Paul says: "[B]u] test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thess. 5:21, ESV). John says that we are to "test the spirits" to see whether they are of God. We are to treasure the gifts of God and be accountable for the gift or gifts we are blessed with. "Christ is all, and in all," says Paul. The difference in the Christian faith is that we are not living in our own effort, but by the mighty power of God in us (cf. Col 1:29; Heb. 13:21). Paul says he ventures not to speak, but of what Christ has accomplished through him (cf. Rom. 15:18).
Even a prophet is "not without honor," says Jesus, "except in his hometown and in his own family." Paul also says not to "despise prophesying"--but what does he mean by that? Charles Colson was a modern-day prophet in that he was a clear-thinking interpreter of the times we live in and opened the eyes of many to the sign of the times. There are a plethora of spiritual books, even from false prophets and doomsayers, on the market and we are blessed to be edified by so much scholarship, but one cannot read every one; one must make value judgments, make recommendations, and learn to read with a purpose and organize his reading so that he knows what is worth filing, making note of, referencing, footnoting, or reading again and again--some books are to be digested, not just read superficially or skimmed through.
We must learn to learn from each other, for we all have something to contribute and share, and we can learn from the experience and scholarship of others. When we get discernment we can readily appraise what we read to organize it in our minds and reference it. Some books are just worth a quick perusal or skimming or speed-reading. They may be worth just ten minutes of our time, we might think. When we are given large reading assignments, we must learn to assess the relative value and worth or importance of what we read and read with a purpose. Some of it may not even have been worth our time or even a waste of it (hopefully we learned a lesson, though), but hopefully, we can discern books, etc., by their titles and judge whether we might be able to apply or use the information contained.
A bad habit to get into is to read spiritual matter for entertainment or to kill time instead of redeeming or invest time (it should be for edification, thirst for the truth, and inspiration)--we should always read sincerely so that God can speak to us through the scholarship of others, and we can benefit. Even Paul asked Timothy to bring his parchments to him so he would have reading material--it is wrong to think that God only wants us to read Scripture (I believe Paul enjoyed reading since he had been a Pharisee), and that reading only the Bible is somehow holier or mature. When we are to "hold fast that which is good," it means explicitly that we are to retain and organize for future use any material we do read, as an application. We may have our favorite books that we refer to over and over again and have become a part of us, and ones that we might as well part with, having no heart feelings or regret. It is one thing to know "how to read" literally, and HOW TO READ: it's quite another matter to know what you're reading and how to do it!
Good writing, it has been said, comes from a good soul and spirit, and one should know the author to have insight into the writing. Remember, if you don't read good writing you will read bad writing or "feed on trash," as they say GIGO or garbage-in-garbage-out! "The wise hunger for the knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash" (cf. Proverbs 15:14). Non-believers are those who "reject the truth" and "do not love the truth" according to 2 Thess. 2:20 and Christians must learn to love knowledge, wisdom, and understanding because "knowledge is power," according to Sir Francis Bacon, citing Proverbs 24:5, which says that he who increases knowledge increases power per the ESV: "... a man of knowledge increases his strength". Soli Deo Gloria!
Even a prophet is "not without honor," says Jesus, "except in his hometown and in his own family." Paul also says not to "despise prophesying"--but what does he mean by that? Charles Colson was a modern-day prophet in that he was a clear-thinking interpreter of the times we live in and opened the eyes of many to the sign of the times. There are a plethora of spiritual books, even from false prophets and doomsayers, on the market and we are blessed to be edified by so much scholarship, but one cannot read every one; one must make value judgments, make recommendations, and learn to read with a purpose and organize his reading so that he knows what is worth filing, making note of, referencing, footnoting, or reading again and again--some books are to be digested, not just read superficially or skimmed through.
We must learn to learn from each other, for we all have something to contribute and share, and we can learn from the experience and scholarship of others. When we get discernment we can readily appraise what we read to organize it in our minds and reference it. Some books are just worth a quick perusal or skimming or speed-reading. They may be worth just ten minutes of our time, we might think. When we are given large reading assignments, we must learn to assess the relative value and worth or importance of what we read and read with a purpose. Some of it may not even have been worth our time or even a waste of it (hopefully we learned a lesson, though), but hopefully, we can discern books, etc., by their titles and judge whether we might be able to apply or use the information contained.
A bad habit to get into is to read spiritual matter for entertainment or to kill time instead of redeeming or invest time (it should be for edification, thirst for the truth, and inspiration)--we should always read sincerely so that God can speak to us through the scholarship of others, and we can benefit. Even Paul asked Timothy to bring his parchments to him so he would have reading material--it is wrong to think that God only wants us to read Scripture (I believe Paul enjoyed reading since he had been a Pharisee), and that reading only the Bible is somehow holier or mature. When we are to "hold fast that which is good," it means explicitly that we are to retain and organize for future use any material we do read, as an application. We may have our favorite books that we refer to over and over again and have become a part of us, and ones that we might as well part with, having no heart feelings or regret. It is one thing to know "how to read" literally, and HOW TO READ: it's quite another matter to know what you're reading and how to do it!
Good writing, it has been said, comes from a good soul and spirit, and one should know the author to have insight into the writing. Remember, if you don't read good writing you will read bad writing or "feed on trash," as they say GIGO or garbage-in-garbage-out! "The wise hunger for the knowledge, while the fool feeds on trash" (cf. Proverbs 15:14). Non-believers are those who "reject the truth" and "do not love the truth" according to 2 Thess. 2:20 and Christians must learn to love knowledge, wisdom, and understanding because "knowledge is power," according to Sir Francis Bacon, citing Proverbs 24:5, which says that he who increases knowledge increases power per the ESV: "... a man of knowledge increases his strength". Soli Deo Gloria!
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