Dimensions of the Gospel As It Pertains To Me.

DIMENSIONS OF THE GOSPEL AS IT PERTAINS TO ME.
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

The gospel consists of the good news that God has accomplished the work of saving sinners. This message is the good news of God and the great message about God! Many dimensions of this gospel can be studied, but in this brief write-up, I will list four dimensions of the gospel.

1. I’m saved BY GOD  (justification)
Those in heaven cry out “salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb” (Rev 7.10). Quite simply, Paul states that God saved us (Titus 3.5). When I consider the good news of the gospel, I must remember that I am saved by God. The source of my salvation is God. He is the originator, the genesis, the accomplisher, the beginner and the One who thought and wrought my salvation. As the psalmist said: salvation is of the Lord (Ps 3.8). I am saved by the effectual, initiating, perfect, supernatural, miraculous work of God Almighty as He came to me and did all that was needed to rescue my perishing soul!

2. I’m saved FROM GOD   (judgment)
One of the most remarkable aspects of the gospel is to remember that not only am I saved by God but I am also saved from God. The ultimate nature of hell is being forsaken of God and subject to His ceaseless and infinite wrath forevermore. The beauty of the gospel consists in the reality that God has saved me by His power and from His just punishment. God has saved me by Himself and He has saved me from Himself, that is, His holy wrath, His hot hatred, His just punishment, and His righteous anger. This is what Christ bore on the cross. He was not saved from God’s wrath but was crushed by God so you may be delivered from His infinite crushing for your sin.

3. I’m saved TO GOD     (service)
The Lord Jesus proclaimed in the open air in Jerusalem that whoever believes is free. And if the Son makes you free, you are free indeed (John 8.36). This freedom, however, is an interesting freedom. It is freedom from sin and a gloriously joyful bondage to Christ. To be saved by God means that a person is no longer under the domain of sin with sin as his cruel-master but now he is brought into a blessed bondage to Christ with a most marvelous Savior as His master. Believers are called “slaves” and even in glory God’s bond-servants will serve him (Rev 22.3). God saved me by Himself, from Himself, to himself for obedience!

4. I’m saved FOR GOD     (God’s glory)
To God alone belongs the glory forever and ever (Rev 5.13). In this plan of God in rescuing sinners, He has saved us by Himself, from Himself, to Himself, and now For Himself. That means that this enterprise of salvation must result in God’s glory and His utmost praise. It must redound to His perpetual praise and His magnificent worship! It ignites our hearts to praise Him in this life as we’ll praise Him in this way in the next also! God has saved you not to make much of you but for you to make much of Him. Boast in the Lord! Let your soul magnify the Lord, make its boast in the Lord and say how great your God is! He saved you!

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The Needed Area of Ministry In the Home

 The Needed Area of Ministry In the Home
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

We often talk about serving in the ministry of the Lord! And rightly so. We must stress that the ministry of the Lord does not always equate with busyness outside the home. What about the young mom with a toddler or the mother who home-schools her three elementary-school aged kids. How do they practically serve in ministry? In this write-up, I’d like to suggest a needed area of ministry in the home.

1. Minister in the Home as you LEAD IN WORSHIP
How can a young dad minister to the Lord? How can a mom actively engage in ministry? Here’s one way: lead your children in worship by showing them how great God is, how glorious His Word is, and how desirous He is to save sinners! Never underestimate the power of leading at home in worship. Men must take the lead in overseeing the home and ensuring that Christ is worshiped in the home. Moms also can lead the children in worship as they teach the children throughout the day. Remember, serving in ministry does not only demand busyness outside the home!

2. Minister in the Home as you ENJOY FAMILY LIFE
Another way that you can minister to the Lord is by enjoying family life. Just enjoy each other! Have fun! Engage in activities and go places together and enjoy the community of family life. It is no wonder that Christ calls His church a family of believers, a community, an assembly, a gathering of brothers and sisters. So it should be in the home. Enjoy family life together as you savor the common graces and blessings God has given.

3. Minister in the Home as you LOVE YOUR CHURCH
Young families need to remember that much is taught, but more is probably caught. The children watch and observe how we speak about the church and how we use the time that God gives us. Minister in the home as you love your church. You can actively serve your church by praying for your church. Consider the powerful ministry of gathering the kids and praying for the sick, the unemployed, the struggling, those going through trials. Consider the great opportunity of praying and thanking God for the church family in family devotions each night! Be creative!

4. Minister in the Home as you VISIBLY LIVE GODLINESS
God told Israel to impress His Words upon their hearts and then to teach them diligently to their children (Deut 6.4-9). One necessary and crucial area of ministry consists of the pursuit of holiness. And think of the benefit to the active longing for Christ, the intentional reading and prioritizing of His Word, the living out of holiness, the repentance and mortification of sin that is visibly seen in the home before watching children! They know you believe! They go with you to church. But for the children to see you live out your godliness is paramount and powerful!

5. Minister in the Home as you DISCIPLINE YOUR CHILDREN
God calls all parents to train up their children in the ways of the Lord. This must be done in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Ministering to the Lord occurs even while at home and serving your children. If a man neglects his family to be frequently gone doing bigger ministry events, he has an unbalanced and unbiblical view of ministry. He needs to reprioritize his life and focus on his home first. In the shepherding of your children’s souls, you actively and regularly engage in ministry. We often tell our young children that mommy is a missionary because she is just that -- living on mission in the home as she proclaims Christ relentlessly (and, oftentimes, hourly!) to them -- even in the discipline room. Shepherd their souls, expose their sin, point them to Christ, call them to God’s grace, and remember that this vital ministry cannot be ignored. Serve God by serving at home. Serve in the needed area in your very own home.

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The Preacher's Monday & A Rock-Like Pillow

The Preacher’s Monday & A Rock-Like Pillow
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

Spurgeon said it well: “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the child of God rests his head at night, giving perfect peace.” I agree with this statement with all my heart. I preach this truth and I heartily embrace this doctrine. I love it. No doctrine captivates my heart more and occupies my mind more than God’s sovereignty. Nevertheless, for me as a preacher of the gospel, Sunday nights and Mondays are by far the hardest times of the week.

Every preacher, myself included, finishes preaching and at the end of the day (or the night, or the following morning) reflects on the exposition and wishes that he could have done better, or said something clearer, or exalted Christ higher, or made application more piercing. But I want to reflect on something that God has taught me, and is still teaching me, that the sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the preacher of the gospel rests his head at night, giving perfect peace knowing that the exposition he preached is done and God will most certainty and effectually use His Word according to His sovereign purposes for His glory. God does this not because of me or because of my eloquent exposition. It’s not about how many commentaries I perused or how many verses I diagrammed in the languages. It’s not about my memorable homiletical outline or my nicely-packaged opening and closing illustrations. God uses His Word in spite of me, for His glory, by His powerful Spirit, through His Word.

Satan knows when to attack faithful preachers of the gospel. I would assume that many faithful expositors have those sermons when they felt dry in the pulpit, there was a sort of coldness in heart, a lack of connecting with the people, and a certain impotency in the proclamation. Satan loves to whisper this into the preacher’s ear and tell him he’s not doing any good.

Praise be to the Lord that I can -- and must intentionally -- remember these truths:

1. God sovereignly rules over all things in creation -- including every sermon I give.
2. God promises to use His Word because the power is in the living and powerful Word of God as it goes forth, not in the brilliant exposition that I may preach.
3. God decreed from eternity past -- in His glorious and everlasting counsils -- not only every exposition that I will ever preach but also every hearer that will ever listen to every sermon I preach and furthermore, every effect that will ever come from the sermon I herald.
4. God sanctifies me as His child as I continually grow in childlike faith in my Father who comforts His people with radiant beams of divine excellencies in Christ from His Word.
5. God humbles me to continually reinforce in my heart the reality that I am weak and impotent in myself and that I must daily and deliberately cast myself fully upon the mercy of God, the power of Scripture, the glory of the gospel, and the comfort of the Spirit.
6. God will receive all glory through the reading of His Word and the faithful expounding of His Truth. Sermons are not about me. And that’s one of the subtle temptations the Evil One darts at the preacher’s heart, that every sermon is about him. Sermons are about God, pointing to Christ, expounding His Word, energized by the Spirit, and delivered with passion. God will receive glory regardless how the preacher may feel or how I perceive the message may have been received.

So, again, I conclude where I began that, for the preacher, the sovereignty of God truly is the pillow upon which the preacher really can lay his head at the end of each Sunday, knowing that God gives perfect peace!  And for that, I rejoice and rest! It is the Rock-like pillow upon which every minister lays his head.

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Re-Gaining the Profound Privilege of the Preacher!

RE-GAINING THE PROFOUND PRIVILEGE OF THE PREACHER!
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

The preacher! The minister of the gospel! A shepherd of the church. Perhaps in times past these were elevated positions held in high esteem by the common man, but today we must regain the profound privilege of the preacher. Amazingly, my target audience is not those in the world but those in the church. Indeed, those who occupy the position of pastor or minister of the gospel: WE ourselves need to re-gain the profound privilege of the preacher. In this essay, I believe we need to elevate our estimation of and the privilege of the office of the minister of the gospel in at least five ways.

1.  The PULPIT — preach God’s Word, God’s Truth
The pulpit is a throne, it is the throne for the Word of God. The pulpit is the place where God stands and speaks to His people. God has designed the proclamation of His Word to be the primary means by which He both saves and sanctifies His people. The pulpit must allow God to speak forth to His people through His Word and it must not be a place where men speak human, trivial ideas. The pulpit must house and herald God’s profound wisdom from the Scripture, through the man, to the people, by God’s Spirit.

2.  The POSITION - as preacher, minister, servant, herald, shepherd
O the high honor of being a spokesman for God! What an honorable and holy calling to be summoned by God most High and commissioned to speak forth His Word, from His Book, to His people, by His power. A shepherd, a pastor, a minister, a preacher, a soul-winner! These are all high callings that God has put upon His man who heralds the Word! Never underestimate the high calling of this position! Tremble & rejoice!

3.  The PRAYER - a man of desperate and fervent prayer
All of a minister’s work is spiritual work and is powerless and fruitless unless it is bathed with and energized by prayer. Amazingly: the work of the minister of the gospel just may be the only calling where all the duties are absolutely impossible unless it is undergirded by desperate and fervent prayer. Men of God who preach the Word must be men who say no to many things in order to say yes to God in prayer.

4.  The PURITY - holiness of life
People are watching! What a travesty that many look at ministers or celebrity preachers and mock them (or Christianity, or God Himself!) because of an unholy life, a sinful habit that has become public and the work of the preacher has become a laughingstock of the masses! O let us regain the absolute necessity of being holy men. Why? As priests of old were consecrated, so let ministers be holy men in conduct & life.

5.  The PURSUIT - of God — not being so familiar with the the LORD that we forget to be in awe of Him
To minister as a leader of the flock is first of all to remember that one is a follower of the Chief Shepherd. Before you lead others, you must follow the Lamb! It’s easy to do sermon preparation and lose the awe. Seek to maintain a holy wonder & a heartfelt awe of God in everything you do as you pursue God Himself!

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Describe the Ideal, Biblical Church! How Would You Respond?

Describe The Ideal, Biblical Church! How Would You Respond?
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

This morning in my weekly men’s Bible study, I started our discussion by asking this question to all the men present: If you were to plant a new church, what would you have and what would you need in your Church for it to be faithful? In other words, describe the ideal, biblical church for me. But I told the men that with every answer they gave, they must prove it with chapter and verse! In our 30-minute discussion, the men responded with these Scriptures and marks of the ideal, biblical church.

1. Ephesians 4:12 - Equip the Saints
The first answer immediately came as a brother shouted out Ephesians 4:12! The ministry must be all about equipping the saints to do the work of service! The primary duty of the leaders that God gives to the church is to equip God’s people to do the work of ministry for God’s glory.

2. 2 Timothy 4:2 - Preach the Word
Another brother then immediately turned to 2 Timothy 4 and read verse 2: to preach the Word of God. This is the preeminent call and duty of every faithful minister, to teach and preach the Bible with clarity, with accuracy, with fidelity, and with power. A faithful church must preach the Word.

3. Mark 11:17 - House of Prayer
One brother turned to the gospels and mentioned how Christ described the Temple as a House of Prayer. The church must be a place where prayer -- fervent prayer -- is prioritized!

4. Colossians 3:15-16 - Instructing one another with psalms, hymns & spiritual songs and giving thanks to God
Then, one brother turned to Colossians 3 and read about the need to instruct and teach one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs as we make melody to God and give thanks to Him! He pointed out the need to sing, to give thanks, to teach, to instruct -- and all this happens as the Word of God is richly dwelling with us.

5. Titus 1:5 - Appoint Godly Elders
Next, a man took us to Titus 1 where Paul exhorts Titus to appoint elders in every city. But not just any kind of ‘leader’ will do; Titus must appoint the right kind of elders. They must be men who are above reproach. So we discussed the need to have godly, above reproach shepherds.

6. Ephesians 4:1-3 - Maintain Christian Unity
One brother stated that Ephesians 4 must be a central text so that we would remember to walk in a manner worthy of the calling (v.1) and that believers would walk in all humility, with gentleness, with patience, and show great tolerance for one another in love, all the while striving to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. This is the church protecting its unity!

7. Matthew 28:18-20 - Make Disciples, Baptize and Teach Them
We then turned to Matthew 28 where we were reminded of the mission of the church: to GO and SPEAK! To go out and speak forth the gospel and make disciples. And then to baptize them (practice the ordinances of baptism and, also, the Lord’s supper), and then to engage in the ongoing responsibility of teaching them to obey all that Christ commanded. This is life-on-life discipleship as believers grow in grace and follow Christ together.

8. Acts 2:42 - Devote themselves to teaching, prayer, breaking of bread & fellowship
One brother directed us to Acts 2:42 where we observed the example of the early church where they regularly devoted themselves to four primary essentials. They intentionally gathered for the Apostolic teaching, for prayer, for the breaking of bread (communion or hospitality/meals) and regular fellowship.

9. Acts 2:44-45 - Serving One Another
Then, another brother encouraged us to look at that same context and observe how the early church provided for others in need and ministered to one another in tangible, particular ways as was profitable to serve and love and care for one another. A faithful church serves one another.

10. 3 John 6-8 - Equip and send off faithful missionaries and be fellow workers with the Truth
Finally, one brother reminded us of the paramount and joyful privilege of giving financially in the context of the church so that we can equip and send and support missionaries to go out “for the sake of the Name!” Indeed, the church sends out missionaries who are faithful so that they may do gospel work near and far and in so doing, the church engages in a glorious ministry where they are “fellow workers with the Truth” (3 John 6-8).

What an excellent list!  Not too bad for a group of guys putting our minds together at 6AM on a Friday morning before they head off to work (with no knowledge ahead of time that they would be asked this question)! May the Lord keep us faithful to His work, His Way, and according to His Word -- because Christ Alone, the Head over His Church -- is altogether lovely & worthy!

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Some [More] Benefits To Having a Paper Bible Open & On Your Lap [While Hearing the Sermon]

Some Benefits to Having a Paper Bible on Your Lap

Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

I have the mobile and electronic devices. I have a computer. I have an iPhone. And I use them daily. They benefit me tremendously in my work, in my writing, in my communication, and in my research. So I have no problem with the electronic devices and tablets and gadgets per se. But I'd like to share a few pastoral thoughts about why it may be beneficial and prudent to go to church with a paper bible in hand rather than a tablet, or an iPad, or an iPhone. In fact, I would suggest that it would be worth your serious consideration whether you should leave your cell phone (or tablet, etc) in the car while you’re in church. I suggest that this is especially true for parents with young and teenage children.

In what follows, I’ll provide what I believe to be some benefits of having a paper Bible with you and open before you when you gather with God’s people to worship.

1. it aids you in focusing in Scripture alone rather than the temptations a device may bring. This may seem overly obvious but the cell phone is like bringing truckload of temptations do your front porch. I’m not referring necessarily to sinful or immoral temptations. I’m just suggesting that we prioritize the Bible alone when we sit under the Word of God and there are far fewer temptations when you have your paper Bible open on your lap and a pen and paper to take notes than there are if you’ve got your iPhone open with apps, calendars, scores, programs, games, and even ringers!
2. it prevents the endless distractions that could come with an electronic device (text/popup/reminder/internet).  Having your cell phone with your Bible on it may bring an unnecessary distraction or temptation to respond to this text or that alert or this email or that breaking news report, but why even put yourself in that situation to be distracted? True, someone may say that there are many other temptations (people sitting near you, the instruments, the preacher’s attire, etc.). But we live in a digital, cell-phone worshipping age, and doesn’t it seem prudent to do all that you can to intentionally focus on God’s Word in God’s House rather than bring a gadget that may distract you from hearing what God has for you through the Word of God?
3. it sets an example for the children/teens to have an open Bible.  This is the passion that gave rise to this article. Dear parents, how do you teach your children? Do you want to model for them to get a little Bible on their phone here or there? Do we really believe that when our children are on their phones that they’re doing nothing but studiously poring over the Scriptures? Perhaps -- and we pray this would be the case. But oftentimes, it isn’t. What if you have your children (children and teens and young adults) bring their paper bible with them to church and leave their cell phone in the car. And parents, you do the same! Set the example. Show them it’s good and proper and beneficial to have a Bible and to use it well, know it well, love it, know it, memorize it, and walk with it.
4. it serves in cross-reference study to have fingers in 2 or more scriptures to compare. It’s far easier to track with the preaching of the Word if the preacher goes from Scripture to Scripture and text to text and Testament to Testament when you have a paper Bible.  It can just be quicker and more profitable to have your paper Bible open and turning with the teacher to the texts that he’s reading. You could even leave a pice of paper there in a text for further study at a later point.
5. it helps you learn the order of the books of the Bible better. This is mentioned because of the overwhelming illiteracy of the Bible in our day. It is good to know the books of the Bible and the order of the books of the Bible! One knows the order of the books of the Bible better when he has a paper Bible and is flipping from book to book rather than just going to a Table of Content screen and tapping the Book. Take 25 seconds and see if you can turn to Malachi, then Matthew, then Ruth, then Romans, then 1 Chronicles, then 1 Corinthians, then Hosea, then Hebrews, then Song of Solomon, then Philemon. See if someone can do it quicker in a paper Bible or on a tablet. I suggest it would be the person with the paper Bible.
6. it familiarizes you with the text & with locating Scriptures for future reference. As you track with the preacher by looking at the texts, words, phrases, paragraphs in your text you become familiar with texts themselves and where the texts are in your particular copy of God’s Word so that in future times of need, you can go back and reference a verse or section. Even though you may not remember the specific reference you may remember, for example, that it was on the top side of the left column on the left page of your Bible. This can only be done with a paper copy of God’s Word.
7. it may allow you to mark in your Bible a note or two or a cross reference. I suppose there may be some apps or programs that allow you to take notes on the digital devices, but it’s not the same as underlining a key word, or drawing a circle and connecting it to key word a few verses earlier, or jotting down an outline in a particular portion of Scripture. This is more readily available in having your paper Bible open and before you.
8. it contributes to the benefit of reading books (chapters) and not just reading clips/quotes (from a device).  When we read on our phones or tablets we train ourselves to read little portions at a time (or, what can fit on a screen in front of us) and then as we keep scanning or flipping or scrolling to read more and more text, it can become burdensome and tedious. But having an open Bible on your lap more easily lends itself to lengthy Bible reading and focused times of saturating in Scripture.
9. it presents a kind of priority & seriousness as you carry and open and study your Bible. We don’t parade ourselves around carrying Bibles just to be seen and noticed by others. That would be arrogant and prideful. Nevertheless, there is something important about walking to church with a Bible in hand. You have your Bible and you understand that you’re in God’s House to study God’s Word with God’s people. As you carry your Bible and study your Bible, there’s a priority and a seriousness as you have it with you and set it before you and reference it with your eyes continually during the sermon.
10. it will not die if you use it constantly for 10+ hours. there's no battery life to the written text of the Bible. Quite simply, electronic devices have battery life that sometimes can fade out and die. But, of course, with your paper Bible, it never gets low in battery life!

SUMMARIZING & SIMPLIFYING the 9 benefits...
   Quite simply, what are the benefits of having an open, paper Bible before you at church?

1. PROTECTION (from distractions as it protects you from unnecessary popups, texts, alerts, emails, scores, etc.)
2. FOCUS  (helps you in focusing on Scripture alone as you zoom in on the book resting on your lap as the priority)
3. EXAMPLE (this especially is true for parents to model the setting aside of devices and guard from distractions)
4. STUDY (aids in cross-reference/turning to multiple scriptures as you flip from Scripture to Scripture in a sermon)
5. ORDER (with a paper Bible, you learn the order of books of the Bible far better than on a device)
6. FAMILIARIZATION (with texts/where they're located on the page for review at a later point)
7. NOTE-TAKING  (jotting down notes in your paper Bible can be easier and more memorable than on a device)
8. SERIOUSNESS (take your bible to church to hear God talk; there's a reason God gave us a *book* & we use it)
9. SUSTAINABILITY (the bible just doesn't lose battery-life, doesn't die; it always has full charge!)

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A Strong Plea to Bring Your Bible to Church [The Paper Bible, Not the Bible on the Electronic Device]

A Strong Plea to Bring Your Bible To Church
(Not the Phone, but the Book)
Geoffrey R. Kirkland
Christ Fellowship Bible Church

When the post-exilic people of Israel gathered at the Water Gate after they had returned to the land and resided there for some time, they asked Ezra the scribe to “Bring the Book” (Neh 8:1). This is a strong plea not only for every preacher to bring the Book, open the Book, and preach the Book, but it also is a strong piece of pastoral encouragement to bring your Bible to church. By bringing your Bible I’m referring to your paper Bible, the document, the Book. We all have our smartphones and our Bible Apps. We have plenty of translations and gadgets on our phones to aid and enhance our studies. But as I continue to preach week by week, I still remain convinced that there is great benefit to having your Bible open and on your lap when you hear the Word preached. This is in no way a command or some man-made law. Rather, these are some pastoral suggestions that I think are helpful. Here are a few reasons why I strongly encourage you to bring your Bible to church.

1.    To turn to cross references.
Bring your Bible to church so that you can easily turn to the cross references with your pastor as he preaches. Perhaps someone who is savvy on the electronic devices can search and find other Scriptures quickly, but it seems to be that, more often than not, those with paper Bibles are doing the Scripture examination as we go to different texts in the sermons. Also, having a paper Bible encourages you to know the order of the Books of the Bible so that you can turn in your Bible to different texts quickly. Thus, I think that having your Bible with you as the Word is preached is beneficial so that you can -- and should! -- turn to the various Scriptures that your pastor references in his sermon so that you can learn more, engage well, and understand the truths being heralded.

2.    To minimize distractions.
Bring your Bible to church as this may help minimize distractions. Don’t get me wrong, I understand that there are myriads of distractions in church. But with the phone or the iPad, it seems to me that more distractions may be readily available. As the pastor is preaching and someone follows along on the Bible App on their phone, what happens when a text message pops up, or a new email arrives, or a calendar reminder shows up, or an ESPN alert catches your eye? This is not to say that there are no distractions for the person with their paper Bible, but it seems that distractions can be minimized by having your Bible open, on your lap, and pen out eager to take notes.

3.    To teach the youth who are watching.
Bring your Bible to church because people are watching, especially our young people. Our young people idolize media and electronics. They have the phones, they see people on their phones, and they spend way too much time on their phones. And when our young people (children and teens) are with us in corporate worship, they’re watching. They see the people of God. They look around and observe how people are singing, praying, and listening to the Word. So, what do they see? Do they see men and women with their Bibles open, prizing and prioritizing the Bible above all else? Do they see people with a well-worn, a well-used, a marked up Bible? They see people all day every day stand and wait, who walk and travel incessantly glued to their phones. Does it have to be this way at church too? Can we show our young people and our children just how much we prize and prioritize God’s Word by shutting off the phone and having our Bible open during the sermon? And let us not forget that what our young people see us doing, they will do, but they won’t have the measure of self control that we do. So, if you read the Bible on your phone, they will do the same. But don’t be surprised if they start scrolling through social media and tuning out during the preaching of God’s Word.

4.    To make notes.
Bring your Bible to church because I think it is easier to take notes when you can see the text in front of you, make comments, jot down outlines, and cross references in your Bible (or in a notebook/bulletin) so you can refer to it later. I fully understand there are very effective ways to take notes on the electronic devices as well. But for me, in my Bible, I can’t overstate the importance of making notes in my Bible, underlining, highlighting, circling a word, drawing an arrow connecting repeated concepts, or jotting down an outline for future reference.


All in all, may we be people of the Book. Just as the people of God beckoned Ezra to Bring the Book (Neh 8.1), so I also want to encourage God’s people in our day who have Bibles to “Bring the Book!”

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