Why didn't God save His holy covenant for the Christians?

Sincerely,
Feeling Cheated

Dear Feeling Cheated,

Any covenant made with God is a “holy” covenant.  The word ‘holy’ means ‘special or set apart’, and the word ‘covenant’ means ‘agreement or contract’.  Any agreement that God makes with anyone is special because God is special!  God has had numerous holy covenants.  He made one with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Gen 2:16-17).  He made one with the earth when He set the rainbow in the sky (Gen 9:13-16).  He made one with Abraham when He promised to make Abraham into a mighty nation (Gen 15:18).  All of these are examples of holy covenants God has made over the centuries.

The last covenant God made was with Christians.  God made a promise to save us through Jesus Christ, and then He ratified that covenant with Jesus’ blood (Heb 13:20).  The Christian covenant is the greatest and most wonderful covenant God has ever made with mankind.

Is it okay to read a prayer, like a script, instead of it all coming from your heart at the moment you pray?

Eloquently,
Memorized

Dear Memorized,

Every prayer should come from your heart - but not necessarily off the top of your head.  We have all sorts of examples of prayers in the Bible.  Nehemiah prayed silently in his head as he stood before the king (Neh 2:4).  On the other hand, David wrote many, many prayers down in the Psalms.  Some prayers are spontaneous; some prayers are meticulously written down.  In either case, if it is sincere, it is valid (Eph 6:24).  If you write it down beforehand, it still came from your mind just as much as if you'd thought it up on the spot.

      I have the Holy Spirit within me.  A voice in my head tells me I am not worthy to have the Holy Spirit within me.  Is that Satan trying to beguile me as he did Adam and Eve?  I sense the spiritual presence of God in my mind.

How can I have His Holy Spirit and Satan at the same time?

Sincerely,
Of Two Minds

Dear Of Two Minds,

Christians do have the Holy Spirit dwell in them (Rom 8:9) – but not literally, so there is no way to “sense” the presence of God in our minds. The Holy Spirit dwells in Christians in the same metaphorical way that Christ dwells in Christians (Rom 8:10). The Holy Spirit and Jesus do not physically dwell inside Christians miraculously. They dwell within Christians in a figurative way because a Christian’s life follows the path the Holy Spirit and Christ set for them.

The Holy Spirit dwells in those that follow the Bible and put to death their previous sinful lifestyles (Rom 8:12-14). The Holy Spirit gave us the Bible, and when we follow it, we are led by the Spirit (read “What The Holy Spirit Does” for further details). Those who are led by the Spirit are sons of God, and the Spirit dwells in them (Rom 8:14-16).

If you would like more information on this topic, we have an entire series of sermons on the Holy Spirit that can be downloaded or viewed by clicking here.

I have been having an urge to read my Bible lately, but when I sit down to actually do so, it's so intimidating.  I don't know where to start, and I can think of at least five things that I want to look at.  Please help!

Sincerely, Study Stress

Dear Study Stress,

The key to any kind of worship or Bible study is to make it a regular habit.Daniel had a habit of praying (Dan 6:10).Make a decision to put Bible study into your day first (Matt 6:33) and schedule other things around it.Most people fail to study their Bibles because it isn’t a part of their regular life.Make it a part of your morning routine, your lunch break, or bedtime ritual.Somehow schedule it into your life and make it a habit.

After you do that, it is just a matter of what you want to learn first.Many people read a Psalm a day, a chapter of Proverbs each week, or use a ‘read the Bible in a year program’, or you grab one of those five things you want to look at and read away.Any of these is a perfectly acceptable system.In fact, you can buy Bibles that are organized, so that you read a little of the Old Testament and a little of the New Testament every day.For new Bible students, I often recommend reading the gospel of Matthew or the gospel of John first, so that you become acquainted with Christ’s life; then follow that up with the book of Acts and familiarize yourself with the first century church.

The goal is to study your Bible, not just read it.God tells us to study to show ourselves approved (2 Tim 2:15) and to meditate upon God’s Word (Ps 119:15).You could read through an entire book of the Bible in an hour or so but fail to appreciate any of it. Read your Bible with a notepad beside you and a pen or highlighter in hand.Write down your questions and get them answered.Highlight meaningful verses.If you don’t understand something, don’t move on until you do.It is more important that you understand than that you read a large portion of text.And lastly, enjoy your Bible reading time; you are reading the most influential and meaningful book on the planet!

Can a person grow to be as smart as King Solomon? Is it impossible?

Sincerely, Searching For Wisdom

Dear Searching For Wisdom,

Solomon’s capacity for wisdom was unique and given to him miraculously as a gift from God (1 Kgs 4:29).The Bible states that no one ever was or will be as wise as Solomon (1 Kgs 3:12).We may never attain Solomon’s stature of wisdom, but God still provides a vast well of wisdom for everyone to drink from.The Proverbs teach that God’s wisdom is available for all if we will seek it (Pr 1:20-23).God tells us that if we pray for wisdom, He will give it to us (Jas 1:5).There was only one Solomon, but there is still a whole world of wisdom available in the Bible for the rest of us (Col 3:16).