Morning Moments

Where does one begin?


When one comes to faith in Jesus Christ, where should that one begin to read the Bible and how should that one approach the reading in order to become a solid, stable, and strong believer in Jesus Christ?


This weighs heavily upon my mind this morning as I meditate in God's Word.  I fear that far too many new Christians are left to themselves or are thrown into a class of mature or semi-mature or even immature believers that often confuse them rather than clarifying and confirming their new found faith.


Sometimes we hand the a KJV and simply encourage them to read their Bibles when it is like reading a sleepy Elizabethan novel to them with words they do not understand, stumble over, get exasperated with and soon put aside.  I know!  I know!  I can hear the old KJV only super saints criticizing me now, but let them go at it.


The truth is that there are some excellent more modern translations that are readable and understandable and besides, the very reading level for most is low anyway.  So, for those with computers, there are scores of translations that are free on the internet.


But the point is where to start and why?  The answer comes by another question:  What do we wish to do with a new believer?  The answer to that should be, as I have said, is to help them on their journey to become a "solid, stable, and strong believer in Jesus Christ".


It has been my custom to get them as soon as possible into the First Epistle of John for at least a couple of weeks.  I encourage them to read it everyday until they can anticipate from memory what is being said, and then to take each chapter or section and write in their own words the gist of the contents.  In other words, become so familiar with it that they can actually tell another what it is saying - not what is meant by what it said, for that is a different matter - but what is actually said.


Two things will begin to happen here:  1) God will begin to seal the text to one's heart to use in life later, and 2) the new Christian will never forget what and where he/she has learned from this experience.


I have them use the KJV usually to mark every time the word "know" is used in one form or another (known, knoweth, etc).  Later they will do a word study on the meaning and use of the word.


In the process, they become skillful in the word of righteousness and established in the faith by the conviction of "knowing" as opposed to just "feeling".  This is critical in the Christian faith, for we have a "know so" salvation - by the Word of God.  If we do what God says do - "Confess with our mouth and believe in our heart..." we are saved, according to Scripture.  Some cry, some shout, some experience quiet moments, others the agonizing moments of birth, but it all is by grace through faith, which comes by hearing the Word of God and believing with all our heart.


It is a simple start, but a discipline that once developed, enables one to grow "strong in the Lord and the power of His might."  For it is not by (our) might nor power (persuasive), but BY MY SPIRIT, says the Lord".


BLESSINGS!