CHAPTER 29
YOUR BIBLE IS YOUR WORKBOOK
If your first language is English, I recommend that you memorize verses from the King James Bible. Why the King James Version (KJV)? First of all, I believe it is the inspired English translation of God’s Word. Most of the King James Bible is based on the William Tyndale (pronounced/tindǝl/) translation. He is the first person to translate the Books of the Bible from the original Hebrew and Greek texts. During William Tyndale’s lifetime it was difficult for most common people to learn the Scripture because they didn’t know ancient Greek, Latin, or Hebrew. Many people could not read and write English.
William Tyndale believed that the way to God was through His Word and he believed that God’s Word should be available to everyone. The Catholic Church believed just the opposite. The Catholic Church believed the way to God was only through obedience to the Catholic Church and that reading of the Word of God tends to create heretics. When Tyndale requested permission from the Church ecclesiastic authorities to translate the Bible into English, he was flatly denied permission.
Tyndale ignored the Catholic Church leadership and began translating the Bible into English under threat of death. Tyndale said, “I defy the Pope, and all his laws; and if God spares my life, I will cause the boy that drives the plow to know more Scriptures than the Pope himself.” Eventually Tyndale died a martyr’s death. He was burned at the stake on October 6th, 1536, for translating the Bible into English. Tyndale’s last words were, “Lord, open the King of England’s eyes.” See William Tyndale, at Wikipedia.org.
The King of England’s eyes were eventually opened. Within a short time after his death several Bibles using Tyndale’s translation were being published in England. Tydale became a martyr in order to translate the Bible into English and I believe he was God’s anointed vessel to translate the Books of the Bible into English from the original Greek and Hebrew texts.
Tyndale’s English translation of the Bible was a major catalyst for the protestant reformation in England and the creation of the Church of England. I also believe the revivals that swept England subsequent to the Word becoming available to the people of England is the main reason the English Empire eventually dominated the world. Where the Word of God is unleashed, prosperity and success will always follow. Where the Word of God is suppressed, poverty and failure will always follow. This applies to individuals as well as to peoples and to nations.
The King James Bible is a word for word translation of the ancient Greek and Hebrew texts. Any word added for better understanding is italicized.
Second, I would use a King James reference Bible. Often times, the Books of the Old and New Testament reference other Books in the Bible. Remember that much of Proverbs is taken directly from the Book of Psalms. Most of the Books in the New Testament reference scripture from the Old Testament. It is much easier to understand a verse if you know the original context of the verse.
Often times, false teachers will use verses out of context to confuse you and lead you away from the simple truth of the gospel. Some false teachers even take another step and actually change the Word of God. I suspect there is an especially deep, hot, black place in hell reserved for these types of false teachers. Some people say that the King James Version is difficult to understand, but the Word of God is always difficult for a person to properly understand unless they have the Holy Spirit giving them revelation.
Third, get a Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. The Strong’s Concordance is an exhaustive cross-reference of every word in the KJV back to the word in the original Greek and Hebrew text. Each word is given as a number in the Greek and Hebrew dictionaries in the back of the concordance. This will help you find the original Hebrew or Greek word and you can see how the word is used in context in the other books of the Bible. This will allow you get an even deeper understanding of the original texts.
If you have a computer, I recommend downloading e-sword. E-sword is a free software program, which gives a Strong Concordance reference number next to every word. It will help you to search the Old and New Testament and then you can easily find verses in different books of the Bible dealing with the same subject word that you are memorizing.
Do not be afraid to write in your Bible. If your Bible is too fancy or expensive to write in, you need to get another Bible. My Grandmother Adeline left her Bible to my dad when she passed away. She had written notes all over in her Bible. She marked every time she read a verse. She had her favorite verses highlighted and every believer should do the same thing. If you wanted to be an engineer, or a doctor, or an expert in any field, you would begin a systematic course of study.
You would not skim through the learning material, or read the school book once and decide you are an expert. I still have school books that I use for reference in my work. If you begin to be weary of speaking and memorizing Bible verses, remember the goal and the benefits. Your goal is to be a king and priest of the Most High God, your goal is to enter into God’s perfect rest, your goal is to be fruitful and to multiply. Only by knowing and speaking God’s Word will you become intimate with God and enjoy all the benefits, which intimacy with the LORD of Lords entails: health, prosperity, joy, peace, everlasting life and salvation for the lost.
BLESS THE LORD, O MY SOUL, AND FORGET NOT ALL HIS ‘BENEFITS”:
WHO FORGIVETH ALL THINE INIQUITIES; WHO HEALETH “ALL” THY DISEASES;
WHO REDEEMETH THY LIFE FROM DESTRUCTION; WHO CROWNETH THEE WITH LOVING KINDNESS AND TENDER MERCIES;
WHO SATISFIES THY MOUTH WITH GOOD THINGS; SO THAT THY YOUTH IS RENEWED LIKE THE EAGLE’S.
PSALM 103:2-5
My greatest desire is to be a mature spiritual Christian. I would rather be a mature spiritual Christian then the richest man in the world. I promise you, mature Christians are a lot happier! I cannot control whether I will ever be the richest man in the world, but I can control whether I will become a spiritually mature Christian. All Christians can and should determine in their hearts that they will become spiritually mature. A mature Christian must determine in their heart that they will edify the Church, glorify Jesus Christ, save lost souls (multiply) and serve God.
I encourage you to also use this book as a workbook. If an idea or revelation comes to you while reading this book, write it down in the margins. Use this book while memorizing your one-hundred-and-one (101) foundational Bible verses outlined later in chapters 32-36. Meditate on each verse, and after it is memorized highlight it with a yellow marker or pencil. Practice speaking these Bible versed to yourself three times a day. I promise you in a few short years there will be a radical transformation in your spirit, soul and body.