How to Read the Bible in Changing Times shows you how to develop a heart-of-God approach that provides guidelines to

·determine the meaning of the text in its original context

·analyze cultural features

·discern what the Bible teaches about God, his will, and his purposes

·apply the truths discovered to contemporary life situations

The Bible is a narrative composed of numerous people sharing the work and word of the good Lord. It can help with anything and to me it’s a number one go-to. Any issues in your life I’m certain the Bible can help. Even though sometimes the Lord doesn’t always pop out and scream at you the right thing to do, sometimes you just need to surround yourself with the good word and it helps bring some peace to your soul and mind. It gives us knowledge and a leading hand on the right path.

The Bible has had a huge positive impact on my life ever since I started reading his word. I never really have read the bible before I got to Redeemer. We started doing devotions every Monday night and read scripture right before and after. It always made me feel good to read and to learn more about the Lord and the stories. But one specific night I recall I headed downstairs for devotions with my dorm and I was not in a good mood and was incredibly frustrated and angry and sad because of issues with family, school and relationships. We started to read James 1-3 and I could feel a weight be lifted off of me and I started to tear up from happiness because God spoke to me through Scripture. That night I understood the true meaning of the power of scripture and the light it can bring into your world. It’s a physical, emotional and a spiritual feeling when his word hits you.The bible gives me the courage I need to keep going and brings a whole new light and meaning to my world. It changing how I see and perceive things. I look at things with a bigger understanding of his word.

It is very easy to misread the Bible. Personally, I’ve witnessed numerous friends and family members transcribe the bible wrongly. For example, my sister interpreted that Sodom and Gomorrah were in the right with their sexuality and that the Lord was okay with their homosexuality when it clearly states homosexuality was part of why God destroyed the two cities. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to perform homosexual gang rape on the two angels (who were disguised as men). Another example is “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This verse, quoted to countless individuals who are struggling with vocation or discerning God’s will, is not written to individuals at all. This passage is written to a whole group of people—an entire [Israelite] nation…in Jeremiah 29:10, God lays down the specifics on this promise: that He will fulfill it “after seventy years are completed for Babylon.” In other words, yes, God says, I will redeem you—after 70 years in exile. This is certainly a far cry from our expectation of this verse in what God’s plans to prosper us really mean. He did have a future and a hope for them—but it would look far different than the Israelites ever expected.

A huge misinterpretation of the Bible is that the Bible can mean what you want to mean. Sadly, that is not true. If that were the case why would you need the Bible in the first place? Why would you need answers and go to a book where you make up your own meaning? The bible is supposed to be a guideline of sorts. The Bible does have a correct meaning which is the answer the points to the Lord. It states in chapter three that “Although the Bible provides the answers to life’s deepest and most profound questions, it is not a magic-answer book that provides important answers to our questions. The nature of the Bible is a divine-human convergence-God’s word delivered through human words. The message of the Bible is the story of redemption, the divine drama of the creation, fall, and restoration of the people of God. Its purpose is to call people to faith, love and holiness, to submit ourselves to his authority, and to align our lives with his purpose and will” (41). You discover this by reading and engaging in the Bible and listen for the Holy Spirit.

Not every rule and command was intended for us. We as Christians today need to realize that the Bible was written thousands of years ago and our world is a lot different than today. Some rules apply and some don’t. The Bible is not a rule book, it’s a book that shares the story of God and his creation, fall and redemption. The Bible teaches us who God is and who we are in relationship with him. You can tell if something applies to us Christians today if it makes sense and feels right to do. The Old Testament was a different time and people were more secularized at that point in time.There’s no need to sacrifice things even though it states so many times in Old Testament that the Lord is pleased with sacrifices but that doesn’t apply today. Why? Because it was a different ear and times have changed which means new rules.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Romans 12:2