Why Should You Memorize Scripture?

Sep 18, 2014


by Rick Warren


“Whoever looks intently into the perfect law … and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do.” (James 1:25 NIV)

If you’re serious about being spiritually strong and mature, the greatest habit you can develop is memorizing Scripture. In fact, the Bible says in James 1:25 that it’s one of four habits that leads to a blessed life: “Whoever looks intently into the perfect law … and continues in it — not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it — they will be blessed in what they do” (NIV).

Read your Bible. “Whoever looks intently …”
Review the Bible. “… continues in it …”
Remember the Bible. “… not forgetting what they have heard …”
Respond to the Bible. “ … but doing it …”

You don’t want to be a spiritual baby anymore. It’s time to grow up and live the blessed life you’re meant to live. Hiding God’s Word in your heart is an important way to start.

You may not think you have a good memory, but you remember what’s important to you. You remember the phone numbers and dates that you care about. I’ve heard people say they can’t memorize anything, but they can quote songs from the 1960s and rattle off the statistics of their favorite baseball players.

Memory is a skill you can learn. It’s a muscle you can strengthen. In fact, memorizing Scripture will cause your brain to have a stronger memory in other areas. I guarantee it. Study after study has shown this.

Why is it important to memorize Scripture?
You’ll always have God’s Word with you. When you’re tempted, you don’t have a Bible open or by your side. When you’re witnessing to someone who doesn’t know Jesus, is under stress, needs comfort, or is in a crisis, there’s usually not a Bible around. You need God’s Word in your mind so you can remember it and review it right when you need it.

You can meditate on Scripture wherever you go. You can’t review God’s Word unless you remember it. If you’ve memorized Scripture, you can think about it when you get into bed at night or as you drive to an appointment. You can think about the Bible because you’ve memorized it. That’s called meditation. The only promise of prosperity and success that God gives us in the Bible says that meditating on his Word is the key (Joshua 1:8).

Start memorizing Scripture today. Pick a verse a week. In a year, you’ll have memorized 52 verses. In two years, you’ll have memorized more than 100 verses.

Talk It Over
What changes do you need to make so that you are regularly reading and studying the Bible?
You already know the ways you learn and memorize best. What tools, tactics, or people can help you memorize Scripture?
How do you respond when God brings Scripture to mind in certain situations? How should you respond?

How to Get Better Reception of God’s Word

Sep 17, 2014


by Rick Warren



“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:19b-21 NIV)

Let’s say you’re a gardener. You’ve learned that you can take the exact same seed and plant it in three different locations and get three different results. In one spot, you’ll get giant tomatoes. In another, you’ll get small tomatoes. And in a third, you’ll get nothing. What’s the difference? It’s not the seed; it’s the soil. The soil must be prepared for the seed.

The same is true when you hear God’s Word. Your heart has to be prepared for the Word. If you get up late, have trouble finding a parking spot, and are irritated as you rush into church, you’re probably not going to hear God’s voice! You’re not in a receptive mood.

That’s why you can take two people to church, set them side-by-side, and one will walk out thinking God really spoke to him and the other won’t get anything out of the service. The heart of one person was prepared; the other’s heart wasn’t.

The Bible says, “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you”(James 1:19b-21 NIV).

For good reception, this passage teaches that you have to have four attitudes:
You must be quiet. You can’t hear God if you’re talking.
You have to be calm. You can’t rush God. If you’re frantic, you’re not going to hear him. The Bible says, “Be still and know that I am God.” My translation of that is: “Sit down, and shut up.”
You have to be clean. Before you can meet with God, you need to take out your emotional and spiritual garbage. You need to get rid of the stuff that stinks in your life. You get rid of the garbage by confessing your sin to God and agreeing with him that what you did was wrong.
You need to be humble. Be ready to do whatever God tells you from his Word. A prideful attitude won’t work.

Talk It Over
Why do you think silence and active listening are such difficult things to practice? What can you do to minimize your distractions so that you are able to listen well?
What is the emotional and spiritual garbage that is keeping you from hearing God’s voice today?
What new habits can you adopt to help prepare your family to hear from God during church, family or individual devotions, or at any time?

Mathai 7:5 Simfiangnak

Matt 7:6 

“A thianghlimmi thil kha uico va pe hlah uh; her tahratin nanmah riangri sawp seksek in a lo keu ding. Nan keplung mankhung pawl cu vok hmaiah thlak hlah uh; a ke in a pal lak men ding a si."

Himi thu ka siar ban tawk Bible thiam pawl ih simmi ka lo hlawm ding. 

Matt 7:6a "A thianghlimmi thil kha uico va pe hlah uh; her tahratin nanmah riangri sawp seksek in a lo keu ding."

"A thianghlimmi thil” timi cu "Pathian tongkam tinak" a si. 

“Uico” timi cu "Pathian tihzahnak hrikti tia te hman nei lo ih, zumtu pawl khal nautat ih hremtu, hrang emem minung tinak a si.” Hivek minung hnen ah a thianghlimmi Pathian tongkam va sim hlah tinak a si. Hivek minung hnen ah Pathian na sim ahcun, na simmi thu zianghman ih a siar lo ih hlei ah, nangmah tiang a lo siatsuah ding tinak a si.

Matt 7:6b "Nan keplung mankhung pawl cu vok hmaiah thlak hlah uh; a ke in a pal lak men ding a si."

“Lung mankhung” timi cu “Pathian thu thawi nun simnak” a ti duhnak a si thei. 

“Vok” timi cu sualnak le borhhlawhnak thawn a khat ih Pathian thu zianghman ih a siar duh lo tu tinak a si. Misual ciocio hman ah Pathian thu a cohlang duhtu le zianghman ih a siar lo tu an um. Zianghman ih a siar duh lo tu cu na simmi thu kha a pal lak men ding. 

Hminsin: mi zokip hnen khal ah Pathian ih thuthangtha cu kan va sim ko ding nan, ka thusimmi a ngaitu hi mi puarthau, hngal hngawng, Pathian thu ziangkhal ih siar lo tu a si maw timi kha kan zohthiam cu a tul ding tinak a si. 

Vancungram Nun a Neitu Pumpak le Innsaang

Eph. 5:18-33

Thuhmaihruai:

Ziangruangah innsang tampi ah tthenawknak a suak? Mihrek khat cu an address cu a bang aw nan, an thinlung sungah a tthen aw zomi tampi an um. Hivek sungih sin ziangtin kan innsang hi kan kham thei ding?

Vancungram nun a neitu pumpak le innsang pawl ih thuthup

Bible ih in zirh daan cu Pathian ih Thlarua Thianghlim huham cahnak ih lamhruainak thawng in innsang nuam a cang thei ti in sim (Eph. 5:22-33).

“Thlarau Thianghlim thawn khat uh” timi hi Bible ca ih in fialmi a si. “Khat” tiah a timi ih sullam cu ziang a si tile, thlarau tampi hi kan innsang ah ko in, kan nunnak ah an rung lut ciamco khi a si lo. Thlarau Thianghlim cu pakhat lawng a si. “Khat” timi ih a sullam cu “Thlarau Thianghlim in lo uk seh" tinak a si sawn. Thuthimnak ah,  mi pakhat cu thinhennak in a khat tiah kan ti tikah, a sullam cu, “thinhennak thu le hla lawnglawng a ruat ih, cuih thinhennak in a nunnak a uk, control” tinak a si. Cuvek thiamthiam in, Thlarau Thianghlim ih khat timi cu “Thlarau Thianghlim thawn pawlkom aw, a duhmi hawl, ruat, thlun, Thlarau ih duhnak ih control mi” pawl tinak a si.  

Thlaurau Baptisma le Thlarau khat nun simfiang nak

(The Baptism of the Holy Spirit & The Filling ah the Holy Spirit)

Mi pakhat in Jesuh Khrih kha ka sual ngaithiamtu le ka thlun dingmi ka Bawipa a si tiah a pom hnu ahcun, Thlarau Thianghlim cu pek a si cih (1 Cor 12:13). Cumi cu tong dang in Thlarau Tihnimnak (Holy Spirit Baptism) ti khal in an ko. Cuih thlarau cun, “Jesuh ih taa na si” tiah in theih ter. Cucu, nang le kei ih tuah theimi a si lo. Pathian in zumtu kan si le vete ih in pekmi a si.

Asinan, Thlarau Thianghlim khal a nei zo ko, Pathian ih innsang, a fanu/pa khal ka si ti a thei aw zo ko nan, Thlarau Thianghlim ih uk thei lomi, hruai thei lomi tam tuk kan um. Cumi nun cu innsang buainak a suah tertu bik cu.

Mirang tong cun, “The baptism of the Spirit means that I belong to Christ’s body. The filling of the Spirit means that my body belong to Christ” tiah an ti. Sim duhmi cu Thlarau baptisma timi cu Jesuh Khrih in ka nunnak hi ka ta tiah in tinak a si ih, Thlarau khat nun cu kanmah in Jesuh kha, “Ka nunnak cu na taa ka si” tiah kan ti ih kan apawknak khi a si.

Ziangtin Thlarau ih Ukmi kan si thei ding?

Ziangtin Thlarau in in Uk thei ding timi kan fiang theinak dingah, “Zuu in” thawn a tahthim. Zuu kan in tikah, zuu kan in tam deuhdeuh le zuu in in ciah deuhdeuh, neta lam ahcun, zuu tha in in kan ruahnak, tong daan le hoiher daan pawl a control theh. Cuvek thiamthiam in, Thlarau Thianghlim ih in uk theinak dingah, Thlarau Thianghlim ih a hmanmi cu “Bible ca, Amah thawn pawlkomawknak a simi Thlacamnak, le zumtu dang pawl thawn pawlkomawknak” pawl kha na nunnak sungah thun ringring aw. Cutikah, Thlarau in na ruah ban lo in, na sunglam ah hna a tuan dingih na nun daan, tong daan pawl khal a lo control theh ding.

Thlarau a controlmi pawl ih a rah pali in a sim:

1.     Pumpak nun ah an lungawi (Eph. 5:19). Saam hla thawn Pathian thangthat in an lungawi ding. Lungawi lo pawl in hla an sak thei lo.  Himi kan fiangnak dingah Jesuh ih nu Mary ih thu in simfiang ka duh. Mary kha amaih duhmi hnak in Pathian ih duhmi: “Nau na pai ding ih a hmin ah Jesuh tiah an ko ding” timi a ngai deuh tikah, a nunnak cu ningzahnak hnak in lungawinak thawn a khat ih Saam hla sak in caan a hmang.

2.     Pathian hnen ah lungawi thu an sim (Eph. 5:20). Pathian hnen ah Saam hlabu sung ih hla le thlacamnak thawn lungawi thu an sim. Mary ih nunnak kan zoh lala tikah, Pathian in a nunnak a control ter tikah, lungawinak thawn a khat ih tlun ah Pathian hnen ah lungawinak thu a sim ti kan hmu.

3.     Midang hnen khal ah Pathian ih thathnak thu an sim (Eph. 5:20). Mary kha amah lawng lungawi kha tawk a ti thiam nawn lo. A unau Elizabeth hnen ah feh in a lungawinak thu a va sim ih, midang ih sunglam tiang lungawinak a thlen ter.

4.     Khat le khat ih duhnak an thlun aw (Eph. 5:21ff). Midang uk duhnak si lo in, midang thu ngai/lun nun a nei sawn. Efesa 5:21 tanglam hi siar uhla, Thlarau khat nun a neitu nupa (couple) pawl ih um daan ding a sim. Cumi cu, khat le khat ih duhnak kha an thlun aw. Uk aw tum lo in, duhnak thlun aw in an um sawn ti kan hmu.

Thunetnak

Vancungram nun a neitu nunnak le innsang pawl ih nun daan thuthup cu Thlarau Thianghlim ih thuthu in a fehtu pawl le a nungtu pawl an si. Pathian ih ta ka si ti men in kan Khrihfa nun hi tawk ter hlah uh si. Pathian hnen ah, na duh bang in I hmang aw tiah kan apawk a tul. Sinan, ziangah kan ap aw thei lo tile, zuu tam deuh a in mi pawl in an nunnak cu zuu in a control bang in, Thlarau in, a cahnak huham hrangih a hmanmi “Bible ca siarnak, Thlacamnak, le zumtu pawl thawn pawlkom awknak pawl” tam deuhdeuh in kan nun ih kan neih ahcun, kan nunnak cu Thlarau in in control thei ding a si. Cumi a neitu pawl cu vancungram nun cu nitin an tep ngah. Asinan, Thlarau Thianghlim tam deuhdeuh ih a pawlkom lotu pawl cu vancungram nun tep ngah lo in ni an liam. Nang teh na nunnak Thlarau ih ukmi na si zo maw? Acahnak hrangih hmanmi pawl na ei maw?

___________________

San No Thuan

December 7, 2013

Lian Sin & Lian Thawng teih inn ih ka simmi a si. 

I truly am thirsty for you my God

Psalm 42:1 As a deer gets thirsty for streams of water, I truly am thirsty for you my God.
Saam Hla Bu 42:1 Zukneng in zo tidai a ngai duahdo vekin, Maw Pathian, nangmah cu ka lo ngai a si.

Rom 9:21 Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?
Rom 9:21  Thungai in kan ti a sile beel tuahtu cun tlak leilung kha a duhduh ih tuah theinak thu a nei: a duh a sile tlak hlom khat ihsin beel pahnih a tuah thei; pakhat cu tikcu sunglawi caanih hman dingah, a dang pakhat cu nitin hman meen dingah, a tuah a si. 

2 Chronicles 20:15  ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.
2 Sensiarnak 20:15  ‘Nan ral pawl an tam ruangah phang hlah uh, nan thin tla nau hlah seh. Raldonak cu nan thu a si lo, Pathian lairel a si.

John 7:38  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”
Johan 7:38  Ca Thianghlim in ‘Zokhal keimah i zumtu cu a thinlung sung ihsin nunnak tiva a put ding,’


 

Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law

Psalm 119:18
 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law
Na daan sungah mangbangza thudik ka hmuh theinak dingah ka mit cu vaangter hram aw.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Matthew 21:22
And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”

1 Peter 5:6
Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,

Psalm 27:1
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

Psalm 32:7 I will keep you safe from trouble for I am your hiding place.

Psalm 62:2 I am your rock and your salvation a fortress that cannot be shaken.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1peter 2:9
I have chosen you to be a royal priesthood and a holy nation

Isaiah 49:15
Even if your mother forget you I will never forget you.

Luke 12:6-7
If I look after the sparrows, I will certainly take care of you.

Isaiah 41:10
Don't be afraid. I am with you. Don't tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories.

John 4:23
I will seek after those who worship Me in spirit and truth.

Jeremiah 29:11
For I know the plans that I [a]have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.

Psalm 55:22
Cast your burden on the Lord, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 121:3
I will not let you fall, for I am watching over you day and night.

Psalm 62:2
Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.

Ephesians 6: 10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.

Isaiah 3:17
I, the Lord, invite you to come and talk it over. Your sins are scarlet red, but they will be whiter than snow or wool.

Zephaniah 3:17
The Lord your God in your midst,The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Nahum 1:7
The Lord is good,  a stronghold in the day of trouble; he knows those who take refuge in him.

Romans 8:37
You are more than conqueror through my love in Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 58:11
The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones;
You shall be like a watered garden,
And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.

Micah 7:18
I forgive sins and I love to show mercy.

1peter 5:7
Cast all your worries on Me, for I really care about you.

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. 

ALWAYS PREACH FOR A SPECIFIC RESPONSE

By Rick Warren

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The Bible is clear that Christians must be “doers of the Word and not hearers only,” (James 1:22) so it’s clear that our responsibility as Pastors and preachers of the Word is to challenge people to do something in response to what we’ve said. In other words, the goal of preaching is life change.

How can you add more application into our message to make God’s Word more doable? Always aim for a specific response.

The greatest weakness of most preaching is that the sermon has a fuzzy focus. So many sermons are vague & abstract because the pastor isn’t really clear about why he is teaching this particular message, nor does he give the audience a specific direction to go in response.

It’s easy to be abstract, but it takes effort to be specific, but nothing becomes dynamic until it becomes specific! A well-prepared sermon should be more like a bullet than buckshot. Know your purpose and aim right for it!

The most important question you can be asking as you are in the process of studying and preparing your sermon is what specific response am I going to ask for?

Since you are preaching for action, for a verdict, and for a commitment, you should prepare everything about the message with the end and the stated goal in sight.

Plenty of books on preaching advise you to dig to discover the “big idea” in the text. This is vital, but it isn’t everything. The big idea of the text is the what? of the sermon, but people also need to hear the so what? Ask these three questions before you finish preparing to preach:

• What do I want them to think? That is, how will this message challenge their mind?
• What do I want them to feel? How will this message challenge their heart?
• What do I want them to do? How will this message challenge their will?

After you’ve answered these questions and have thoroughly understood not only the big idea of the text but also the main application, condense the objective down to a single sentence. This will help you to focus, which will help you to be clear, which will in turn help people to know exactly what to do in response to what you’ve said.