IS THE BIBLE STILL IMPORTANT?

“The Bible is the book of my life. It’s the book I live with, the book I live by, the book I want to die by.” -N. T. Wright.

It might seem like a shocking statement but the people we read about in the Bible never read the Bible. The Bible was written in stages. The Old Testament wasn’t complete until the fifth century BC, and even in the best scenario, when the Bible was compiled, there would have only been one copy at a time because everything had to be copied by hand. In New Testament times, Israelites had the Old Testament. But it would have been extremely rare for someone to have a Torah at home due to the expense and labor of hand-copying.  So basically, most biblical people were unaware of what we think of today as the Bible. Most were not “having devotions” and “studying the Word.”

Things are certainly different today. Most people can access the Bible anywhere and everywhere. We can find it online or in bookstores; most of us have multiple translations at home. We have literal versions, paraphrased ones, study Bibles, and one-year Bibles, ready to meet us wherever we are on our spiritual journey. Unfortunately, there are still people worldwide without access to even one Bible in their language, yet risking their lives to obtain a copy of God’s Word.

The Bible is a one-of-a-kind book in many ways. It has impacted countries and people worldwide ever since it was written. Reading it can leave you inspired, amazed, horrified, and challenged. The Bible is not just any old book that was written centuries ago and, as a result, is no longer relevant today.  It is the inspired word of God. It is amazing how much these texts are still immensely convicting and practical even though they are thousands of years old. It was written by 40 men from 3 continents over the course of 1,500 years, yet is without contradiction. It is “…alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires” (Hebrews 4:12).

Every time you read the Bible, God can speak to and touch you in a new way. Our Bible is always there almost at arms reach for a lot of us and yes, we do sometimes view our reading of it as a duty. It begs the question, do we take the Bible for granted?

First and foremost, the Bible is essential for knowing God and His will for our lives. Without Scripture, people can know about God’s power and divine nature by examining creation (Romans 1:20). They also know God’s law because it is written on their hearts (Romans 2:14–15).

Read the whole Bible if you never have before. If you have already read through the Bible, consider studying Scripture in more detail by concentrating on one daily passage. Continue thinking about that passage throughout the day and think of ways to apply what you have learned.

The Psalmist reminds us, “Turn my eyes from worthless things, and give me life through your word” (Psalm 119:37).

Discussion Questions

  1. Do you take God’s Word for granted sometimes?  
  2. What can we do this week to ensure we don’t take God’s Word for granted?  

SATAN WANTS TO ATTACK YOUR MIND

“This is the great business of life – to “put our mouths out of taste for those pleasures with which the tempter baits his hooks.” I know of no other way to triumph over sin long-term, than to gain a distaste for it, because of a superior satisfaction in God.” – John Piper.

One of the primary things Satan wants to do is to influence the minds of people. In 2 Corinthians 11:3, Paul said to the Corinthians, “But I fear that somehow your pure and undivided devotion to Christ will be corrupted, just as Eve was deceived by the cunning ways of the serpent.” Satan was aiming to attack their minds. Another example of Satan attacking through the mind is seen in the account of Christ rebuking Satan who was working through Peter. Matthew 16:21-23 says: “From then on Jesus began to tell his disciples plainly that it was necessary for him to go to Jerusalem, and that he would suffer many terrible things at the hands of the elders, the leading priests, and the teachers of religious law. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be raised from the dead. But Peter took him aside and began to reprimand him for saying such things. “Heaven forbid, Lord,” he said. “This will never happen to you!” Jesus turned to Peter and said, “Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap to me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

What gave Satan the door into Peter’s life? The short answer is Peter. At that moment, he was thinking like a man and not thinking of the things of God. It is not at all different than today.

Why does Satan attack the mind? Proverbs 23:7 (NASB) says, “For as he thinks within himself, so he is…” Who one is on the inside determines who one is on the outside. Thus, Satan attempts to corrupt minds so he can corrupt lives. Satan’s chief activity in the lives of Christians is to try to distance people from God and God’s word.

He wants you to be trapped by the past. He wants you to dwell on your sin. Dwelling on sin causes you to skip out on seeing your Savior. He knows that the longer you dwell upon the glory of Jesus Christ that you will become more like Him and, therefore, more able to tear down his armies and thwart his tactics. This is war.  There is no neutral ground. As long as we are on this earth, the evil one will be interested in you.

If Satan can attack and influence our minds, he can ultimately influence or lead us. He tries to do this in a multitude of ways. In order to combat Satan’s attacks on our minds, we must guard what we allow in our minds.

The good news is that Jesus is far greater than we can ever imagine and will ultimately win the battle.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some of the ways that Satan attacks the mind?
  2. How do we defeat Satan’s attempts at deception? 

THE POWER OF MANIPULATION

“Never fool yourself into believing that your agenda is sufficiently worthy to somehow justify the manipulation of the people whom you wish to impose it upon.” ― Craig Lounsbrough.

As Christians, we have a broad but clear set of moral guidelines to follow when interacting with people and society at large.  We know that lies, deceit, and manipulation are undesirable traits that can consistently lead to negative outcomes. Manipulation is real and has been an age-old tool of the devil. The Bible tells us that the devil uses many tactics in an effort to control and manipulate people.

Jezebel, King Ahab’s wife is a clear example of this. 1 Kings tells the story of how Jezebel manipulated her husband to turn all of God’s nation to serve “baal” (her idol). She even sent out some servants to shut down all temples of God and to kill everyone that does not bow down to her idol.

We are told,  …he (Ahab) did more to provoke the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, than any of the other kings of Israel before him.” (1 Kings 16:33). The Prophet Elijah confronted Jezebel and Ahab. They became enraged and carried through with their plans with even more hatred. 1 Kings 21:25  says “(No one else so completely sold himself to what was evil in the Lord’s sight as Ahab did under the influence of his wife Jezebel.”

There are many other examples in the Bible of people trying to manipulate their circumstances to fit their will or argument or to achieve their objectives. King David sought to manipulate events to cover up his adultery with Bathsheba. When she became pregnant, David called her husband, Uriah, back from the front, hoping this would provide David with a cover for his sin. But his efforts failed. God knew the truth, and David’s sins were revealed.

Manipulation tries to control the choices, decisions, and actions of another person.  God intends for everyone to have free will to make choices for themselves.  That is why He does not force us to accept Him as Lord and Savior.  Manipulation, however, is based on the premise that not everyone should have the ability to make their own choices.  

We need to regularly check ourselves and our motives.  Let’s make sure we are not engaged in manipulative tactics.  We must trust God and take our hands off people and situations that are not ours to control.  Manipulation is not acceptable in any way, shape, or form.  Refuse to have anything to do with it.  You will free others to make their own choices, and you will be free from the need to control.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are some attributes of manipulators?
  2. Do you think it is easy or hard for others to manipulate you? Why?
  3. What do we need to do to limit being manipulated or manipulating others?   

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

“so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes. – 2 Corinthians 2:11.

The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 11, says that we are not to be ignorant of the schemes, plans, strategies, or tricks of Satan. We need to know how he works. We need to know something of his character, something of his person, something of his approach.

One of the most important principles of warfare is to know your enemy. If you are fighting a war and you have a lot of information about your enemy, it makes the battle so much easier. If you know very little about your enemy, the battle will be more difficult.

Fortunately, we have the Bible, which unmasks Satan and reveals his schemes. Why does the Bible tell us about Satan? Because God wants us to know about Satan so that we are alert. Satan roams about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. If the newspapers reported that a lion had escaped from the zoo and was roaming the streets of your city, we would want to know the specifics in case the lion was in our area. In the same way, we need to know the areas in which Satan is active. 

In the opening pages of the New Testament, we read about Satan. Immediately after we are told about Jesus being baptized in water and anointed by the Holy Spirit, we read about Satan confronting Him in the wilderness and tempting Him. That is the measure of importance the Bible gives to describing Satan’s activities. Why? So that we might not be ignorant of the wiles or the strength of the enemy of our souls.

Another thing that Satan does, and this is the major thing; he tempts us to sin.  He is the tempter. The second thing, Satan tempts us is to lose faith in God.  Satan tempts us to lose faith in God and to give up on God.

Thirdly, Satan loves to tempt us with discouragement. He loves the Christian to just get tired of it all. First, Peter 5:6-8, “So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith.”

It is essential to know that there is power in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, who defeated Satan on Calvary’s cross. You need never be afraid of Satan. It is when you don’t know your enemy that you live in fear that he may do something or the other to you. But he cannot touch you if you allow Jesus to be Lord of your entire life – for Satan’s power was stripped completely from him, when Jesus defeated him on the cross.

Discussion Questions:

  1. How well do you know the enemy? 
  2. Why is it important that we know the enemy?  

GO AHEAD AND TAKE THE PLUNGE

  “The priests will carry the Ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth. As soon as their feet touch the water, the flow of water will be cut off upstream, and the river will stand up like a wall.” So the people left their camp to cross the Jordan, and the priests who were carrying the Ark of the Covenant went ahead of them.  It was the harvest season, and the Jordan was overflowing its banks. But as soon as the feet of the priests who were carrying the Ark touched the water at the river’s edge,  the water above that point began backing up a great distance away at a town called Adam, which is near Zarethan. And the water below that point flowed on to the Dead Sea until the riverbed was dry. Then all the people crossed over near the town of Jericho.” – Joshua 3:13-16.

Have you ever witnessed a child attempting to jump into the deep end of a pool for the first time? There they are in their floaties, hovering at the edge of the water with their little knees knocking. In the pool is Dad with his arms outstretched, calling out to the child, “Trust me! Jump, I’ll catch you.” Eventually, the child takes the plunge. The father says in a reassuring voice, “I told you I would catch you.” Sometimes we feel that way with the Lord. There He is, in the deep waters, calling my name to jump, to trust, to take the plunge. And there I am on the edge of the pool shaking with nervousness.

When Joshua and the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land, the priests carrying the Ark of the Covenant had to first place their feet into the Jordan in order for the nation to be able to cross over.  Dipping our feet in a river may not seem like a big deal to us, but the Jordan was at flood stage and the waters were not shallow or calm. In addition, they were carrying the Ark, so their minds were no doubt filled with all kinds of concerns about what could go wrong. But when they put their feet in, the water stopped flowing downstream and the riverbed became a crosswalk.

We will all have those moments in our lives when we are asked to step out in faith. And we all have concerns about that first step because getting out of our comfort zone can produce stress and worry.  Our initial inclination is to question whether we are ready to put ourselves out there. On the other hand, you are excited about what God wants to do through you and you can’t wait to see what that is, but…you don’t have it all worked, figured, or factored out. That is where faith comes in. God responds to our actions, not our concerns. So step out even if you have that unsettling combination of wanting to step out in faith but not feeling completely prepared. God didn’t ask you to get ready to go; He just asked you to go. You can get ready along the way.

Hebrews 11.6 famously says, ”And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” You have to wonder how many things we’ve missed out on, how many miraculous adventures we have bypassed by playing it safe. God wants us to step out like Abraham- not knowing the exact destination but trusting that He does.

So, don’t look at the rushing waters swirling and churning violently in front of you. Seek God, and if you believe He is telling you to, then take the plunge and step in.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What are the barriers to doing something every day that requires faith?
  2. What can we do this week to overcome those barriers?

KNOWING GOD

“Once you become aware that the main business that you are here for is to know God, most of life’s problems fall into place of their own accord.” ― J.I. Packer, Knowing God.

The ultimate goal of every Christian is to get to know God. The Bible makes this very clear. The good news is that God wants us to know Him. The Holy Spirit helps us understand what we must do to get to know God on a spiritual level and then get to know Him better. Getting to know God better is, as in human relationships, a gradual, slow process that can take time. This process requires time, patience, and, above all, commitment and sincerity. But it is so worth it. When we open our hearts to a real relationship with God through Christ, we discover God’s unconditional love for us and it stirs up a passion inside of us to love people.

In the Old Testament Book of Exodus, we find the story of a man who had a relationship with God that was intimate and close. This man’s name was Moses, and his friendship with his Creator was such that he could freely speak his mind. Exodus 33:11 tells us, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend.” 

There is a story found in Exodus 33, verses 7 to 23 that illustrates this point. Moses had successfully led the Israelites out of Egypt but then had to deal with their grumbling and complaining. Their faith was weak in the God who had delivered them. They have been traveling for three months in the wilderness and finally have arrived at the wilderness of Sinai. This area is not exactly the Emerald Coast of Florida. Folks are thirsty. They’re not getting enough water. They’re not getting enough food. So they are complaining and considering mutiny.   

Moses, their leader, is doing the best that he can, but anxiety levels are high. In fact, they are sky-high. Not only are the people anxious, but they also don’t even know if they’re going to be able to live. In this environment, Moses is trying to figure out what to do. He’s trying to keep the people calm. And it’s not working. So he goes to God, and he says, “God, are you even here? Where’s your glory? Is it even present? Where are you, God?”

Moses reminds God that God called him to lead these people, that God knows him by name, and that he has found favor in the eyes of God. Moses seems to be testing God. He says, “If it is true that you look favorably on me, let me know your ways so I may understand you more fully and continue to enjoy your favor. And remember that this nation is your very own people. “(33:13).  Remember, this is Moses talking to God. “The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you, Moses, and I will give you rest—everything will be fine for you.” And the Lord said to Moses, “I will indeed do what you have asked, for I look favorably on you, and I know you by name.” Then Moses said (to God), “Then show me your glorious presence.” Moses asks God to show him his glory. Now you need to understand this wasn’t like asking God for his autograph. Or even for some kind of special miracle. Moses was asking God to reveal his awesome, indescribable presence.

The Bible seems to make it clear that one of the most important things to God, is finding those people who seek to be in His presence and wish to know Him intimately. Hebrews 11:6 says, “it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does it mean to you to “know” God?   
  2. What can we do in the short term to better know God?

THE PRINCE OF DECEPTION

 “Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of the money for yourself. The property was yours to sell or not sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to God.” – Acts 5:3-4.

Satan wants to entrap us. He will try to entrap us with any number of things from greed to gambling and lust. Satan wants to deceive us, and he will use any number of ways to accomplish his goal. Whatever the method it will be subtle, even seemingly reasonable, and he will work hard to make us think that it is our idea.

The early church was a movement of immense power. The very Spirit of God, who had arrived in Acts chapter 2, was now exerting authority, discipline, healing, comfort, and boldness among the believers. God, who had manifested Himself earlier in the form of His Son, was now manifesting Himself by His Spirit, through the church, in shocking ways.“The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). It attracted people, including Ananias and Sapphira. The early church was a powerful, caring community of believers.

The people in the early church sold their possessions and gave the money to the church. This was not some grandstand play. Generosity was a feature of life in the early Church. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had a need. This kind of sacrificial generosity was evident throughout the book of Acts. Ananias and Sapphira, a married couple, sell a piece of property and publicly give the proceeds to the community. However, they secretly hold back a portion of the money for themselves. It would seem their confidence for the future was in their bank account rather than in the Lord. They could not bring themselves to give away everything to God and trust solely in His faithfulness to meet their needs. They just gave the money and said nothing about what percentage of the total sale price it represented.

Peter asks Ananias, “why have you let Satan fill your heart…” Peter was not questioning Satan’s purpose, because he already knew that Satan was out to destroy the work of God. Peter was questioning Ananias and Sapphira’s motive for allowing Satan into their lives. What did they want that was worth opening their heart’s doors to Satan? Satan does not want a small part of your heart, he wants the whole thing.

Obviously, the heart that Satan fills has no room for God. Satan put in the greatest possible effort to make Ananias and Sapphira tell that lie. God was being squeezed right out of Ananias and Sapphira’s heart. If they thought they were making a minor compromise, that was just part of Satan’s deception. They paid the ultimate price for that deception.

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What should we learn from Ananias and Sapphira?
  2. How do we defeat Satan’s attempts at deception? 

ASTROLOGY, HOROSCOPES AND FORTUNE TELLING

And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars – all the heavenly array – do not be enticed into bowing down to them”  – Deuteronomy 4:19 (NIV).

The first characteristic of the occult is the disclosure or communication of information unavailable to humans through normal means. This would involve things like horoscopes, fortune-telling, psychic hotlines, and tarot cards. That knowledge comes from somewhere but it is not from God.

Think about astrology and horoscopes. Astrology is the ancient belief that a person’s destiny can be found in the pattern of the stars and planets at the time of one’s birth. The “horoscope” is the chart that attempts to describe that destiny.

The purpose of a horoscope is to gain insight into a person’s character and foretell the future. The basic belief of astrology is that planets and stars exert an influence on our lives. Those with special knowledge—astrologers—can predict events in a person’s life.

The temptation throughout history has been to make more of the stars than there is – to see in them something mystical, something magical, something supernatural.  Even to the point of using them for divination, or to get guidance as a supernatural source. And that is what astrology and horoscopes are about. This isn’t about astronomy, which is the scientific study of the stars, or even God’s use of the stars in His own workings and miracles, such as leading the wise men to the baby Jesus. We’re talking about astrology, which is the attempt to use them for some kind of hidden knowledge in a supernatural form.

Then there is fortune telling using tarot cards, numerology, palm readings, and tea leaves.  The reality is God alone knows the future.  Nobody else has that kind of power. Not even Satan. God and Satan are not on equal footing. Satan is a fallen angel, created by God. He is neither all-powerful nor all-knowing. And in Isaiah, we read these words: “I am the Lord, the Creator of all things. I alone stretched out the heavens…I make fools of fortunetellers and frustrate the predictions of astrologers” (Isaiah 44:24-25, GNT). 

In the occult, you’re purposefully attempting to make contact with a force or power other than God. This is why in Deuteronomy, the Bible says: “Let no one be found among you who…practices divination or…interprets omens,…Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:10-12, NIV).

Discussion Questions:

  1. How do you treat the idea of the occult?
  2. Why do you think the occult is so dangerous to the believer? 
  3. What can we do to ensure we stay away from the occult? 

BE AWARE OF THE OCCULT

Then you seers will be put to shame, and you fortune-tellers will be disgraced. And you will cover your faces because there is no answer from God.” – Micah 3:7

If someone were to ask, “What exactly is wrong with the occult,” how would you answer? The occult has permeated our society to such an extent that we tend to dismiss it as just another fad. But it is far from having pumpkin-flavored everything in the fall. It is important to step back and look at what occult groups and practices are really about, how people can be attracted by them or lured into them, and what the dangers really are.

If you ever wonder if the occult is kinda harmless, ask the question, “What would Jesus do?” Can anyone even imagine Jesus and His disciples going to an open-air market in Jerusalem, finding a fortune teller, and sitting down and asking him or her what His future would be? Can we imagine Jesus getting up each morning and wading through the Jerusalem Gazette, to find His horoscope because He needed to know what the day would bring? Can we picture Jesus and His disciples participating in a seance to talk with those who had gone on before them? There is no chance of that happening. Involvement in the occult is clearly forbidden by God in scripture.

 “I will set my face against the person who turns to mediums and spiritists to prostitute himself by following them, and I will cut him off from his people.  Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 20:6-7). Deuteronomy 18:10-13 says, “For example, never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering. And do not let your people practice fortune-telling, or use sorcery, or interpret omens, or engage in witchcraft, or cast spells, or function as mediums or psychics, or call forth the spirits of the dead. Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord. It is because the other nations have done these detestable things that the Lord your God will drive them out ahead of you. But you must be blameless before the Lord your God.”

The Bible is very clear: If we want to please God, we will avoid everything that has anything to do with the occult. We are to be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Part of being self-controlled and alert is being wise to Satan’s schemes, but not to delve into the details of every occult practice and phenomenon. We need to understand the devil’s ultimate goal is to separate us from God.

The occult—whatever form it takes—will lead you away from God, not toward Him. It’s a substitute for the living God and will never give you the peace and joy you seek, no matter what it promises. The Bible’s judgment on occult phenomena is blunt: “Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord” (Deuteronomy 18:12).

 Discussion Questions:

  1. What does the occult mean to you? 
  2. What can we do this week to maintain an active firewall against the occult?

THE FUTURE TENSE

“Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goals.” ~ Henry Ford.

We read these words in Philippians 3:13-14: No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Paul was clearly looking ahead rather than dwelling on the past. But that doesn’t mean that Paul has suddenly developed amnesia in the Roman jail. He clearly understood his past and had not forgotten the man he once was, but he did not let his past discourage him or defeat him. He was determined to press on and to keep running the race. Paul was focused on eternity and what awaited him at the end of his life.

We are accustomed to viewing our lives in the order of “past, present, future.” The Bible suggests we should view time as flowing from the future into the present and then into the past. The believer should be future-oriented, “forgetting what lies behind.”

Sometimes we get mired down in the here and now. Sometimes it’s dark and scary and we’re fumbling around because we feel like we have lost control allowing all kinds of noise and potholes in our life. Things like broken relationships, money problems, illnesses, and so on. None of those things will matter in eternity. What will matter is whether we lived lives that were pleasing to God.

Paul was completely focused on the future. He was pressing toward the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Paul uses the image of a race to describe the Christian life. In verse 1 14 Paul says, “I press on.” The idea of the word press is to run swiftly in order to catch a person or thing, to run after. Pressing when running means that you have to give it a little more gas as you try to reach a certain distance at a certain time, or if you are in a race when you try to overtake another runner. Basically, you are running, not just for the exercise, but with a specific goal and purpose in mind. A runner who keeps his or her “eyes on the prize” will stay on track.

You may have started the race a few days or a few months ago. Or maybe you started the race a long time ago, but somewhere along the way you stopped running. Perhaps you lost your joy or passion. Perhaps you stumbled and fell, or maybe you just got tired and decided to take a break. If you’re temporarily sitting on the sidelines, get back in the race. There’s a Savior to serve and a prize of an eternity with Him in the future.

  1. Discussion questions:
    How well are you running the race? Faith is just the beginning of the race we run as Christians. How can we better exercise our faith and put it into practice?
  2. How can we start thinking of the future, present, and past rather than the current order of past, present, and future?