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: How Powerful Is Christ?
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryIt rained in my city all last night and all this morning. The lingering vestige of what was a hurricane when it hit land on the Gulf Coast a few days ago. Drenched.
But as is always the case, eventually, around noon today, the Sun shone down its powerful beams on the ground and guess what, yep, in just an hour or two it was totally dry.
That’s the power of the Sun.
Now multiply that by INFINITY and you’ll have the answer to this post’s title.
You see, not only did Jesus Christ perform actual and literal miracles and demonstrate Deity-derived dominance over nature and life itself (instantly calming a storm and raising Lazarus from the dead, just to name two of many), not only did He prove that He had power over the natural realm, but even greater than that is the fact that He has power over the spiritual realm! He not only can raise people from the dead, He can save their souls forever (Hebrews 7:25). I’m living proof. He saw and felt compassion for and personally pursued the biggest sinner I know, the biggest sinner I’ve ever known, and the biggest sinner you’ve probably ever known – ME! – and instantly transformed him from a spiritually dead and depraved and dirty-as-filthy-rags do-no-gooder into “the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21). Just think about that for ten seconds (or hours). He is able and willing and ready to turn total sinners into the very RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD HIMSELF and give them eternal life in His presence in heaven decked out with its streets of gold and crystal-like sea, to dwell and reside and live with Him and all other believers forever and ever and ever.
That’s the power of the Son.
I pray that you come to know Him if you haven’t already. Through this website and historic undertaking and outflowing ministries would be the biggest thrill and honor and privilege of my life here on earth but that’s very, very secondary – at the end of the day, I’ll be thrilled with whomever God might use to accomplish that, i.e., that blessed result is what’s paramount, the vessel God may choose to use will merely be a cherry on that simply-so-sweet spiritual sundae.
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Quick Thought: Immune
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAmid the ongoing pandemic, there’s constant chatter about and hope abounds for a cure or vaccine. People are at the point that even so-called “herd immunity” would be welcome.
But the thought that just occurred to me is that what I’d really really really like to be IMMUNE from is DISPLEASING GOD. A spiritual vaccine which would prevent me from ever sinning again.
It’s still very much up in the air as to whether a physical vaccine for COVID-19 will actually materialize. But unfortunately, a spiritual vaccine against ever sinning again is not going to happen. Not in this lifetime. Not in this world. Not on this side of eternity.
No, the Bible makes (crystal) clear that “ALL have sinned” (Romans 3:23) and “ALL we like sheep have gone astray” (Isaiah 53:6) and that “we are ALL like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags [Lit., “used tampons”]” (Isaiah 64:6) and that even post-salvation “we all stumble in MANY ways” (James 3:2). Like I said, the Bible couldn’t be any clearer in the matter. Such that even “Mr. black-and-white, cut-and-dry” himself, the Apostle John, concedes that even as Christians we will indeed sin from time to time (1 John 2:1). Ergo, in this life, until we get to the blessed shores of heaven, there is NO IMMUNITY from sin.
But there IS a “therapeutic” from the spiritual pandemic which has plagued the entire human race since that first, fierce, fearsome fall in the garden of Eden.
The Bible.
Let us be wise enough to treasure it. To read it. To study it. To memorize/ingest/consume it (as I like to tell people: “Consume the Bible. And the Bible will consume you.“). I.e., to truly find it.
And as discussed in-depth in one of the very first posts on this blog and in the Overview video, one of my favorite verses brings us full circle back to the pandemic and physical health. It’s Proverbs 4:22.
That’s the main reason I haven’t experienced even a nanosecond of fear throughout this entire and very deadly pandemic: because I have many of His words and much of His Word “richly dwelling” in me (Colossians 3:16), I have found them and therefore can and have and do depend on and rest in this promise of Proverbs 4:22. Best. Healthcare. Plan. EVER! Indeed.
Yes, unfortunately nothing in this life will make us entirely immune from sinning thanks to our fiercest foe: fallen flesh. But there is a “spiritual therapeutic” that comes very close EVEN IN THIS LIFE, even on THIS side of heaven, and that’s the Bible.
Thank You, Lord, for so graciously giving us Your Word, the Bible. It is indeed a treasure. So may we treasure it.
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I’m so jealous! (Part 1)
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI’m starting a new series of posts, since there are multiple (two) subjects for this Part 1 and will undoubtedly be many more as I progress in my life goal of memorizing the ENTIRE Bible so a series seems seriously fitting.
Per the previous post from earlier today, this morning I was reciting the third of the six New Testament books I’ve memorized so far en route to all sixty-six, 1 Peter, and how I generally do that is to recite one of those “stored” books each day, its first chapter or few FIRST THING when I awake each morning, before doing ANYTHING else, then additional chapters throughout the day, and then its last chapter or few LAST THING when I go to sleep each night. I find that this has the maximum effect/benefits and also is MOST in line with Scripture…
… and therefore MOST pleasing to God so that’s plenty good enough for me to plan my days around!
But sometimes I get so “into” and enthralled by reciting the Bible that I can’t “pace myself” and just finish that day’s book sometime in the afternoon or evening (in which case I’ll just start on the next day’s book’s first chapter when I go to bed that night or re-recite the final chapter or two from that day’s book) and that’s what happened just now (around 5:00 p.m.) and what prompted this post was 1 Peter 5:12 – “Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it!”
I know, I know, it’s not the type of verse which most preachers are likely to cover on a Sunday but here’s what hit me about it and made me say, “I’m so JEALOUS!” Of that fellow Silvanus. Because he not only had the unparalleled privilege of knowing and serving very closely with Peter but also Paul! You see, that fellow also went by the name Silas – probably much as many people named William also go by Bill these days. Or James and Jim. Silvanus and Silas. Paul referenced him by both names: the former in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessalonians 1:1, and the latter in Acts 16:25-40 which is probably how most people know of him, the amazing account of when he and Paul (Paul! I’m SO JEALOUS!) were in prison (okay, a LITTLE LESS jealous about that part… but it’s the APOSTLE PAUL we’re talking about so overall STILL JEALOUS of Silas =) and around midnight were praying and singing hymns (aren’t you glad that WE get to do that in CHURCH, versus prison? Me too =) and there was a big earthquake (something readers in near-and-dear-to-my-heart California can definitely relate to) and the prison’s doors opened and the jailer was about to kill himself via a sword but Paul shouted to him that there was no need since neither they nor the other prisoners had escaped and that jailer was immediately led to a saving knowledge of Christ. And Silas not only got to witness and be centrally involved in that firsthand but also had the eternal privilege of having his name etched into the Bible, into Scripture for all eternity (I’M SO JEALOUS!).
[As a side note, I’m certain that Silvanus was his given name and Silas the nickname, per my William/Will example, because it would be far more likely that Paul would use his official/birth/legal name at the start of those two epistles to the Thessalonians, and his more familiar nickname in day-to-day life as in Acts.]
Knowing and workly so closely, so intimately, not just with Peter – God’s main vessel to the Jews – but ALSO the beloved Apostle Paul – God’s main vessel to the Gentiles.
I’M SO JEALOUS!
But I can’t end this post without mentioning someone else. Someone of whom I’ve been jealous since I was a child and first heard the story (in Sunday School I’m pretty sure) of Cleopas and ever since, nearly my entire life, I’ve been utterly and completely jealous of him!
Because he was walking with one other (unnamed) person (many think it was his wife, possibly another believer/disciple) to a village named Emmaus (right near Jerusalem, around seven miles away) on that very first “Easter Sunday”, the very day of Jesus’s resurrection, and while they were walking and talking about all that had just occurred that most pivotal and consequential of weekends – indeed, the most in human history – and they were joined by someone they didn’t recognize until much later, that night, but it was Jesus Himself – the risen Lord of all creation, the “blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords” as 1 Timothy 6:15 puts it – HIM, THAT Person, who proceeded to impart to them a sermon, a message, a lesson, an education which even a HUNDRED years of Bible college or seminary even under the GREATEST of teachers couldn’t compare, couldn’t even hold a candle. Luke 24:27 says this: “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in ALL the Scriptures.”
I’M SO JEALOUS!!!
Times ten.
[As a side note, when they finally realized that it was Jesus that evening, while sharing a meal, He disappeared and Luke 24:32 tells us what they said: “Were not our hearts burning within uson the road, while He was explaining the Scriptures to us?” The only instance in known human history of GOOD heartburn!]
Don’t get me wrong, I’m infinitely and eternally grateful that you and I have the Holy Spirit to teach us (1 John 2:27). But to have the resurrected Lord Jesus Christ do so IN PERSON… well, enough said. I’m sure you fully understand why I’m so jealous! (Probably the ONLY situation in which that’s actually a GOOD thing. =)
Have you ever thought about just HOW long eternity is? Forever. And ever and ever and ever, so as to be incomprehensible to the finite human mind, such that time as we know it doesn’t exist, will cease existing in eternity. So we’ll have UNLIMITED time to fill, and throughout my life I’ve kinda constructed a list of ways I’d like to FILL that time. At the very top is to talk with and hug and bow down to the Lord Jesus when He greets me into His direct and physical presence (though with resurrected bodies all – 1 Corinthians 15) and to thank God the Father for His unfathomable grace and mercy and forgiveness and patience and goodness and generosity and kindness, then after standing back up, to ask the Lord to repeat exactly what He shared with Cleopas and his fellow traveler on the road to Emmaus. Second on the list would be to speak with (listen to =) the beloved Apostle Paul, my lifelong “human hero” – then David and Abraham and others. Third on the list would be to see if all of my family – immediate and extended – and closest friends are there, that they were indeed genuine versus merely professing believers. Then back to more Bible characters. Then the people whom God has most used these past 2,000 years. The preachers and teachers and theologians and missionaries and evangelists and pastors who have been so used by God in teaching and preaching and practicing/living the Bible. And that would be plenty satiating for me and just spend the rest of eternity worshiping and thanking and praising God. Holy, holy, holy! Worthy is the Lamb! Oh man, I can hardly wait! But in the meantime, I’m so thankful for the opportunity and hopefully many years ahead of encouraging as many fellow Christians and telling all the rest of humanity about how to become one, how to know and experience in an ongoing way the “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness [Literally (Greek), faith], gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23) which only God the Holy Spirit can give and grow (they are, after all, the “fruit” of the Spirit =) within a sinner like me.
Hey, after just thinking about all of that and what awaits us, all of a sudden I’m not quite so jealous anymore. 🙂
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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!
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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!
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