Lost Art of Personal Devotions
Rise and Shine for Jesus! \O/
By Pam Iannello (my late mother)
In view of the
fact that these devotions have expanded to touch hundreds of women, the
question has been posed to me as to whether or not Rise and Shine is available
in book form, or soon will be. While I
think this is a good idea, I am still heavy hearted about something. Along with their desire to see these writings
published, a particular personal comment accompanying nearly every request has
caught my attention. Loads of ladies have testified that they cannot find a
“decent devotional book” and I wholeheartedly agree with that report! However, let me tell you why this troubles me
so… It has become clearer than ever before that there is a rapidly growing need
for women to know how to study the Word of God on their own! Ladies, if our personal devotions were
flourishing, none of us would be looking so desperately for a “decent
devotional”; we would experience private fulfillment using just the
scriptures. First-hand information is
the best! Countless believers are
satisfied to receive all their truth filtered through the mind of some
teacher, preacher, or commentator. While feasting exclusively on pre-digested
material, they seldom personally search the scriptures in independent
study. Yet Jesus has told us to do that
very thing....
John 5:39
Search the scriptures; for in them ye
think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.
Ladies,
somewhere along the way we have lost the art of personal Bible study! Many Christians are simply “echoes” of the
opinions of others and not grounded or founded upon the Word themselves! They are led foolishly from echo to echo when
they are not rooted in truth learned firsthand in the Word of God. What is
first needed is membership in a local fundamental Bible believing church and
full submission to the authority there!
Under the influence of sound doctrine and firm preaching believers are
taught how to study the Bible and discern truth from error…
Romans 16:17-18
Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause
divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and
avoid them. [18] For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but
their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the
simple.
In these last
days, I believe more Christians are being led astray through Christian book
stores where philosophies and vain deceits carry them down the path of false
teachings in their quest for help in daily living. Silly women laden with sin have been
unknowingly taken captive by the devil in this subtle, “spiritual”
fashion. Be on guard - many teachers,
preachers, and commentators today are intoxicated with false doctrines and
notions concerning the kingdom and salvation of God! They not only err
themselves, but lead multitudes astray - sincere people like you ladies,
wanting to do right! Christian women
who lean less on the bookstore and more on the preaching within the local
church will be spared from Satan’s subtleties! What false doctrines have
destroyed the faith of someone you know?
Man cannot always be trusted, but Jesus Christ tells us in the verse
above that we can trust the scriptures to testify of Him! The King James Bible is where we can be
assured of finding the truth, the WHOLE truth and nothing but the truth. Are you interested in searching the
scriptures yourself, or only in probing the shelves of the Christian bookstore
for someone who has done that for you already??
Yes, scores of men and women have applied their heart to searching and
studying the Bible, but what about your heart…
Eccles. 1:13
And I gave my heart to seek and search
out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore
travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith.
Eccles. 7:25
I applied mine heart to know, and to search, and to seek
out wisdom, and the reason of things, and to know the wickedness of folly, even
of foolishness and madness..
I want to
provoke you ladies today to purpose in your heart to be more diligent in
searching and studying the scriptures yourselves. I'm pleased you enjoy Rise and Shine and I'm
honored that you want to see it published etc., but it's nothing like
discovering these things about the Lord on your own! I'm nobody special; it is God and His Word
that is exceptional! He can show you the
same nuggets of gold in the scriptures as He shows anybody else. All you have to do is search for them… Is your delight in the law of the Lord or are
you experiencing more pleasure of another author? Cleanse yourself from
insignificant pursuits; it pleases our heavenly Father when we are workmen of
His Word. It's time to grow up, to form that habit yourself of daily going to
the ORIGINAL source of spiritual truth for your own personal nourishment. The
world doesn't need another book; it needs more Christians spending time in THE
Blessed Book! (And also living by it!)
Eccles. 12:12
And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making
many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
Other
publications, when studied, will bring only weariness of flesh, yet when we
study the Word of God, we find life, wisdom and profit for ourselves! Col. 3:16 tells us to let the word of Christ
dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Are you luxuriantly saturated with
God’s viewpoint or someone else’s viewpoint? The scriptures alone point the
way to truth, for the Bible admonishes man in a way that he is led straight
into a proper fear of the Lord, a character quality that is almost extinct from
the lives of Christians today! Ladies,
you and I can be connected to a certain favorite worldly author and still live
a profitless life as a Christian. We can
spend all our money on a certain person's writings and still be a bankrupt
believer. But when we make diligent
search of God's Word in order to know Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our
faith, we will flourish and prosper our whole life long! Praise the Lord!! What are you waiting for?? Don't be lazy - dig in with your whole
heart…
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.
Jeremiah 29:13
And ye shall seek me, and find me, when
ye shall search for me with all your heart.
Yes, God, by His
Word, calls us to what is really for our advantage and good. Don't let the
devil lie to you and tell you that you can't do it yourself, that you need to
lean on another book. All you need is a
vision, a plan for systematic study of the Bible and a heart to do it! The
haphazard reading of a few verses in the scriptures every day is better than
nothing, but it isn't real Bible study.
You need to sit down to a decent meal, not just a snack! There are
various methods of searching the scriptures for your soul's profit. For our
instruction in the things of God, it is needful however, that the same precept
and the same line should be often repeated to us over and over again, that we
may better understand those truths.
Survey the deep things of God one layer at a time - not all gold lies
on the surface of the soil!
Isaiah 28:10
For precept must be upon precept, precept
upon precept; line upon line, line upon line; here a little, and there a
little…
Here are some
ideas for methods of study:
1.) Topical Method - selection of a subject and
tracing it through the scriptures, breaking down even single words and studying
them too.
2.) Character Studies - study of various
scripture characters and what you can glean from their lives.
3.) Study of the Books - select a book in the
Bible and exhaust it, while searching the book, find the answers to the
questions: who is it speaking to, what were the circumstances under which it
was written, when were the events taking place, where was it taking place, how
can I apply it to my life today, why did the events take place etc., it's
purpose and main teachings can be discovered this way.
4.) Study of Chapters and Important Passages -
get familiar with those Biblical gems! Study
to obey, to know, to do, to be and to share.
5.) Memorize Scriptures - hide them in your heart
(that you might not sin against God!) and have them available for instant use
for any occasion that may arise.
**~~**~**~~**~~**~~**
Mark 12:24
And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye
not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of
God?
No other author
can supply you with real power for living a fruitful Christian life but God! If
we carry the truth in our hearts by searching and studying the scriptures, we
will not have to be worried about being carried about by various false
teachings! What a blessing, and what
protection the Word of God affords us, amen?
Are you living in the power of God? Are you carrying the truth today, or
being carried around by a lie? You won't
know unless you search the scriptures yourself…
Ephes. 4:14
That we henceforth be no more children,
tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the
sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive…
Hebrews 13:9
Be not carried about with divers and
strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with
grace…
I hope you've
all been challenged today to do what God has commanded us! Perhaps you are ashamed of the quality of
your personal devotions or sorry for your lack of Bible study, even
weary of the surmounting selection of “spiritual” authors from which to choose…
Let's get out of that devilish rut and become highly skilled at the lost art of
personal devotions!
Isaiah 34:16a
Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and
read…
Lament. 3:40
Let us search and try our ways, and turn
again to the LORD.
God Bless,
Pam
Isaiah
60:1&2
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