Study it yourself!

Study the Bible yourself, cover to cover, book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse [Luke 4:4, by every word of God, not just some]. Don't omit any part of it. Study to gain understanding; it will come eventually. Use the tools available today, such as the [Strong's Exhaustive Concordance], Smith's Bible dictionary, Companion Bible by E.W. Bullinger, etc. [Check out the meaning of each key word, in each verse]. See 1 Timothy 4:13 [study His doctrine till He returns]. This is a KJV Bible study guide. Don't try to just read it like a novel. Be patient and diligent; study each verse and word. It takes time, a lot of time. Build that pyramid of knowledge one brick at a time. Pray to God for more understanding, insight, wisdom and knowledge; He will give you what is necessary for you, if you are sincere [James 1:5-6]. By studying it personally, it helps you in all areas of your life. The Bible is a letter from God to each of us, making it one of the most important choices we can make. The Bible is a book that is not merely for reading. It is a book for studying so that it can be applied. Otherwise, it is like swallowing food without chewing and then spitting it back out again—no nutritional value is gained by it. The Bible is God's Word. As such, it is as binding as the laws of nature. We can ignore it, but we do so to our own detriment, just as we would if we ignored the law of gravity. It cannot be emphasized strongly enough just how important the Bible is to our lives. Studying the Bible can be compared to mining for gold. If we make little effort and merely "sift through the pebbles in a stream," we will only find a little gold dust. But the more we make an effort to really dig into it, the more reward we will gain for our effort. It is also important to be familiar with God's true Word, so you can tell when someone, including a preacher, is trying to deceive you. How else would you know? Try the spirits, this is a commandment from God. Prove to yourself what is actually in the Bible. Feed your spirit. Just as our bodies need a balanced diet, our souls require a steady diet of Scripture. Our spirits cannot survive without the Word of God. That is the main reason for studying. Proverbs 3:1-19 [wisdom and understanding]; Psalm 119:131 [hungry for the word. Why? Read Amos 8:11.]; Isaiah 28:9 [meat of the Word]; Matthew 11:29 [Jesus said learn of me]; John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26; 1 Timothy 4:13; 1 John 4:1 [God tells us to try the spirits. Remember, all scripture is inspired by God! 2 Timothy 3:16]; Revelation 1:3; Jesus asked several times, “Have ye not read”?Matthew 12:3, 5, 19:4, 21:16, 42, 22:31-32; By choosing not to study His Word, you are forsaking God. Not a good choice my friend. Have ye not read, occurs 7 times in scripture. Have ye never read, occurs 2 times. Did ye never read, occurs 1 time only. What excuse would you give Him for not reading it all? Want to be rewarded for truly seeking Him? See Hebrews 11:6. It is written occurs 80+ times. If it is written, it is meant to be read and studied! You will be guided by the Holy Spirit. You will learn to find and to discern truth.Proverbs 8:8-12, 14, 17; John 8:31-32, 14:25-26, 16:13-14; 1 Corinthians 2:10, 12-13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13 [for those that believe God's word is truth, it works in you! ; 2 Peter 1:19-21 [Holy Spirit will move you]; What makes you wise unto salvation through belief in Jesus Christ? In other words, where will you learn what you need to know about Him and salvation? Paul also tells us who inspired all scripture and for what we can use them for. John 5:39, 17:17 [truth!]; 2 Timothy 3:15-17. Our innermost thoughts and desires are exposed by God's true word, He knows our hearts.Hebrews 4:12. Do you allow a spiritually blind person to interpret the Bible for you? Both of you will end up in the ditch if you aren't careful. Satan does use some professed Christians to lead souls from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ [muddy the waters so to speak]. See Luke 6:39; Always check someone out for yourself in the Bible, try the spirits. Then you will know. Thy word is truth. See Psalm 33:4; Proverbs 30:5; John 17:17; 1 Timothy 2:3-5; James 1:21; 1 Peter 1:22. (Do you doubt these and reject them? Why? Would your excuse satisfy God)? Those that do not study and reject His wisdom will be very easy to deceive. You can stay where you are now or learn what God's Word says. Your choice, follow your heart. But remember, the battles in the end times (today, 2023+) are spiritual battles, not physical battles. Satan and his followers use lies, fear, false accusations, twisted scripture and supernatural wonders to deceive the whole world. Arm yourself with His truth and peace, put on the whole armor of God. Proverbs 30:5-6; Amos 8:11; Matthew 10:16; Ephesians 6:10-17; Revelation 12:9; Can you recognize twisted scripture? Prayer is not a substitute for reading the Word of God. When we pray, we talk to God. And when we read God's Word, He talks to us. Of the two, I believe it is more important that God speak to us and we obey Him. First read the Word, then pray. As Bible Believers, there is yet much preparation the Bride (true believers) must undergo to become ready for the Bridegroom (Christ), but there is precious little time. There is much hidden treasure to be found buried within the Scriptures that will provide immense wealth of preparation to the Reader. May every one of us find Gold, Silver, and Precious Stones within the Scriptures! Feed your spirit. UNDERSTANDING THE BIBLE
We need to look at the Bible, at scripture, and at Bible lessons from different perspectives; from different angles. We need not skip, scan, or rush over scripture, or take anything for granted. We are in the most danger of missing something when we think we fully know and understand something! If we think we know something; we look no further! We need to look closer, give a closer look, and then look again! We need to always dig deeper, to dig for the deeper truths, to step into the deeper waters. See the website article below which gives us tips on better understanding of the Bible (lengthy read, but very informative): http://www.coghomeschool.org/site/cog_archives/booklets/How%20To%20Solve%20Bible%20Difficulties.pdf Final thoughts! There is only the Bible, the single source of power that will change our lives from the inside out. But it takes effort, diligent, everyday effort, to know the God who controls everything. If we drink deeply of His Word and let it fill our minds and hearts, the sovereignty of God will become clear to us, and we will rejoice in it because we will know intimately and trust completely the God who controls all things for His perfect purpose.