Bible Study

Made Easy
Topic: Searching The Scriptures

Compiled by
Rev David D. Odunaiya

WORD OF THE SPIRIT UK

Beloved,

We live in a world today, that has become tangled up in a massive web of

self achievements and self ambitions. A world which has over the centuries
been engaged in its own battle, which some prefer to call, “Survival of the
fittest”.

In the midst of it all, millions of people have lost focus of the most important
thing in life – The Word of God!

God has given us His word so that we can build a more solid foundation for
success, prosperity and peace in our lives. There are lot things that constitute
a strong challenge – others call it problems – to the wellbeing or socio–
economic welfare of people all over the world today. As a member of His
glorious family, . But God has designed you to be the head and not the tail,
to be above and not beneath. A pacesetter in a world that is struggling to in
an unrighteous manner to make a the most of life, a world manipulating
all they can to make ends meet.

The purpose why God gave us “The Bible” was so that we can take time to
discover the secrets of His kingdom which are able to make winners of so-
called losers on the earth, thereby manifesting our earthly dominion over all
barriers and obstacles of life.

Many Christians, today, have become so wrapped in their personal

ambitions and dreams, that they don’t have time for the very thing (The
Word) that was packaged to make life more interesting, though challenging,
but profitable to them.

You were not designed to be among the “company” that struggle to make
ends meet in life. You were created for “greatness” and nothing less. God’s
word is full of wisdom keys that can make your life very colourful.

There is a possibility that you also may have been caught up in the busy
traffic of life’s so called “survival programme”, that you have not been able
to give more time as you would like to the study of God’s . Bible Study
Made Easy has been packaged together in such a way, as to save you time of
trying to locate certain scriptures or topics from the bible alone, so that you
can maximally use the short time that has been left you by your so called
“busy schedule”, so that you can focus your energy and time on, going
straight to the point.

This study material was not designed to make you a lazy searcher, but a
focused one. I have given you the skeleton, so that you can put the flesh on it
through your personal study, I pray that you will find this material useful for
the enhancement of your study life.

Remain Blessed

Rev David. D. Odunaiya

INTRODUCTION

The kingdom of God is full of treasures. Treasures that are able to make
your life here on the earth prosperous and fulfilling, also it will make you an
enviable personality on the earth. These treasures of God are hidden deep
down in His word, which we also know as the scriptures. Locating where
they are , and opening up yourself to them will make you a sign and a
wonder to your generation.

“In whom (Jesus, The Word Of God) are hid all the treasures
of wisdom and knowledge”.
Colossians 2:3

The treasures of God are not found by those, who just read God’s word for
fun or to pass away time. But by people who have placed the right value on
it. People who are ready to pay the price, and approach the word of God
with an expectation in their heart, believing that every single minute spent
searching the depth of God's word will leave an indelible mark in their lives.

Remember the God who said, "do not cast your pearls before swine…” -
people who have no value for it - will not cast His treasure before those who
have no value for it.

Searching the scriptures is like "launching into the deep". Peter toiled all
night, until Jesus told him to launch into the deep (Luke 5: 4 – 7).

Have you been believing God, for an end to your toils and struggles? Then it
time for you to go on a search for the keys that unlock the doors of the
supernatural in your favor. Jesus said in Mathew 16:19, that, “"And I will
give you the KEYS of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on
earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be
loosed in heaven"

I encourage you today to become a searcher of God's treasures. Let the word
become your thirst. The answers you have been looking for are located deep
down in the scriptures, so quit scratching the surface. Allow the Holy Ghost
to take you on an adventure in the realms of the spirit, where your faith can
accomplish the impossible.
This material is designed to help you understand what searching the
scriptures is all about so that you can have the best of times in God’s
presence every time you sit at His word.

EXPLAINING THE SCRIPTURES ?

The word “Scriptures” is another word used to refer to “The Word of God” -
2 Tim 3:15-16. In other words “The Bible” is full of scriptures, and these
scriptures are not the word of men, but the word of God . So any where in
the bible where you see the word “Scriptures”, just substitute it with the
word “The Word Of God”.

WRITTEN BY MEN , BUT INSPIRED BY GOD

The bible was written by men, but by the inspiration of The Holy Spirit. In
other words The Holy Spirit authored the bible through the hands of men.

2 Peter 1:19-21

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that

ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day
dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
20 Knowing this first that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation.
21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men
of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.
 THE SPOKEN AND THE WRITTEN WORD

God spoke His word through the Holy Spirit, who then inspire certain men
(chosen vessels) , to put down these words down in a written form. This
written form is what we refer to as “The scriptures”.

The words that proceed out of the mouth of God are not ordinary words,
they are “spirit and life” – John 6:63. It is quick (alive) and powerful –
Hebrews 4:12.

The reason why the written word had to be inspired by the Holy Ghost
among many others, was so that, it will not just be mere words, but words
which could carry the same life and power as the spoken word.

In other words, the scriptures is the word of God in a written form. And
carries the very life and power that makes God who He is.

David had this to say about the scriptures in Psalms 119

11 Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.

9. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto
according to thy word.

18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy
law.

105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

130 The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto
the simple.
PART TWO

BENEFITS OF SEARCHING THE SCRIPTURES?

1. It helps you to discover your rights and privileges in Christ. John 8 :

32; 2 Peter 1 : 2 – 3; Acts 20 : 32; Ephesians 1:17-21.

2. It gives you the wisdom to deal with challenging issues in your life.
2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 8:12-16; Ecclesiastes 10:10; 8:1; Proverbs
4:20-22.

3. It increases your knowledge of the personality of Jesus, and also gives

you more insight into the principles that govern His Kingdom.
Philippians 3:7-10; John 5:39; Luke 24:13-27.

4. It builds up your faith, and enhances your supernatural mentality.

Romans 10:17; John 10:34-35; Acts 20:32.

5. It gives you the solid foundation, you need to withstand and overcome
the challenges of life, and all the adversities of the devil and his
kingdom of darkness. Mathew 7:24-27; 2 Corinthians 2:14;
Ephesians 6:10-18;{ Psalms 119:130 + John 1:1-5 }

6. It gives you a first hand knowledge of God’s promises for your life,
and all the blessings attached to the covenant He has made with you
through His Son Jesus Christ. 2 Peter1:2-4; Isaiah 34:16; Genesis
12:1-4; Psalms 89:34-37; Exodus 23:26-27; Deuteronomy 28:1-13.

7. It will put, in your hand the keys you need to unlock your destiny in
God. Mathew 16:16-19.

8. It adds honour and dignity to your life. Proverbs 25:2

 HOW TO SEARCH THE SCRIPTURES

During Jesus’ time here on the earth, He shared many parables with His
disciples and the multitudes that thronged around Him. These parables
contained divine truths and principles that governed God’s kingdom. It is
with one of such parables that I would like to share with you some of the
keys will you to get the best of your study time in God’s presence.

THE PARABLE OF THE LOST COIN

LUKE 15:8-9

“Either what woman having ten pieces of silver, if she LOSE

ONE PIECE, doth not light a candle, and SWEEP THE HOUSE
and SEEK DILIGENTLY till she find it?”

Hidden in these parables are divine keys that will help you know what it
takes to get the best from your search in the word of God.

KEY #1

Search The Scriptures Like Someone Who Is Looking For That missing
part of your Life.

The Bible did not say the woman was having fun or messing around. She
was looking for something that was lost, something that was missing in her
life. In Genesis chapter 3, we saw how Adam and Eve lost the heritage that
God gave Man through sin. But in Ephesians 1: 7-11, we are told that
Jesus, by His blood has reconnected us back to that heritage and has given
us a far better inheritance!

The details of our new inheritance is hidden deep down in the sea of God’s
word , and we have to search it out diligently to be able to enjoy it. God has
planned your life in such a way that you will always need Him to do
something new in your life. One way or the other, there will always be
something missing in your life, but the answer can always be found in God’s
word , and no other place .
Make up your mind what you are looking for before you begin to search for
it. Then you will see God take care of your needs. The question that you
need to ask yourself is this, “why was the woman searching the house and
no where else? The answer to that is simple. She strongly believed that the
coin she was looking for was hiding somewhere in the house. So likewise
you must have a strong conviction that the answers to your problems can
only and I mean only located in the word of God.

KEY #2

Search The Scriptures With A Non-Chalant Attitude.

This woman had ten silver coins and she had just lost one of them, not two
nor three or nine, just one coin. But she placed so much value on that one
coin, to the point, that she was ready to put aside the other nine coins she
had, momentarily, in order for her to look for the one that was lost.

Let’s look at it this way, she had lost one coin, but she still had nine with
her. In other words she still had 90% of her possessions with her. She could
have said to herself, “I cannot bother to waste my time looking for just one
coin, at least I still have nine left” This woman refused to settle for nine
coins. She started out with ten coins and she was not ready to live just nine.
She refused to settle for less than the best, because that would have made her
a mediocre.

Also, after searching the house for five or ten minutes, she could have given
up the search. But the bible, says, “, and SWEEP THE HOUSE and seek
diligently TILL SHE FIND IT?” She did not end her search until she found
what she was looking for.

Searching the scriptures with a passive attitude will not get you anywhere.
God has promised, that, if you seek, you will find – Mathew 7:7.
KEY #3

You Need To Search The Scriptures With A Lighted Spirit.

The Bible says, the woman lighted a candle. In other words before she began
her search she first of all lighted a candle.

Before you embank on a word search you must also light your candle. I
know you will wondering what your candle is. Let’s take look at what the
word has to say.

Psalms 18:27

“For thou wilt light MY CANDLE: the LORD my God will enlighten my
darkness”.

Proverbs 20:27

“The SPIRIT OF MAN is THE CANDLE of the LORD, searching all the
inward parts of the belly”.

The woman lighted a candle, because she needed some kind of illumination,
to enable her to have a successful search. The above scripture says that your
spirit is “the candle of the LORD”. This in other words means your spirit
man must be illuminated for you to be able to find what you are looking for
in the word of God. The woman lighted her candle so that she could see
where her lost coin was.

The treasures of God are hidden away in the Bible, away from the physical
eyes of men – Mark 4:11-12, Colossians 2:3, 1 Corinthians 2:9.

Your spiritual eyes (the eyes of your spirit) need to be illuminated to enable
you to see the things that are hidden.
Paul had this to say in Ephesians 1:17-19;

“That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give
unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of your
understanding:

THE EYES OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING BEING ENLIGHTENED;

that ye may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of
the glory of His inheritance in the saints, And what is the exceeding
greatness of His power to us-ward who believe, according to the workings
of His mighty power,…”

The only biblical way of enlightening or illuminating your spirit man is by

engaging the ministry of the HOLY SPIRIT. He is the one that opens our
eyes to the things that are hidden deep down in the word of God. 2
Corinthians 2:9-10; Psalms 119:18. His ministry is to reveal the secrets of
God to us. In other words you have no access to your heavenly heritage
without His help – John 14:26; 16:7-15.

It takes a lighted spirit to see into the realm of the spirit. The Holy Spirit sets
our spirit aglow with revelation and insights. He will show you where the
treasures you are looking for is; as long as you recognise His ministry every
time you settle down to study the word.

TWO WAYS TO DO THAT ARE:

1. Acknowledge His presence in the place of study through praise and

worship.

2. Ask Him to open your eyes of understanding, so that you can see the
things that are hidden behind the written word.

KEY #4

Sweep Through The Bible Until You Find What You Are Looking For.
The bible says, the woman swept the house. We all know that a house has
several apartments; room(s), bathroom, living room, kitchen etc. She did not
just search one place she combed the entire house.

The Bible is the book that houses the word of God, and it has many
compartments (books – chapters and verses). You need to comb the entire
bible until you find the answers you are looking for. In Genesis 13:14, God
told Abraham to look Northward, Southward, Eastward and Westward. And
this is exactly what you have to do when searching the scriptures. You need
to look from Genesis to Malachi and from Mathew to Revelation until you
find “IT”.

There will be times when you will be studying a particular subject matter in
the New Testament and the Holy Ghost will take you back to the Old
Testament to establish its foundation, or in order to establish or substantiate
a principle or truth. He guides you where to search so that you would not
keep toiling like Peter did – Luke 5.

KEY #5

You Need To Search With A Business-Like Mentality.

The phrase “Seek Diligently” connotes hard work, business-like attitude. It

is not enough to seek, you need to seek diligent, and that is the only way to
prove that you mean business. Proverbs 22:29, says, “Seest thou a man
diligent in his business? He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand
before mere men”.

Diligence is one of the vital ingredients for greatness in life. When you settle
down to study, you need to detach yourself from every kind of distraction so
that you can focus on the business at hand. Study time is not the time to
remember the people who you haven’t gone to visit for a long time, or the
things you forgot to do, or need to buy. It is a time when your heart has to
connect with the spirit behind the word.

THINGS THAT WILL AID YOU IN YOUR SEARCH

1. Concordances.
 2. Bible commentaries.
3. Expository dictionaries.
4. Relevant books and tapes.
5. Note book.
6. Etc.

CONCLUSION:

I believe that this material has been of great of blessing to you, and has
opened you up to a new dimension of walking with God. This material was
put together for the purpose of assisting in your personal bible study.
Building your life on the word is not an option, but a must if you are to fulfil
your God-given destiny here on the earth.

Other materials all being put together for your benefit, and as soon as they
are ready, it will be a privilege to send them to you. Till then remain blessed
in His presence, I leave you now with this wisdom key:

# Until The Word Finds A Place In Your Heart, Your

Place On The Earth Is Not Guaranteed

God Bless You