I too have taken the forbidden fruit … and oh my, it’s wonderful!  For the first time in my life, I am now a hooked owner of a MacBook.  When Roy had his Mac, I used to say that it was just a prettier version of my PC and that it wasn’t worth the extra cost.  Being a good family man, he sold his and got a cheap PC.

But then I started noticing the difference in quality, capacity, etc. and when my PC started signalling its imminent death (I’ve had it for 4 years), and then my charger died on Sunday, plus JB Hifi had a 10% sale, I decided it was time.  We’re going overseas in a few weeks so we can even claim the GST back (hurrah!)

Maybe it’s just the excitement of having a new computer, but I feel like I’ve been more efficient this week. Is it possible that the Mac actually improves the quality of life?

I kid… sort of.

Having good tools helps!  It does wonders to motivation and productivity.  Remember the first day of school when you prepared new pens, pencils, and notebooks in your new superhero or Hello Kitty book-bags?  The joy of novelty can go a long way.

The same principles apply to Bible study.  Reading and exploring the Bible with good tools and new techniques can bring the ancient text to life in a way that is interesting, enjoyable, and inspiring.

For example, try typing out your thoughts and questions from Bible study on your computer.  Organise the notes into categories like “increasing faith” or “difficult texts.” Try to see a pattern between the passages that deal with the same topics.

I enjoy journaling in a brand new journal with a nice ballpoint pen.  If you’re like me, get a new journal that you will actually look forward to using to write down your reflections on a passage.

Do you know multiple languages?  Reading the Bible in different languages really help to bring to light the various meanings of words, phrases, and ideas. Just know English?  No problem.  Try reading the passage in different English translations: http://www.biblegateway.com. or http://www.biblecc.com.  You can read parallel versions on the same screen to compare and contrast translators’ choices.  I like reading the NKJV, the NIV, the NASB, and the Message versions together.

Pick one verse that you want to dig deeper into and look it up at http://www.blueletterbible.org.    Click on the “TOOLS” button to see the different cross-references, commentaries, Bible dictionaries, etc. related to that verse.  My favourite tool is “INTERLINEAR,” which shows you the original Hebrew or Greek words and their meanings.  You can click on the “Strong’s” number to see a fuller definition and references to where that word is used elsewhere.  For example, in John 3:16, the word “begotten” can be translated “the only one of its kind.”

Speaking of cross-references, if you have a Study Bible that has a middle column with footnotes, etc. try reading them!  Many people have invested long hours of research to provide cross-reference texts that relate to that particular text, phrase, or idea.  Read the various references to understand the greater context.  You could do a cross-reference chain reading where you start in one text, read its reference, then that reference, etc.

I also recommend investing in some Bible commentaries.  You can buy E-books or print versions – or go to a theological library if you live near one.  Commentaries are not just for scholars.  My favourite one is the NIV Application Commentary.  It’s practical,  user-friendly, and in plain English.

Listen to the Bible – it’s amazing how listening to someone else read the text (preferably, a dramatised version and not just a monotone speaker) can make you hear something you’ve never realised before was even in the Bible.  There are apps and websites where you can download and listen to chapters of the Bible for free.  Here are some: http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/

Paraphrasing a passage in your own words, creating a personalised Bible version, can help solidity the main idea.  Or write a Haiku version.

If you’re artistic, draw the passage out or compose a song.   Memorise a verse and ruminate on it.

For a simple step-by-step guide to How to Study the Bible, click here:  How to Study the Bible

What are some ways you mix it up?

Have you ever had a heartburn? No, I’m not referring to the terribly painful health condition that’s keeping me up right now (shouldn’t have had that chocolate muffin right before bed).

I’m talking about that fire-in-your-bosom feeling or experience when you fall in love, with someone or something. That excitement, that passion, that overflow of joy with anticipation.

It may be a steady ember or a fireworks of emotions – but whatever its cause and the following array of symptoms, it’s sure to leave you with a lasting impression.

Have you ever had spiritual heartburn? A time when you felt God stirring your heart, whether through an inspiring sermon, stimulating bible study, or a sincere prayer? Perhaps you were on a mountaintop or in a vast desert. A time when you felt the grandiosity of God, or His generosity of grace?

In Luke 24, two individuals experience this kind of heartburn – they are walking to Emmaus, disappointed, discouraged and utterly disheartened after the death of Jesus.

They are so focused on their own sadness from their own dreams deferred that they do not even recognize Jesus when He comes and walks with them. God shields their eyes, too, for various reasons.

But Jesus still walks and talks with them, showing them how their expectations of a Messiah were grounded in selective listening of Scriptures and misguided, earthly ambitions. They wanted a Messiah who would give them political freedom and physical comforts rather than a Messiah who would give them internal freedom and spiritual blessings.

Jesus slowly opens their eyes to the truer, fuller, grander nature and mission of the Messiah by giving them a Bible study ranging from Genesis to Malachi. And as their vision is shifted from focusing on temporary pleasures to eternal promises, they begin to realize that perhaps the Messiah did have to suffer and die – and that perhaps Jesus wasn’t a failure after all! Perhaps He really is God, and He succeeded in providing a way for all people to experience release from guilt, shame, fear, sin, and ultimately, death. Could He really still be alive?!

And so they experience heartburn. Later, after they realize that the person who had been with them all along the way was Jesus (ask me to show you how and why that’s significant – a fascinating bible study!), they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?” (Luke 24:32, NKJV).

Could it be that the reason why we can’t see God is because we, too, are focusing on our own disappointments, caused by misunderstanding of the nature and mission of God? For example, we want and expect God (if He is real) to protect us from harm, provide us good things like family, health, job security, etc. But what if God wants more for us than just gratitude for physical blessings? What if He wants us to fall in love with Him simply for who He is rather than what He can give us?

What if that means that He surprises us with enormous respect, trusting us with the freedom of choice, no matter how difficult the consequences of those choices may be on Him?

What if that means that He waits painfully patiently for us to realize the detrimental effects of selfishness and to accept willingly a lifestyle of Christ-centred and other-centredness that is only possible through God?

What if that means He is willing to risk being misunderstood for the sake of being really known and desired for His whole character, not just the bits and pieces that we like about Him?

What if our own expectations of what it means to follow Jesus need to be broken down? What if that means we may have to go through suffering, failures, and disappointments? After all, that is what Jesus went through – He had to suffer and die before He could resurrect and be our Saviour.

So if we truly want to see God, we need to be open to a paradigm shift; we need to be willing to go back to old passages and see them with new eyes, willing to spend time listening to different ideas, willing to make difficult choices, willing, even, to suffer — willing, in essence, to catch on fire.

I recently joined a gym.

I actually went four times in the past seven days, but I hardly got any exercise.  The first time, I forgot my towel and felt paranoid that they would kick me out because they had a huge sign up that said “Towel check week.”  So I left after 20 minutes.

The second time, I couldn’t find my membership card (it was in my jacket pocket but of course I looked in every pocket of my purse and wallet and came up empty) so I went back home and didn’t feel like going back.

The third time, I had an appointment with the fitness trainer so I answered questions about my health, etc. and didn’t get to actually exercise.

I wonder if we ever feel equally unsatisfied after we go to church.

Do we come back home and feel like we hardly connected to God?  That we were at the right place, doing the right things, going through the right motions, but that none of our spiritual muscles were engaged?

Were we anxious the whole time about what others might think of us?

We signed up for the church because we wanted to be spiritually active, but are we getting our money’s worth? (time = money).

What would make our experience at church worthwhile?

Extending the gym analogy, the church could ensure that it provides a safe environment to exercise faith: a space where each person can develop at his or her own pace; a community that provides accountability and encouragement through group activities as well as individual routines; a training ground where professionals model, coach, and challenge members to achieve their goals; a culture where individuals with different backgrounds, personalities, and needs respect each other’s desires to improve and promote wholistic health (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, and relational).

The right tools should be provided, reviewed, and updated, with clear descriptions and instructions for usage.  There should be a variety of ways people can engage and exercise their spiritual core: the weights of bible studies, the treadmill of service, the pool of prayer relays, small group workouts…  There should even be a cafe of socials and food.

But no matter how well-equipped the church may be, no matter how proficient the trainers and how inspiring the music, you ultimately decide how much you get out of it.

Are you making an effort to be there consistently? Once there, do you just go through the motions or are you really engaging and building your faith muscles through active listening, reflective participation, and genuine dialogue with God and one another? Are you too distracted worrying about what others think of you that you fail to stretch your understanding of God?  Do you come willing and ready to grow?

Perhaps it’s time to renew our commitment.

And as I return to the gym, prepared and determined, this time, I know there will be results.  That faith keeps me going, and although the change may be slow and difficult, I am glad I joined.