Read more, read now

“Read more.

“It’s a must.

“In this you must trust.

“Or your sharing forward is a bust.”

Please excuse that I use a little ditty to make a point.

But there is Scripture to back me up in this.

To share with others as God commands, we must have a foundation in Scripture.

This is how we know what God wants us to do, and it guides us on how we interact with others. Reading the Word inspires us to share with others as we grow in our love of Christ through Scripture – God’s sharing with us.

Nehemiah 8:8 (NKJV) –  “So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.”

Acts 8:30 (NKJV) – “So Philip ran to him (the Ethiopian), and heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, ‘Do you understand what you are reading?’”

Ephesians 3:3-4 (NKJV) – 3 “… how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, 4 by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ) …”

Luke 6:3 (NKJV) – “But Jesus answering them said, “Have you not even read this, what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him:”

Acts 15:31 (NKJV) – “When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement.”

1 Timothy 4:13 (NKJV) – “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”

So, how do we read the Bible more?

Get focused.

As an example, pick one of the New Testament books, possibly 1 John or Ephesians or Colossians.

They have five, six, and four chapters, respectively.

Read your book of choice in full, every day, for 30 days.

Try it out today. Read the book and time yourself. Then you’ll know how much time to set aside each day. And, you have one day behind you already after this time test.

Your faith, your inspiration, your desire to share will grow more in those precious few days more than you expect.

Now, disciple, which book will you read today?

3 Questions for now

It’s getting cold outside as the winter season gains traction. That means people will be cooped up in their work-life spaces, and close contact offers opportunities to chat with folks.

Here are three questions to help you start a conversation:

• Have you ever read the Bible or heard about its message? (Great, may I share with you something I just read today that brought me peace and joy in this wild world?)

• What do you think about the teachings of Jesus Christ? (Great, may I share with you something I just read today that brought me peace and joy in this wild world?)

• Do you believe in an afterlife, or do you think this life is all there is? (Great, may I share with you something I just read today that brought me peace and joy in this wild world?)

See what I did there? Sharing is bolstered by the follow up question which can be tied to your daily Bible reading.

Read these questions and responses several times and remember them as best you can.

Then, at your next “now” opportunity, ask one and follow the Lord’s lead.

Be kind. Love them. Be bold.

Shawn’s noodling rant:

(“Noodling” is a term I swiped from my mentor. The meaning is to “ponder” or “think deeply about” a topic that God is challenging us with through scripture or the Holy Spirit, or both.)

Reading is fundamental to spiritual growth

Growing up I loved to read. I participated in the summer reading programs at the local library, and I checked out books throughout the school year that I would devour once I got home.

One of the most fascinating times in my early years was the few days each year that Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) would arrive at my school. RIF is a non-profit that provides (at least in my day) a literal bookstore at school campuses once a year. (RIF states today that there are still 25 million kids who cannot read proficiently. This is not an endorsement of RIF or its policies, just an explanation of the development of my love for reading.) All the students in school would have the opportunity to pick out several books and take them home – for free.

For a poor kid, that was absolutely wondrous! A book – or two – for me, for free. Woooh-eee!

Then I discovered the Bible. Talk about wondrous stories that matched anything in the library! Kings and conquerors, great warriors, enchanting men and women, great feats of men, earth-shattering events, miracles of God – Jesus and salvation. The Bible had it all for a young soul craving something more in life than this world offered.

And it still holds wondrous insights into life for grown men and women who have too easily forgotten the wonder of their hope and imagination that has been quelled by their persistent, busy existence in this life.

Do people still read today?

Oh, you better believe it is so.

In my alternate world of marketing and sales, big companies know that people crave reading – even if they don’t realize this reality.

How so?

Read. Scroll. Read. Scroll. Read. Scroll. Read. Scroll. Read. Scroll. Read. Scroll.

The pattern is simple. And most of the world is caught up in this mind-numbing daily existence.

The problem is that virtually all the words people are reading in this media-driven world are worthless to their souls.

They crave more than the constant, emotion-spurring drivel that scrolls past their eyes on that little screen they can’t seem to put down. But they keep going even though the scrolling never satisfies the longings of their minds.

And what does a simple mind still seek?

The Word of God that inspires the imagination, delivers hope, provides comfort, offers peace and most of all guides lost souls to the one truth in any media that can save them from this world – salvation through Jesus Christ.

Reading is still fundamental to finding a worthwhile purpose in life, not just for the lost but also for believers.

Reading God’s Word inspires believers to offer those lost souls a wondrous option to the never-ending, never satisfying, “Read. Scroll. Scroll. Scroll.”

Believers who read more of God’s Word can help others break free from this wild world that peddles in empty thought and carnal fantasies.

Now, disciple, what are you reading today?

(P.S. If you need to, scroll back through this edition a few times. Such scrolling will be better than most anything you’ll find on social media today.)