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…
“Yeah, But Don’t Forget About the Maintenance Costs”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAs you know from previous posts, in order to finish building this website I sold my only car and ever since have been hoofing or biking it when I need to get around town. But I remember the time I went shopping for my very first car.
I of course received lots (and lots and lots, no pun intended =) of advice from my family and friends and fellow church members, some of whom were actually in the car business, true professionals loaded with so much expert knowledge it was coming out of their ears (but thankfully only metaphorically).
I remember one in particular. I had found a used BMW that fell within my meager budget (barely!) and at the time, in the common folly of youth, my main motivation was to make a statement. I wouldn’t trade my upbringing for the world but we never had much money the entire time I was growing up, but we had a ton of love and closeness and fun and laughter and great memories and vacations (the one thing my parents were dead-set on saving up for) and most of all a ubiquitous focus on the Bible and church and fellowship – what more could a kid ask for?
A little money to buy a decent car, perhaps. =) But I digress. The point is that we and I almost always “went without” so I did feel some sort of subtle need to compensate since I was a teenager with my own job – I was ready to splurge for once in my young life.
And that’s where that car-biz friend from church comes into the story. It was then and there that he gave me one of the greatest pieces of advice in my entire life – not just up to then but ever since. He said this:
“Don’t just think about the purchase price but also THINK ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE COSTS.”
While it’s very understandable that a teenager – and especially one whose upbringing rarely involved discussing much less possessing material things of any kind much less cars – wouldn’t have known about that, the fellow from my church did since he was in the business and had seen countless proud BMW or Porsche or Mercedes owners have to sell them after a repair bill or two.
Thankfully I heeded his wise counsel, but it got me thinking that this is exactly how it is with the Christian life.
I think every believer will agree that not even the excitement of one’s first car can come close to comparing with the utter joy when one’s eyes are first opened to the truth of the gospel of Christ. Not even close. But there’s a similar risk: that one will forget to consider the “maintenance costs” of that decision. You see, just as the Lord promised that an eternity in heaven awaits for all who put their faith in Him and Him alone for salvation from our sins, He also promises a few other things.
Like this: “in the world you have tribulation” (John 16:33)
And this: “He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life shall lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake shall find it.” (Matthew 10:37-39; 16:24-26)
And this: “And indeed, ALL who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus WILL BE PERSECUTED.” (2 Timothy 3:12)
In other words, the “maintenance costs”.
So He says this: “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and CALCULATE THE COST, to see if he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.'” (Luke 14:28-30)
But thankfully also this:
Thankfully I took that man’s wise advice, calculated the cost, and decided not to buy that used BMW.
Thankfully I took that Man’s wise advice, calculated the cost, and decided to follow Him. To lose my life, my “self”, my pleasure, my desires, and follow His later example in a certain garden as He stood at death’s door but declared decisively and dramatically His choice in the matter, when to the Father said the Son, “Not MY will but THINE be done.” (Luke 22:42)
This means that instead of focusing on doing what WE want (or more accurately, what we think we want… which often turns out to be two different things), we subjugate that and focus on doing what GOD wants. Not on OUR will but rather on HIS will… not on the basis of mere assumption or subtly skewed self-interest but rather as set forth in the Bible: God’s will and God’s Word are absolutely and eternally inextricable. Always “on the same page” (no pun intended), NEVER in contradiction, not even a little bit, none, nada, zero, zip. It’s NOT about ignoring our will, it’s about submitting our will to His. It’s about making OUR will secondary and HIS will primary in our life.
And you know what the funny, ironic thing is? When we “go against” our “self” and for God, that’s when life really gets fun. That’s when the floodgates of joy really burst beautifully in our life.
Amazing but true.
And well worth the cost. Worth. Every. Penny.
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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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You’re NOT Crazy!
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryEver feel like maybe you’re just a little “off”? Lots of people do. Even Christians. Even mature believers.
But I’m here to tell you that you’re NOT crazy.
Why do I say that, and how can I so confidently? Easy. 1 John 3:1
Anyone who has put his or her faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation is the exact OPPOSITE of crazy, but the world is totally unaware of this reality and merely projects its own spiritual insanity onto believers.
Brothers and sisters, beloved, the world is nuts, mad, insane, unknowing – but doesn’t KNOW it! (This epitomizes a piece of military lingo made popular in the run-up to the Iraq War, an “unknown unknown.”) They don’t know, but don’t know that they don’t know. They’re sincere, but sincerely misguided in their (lack of) understanding. So why would you ever think that YOU’RE the crazy one? You’re not. You’re not, but the Bible clearly teaches that they are. Those of the world (1 John 4:5). I mean, just imagine being given the choice to spend all eternity in heaven with God and the angels, or to spend it in hell with the devil and demons. ANYONE who would choose the latter, who wouldn’t choose the former, is by definition way, way, way off-kilter. If that isn’t the ultimate definition of insanity – clinical or otherwise – I don’t know what is or ever could be.
In stark contrast, a believer’s life is characterized by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith/faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23). Because every believer is, at a minimum, indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and therefore will exhibit the fruit of the Spirit. Would you say these qualities indicate sanity or insanity, wellness or unwellness, even on a human level?
But such is not so with unbelievers, with those who are of the world [i.e., world system]. Put another way, we’re all in the world but not of the world. Some people are citizens of the world while others are just passing through. (Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 2:11; Philippians 3:20)
And those of the world, a.k.a. unbelievers, are characterized by a very different list: “immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these” (Galatians 5:19-21). And just before that, in verses 16-17, the Bible makes absolutely clear that nobody can be in both camps, it’s clearly a matter of either/or, no exceptions. Flesh or Spirit. This is also made clear in Romans 8:4-8 – “… who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For the mind set on the flesh is death [unwellness], but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace [wellness], because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God… and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”
This is actually a great way to tell whether a person is saved or unsaved, on their way to heaven or on their way to hell (Matthew 7:16-20). And anyone who would choose the world and hell over heaven is, by definition, crazy. And anyone who would choose the devil over Christ is absolutely nuts. And anyone who would choose to be dominated by the flesh instead of the Spirit, well, THEY’RE the ones who are crazy, NOT you!
They just think you are because they don’t know any better. “For THIS reason, the world does NOT KNOW us, because they did not know HIM [Jesus].” (1 John 3:1)
The next time you get the sense people think you’re crazy, do two things: check to see (2 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Peter 1:10) if your life is characterized by the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23 (not the list in verses 19-21) and if so then KNOW that you’re not the crazy one and pray for and sympathize with and love on the other person(s). They desperately need it.
Yes, if you’re a genuine believer, you will not be understood or “known” by the world, they’ll often look at you like you’re from a different planet. (Because you are! Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 2:11) And keep in mind that along with the fruit of the Spirit, your life will also be characterized by persecution (2 Timothy 3:12) so just expect that from the world but I’m here to assure you that such can’t even BEGIN to compare with the indescribable glory and magnificence waiting for us in heaven (Romans 8:18). Not for a second. Not even close. Not even in the same universe much less planet much less ball park.
“For this reason, THE WORLD DOES NOT KNOW US, BECAUSE they DID NOT KNOW HIM.” (1 John 3:1)
Badge of honor. 🙂
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School Shooting: Santa Clarita, CA
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryThe airwaves are filled with the breaking news of another senseless school shooting, this one in Santa Clarita, CA.
All of them in recent years have been downright heartbreaking – just to imagine the fear and angst and pain those affected, children and parents and teachers alike, must have experienced and some will continue to for the rest of their lives – but this one hits even much closer to home since as a teen I actually attended some football games at Saugus High School, which was the very location of this morning’s shooting. And it’s unthinkable that such a horrific event would occur there, perennially appearing on the “Safest Cities” and “Best Places in America to Raise Kids” lists.
On the other hand, from a spiritual perspective, it’s not unthinkable at all, because murder and hatred (the former is merely the ultimate expression of the latter, and indeed directly tied together by the Lord Jesus Himself in Matthew 5:21-22 and echoed later in 1 John 3:15 – “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer“) are part and parcel of fallen flesh, the default setting for human nature, for every single person ever born of a human father and mother (i.e., everyone in human history except Adam, Eve, and Jesus). That “default” (or should I say, deFAULTY =) setting can be changed later in life, post-birth, but even we believers started out as depraved creatures, filled with murderous hate, as clearly stated in Titus 3:3 – “For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures [depraved!], spending our life in malice and envy, HATEFUL, HATING ONE ANOTHER.”
So while unthinkable on a human level, it’s just the opposite on the spiritual level, totally expected and in fact I’m amazed that, while increasing in frequency in recent years (as clearly and fully predicted in 2 Timothy 3:13), there haven’t been even more of these mass shootings. But still heartbreaking every time.
I think that EVERYONE – liberals and conservatives, Democrats and Republicans and Independents, believers and unbelievers – can and does agree that with few exceptions, CHILDREN should NOT have access to guns (the rare exceptions would be, for example, those in rural areas who help their parents farm their land and need to be able to protect themselves from predators, to protect their far-from-the-nearest-neighbors homes, etc., but generally speaking it seems wise to keep guns out of the hands of children; like driver’s licenses) – but AS MUCH ACCESS as possible to the BIBLE! I am convinced that this would prevent 95+% of these shootings, impossible to prove but very sure about this; it wouldn’t prevent 100% but the more lives saved, the more senseless deaths prevented, the BETTER. And the best – and probably only – way to truly accomplish that is the Bible. Because it’s the ONLY thing that can truly transform the human mind. From blindness to sight. From hate to love. From sin to sanctification.
I shan’t hold my breath that a majority of our political leaders will put that into action any time soon, in light of the abundance of resistance and dearth of moral courage these days by-and-large, but given how other albeit well-intended approaches have failed and failed miserably, and given how precious the lives of all people are but in a way most of all that of children (since they have longer to live than we adults do on average if nothing else), isn’t that reason enough to give the BIBLE a try again, like this nation did years ago with great success for centuries?
While my heart breaks today for those affected – this time in my former home of Santa Clarita, CA – as it has every time tragedies like this have occurred in the past, it’s also comforted by the fact and knowledge that there IS an answer, that as great as it is to KEEP AWAY guns from children, it’s even far better to GIVE them a Bible! As great as it is to take away guns from their hands, it’s even far better to put the Bible into their minds.
Lord, please comfort those affected by this latest tragic school shooting. Thank you for Your grace that such are still fairly uncommon, but those to whom it did happen today surely need an extra dose of your love so please comfort them and may they experience that in a very tangible way, and bring healing, Lord, to them and to our nation and beyond. And most of all, I pray that the 16-year-old girl who died is now with you in heaven, that she placed her faith in You before it was too late, or that she gained entrance by way of not having yet reached the point of accountability which only You know for sure. And may the rest of us be certain to do so before our time comes, before “our number is called”. And comfort her family most of all, since they no doubt are suffering the most from today’s shooting. Amen.
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