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…
A Big (But Very Common) Mistake
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryWhen it comes to mistakes, I see so many of my own through the years that I simply don’t have time or space to look at other people’s errors very much at all. But one of the most common mistakes I see people – especially those working in the stock market or – making these days is PROJECTING the past onto the future.
The past certainly shouldn’t be ignored (I like that saying, “Dwell on the past, lose an eye. Forget the past, lost both eyes.”) but nor should it be projected onto the future, since the latter will almost certainly diverge from the former at some point.
I can’t even tell you how often I see people doing this, every day, all the time. The main tip-offs are statements like “That’s not how it’s been done in the past” or “That’s how it’s always been done in the past”, it works both ways, in either case it’s still projecting the past onto the future.
Far better, far wiser to just follow the Bible’s instructions for life since its Author does know the future so why take any chances?!
By the way, the worst example of this I’ve ever seen is found in 2 Peter 3:3-7 – “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.’ For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But the present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”
It is SO EASY for us humans to think – consciously or subconsciously – that the Lord isn’t going to return, certainly not anytime soon, probably not in our lifetime, right? Maybe. But maybe not. And the stakes in this matter are just way too (sky-) high to take a chance. Far better to live life with an ongoing view of that very real possibility. “And if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each man’s work, CONDUCT YOURSELVES IN FEAR [i.e., REVERENCE, RESPECT] during the time of your stay upon earth” (1 Peter 1:17).
May it be so.
Grant us, Lord, not to give in to that human tendency to think tomorrow is going to be like yesterday but rather to simply trust and obey Your Word, the Bible. Thank You so much for its teachings and principles and wisdom and also for its warnings, may we be wise and heed them.
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“It’s Like Riding a Bike!”
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryI’m sure all of our parents used this phrase often when we were growing up. “It’s like riding a bike!” (That, and “When I was your age I had to walk ten miles in four feet of snow to get to school. Each way!” God bless all the parents out there.)
Well I actually was out riding my bike today and a thought occurred to me.
Actually two thoughts, with the first being how much more I enjoy riding down hills versus up them. But the second, and admittedly far more important, thought that hit me was yet another way in which biking parallels the Christian life, our walk with the Lord.
I usually like to go for at least 5 miles when I ride (go big or go home, right?) but I can’t even go one or two without encountering several hills. Just like the Christian life! Trials, testings, temptations (all really the same thing in essence, differing only based on our reaction) go hand-in-hand, are part and parcel with the Christian life. Indeed, spiritual growth is caused BY the Bible (1 Peter 2:2; John 17:17) and THROUGH trials (James 1:2-4) which is exactly why we should view them as huge POSITIVES and “consider it all joy” when we encounter them.
Thankfully, I’ve successfully learned that lesson spiritually and have come to actually cherish each and every trial which comes my way given that incomparable benefit, but I have to admit that such is very much not the case when it comes to biking, when it comes to the physical realm: I like going DOWN hills much, much, much better than UP per Thought #1 above, and I don’t expect that to ever change.
Thanks to being well on the way to accomplishing this historic goal of memorizing and reciting the ENTIRE BIBLE, I’ve found that not only do I sin a lot less than before but I don’t even get tempted nearly so often as then. Maybe that’s simply Psalm 119:11 at work, doing its thing. Or Colossians 3:16-17 (it’s a lot harder to sin or even be tempted when one is continually “singing” and “thanking” and “doing” things with the Lord’s pleasure and praise and glory and honor in mind and at heart – all of which are the stated result of “letting the word of Christ richly dwell within” us). Or Ephesians 6:17. No, ALL THREE! And others. But that has been a big blessing because I now find that most of the time my Christian walk is more like riding a bike DOWNHILL, so I shan’t complain. But neither shall I “think I stand” because 1 Corinthians 10:12 makes clear what would surely happen so I’ll just keep plugging along and putting ALL of my dependence on the Lord and the Bible – His precious message and “user manual for life” which He so graciously “left behind” along with the Holy Spirit when He departed from our physical, human presence and ascended back to Heaven.
So far, so good!
Just something to think about, especially the next time you find yourself or see someone else riding a bike. Our parents were right!
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Directions, Part 2
/in Uncategorized /by Bible MemoryAt the very moment the Lord laid on my heart this calling to memorize the ENTIRE BIBLE and then recite it, recite His Word and words back to Him as a love/thank-You gift for all He does and who He is – not just from me but from and on behalf of every person who supports this historic effort and outflowing ministries however they’re able – I simultaneously committed my entire life savings to building this website so people all over the world could follow along and track my progress from the first book to the sixty-sixth. So along with eating in all the time now, I also sold my car to pay for the cost to finish building this website and have thus been using a bicycle and my own two feet to get myself around town to run errands, buy groceries, etc.
It takes a lot longer than driving, that’s for sure, but the two main benefits have made up for it and exponentially more. Second, I’ve lost around twenty pounds and am back to what I weighed in high school, as a teenager. But first and foremostly, I’ve found that it’s during these multi-mile walks or bike rides that I have the sweetest, most intimate communion and communication with the Lord and (not unrelated thereto) also get the majority of ideas for these blog posts. My feet don’t always agree right afterward but GREAT TRADE-OFF. I literally can’t imagine what my life would be like if I were still driving everywhere. I know, I know, one can think and pray and listen to the Lord (recite Scripture) in a car, too, but with all the signs and other cars and, you know, pedestrians, such is indeed possible but not nearly so practical nor (in my experience at least) productive/fruitful.
Anyway, with the weather now turning cold as autumn swoops in, I find myself opting more for walking than biking – like just today when I had to get some groceries. A store I rarely go to is having a great sale on items I needed so I headed there.
Like I said, I haven’t gone there but once or twice before, so I went online and mapped out the trek. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the store.
I came upon a shortcut! Yessirree, this was going to save me a good 10-15 minutes… so I veered off-course and wouldn’t you know it, that “shortcut” turned out to be the longest street I’ve ever seen in my life with seeming dozens of twists and turns – right before dead-ending into a cul-de-sac. Are you kidding me??? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!! was the thought that immediately came to mind. Unfortunately for me, there was no kidding to be seen, it was no joke, I had to turn around and walk back that entire, long, winding street and then continue on my little, er, just-got-twice-as-long trek.
And it hit me that this is also true in the Christian life!
How many times have I looked for a “shortcut” and veered off-course? Too many to list here, that’s for sure. It doesn’t matter HOW SURE I was, the fact of the matter is that there ARE NO shortcuts in the Christian life. And thankfully, just like Google Maps for grocery stores, so also the Bible provides very easy-to-follow directions for life which (unlike Google Maps, I’ve found a time or two =) NEVER lead me astray but always go exactly as it says.
And that’s just one of the (literally) infinite benefits of Bible memory: it’s like having all of Google in your head, at your fingertips at all times, but so much more powerful and even more helpful in navigating life and making decisions and getting to know God so much better. Nope, no more shortcuts for me! So the next time you think of maybe taking one, just remember this verse which has been such a blessing and help in my life: “There is a way which seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Proverbs 14:12 & 16:25 – this truth is so crucial that He gave it to us TWICE just in case we missed it the first time!) That’s the problem, but thankfully the Bible also gives us the solution: “How can a young man [or any person for that matter] keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word [the Bible].” (Psalm 119:9)
Just like it would be foolish to drive cross-country (or in my case, walk to a new grocery store) without first mapping out a course, so it is with life itself. But thankfully, God gave us the perfect atlas in the Bible, the ultimate road map – we need only to follow the directions. It reminds me of that song many of us sang in Sunday school as kids: “My Lord knows the way through the wilderness, all we have to do is follow…” Indeed! Back then it was a pillar of cloud by day and of fire by night. These days it’s the Bible… all we have to do is follow!
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