, you get the chance to eat like you are eating in a very posh or important or your favorite restaurant.

[33:14] There are times where you are just eating normal food. You just grab something. You are eating sandwiches break. You just go to that sandwich shop or walk in, I mean, that cafe and pick something and just eat.

[33:26] All right, because you have to eat. So do not eat only when it is sweet and it's nice. You eat because you have to eat. There are times you will have wonderful meals, but it's not every time, every meal that is wonderful.

[33:37] It's important. So when you are, same way, when you are reading the Bible, don't only look for glorious times that I feel, I feel something. Just stay on track and stay with the shadow. Number two, it's just like the pebbles.

[33:50] When you see pebbles at the shore or at the river, it is taking many years. They are usually rough, stones that are rough, but many years over the period of time, the heating, the friction from the water and the sand around, rubs it and you don't see it.

[34:09] It takes many years for it to happen gradually. So a lot is happening, but it doesn't happen all at once. As you read your Bible, according to Isaiah chapter 28 verse 10, here a little, there a little, precept upon precept, all right?

[34:26] Little by little, precept upon precept, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, and then you are going, you're going. So just keep the shadow and keep the consistency.

[34:37] Don't look for the wow and the fireworks moments. Always you are looking for fireworks moments. Look, fireworks, how many times do you have fireworks? Sometimes once in a year, twice in a year, or three times in a year.

[34:50] It's not. So what I'm saying is that it's good to have some wonderful times in the word of God. Your worst word found, I did eat them. They were, oh, the rejoicing of my soul. But it's not every time you may feel like that.

[35:01] And so when you are on a schedule to read your Bible, don't depend your, the continuity of your reading and the importance of your reading, the value of your reading. Don't depend it on the way you felt.

[35:13] Wow, stars all around. Amen. It's very important. So we all with unveiled faces, behold us in the mirror. Now, so to study your Bible, the tools, 10 steps.

[35:26] Okay, number one is schedule time, gather tools, plan your reading. Schedule time, gather tools, plan what you are going to be. So this time I'm going to focus on the book of Timothy and I want to go deep on the book of Timothy.

[35:40] So schedule time, the same thing like reading, schedule time. All right, number two. So you know that reading might not take that much. Sometimes maybe reading may take 20 minutes, 15 minutes, 10 minutes.

[35:51] It depends on what you're reading. All right. Yeah. But studying may take one hour, two hours, three hours. So you have to schedule time for study. You might not be able to study every day, but you have to read every day.

[36:04] It's important. You have to read every day. So schedule time and read. And then number two, get your study tools. So what are the study tools you need? Obviously, you need your Bible.

[36:15] Sometimes good to have some apps, Bible app on your phone. So you can have various versions on your phone. It can be very handy. Okay. Sometimes then you have other books as well. So your Bible and then you can get some versions on the app, Bibles, not Bible, Bibles.

[36:30] You need Bibles to study. Bibles. And then you need a notepad or a journal to write things in. You need a dictionary, certainly, so that when you come across some words, you just try to see what that word is supposed to mean and then go back to.

[36:43] And then you need something I've not mentioned yet, commentary. Commentary is what other people have, scholars or authorities have studied and made, but that in itself is not final. So don't depend so much on authority.

[36:55] Usually what I do is I read my Bible. When I'm studying, I read what I have to read. Study without any aid, but probably, if I want to use versions, that is to help me understand what I'm reading.

[37:07] Okay. Then once I finish, then I'll take commentary and other aids to see what those authorities have got to say about this text I'm reading, this verse I'm reading.

[37:18] That's for studying. Okay. So what others have got to say, it helps me. Oh, no. This one, what this man is saying is quite not the same. Okay. I like what this man is saying. This one, yeah.

[37:28] So it's just studies. Okay. It's important. This is not for pastors. Pastors, but this is for just Christians who want to be a good, a Christian wants to be a good student of the Bible. And every Christian, that must be your target.

[37:41] Hallelujah. So, and then get some pens, obviously, and then maps. Sometimes good to have a Bible map. Nowadays, because of electronic access, you can have access to Bible map the days of Abraham.

[37:53] The other time I was going, I was studying on Abraham. I had to check. He would travel from Shechem to Hebron, from Hebron to Egypt, to Egypt, to, you know, Beersheba, and then to, where are these places?

[38:05] North, when sometimes good to have a map where I say, oh, okay. So he was moving from here to here. It helps. Enrich my studies. Okay? So, number one is schedule a time. Number two, get your study tools.

[38:17] Number three, pray. Pray. This should be your prayer topic when you pray because this should be your prayer topic. Lord, help me to focus because sometimes you can be distracted.

[38:28] Help me to focus. Lord, speak to me when I'm praying. Lord, speak to me as I read my Bible. I study this word. Speak to me. And then, you also have to pray that Lord, speak to me.

[38:40] Lord, change me. Change me. As I read my Bible, change me. Change me. Change. Sometimes, after reading your Bible, you must have a desire to forgive, a desire to give, a desire to abstain from something or cut off from something.

[38:57] Change your approach. Stop doing something. Evangelize. Be more in church. Read more. You know, something. Something must change you. Something must be tuned inside you. So, when you are studying, now, number four is read with purpose or study with purpose.

[39:12] It's about God. It's not about arguments. It's not about just information. It's about God. You are feeding. So, when you come, read with purpose and watch out against the hand-me-down do's.

[39:24] You know, hand-me-down do's, what people have told you that this is what it should be. This is what it should be. So, sometimes you are reading and then you are, you are reading it, filtering it through the hand-me-down do's and actually not being, that's why I say when I'm reading, I sometimes go straight to the Bible.

[39:41] Read it first before I see what others have got to say. All right. And personal needs and desire. Also, watch out because you are so much in need of a husband. Everything you are reading, you are seeing it in the light of a husband.

[39:52] You are so much in need of your husband or your wife becoming so romantic to you. Everything you are seeing, when Bible says John put his head on Jesus' chest, you are reading it in the light of romance.

[40:03] So, we have to be careful what you are looking for so you don't project that onto the scripture as you read it. Watch out for these things and watch out for wrong views of God, Christ, the Holy Spirit.

[40:15] When people have wrong view of God, wrong view of Christ, wrong view of the Holy Spirit, when you are reading, it can taint that. So, just make sure these things, you watch out. So, watch out for hand-me-down do's, watch out for denominational bias, watch out for personal needs and desire.

[40:30] You so much are looking for breakthrough that everything you are reading has seen breakthrough. Judas went to betray Jesus. You saw the way God money and he threw the money away. How could you have done that?

[40:41] You see, how can Peter say, may your money perish with you when we need money for the work of God? How? So, now, you see, you are not listening reading or reading in the light of, Peter said, your heart is not right.

[40:56] You didn't hear that one. You, because you are reading it with your personal desires and needs, it can, it has a way of clouding your judgment as you read it or what you see.

[41:08] So, you have to watch out for these things. So, number one, shadow two, get your steady tools. Number three, pray. Number four, read with a purpose. Number five, read with perspective.

[41:19] Perspective, and that's what leads me to this whole thing in a right interpretation. When you are reading in perspective, we are talking about interpretation. How are you interpreting what you are reading? How are you interpreting what you are reading?

[41:31] I think I'll end on number five and just, yeah, I'll end on number five but let me just give you a few points on how to interpret the Bible. This is actually a whole message on its own but let me mention them quickly.

[41:44] How to interpret the Bible or five steps to Bible interpretation, effective Bible interpretation, five steps to effective. Number one, read it literally. Oh, do you mean the Bible? What the Bible says, is it literal?

[41:55] Yes, well, the Bible does not mean, the Bible means what it says. Okay, so when you read your Bible, read it literally because the Bible was written. It's just, read it like you read any book.

[42:06] Any book. Oh, are you trying to say the Bible is like any book? Yes, it's written like any book but just that this one is inspired. Remember, total scriptura, total scriptura, all of it is inspired.

[42:18] Okay, all scripture is inspired. So, read it like, read it like you read a book. When you read a book and the book, and the book said that, and, he asked him to give him water to drink.

[42:33] Like, good, the Samaritan woman, Jesus said, give me water to drink. What else can that mean? Why would you say, Jesus said, I want you to be my girlfriend? You see what I'm saying? When he said, give me water to drink, what does it mean?

[42:44] When he said, Jesus was walking on the water, what does it mean? It doesn't mean that he was, they saw him, they were dreaming, they were dazed, so they thought he was walking. No, the Bible didn't say they thought he was walking.

[42:57] The Bible said, he came to them walking on the water. So, read it literally. Literally, what does this say? See, sometimes people read into text, allegorization of scripture. Like, somebody says that, Jesus Christ, when he multiplied the bread to feed the people, they have already stashed a lot of bread behind the scene and because he was wearing the robe, his disciples were passing it to him and then he would pull it out of his robe like the way the magicians do it.

[43:21] So, it looked like he was doing miracles, but come on, come on, come on. Somebody says that, when Jesus multiplied, it turned the water into wine. The water, it was actually the residue of the wine. Because the people were drunk, when they were drinking it, they thought it was wine, but it wasn't wine.

[43:36] They were just drinking residue of, wow, come on, come on, come on. You see, so read it literally. What does it say? What does the text say? What does, in fact, James, I think, Romans chapter 10 said, what does it say?

[43:50] Romans chapter 10, I think verse 6 or verse 7, said, what does it say? What does the text say? The text said, Jesus Christ resurrected. That's it. Don't say the disciples were having illusions, so they began to project.

[44:02] No, no, what does the text say? One day, a Sunday school teacher was teaching the children and he says that, he watered down the scripture and allegorized the scripture that when the children of Israel passed through the Red Sea, it may come, no one can pass through sea, but it was the swampy part of the Red Sea.

[44:21] It's not, it just edges. It's almost like a river, but they thought it was a sea. It's a river and it was swampy and so they could just walk through it. And then one of the children said, wow. Wow. So the teacher said, that's all, it wasn't a miracle.

[44:34] Then one of the children said, teacher, then this is where the miracle happens. And that same swamp drowned all the armies of Pharaoh. Swamp drowned the armies. They got drowned in a swamp.

[44:45] That is certainly a miracle. When the Bible says, the sun stood still, please, please, it means the sun, the sun stood still. It doesn't mean that people were becoming, they're so tired, so they all fell asleep and they woke up, they didn't realize the whole day has passed.

[45:00] Come on. That's what is called allegorization of scriptures. It's wrong. Don't read into the text. So what does it mean? It's literal. Read the Bible like any other book.

[45:11] It's a literal text. What is written is literal, just that it's inspired. In the Bible, a verse, sorry, a verb is a verb. A noun is a noun. A pronoun is a pronoun.

[45:23] And an adjective is an adjective. An adjective is not an adverb. An adjective is an adjective. A verb is a verb. And a noun is a noun. A sentence is a sentence.

[45:34] And a phrase is a phrase. And a statement is a statement in the Bible. So when the Bible, they said, and Jesus said, it's in quotation marks, it means that it's quoted.

[45:47] It's not the person saying it's quoted. See, so read it literally. That's how to interpret the Bible. Read it literally. And then, note the literal, literary genre.

[45:59] Sorry. Sometimes, maybe, am I reading a historic narration? He was telling the history about when they got here, like Paul's in the book of Acts. It's practically history.

[46:10] They're telling history, history. The Bible contains history. Okay. Historical information. And it's, it's authentic. It's, the history of the Bible is un, un, impeachable.

[46:21] Okay. So, it tells history, stories, and stuff like that. But it's not all history. There is parables. There are parables in it. Don't read a parable like you're reading instructions.

[46:33] Okay. A parable. A parable is a parable. A parable is something that is used, is abstract something that is used to communicate something tangible. Okay. So, it's a story to communicate.

[46:44] So, when is, so, know what you are reading. So, for instance, when you are reading the book of Proverbs or Ecclesiastes or some kind of stuff, these are, they are written in a poetic form.

[46:55] So, don't read it like you are reading history. It's a poet, if you look at Proverbs, he writes things, then something can repeat it and say it, it can repeat. It's a proverb. So, read it. So, be mindful of what you are reading.

[47:05] You are the journal, the journal of the book you are reading. Is it poetry? Is it history, historical narrative? Is it law? Is it, uh, uh, uh, uh, letters?

[47:18] Like, you know, the letters of Paul. Paul wrote a letter, a letter to Timothy, wrote a letter to Philemon. Am I reading a letter or am I reading a historical account? It's very important. It will help in your interpretation.

[47:31] So, remember, the five steps to interpretation, read it literally. Okay, be literal. Number two, know the context. Sometimes you are reading something, you have to know the context within which it's being said.

[47:43] For instance, it says that the head of the woman is the man in Corinthians. The head of the woman is the man. The head of the man is Christ. The head of Christ is God.

[47:54] Something like that. So, it's like a key. So, within that context, it doesn't mean anytime you see a woman in the Bible it means the head is man. No, that's not what it means. It said, what I'm talking about, the head of the woman within this subject, in the context of which I'm explaining, this one, where there's a place in 1 Corinthians chapter 41 it says that in the church I would rather that I speak five intelligible words than speak in tongues.

[48:16] Some people say, ah, that's what you mean that you don't speak in tongues. Please be true to the context. Read the context. He said that I might instruct others by my voice. When you are not instructing others he didn't say you can't speak in tongues.

[48:27] He said that I might instruct others. 1 Corinthians 14. So, read it within the context and take the context into consideration. Read, respect the context.

[48:39] Okay, and sometimes remember you are dealing with linguistics, you are dealing with culture, you are dealing with history and geography. Linguistics that are not familiar with your cultural context.

[48:50] Culture that is not familiar with your cultural. For instance, when they remove their shoes, that was Jesus started to wash their feet. Since I grew up, my normal life, my culture, where the culture grew up, I never saw anyone trying to wash other people's feet.

[49:05] UK, do we see people washing other people's feet? So, when the Sages washed their feet, we have to weed it and get it within the cultural context and the historic context.

[49:17] Maybe even now they don't, no one does it, but historic context. When he said that, at that time he said, when Pontius Pilate said this, they said, you have to kill him. Why did they say Pontius Pilate, why didn't they do it themselves?

[49:28] Why did it, see, you have to, sometimes you must be mindful that there's a historical context within which what you are reading is presented, your studying is presented. That is why it's important to take note of all these things.

[49:41] So, in a cultural and geographical context, maybe they may mention the heir of the child is. Geographically, where is it?

[49:51] It might not be the same name. Like when he said to the churches that are in Asia, Asia is, Ephesus is in modern day Turkey and you won't go there and see Ephesus or some of the names that are in the Bible because geographically it might be, for instance, modern day Iraq happens to be Babylon.

[50:11] Those days when he said where Nebuchadnezzar was either, I think, Iran or Iraq. Okay. Abraham, he came from Iraq to when he was called from that place. So, just geographical context will also help when that's when you are studying.

[50:26] So, be literal, know the context. Number three, analyze the sentence structure. Okay. As I said, a verb is a verb, a noun is a noun.

[50:37] Okay. Pay close attention to the meaning of words. You have to be a word merchant. A meaning of words. That's why sometimes we hear someone say in the Hebrew, this word actually means this.

[50:50] So, pay close attention. Sometimes you don't have to study Hebrew or Greek to understand. Just that pay close attention to the meaning of words, the words that was used. All right. When he says that he who, fornicates, hurts, sins against his own body.

[51:07] What, the word sin, what does it actually mean? Sin against his own body. Are you harming your body? Things like that. So, you have to pay close attention to the words.

[51:19] And then number four, compare your interpretation with total, totality of scripture. Okay. That's, as I mentioned the other time, atomism. Don't say, this is true here and this one is, even though the contradicts, this is also true.

[51:32] No, compare with total scripture. So, don't get into atomism. Remember, analogia scriptura, analogy of faith, analogy of scripture. Scripture speaks, the best interpreter of scripture is scripture.

[51:44] So, use the scripture to interpret the scripture. Okay. And make sure that you are consistent with, you can't reach something and say, this is what it means, but in another version, in another place of the same Bible, it's saying something else.

[51:57] So, that means that you didn't understand this, but if this is conflicting with what does it say, maybe you didn't get it properly. And I think read within the context, you interpret scripture with scripture.

[52:09] You interpret scripture and then number five, look for principles to apply when you are reading. Read it existentially, I think I'll mention it. Look for how it fits into my life.

[52:21] How can I apply this? Is it necessary? No, it's always necessary. Every scripture is necessary, but see how you can also apply it. So, five steps to effective Bible interpretation.

[52:32] Number one, be literal. Number two, know the context. Number three, analyze the sentence structure. Number four, compare your interpretation with the totality of scripture. Number five, look for principles to apply.

[52:45] So, this under point number five, read with perspective, talking about the ten steps to study in the Bible. Okay, ten steps to study in the Bible.

[52:55] You have to read or do proper interpretation. Now, I've showed you how to interpret effectively the scriptures. So, to recap, ten steps to study in the Bible, schedule time, get your tools, okay, your study tool, pray, read with purpose, and number five, read with perspective.

[53:13] In other words, interpretation, interpretation, interpretation. In our next teaching, I'll go on point six, point seven, point eight, point nine, point ten, on how to study your Bible.

[53:25] We thank God for using the servant Reverend Dr. David Entry to share this awesome word. If this message has blessed you in any way, please spread the word by sharing it and send us an email to amen at caris.org.

[53:38] Remember to stay connected with us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter for regular updates on what God is doing here at Caris Ministries. Stay blessed. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[53:48]  Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.