Many people will (mistakenly) think that anyone who memorizes a huge amount of Scripture must be some sort of “super saint”. I have this to say about that, and that’s this: Super saint? NO I AIN’T! Not even close. (To echo the Apostle Paul in Romans 7:18, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh”.) In fact, just the opposite of their notion is true, because the more of the Bible I memorize, the more I realize how utterly and entirely sinful I am in and of myself, in my flesh. You see, as Psalm 19:7-8 clearly states, the Bible – and especially memorizing the Bible – “enlightens the eyes”. It breaks through the blindness which besets us from birth and opens one’s eyes. To the truth and existence and nature and will of God. To the nature and detrimental, destructive, and indeed deadly consequences of sin (Romans 6:23). And to the nature of man. Our flesh. Our fallacy. Our tendencies. Why we do what we do. Why we do what we should not and not do what we should! (Romans 7:19) So you can see why I say that the more Scripture one memorizes, the more one will see the righteousness of God and the sinfulness of oneself, of the flesh, to the extent that I can honestly say that I’m the BIGGEST SINNER I know, I’m the biggest sinner I’ve EVER known, and I’m probably the biggest sinner YOU’VE ever known, at least that’s how I see it, that’s my (believe it or not blissful) Bible-borne perspective.
But thankfully Psalm 19:7-8 doesn’t stop there! Because it’s just as clear that the Bible also “restores the soul” and “makes wise the simple” and “rejoices the heart”! It’s not just a win, not just a home run, memorizing and reciting Scripture is a GRAND SLAM! And not just spiritually, but humanly… not just in the spiritual realm, but in the human realm, not just in the life to come but also this present life (1 Timothy 4:8). And I can testify from firsthand experience that all of this is absolutely true: so long as I’m doing so on a regular basis, my spirit remains utterly joyful, rarely ever leaving the proverbial “cloud nine”. I find that I see things that many others don’t (heightened insight produced by the Word within). And I find that my heart remains filled with and focused on the things above, not on the things that are on earth (Colossians 3:2), not on the things which are seen, but unseen, not the things which are temporal but eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18) – what a wonderful way to go through life! And what’s amazing is that I’m just at the START this journey of memorizing the entire Bible, after which the Lord is leading me to turn this into a full-fledged, full-speed-ahead, full-time ministry – here’s the plan…
PHASE 1: Memorize the ENTIRE Bible as a “love/thank You” gift back to Him and also to prove, to demonstrate to the world the utter and tangible power and benefits of the ingested (memorized) Word of God! And for the first few months to highlight the need and leave room for the Lord to lead like-minded Bible-loving believers to support this in whatever ways they’re able and willing and excited to do so when learning about this historic endeavor and opportunity.
PHASE 2: After memorizing all or at least the vast majority of the New Testament, the next step will commence and entail totally changing the emphasis of this website from seeking one-time and especially Monthly Partners so as to get and keep this going to just giving back by meeting the needs of others, to “fulfill the law of Christ” by “bearing the burdens of others” (Galatians 6:2) and “serving one another” (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 4:10).
Specifically, I will make myself available all throughout the day virtually every day so anyone will be able to:
- Ask and receive Bible-based answers to their questions about the Bible itself, God, sin, human nature, and whatever else might be on their hearts at any given time. Literally for the rest of my or their lives, they will have a ready and waiting friend and/or listening ear and/or shoulder to cry on according to their need at the time. Without reservation, and without judgment.
- Submit prayer requests to be prayed for by someone who is brimming with the living Word within him, which I firmly believe is the biggest key to effective prayer: the Word sanctifies (John 17:17) and cleanses (Ephesians 5:26) and keeps pure (Psalm 119:9) and away from sin (Psalm 119:11); now combine all of this with the fact that “the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and His ears attend to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12) and “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much” (James 5:16b) and perhaps speaking most poignantly to the amazing link between memorizing Scripture and an effective prayer life, “If you abide in Me, and MY WORDS ABIDE IN YOU, ask WHATEVER you WISH, and it SHALL BE DONE for you.” (John 15:7). How will people’s lives literally change and be transformed by the supplication and intercession by one in whom such a massive amount of Scripture will be dwelling? GAME-CHANGER. Life-changer. WORLD-changer! (Literally. Just ask the people who were living in the time of Elijah.)
- Find a BIBLICAL – Bible-loving, Bible-believing, Bible-practicing – church near them, right in their local area! I am already in the process of putting together this network of churches; denomination will be irrelevant, the only criterion will be the extent to which they demonstrably adhere to the principles set forth in the Bible about “how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” (1 Timothy 3:15) With a primary focus on how supportive they are of Bible memory. I expect even just the human-interest/intellectual aspect of this project to attract countless people who aren’t even religious or are very early on in their spiritual growth who’ll need and want to find a church that will foster and maximize said growth.
- Find the businesses in YOUR area that are owned and/or managed by fellow Christians who love the Lord and His Word and realize the importance of and support Bible memory. Galatians 6:10 and 1 Timothy 6:2 make clear that it is our responsibility as Christians that our everyday choices inure to the benefit of fellow believers whenever possible, so I’m going to make that super easy and convenient by posting a nationwide (but searchable by state/county/city) LIST of Christian businesses so we can all choose THEM whenever we need a product or service; once assembled, it will appear on the “Find A Christian Biz” / Yellow Pages section here at BibleMemory.ORG so please check back for that in the coming weeks.
PHASE 3: Turn this burgeoning history-in-the-making effort into a full-speed-ahead, full-fledged, full-time ministry to Educate, Encourage, and Empower others to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic, verse-by-verse, book-by-book basis! Tall goal, but totally doable, because something very interesting happened as I memorized my very first book of the Bible, the New Testament book of James. That goal seemed not just tall but downright monumental. Undoable. Right? Wrong! Because, amazingly, the more of it I memorize, the EASIER it gets! The more of it I memorize, the more I am able to memorize. By the time I came to Chapter 5, I knew this large task was indeed going to be accomplished. BIG difference than when I was facing Chapter 1 Verse 1.
This is a fantastic real-life demonstration of Matthew 19:26 which says, “With men, this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Including memorizing the ENTIRE Bible! You see, in the physical realm, the more water you pour into a glass, the less capacity it will have for more water to be added. But in the spiritual realm, when it comes to God and His Word, the Bible, the exact OPPOSITE is true! The MORE you pour into your mind, the MORE capacity you’ll have for additional verses and chapters and books to be added! Not less. And this amazing power is exponential in nature: I saw a large increase in capacity from James 1 to James 5, but double or triple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 1-5, and then quadruple or quintuple the capacity by the time I finished memorizing Hebrews 6-10, and so on. This finding is literally historic, and indeed the closest thing to a bona fide miracle in recent history of which I’m aware: it’s verifiable, it’s tangible, and – due to the “living and active” nature of the Bible (Hebrews 4:12) – it’s even repeatable. While the specific extent of this phenomenon might vary from person to person, the essence of the Word does not. Ever. This is how I’ll be able not just to Educate and Encourage the masses to memorize and recite Scripture on a regular, systematic basis but also to EMPOWER them to do so (the Word through me). (Believe me, once a person gets a taste of this, his or her life will never be the same. Human metaphors don’t really do it justice but in terms of the Christian life, it’s like trying filet mignon for the first time after a lifetime of eating hamburger.)
This will primarily be accomplished by producing a course, a syllabus, an entire series of videos, CD’s, and even audio cassettes, which will take all of this and make it SUPER EASY and CONVENIENT for people the world over to learn and apply this at their own pace and as their individual schedules permit. I am utterly convinced that another worldwide spiritual revival will occur, but I’m even more certain that it will only occur as people start ingesting the living Word of God by memorizing and reciting it regularly – “all the day” (Psalm 119:97) and even “day AND night” (Psalm 1:2-3).
By the way, this would be a great time to let you know that as I’ve been memorizing Scripture, a very specific METHOD of doing so is coming into focus, which, as noted above, I can testify firsthand is making it MUCH EASIER for me to memorize and retain – not just the Bible but EVERYTHING: to-do lists, schedule and meetings, various events that occur, etc., a true “sponge” effect! – and I’m 99.9% sure that it will do so for virtually anyone and everyone who applies it. It’s still coming together but seems to be getting close to the point that it can be rolled out. This one aspect alone of this one phase alone could easily and literally change the world and people’s everyday lives.
PHASE 4: Set up new and/or work with established addiction centers to specifically address the huge need for healing, curing, and then preventing from recurring (relapse) the massive crisis of addiction to pain killers, opioids, and other drugs, as well as the dreadful disease of depression. I am absolutely certain that the best and probably only way to truly beat, to truly eradicate, overcome, and conquer an addiction is to turn to something even more addictive – and I am equally certain that the most addictive thing in the universe is the BIBLE, the living and active Word of God, the Word ingested. No doubt about it. The main challenge is that so relatively few ever really give regular and systematic Bible memory a try, but I – with your and the Lord’s help – intend to change that!
It won’t happen overnight but I have no doubt that change is indeed coming. And just in case you don’t think the Bible extends or has relevance to the physical realm of human existence, I humbly give you Proverbs 4:22 which, referring to the Bible, the “my words” of verse 20, clearly states that His words “are LIFE to those who find them, and HEALTH to ALL their WHOLE BODY.” Is that an amazing verse or what?! We have a super-duper health “pill” readily available to us (the Bible is the most-published and available book of all time) yet SO FEW EVER ACTUALLY SWALLOW IT! To their utter “missing out” yet few if any are even aware of this because nobody has trumpeted it from the proverbial mountaintops but with your help I intend to change this, too, and do just that!
I didn’t start memorizing entire books of the Bible as a child but did memorize a lot of single Bible verses and – totally not surprisingly in light of that verse/truth/fact – I haven’t had to see a doctor or go to the hospital my entire adult life. Not even a single time. No emergencies. No health surprises. Not one. I don’t think the two are unrelated or that this remarkable health history is mere coincidence or the result of “good genes”; no, I’m certain it’s that verse at work.
No, it won’t happen overnight but down the road I look forward to organizing some clinical/medical trials to demonstrate that this is universal and not just specific to me. I dare say that other than imparting the Gospel or giving one’s own life to save another’s, there is no greater act of love and kindness and therefore Christlikeness (since He epitomized and epitomizes both) than to free a person from the cruel slavery and bondage of addiction or depression, to provide them with the answer, the antidote, something that actually and permanently WORKS! So even just this phase of the action plan will likely be enough to revolutionize the nation and world.
CONCLUSION: If you like what you’ve heard here and found yourself nodding in agreement several times, please read on…
Quick Thought: True Health
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAs you know from reading past posts, I’m a huge fan of exercise and especially the hours/miles-long walks I take 3-5 times a week. For the spectacular scenery on especially one of my various, rotating routes, yes, but most of all by far for the focused fellowship and prayer so conducive to such a setting (outdoors, surrounded by nature, etc.).
I’ve made many more exceptions during the ongoing pandemic of the past year but otherwise have long been a big fan of eating healthily, too, and while that’s a great thing (since one’s body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, 1 Corinthians 6:19) I was reminded anew during yesterday’s walk of a crucial principle: that as good and healthy and important as it is to carefully manage what goes into one’s mouth, it’s infinitely more important to be aware of and manage what comes out of it.
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So Clean!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI just brushed my teeth and swished some serious mouthwash and my entire mouth feels so clean, don’t you just love that feeling?!
I do.
But it only lasts for a short while. Second-grade science class made crystal clear to us all that as soon as we’re done brushing our teeth, the plaque process restarts immediately and before long, that super-clean, super-fresh feeling fades.
Endless cycle.
And that’s exactly how it is with the Christian life!
We read (or better yet, study or memorize!) the Bible and pray and confess our sins and feel so “clean” and “fresh” spiritually and indeed emotionally. But before long the “sin process” restarts and attacks not our mouth but rather our heart and mind. (And definitely our tongue! James 3.)
It would be FANTASTIC if there were a toothpaste which lasted, which sustained its cleansing effect forever, permanently. Fantastic… and fantastical since, after some many centuries of success-less trying, that’s almost certainly “not gonna happen.” But I’m thrilled to tell you that said forecast does not apply spiritually! Because “Thy word [i.e., the Bible] I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin…” (Psalm 119:11). Unfortunately but as we all know to be reality: (a) nobody can memorize and recite Scripture (or even just read it) 24 hours a day (thus giving the sin process its toehold, its cue to restart anew) and (b) comparatively few people – even mature believers – memorize Scripture on a regular, systematic basis at all.
One of the main goals and purposes of BibleMemory.ORG is to change that second part! Such that even though the first hurdle (i.e., doing so every minute of the day) will obviously remain intact for the rest of our physical lives, I am absolutely certain that the Lord is going to lead many millions of Christians to the point that they’re reciting or meditating on the Bible at least once every hour.
Memorizing and reciting Scripture is like brushing one’s mind and heart and spirit and soul. That’s right: just as brushing our teeth restores a clean and fresh feeling to our mouth, so also the Bible – if ingested – restores the soul…
… and cleans and purifies and sanctifies the entire person…
… and actually and literally causes spiritual growth.
How many of us would even THINK ABOUT, even CONSIDER going an entire day without brushing our teeth?
Yet how many go an entire week or month or (gasp!) year without memorizing and reciting Scripture?
With your help and by God’s good grace and great power, that’s about to change! What a wonderful world it will be when we see millions of people memorizing and meditating on Scripture many times throughout each day! May it be so.
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If you sense that the Lord might be leading YOU to support the historic event unfolding in real-time here at BibleMemory.ORG and thus become my fellow worker and thus share in all of the fruit and blessings (3 John 8) and literally MAKE HISTORY together, here are the best ways to do so:
1. Become a one-time or monthly partner by making a donation via PayPal’s fully-secure Bible Memory page!
2. Encourage as many people as you can to support this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/support (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches to the green box and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
3. Add your name to my Prayer List!
4. Encourage as many of our fellow Christians as you can to pray for this historic event by having them go to BibleMemory.ORG/pray (please make sure they understand that it’s .org, not .com) – doing so by word-of-mouth is great, and to do so with a single click on your social media simply click here then scroll down a few inches and select your platforms, it’s that quick and easy!
5. Share this post on your social media by clicking on one or more of these platforms:
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Talk About Two Beautiful Bridges!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryJesus is the “bridge” between God and humanity.
(Talk about bridging the gap! And an infinite one at that.)
The Bible is the “bridge” between Jesus and humanity, between Him and us. Because it’s by the Bible we learn about and (literally) come to know Him in a very personal, real, tangible way.
How would we know about His amazing-beyond-comprehension-much-less-human-description humility but for the Bible? (Philippians 2:3-11)
How would we know about His heart for the Father and humanity, His genuine love for people, but for the Bible? (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – you can leaf to literally any page and you’ll see this on clear display)
How would we know about His immaculate conception, remarkable birth (in a manger, an animal feeding trough; a singing heavenly host of angels; magi; trying to be killed by the king of the land)? And perfect, sin-free, flawless life? And excruciating but infinitely propitiating death on the cross and subsequent resurrection from the dead and seating at the right hand of the Father in heaven and sending of the Holy Spirit so we wouldn’t be stuck with the unwinnable, lose-lose battle versus sin and the flesh and the evil one?
The Bible is the greatest tangible gift, tangible thing in the universe. And the most powerful by far. What a gift… yet how many of us take it for granted?
If there were a well of water which, when drunk from, made the drinker look ten or twenty years younger or pounds lighter, who among us wouldn’t be PANTING FOR AND LAPPING UP THAT WATER each and every day?!
But it’s even more amazing than that, because God didn’t just give us such a well (the Bible), He gave us such a well in our home, right where we live, such that virtually ANYONE can access that life-giving, health-enhancing, righteousness-restoring well: it’s no mistake, rather, it’s an unmistakable demonstration of God’s grace that the Bible is THE MOST prolific and easily-accessible book in human history.
Yet, sadly, many of us take it for granted. Such power, such life-yielding and health-wielding capacity there for the receiving, yet somehow we time-to-time take it for granted.
May those times of laxity and spiritual lethargy end today, at this very moment… or at least be fewer and farther between (as we used to say as children) “startinnnnnnnnnng NOW!”
Our life will be so enriched by that. Spiritually but also physically. In the next life but also the present one.
Like I penned at the end of the previous post: May we drink daily – and diligently – from that cup.
What a gift! What a remarkable, indescribable, gigantic gift of God’s grace. The precious Bible.
(Indeed, only something so sweet could motivate such a sorry sinner as I to memorize its every verse, chapter, and book!)
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