Word Probe

2 Tim.2:¹⁵ “Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.”

We are going into a study of the Book of John. Let me tell you upfront, we are going to be drinking from a water hydrant [gushing streams] so be prepared. The question is how hungry are you and what can you take in? My prayer is that you will take all in, in Jesus Name [say Amen]. You will be required to study some passages and Books on your own or you can form a collaborative Bible study group and study as a group. I pray that the Holy Spirit will unravel the Book of John to us as we engage and surpass our expectations, in Jesus Name.

Almost immediately after I gave my life to Jesus in my final year in the University [in 1995], by the grace of God I started winning souls for Jesus. I started reaching out to my friends and telling them about Jesus and by the grace of God winning souls for Jesus has not stopped. One question that keeps coming up when the people I speak to give their lives to Jesus is, “Where do I start reading the Bible from? As far as I can remember, one Book that I keep referring people to [even when I did not know why] was the Book of John. My response to them was always, “Start from the Book of John.” And the more I myself read the Book of John, the more I understood the Word of God, the more I referred people to the Book of John. If you have not read the Book of John, I want to encourage you to read the Book of John and 1^st, 2^nd, 3^rd John. It is fantastic!

One of the keys to engaging with scriptures is not just to read and take the facts. One of the keys to engaging scriptures is to ask questions. We need to learn to ask questions, to probe further. What does this mean? What does that mean? It is when we probe that we begin to engage with scriptures and as we engage with scriptures, it fires up our imagination then we begin to see the Bible come alive. When we ask probing questions, the Lord begins to lead us to the answers, and then the scriptures begin to come alive. Then Bible study is not a boring experience. In fact, something has to literarily pull me out when I start studying my Bible.

2 Tim.2:¹⁵ “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (KJV, emphasis added). You are studying to show yourself approved unto who? God expects you as a Christian to study to show yourself approved unto God, not to show yourself approved unto men. It is not study so that you can bamboozle your friends and family or brandish your knowledge of scriptures. It is study so that you can show yourself approved unto God. Dividing creates the image of sharing and we use that terminology often in Christian circles – let us share the Word. It is as if we are sharing food or as if we are diving a spoil or sharing loot. That is what the Bible means when it says, “rightly dividing the word of truth.” The New Living Translation says, “Work hard…”; it is hard work.

Prayer [song]: Ancient words ever true, changing me, and changing you. We have come with open hearts, oh let the ancient words impart. Amen!