Enhancing Communication

WEEK 15 - Loving God With Our Minds!

Acts 17:11 (NIV) - Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great
eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.

Study is the pursuit of truth - We seek to understand things as they truly are. The best way to understand things as they really are is to
understand it from God’s perspective. Jesus said, "If you abide in my word, then you are really my disciples, and you will know the truth,
and the truth will make you free" (John 8:31-32). It is through study that we discover the truth found in Scripture. If we do not have right
understanding of the things of God, we cannot know how we should live in this world - we will find ourselves to be on very shaky
ground (Matthew 7:24-27).

STUDY: PERFECTING THE BRAINS GOD GAVE US

In this session on LOVING GOD WITH OUR MIND, I would like to look at the STUDY OF SCRIPTURE, the MEDITATION OF
SCRIPTURE and the MEMORIZATION OF SCRIPTURE!

STUDY OF SCRIPTURE:

The Importance of Scripture Intake

 A Christian simply cannot grow without God's Word continually being consumed. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God - Matthew 4:4. Scripture is the only way we know about God, and if we are not taking it in, we are missing
out on God's revelation of Himself. In John 17, the Lord Jesus prays, "Sanctify them in the truth; your Word is truth." Our sanctification comes
through God's Word by the Power of the Holy Spirit.

We see in the book of Hebrews (4:12), how God's Word discerns our very thoughts: “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Our hearts are deceitful and cannot be trusted (Jeremiah 17), so we need God's Word to
discern our very thoughts and motives.

Here are Two Ways We Feed on Scriptures:

1.
1. Hearing God's Word - This is not too difficult, if we attend a Church that preaches and teaches God's Word each week, we can listen to the
Word. Scripture teaches that faith comes by hearing the Word of Christ (Romans 10:17) and those who hear and obey are
blessed (Luke11:28). We must be careful that we don't just hear the Word, but are a doer of the Word as well (James 1:22).
2. Reading and Studying God's Word - Not only should we listen to God's Word being taught, but we also need to take time for ourselves to read
and study it. I would like to highlight the example of Ezra the Scribe – We read in Ezra 7:10, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the
law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments. Another powerful example of love for God’s Word is Job – In
Job 23:12 we read, “I have not departed from the commands of his lips; I have treasured the words of his mouth more than my daily
bread.

Oswald J. Smith, the famous Canadian Pastor and Author had three simple pieces of advice while reading the Scripture:

1.
1. Read the Bible Like you Eat Fish – When we eat fish, we eat what we can and leave what we can’t. There are parts of the Scripture that are not
easy to understand or interpret. [Sons of God and the Daughters of Men Genesis 6:2; The Camel to go through the eye of a needle Matthew
19:24; Did Jesus come to bring peace or a sword Matthew 10:34; Baptism for the dead 1 Corinthians 15:29]
2. Read the Bible Like you Read a Letter – We read letters sequentially. We don’t read randomly from here and there!
3. Read the Bible and Invite the Author – We have the privilege of inviting the Holy Spirit who was involved in the inspiration of Scripture. We
cannot easily invite the author while reading secular books!

How to Study the Bible?

It is really not complicated. If you are already reading the Bible, just slow down and keep a pen and a notebook open before you. Start recording
observations about the passage -


o Who is writing?
o Who is he writing to?
o What is the central idea of the passage?
o Write down the connecting words like “for, therefore, nevertheless, but, as, like, so that.”
o Write down questions that come to your mind a
o s you are reading the text.
o Look up cross-references in the margin of your bible to see if you can get answers to those questions.
o Look up a key word in the verse you are studying and trace how it is used in the concordance in the back of your Bible, or look it up in an
online / or with a Bible software program.
o Notice the time and place words.
o Ask yourself the 5 W’s, (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and also How.
o Notice the repeated words or phrases.
As you get more and more familiar with the Bible you may want to do some topical studies, character studies, and word studies.
Richard Foster provides some insight into study by noting four steps involved in study:

1) Repetition [or rehearsal],

2) Concentration [or attention],

3) Comprehension [or understanding],

4) Reflection [or meditation].

Repetition is the easiest way to learn. It really matters what we rehearse in our minds. Can you think of how repetition of truths or lies may affect
a person over time?

Attention is necessary for study. There are many things that distract our minds from the attention necessary for attentive study (noise,
interruptions, background music, crowds, tiredness, anxiety, etc.). We must do all we can to eliminate them-or at least minimize their effects. This
requires perseverance. Sometimes we just have to plough through with determination to stay on course. Sometimes we will have to lay down the
book (or whatever) and come back to it after some time, but we must come back to it.

Understanding is necessary for study. There comes a time (sooner or later!) when you finally "get it." It is the moment of "Eureka!" or "Aha!"
when you finally get your mind around a concept, problem, teaching, or subject.
Finally, meditation, or reflection, is necessary for study. We look back on what we have studied and we "chew it over" in our minds. We dwell
on it, apply it to different situations, challenge it, defend it, roll it over, put it away and pull it out again, and in all of this we ask God to shape our
thinking.

MEDITATION OF SCRIPTURE

What Biblical Meditation is Not?

In Eastern spirituality, as practiced in our part of the world (Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism) meditation is generally characterized by chanting
certain words (mantras), the constant act of releasing one’s “bad” or “harmful thoughts or the clearing of one’s mind of any “thinking”
whatsoever. This meditation is usually done by being seated in a certain posture, practicing controlled breathing and fixing all of one’s
concentration on the “now” of one’s experience.

It will not be an exaggeration to say that Biblical meditation is almost completely antithetical to the meditation described earlier. First, we know
that biblical meditation doesn’t include the use of repeated chants, for our Lord Himself tells us to not multiply thoughtless words or use ‘vain
repetition’ in our fellowship with God (Matthew 6:7).

Secondly, biblical meditation is best understood, not as mind-emptying, but mind-filling; not ‘thought removal’, but ‘thought replacement.’

Finally, the effectiveness of biblical meditation is not dependent on being seated in a certain kind of posture. In fact, it’s not dependent on
posture at all. The psalmist mentions how he would meditate while lying on his bed (Psalms 63:6). Joshua was asked to meditate on God’s
Word wherever he went (Joshua 1:8). The psalmist encourages us to meditate on God’s Word day and night, no matter what we are doing
(Psalm 1:1-6).
What Biblical Meditation Is?

Mediation, very simply, is ruminating on, thinking over, and pondering on God (Psalms 63:6), his works (Psalms 72:12; 119:27, 148; 145:3,
5), and His Word (Psalm 1:1-6; 119:15, 23, 48, 78). In the Hebrew language, the word for meditation literally means to mumble to
oneself; speaking to oneself audibly or in one’s heart. But it is not a mindless activity or the repetition of a chant or mantra. Biblically,
to meditate means to ponder, consider, chew on, and mull over the word of God. Biblical meditation is full of content, not void of it; it is
thoughtful, not thoughtless.

Why is Biblical Mediation So Important?

The central reason why meditation is vital in the life of the believer is that meditation is the bridge between knowledge and obedience (Joshua
1:8; Psalm 119:98-100). Sometimes you may come across people whose minds are filled with a broad knowledge of biblical truth, but have
remained, for the most part, superficial and spiritually immature, because they did not allow the truth to go deep into their hearts through
meditation.

Mediation is how the word of Christ dwells in us richly (Col 3:16a) which leads to a life of joy and gratitude (Col 3:16b), a life of
obedience (Col 3:17) and enables us to live a life continually filled with the Spirit (Eph 5:15-17; cf. Col 3:16). Meditation plants the truth of
God’s Word deep into our souls so that we are genuinely changed and enabled to walk in faith and obedience.

How Can we Meditate God’s Word?

Here are a few practical suggestions to help us practice this important discipline:
1.
1. Read Less (if necessary) to Meditate More - Donald Whitney offers this advice: “If you could not possibly add more time to your devotional
schedule for meditating on your Scripture reading, read less in order to have some unhurried time for meditation”
2. Make Observations and Ask Questions about the Text -One of the best and simplest ways to meditate on Scripture is to observeand ask
questions about the words used, connections between sentences, and specific points of application. This last point is crucial because we want
to be doers of the word, not mere hearers (James 1:22).
3. Keep a Spiritual Journal – Do you know the faintest ink is more legible than the sharpest memory! Writing a journal helps us exercise
sustained thought over the Scripture, which allows us to ask and answer questions, synthesize this particular text with other biblical texts, all
of which enables us to better apply the truth, solidify our convictions, and deepen our affections.

MEMORIZATION OF SCRIPTURE
Why is it Important to Memorize Scripture? (Article by Robert Sang)

1. God’s Word instructs us to Memorize Scripture - Memorizing scripture is something God’s word instructs and encourages us to do as part of

our everyday lives. Deuteronomy 11:18 tells us that when God gave his commandments to the Israelites, he instructed them to “Fix these words of

mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.” Orthodox Jews wear little black leather

boxes on their arms and foreheads called Tefillin. These contain little scrolls of parchment with verses from the Torah written on them. Now as

Christians, we don’t need to go around wearing God’s Word on us literally. We can practice this command by memorizing scripture!

2. Memorizing Scripture Provides us with Guidance and Wisdom -Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

(NIV) Many times, in our lives we seek guidance from God. This may occur when we’re facing a decision regarding two or more possible choices.

However, it may also be when we are trying to discern God’s will in a particular situation or wanting to know whether it is right or wrong to

proceed with an action. Without God’s word in our hearts to guide us, we can easily stumble around in the darkness, unable to see the way ahead

or knowing which path to take.

3. Memorizing Scripture can keep us from Sin and Temptation - Psalm 119:9-11 says, “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By

living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart;

do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (NIV) When we memorize

scripture, we have God’s word hidden in our hearts. We are then able to use this Word in the face of temptation. (Example - Lord Jesus in the

wilderness)

4. Memorizing Scripture helps us Know the Truth and Can Protect us from Error - In Matthew 22:29, Jesus said to the Sadducees when they were

trying to trap him: “You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.” (Illustration – Cashiers in banks don’t

prepare by handling counterfeit currency. The more they handle real currency, the more adept they are at spotting counterfeit currency). In the

same way, spending time in the scriptures and knowing it by heart allows us to know the truth and when we are being presented with something

that is counterfeit. Psalm 37:31 says, “The law of their God is in their hearts;

their feet do not slip.” If we have scripture on our hearts, it will help us not to slip.

5. Memorizing Scripture is our Weapon against Spiritual Attacks - In Ephesians 6:13-17, the apostle Paul talks about putting on the full armour of

God during our struggle against the spiritual forces of evil. He says in verse 17, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is

the word of God.” (NIV) Of all the pieces of the armour of God listed, the sword of the Spirit is the only offensive weapon mentioned. The others

are all defensive. By knowing scripture and having it in our heart, we can bring these truths to mind and use them in the face of spiritual attack.

6. Memorizing Scripture Helps us to Explain our Faith - 1 Peter 3:15 (KJV) says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always

to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear. Sometimes people may have questions

about our faith that could spring up at a moment when we are least expecting it! When we have God’s Word already stored in our hearts, we will
be able to call it to mind immediately. Remember, if we have not learnt Scripture in the first place, how will we be able to recall what is not

already there?

7. Memorizing Scripture Increases our Faith - Romans 10:17 says, “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the

word about Christ.” (NIV) When we speak out words of scripture in faith, we are agreeing with them and reinforcing them in our own lives and

thoughts.

Chuck Swindoll wrote, “I know of no other single practice in the Christian life more rewarding, practically speaking, than memorizing
Scripture. No other single exercise pays greater spiritual dividends! Your prayer life will be strengthened. Your witnessing will be sharper
and much more effective. Your attitudes and outlook will begin to change. Your mind will become alert and observant. Your confidence
and assurance will be enhanced. Your faith will be solidified” (Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life, 61).

Dallas Willard, professor of Philosophy at the University of Southern California, wrote, “Bible memorization is absolutely fundamental to
spiritual formation. If I had to choose between all the disciplines of the spiritual life, I would choose Bible memorization, because it is a
fundamental way of filling our minds with what it needs. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth. That’s where you need
it! How does it get in your mouth? Memorization” (“Spiritual Formation in Christ for the Whole Life and Whole Person” in Vocatio, Vol. 12, no.
2, Spring, 2001, p. 7).