Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Jacobs Trouble


CONTENTS



Introduction
Pg      1
1
Method Of Interpretation
Pg     23
2
The Key To Prophecy
Pg     43
3
Nebuchadnezzar's Dream Of The Image
Pg     71
4
The Four Beasts
Pg    101
5
Islam And The Antichrist
Pg    131
6
The Days Of Jacob’s Trouble
Pg    159
7
The Final Feasts In A Troubled Time
Pg    193
8
Understanding The Apparent Failure Of Biblical Prophecy    
Pg    229
9
The Day The Devil Is Cast Down From Heaven Forever
Pg    257
10
The Seals Finally Opened
Pg    289
11
The Days Of The Seven Trumpets
Pg    309
12
The Mystery Of Mystery Babylon
Pg    333
13
The Thirteenth Tribe
Notes
Pg    359
Pg    392





1) Method of Interpretation (p23)
  • The authority of the Bible is trustworthy but we need to establish reasons why.
  • The Investigative Judgment is a doctrine created because of a failed prophecy based upon interpreting what the translators of the King James Version of the Bible decreed to be days rather than evenings and mornings.
  • Bibliolatry is a common problem where people put the Bible and their understanding of it above the requirement to enter into a personal experience with Lord Jesus Christ.
  • Dispensationalism is based upon the idea that the Bible talks about dispensations, of which there is actually two: prior to the death of Jesus and after the resurrection of Jesus.
  • Deductive Reasoning requires the use of assumptions, if not a general truth, to arrive at a particular outcome. 
  • Inductive Reasoning begins with a fact to develop a general truth.
  • Determining a truth requires more than simply developing a method of reasoning.
  • Dispensational assumptions have demonstrated how faulty reasoning can turn into false beliefs and convictions.
  • There are three major end time views, but one of these views is misconstrued as being two views.
  • Twisting truth can be intentional, or unintentional due to oversights or presumption.
  • Cold case detectives have established principles by which to establish historical truth and there is no reason why these principles are of no value when assessing the prophecies of the Bible.


2)   The Key to Prophecy (p43)
  • Many trivialize sin, which is the thorn that causes the festering frustration, anguish and anger residing within members of the human race.
  • The details of the baptism of Jesus by John enable us to find a historical point from which to begin assessing the accuracy of the prophecies in the Bible.
  • Jesus has to have spent literally three days and nights in the grave, if the Bible is a reliable guide to the truth of existence.
  • The first Passover that occurred prior to the Exodus must have significance that goes beyond what happened on that day, if Jesus was to be the Passover Lamb; therefore, this needs to be determined.
  • The Passover dates for the time of Jesus need to be determined if we are to arrive at the truth of how Jesus could have died and spent three days and nights in the grave, rather than dying on Friday night and rising early Sunday morning—which is only two nights and one day.
  • Determining the actual year of the Crucifixion is important in order to establish whether the Bible has accurate prophecies.
  • Many people mistakenly apply the Fig Tree Parable to a wrong date because they believe it suggests a three-and-a-half year ministry for Jesus.
  • The death of Herod plays an important part in assessing the veracity of the birth of Jesus and His life.
  • Daniel's seventy-week prophecy is recognized as evidence of the veracity of the Scriptures and  refers to the coming Messiah.
  • Rather than working from a date for Daniel, we are able to discover whether the Bible prophecies are accurate by using the date determined for Jesus' death.
  • One of the problems is working out the length of a year, because the 365-day year does not prove consistent, whereas the length of a year before the flood does.
  • Keeping to what the Scriptures actually say, we are less likely to go off on a tangent.
  • One of the problems with Daniel's prophecies has to do with the cessation of sacrifices that is misinterpreted and provides false assumptions that produce faulty reasoning.


3)  Nebuchadnezzar's Dream of the Image (p71)
  • What is written in the book of Daniel, people find difficult to believe, and the book's reliability comes under question, but we learn a key truth about interpreting Scripture when examining the account of this dream.
  • Nebuchadnezzar’s dream is interpreted differently due to some obvious misunderstandings.
  • Dreams from God have to be interpreted by prophets of God; otherwise, those who attempt to interpret them are going to lead people astray.
  • The obvious interpretation made by Daniel is clearly the one that ought to be accepted.
  • This dream tells of a history that leads to the setting up the Kingdom of God, as distinct from the natural kingdoms of the world.
  • There are different metals used to express subsequent empires and these lead people to speculate rather than follow what the Bible states.
  • The kingdom of iron and clay creates an impossible situation that is variously misconstrued to be different nations, many of which no longer exist.
  • What is not considered by expositors is the corrosion element associated with the metals used to represent these kingdoms.
  • Some interpreters suggest that the marriages between members of the Ptolemy and Seleucid dynasties are represented by the mixing of the clay and iron, but the Bible teaches us different.
  • Clay actually is figurative of the people of God, and this is overlooked.
  • The most important element to this prophetic dream is the rock that smashes the image because out of this a new kingdom that fills the Earth emerges.
  • People think the seed of men being mixed with the seed of animals refers to chimeras.
  • This prophecy actually concerns Israel and God's purpose, not any other nation.
  • The key to understanding this prophecy is determining what the clay represents.
  • The idea of ten toes representing ten kingdoms associated with prophecy is mere speculation, because Daniel does not mention the number of toes.
  • As for the Kingdom of God on Earth, this began on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was given to those who desire to follow Jesus.


4)  The Four Beasts (p101)
  • The nations represented by the four beasts are interpreted by most interpreters to represent the same nations as the metals in the image dreamed by Nebuchadnezzar.
  • These beasts indicate that they possess a spiritual element, which is evidenced particularly by the fact that two of them have wings. The third and fourth beasts do not have wings signifying that they are more carnal in nature.
  • One feature about the first three beasts that distinguishes them from the empires represented by the metals of the images dreamed by Nebuchadnezzar is they remain until the end and appear to make up the image of the fourth beast.
  • The first beast is identified as a lion that has wings, but stands on two feet and possesses the heart of a man.
  • We identify this first beast as an antichrist that arises to overtake the Kingdom of God and wage war on the saints of God.
  • The second beast is identified as a bear that wages war and sets about destroying humans through three means represented by the three ribs in its mouth.
  • We discover that the kingdom represented by this image is identifiable and the three different means by which people of the Earth are deceived, taken captive and destroyed are institutions that exist today.
  • The third beast is presented as a winged leopard with four heads that is given dominion.
  • The sphere of influence that the third beast has continues to the end and its effect is to isolate people so they can be manipulated through indoctrination to deny the existence of the Creator God.
  • The fourth beast is described by Daniel as having the eyes of a man and ten horns, when one horn is broken it becomes three horns.
  • The significance of this last beast is found in the book of Revelation, where a description of a beast incorporates features from the bear, the lion and the leopard and possesses ten horns.
  • Daniel tells us that this beast speaks great things, which correlates to what the Apostle Paul states and points to the individual who opposes God prior to the return of Lord Jesus Christ.


5)  Islam and the Antichrist (p131)
  • Few people realize that Islam is identified in the prophecies of Daniel. This is because they are embedded in a belief that the different visions in the book of Daniel are about the same events.
  • From chapter eight of Daniel we learn that this vision of the goat and the sheep has a two-fold application, one suggestive of Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the other, and more pressing, about what is happening in the world today.
  • There are distinct empires that fit the description provided by the allegory of the horns. These are identified in order, with the last one being Islam.
  • Moreover, an amazing interpretation of the evenings and mornings links the fall of Babylon to the rise of Muhammad with an incredible degree of accuracy.
  • The correlation between the Antichrist described by the Apostle Paul, the abomination of desolation mentioned by Jesus, the little horn mentioned in this chapter and the previous chapter is noted.
  • There are three different historical routes taken through Nebuchadnezzar's dream, the vision of the four beasts and the prophecy in this chapter that converge in these last days.



6)  The Days of Jacob’s Trouble (p159)
  • Jacob's Trouble is declared by many to be seven years duration; even though there is no evidence of this in the Bible.
  • The origin of the term "Jacob's Trouble" is reviewed from the book of Jeremiah and consideration is given to the context.
  • The word "trouble" is scrutinized to determine it implications in order to grasp what is encompassed by its references and what is at the heart of its definition.
  • A reflection of perceptions pinpoints some possibilities as to what Jacob's Trouble could mean for these days.
  • Jacob's life is taken from the Bible to grasp what occurred during the time he fled from Esau.
  • The length of Jacob's estrangement from Esau is determined after being verified by drawing upon the Scripture that states the time Ezra took to travel to Jerusalem from Babylon.


7)  The Final Feasts In a Troubled Time (p193)
  • The Mosaic feasts that accompany the summer harvest are discussed in respect to the time of Jacob’s Trouble.
  • Further examination of Jacob's life using a chronology of events is presented.
  • Key events are noted from the time of Esau selling Jacob his birthright until their father Isaac died.
  • Consideration is given of Esau's descendants and whether they exist today, noting that King Herod appears to have been a descendant.
  • Jacob's Trouble is actually different to what many expositors proclaim.
  • Discussion about the reasons why the correlation of the feasts and the days of Jacob's Trouble underlines a major truth.
  • What's becomes evident is that this is a time of change that will affect the whole world as the Lord prepares His people for His Second Coming.


8) Understanding the Apparent Failure of Biblical Prophecy (p229)
  • Moses received prophecy that points to the death of Jesus, the Church Age and the Second Coming.
  • The Mosaic dispensation and the Church dispensation are defined in more detail.
  • Incorrect dating using the Mosaic typology, when it comes to the Second Coming, demonstrates the effect of freewill on the plan of God, and the fact that once the number of those who are to be saved is complete, then the end will come.
  • Prophecy regarding the days of Noah has merit when applied correctly.
  • United Nations revise Agenda 2021 to Agenda 2030.
  • Evidence of God moving, beginning with John Hus being burned at the stake in 1415, has led to the understanding of many revivals being led by the spirit of Elijah.
  • The 2300-day prophecy that led to the Great Disappointment of 1844 is elaborated upon, pointing out how the fall of the Ottoman Empire was not really as claimed and was eventually refuted by Josiah Litch, who developed the theory.
  • What are known as Timeline Prophecies are analyzed and the discrepancies are highlighted, with the real dates identified, pointing to the remarkable witness of the Scriptures to God's plan.
  • The Desolating Sacrilege Prophecy is investigated and the errors associated with this event are pointed out.
  • Preparations for a third temple in Jerusalem are taking place by members of the Temple Institute and this is discussed.
  • Mention of Israel to have ten million Jews by the time of the Second Coming is touched upon and the significance of Mohammad's birth.

9)  The Day the Devil is Cast Down from Heaven Forever (p257)
  • The typology of the golden lampstand depicts the seven churches as the fruit of Lord Jesus Christ crucified and the manifestation of His resurrection from the dead.
  • The significance of typology of the golden lampstand is explored.
  • The resurrection of the dead after Jesus' death was the first resurrection; The Great White Throne Judgment is the third resurrection.
  • The length of the days in respect to the Jubilee is noted in reference to the coming reign of Lord Jesus Christ and the Great White Throne Judgment.
  • The prophecy revealed by Peter concerning the Second Coming is highlighted and discussed in regard to Moses and Elijah.
  • The faithful and wise servant is discussed in respect to John the Baptist, Elijah and Moses.
  • People who have claimed to be John the Baptist or having possessed the spirit of Elijah are put under the spotlight in respect to their accomplishments.
  • The Nicolaitans are discussed in relation to the five-fold ministry and the Latter Rain Movement.
  • The characters nominated in Zechariah, chapter three, are discussed in relation to the last days.
  • The day the Devil is thrown out of Heaven for good is discussed, along with the male-child who is caught up to the Throne of God.
  • The Bride and the male-child are discussed in relation to types of Esau and Laban, and how these two types affect those who belong to the Bride.


10)  The Seals Finally Opened (p289)
  • The restoration of the House of David is given consideration.
  • Jesus being the door is expounded upon.
  • The beginning of the days of the Laodicean Church within the context of a historical epoch is elaborated upon.
  • Only Lord Jesus is worthy to open the Seals.
  • The first seal is explained as representing revival and the preaching of the word with its attendant effects.
  • The second seal points to the choices people are going to make in relation to whose side they are going to take, the world’s side or the Lord’s side.
  • The third seal focuses upon the different types of Christians that are weighed by their commitments.
  • The fourth seal is explained as eternal judgment being eminent.
  • The fifth seal highlights those who are going to be resurrected and points to who is going to be prepared for the coming of the Bridegroom.
  • The sixth seal is broken and the Devil actually comes down to Earth to pursue the male-child, then the Church; afterwards He goes on to attack people of the world, as the Spirit of God begins to withdraw from the Earth.
  • The seventh seal is opened and the feast of Tabernacles begins as war starts between the sons of darkness and the sons of light for people’s souls, with beheadings becoming more common.


11)  The Days of the Seven Trumpets (p309)
  • With the opening of the seventh seal comes the sounding of the seven trumpets.
  • The first trumpet brings with it a time of distress previously not experienced by much of the world.
  • The second trumpet is blown and economic collapse begins around the world.
  • The third trumpet sounds and people become more bitter as economies worsen.
  • The fourth trumpet announces that large numbers of people are receiving the mark of the beast.
  • The fifth trumpet is blown and demonic forces are released to create terror upon men.
  • The sixth trumpet sounds and one third of people on the Earth are killed before the Antichrist is revealed.
  • The seventh trumpet is sounded and the saints are resurrected from the dead, while those who are alive and ready are raised to meet Lord Jesus Christ in the clouds.
  • The male-child remains on the Earth.


12) The Mystery of Mystery Babylon (p333)
  • Freedom from ignorance is compared to understanding the significance of Earthly matters in respect to Heavenly matters.
  • Natural birth is compared to spiritual birth.
  • True freedom in relation to entering God's rest is more important than attending church meetings and essential for salvation, not doing works for salvation.
  • The reason for Jesus coming to Earth is elaborated upon with a discussion about how sin came about.
  • What Jesus said in respect to the promises given to each of the seven churches is highlighted.
  • The Feast of Passover is explained emphasizing what it means for the individual walk.
  • The Day of Atonement is contrasted with the Feast of Passover, emphasizing the significance of the difference.
  • The judgment that befalls Christians is given consideration and four outcomes are noted.
  • Mystery Babylon is revealed along with the city of seven hills, which interpreters overlook in preference for other locations.
  • A number of cities with seven hills are noted, as is the mother/child cult that has pervaded the globe.
  • The seven kingdoms mentioned in the book of Revelation are identified.
  • The alignment of Zionists and Islam is brought into the picture.
  • The synagogue of Satan is identified and its influence today is exposed.  


13) The Thirteenth Tribe (p359)
  • Noted is Arthur Koeslter's book that attempts to convince the world that the Kazars are the thirteenth tribe.
  • The exclusion of the tribes of Dan and Ephraim in the list provided in the book of Revelation are given comment.
  • The prophecies of Jacob over Joseph's sons Manasseh and Ephraim figure prominently.
  • The Queen of England makes an appearance at the United Nations to tell the world that she rules.
  • The lost ten tribes of Israel still have descendants.
  • The British throne features prominently in this chapter and consideration is given to how it traces back to throne of David.
  • The distinction between the house of Israel and the Kingdom of God is highlighted.
  • Yair Davidiy researches the lost tribes of Israel; British Israelism is discussed in the light of his statement.
  • The migration of the tribes of Dan, Ephraim, the Zerahites, and Jeremiah. 
  • The Judahite Zedekiah's daughter known as Tea Tephi and the belief that the British throne's lineage links to the throne of David.
  • The story of Achan, a Zerahite, provides instruction regarding coveting that which is not of God.
  • The Stone of Jacob is believed to be the stone upon which the coronation of the British Monarch takes place.
  • The freemasons are cited for their beliefs regarding the stone of Jacob.
  • The respect that is shown to Jacob's Stone by the Caliph Omar, who built a mosque upon the very spot that he was told the stone lay in Jerusalem, is raised as significant.
  • Discussion why Dan and Ephraim are excluded from the list of tribes in the book of Revelation centers on idolatry.
  • The tribe of Dan is singled out for discussion about its role in judgment.
  • A prophecy used by the British Israelites to point to the King James Bible is shown to point to the creation of the Rothschild dynasty.
  • Another prophecy that points to the Arab/Israeli Six-Day War of 1967 is shown to be inaccurate.
  • The significance of the Illuminati is brought into the discussion and how various historical beliefs regarding Dan and Judah converge to produce the thirteenth tribe.
  • No conclusion is drawn as to who the Antichrist might be, but significant inferences can be drawn regarding what to expect.


Notes (p392) 
  • There are 199 references and notations provided as end notes

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

BIBLE STUDY





HOW TO Run
 A Successful Bible Study

 (A Book Of Value)

Happy Riches




        











Copyright © 2014 Happy Riches
All rights reserved.











DEDICATION


This book is dedicated to all those people who have wanted to do more as a Christian but do know how and could not find a teacher.

“However when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak
(John 16:13)















ACKNOWLEDGeMENTS




The LORD GOD Creator of Heaven and Earth without Whom nothing would be possible..

The Father for His loving kindness

Lord Jesus Christ for His last will and testament that we might  inherit eternal life

The Holy Spirit Who proceeded and came for from the Father and the Son and through Whom we are able to have fellowship with our Father and Lord Jesus in the bond of love.


.



































Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations have come from the World English Bible. Public Domain. The name World English Bible is trademarked.




CONTENTS




Preface

Pg      7


Introduction
Pg      9

1
What is required to run a Bible Study?
Pg    12

2
Can a Novice run a group Bible Study?
Pg    14

3
Where should meetings be held?
Pg    15

4
Should Meetings Be Weekly or Fortnightly?
Pg    17

5
How Long Should A Bible Study Be?
Pg    18

6
What Is A Study Of The BIble?
Pg    19

7
What Does The Bible Really Teach?
Pg     29

8
How Should A Group Bible Study Be Conducted?
Pg     39

9
What Is The Role of the Leader?
Pg     42

10
Why Summarize Comments?
Pg     44

11
12
13
14
How Should A Leader Handle Waffle?
How To Deal With The Arrogant
How To Encourage The Reluctant Ones
The Wrap Up
Pg     48
Pg     60
Pg     65
Pg     69







Preface

The Milk of the Word is a Bible Study that was produced because of the need for Christians to understand the difference between cheap grace and true repentance.
Repentance is something that requires knowledge and many people suffer because of a lack of knowledge. Among Christians in many parts of the world, particularly those who are influenced by the Laodicean gospel that excludes the preaching of repentance from dead works, there is a lack of knowledge about what God requires of those who claim faith in Him. Instead of coming to knowledge of the truth, there is preference to believe the lie that we are saved by grace alone, rather than the truth that we are saved by grace through faith. This is because grace through faith requires works to be evident. These works are not efforts to obtain salvation but evidence of repentance from dead works; the fruit of salvation.

The concept of salvation by grace alone is promoted heavily by certain individuals who receive a hearing because there is no need to change. All people are told to do is simply confess with their mouths that Jesus is Savior and that is sufficient. Ironically, those who teach that we have to confess Jesus is Lord is anathema to these people.
The concept that we are “saved by faith alone” is biblical. However, merely stating with our mouth “Jesus is Lord” and not bringing forth fruit is the same kind of hypocrisy that comes with the “saved by grace alone” teaching.  The Apostle James quite clearly stated this truth, much to Martin Luther’s chagrin, that we demonstrate our faith by our deeds. The caliber of faith that we possess is evident by the lives we live, not by acknowledging confessions of faith in creeds or anything else.

The Bible teaches that before we can begin to grow as a Christian we need to repent from dead works and demonstrate faith in God. Repentance means to change our mind, our attitudes, our behavior and bring forth the fruit of the Spirit of God as a result of a new heart.

Interestingly, the prophet Jeremiah said that God would put a new heart in us and we would know His Law. The Apostle Paul says that the just requirement of the Law is now fulfilled in us if we walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Only those who live in the Spirit submit to the Law of God, whereas those who love the flesh reject the Law of God. Oddly enough, we find many people claiming to be Christians and saying that the Law (as in the Ten Commandments of God) is no longer valid. Consequently, they speak of being saved by grace alone and live lives that spurn the blood of Jesus because, always returning to their sin, they refuse to be cleansed of their sin and walk in the light of true life.

The Apostle Peter says that such people are dogs that turn to their own vomit, and pigs that have been washed only to wallow in the mire again. The book of  Jude states these persons“ are clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn leaves without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;  wild waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, for whom the blackness of darkness has been reserved forever.”

Happy Riches
 August, 2014.
Introduction

Conducting a group Bible Study is really a simple matter. All one has to do is open a Bible and begin expounding the scriptures within. But is this the best way to run a Bible Study?
       Bible studies can be run in the form of a lecture where a person stands in front of a class or audience and talks about what the Bible means. The participants can take notes and then go home and study them at their leisure. If everybody who attended a Bible Study that was a lecture took notes and then found the time to meditate and reflect upon their notes at home, we would be probably living in the ideal world. The reality is people might take notes but just as likely will not find the time nor the motivation to meditate upon those notes when they get home. Usually there will be various distractions and other people demanding their time.
Bible studies of the nature where people come together, sit in an auditorium or even in somebody’s lounge room and listen to somebody impart his or her understanding of what the Bible means, are not as effective as having a small group of between three and six people sharing an experience as participants in a Bible Study.
It is often said that we recall ten per cent of what we hear, thirty per cent of what see and sixty percent of what we do.  Acquiring skills may involve listening and watching, but action is how they are really acquired. Likewise, we learn more from active participation in a discussion than from observation or listening. This is because when we are actively participating in something, more of our faculties are involved in the learning process. Consequently, we automatically concentrate more in order to make sure that we are being understood and that we are understanding what other people are communicating to us.
When we are actively involved in a group activity and not on the sidelines as a passive observer, we focus more on our participation and benefit more. This is because we are engaged emotionally, intellectually and even physically, rather than as an observer of proceedings or a spectator at someone else’s performance or  a bystander with casual curiosity.
When running a Bible Study, the aim should be for everybody to gain the utmost benefit possible for each participant and allow the Word of God to become something that can be meditated upon at the time discussion is taking place, and not something to be done at a later date.  Life does not work this way. Life is lived in the now. What we experience is in the now. The enemy of mankind is not waiting for a future date to foul, with the filthy waters of the world, our cisterns which are created for the waters of life. They are fouled up now, and the Devil and his agents are doing their best to get everyone of us to drink them at our peril. We are under constant spiritual attack. When we are discussing Scripture and what it means to us, we need to be reflective during the conversation, not put it off until a later date. A soldier who goes into battle without his armor is at the mercy of the enemy. Devotional application of the Scriptures during a group Bible Study is equivalent to hammering out the iron for the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and the shield of faith—as well as sharpening the sword of the Spirit. This is best done in small groups consisting of three to six people, where everybody is encouraged to express their views and thoughtfully ponder each other’s experiences in respect to the Word of Life.
Some people might be alarmed that a novice is encouraged to express his or her views. However, unless each person in the group is encouraged to share what he or she believes or has come to know about a particular topic, or an experience he or she has had relating to a matter at hand, then these individuals will not be as receptive to learning as what they will be after having shared.
It is a truism that students at school, who take the time to discuss the lessons with their teachers and peers, learn and understand more than those who do not. These are usually the ones who seem to fly through school examinations like swallows in a breeze.
In the following chapters we will look at some simple strategies for making the most of a Bible Study and getting the most from the experience. To do this we have to learn to be servants of our fellows, which is  what leadership in the Kingdom of God is about.




What is required
to run a Bible Study?

There are two requirements for a Bible Study. One is a Bible and the other is participants. Of course it is important for each participant to have a Bible. And while it is an advantage for every participant to have the same version of the Bible, this is not necessary. In fact, it is often helpful when other versions are consulted because this enables participants to gain different insights into what the scripture might imply, unless indoctrination is the desired aim of the so-called Bible Study; rather than discovering the truths of God and the goodness of His heart towards us.
When it comes to understanding the Bible, we need to realize that it possesses a depth not found in books written from a mere human understanding. The Bible incorporates the mind of God and because of this it is many faceted and possesses a depth of perspective not found in other books. Moreover, unless we possess the Spirit of God ourselves, gaining insights into the  omniscient mind of God is a hard yard. Nevertheless, this is possible and God appears to have chosen the interaction of humans sharing around His Word in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit as the means by which this is best attained.
When we engage in a group Bible Study, we are effectively bringing our hearts to the table of fellowship and the Word of God is the food upon what we are feasting. This food we share with each other by divulging how we believe each portion of the Word of God benefits us individually. As we share our own individual understanding of the benefits of what the Word of God means to us, we all benefit and come to understand each other more. This is something that does not happen in Bible Study lectures.
There is a place for anointed Bible teaching, but it is not what is desired for small group fellowship centered around the Word of God.
What is required is people who have a hunger for the truth and a willingness to discuss the truth as it is applied to their lives.
While it is true that we only need a Bible and willing hungry hearts to conduct a Bible Study, there are some requirements that we as leaders should be willing to comply with, if we are to run a successful group Bible Study where participants enjoy striking the anvil of truth to fortify Godly convictions, and winnowing the grain from the chaff to uncover life-giving seed and eternal truth.
We need to have an orderly run meeting and as leaders we need to learn how to handle objections, disagreements and distortions of truth in a way that brings the best out of every one. Our aim is for participants to thoroughly grasp the meaning of the Scriptures so that they begin to bear fruit within the lives of participants and enlarge our own borders of understanding. Ideally, after having completed a group Bible Study on the topic at hand, every participant, himself or herself, should have the confidence to organize a successful group Bible Study. Following the recommendations of this book and utilizing the keys outlined herein in most cases should produce participants who go on to bear fruit.

Can a Novice run
a group Bible Study?

When we talk of a novice, we are usually thinking about somebody who has not had any training. However, if there are three people who come together and they are all novices and decide to look into the Word of God, surely this has to be better than gathering around a book of pornography. But if they had a Bible Study such as The Milk of the Word, which is designed for individuals to engage in an examination of themselves and share their understanding regarding what it means to sin, and how it has affected them, then novice Christians should be quite competent.
Sin is something that human beings experience from a young age. Overcoming sin is what becoming a Christian is really about. Understanding sin and its consequences is really the beginning of becoming a Christian. In fact the book of Hebrews (6:1-2) tells us that repentance from dead works and having faith in God form the rudiments of becoming a Christian and embarking upon a true spiritual adventure into eternity as a child of God. In this respect, we are not novices. We could say we are expert sinners. However, while we may be experts when it comes to sin, when it comes to overcoming sin and walking in the power of the Holy Spirit, this may be another matter. Only like children, we learn as we go. Once we know what sin is and how it has affected us, if we are novices learning about the Milk of the Word, then there is no reason why a novice cannot run a Bible Study that explores human nature from a biblical perspective—in which case, get excited!

Where should
meetings be held?

To discuss where a group Bible Study should meet might seem somewhat superfluous, but sometimes good ideas can be triggered in our minds in the most unexpected places.
Essentially, a meeting to study the Bible can be held anywhere. There are no requirements or restrictions as to where a Bible Study between three to six people can be held. People have held Bible studies in hotel bars, parks, restaurants, and even with prostitutes in houses of ill-repute. Wherever a Bible Study is held, it is best that a level of quiet can be achieved and there are no distractions, so each one can focus on what is being talked about.
Naturally, the more congenial a setting is for people to feel comfortable the better. Not to have to worry about distractions or give any room for the enemy to get in the way of equipping the saints with body armor is the aim of the game—only this is not a game, this is serious training in being victorious over the Devil.
Once I met a married couple who were Christians. They had moved from another city and were looking for a church to attend that would suit their needs.. The woman expressed a desire to attend a ladies meeting. I introduced the young Christian mother to a mid-week ladies fellowship that was held during the day. This was at a church close to her. Unfortunately, the women there did not like her bringing her two children and the atmosphere did not bring God glory. Instead of the older ladies thinking about helping her, they resented her children being present and throwing their weekly meeting into chaos.
Bible studies are always difficult for young mothers with children. Children cannot participate in a Bible Study, therefore it is best if a means can be provided for some form of child care. Having children in a meeting where people are trying to concentrate on what is being said so they can understand each other does not work when children are around. While the mother of a child might be slightly annoyed at times, often those without children are inconveniently distracted to such an extent that it is unloving to obligate them to be more considerate. Consideration is a two-way street and if a mother with young children wants to participate in a group Bible Study, she really needs to be considerate of others, and arrange for something more suitable for her needs.
When it comes to having even a small group Bible Study of between three to six people with any mothers with young children, consideration needs to be given to where the event is to be held. This is because accommodation for the children needs to be taken into account. However, if there are six participants and a couple of them are mothers with young children, while it might be fine for those without children to have the meeting in MacDonald’s or a local coffee house, it would pay for the meeting to be split into two groups of three, so that the two mothers could meet at a location where there are facilities for the children.

Should Meetings
Be Weekly
or Fortnightly?

 Optimally, Bible studies should be no more than one week apart. It is probably better if people can meet twice a week, if possible. When people meet twice a week to have fellowship around the Word of God, this is usually best. There is nothing wrong in having daily devotions either, but in a practical sense, we have to consider the circumstances and what will benefit participants the most. Fortnightly Bible studies are a little too far apart; whereas group Bible Study that is held on a weekly basis tends to pull a sense of commitment from the participants, which is an aid to growth. Meetings that are held twice a week or more demonstrate a hunger among the participants and there is nothing wrong about being hungry for the Word of God. Blessed indeed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
            One of the benefits about running a Bible Study in a small group is that it is easier to accommodate special requests to adjust meetings because of circumstances that arise every now and then. Although, when people are interested in participating in a regular meeting, they will make the effort to be in attendance. This is especially when a leader runs a Bible Study along the lines advocated in this book, because each participant will enjoy fellowship with one another in the Holy Spirit, feasting on God’s Word.
How Long Should
A Bible Study BE?

From my experience, the length of a Bible Study for optimal benefit in a small group depends on the desire of the individuals present. However, I have found two hours is usually about the optimum time to get a feed of the Word sufficient to last for a week. Although, shorter periods can work well if they are broken up and held on the same day.
When it comes to group Bible Study where maximum benefit is obtained, participants need about two hours for a solid in-depth session of discussion and enlightenment. Of course, this is not always the case, and much depends on how many people are involved in discussion. and each one’s attention span. Bible Studies that are lectures are a different matter.
The type of Bible Study that we are talking about here is one where each individual contributes to the discussion. This may mean that some individuals will have more issues than others and the number of scriptures discussed may be more on some days than others. The servant-heart of Philippians, chapter two, should always be foremost on our minds as leaders.
The important element when it comes to having a successful Bible Study is not to rush through matters, but to exhaust what needs to be discussed so each individual can learn about the needs of other people and allow the Holy Spirit to use one another to minister where needed. We all come to the table with different histories and this often means different insights regarding life’s trials and temptations.
What is a study
of the Bible?

Simply put, a study of the Bible is an investigation into the meaning of the scriptures. Consulting concordances, Greek and Hebrew lexicons, biblical dictionaries, commentaries, and encyclopedias is generally the means by which this happens. The aim of Bible Study is to arrive at the literal and historical truth regarding the text and its relevance today.  The reason why Bible Study is approached using the above-mentioned tools is they help us to understand the historical context at the time the books were written, and to get a better insight into the meaning of the words that were being used in the original languages.
Concordances are consulted to see where a particular word is used in other parts of the Bible. Concordances also indicate where words have been translated into the same word in the English language but have been derived from different words in the original language. To illustrate this, I have often heard  preachers over the years claim that the word “love” in English can represent different types of love in the Greek, such as love of God, man, sex and family, but there is only one word to express love in English and as a consequence of this not only is English deficient as a language but also unable to express the true meanings of the Greek.
Such statements are misleading because they give the impression that love has only one meaning. This is one of the problems that can occur if we only use a concordance alone as our only reference. For if we consult any English dictionary, we can expect to find more than one meaning to the  word “love”. Except for children’s or pocket-size dictionaries, we can expect to find between ten to twenty different variances of meaning in the larger dictionaries. In fact, the Similes Dictionary, published in 1988[1], attributes seventy-eight different variations of meaning in English for the word “love”.
If we consider the Hebrew word "ahavta" which means "to love" and investigate into how it is translated in the New American Standard Bible, we learn that the word is not always translated without a change of nuance into English. The following is a record of every translation of the Hebrew word “ahavta” written in the New American Standard Bible:
beloved (1), dearly love (1), friend (5), friends (6), love (88), loved (53), lover (1), lovers (16), loves (42), loving (2), show your love (1), shows love (1).
As you can see there is some variation in the translation, even though “ahavta” is mostly translated “love”, “loves” and “loved”.
The word “love” is first used in the English Bible when God speaks to Abraham and informs him that his actions have demonstrated his love for our Heavenly Father. Later on, that is, some fifteen centuries later, the same word in the Hebrew “ahavta”  was used in the book of Chronicles and is translated into English as friend.
Genesis 22:2: He said, "Take now your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I will tell you." (NASB[2])
2 Chronicles 20:7: "Did You not, O our God, drive out the inhabitants of this land before Your people Israel and give it to the descendants of Abraham Your friend forever? (NASB)
What is interesting about this change in meaning, which has taken place is that over five hundred years later we find the concepts of friend and love close to being synonymous in the Greek.
In the New Testament Book of James, the author makes a reference to these two scriptures when he states:
…and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “And Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God (James 2:23 NASB).
The word used in this New Testament text for “friend” is the Greek word “philos”, which also means “to love”. HELPS word study lexicon provides us with the following information regarding “philos” as used in this context by the author in the Book of James:
phílos – a friend; someone dearly loved (prized) in a personal, intimate way; a trusted confidant, held dear in a close bond of personal affection.
Note: The root (phil-) conveys experiential, personal affection– indicating (phílos) expresses experience-based love.
HELPS Word Studies[3] then contrasts philos with another Greek word agape that is translated as love into English:
 (agapáō) focuses on value-driven (an decision-based) love – which of course does not exclude affection!]
agapáō – properly, to prefer, to love; for the believer, preferring to "live through Christ" (1 Jn 4:9,10), i.e. embracing God's will (choosing His choices) and obeying them through His power. 25 (agapáō) preeminently refers to what God prefers as He "is love" (1 Jn 4:8,16).
With the believer, agapáō ("to love") means actively doing what the Lord prefers, with Him (by His power and direction).  True agapáō ("loving") is always defined by God – a "discriminating affection which involves choice and selection". 1 Jn 4:8,16,17 for example convey how loving ("preferring," agapáō) is Christ living His life through the believer.
agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" In the NT,  (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).
Essentially there are only two words used to express love in the New Testament, although many commentators refer to a third word eros  (meaning sexual love or lust). The word eros is not found in the New Testament.
Some commentators make a reference to a fourth word storge,  of which there is only one mention in the Bible; this is in the book of Romans. This term is only found in a compound word philostorgoi, which is invariably translated as devoted, even though the word means “to express love of family” (that is, the natural affection that occurs between parents and children). The scripture where this sole term storgoi is used also contains another compound word for brotherly love incorporating the term delphia that specifically means brother. The word philostorgoi is translated as devoted in New American Standard Bible, so we will compare the  three versions to see how the two thoughts of brotherly love and familial love are dealt with: in Romans 12:10:
Be [philostorgoi] devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor (NASB).
 In love of the brothers be [philostorgoi] tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another (WEB).
Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another (AMP[4]).
The Amplified Bible encapsulates the thought of members of the body of Christ being family that ought to love one another with brotherly and sisterly affection. As is evident by the above, using other tools of trade as Bible Study leaders, we are able to dig deeper into the Scriptures and put a more complete picture together, as the need arises during a meeting.
By using a concordance  we are able to locate words in the Bible. By using a concordance that has a lexicon we able to discover the inherent meaning of a word. By using a Bible lexicon, as well as a concordance, we can competently flesh out more facts about a word (e.g. as we have done with the word “love”) than we otherwise would, if we had been using a concordance alone.
We have seen that the word for love in the Hebrew is translated into friend in the English. With the help of a concordance, I have been able to determine that the Greek word eros (meaning “sexual love) is not found in the New Testament but the Greek word derived from storge (meaning familial love) is found once when it forms part of a compound word.
This information can now be used for expository, exegetical, hermeneutical, systematic and devotional purposes when seeking to uncover the mind of God and the literal and historical truth of the Bible as we share this with other people.
When a person is leading a Bible Study, it is advisable that some background information is gleaned before conducting a meeting to teach or investigate or consider the Bible in any way. However, while for many the  aim of Bible Study is to arrive at the literal and historical truth regarding the text, unless there is a devotional application (that is, a personal application to our own lives), studying the Bible is equivalent to accumulating trivia. For most people there is no incentive for learning about the Bible for knowledge’s sake, unless we want to be a pompous puff ball. This is not to say that some people do not derive pleasure from memorizing otherwise useless information in the hope that it might one day help answer a question on biblical trivia. Then again, becoming a notable atheist like Bertrand Russell or Richard Dawkins and memorizing biblical facts for the sake of derision is just as futile as being a fool who claims there is no God and biblical principles are unworthy or unnecessary for application to oneself. The Bible is a book that contains information which has huge implications for our well-being, not only for eternity, but also right now.
The Bible is a written record of God’s dealing with humankind and the working out of His purpose for the creation of the Universe as far as it concerns us. Because God’s purpose concerns us, we really are under an obligation to ourselves to find out what that purpose is. Not to discover God’s purpose, when we have been given the opportunity to do so, is to reject our responsibility to ourselves and incur the consequences of failing to voluntarily be accountable for our decisions, behavior and course of action in life. In line with what has just been mentioned, a study of the Bible forms part of each one’s quest to understand and know God in person.
As noted earlier, Bible Study can be conducted as a lecture or as a group discussion.
 The lecture format can be used where notes are distributed to attendees and a talk is given. The person giving the talk can make use of a whiteboard or overhead projectors to illustrate points. The lecture format is useful for doing a Bible Study that is more about the impartation of information for historical or eschatological purposes rather than devotional application of the mind of God to one’s own life.
Many Bible Studies are conducted as a group discussion. Usually there is a leader and points of doctrine are discussed. All Bible Studies are in fact hermeneutical in nature, but too many are a concentration on dogma.
Dogma consists of doctrinal propositions put forward as distinctive truths that define a worldview held by a particular group or denomination which reflects a sphere of thought and practice within Christendom. For instance, the immaculate conception of Mary is teaching that is adhered to by the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches. Protestants refute this altogether. Out of the Protestant movement, many other movements and groups have arisen that broadly hold to views known as Calvinism, Arminianism, Fundamentalism, Evangelicalism,  and Pentecostalism; although there are so many differences among adherents within those classifications  of “isms”, a complete list of the all different points of disagreement is bewildering. Unfortunately, the indoctrination of the members into these different points of view is often what Bible Study is about rather than arriving at life-changing truth that enables us to be more like Christ.
When the Apostle Paul passed through Thessalonica, he came upon some Jews in Beroea who were more noble than others whom he had encountered (Acts 17:10-11). These individuals decided to diligently search the Scriptures for themselves to see whether what Paul was saying was true. Today, there are a number of different groups who refer to themselves as Bereans after these individuals at Beroea, because they claim to diligently search the Scriptures.  Diligently searching the scriptures can mean different things to different people. Some people search the Scriptures to prove other people wrong. Many people search the Scriptures to find out when the world is going to end; that is, when Jesus is going to return. People who emphasize end-times, are not really seeking to know the truth, they are usually trying to justify a position, although, some may argue differently.
Searching the Scriptures to know the truth is different from searching the Scriptures to find out when the world is going to come to an end. People heading up organizations that specialize in prophecy mostly fail in their predictions and use fear tactics to keep members focused on being loyal. The use of fear is not what searching for the truth is all about. The very Bible itself informs us that truth sets us free. People who are free are not bound by fear. Therefore, we can say that people who are diligently searching the Scriptures to learn the truth about God and His purpose are doing so to be set free from ignorance. This is what Bible Study should be aimed at doing.
Bible Study is the searching of the Scriptures to find out how we can be set free from issues that plague our lives and leave us feeling purposeless, hopeless, and depressed. The reason for Bible Study should be to find out our purpose for existence; why and how we can have hope, and how we can overcome feelings of depression in an oppressive and unfriendly world doomed to death and destruction. Bible Study should be of a devotional nature if it is going to be of real value to us. Bible Study involves the investigation of what the text means; the examination of ourselves in relation to what the text is saying; and the realization of how to apply the truths found within its pages to our own lives.
       The one thing Bible Study should not produce is people who possess a theological mindset that has no understanding of the will of God for the individual, but is orientated towards academic theological debate.. For instance, one church deacon whom I was having a discussion with thought very little about testifying to the glory of God for what Jesus had done in a person’s life, but had a high regard for theological terminology. He frequently peppered his speech with theological jargon rather than use every day terms to express the same idea. However, when I had the opportunity to ask him what he believed God’s will was for his life, he said that he did not know—after thirty years a Christian!

What Does
the Bible Really Teach?

When it comes to understanding what the Bible really teaches, unavoidably this involves hermeneutics. Hermeneutics is the process of interpretation that is used to develop our belief system. Any erroneous matter used in the process  means that we will miss the truth when forming our conclusion. This is just like shooting an arrow at a target in an archery competition and a miscalculation of the wind causes the arrow to drift a little causing it to miss the target. We can be assured that there has to be many errors in interpretation of the Scriptures, because there are so many different points of view on the various topics that are found in the Bible. Consult an encyclopedia or dictionary on theology and you will be astounded that one book, which is purportedly a love letter from God to humans, can be interpreted in so many different ways.  Understanding what the Bible really teaches requires us to be diligent in finding out how we can interpret it correctly and apply its truths for our good.
A couple of days prior to writing this, when walking on a walkway that crossed over a road to a railway station, I saw a Jehovah Witness sitting on a chair next to a portable book stand advertising their literature. I decided to talk to a Jehovah Witness. At the time, he happened to be writing a letter. During our conversation, I asked him a number of times how we could get to know God personally. He kept telling me: “We get to know Jehovah through reading the Bible”. I explained to him that if he were to write me a letter and told me all about himself, this did not mean that I actually knew him. For all I know, he might not exist. Someone else could have written the letter. And even if he did write the letter, unless I knew him personally, I could not possibly get to truly know him by means of the letter alone. At best, all I could know would be facts about him based on how I interpreted what he wrote. Naturally, he agreed with what I was saying because what I was saying is true; besides, he was writing a letter and I did not know him. Eventually, he admitted that he did not really know God, only what he had read in the Bible. I suggested that he ought to read the Gospel of John, from chapters ten to sixteen, and ask God to show Him the truth.  The reason I said this to him is because I know that if he truly read these Scriptures, he would have read such things as:
I am the door. If anyone enters in by me, he will be saved, and will go in and go out, and will find pasture. The thief only comes to steal, kill, and destroy. I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep (John 10.9-11 ).
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through me (.John 14:6)
However when he, the Spirit of truth, has come, he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak from himself; but whatever he hears, he will speak. He will declare to you things that are coming (John16:13).
The Jehovah Witness replied, “I would start at Psalm eighty-six first, because there we find the name of Jehovah.”
 In the World English Bible “Yahweh” is used instead of “Jehovah”. When we read the first six verses of this Psalm, we learn that the writer is petitioning (to be truly technical) YHWH and not Jehovah or Yahweh to answer his prayer:
Hear, Yahweh, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I am godly. You, my God, save your servant who trusts in you. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I call to you all day long. Bring joy to the soul of your servant, for to you, Lord, do I lift up my soul. For you, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive; abundant in loving kindness to all those who call on you. Hear, Yahweh, my prayer. Listen to the voice of my petitions (Psalm 86:1-6).
The truth is the Jehovah Witness has been indoctrinated to accept that Jesus is not really God, only Jehovah is God, therefore praying to Jesus is futile. The Jehovah Witness cries out to Jehovah to be saved and ignores the fact the same Bible informs us that only through knowing the Good Shepherd, our Lord Jesus, can we be saved and receive the Spirit of Truth, Who will guide us into all truth. The question for the Jehovah Witness is: Does he truly want to know what the Bible teaches? Or, Is he going to rely on studying Jehovah Witness publications for his Bible Study? From reading the Bible myself, I have come to realize, a personal relationship with Lord Jesus Christ is required to begin learning what the Bible really teaches—since all things have been created through Jesus Christ, it just so happens, He is also the Author of the Bible. The Jehovah Witnesses, on the other hand, teach that Jesus is not God but a created being, just like any other angel. In which case, according to their thinking, why go to a created being to be saved when Jehovah is greater than all. However, if we understand that only Jesus is the way to the truth that provides eternal life, then we would earnestly seek out Jesus, so we might be set free from ignorance by learning the truth.
Hermeneutics is the interpretation of the Scriptures. How we are going to interpret the Scriptures is up to us. If we are going to understand what the Bible really teaches, then our exegesis of a text has to be correct and in accord with the general revelation that permeates Scripture. Exegesis is the critical explanation of what a text means. The general revelation is the theme that runs from the first book of the Bible, Genesis, to the last book of the Bible, Revelation. Essentially, we could say that the Bible begins and ends with the revelation of Lord Jesus Christ, because the word GENESIS means ORIGIN and the last book of the Bible begins with the words THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. With this in mind, it is understandable that we read in the book of Revelation, our Lord Jesus is the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. From reading the pages of the Bible we have to conclude that when Jesus was talking to the Jews, what He said then is still true:
 You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me.  Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life (John 5:39-40).
What this means is any exposition of the Scriptures, any explanation of the Scriptures, any interpretation of the Scriptures, has to bear witness to the purpose of God as revealed through Jesus Christ. Therefore, any systematic search of the Scriptures must also produce within the person doing the searching, a deeper understanding of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Author and Finisher, the Pioneer and Perfecter of our faith.
Systematic theology is constructed with the view that classifying ideas, and then critically analyzing them in the light of the current knowledge of the world, enables us to gain greater insights into what religion means, and how people’s interpretation of their quest to find the answers to life’s questions can be understood at the present time. Systematic theology allows us to trace an idea through the Bible and apply some scientific rigor by utilizing methods of analysis to see where it is faulty or where weaknesses of interpretation lie. A thorough investigation into scriptural themes that critically examines their validity in respect to the purpose of God bears the hallmarks of seeking the truth. Unfortunately, many systematic theologies are propositions (philosophical proposals put forth) that use scripture as proof texts and are not the results of rigorous investigation into the truth of the Scriptures. Systematic theology is a topical arrangement of thought which tends to have an underlying premise from which to interpret the theme, so that it is easy to explain. The problem is always found when a compiler of systematic theology refuses to acknowledge contradictory statements within the Bible and, by doing so, does not allow them to unveil error in the interpretation that is being supported by the proof texts selected on the topic.
It may seem surprising that people claiming to desire the truth, or claim to be hammering out sound teaching on the anvil of truth, could come up with erroneous doctrines. But it happens. Why does it happen? It happens because facts that do not fit the picture the interpreter is trying to put together are  disregarded. Learning the truths of scripture are like putting together a large jigsaw puzzle made up of small jigsaw pieces. Rather than letting the Holy Spirit show where inconvenient truths belong, pieces of the puzzle are discarded and others that do not really belong in that part of the picture are made to fit. Consequently, the picture becomes distorted. Instead of putting together a true representation of spiritual realities, counterfeit similarities are created that appear to have a ring of truth about them, but the sound is foreign to the ears of those who sit in the counsel of God Almighty. Unlike the counterfeit, the truth sets us free; but truth also hurts, and hurts are painful. Pain is not something we are attracted towards. Pain is something we hate. Hence when we encounter something that we do not like, our tendency is to obfuscate the issue and create something more to our liking that seems easier to understand. No wonder Jesus said that the way to life is narrow and few it is that find it.
To illustrate the point with an  example from the scriptures, we shall consider the practice of water  baptism. Jesus said to those whom he chose to teach, who were to become the apostles, that they were to make disciples and baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Yet there is no evidence of the apostles ever doing this. There is evidence that the apostles practiced baptism but by calling on the name of the Lord or the name of Jesus Christ, but there is no scripture within the New Testament to support that the formula “the name of the Father, the Son and Holy Spirit” as being used. Consequently, any teaching on Baptism that overlooks this fact is in error, if the group or denomination is claiming to abide in the Apostles teachings. For all true Christian teaching is founded on  and originated from the Apostle’s teachings. We could even go as far as to say, all true biblical teaching is the teaching of the Apostles. In which case, the following would not be a problem for any believer:
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.” With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls. They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer (Acts 2:37-42).
 Now if we are not abiding in the Apostle’s teachings, whose teaching are we abiding in?
For many people claiming to trumpet the truth, this little oversight is usually overcome with the premise that no doctrine can be formulated from the book of Acts because it is merely a record of what happened, not what was actually taught as doctrine. It is no wonder that analytical observers are seen raising their eyebrows when Scriptures are quoted from the book of Acts by these naysayers to support various doctrines based on their propositional truths.
Another celebrated example is the opposing ideas of “Justification by faith alone” and “Justification by works”, which the Reformer Martin Luther is said to have had difficulty with; so much so, he claimed the book of James should be removed from the Bible, because it taught justification of faith by works.
There are other issues that arise from systematic theology that divorce it from being a coherent expression of a true biblical overview of what the Bible teaches. Systematic theology ought to be like the gospel of John that overlays the other three gospels and when understood brings the four gospels into a cohesive expression of Jesus Christ. In the Gospels, the unenlightened see discrepancies and inconsistencies, but the enlightened see the truth of the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
There is no problem when every scripture is understood as bearing witness to Lord Jesus Christ. For when we ask the question, “What did Jesus come to Earth to do?” we learn Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law and the prophets, and the Ten Commandments would not pass away until Heaven and Earth do first.
 “Don’t think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn’t come to destroy, but to fulfill.  For most certainly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished (Matthew 5:16-17).
Many people interpret this as meaning that we no longer have to acknowledge the Ten Commandments. Only if we read the above text from Matthew, we can see that this is not the case. Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets, but the Law itself was not going to pass away. What Jesus fulfilled was the requirements to sacrifice a righteous life as a ransom for all men, so they could be saved, once and for all. This in effect constitutes the fulfillment of the ceremonial laws given to Moses and the predictions of the prophets. The Ten Commandments that were written by the finger of God were not done away with. In fact, they are supposed to be written on the heart of every person who is actually saved unto eternal life. This suggests two things. One that every person who is saved understands and knows the Ten Commandments. The second being, Scripture needs to be interpreted in the light of the Ten Commandments. This should be a natural response for a saved person to do, because the Ten Commandments are written on each one’s heart.
 What does the Bible really teach? The Bible teaches that the Ten Commandments are the only words that have been written by God Himself and they define the requirements for walking with God. Anyone therefore teaching anything different has to be in error. In fact, the Apostle John writes:
 Beloved, if our hearts don’t condemn us, we have boldness toward God; and whatever we ask, we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing in his sight. This is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, even as he commanded. He who keeps his command-ments remains in him, and he in him. By this we know that he remains in us, by the Spirit which he gave us (1 John 3:21-24).
While the temptation is to say that we no longer have to understand the Ten Commandments because Christians believe in the name of Jesus Christ and now love one another, it needs to be noted that in the above text this is referred to as one commandment. Having recognized this, the question now becomes what are the other commandments? The Ten Commandments becomes the obvious answer, if we desire the truth. Moreover, interpreting the Bible through the prism of the Ten Commandments enables us to understand what God requires of us as members of the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Ten Commandments provide us with a system with which to interpret the Scriptures and bear witness to Jesus Christ. They also bring the devotional element of having a personal experience with our Heavenly Father through our Lord Jesus in the Holy Spirit into focus, when we consider the way we ought to live our lives once having examined them in the light of the Ten Commandments.
Seriously, we need to ask ourselves: Does the New Testament teach that it is permissible to possess an evil eye, bear false witness, steal, commit adultery and other sexual perversions, murder, dishonor parents, labor for our salvation, take God’s name in vain and blaspheme God, be idolatrous and reject the salvation offered to us by our Heavenly Father through Jesus Christ for humanism? The answer is NO. All these issues and more are covered within the understanding of the Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments need to be addressed at the beginning of the Christian walk. Sin is not something that ought to be addressed after having claimed to be a Christian for years. Repentance from dead works is essential if we are to have faith in God, otherwise we are numbered among the hypocrites, and Jesus had a lot to say about them.
The Apostles never taught the Ten Commandments were done away with. The Apostle Paul had much to say about the Law, but he is often misquoted and misunderstood. This is evident in the Book of Romans where we read:.
The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ (Romans 8:7-9).
The Bible teaches that those who walk according to the Spirit submit to the Law of God. Those who walk according to the flesh, do not submit to the Law written by the Finger of God because their deeds are evil. The Law shows us what sin happens to be so we can turn away from it and walk in the Spirit of God. We cannot walk in the Spirit of God and commit sin at the same time.
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How Should A
Group Bible Study
Be Conducted?

The aim of the group Bible Study is to involve every participant at the table of the Lord in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This  means that every individual should be given the opportunity to comment on every portion of scripture in the study. Therefore a Bible Study should be opened in prayer and the Holy Spirit should be invited to anoint the participants hearts and minds and tongues.
In a number of group Bible Study meetings that I have attended, the pastor or leader has asked participants to read a section of scripture, or the scriptures that are to be considered in the study, by getting every member of the group to read a portion each at the beginning of the study.  Unfortunately, this tended to create a number of problems.
One problem occurred because everybody had read the passages of scripture that were to be discussed at the beginning of the meeting and these passages had been forgotten; consequently, they had to be read again, which proved an ineffective use of time.
Another problem was that people had different translations, and it became difficult to follow the person reading out the text, especially when the person was reading a paraphrased translation. Frequently, the next person who was to read their portion of the text had to ask where we were up to, even though they knew we were to read two or three or four scriptures each. This would detract from the reading of the text because it interrupted the flow of the narrative. This is resolved, of course, when everybody has the same version. However, this is not always the case, and when people have different versions, reading out the text to be covered at the meeting proves to be an unproductive time waster and creates confusion.
The best practice is to work through the Bible Study one scripture or portion of text at a time and discuss it there and then, before moving on to the next text. In doing this, each person takes a turn in reading the text to be discussed after the previous text has been discussed to the satisfaction of every person within the group. This enables people with different versions to listen to the person reading out the text, and if they feel the version of the Bible they are reading from has something different to offer which clarifies a point, they can make a valid contribution at that time for the benefit of all, without creating any confusion.
By working clockwise or anti-clockwise each person reads a text and then the text is discussed. The person who reads the text is given the first opportunity to contribute to the discussion. This is extremely beneficial for encouraging people who otherwise are disinclined to contribute. It is easier for the person to make a contribution to the discussion if they have just read out the text to be discussed.
In one Bible Study that I was participating in, there was a person who suffered from a number of disabilities, one being a reading difficulty. In this Bible Study there were seven people, and the fact that members were willing to wait for this man (in his early thirties) to read out the scriptures and even help him with pronunciation, encouraged him to even make a comment. Amazingly, this person, whom most people would think was dumb, began to discover that he was appreciated and loved, and was encouraged to believe that he was capable of more than even he thought possible, let alone anyone else. This is what Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is all about: helping people discover who they are in God and that others are as important to our Heavenly Father as we are ourselves.
The importance of giving each member of the group an opportunity to read and comment on what they read cannot be overstated. A group Bible Study should be conducted so that every person is able to make a contribution, feel they are appreciated, and be encouraged on a path of self-discovery with Jesus Christ as Lord.
The road to self-discovery in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is made easier when people are given the opportunity to express themselves. When people read one scripture and that is considered sufficient contribution to the Bible Study, this is a restrictive means of sharing in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
Sharing also means respect, which means it is always advisable to start and finish a group Bible Study at the designated time. Of course, when finishing, we  always close with prayer.


What Is The Role
of the Leader?

The leader of a group Bible Study acts as a facilitator to ensure the discussion runs smoothly. This is done by using a number of strategies that help facilitate effective communication and enables people to express themselves freely and fully. This is why each person who reads the text is then encouraged to comment straight after they have finished reading the text. After that person has commented, each person is then permitted to make their own contribution in turn. This is done with the leader controlling the flow of the discussion and guiding the speakers in an anticlockwise or clockwise fashion.
            When a person has read a text and has made a comment, the leader quickly makes a summarization of what the person has said and then invites the next person to make a comment. When that person has commented, the leader once more makes a summary of what the person has said and invites the next person to comment. When there are only three to six people in the group Bible Study, summarizing comment is not burdensome and encourages each person to contribute.
            Sometimes people interject out of turn. When this happens, it is always best if the leader can take control and ask the other person to wait his or her turn. Bear in mind, being assertive can have its problems, so if the person leading the study feels that the person interjecting has some issue to get off his or her chest, rather than create a political situation, the leader is wise to assume control by letting the person speak, summarize what the person interjecting has said, and return to the original order once more.
            In a situation where a person interjects and insists on speaking, just because the interjector is permitted to finish their heart-felt point, some people might think that the leader is losing control of the meeting. This is not the case, if the leader acknowledges what has been said and then the meeting continues as planned. In fact, this is demonstrating control, because what could have become a negative confrontation was avoided and a release valve was activated, by letting out the pent up emotional pressure within the injector. The is a very positive way of taking control and helpful in removing specks from participants eyes.
In one situation, I witnessed, a person interjecting attempted to hijack a meeting by introducing his agenda which had nothing to do with what was being discussed at the time. The leader waited for the interjector to release some pressure and at the appropriate point in the tirade, he  quickly summarized what the interjector said. The interjector who was being blatantly obnoxious could not believe he had just been outwitted so effortlessly and was left speechless. The meeting then continued from the point under discussion at the time of the interjector’s attempt to hijack the meeting.
The leader of the meeting was acting in love, because he was courteous enough to acknowledge the interjector’s point and gracious enough to overlook the true intent of the interjector. Clearly, in this case, the person conducting the meeting was like a maestro with an orchestra. Indeed, the leader’s role in a group Bible Study is just as important as an orchestra’s conductor.

Why summarize comments?

When a leader summarizes the comments that have been made, this shows that the person leading the study is listening. It also indicates to others that this is about learning what each one has to contribute. As each one’s comments are summarized, each person feels he or she has contributed something of value and does not look a fool. Moreover, other participants realize that the leader is considerate and is worthy of respect; thus ensuring a more blessed gathering.
            Summarizing comments also has the effect of silencing those who love to hear their own voice and want to dominate conversations or group discussions, because it reinforces who is leading. Long-winded people become to realize that what they had to say can be said in less words and they ought to think more about what they are saying rather than blowing wind.
            Another benefit that comes from summarization is that people begin to focus on the text under discussion and tend to waffle less about irrelevant matters. For once the text has been discussed to everyone’s satisfaction, the leader is then able to summarize more readily what has been derived from the text within the group discussion, before moving on to the next scripture. The benefit of this is the points which have been missed can easily be brought into focus as well.
            As already noted, sometimes people have thoughts that did not occur to them when it was their turn to make a comment. These can also be accounted for in an orderly way. Summarization of each contribution aids the flow of orderly discussion and enables each person to feel that they are making valuable contribution to the group discussion.
Summarization is helpful in not only getting people to focus on points raised that are relevant to the topic under discussion, but also in improving the morale of participants. This is especially the case when a participant feels the need to share a deep and meaningful experience they had and then become aware of the fact they have just confessed personal details about which he or she is embarrassed.
Summarizing the feelings of the person and incorporating a prayer of forgiveness at this particular time alleviates any anxiety or guilt that might arise.
            Summarization therefore can be the summarization of feelings expressed, or for people who are having difficulty expressing what they mean, even if it is a little off topic, a short statement in summary of what they might have meant can be valuable in restoring a positive demeanor, and a desire to delve into the Word of God.
            A summarization of a person’s feelings is different to reflecting feelings back to a person. Summarization means stating what the person has declared about how he or she felt and what it means when people feel as the person has stated. For instance, if the person stated they felt embarrassed and put out and found the experience difficult to endure, a summarization would be along the following lines: “You said you felt embarrassed and put out and you do not feel the experience was something you would like to endure again.
A summarization of meaning requires a slightly different approach. As with all summarizations, it is a concise statement of content but requires an assumption to be made. Say the participant, whom we will call, John, was having difficulty in trying to get to the point and in a very long-winded and convoluted way said, “An eye for an eye is not very good, because the person is not going to be able to see and will be blind forever, if both eyes had to be removed and if the person is supposed to repent and because what he sees himself doing is wrong, he is not going to be able to see at all because he is blind and this is not going to help him repent. We are supposed to be helping the person to repent from doing wrong, not ripping eyes out so they cannot see.”
A summarization of meaning could be along the lines of: “As John has just said, “Two wrongs do not make something right, and everybody needs to be given the opportunity to repent.”
A summarization of meaning is not really a paraphrase because it is much shorter and incorporates the main point that is meant by the statement. When something is paraphrased, the aim is to convey what is meant, only with much greater clarity. What this means is that paraphrasing tends to be a longer explanation than a summarization. A paraphrase of meaning in the above case would result in something like, “John appears to be saying that an eye for an eye is going to do more damage to a person because rather than providing greater vision, the person is going to be made blind. In which case, this is not going to lead a person to repentance but more than likely harden the person’s heart. Rather than permit this to happen, the person needs to be given the chance to repent. This could require more time for the realization of the need for repentance, before any drastic action is taken such as ripping out a person’s eyes.”
The difference between the summarized version and the paraphrased version is quite evident in respect to the length of each statement. Paraphrasing of meaning therefore is not the same as summarization. Paraphrasing has its place but takes on a different form to summarization and is best used for different circumstances.
Overall, the value of frequent summarization, providing it is not long-winded becomes evident at the beginning of the following meeting, when participants are asked to recall what they got out of the previous Bible Study and produce a higher rate of recall than they would otherwise. Participants have a more meaningful experience because they were able to cogitate issues more clearly as a consequence of the frequent summarization.
            When people feel awkward and misunderstood, they are disinclined to continue in attending a group Bible Study. Our aim as leaders is to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, so the Word of the Lord can take root in the participant’s hearts. Amen!


How should
a leader handle waffle?

What is waffle?
Waffle is the froth that might look good or sound good, but basically possesses no substance or real value. In other words, waffle often is an unnecessary use of words, or vagueness of expression, that detracts from the focus of the discussion.
Waffle occurs when people start talking about their historical issues and feel a need for a post mortem of events that deviates from the theme of the Bible Study.
Waffle could also be what some relative or friend has done or said, but has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. It is raised by a participant because the person needs to deal with an impending issue which happens to be on his or her mind. Often these issues reside in the subconscious and are brought to the surface because of the nature of discussion that is taking place.
The interesting thing about waffle is that it is a necessary part of the learning process. Waffle gets out of control when other members of the group start participating in the waffle and it becomes repetitive. The key word here is repetition. Once individuals begin to repeat themselves, them waffle becomes the tool of the enemy.
Waffle needs to be brought to the surface and people need to be purged of it. Waffle is drivel. Drivel can be equated with the dross that overflows in the purifying process. Unless a person is purged of waffle, they will not be able to grasp the concepts that the Holy Spirit is trying to teach them through the illumination of scriptures which are being discussed.
Enlightenment comes once illumination of the truths of scripture are able to become building blocks in our understanding. Waffle, on the other hand, is the gunk that prevents God’s truth from being cemented into our spirits. Waffle is the substance that slimes the walls of our spirits with grime. Like a shower or bath that is never cleaned, it lines the walls and forms a slime that is slippery. Each one of us needs to have our spirits washed clean by the word of God in the Holy Spirit[5] before truths of God can be cemented into our hearts.
We regurgitate waffle as we participate in the wisdom of the world. Just listening to Robin Williams misuse his brilliant mind as a standup comic and spew forth debauched waffle reminds us of the wisdom of the world. The futility of worldliness hits home when we learn, Robin Williams committed suicide at the age of sixty-three because he did not know the One Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life—our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Robin Williams claimed surgeons had given him a new heart, but it was not one that had been implanted by the Lord God, because instead of the joy of salvation, the depression he experienced lead him to suicide.
When people are regurgitating waffle at a group Bible Study, it is important that they be permitted to do so, but only up until it becomes repetitive. The reason waffle is permitted is that we learn by ingesting concepts from the mind of God and pushing out the sludge, that is, waffle. As we are processing scriptural truths, waffle surfaces and we help each other clean up the mess by being attentive and supportive of one another in the love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.
There are a number of effective ways of handling waffle.
In fact, summarization of what people state is one way we cut down on waffle, because opinionated people begin to realize that waffling on about their views is the same as blowing in the wind.
When a person has read out the relevant text, the leader of the Bible Study instead of asking “What is your opinion about that?” asks, “What does that mean to you?”. The aim is to make the Bible Study produce a devotional attitude of heart in the participants; rather than a philosophical frame of mind. This way, opinions are minimized because they are not being requested. Besides, the book of Proverbs[6] informs us only fools are interested in expressing their opinion, whereas a wise person is more interested in seeking understanding of the text and what it might mean to other people, as well as its applicability to oneself.
When a person has felt the need to express some waffle and it is starting to become repetitive, the group leader can interrupt and redirect the flow of the discussion back to the topic of the text by saying something like this: “So (name) you obviously feel that this (the text under discussion) impacts you (along the lines you have mentioned), it will interesting to see what others have to say.”
When a person is waffling, they are emotionally invested in the waffle, so it is always best for the leader to acknowledge this by using the word “feel”. This way, those that waffle feel they are being understood.
If you are one of those people who feels that a group Bible Study should not be allowed to be sidetracked as a person waffles, then you are not being attentive to how the Holy Spirit works. You probably need to be delivered from your own insensitivity and hardness of heart. A group Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is about people being set free from sin, not a lecture about a subject, where you learn to regurgitate what you heard. A group Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is about working with the Lord God to help each other discover deliverance from sin and how to be fortified in the Word of God. A group Bible Study is about growing in God towards maturity as a child of the Almighty; it is not about being a show pony. A group Bible Study is about personal development under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; therefore leaders have to learn how to work with what the Lord is doing. This is why we let people waffle (froth a little at the mouth) so the dross can be scooped off from what God is refining within. If no refining is taking place in our hearts, then we are building with straw, hay and wood and will have nothing of value in the Kingdom of Heaven. We will be like silhouettes. To quote the Apostle Paul:
For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire  (1 Corinthians 3:9-15).
Each person has had different experiences in his or her life and this means every person has a different background. This is the case even when a person is born into the same culture, or even the same family. Our individual experiences mean we live in different universes. While we might think that two people have the same mother and father, even if they are twins, even they can be entirely different. This is evidenced in the Bible in the case of Esau and Jacob. The text states:
When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:24-28).
As you can see differences can occur in the same family. Even identical twins are different when you get to know them. This is because one will be more assertive or dominant over the other, who will tend to be the more considerate and co-operative of the two. Identical twins confuse people by their appearance. However, of the identical twins that I have personally known, neither of them have been truly identical; their personalities have always been distinctive. Indeed, everybody is different. Everybody is unique. This is the case even among identical twins.
Regardless of the fact that everybody is different, there is still a need for us to be culturally the same. Culture is different to individuality. Culture is the behavior of a group of people who are individually different but adhere to the same overall expression that is representative of their underlying ethos or reason for being. This is why humans are not baboons and fish are not birds. This is why Christians are not Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, or anarchists.  This is also why Christians are not Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Protestants, Catholics, or the like. These people might like to distinguish themselves by their distinctiveness and claim to be Christians, but the truth is only Christians are saved. In fact, in the book of Peter we are informed that under the name “Christian” we are to glorify God.[7]
There is a joke about a number of people who died, and were asked by Saint Peter upon what basis did they think they had the right to enter Heaven, rather than go to Hell. The first man was pleased to learn that Saint Peter was going to interview him for his inclusion among the saints who have been admitted into Paradise. This individual, as far as he was concerned, was under no illusions about what being a Roman Catholic meant and that the Roman Catholic Church was founded upon the rock of Saint Peter himself. This man claimed he was as good a Roman Catholic as one would expect a Roman Catholic to be. In fact, he confessed, he always prayed to Saint Peter, before any of the other saints or even the Queen of Heaven herself.
 Saint Peter said to him, “I am flattered that you thought of me when you were on Earth, but I am very sorry there are no Roman Catholics in Heaven.”
The man behind him thought he knew why there were no Roman Catholics in Heaven, and this is the reason the Eastern Church split from the Western Church to form the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox have the right teachings and the Roman Catholics do not. He proudly told Saint Peter, “I am an Orthodox.”
Saint Peter said, “I am sorry there are no Orthodox in Heaven.”
Upon seeing this, the next man began to get excited. He told St Peter, “I don’t believe in all that nonsense about praying to saints and bowing before statutes like those Roman Catholics and Orthodox do, because I am a Protestant.
Saint Peter said, “Okay. But I am sorry there are no Protestants in Heaven.”
The fundamentalist was having some difficulty containing himself by this time. He could smell a reprobate at a hundred paces, and knew a fool before one spoke, merely by looking at the length of the hair. How often had he hammered away on his gong that the Bible was the living Word of God and only those who read the King James Bible could be saved. Saint Peter looked at him and said, “I am sorry there are no Fundamentalists in Heaven.”
The next person to appear before Saint Peter was an Evangelical. He had overheard what Saint Peter had said to the Protestant and the fundamentalist and naturally understood that a person needed to tell everyone they had to be born again, because this is what all good Evangelicals do. Saint Peter somewhat cryptically said to him, “There are those who say they are born again and there are those who are circumcised of heart, but I am sorry there are no Evangelicals in Heaven.”
The Pentecostal understood why these people were not permitted into Heaven; they did not have the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as a sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he was so excited that when he was at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter had difficulty understanding what he was saying. Unfortunately for him, Saint Peter said, “I am sorry there are no Pentecostals in Heaven.”
The next person felt rather worried. All he had done was support the local pastor at a community fellowship where they called each other saints, because they believed Paul addressed his letters to saints. He had faithfully tithed a tenth of his income, gave to poor, helped out a few widows, visited the sick and testified about his faith in Jesus to those who would listen. When Saint Peter came to him and asked him why he should be admitted into Heaven, he said, “I know I was a sinner but I thought I became a saint when I opened my heart to the Holy Spirit and trusted in the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from sin and I stopped sinning. If there is no hope for those others, I suppose there is no hope for me.”
Saint Peter said, “There are no hypocrites or sinners permitted in Heaven. Only those who demonstrate their faith in Jesus by bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You have been saved because your faith in Jesus has borne fruit unto eternal life.”
A very old man approached Saint Peter next and gave glory to God. Saint Peter, looked at him with a twinkle in his eye and asked him why he should be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven. The old man said, walking through the gates, “Because it is no longer I that live, but Jesus Christ who lives in me.”[8]
The Apostles did not say that everything was done and dusted by simply making a profession of faith with our mouth; rather, they said that as the outcome of our faith we will receive a crown of glory, if we finish the race.[9] When Jesus said that every tree would be known by its fruit,[10] he was not talking about orchards, Our Lord Jesus was talking about attributes of God being expressed through us on a daily basis. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not heard but borne witness as people enjoy the goodness of God in us.
Some people may not like the joke about St Peter at the Pearly Gates because it does not include those making it to Heaven who claim they are “saved by grace alone” or “have seen people healed and miracles occur in the name of Jesus” or “have been baptized by full immersion” or “have made a point of observing a particular day of the week”.
The truth is faith without works is dead.[11] Faith that brings forth the fruit of salvation is the only acceptable kind. Jesus clearly indicated that reading books or Bibles or good works or studying will not get people into Heaven, only having an everlasting relationship with HIM—the very old man knew the secret: Jesus must increase while the old nature must decrease.[12]
The question is then, why should anyone bother to study the Bible if salvation is obtained only through a relationship with Jesus Christ? And why go to the trouble of having a group Bible Study?
First of all, the Bible bears witness to Jesus Christ and because of this it instructs us how to be saved and how we ought to live our lives, if we are saved.
Secondly, we are informed in the Bible that we are not to neglect meeting together. In fact, we are encouraged to pray for one another, to minister to each other’s needs, and to honor those who are older in the faith who are worthy of respect. We are also instructed to partake of communion and put aside our financial offerings on the first day of the week.[13]
 Thirdly, the reason group Bible Study helps us is that by sharing and confessing to one another our sins, and having fellowship with one another with honest hearts, we are walking in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.[14] If we did not believe in Jesus Christ, we would not participate in a group Bible Study to understand the Milk of the Word, so we can begin to walk in the light of life. Many people  try to avoid such a group Bible Study because they feel threatened that their sins will be exposed. The only person who is threatened is the one who is controlling their minds and hearts; only those who are afraid are not aware of him doing so. As the Apostle Peter said, grace and peace is multiplied to us as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.[15]
Psychiatrists tend to see medication as the easiest means of helping people cope with their difficulties in life. Psychologists believe that people can confront their issues and work through them by understanding the underlying reasons that create their phobias and inabilities to cope with life’s difficulties without medication.  Deliverance ministries believe that it is simply a matter of casting out demons and often are seen praying for the same people month after month, year in, year out. Yet, as strange as it may seem, people have found sin and death are the basis for most of their problems and by being willing to share their innermost feelings and thoughts with other Christians in fellowship around the Word of God, they have been set free by praying for each other, and learning to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.
Deep down everyone desires to know the truth about life and what if means to be a human being born into sin. Once we learn how recognize sin, and how the Evil One uses cunning to deceive us into habitually committing sin, we are able to let go of the sin in our lives and release the hold the Devil has over us. When we do this, we discover freedom to allow the love of the Holy Spirit to flow into us and provide us with a satisfying purpose in life as our Heavenly Father originally intended.
In talking about waffle, one might accuse me of committing the fault here, having wandered a little from describing the subject matter.  However, one of the reasons the aforementioned has been stated is to demonstrate good waffle from bad. There is a difference between waffle with a purpose and waffle that becomes irrelevant to the subject at hand. This is a distinction that every leader of a group Bible Study needs to learn. Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit tends to circumvent aspects of a subject as He unravels the mess in a person’s convoluted thinking. Now this is a good thing and usually proves to be helpful, so the individual can arrive at the truth of the matter.
 The waffle that surfaces during a group Bible Study is often the latest issue to bear down upon a person. In a study that I was running with two other people the night before writing this, both of the other participants had issues of the day, and one from the day before, that surfaced during the discussion. Essentially, each one needed to raise their issues and, in some way, incorporate into their own mindset the ideas from the mind of God contained within the Bible. On at least three occasions with one of the participants there was a need to tie a knot in the thoughts that were unraveling, as they got too far away from the subject of the Bible Study. Nevertheless, by allowing the thoughts in the scrambled brain to unravel, the person was able to make room for some food for thought from the omniscient mind of God.
Some people have a habit of being too descriptive and unnecessarily tend towards creative writing when they are speaking, because every time they open their mouth, one gets the impression they are composing a draft for a novel they are working on, rather than getting to the point of the topic that is being discussed. In fact it is difficult to forgo thinking such individuals are intent in only giving the impression that they are trying to sound impressive or big-note themselves. Such persons are often renowned for using a vocabulary that may be foreign to other members of the group. Unbeknown to these individuals, they do not realize that by being arrogant, they are really displaying their ignorance about other people knowing they suffer from feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.

How To Deal
With the Arrogant

Arrogant people are really exhibiting a protective barrier to hide their insecurity. Arrogance can manifest in different ways. Sometimes, the person will attempt to be witty, rather than address the issue at hand. Other times, the person might resort to pretense in various forms; such as using jargon that belongs in academia or to some particular profession rather than generic words that are used in every day speech. Some resort to expressing the opinions of other people about the text, and like to impress by citing other authors they have read. They are like economists who discuss the views of other economists but could not run a business if their lives depended on it.[16] 
The best way to deal with individuals inclined towards projecting unwarranted personas of self-importance is to ask the individuals to share what the scripture means to them and how they feel they could apply this in their own lives. When doing this, it is best for us as leaders to acknowledge that the person has the ability to express the views of others, or the capacity to speak in a foreign language, but the other members of the group, including ourselves, would really like to understand what is meant and not misinterpret what is being said.
People, who suffer insecurity, need to feel that they will not be considered inferior to other members of the group if their insecurity is exposed. While this can be for different reasons, many insecure people attempt to mask their insecurity with an extensive vocabulary. In some respects they are like the alcoholic, who has learned how to mask his dependency on alcohol. Other people are very reluctant (or even refuse) to share because they feel they do not have the knowledge, and if they say something, they will be ridiculed. These individuals can become very arrogant as well by trying to suggest they do not really have to share in a group Bible Study such as The Milk of the Word, in that it is beneath them because it is too simple.  
 However, the wonderful truth about Jesus is that even though He was God, He emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant in the likeness of a man. This was to identify with us and also to rescue us. If we are to complete the works of Jesus we need to do likewise. We need to be servants. In being a servant we seek to encourage people to share what is on their hearts, listen to them, and make them feel they are appreciated within a safe environment where they are not going to be judged and ridiculed. This is why a group Bible Study discussing The Milk of the Word is not so much about gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but understanding what is sin and what is sin’s hold over us, and how we can overcome it. Hence, rather than seeking the opinions of participants, the leader of the study asks the participants such questions as: What does this mean to you?  What does this mean for you in your life? How do you feel about this? Or, How do you feel we could apply this in our lives?
The key to successfully helping people overcome their insecurities is for the leader of the group Bible Study to understand that this is a devotional study about sin and each one’s relationship with God and their fellows. Opinions and dogmatic doctrine are avoided by concentrating on the relational issues and the purpose of life. Moreover, when asking open questions about purpose, meaning and feeling, people find it easier to overcome the barriers they have created to protect their inner feelings of insecurity.
A wise leader always uses open questions which are framed along the lines of: What do you think the purpose of this scripture is? What is the meaning of this for you? How do you feel about this scripture?
Acknowledgement by the leader of what each person has said through a quick summarization of the key point, or how the person feels about an issue, helps the person who has just spoken understand they are appreciated and accepted as a valuable contributor to the health of the group Bible Study. This way arrogant tendencies are circumnavigated and members begin to share from their hearts on a personal and devotional level, which permits the Holy Spirit to move freely.
Along with arrogance, egoism is another tendency that surfaces frequently. This is to be viewed as good; so rather than clamping down on the person exhibiting egoistic tendencies, these need to be overlooked, because the Lord will deal with the individual as each issue is discussed. Some people have larger egos than others. Nevertheless, they need to come down to Earth so they can be buried with Jesus, if they are to be raised up by the power of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ. It is worth remembering, traits that flow from the pride of life are the deadliest of all sins; for it is a truism that haughtiness comes before a fall, and pride before destruction. For only the dead in Christ are raised to eternal life. Nevertheless, the leader of the Bible Study has to be a servant and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance at all times, so specks are taken out of participants’ eyes rather than creating issues because log-heads clash together.
When the wind challenged the sun to see who was the most influential, the two of them decided to see who could influence people to remove their coats the fastest on an overcast winter’s day.
The wind spent the morning blowing as hard as he could. The more he blew, the stronger the gale he created, but the more determined people became to keep their coats on. Exhausted he gave the sun a turn.
In the afternoon, the sun beamed down on the clouds and once there was an opening, people began feeling his gentle rays quickly warming them up; within minutes they were only too willing to take their coats off.
Likewise, a gentle tongue avoids wrath and a timely answer is like sweet water to one who is thirsty.
It is an irony that while some people are full of themselves and think they are more important than others, there are others who feel downtrodden, but given half a chance, they too will be like a balloon that is about to burst, since they also will become full of themselves. Yet this process of manifesting the old nature and bringing our ugliness (that which secretly brings shame) to the surface is what God uses to transform us from the old nature into newness of life.
The cathartic and transformational experience of confronting our shortcomings and recognizing our weaknesses, and allowing God to purge them from us, produces a new creation that is being transformed from one degree of glory to another, if we have truly been circumcised of heart.
A successful group Bible Study is more effective than many sessions with a counselor, because the Holy Spirit is moving among the participants. The members are coming to share the Word of God and feast on the truth. Consequently, that which is unwarranted has no right to be, and the arrogance of the arrogant is dealt with ever so effectively. For humility goes before honor, and when the arrogant see how gracious people can be, they start to realize that there is a better way than make believe.

How To Encourage
The Reluctant ones

Not every participant at a Bible Study is going to be forthcoming and eager to contribute. Some people are natural recluses and for them to speak is like enticing a reluctant tortoise to make a move or a trap-door spider into the open. There are those chatterboxes who appear to have never understood the word “quiet” when in private but shy away from making comments in a group setting. To some extent this is overcome by getting the person to read and then comment on what they have just read. Because everybody does this, the reluctant ones do not feel they are being singled out and are more willing to participate.
            There are a number of behavioral tendencies that we may have which need to be avoided in order to encourage the reluctant ones.
One thing we should avoid is any form of moralizing or telling the participants what is required of them out of frustration. The aim is to make people feel comfortable by showing them by example what is expected of them after they have been informed how the meeting will be run. With the reluctant ones, even though they are not like a dog on a chain that has seen a cat and is choking at the neck to participate in the action, they will begin to find their voice in their own good time, and quite quickly, if they are not coerced, or feel they are being coerced.
It is tempting to go overboard with praise and expressing approval in order to encourage the reluctant ones; but by agreeing, approving and praising everything the reluctant one says, does begin to become a form of bearing false witness, if  what is said is not absolutely genuine. Excessive praise and approbation eventually comes across as false, and undermines the integrity of the those who attempt to see everything as “fantastic” or “absolutely wonderful” or “marvelous”. Reluctant ones see through masks and like a hiding turtle are quick to withdraw into their shells. Therefore, only genuine praise and approval ought to be expressed, and this can only happen when there is an element of realism.
Actually, the best way to encourage the reluctant ones is to express a form of empathy by paraphrasing what they have said. Paraphrasing is restating what a person has said rather than a quick summarization. This gives the person the feeling that he or she is being understood. This is not necessary with everyone, but with reluctant participants, paraphrasing enables them to truly feel they are being understood. A paraphrase of what a person has said usually starts with something like “So what you are saying is….or: If I am to understand you…” This way the reluctant ones feel they are in control of the situation and are not making a fool of themselves. Perceived put downs are often one of the reasons people become reluctant to participate in group settings.
Because paraphrasing requires more time than summarizing the main points of what a person has said, it should only be used for reluctant ones to encourage them.
Closed questions are a definite no-no with reluctant ones. They can work well when somebody has had too much airtime, because they only require a “yes” or “no” answer; but this is not a good means for encouraging reluctant contributors to participate in a group Bible Study. If anything, it is a signal to a reluctant one to withdraw from participation
Sometimes a reluctant one will make a statement and be uncertain of what he or she is really saying. The best means to help such a person is to reframe what they might be saying rather than paraphrase what they have stated. These are situations where what has been said is obviously off the mark and paraphrasing is not going to do anything other than make the person feel they look silly. By reframing what the person might have been trying to say, a better explanation is more likely to be produced.
When we are reframing what a person has said, we need to put ourselves in his or her situation, but express what we would do. Reframing what has been said could begin: “Just suppose I was in your situation, I think I would do (whatever)… What do you think about that?”
On a number of occasions, I have used the phrase “As (whoever) was saying..” and reframed what they have said in a summarization to great effect. On each occasion, the persons whom I have reframed have looked at me with a smile, and their face would glow.
Of course, we are not in another person’s shoes but, by suggestion that we are willing to try and put ourselves in another person’s situation has an amazing response. Usually this will not only elucidate approva,l but also some clarification on the part of the reluctant one, because all he or she needed was to feel that what was being said was acceptable. Whereas, if we were to use a closed question at the end of our attempt to reframe, this would come across as being arrogant on our part. A closed question would be something such as: “Is that what you were meaning?” or “Is this right?” or “Have I expressed what you were trying to say correctly?”
Humility always goes before honor and how much sweeter is the praise from another’s mouth about oneself than that from one’s own mouth. When we draw attention to our good works or skills by giving ourselves praise, we telegraph to others that we are self-righteous. We may not hear ourselves being self-righteousness, but others will perceive it as such. There is a big difference between thanking God that we have had the privilege to serve by giving glory to his name and telling others that God sees our good works, and will reward us for our good efforts.
In this regard, testimonies can also be encouraging rather than boasting. If we are to boast let us boast in the Lord and give Him the glory for what He has been doing in our lives. When we testify in humility, people who are reluctant to share, begin to see that we are trusting the Lord and not in our own strength. Consequently, the reluctant ones realize that if they do not measure up, our Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will enable them to do what is needed.
A testimony is always best shared from a grateful heart that treasures the fact Jesus’ loves us, not from how we might have done something better than someone else. For instance, we might be able to share about a time when we were afraid or felt inadequate, and we prayed to the Lord to give us the words to say, so that we could at least make a contribution and indicate to others we wanted to share with them and not be standoffish. 
At the first prayer meeting that I attended, I was very quiet. As the prayer meeting drew to a close, I sensed people were waiting for me to offer up a prayer. I felt so inadequate as the others seemed to pray so fluently and eloquently, whereas I also had a squeaky voice. Nevertheless, I prayed to the Lord aloud and said, “Lord Jesus please show me the Way, the Truth and the Life.” That was all I said. Even that was difficult for me at the time. In fact, I was somewhat taken aback when everyone there said “Amen!”  Nevertheless, they made me realize that I had friends in Christ, even though I did not know the people there at all really. God is so good.

The Wrap Up

To optimize the benefits of a group Bible Study around such a study as The Milk of the Word, it is best to summarize once again the main points that have been discussed during the meeting just before bringing it to a close. Before doing this, it pays to ask everyone what they got in particular from the proceedings. This helps consolidate what the Holy Spirit may have brought to light and highlights issues participants might like to reflect upon between meetings.
       Because of the nature of the personal disclosures and discussion of what are often concealed sins and faults, it is best not to be seen writing anything down and to rely on the Holy Spirit to be the illuminator and teacher, so that participants eyes are opened by Him.
It may seem strange that we help the Holy Spirit by allowing Him to work in us. But the Bible is very clear that we are to work out our own salvation in partnership with the Lord God.[17] If this were not the case, once a person finds the truth and becomes saved, they would be taken to Heaven. The Lord God does not work like this, rather He has given us a freewill so that we can choose to investigate matters and establish truth and, when having found the truth, choose to cooperate with the Lord or reject His ways.
By using frequent summarizations of what has been said and placing matters in perspective, as well as knowing when to paraphrase and reframe comments, participants are able to gain more from group Bible Study.
This is especially the case when it comes to studying The Milk of the Word. The Bible Study entitled, The Milk of the Word contains a scripture study in the Introduction that deals with why we need to recognize our requirement for studying these scriptures and what they mean for us. It also includes an enlightening study on the Ten Commandments, the Power of Prayer and a study on spiritual fruit entitled You Will Know Them By Their Fruits.
       When ending a group Bible Study there is no harm in calling for any prayer requests and praying as a group. While the group Bible Study is primarily about gathering around the Word of God, praying for each other’s needs forms part of being in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.
Successful group Bible Study leaders always invite the other participants to take turns in opening and closing the meeting in prayer, rather than doing so themselves. Furthermore, at the beginning of subsequent gatherings for group Bible Study, it is worthwhile asking what was gained from the previous discussion.
The aim is to encourage participation and cooperation among those present, so members become fruitful Christians, confident to lead a small gathering for a group Bible Study themselves. When we are doing this, we truly know how to run a successful Bible Study to the glory of God. But we can only do this if we are attentive to the needs of others, listen to what they are saying, and do our own preparation beforehand on the topic to be discussed by consulting the relevant Bible Study tools. In having said that, the most important requirement is to spend time in prayer on a regular basis, and in particular, just before attending the group Bible Study.
NOTES





[1] Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc.
[2] New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
[3] HELPS Word Studies copyright © 1987, 2011 by Helps Ministries, Inc. Used by permission.
[4] Amplified Bible Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
[5] But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:4-6 WEB)
[6] A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion. (Proverbs 18:2 WEB)
[7] 1 Peter 4:16: Yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God (RSV).—Revised Standard Version.  copyright © 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
[8] Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (RSV).
[9] 1 Peter 1:9; 2 Timothy 4:6-8
[10] Matthew 7:15-19
[11] James 2:17
[12]  John 3:30
[13] James 5:16; Eph. 4:12; Heb. 13:16-17; Acts 20:7;  1 Cor. 16:2
[14] 1 John 1:7
[15] 2  Peter 1:2,8; 3:18
[16] Such a claim is not as ludicrous as it may sound. One Australian politician, who had studied economics and business at university, was given a national business portfolio and, on his watch, suffered the ignominy of overseeing a lunch shop that he owned inauspiciously plunge into bankruptcy and augur the demise of his political fortunes, which sunk in a matter of a few short days after his shame had been made public.
[17] Philippians 2:12