Get ready for this sentence....
Reading the bible may not make you feel closer to God.
I have a friend who told me some time back that they felt away from God so they needed to read their bible. Now I am all for bible reading, but if you have ever tried to be close to God simply by reading the bible, you know that sometimes we read and read and nothing changes. Then at the end of it all, we feel guilty for not reading and then guilty later for reading to no avail.
Here are some suggestions.
First if you want to read the bible, good. Start with the words of Jesus. Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Second, read strategically. Stay away from books like Leviticus. All books of the bible are not equal when it comes to providing inspiration. Understand that much of what Paul wrote in the new testament was written to a certain church for a certain purpose and cannot be drawn into our situation today. For example, women should not speak in church, or the acceptance of slavery.
Third, don't just read by yourself. You have a perspective, a world view, and if all you do is read the bible in your own brain, your perspective will never change. Get an outside opinion on the bible. Don't just read the bible, read what Richard Rohr writes about it. Read Rob Bell's book The Velvet Elvis. Read the book, Unexpected News: Reading the Bible through Third World eyes by Robert Brown. Read some Anthony de Mello, my favorite is Walking on Water. My point here is that you can grow in your faith and your walk with God as you take in info from other Christians, especially those who come at faith from another direction.
If you want to purchase any of the mentioned books, a good source that I use is Dealoz.com it is a great and affordable site for used books.
It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.
Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com
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I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....
Paris-Normandy River Cruise
October 23-31, 2019
http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/rc19102319x17768#.W3avNFJK3cs
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