A Few Thoughts about Reading
A Few Notes About Reading, Books and Study.
A follower of Jesus should read their Bible every day. When I first came to the Lord some 47 years ago, the King James Version (KJV) was the only Bible I knew. It was the version used in church. I love the language, but it was hard for a 17 year old to read. So, I found a Living Bible, which was a paraphrase of the Bible. I read the New Testament in the Living Bible and then I was able to understand the KJV when I read it.
At Lee, I took Old Testament Survey and was assigned to read the entire Old Testament. Well, the last half of Exodus and the book of Leviticus cured insomnia whenever I read the KJV. I thought I would never get through. Then I bought the New International Version in 1979. Changed my life. I was able to read the Bible as never before and understood the genre and narrative forms I was reading. It was a single column NIV hardback. I paid $20 for it. I still have it somewhere. Anyway, I read the NIV for pleasure and studied my Dakes Annotated Study Bible. I went through all the notes and all the text in most of the Bible. Someone stole it from me after I had highlighted with colored pencil all the notes. I guess they needed it more than me. I never color-coded my Bibles after that. I may make a note in pencil- but I want the Bible I read to speak to me without any distraction.
My mother instilled a love for reading in me as a child. My father-in Law, Bill Petty, introduced me to Christian books. He gave me a copy of Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. Another life- changing encounter. I have re-read that book several times. I believe it is the best-selling book in the English language beside the Bible, and for good reason. This was the first book that really impacted me. So, I read many other Bunyan titles and a couple of biographies of his life. Holy War is probably even better than Pilgrim’s Progress.
When I come across a book that impacts me, I say “that makes my baby jump.” I am referencing Elizabeth when she heard the voice of Mary in Luke 1:41. There are some books that just hit you in a different way. When I find an author who hits me this way, I usually try to read everything they have written. John Bunyan, C.S. Lweis, Tolkien, Walter Wangerin, Eugene Peterson, Frederick Buechner, Jacque Ellul and James B. Jordan. These men have been my pastors and teachers, my apostles and prophets for decades. They still are.
“The Source” by James Michener should be read by everyone. “Born Crucified “by L. E. Maxwell has impacted me deeply more than I can put in words. And in the last few years, Michael Heiser, N,T. Wright, and many others have brought new understanding to the Bible for me.
Nowadays, we have podcasts and YouTubes. The Bible Project is so great! And there are so many good podcasts and discussions about the Bible that are really edifying. Reading may not be the way you learn. There are other ways. Audio books are great as well. I have been using Audible since before the Ipod or phone came into existence. Audible had a device called an “Otis” that had 64 mb room on it. One book loaded at a time.
I now use the computer for most of my Bible study now. I have the Logos Silver package. I started with Quickverse, then WordSearch, before they both went out of business. I still do not know how to use it anywhere near its potential.
A follower of Jesus has no excuse in this day and age to not be growing in knowledge about the Bible, theology, church history and practical living. Just find a source that “makes your baby jump.” Then study becomes fun and addicting instead of dutiful and boring.