Bible Study

10 Rules for studying the Bible.

1.Choose a time and place
2.Use Bible study tools
3.Have a note book pen and pencil
4.Make a plan
5.Pray before you start
6.Concentrate on what you are reading
7.Ask God to teach you what the Bible is saying to you
8.Memorize the Bible
9.Pray the Word of God
10.Keep a diary or Journal of answered prayer and what God has been teaching you from his Word.

Choose a time and a Place to study the Bible
Genesis 24:63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide:
Pick a time to study the Bible I am like Isaac and my time to study the Bible is the evening yours may be early in the morning it would be good to do both!
Try and stick to the same time every day it is good to make good habits while you are young and instead of bad habits.
Find a place that you can be on your own with God and His book a quiet place with table chairs, probably the sort of place you would do home work etc.
Make sure you are realistic, allow enough time to study the Bible properly, time in the Word of God is never time wasted. To study the Bible in any meaningful way you will need at least one hour a day, two hours would be far better along with a good time of prayer.
You may say “I am too busy for that!” well if that is the case something has to go God has given us 24 hours a day 10% is not too much to ask to spend with him!
You will always be blessed as you spend time in the Word and Prayer. Redeem the time in the Word of God.

Use Bible study tools
2 Timothy 4:13 The cloke that I left at Troas with Carpus, when thou comest, bring with thee, and the books, but especially the parchments.

What do I mean by study tools:-
Centre column reference notes,
Strong's concordance
Naves topical Bible
Matthew Henry Bible Concordance
e-sword
Sermon Audio Website
Blue letter Bible
Bible Gateway
Bible on MP3
Bring a note book pencil and pen
Exodus 24:4 And Moses wrote all the words of the LORD, and rose up early in the morning, and builded an altar under the hill, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel.
Make notes when you study the Word of God.
How will you remember what you have read and what God has shown you unless you write it down.
Imagine if Moses had not written down the Word of God we would not have the first quarter of the Bible!
We are not writing scripture but we are writing what God is showing us from scripture so it is important that you make notes so you can go back and remember what God has taught you about and from his Word.
Mark your Bible but do it with caution use a pencil and do not mark everything just the verses that God is showing you to highlight. Also you can make notes in your Bibles margin if you have one again be careful what you write and do it with reverence.

Make a plan
2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
A friend of mine says this talking about prayer and Bible study “if you aim for nothing, you can be sure you will hit nothing!” in every area of your life it is good to have a plan, in work, in sport in school and most importantly in your Christian life particularly in your devotional life!
I am only learning this now if young people could get hold of this now they could turn this world upside down!
So what sort of a plan should we have when it comes to Bible study.
You will hear the Word systematic used when it comes to Bible study this simply means have a system of studying the Bible. This could be a book by book study which is probably the best way to study the Bible.
Another great way to study the Bible is by doctrine or theme Salvation for example or Sin or Heaven or Hell.

Pray before you read the Bible
Acts 6:4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
Seek the face of God in prayer before you begin your study, during your Bible study and after your Bible study. Pray without ceasing!

Concentrate on what you are reading
Psalms 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.
Make sure you have no distractions, you are reading the very Word of the living God. This is where you need to be some where quiet, you need to be in prayer and you need to be focused.

Ask God to teach you what the Bible is saying to you
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
If you are praying already ask God to show you the following:-
What God is saying in the text.
What is God showing you about Jesus.
What doctrine is God teaching us.
How do you apply this to your life.
How does this relate to the World around you

Memorize the Bible
Psalms 119:16 I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.

Pray the Word of God
1 Timothy 4:5 For it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

Keep a diary or Journal of answered prayer and what God has been teaching you from his Word.
Habakuk 2:2 And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.

Is the Church hunrgy for Revival in Bangor??

I wonder are we hungry enough for revival?? are we crying out day and night for God to move by His Spirit.... More to the point are we hungry for a deeper relationship with Jesus for ourselves our loved ones and the Church in this town.
Let us not kid our selves that things are going well in our town spiritually, they are not, go out and preach the gospel on a Saturday morning or reach out to revellers on Saturday night with the good news of our blessed saviour and you will get a sense of the spiritual temperature in our town, it is somewhere between stone cold and freezing!
What is going on or should I say not going on!
Here are ten reasons I believe we are not seeing God in power in our town.

1. Lack of prevailing prayer (they gave themselves to prayer Acts 6:5 Pray without ceasing 1 Thessalonians 5:17)
2. Lack of Christ centred, Cross centred, Blood centred preaching ( But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. Galatians 6:14)
3. Secular and religious business that shuts out Christ (Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Ephesians 6:5)
4. Lack of faith in the Bible (Thy word is true from the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments endureth for ever. Psalm 119:160)
5. False unity (Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you. 2Corinthians 6:17)
6. Lack of true Unity (Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1)
7. Sin being tolerated in the Church (Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity. Joshua 22:20)
8. Sin in the believers life (I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke13:3)
9. Neglect of our neighbours (How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? Romans 10:14)
10. Neglect of the Bible (Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 2 Timothy 4:2)

Search your hearts and the scripture to see if this makes sense and please let me know.

The Lord is moving in Bangor

Just to encourage any who are interested in revival in our town we have seen the Lord moving in a powerful way.... this is not yet revival but a foreshadowing of what he is going to do.... in the last few weeks we have seen men converted to Christ, we have had reports of healing and people coming back into fellowship, this is not revival but I Believe a foreshadowing of what the Lord will do when revival truly comes. Healing salvation and deliverance. I believe we will see revival in Bangor I believe we will see it on the streets and the churches I believe God is willing to pour out His Blessing if we are willing to cry out to Him day and night.

saved healed and delivered part 2

Saved Healed and Delivered part 2

So we have seen what Jesus did in the Bible we have seen that he healed the sick and cast out devils and did many miracles, we have seen that Jesus commissioned his disciples to do the same. The next question is this who are Jesus disciples?
Are they Just the twelve maybe with a few 1st century Church elders thrown in or are they the whole procession of disciples who have lived for the past 2000 years including me and you?
Does the bible make a distinction between the first century and the 21st century, does the Bible anywhere tell us that the gifts of the Holy Spirit have ceased? The plain answer is no it does not say anything of the sort in fact it says quite the opposite, Jesus says as we have seen that we will do greater works than He did! What an amazing promise to His people.
Another objection to the operation of Gifts of the Holy Spirit is the abuse and manipulation employed by some so called evangelists. There is no doubt that there have been some terrible scandals and some very strange doctrines associated with Pentecostal and Charismatic churches and movements, but that said we do not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
The devil wants nothing more than to discredit Gods working in the world today and turn people away from our lovely Lord Jesus so he will deceive and slander and tempt any person who is trying to serve God with their whole heart. The Pentecostal and Charismatic Churches must be aware of this and while being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and careful not to quench His work among us also be on guard for error and deception. This does not mean turning away from the miraculous but praying for discernment and wisdom as the Spirit moves. It must be said that it is extremely dangerous to attribute the working of God to the devil, this is what Jesus called the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit which is the unpardonable sin, even writing these words fills me with dread. So to claim that the healing movement is filled with charlatans and con men is unfair to say the least and very dangerous at worst.
The next objection is this why does God not heal everybody that is prayed for, I would answer this question very simply. Why does God not save every person who hears the gospel? God is sovereign he knows who He is going to heal and who he will not heal, he knows who He will save and who he will not save. It is our job to preach to the lost and pray for the sick and afflicted it is God that gives the increase. We are his messengers He is the message!

Saved Healed and Delivered

Saved Healed and Delivered.

Jesus commanded his disciples to “go ye into all the World and preach the Gospel to every creature”

Does Jesus give us instruction about how we are to preach the Gospel and does Jesus tell us what will happen when we preach the Gospel?
I believe Jesus tells us how to preach and exactly what will happen after we have preached the Gospel. Jesus tells us in John 14:12 “Verily Verily I say unto you. He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.”
I am amazed that men who I know take the bible seriously do not take these verses seriously and try and rationalise what our Lord and Master is saying. Jesus is saying if we believe in Him we will do the works he did, what is Jesus talking about?
Is Jesus talking about handing out gospel tracts?
Is Jesus talking about playing in a praise band?
Is Jesus talking about driving the Church mini bus?
All of the above are commendable and worth doing but they are not what Jesus is telling us to do he is telling us to do the works that he did. What were these works?

Preaching the Gospel “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Healing the sick
Casting out devils
Raising the dead
Feeding the poor
Setting the captives free

The bible tells us why Jesus did what he did, to glorify the Father and because he had compassion on the people. We should share in this compassion when we preach we must be prepared to pray, when we pray we must preach the two are different sides of the same coin. When the Gospel is preached in the power of the Holy Ghost Jesus is present and my bible tells me he is the same yesterday today and forever. This means we should expect to see Salvation, Healing and Deliverance every time we preach the Gospel. The Gospel is good news to the lost, to the sick and to the oppressed. Jesus tells the disciples, that is us, in Mark 16 “Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature”…..these signs shall follow them that believe devils will be cast out, we will speak with new tongues, we shall be delivered from serpents and poisons, we shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover!

Healing and Revival

I recently had a debate with a good friend of mine regarding healing and prayer for healing particularly relating to ministry on the street does God want us to pray for the sick outside of the confines of the church?
I believe the answer is a very definite yes! and here are the biblical reasons why...

From the Old Testament and New Testament.....

Genesis 20:17
So Abraham prayed unto God: and God healed Abimelech, and his wife, and his maidservants; and they bare children.

Exodus 23:25-26
And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

Exodus 15:26
And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the LORD that healeth thee.

Deuteronomy 7:15
And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee

2 Kings 20:1-11 (see Isaiah 38)
1In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.
2Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed unto the LORD, saying,
3I beseech thee, O LORD, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in thy sight. And Hezekiah wept sore.
4And it came to pass, afore Isaiah was gone out into the middle court, that the word of the LORD came to him, saying,
5Turn again, and tell Hezekiah the captain of my people, Thus saith the LORD, the God of David thy father, I have heard thy prayer, I have seen thy tears: behold, I will heal thee: on the third day thou shalt go up unto the house of the LORD.
6And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake.
7And Isaiah said, Take a lump of figs. And they took and laid it on the boil, and he recovered.
8And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the LORD will heal me, and that I shall go up into the house of the LORD the third day?
9And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the LORD, that the LORD will do the thing that he hath spoken: shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
10And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees: nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
11And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the LORD: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz.

1 Kings 17: 17
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him.
And she said unto Elijah, What have I to do with thee, O thou man of God? art thou come unto me to call my sin to remembrance, and to slay my son?
And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed.
And he cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, hast thou also brought evil upon the widow with whom I sojourn, by slaying her son?
And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the LORD, and said, O LORD my God, I pray thee, let this child's soul come into him again.
And the LORD heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
And Elijah took the child, and brought him down out of the chamber into the house, and delivered him unto his mother: and Elijah said, See, thy son liveth.
And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in thy mouth is truth.


New Testament

Matthew 4:22-24
22And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.
23And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people.
24And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.

Matthew 8:5-7
And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented.
And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and heal him.

Matthew 8:13-15
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour.
And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever.
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.

Matthew 8:15-17
And he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered unto them.
When the even was come, they brought unto him many that were possessed with devils: and he cast out the spirits with his word, and healed all that were sick:
That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying, Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.

Matthew 9
1And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.
2And, behold, they brought to him a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed: and Jesus seeing their faith said unto the sick of the palsy; Son, be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee.
3And, behold, certain of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
4And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
5For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
6But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house.
7And he arose, and departed to his house.
8But when the multitudes saw it, they marvelled, and glorified God, which had given such power unto men.

Matthew 9:35
And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Matthew 10: 1
And when he had called unto him his twelve disciples, he gave them power against unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all manner of sickness and all manner of disease.

Matthew 10:7-9 And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.
Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give. Provide neither gold, nor silver, nor brass in your purses,

Matthew 14:13-15
When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities.
And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
And when it was evening, his disciples came to him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time is now past; send the multitude away, that they may go into the villages, and buy themselves victuals.

Acts 5:15Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.


Acts 5:16
There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one

Acts 9:32-34 (King James Version)
And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.
And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.

Acts 19:11-13
And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul:
So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs or aprons, and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out of them.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10
8For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit;
9To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;
10To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another the interpretation of tongues:

Blessings on the street( let us see revival on the streets)

The outreach on Bangor's Main Street continues every Saturday Morning between 11am and 1pm at the Northern Bank, we feel led by the LORD to focus on the Word of God giving out Gospel tracts preaching the Word and displaying the Word using signs..... For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; (Romans 1:16) So then Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God.(Romans 10:17)

Recently we have felt the Lord is beginning to bless the work with people stopping for prayer and encouragement, we have recently seen people call on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation as a result of the work the LORD is doing.
Please pray that this multiplies and produces good fruit, fruit that will last.
We also experience some opposition from people swearing and reviling the preaching of God's Word, we expect this, pray that the revilers will be brought under conviction by the Holy Spirit and will get saved.

Prayer points Pray that :-

• The Holy Ghost will anoint the preaching of the Word of God
• Many will come to saving faith in Jesus Christ
• Pray that the sick would be healed and the oppressed delivered
• That above all else God would be glorified and the name of Jesus lifted up above our town and country
• Pray for revival in these Islands
• Pray for a dear friend of ours undergoing treatment for cancer that he would recover and rejoin the team

God bless you all and thank you for your prayer's

Richard